Cadbury wins the colour purple

Cadbury has fought off Nestle over exclusive rights for the distinctive purple colour it has used on chocolate wrappers for more than 100 years.

The Cadbury brothers are thought to have picked the colour as a tribute to Queen Victoria.

The group, which has been locked in a legal battle with its rival for three years, was granted a trademark for the tint - pantone 2865c - to be used on certain chocolate goods such as Dairy Milk in 2008. Nestle challenged the ruling, arguing that the colour was not distinctive enough to receive a trademark.

The Swiss group's challenge appears to have failed after the registrar at the UK Intellectual Property Office this week ruled in Cadbury's favour, saying it had showed enough "distinctive character" for a trademark. One legal expert said that while it was an interim judgment, the decision was unlikely to be changed in the final report. Nestle can appeal the decision.

A spokesman for Cadbury said the group was "pleased" with the ruling, adding that the colour was something those at the company "jealously guard".

In his ruling, Allan James, the registrar, said the colour purple had built a distinctive character associated with Cadbury. He added that the colour had been used in its advertising campaigns to distinguish the brand. One of the most popular of those campaigns in recent times was the use of a gorilla playing the drums. He rejected claims that Cadbury had registered the colour in bad faith as "absurd".

Fiona McBride, a partner at Withers & Rogers, described the decision as a "major relief" for Cadbury, saying its use of the colour was now "iron-clad and the brand will be unlikely to face further challenges over the use of the colour purple in the future".

Yet, executives at Kraft, which bought Cadbury in a controversial takeover deal earlier this year, will not get carried away with the victory. The trademark was limited to using the colour on its chocolate bars and chocolate drinks. It had not proved such a distinctive character in all confectionery chocolate, Mr James said, or for protection in relation to assortments such as its Roses chocolates.

"Both sides have achieved a measure of success, Cadbury more so than Nestle," he added.

Ms McBride said: "Colour registrations are notoriously difficult to obtain, largely because it can be difficult to prove sufficient use to demonstrate that the colour has become synonymous with the brand in the mind of the consumer."

Cadbury first applied to patent the colour in 2004, although it was not approved for another four years. Cadbury did try to stop the Australian confectioner Darrell Lea from using purple on its packaging. Three years ago, however, its complaint was rejected by the Federal Court in Melbourne.

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Source and Photo: Gold Coast Mail

Recipe of the Week - White Chocolate Truffles

Another corker from the geniuses at Taste, White Chocolate Truffles not only sound exotic they taste great too!

INGREDIENTS (Makes 20)

180g dark chocolate, chopped
75ml pure cream
2 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur (optional)
2 tablespoons good-quality cocoa powder, sifted


METHOD

1. Place chocolate and cream in a small heatproof, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on High (100%) for 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring with a metal spoon halfway during cooking. Stir in Frangelico. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until firm.

2. Line a tray with baking paper. Place cocoa powder into a bowl. Roll 2 level teaspoons of mixture into a ball. Toss in cocoa powder to coat. Place on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate until required. Serve.


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Source and Photo: Taste

Town hopes lamingtons will save their annual show

Who makes Australia's best lamington?

Home-cooking experts in a tiny Gippsland farming town are determined to find out, staging their first Australian Lamington Competition.

And the hard-working volunteers at the Yarram Agricultural Society hope the ambitious plan to find the nation's best home-baked lamingtons will be the key to reviving their struggling annual show.

Domestic cooks across the district are in a flurry of coconut, chocolate and sponge squares to win the $350 prize - a major haul for a country show down to its last few dollars.

"This will be Yarram's 129th consecutive show, so we've got a lot of history behind us," explains Glenda Bland, the town's agricultural society treasurer.

"There's always strong interest in cooking, but we're hoping to take it to a whole new level on Saturday.

"Hopefully people will come from outside the district to compete."

But they face some stiff competition from the locals. Baking champion Alma Westwood is the town's elder stateswoman of cooking, winning more show prizes for her cakes over the decades than she can possibly remember.

