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Good news for fans of Kraft Singles

<p>As Kraft prepares for its widely-publicised re-entry into the Australian market, there’s a spot of good news for fans of the popular Kraft Singles cheese products.</p> <p>Kraft Singles are set to return to local supermarkets, six months after they were sold to Bega Cheese and given the new name Dairylea Slices, as part of the rebranding.</p> <p>Bruno Lino, CEO of Kraft Heinz Australia, described Kraft as a “way of life in Australia” and said the multinational was committed to strengthening the brand down under.</p> <p>“As a first step, Kraft cheese is making a comeback and Kraft Singles will start appearing on supermarket shelves over the next few days,” Lino said.</p> <p>“Kraft Singles is an Australian staple,” Lino said.</p> <p>The return of Kraft Singles comes as the company finds itself in a <a href="http://www.oversixty.com.au/finance/legal/2017/10/kraft-and-begas-peanut-butter-war-just-got-nasty/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>legal stoush with Bega Cheese</strong></span></a> regarding the packaging of its peanut butter products.</p> <p>Intellectual property expert Matthew Rimmer touched on the controversy in an interview on <em>3AW</em> this morning, “Kraft is complaining that Bega is engaging in blatant violation of Kraft’s intellectual property rights and want to prevent further injury to the world famous Kraft brand</p> <p>But he added: “(Kraft) don’t necessarily have any kind of monopoly over the use of yellow or the use of peanuts.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p><em>Image credit: Twitter / <span class="FullNameGroup">Digital Media News</span></em></p>

Food & Wine

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Kraft and Bega's peanut butter war just got nasty

<p>Peanut butter is a guilty pleasure for many Australians, but soon, thanks to a bizarre legal stoush between American-owned Kraft and local brand Bega, buying this iconic condiment is going to give shoppers a serious headache.</p> <p>At the heart of the battle is the design of the jar.</p> <p>Kraft-branded peanut butter, with the famous, “Never Oily, Never Dry” motto, has graced Australian shelves for more than 90 years. But the American condiment manufacturer lost the rights to the product back in 2012, when the company split in two.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr">Kraft to reintroduce its classic peanut butter in Australia. Will compete directly against Australian-owned Bega Cheese Limited. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/7News?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#7News</a> <a href="https://t.co/zTUr54NcnX">pic.twitter.com/zTUr54NcnX</a></p> — 7 News Sydney (@7NewsSydney) <a href="https://twitter.com/7NewsSydney/status/922914220152299520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 24, 2017</a></blockquote> <p>Kraft made an announcement this week, saying, “two of Kraft’s traditional favourites are set to return to supermarket shelves with Kraft Singles appearing from this week and Kraft Peanut Butter making a comeback in early 2018”.</p> <p>But this glosses over the bitter intellectual property court dispute.</p> <p>Currently, what was Kraft Peanut Butter is made by Bega, which own the rights to the recipe. Kraft is releasing a brand of peanut butter with a new recipe and new packaging. So early next year, peanut butter lovers will find themselves in an odd situation where if they want the classic Kraft taste, they have to purchase the Bega product. </p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lH7dpxzl138" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p> <p>When Kraft ditched its peanut butter products Bega got the factories and the recipes under the proviso that it could only use the Kraft name until the end of 2017. So Bega has been subtly rebranding the product under its own name. </p> <p>Kraft wants its jar and distinctive colours back for when it relaunches its new peanut butter product in Australia next year, but Bega is reportedly not going to budge. </p> <p><img width="498" height="245" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/44691/kraft-peanut-butter_498x245.jpg" alt="Kraft -peanut -butter"/></p> <p><em>As you can see, the packaging is very similar.  </em></p> <p>Both companies have addressed the issue in statements.</p> <p>“We cannot speculate on what Kraft has planned,” a spokesman for Bega told <a href="http://www.News.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>news.com.au</strong></em></span></a>. “However, Australian-owned Bega Cheese Limited purchased the original never oily, never dry recipe, as well as the Victorian factory where the former Kraft Peanut Butter was made for 55 years.</p> <p>“Bega is proud to own and manufacture the same great tasting peanut butter that Australians have loved for 55 years in the exact same factory. The only change to Australia’s favourite peanut butter is that it will be sold as Bega Peanut Butter.”</p> <p>Bega added, “what we do know is that it (Kraft’s new peanut butter) will be a different recipe, made in a different factory by different people”.</p> <p>In a statement to <a href="http://www.News.com.au" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>news.com.au</strong></em></span></a>, Kraft said: “The future of the Kraft brand has never been in doubt. A series of historical corporate decisions saw the brand licensed to an external company for a limited period of time under strict conditions. It has always been our intention to continue with Kraft products in Australia. Kraft Singles will appear on supermarket shelves shortly and Kraft Peanut Butter in the New Year; both of which will be manufactured locally.”</p> <p>What are your thoughts?</p> <p><em>Hero image credit: Twitter / <span class="FullNameGroup">Matt Young‏</span></em></p>

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Kraft about to vanish from Australia

<p>One of the world’s biggest brands is being phased out of Australia and New Zealand.</p> <p>Kraft has been part of Australian households for nearly a century. Although born in Chicago, it’s part and parcel of Australian culture, first arriving to our shores in 1926. In every household you’ll find a Kraft product, whether that’s Mac &amp; Cheese or Vegemite.</p> <p>But despite it being worth more than Nestle or Kellogs – it’s worth 12 billion globally according to Forbes – Kraft will disappear from our shelves by the end of the year.</p> <p>But don’t fret, the products will remain, it’s the Kraft name that will disappear.</p> <p>This month, Kraft Singles was replaced by UK brand “Dairylea Slices”.</p> <p>And that hallmark Kraft Peanut Butter jar? Australia will soon get “The Good Nut” spreads.</p> <p>“The Kraft name symbolises familiarity. When shoppers go to the chiller it has that recognition,” University of Adelaide marketing expert Dr Dean Wilkie told news.com.au.</p> <p>“Removing the Kraft name runs the risk that many people will not hear about the change. In a perfect world you’d keep it.”</p> <p>In Australia, Kraft products have been through a series of takeovers and mergers that has left the brand in a strange position – Kraft products aren't even owned by Kraft here. And by the end of the year, it won’t matter, there’ll no longer be Kraft in our households. </p>

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