Trident gum and Halls cough drops said growth had improved after a slow start to 2009

LONDON, June 18 (Reuters) - British confectionery group Cadbury (CBRY.L) reported a pickup in April and May trading on Thursday and looked forward to a stronger second-half helped by new product launches for its chocolate, gum and candy.

The maker of Dairy Milk chocolate, Trident gum and Halls cough drops said growth had improved after a slow start to 2009, but this was due to the absence of de-stocking and market share gains rather than any signs of a global economic recovery.
Although mainland Europe was still a trouble spot due to weak markets in France and Spain, the group held its overall sales and margin forecast for 2009, with the slower start to the year set to be balanced by a stronger second-half.
"Trading in April and May improved due to the absence of de-stocking in the United States and some improved business performances," said Chief Executive Todd Stitzer on a conference call after a first-half trading update.
Cadbury shares edged up 0.7 percent to 525-1/2 pence by 0825 GMT in a slightly lower UK stock market.
Analysts expect sales at the world's second-largest confectionery group, after Mars-Wrigley, to rise around 3 percent in the first-half, accelerating to 5 percent in the second to give a 2009 rise close to company forecasts of around 4 percent.
"The shape of the April/May development is in line with our expectations," said Citi analyst Jeff Stent, adding the only surprise was that first-half margins will be higher than expected due to the new product launches in the second half.
The London-based group said growth in chocolate had remained robust since the start of 2009 while gum and candy returned to growth after a poor first-quarter. It gave no specific figures.
Its British business gained market share after a good Easter Egg season and the success of its relaunched Wispa bar, helping to offset difficult trading in Ireland, France and Spain.


For further details visit as : www.reuters.com/article/rbssFoodProcessing/idUSLH85838320090618

MP attacks 'light' cigarettes

The government needs to force tobacco companies to wrap their products in plain packaging and stop using the term 'light', a leading MP has said.

Charlotte Atkins, a member of the Health Select Committee, said "research has found that current tobacco packaging is misleading by implying that some tobacco products are less harmful than others".

The Staffordshire Moorlands Labour MP has helped table a parliamentary motion drawing attention to a recent article adopted by the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which defines tobacco packaging and display as a means of advertising and promotion.

The parliamentary motion "believes that misleading packaging is in contravention of the EU directive on tobacco products and that research also shows that removing colours and brand imagery from packs increases the effectiveness of health warnings and supports the prohibition of retail display of tobacco products".

Ms Atkins said she wanted to the government "to introduce measures to require plain packaging of all tobacco products by regulation".

A Department of Health spokesperson confirmed to politics.co.uk that the issue of 'unbranding' cigarette boxes was under review but that no decision had yet been taken.

source:http://www.politics.co.uk/

health warnings

Has govt delayed health warnings on cigarette packs to control population?

epeated dithering by UPA government in introducing pictorial signs and health warnings on cigarette packets invited a stinging query
from the Supreme Court on Monday: "Is the government doing this to control rapidly increasing population?"

Appearing for NGO `Health for Millions', senior advocate Indira Jaising told a Bench comprising Justices B N Agrawal and G S Singhvi that the government had succumbed to the pressure exerted by the tobacco lobby and repeatedly postponed implementation of its decision on pictorial warnings.

She asked how the government, which has ministers who own tobacco plantations, could take a decision that was contrary to their interests? Jaising alleged that even the pictorial sign, which was to be `skull and bones' -- internationally understood to depict danger — had been diluted to `scorpion' which meant nothing for the common man. She reeled out statistics about large number of deaths caused every day due to use of tobacco in the form of cigarettes, beedis and chewing tobacco.

However, additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam said the government had taken a decision to introduce pictorial signs and health warnings on tobacco packs from May 31, 2009 and the health ministry was coordinating with other ministries for the same.

Before adjourning the case to April 30, the Bench asked Subramaniam: "Has the government diluted the pictorial sign and deferred implementation to control burgeoning population?"


source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/

Pictorial warnings on tobacco products from May 30

Manufacturers would display the statutory pictorial warning on their cigarette and tobacco products from May 30 onwards as the Centre on Monday promised to enforce the rule making the provision mandatory in a month’s time.

Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium gave the assurance to a bench headed by Justice B.N. Aggarwal after senior counsel Indira Jaisingh, appearing for NGO Health for Millions, alleged the Centre was dragging its feet on the issue.

Jaisingh accused the government of buckling under the pressure from the tobacco lobby. When Jaisingh complained the Centre had diluted the original warning signals on tobacco products, the bench said in a lighter vein: “This way, the government wants to control the population.”

According to Jaisingh the government had initially planned to display images of a skull and bone, besides using a caution that tobacco products even kill a baby in mother’s womb. However, using X-ray images of lungs on the label of tobacco products has diluted the warning, she claimed.

After hearing the Centre and Jaisingh the court agreed to take up latter’s application for a final disposal on April 30.



source:http://www.hindustantimes.com