At 97, she's too tired to compete in this year's revamped contest, but the great-grandmother is a wonderful inspiration for younger cooks in the town, happy to offer advice and tips.

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Source and Photo: Herald Sun

Dewar opens Sydney patisserie

Pastry chef extraordinaire Brendan Dewar is the latest to put his name on the door of his own patisserie with the opening of his first store on Sydney's north shore.

Ex Bacco Paticceria, Dewar has opened Brendan Dewar Patisserie in St Ives and is already predicting it will be his triple chocolate cake that will continue to be the most popular in his repertoire.

"I can't seem to make enough of my triple chocolate cake," he said. "I believe it's in such high demand due to the quality of the ingredients used."

Having trained with Pierre Hermes in Paris and with extensive experience in some of Sydney's top institutions including the Shangri La Hotel, and Rockpool, as well as a one time trainee of the high profile Sydney pastry chef Adriano Zumbo, Dewar is the latest in the new breed of patissiers who are taking the traditional and giving it a modern twist.

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Source and Photo: Hospitality Magazine

107-year-old Edith Bayne says red wine and chocolate keep her living

She has lived through two world wars, 27 Olympic Games and 22 changes of federal government - now Edith Bayne adds the 107th candle to the birthday cake.

The Camberwell resident, who celebrates her birthday today, credits red wine and chocolate for keeping her with us since 1904.

Fresh air, sunlight and a good cup of tea also aid longevity, she says.

Born in Christchurch, Mrs Bayne moved to Australia in the 1930s with late husband Oscar.

A talented artist, she drew cartoons for various journals in the 1940s and was an art teacher at Melbourne High School.

But the world has changed dramatically since the early 20th century. She was six when construction of Flinders St Station finished, 14 when World War I ended and 27 when the Sydney Harbour Bridge was opened.

When the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in 1945 she was 40 and when St Kilda won its only flag in 1966 she was 61.

"I enjoy red wine, and I eat chocolate," said Mrs Bayne, adding wine was used by many as a life booster.

"It's no secret - it's common."

Ann Turnbull, head of Lynden Aged Care in Camberwell, where Mrs Bayne has lived since 2009, said the centenarian was an inspiration.

"If red wine and chocolate is the secret to a long life, there's hope for me," she said.

Mrs Bayne will celebrate with family at the centre today.



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Source and Photo: Herald Sun

Chocolate diet helps boxer to silver medal

A piece of chocolate a day keeps the weight away.

Well, maybe not quite but that's the theory Monty's Chocolates owner Steve Sheldon followed to win a silver medal at the Australian Masters national boxing tournament in Adelaide last month.

Mr Sheldon weighed more than 100kg but decided he'd had enough. He took up boxing, shed more than 15kg and became fighting fit, all while eating chocolate every day.

"Boxing was always a passion of mine from the armchair; I was one of those boxing geeks who could tell you a blow-by-blow account of a particular fight but had never actually put on a pair of gloves myself," he said.

When he did finally slip on the gloves, Mr Sheldon fell in love with the sport.

He went on a strict diet to prepare for the tournament and made sure the nutritionist he visited incorporated a few pieces of dark chocolate (20g) into his diet.

"I promised myself if I stuck to the restrictive diet during the day, after dinner I could have the four squares of chocolate," he said. "One of things I didn't expect was the psychological benefits ... since I've been boxing, my state of mind has been very level and I can only put it down to the endorphins going into my system and the stress leaving my body."

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Source and Photo: Courier Mail

The Chocolate Room expands: Canada, US, UK

A master franchisee for The Chocolate Room in the US and Canada is hoping to replicate the success of the Indian expansion, which has seen a network of 35 stores built in less than four years.

The first store in Canada, near Toronto, is set to open this week, with an outlet in Virginia scheduled for an opening in January 2012.

The Chocolate Room's UK master franchisee plans to launch the Aussie brand in London next March.

