Free Subscription

  • Access daily briefings and unlimited news articles

Premium

Only $39.95 per year
  • Quarterly magazine and digital
  • Indepth executive interviews
  • Unlimited news and insights
  • Expert opinion and analysis

This week in FMCG

This week, brands took action on racial discrimination in marketing and the competition watchdog failed in a Federal Court appeal against an FMCG giant. Read below what happened this week.

Coon, Coco Pops accused of racial insensitivity

Since the death of African-American George Floyd in the US, local and international brands including Kellogg and Saputo Dairy Australia have faced criticisms. Kellogg’s Coco Pops drew criticism from former Labour MP Fiona Onasanya in the UK, who questioned why the chocolate-flavoured cereal is represented by a monkey while Rice Krispies are marketed using “three white boys”. Australian comedian Josh Thomas took to Twitter to say that Coon cheese should be renamed over associations with a racial slur. Saputo told Inside FMCG that the Coon brand was inspired by a man who invented the processing technique used to create the original product.

ACCC fails in appeal on Kimberly-Clark case

The Federal Court dismissed an appeal filed by ACCC over a ruling that Kimberly-Clark Australia did not mislead consumers on the ‘flushability’ of its Kleenex Cottonelle toilet wipes. The consumer watchdog said that products were labelled as “flushable” and consumers will think it is the same as toilet paper that would disintegrate when flushed in the toilet. ACCC argued that the trial judge made an error by requiring actual harm, and had failed to consider the ACCC’s evidence as a whole. 

Fonterra slammed for high global carbon emissions

Fonterra, Lactalis, Saputo and Danone are among 13 global dairy companies that have significantly increased pollution according to the Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy report in the US. Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop said that this report should be “a wake up call for the company and for the Government. NZ’s agriculture sector makes up 49 per cent of emissions, that has risen by 13.5 per cent since the 1990s. The Government said that the increased in pollution is due to the doubling of the dairy herd and a 600 per cent increased in using synthetic fertiliser.”

Marmite shortage blamed on low yeast supply

Britons are facing restrictions on Marmite as production was limited to small 250 gram jars, rather than the popular 400 gram squeezy containers. The company said that there was a short supply of brewers yeast, which is the main ingredient. The company said it was a “temporary measure” and that the smaller jar will be available in most major retailers.

Reckitt Benckiser named marketing director for ANZ

FMCG giant Reckitt Benckiser (RB) has appointed Saurabh Jain as the new marketing director for ANZ to lead the consumer hygiene portfolio, including Pine O Cleen, Glen 20, Harpic, Easy-Off Bam, Mortein, Finish, Vanish and Air Wick. He previously led the strategic and creative marketing operations for disinfectant brands at RB and has over 14 years of experience in major FMCG and retail roles, including at ITC Limited and Amazon.

Have a good weekend! We will be back with the latest on Monday morning.

You have 3 free articles.