Lightning Round: Frito-Lay, Tesco, and the Price of Craft Beer in the USA

• It’s a good time to be Frito-Lay: the PepsiCo subsidiary’s Australia Holdings division just posted a 47 per cent rise in net profit after tax to $53.5 million, due in part to strong partnerships with retailers like Coles and Woolworths. ~ Sydney Herald
• Why does craft beer cost so much more than a six-pack of Bud Light? It has a lot to do with economies of scale—major macrobrewers pay a lot less per pound for hops and malts, because they’re buying a much larger volume at any given time. Once you factor in everything from specialty packaging to fluctuating yeast costs, it’s easy to see how it all adds up. Huffington Post breaks it down more thoroughly, and it’s certainly worth a read. ~ Huffington Post Food
• Food Safety News has named its top ten biggest food safety stories of 2014. From poultry inspection reform to genetic engineering labeling disputes, it was certainly an eventful year for the industry. ~ Food Safety News
• Tesco and its auditing partner PwC are facing yet another round of problems, as formal investigations ramp up into the supermarket chain’s profit overstatement. ~ The Guardian
• Speaking of Tesco, marketing experts have five predictions for UK supermarket trends in 2015—it looks like loyalty cards are out and alternative forms of point collection are in. ~ FoodBev
• Tim Hortons gets really cozy and full of good feelings with its #warmwishes campaign, raising 10,000 hats and 2,000 blankets for a Toronto shelter in the process. ~ QSR
• We're gonna need a Red Robin Cureburger ourselves when the holidays are over, guess we'd better get there before January 7 when the LTO will disappear back into the ether once more. ~ Foodbeast

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