Jim Richardson, founder of The Chocolate Room, described the Indian growth as "extraordinary". "The master has been quite aggressive in marketing and he plans to have nearly doubled his stores to 60 by the end of next year."

Now Richardson is turning his attention to the Australian market, which has been slower to develop. There are five outlets in Sydney, and one in Queenscliff near Geelong where the business is based.

A distinctive part of the business is the choice of 23 chocolate flavours sourced in Italy, Richardson said. Centralised distribution sees non-perishables delivered direct from Italy or Australia.

"The big news is that with 40 stores we now have terrific buying power," said Richardson. "We are getting crockery made in China which we could never do before. Now the scale of economy is working in our favour."

This will benefit franchisees coming into the business. The turnkey cost for a franchise is from $180,000 to $250,000 depending on size and location of the outlet and Richardson has "a loose target" of another four or five outlets for the Australian network next year.

"I'm looking for people with a sense of ownership, who will follow guidelines, who love chocolate above all, and understand running this business is hard work."

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Source and Photo: Franchise.Net

Taxpayers foot Greens Senator Scott Ludlam's book bill

Taxpayers have footed the bill for books celebrating Marxism, anarchy and sustainable cooking thanks to a Greens politician.

Senator Scott Ludlam slugged taxpayers more than $4500 in a year on books and publications including Pornography of Power: Why defence spending must be cut; How to Make Trouble and Influence People, a book celebrating disruptive protest; and The Bittersweet World of Chocolate, billed as a guide to socially responsible chocolate cooking.

Expenses documents from January to December last year show that Senator Ludlam also claimed $13.63 for a copy of teen fiction novel Tomorrow When the War Began, which follows the exploits of a group of Australian friends forced to fight an invading army.

The John Marsden book was turned into an award-winning Australia film last year.

In 2010, Greens leader Bob Brown also billed taxpayers $660 for 220 copies of his own party's Green Magazine.

Parliamentary rules allow senators to spend up to $4870 a year on publications "of their choice for purposes related to parliamentary, electorate or official business, but not commercial business".

The Herald Sun asked Senator Ludlam about the spending and whether taxpayers got value from the purchases, including the $44.50 claimed for Fifty Years of Recuperation of the Situationist International.

Situationist International is an obscure movement of revolutionary Marxists in 1950s France that sought to overthrow capitalism.

In response, Senator Ludlam said: "Some of the small handful of items mentioned were provided to local community bodies for them to use in their fundraising."

Some Greens MPs have come under fire for associations with socialist or Marxist groups, particularly before they were in Parliament.

Victorian Liberal senator Helen Kroger said some of the purchases were not surprising.

"The Greens profess to be the moral guardians and it would be refreshing if they practised what they preached," she said.

Senator Kroger said a book called In Defence of Lost Causes - claimed by Senator Ludlam for $36.32 last year - fitted with her expectations of the Greens.

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Source and Photo: Herald Sun

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate Tofu Muffins

We found this wonderful recipe from Fig and Cherry and just had to share it with you. It sounds amazing!


INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons dairy-free spread (I like the Nuttelex brand)
250g (2 cups) plain flour
50g (1/2 cup) ground almonds
2 teaspoons baking powder
35g (1/2 cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspooon salt
220g (1 cup) caster sugar
150g (1 cup) silken tofu
250ml (1 cup) Vitasoy Soy Milky Vanilla (*see note below)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
60ml (1/4 cup) maple syrup
12 squares dark chocolate (I like Lindt 70%)


METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F. Grease a twelve hole muffin tin with the dairy free spread.

2. In a large bowl mix together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, cocoa powder, salt and sugar. Set aside.

3. Place the tofu, soy milk, vinegar and maple syrup into a blender. Process for 10 seconds until smooth. There may still be a few small tofu lumps but that’s fine.

4. Pour the tofu mixture into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Don’t over mix or the muffins will be chewy.

5. Spoon the batter into the muffin pan holes and place a piece of chocolate on top of each one. Bake on the center shelf for 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack – they can be eaten warm or cold.

