Unilever, which makes household staples such as Sunsilk shampoo, Surf washing powder and Vaseline, said it would sell its 51% stake in the Beigel & Beigel factory in the West Bank settlement of Ariel.

Procter & Gamble, the world's biggest consumer goods company, has taken a stake in retailing minnow Ocado in the online grocer's latest fundraising round. The Cincinnati-based consumer goods company has spent £5m buying up just 1 per cent of the retailer in a wider fundraising of £18m, according to a Companies House filing. It is the first time that the maker of Fairy Liquid and Oil of Olay has taken an investment in a retail business.

Britvic reported a strong performance despite a challenging year in which damp weather, mounting costs and economic gloom depressed the market. Robinsons, Pepsi and Fruit Shoot brands all outperformed the market. Chief executive Paul Moody said the company's "strong brands" set it apart. Smoothies and fruit juices were off the menu, Britvic said, as consumers were increasingly drawn to "value" products like squash. Despite the downturn, the group reported a 14 per cent rise in pre-tax profits for the year to 28 September to £70m.

Yorkshire Crisps, the South Yorkshire-based luxury crisp producer has won a coveted Food and Drink Award, beating off stiff competition from Nestle and chocolatier Paul Wayne Gregory. The annual Caterer & Hotelkeeper Excellence in Food and Drink Awards were held on Friday 21 November at the Dorchester Hotel, London. Yorkshire Crisps won the Confectionery & Impulse Snacking category with their newest flavour, Henderson’s Yorkshire Sauce. The panel of 19 judges were impressed with the crisps’ appearance and taste, and described the crisps as “a very moreish premium product" with an "aromatic flavour" and "soft crunch". The company was also commended for their excellent use of transparent packaging, as the judges thought it "told the story of the crisps' origin" while displaying the product inside.

Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFB) is closing dairies in Portsmouth, Hants, and the Fole Dairy near Uttoxeter, Staffs, with the loss of 640 jobs. DFB, a co-operative of more than 2,000 farmers, is blaming rising costs over the past year and financial under-performance by the dairies. John Gorle, National Officer for Usdaw, the Union for Shop Distributive and Allied Workers, said: "We have demanded an urgent meeting with the company to receive guarantees on jobs in the remaining localities."

Dutch cosmetics manufacturer Budelpack COSI in Maesteg, South Wales,  are shedding 263 jobs after the firm went into administration.