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Ferrero will have to pay for providing the Nutella to American children. The manufacturer of the famous chocolate spread, which is the subject of a class action lawsuit brought by a California mother who did not know that Nutella was so bold, will indeed come out the checkbook to settle the case. He agrees to pay up to $ 4 for every jar of Nutella purchased in California between August 2009 and January 23, 2012, or the rest of the United States between January 2008 and February 3, 2012. The agreement does not include the rest of the world.

Consumers should send their application before July 5 (a maximum of five pots), four days before the courts definitively validate the regulations. The group will pay a total $ 3.05 million.

"Shocked"

Athena Hohenberg, mother of a child in San Diego, had made the dough, nutty taste of the main element of his son. She said she was "shocked to discover that Nutella was neither healthy nor nutritious food, but it was barely better than candy and it contained dangerous levels of saturated fat." In its complaint, filed in February 2011, it considers that promotes Ferrero Nutella as "an example of a balanced breakfast and delicious" and paste "healthier than it actually is creditreport."

Following this case, Ferrero USA is committed to "change some statements on the marketing Nutella" and better detail its nutrients, according to the text published on the site nutellaclassactionsettlement.com. "We think it is in the interest of the company to resolve these issues," said a spokeswoman for Ferrero.

The complaint of Athena Hohenberg, however drawn criticism in the local press. The LA Weekly and advises to "procedural mothers of California" to behave responsibly. "Try to make yourself snacks for your children. A jar of Nutella, occasionally, do not hurt, if you feed your children properly. And it's so good spread on a pancake, "concludes the paper.

(With Agents)

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Subject to market pressure, the Spanish government is ready to break all taboos to address the public accounts of the country. Latest idea, unveiled Monday on a radio by the Minister of Economy, Luis de Guindos: as health care are no longer free for Spaniards earning over 100,000 euros per year. "The regions are responsible for health and education spending. Take into consideration that, in the case of health expenditure, we have accumulated a debt of 15 billion euros and that this can not happen again, "justified the Minister.

The reform is far from being seated. But the Conservative government of Mariano Rajoy has indeed decided to initiate discussions with local executives on this delicate subject. "The regions have to give up spending much of what they spend today," said the budget minister, Cristobal Montoro, in an interview in El Mundo. This can only go through cuts in health and education, two positions that absorb 60% of the budgets of the Spanish regions. Even weakened, the Socialist Party, however, give account of the voice, his number two Elena Valenciano, who said that the decline of these two budgets was a "red line".

British example

If the regions are on the spot like is that they are the cause of the slippage of the Spanish public deficit, which reached 8 guaranteed online personal loans.5% of GDP in 2011 instead of the 6% forecast. To reduce the deficit to 5.3% the government has unveiled a new austerity plan (down from departmental budgets, cuts tax loopholes etc..). But that was not enough to reassure markets. Hence this new trial balloon, that was just after the Minister of Economy assured in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Saturday that Spain will emerge from this crisis "without outside help."

The idea of ​​restricting the access of the wealthiest households in the social system is not new in Europe. The UK in 2013 will remove child benefit when parents earn over 88,000 pounds (106,000 euros). In France, however, no candidate provides such a measure. Health, successive governments have preferred to increase the share paid by all French. One solution that the Spanish Economy Minister determines not to be "a panacea".

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At two weeks of the presidential election, the president of the FNSEA – first agricultural union – fixed priorities of operators for the next five. Xavier Beulin first asks the next tenant of the Elysee to reopen "in July" folder of competition law applied to food.

An "emergency" he said, after the multiplication in recent weeks fines against players of Agriculture and Agri-Food: endiviers, millers, dairies and pig industry by the end of the year . "Since the withdrawal of government in regulating markets, supply chain organization is more necessary than ever. We want to know what he can do in competition within the European framework, "he says. A key issue to rebalance the bargaining power of thousands of often helpless in the face a mass distribution concentrated in five major buying groups.

One solution to this problem – the establishment of a "Small Business Act" as the United States, proposed by Nicolas Sarkozy during the 66th Congress of the FNSEA – was favored by Xavier Beulin. This system is to set aside a significant percentage of tenders to local products. "20% as already allowed the Minister of Agriculture is good but not enough." Francois Hollande proposed last week to double this.