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Source and Photo: Fig and Cherry

Lollies, chips at NZ schools? Not under the Greens

The Green Party in New Zealand wants to scrap the controversial National Standards, restrict class sizes to 20 and ban the sale of sweet drinks, lollies and chips at school.

The party also wants to increase operational funding to the sector by 10 per cent and launch a commission of enquiry into the education system to assess how well it's doing.

Unsuprisingly it's an education policy that's been warmly received by sector union NZEI which described it yesterday as a "welcome endorsement of quality public education".

"The Greens' policy reflects a sound understanding of what makes a quality public education system and what puts it at risk," said NZEI President Ian Leckie.

"It clearly recognises the dangers of the flawed National Standards for schools, students and communities and has listened to the ongoing opposition. Any promise to remove National Standards will be welcomed by schools which are struggling to implement them or are being forced to comply".

Mr Leckie added that support for more resourcing of schools through higher operational funding would be "music to the ears of school support staff".

"They are funded through school operational funding which offers them little job security as schools juggle their funding around tight operational budgets."

Green Party Education Spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said National Standards had been flawed, rushed, and forced on schools in an unacceptable way. They were also never necessary because schools already had robust assessment and reporting mechanisms.

"We will remove National Standards, and remove any requirement for schools to report against them."

"It is high quality teaching, not restrictive measurement, that will improve educational achievement in our schools."

Ms Delahunty said the Green Party's updated Education Policy also included a commitment to restore the goal of 100 per cent qualified staff in teacher-led Early Childhood Education (ECE) centres.

"All the research shows how vital ECE is for children's long-term educational outcomes.

"At the same time, we value Playcentre, Kohanga Reo, and other models of ECE, and reject the market funding mechanism proposed for them by the Government."

The Greens are also committing to resist moves to use Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the school sector.

Other policy points include ensure students have the right to not wear a uniform with being penalised, enforcing the law that prohibits schools from demanding fees, retaining and supporting local and rural schools and ensuring there is better and safer transport to rural schools.

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Source and Photo: NZ Herald

Trick-or-treater, 10, pulls gun on woman

A 10-year-old US boy trick-or-treating on Halloween has pulled a gun on a woman after she joked about taking his lollies.

The South Carolina boy was out on Monday evening with about 10 other children when the 28-year-old victim jokingly suggested she wanted to steal his candy.

The boy then produced a 9mm handgun and said: "No you're not, bitch," the Augusta Chronicle reported.

Local police lieutenant David Turno said the gun was not loaded at the time, though the boy had a clip of bullets in his possession.

The boy's brother, also 10, was also armed at the time of the assault.

The two had taken the firearms from their grandfather without permission, Lt. Turno said.

Neither of the boys were charged.

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Source and Photo: News Nine MSN

Hands-on chocolate

Someone once told me anything is good and useful if it is made of chocolate.

Hot chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate cake, chocolate-coated strawberries, chocolate muffins: is there anything that isn't greatly improved by the addition of chocolate?

And yes, even a massage.

Isn't it every chocoholics dream to be smothered in rich Belgian chocolate? Or is that just me?

Throw in a massage as well and it's a decadent, indulgent dream come true.

The hot chocolate massage originated in Belgium and is traditionally performed using melted Belgium dark chocolate.

Doonan masseuse Laurence De Conto fell in love with the decadent and indulgent style of massage when she was in Europe and wanted to implement it in Sunshine Coast spas.

More than just a delicious treat, chocolate has many positive benefits. And you don't even have to eat it to get those benefits.

Laurence explained that chocolate was high in magnesium, vitamin E and vitamin B which helps to moisturise and leave the skin feeling silky smooth.

It can even be as good as any of the anti-aging products on the market.

The aroma of the heated chocolate can also help boost endorphins and increase happy hormones.

"You really have to experience it to understand," Laurence said.

I am given a couple of pieces of dark chocolate as I position myself on the table.

She says this is to satisfy any cravings as it can be torture smelling the chocolate and not eating it.

