US-based Cabot Creamery Cooperative has launched Cabot Greek Style Yogurt. “Our new line of Greek Style Yogurt melts in your mouth – better than ice cream if you want rich, luscious taste,” said Cabot Creamery Cooperative CEO, Richard Stammer. “The family farmer owners of Cabot Creamery Cooperative have produced another world-class product. And, like our award-winning cheeses, our Greek Style Yogurt is in a class all by itself. We’re proud of that and we think our customers will agree.” The new yogurt is packed in 6oz cups and is available in a range of flavours: peach, strawberry, chocolate, vanilla and tropical fruit. There's also a Cabot plain flavour variant in a 32oz size. The new Greek Style Yogurt was launched in Publix supermarkets throughout the south-eastern part of the US and will eventually be rolled out across the country.

The UK's Office of Fair Trading has ruled that the Co-operative Group must dispose of 126 local stores in order to complete its purchase of the Somerfield supermarket chain. According to the OFT, the £1.57bn deal wouldn't damage competition nationally, but could have a negative effect at local level. The OFT said it is considering an offer from the Co-op to divest stores in the identified markets of concern. OFT Chief Executive John Fingleton said: "Once finalised, the divestment package will directly safeguard the welfare of many thousands, if not millions, of UK consumers by restoring grocery competition in the 126 local areas affected, while allowing an otherwise likely pro-competitive merger to go ahead." * *

**In its search for a solution to the financial challenges ahead, Danish-based Hirtshals Co-operative Dairy has approached Arla Foods with a view to merging the two companies. **This means Hirtshals’ co-operative members will be offered membership of Arla Foods following a takeover by Arla Foods. Hirtshals Co-operative Dairy’s Board of Directors will present their decision to the dairy’s co-operative members at an extraordinary meeting on 18 December. Hirtshals Co-operative Dairy has also decided to close down production at Ingstrup Dairy and to suspend operations. The Chairman of Hirtshals Co-operative Dairy, Cyril V Post, welcomes the fact that the dairy’s future has been settled, and accepts that it would have been hard to raise the finance to solve the problems in the current economic crisis. “We stand to lose 30-40% of our milk from the end of 2008 because several co-operative members have given notice of their intention to resign,” said Post. “The financial crisis is also causing many consumers to opt for cheaper products. As this is an area we don’t cover, our financial situation has been extremely difficult. In this situation, we're pleased that our approach to Arla Foods has been successful and that the dairy will now continue.” Arla Foods intends to maintain Hirtshals Co-operative Dairy and will, together with the dairy, evaluate its production and dairy products. “Hirtshals Co-operative Dairy has some interesting products,” says Arla Director of Danish Business Lars Aagaard. “We will now look into the opportunities for regional milk from North Jutlandian farmers. We will also ensure that it is still possible to buy milk from Hirtshals with the lighthouse on the carton.”

The Co-operative Group has become the first UK retailer to roll out 100% recycled PET (rPET) plastic bottles across its entire range of own-brand carbonated soft drinks and mixers, thanks to the Silver Spring Mineral Water Co of Kent, the county’s oldest drinks manufacturer, which produces the Co-op drinks. The move to 100% rPET plastic bottles for these drinks, as well as the retailer’s own-brand 330ml sportscap juice drinks, will reduce CO2 emissions by 1,212 tons and save 808 tons of new plastic per year – equivalent to the weight of 180 African elephants. rPET bottles are made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles saved by consumers for recycling. The bottles are cut into small pieces at recycling centres, washed and then melted into plastic granules ready to be made back into plastic bottles. As well as being made from recycled plastic, the bottles are fully recyclable and can be collected and recycled alongside regular PET bottles. David Hanlon, Operations Director at Silver Spring, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be working in partnership with the Co-operative Group to bring rPET bottles to market before its competitors. “There is a great deal of enthusiasm from consumers and retailers for a greener product, and Silver Spring with its state-of-the-art manufacturing and bottling plant is well placed to deliver this. “Silver Spring has strong relationships with suppliers of rPET, and is easily able to meet the high demand for it from its customers.” Customer support Iain Ferguson, Commercial Packaging Manager for the Co-operative Group, said: “Our members and customers have told us they want to see action on packaging, so we are delighted to be the first major retailer to roll out 100% rPET bottles across our carbonated drinks and mixers range. “This follows similar initiatives by the Co-operative, such as the launch of the world’s lightest whisky bottle and the introduction of ‘naked’ cucumbers last year, when our whole cucumbers were stripped of their plastic wrapping.” Silver Spring, which has been in business since 1870, has produced drinks for the Co-op for the past six years, and has helped the retailer develop new products and flavours. The switch to rPET follows the launch of the Co-operative’s Food Ethical Policy earlier this year, based on a massive consumer poll. More than 100,000 Co-op members and customers said that action to safeguard the environment was one of their top priorities, and 97% supported the group’s aim of reducing waste and increasing recycling. The Co-operative was voted the UK’s most ethical brand in a GfK NOP poll conducted for the Financial Times earlier this year. The group was also voted “greenest grocer” in an opinion poll commissioned by the Times. Last week (16 July) it was announced that the Co-operative Group had agreed to acquire the Somerfield store chain for £1.56billion (€1.97billion). Somerfield operates about 880 outlets across the UK. After the acquisition, the Co-operative will operate more than 3,000 stores in total, with annual sales of about £8billion (€10billion).