INDIA: Walmart is concentrating on building relations with the family-run stores that make up 95% of India's retail landscape in a bid to open at least 10 more wholesale stores in the country over the next three to four years.

Asia CEO Scott Price said he hoped that easing the sense of opposition among foreign retailers would help smooth the way for international expansion. Under India's strict regulations, foreign groups must partner local players.

US: General Mills has announced plans to accelerate goals to reduce sodium by 20% across multiple product categories by 2015. The commitment, outlined in its 2010 CSR Report, will look to build on improvements made to nearly 50% of its US retail business in the last five years.

Susan Crockett, director of the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition at General Mills, stressed there would be no compromise on flavour across its 100 brands. Successful reductions had already been implemented on a number of products, including a 16% sodium reduction in both Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios, a cut of more than 25% in select Progresso soups, and a 36% reduction across the Chex Snack mix line.

RUSSIA: The country's largest supermarket business, X5 Retail Group, has posted a 2% drop in full-year sales to $8.7bn and an 8% fall in EBITDA to $736m. CEO Lev Khasis said 2009 had been a tough year for Russian consumers but the company had reacted quickly to offer the right products and prices. It plans to accelerate its store expansion this year.

EUROPE: The imported Indian thickening agent guar gum, used in a wide range of processed foods, is under scrutiny by Brussels. Control measures are again being questioned following the discovery in 2007 of dioxin contamination, which saw a large numbers of food products withdrawn from sale across Europe.

Contamination was linked to PCP, a fungicide banned from use in food. All consignments of guar gum imported into Europe from India are being subjected to controls ensuring the absence of PCP.