I can smell the chocolate as soon as she enters the room.

The rich chocolaty aroma is surprisingly soothing.

The chocolate used is a block of real Belgian chocolate, about 200g per massage, which is melted down.

It's warm and gooey on the skin and as Laurence works her hands over my body, more is dribbled on so it never dries and becomes rough.

It's thick and indulgent and velvety.

As she massages me, I drift off into a world of relaxation complete with a few chocolate-filled daydreams.

At the end of the session, things aren't quite as messy as I had imagined.

As I wash the dried chocolate off in the shower, my skin feels silky smooth and rejuvenated.

The sweet scent of chocolate lingers despite all traces of the chocolate being washed off.

It stays throughout the rest of the day and is a delicious reminder of my relaxing experience.

Currently, very few spas on the Sunshine Coast offer the hot chocolate massage but Laurence wants that to change.

Through her business, The Spa Touch, she runs a number of massage and beauty courses for industry professionals.

She has 22 years experience in the industry and recently added the hot chocolate massage to her repertoire. Her passion is to share her knowledge and she hopes other spas on the Coast will pick up the treatment.

Rejuvenating, relaxing, soothing and smoothing with a delicious scent: this is one massage good enough to eat.

For more on The Spa Touch, visit www.thespatouch.com.au.

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Source and Photo: The Morning Bulletin

Australia launches a chocolate of origin

Australia's first home-grown chocolate is on the market.

Daintree Estates Chocolate is made from cocoa grown and processed in Far North Queensland, with raw sugar from the Mossman Central Mill.

Cane farmer Gerard Puglisi says growing cocoa may have been a leap of faith for his family, but it's starting to pay dividends.

"Many people probably feel that there is chocolate made in Australia already, but it's actually just moulded from overseas products," he said.

"So this is actually the first, 100 per cent commercially manufactured chocolate made from Australian cocoa.

"We've had some international interest already, so we're very confident this product will take off."

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Source and Photo: ABC

Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory actor Leonard Stone dies aged 87

American actor Leonard Stone has died a day before his 88th birthday after losing a brief battle with cancer.

Stone was perhaps best known for his role in the 1971 musical film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

He played the father (Sam) of obnoxious gum-chewing Violet Beauregard in the movie, which is based on the 1964 Roald Dahl novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Stone married Carole H. Kleinman in 1964 and the couple had a daughter.

He would have turned 88 today (Thursday) and has an extensive back catalogue of TV and film work.

The actor starred in around 120 television shows and 35 films since 1956 as well as performing on Broadway.
Ripe old age: Stone died a day before his 88th birthday after losing his short battle to cancer

Ripe old age: Stone died a day before his 88th birthday after losing his short battle to cancer

Stone, who was born in Salem, Oregon, made appearances on NBC legal drama L.A. Law between 1988 and 1994 as Judge Paul Hanson.

He also took turns in General Hospital, M*A*S*H, Hill Street Blues, Night Court, Alice, Barney Miller, All in the Family and Mission: Impossible, according to his credit lists on the Internet Movie Database.

He received a Tony nomination for his role in the 1959 Broadway musical Redhead playing George Poppett, starring alongside Gwen Verdon in the production which was set in London at the time of mass murderer Jack the Ripper.

In 2000 he won $4,250 and a trip to Bermuda after appearing as a contestant on TV game show Wheel of Fortune.

His latest role was in 2006, playing the minor character of a neighbour in the 2006 TV movie Surrender Dorothy, which starred Diane Keaton.

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Source and Photo: Daily Mail

Chocolate the new choice in Muffin Break's Christmas puddings

Are you ready for more chocolate at Christmas? Muffin Break has given its franchisees an extra string to their bows and added a decadent new flavour to its range of premium Traditional Christmas Puddings to tempt the chocolate lovers among us.

The Chocolate Christmas Puddings are baked daily in large and mini sizes and available in-stores or for pre-order from Tuesday 15 November.

