BRAZIL: Coca-Cola has announced it is to spend R$1.75bn (£540m) building two bottling and manufacturing plants in Brazil. The company insisted the move was a sound investment as the economic downturn had not affected its Brazilian operations. Last year, Coca-Cola Brazil made R$15bn (£4.63bn), up 25% year-on-year. Sales volumes increased 7% to outstrip the company’s average global performance.

USA: Smithfield Foods, the biggest US pork company, is to close six of its plants with the loss of 1,800 jobs. The company has made losses in each of the past four quarters of trading due to escalating costs. “Layoffs and plant closings are difficult but necessary decisions,” said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer. “We will be working with union officials and others to determine how we can provide assistance to our employees to find future employment.”

BELGIUM: Belgian supermarket group Delhaize is losing customers to rivals over its decision to stop stocking some Unilever products, according to a survey. Some 31% of Delhaize customers had chosen to shop elsewhere as a result of the move, according to agency Brandhome. Of them, 40% were choosing discount rival Colruyt and 40% were defecting to Carrefour. Delhaize decided not to stock 300 Unilever products after price negotiations between the two companies broke down last week. Of the shoppers remaining with Delhaize, 47% had switched to other brands and about half were buying Delhaize’s own products.

USA: A Florida man bitten by a snake in a Wal-Mart garden centre is suing the company for negligence. Jay Richitelli said he was the third person in three years to be attacked in a Wal-Mart by a snake and the company should have taken steps to prevent the incident. Richitelli said he had been left with scars and breathing problems from the attack, which happened last year, but had been back shopping at Wal-Mart because the retailer’s prices were too good to shop elsewhere. Wal-Mart said customer safety was its top priority.