VENTURE CAPITAL POST

Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O) will partner Taiwanese drinks maker Tingyi Holding Corp (0322.HK) to produce and sell ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages in China, becoming the latest global firm to latch on to a local peer to expand in the tricky market.

U.S. consumers are shifting away from weight-management foods, forcing companies ranging from Kellogg Co to Nestle SA to change ingredients and focus their marketing on different health benefits as sales slip.

Nestle, the world's biggest food company, is looking at ways to reduce its $30 billion stake in cosmetics firm L'Oreal, Bloomberg reported on Saturday, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.

World food giant Nestle has sold its US frozen pasta business Joseph's Pasta Co. to private equity firm Brynwood Partners VII. Nestle acquired the Haverhill, Massachusetts pasta marker in 2006.

Yildiz Holding, the Turkish owner of Godiva chocolates, will acquire Flipz and Turtles maker DeMet's Candy Co. for $221 million. DeMet's is owned by Connecticut private equity firm Brynwood Partners.

Switzerland-based food group Nestle SA is divesting its Givaudan SA shares worth USD1.27 billion to institutional investors, according to a statement on the company's website.

Italy's richest man Giovanni Ferrero said that chocolate company Ferrero SpA has no plans to go public or sell out to a bigger rival. Ferrero unveiled his company's vision to expand in Asia and the US in the next decade.

In a bid to trim its portfolio, Nestle had sold to North Castle Partners its interest in weight loss brand Jenny Craig.

Super Group Ltd. announced plans to make first acquisition in ten years.

Nestle SA has a AA credit rating from S&P, which would determine the future acquisitions it would be making.