As an added treat from Muffin Break, customers who purchase a large pudding will receive two Christmas baubles as well, as long as stocks last.

Customers can look out too for sweet Cherry-Choc Slices, White Christmas Slices, Rum Balls and a selection of Christmas Cookies.

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Source and Photo: Franchising

Recipe of the Week - Chocolate jellies with honey apricots

Another gem from Taste, this do-ahead dessert is lighter than it looks, as it uses milk instead of cream.


INGREDIENTS (serves 6)

5 gold-strength gelatine leaves (see Notes)
600ml milk
1/4 cup (55g) caster sugar
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbs amaretto or other nut liqueur (optional: see Notes)
200g dried apricots
2 tbs honey


METHOD

1. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes to soften.

2. Heat milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 4 minutes, stirring until sugar dissolves – don’t allow to boil. Add chocolate to the milk, stirring well to melt, then remove from the heat.

3. Squeeze excess water from gelatine, then add leaves to the hot milk mixture, whisking well to dissolve. Stir in liqueur, if using, then strain into a jug. Allow to cool for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Rinse six 150ml jelly moulds, then shake dry. Fill with milk mixture, then chill for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the jellies are set.

5. Combine apricots and honey in a small bowl with enough boiling water to cover. Stir well, then stand for 30 minutes or until apricots are plump. Drain, then halve.

6. To serve, dip base of each jelly mould briefly in hot water, then turn out onto plates, with apricots on the side.


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Source and Photo: Taste

Sutherland Shire school's sweet treats ban sets a healthy example

A Sutherland Shire primary school has banned pupils from taking lollies, chewing gum and any other confectionary onto the premises.

Burraneer Bay Public School outlined the ban in a recent newsletter to parents.

The newsletter said: "Several students have been bringing bags of lollies to school and sharing them with other children. Students are not allowed to bring lollies, chewing gum or confectionery of any sort to school."

The newsletter said the ban was part of the NSW Nutrition in Schools Policy adopted on July 18 to provide a framework for schools to commit to healthy eating.

"At Burraneer Bay, we promote and model healthy eating and good nutrition across all school activities, relating to the provision of food and drink, not only through the school canteen," the newsletter said.

"The policy applies to all situations where food or drinks are made available or provided to students.

"Lollies, chocolate and sweets are considered red foods.

"Food-based rewards that fall into the red category should only be used occasionally.

"This also applies to visitors, guest speakers, voluntary tutors, parent helpers and organisation representatives who are visitors to the school."

Principal Greg Fitzgerald said parents and teachers put the idea forward largely to address the problems with behaviour and concentration that resulted from the "sugar hit" caused by eating confectionary at school.

"We want to promote healthy eating and I think we feel that . . . if we allow children to bring lollies to school it affects the message we are trying to promote," Mr Fitzgerald said.

He said he had not received much feedback since the ban came into effect but hoped the school community would support it.

"I know often the kids that bring lollies to school, it's often not with their parents' permission," he said.

Mr Fitzgerald said the ban would not affect the policy of allowing children to bring in a treat such as cup cakes to celebrate birthdays.

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Source and Photo: St George & Sutherland Shire Leader

Fashion and confectionary brands most popular among UK Facebook users

According to a recent study conducted in UK about the most popular brands among British Facebook users, the fashion and confectionary brands have emerged as the winners, reports ANI.

The study was conducted to find the companies that appeal to the most users on Facebook. The analysis revealed that most of the British Facebook users like fashion and confectionery companies. The British luxury fashion house, Burberry gained the top position with 8.6 million fans. It was followed by Skittles which has about 2.8 million fans on Facebook.

Burberry and Skittles are ‘tapping into the huge potential of social platforms to create a dialogue with the consumers’, thinks Jan Rezab of Socialbakers.

“The UK is the fifth largest country globally for Facebook users and has one of the highest percentages of Facebook penetration per person at 48 per cent,” Rezab said.

ASOS, the online fashion and beauty store, was third in the list. It had over a million fans compared to its main rival, Net-a-porter.com which had 522,000 Facebook fans. Net-a-porter was at 10th position.

Socialbakers’s analysis revealed Apple’s iTunes to be the only non-fashion/non-confectionery brand in the top ten list. It had about 855,000 fans on Facebook, as reported by the Daily Mail.

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Source and Photo: Social Barrel

Nestle Probing Chinese Farmers Cheating Claims

Swiss food giant Nestle said Wednesday it is investigating allegations that a Chinese subsidiary has been short-changing dairy farmers for at least 10 years.

Dairy farmers in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang have accused Shuangcheng Nestle Co. of paying them less than the standard price for milk and manipulating the weight of their product.

"Nestle doesn't cheat farmers. We take what is being reported very seriously and have already launched an investigation with the local government," Nestle (China) Ltd spokeswoman Nancy He told AFP.

"Nestle does not tolerate such practices and will take immediate actions as soon as we find out the problem together with the government."

Shuangcheng, a city just south of the provincial capital of Harbin, is home to more than 20,000 dairy farmers who produce 1,200 tonnes of milk every day, the official Xinhua news agency said.

Dairy farmers said the Chinese subsidiary -- a major taxpayer in the city -- had been cheating them for more than 10 years and local authorities had banned them from selling their milk to dairy companies elsewhere, Xinhua said.

A farmer surnamed Li said he was short-changed by 1.25 kilogrammes for two buckets of milk that a collection station operated by Shuangcheng Nestle said weighed 91.25 kilogrammes.

"I have gotten used to this as it has lasted for many years and is known to all," Li was quoted by Xinhua saying.

Another farmer, Zhao Yongwu, said a collection station also owned by Shuangcheng Nestle underpaid him by one kilogramme for every bucket of milk he sold to them.

"They are always short-changing us. Some of us are so angry that we would rather kill our cows than send the milk to Nestle," Zhao was quoted by Xinhua saying.

Shuangcheng Nestle has denied reports it has a monopoly on milk collection in Shuangcheng, saying there were another two companies operating in the city and farmers "were not forced to deliver to Nestle", the China Daily said.


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The Cup cake that stops a nation

Mona Vale newsagent Amanda Liversage is raffling a red straw hat to raise funds for charity.

The hat has been specially made for Melbourne Cup day on Tuesday.

There’s one drawback, the hat’s not wearable, she said.

“It’s actually a chocolate mud cake - I’ve put signs up in the shop saying that you can’t wear it,” she said.

“It’s a real work of art. The red straw is textured and the decorations are partially edible. It’s almost too beautiful to eat.”

Local cake-maker Melanie White created the Belgian chocolate mud cake with its layer of dark chocolate ganache.

Raffle tickets for the cake are for sale in the Mona Vale News on Bungan St until Monday afternoon.

“The draw will be on Monday at 2pm so that there’s plenty of time for the winner to collect the cake for Cup day functions,” Ms Liversage said.

Tickets are $3 each, two for $5 and five for $10. Proceeds will go to the Australian Red Cross.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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Kerry Pinaccle recalls chocolate slices

Kerry Pinaccle is recalling batches of its chocolate slices because they contain eggs and sulphites without the correct labelling.

According to the NSW Food Authority, the Choc Cherry Slice and Choc Chip Flapjack Slice are being sold in NSW and interstate in Coles supermarkets.

The batches are being recalled because they contain eggs and sulphites without the required declaration on the label.

Eggs and sulphites are allergens for some people.

The recalled product is:

• Choc Cherry Slice and Choc Chip Flapjack Slice in a 500g 12 pack, with plastic flo wrap and a clear front. Multiple ’best before’ dates. The affected product was available for purchase between 17 October 2011 and 25 October 2011.

Consumers with an allergy or intolerance to eggs or sulphites should not consume the product.

Consumers can return the product to the place of purchase for a refund.

For more information telephone Kerry Pinnacle on 1800 077 665.

Article posted by Spencer Samaroo, Managing Director, Moo-Lolly-Bar
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