Revalue pensions

Second request of the union: the harmonization of social and environmental standards at European level. "We propose a simple alignment with European standards and no more. France is an excess of zeal in which the disadvantage compared to its competitors, "says Xavier Beulin. This requires a relaxation of administrative permits, such as storing water in times of drought, energy recovery operations through photovoltaics, biogas, or solar energy.

The third priority concerns the pension increases. A petition of 80,000 signatories was brought to the HQ of the ten candidates in the presidential election for a rebalancing of pension for farmers. "It is necessary to upgrade the minimum pension at 75% of minimum wage and align the calculation of pensions over the last 25 years, not the entire career." Finally as regards the common agricultural policy, Xavier Beulin, welcomes the consensus that exists among the candidates, except Marine Le Pen, who advocates a return to French agricultural policy. "The face of French agriculture with 64% of opportunities are provided by Europe would not be the same without the CAP," he recalls.

While the leader of the FNSEA highlights the many positive points of the quinquennium ending, especially on agricultural G20, the various plans emergency aid and lowering labor costs with the social VAT, it does no voting instructions. Especially as the environmental aspect he was disappointed the results of the Grenelle Environment Forum.

He called to vote for either April 22? The union president called simply majority agricultural farmers to go to the polls en masse without giving an instruction to vote. "This has never been in the culture of the house," he concludes.

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In little over a year, 100,000 people have volunteered to open their personal health record (DMP). Agency shared information systems of health (ASIP-Health) announced results Thursday at its annual conference. This virtual folder, which can gather on a server computer history, prescriptions, diagnosis, hospitalization reports or analysis, or CT images or MRI, is accessible and modifiable by healthcare professionals with the agreement of their patient.

While the PS deputy Gerard Bapt just requested an audit of the Court of Auditors, denouncing a device expensive and too centralized, the DMP driver, Jean-Yves Robin, director of the ASIP-Health, insisted yesterday: "Yes The DMP had its schedule. Yes, there on the ground. Yes, he has mastered its cost. "Let € 94 million for five years of experimentation, then 60 million to start the generalization. But, says Jean-Yves Robin, "we have yet to develop uses" – a folder contains on average 2 documents for the moment.

If the director of the ASIP-Health is struggling to hide a hint of annoyance is that the DMP was born with a disease that weakens always skepticism. Blame it on her "parents", Philippe Douste-Blazy and Xavier Bertrand, who in 2004 had promised to equip all the French mid-2007, to the point of wanting to lower repayments of those who would not use it. A flop.

Physicians bill pay

The project started from scratch in late 2009, driven by Roselyne Bachelot. Jean-Yves Robin hoped for a faster take-off – he had advanced "order of magnitude of 2 million cases opened in 2011." But he justifies, the first software that allows healthcare professionals to transfer data with a click of their computer to the DMP a patient arrived late (only 1% of doctors have them). Medical unions are also demanding more or less directly, compensation for time spent to update the DMP – they have not yet integrated this criterion in the "pay for performance" in general they just set place with Medicare. Finally, in 72 hospitals and clinics "converted" in 3000, opening a DMP is rarely offered routinely on admission, contrary to what the Health ASIP-imagined, but in only a few services.

Still, Jean-Yves Robin is convinced that the machine is, this time launched, with a number of cases opened each week steadily increasing (currently 3500). New goal: "300,000 cases by 2012, and a million DMP during the next year."

The candidate Francois Bayrou – joined by Philippe Douste-Blazy? – Wants to speed: for him, the DMP, and avoid repeat several times the same tests or prescribe medication incompatible, will save 4 billion per year. This figure "is not reasonable, disapproves of the president of the ASIP-Health, Michel Gagneux. It is a long term project, which will not yield savings anytime soon, although I am sure it will ultimately efficiency factor. Any expert who will quote any figure is lying to you. "

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The French are increasingly choosing to sustainable consumption. With the crisis, their new creed is "eat less but eat better." The year 2012 starts elsewhere in the gloom on the front of the consumer. The French have reduced their spending by 0.4% in January, INSEE announced Tuesday. This is despite the sales. A recent survey * Ifop, higher wages and purchasing power is a priority concern for 58% of French people (+ 7 points from August 2011) in the context of the presidential election. In addition to these concerns, the ideals of consumption to find a new green accents echo in these times of crisis. A brief overview of the latest trends in cutting waste.

? Donations from individuals, to stop throwing

"Donation after donation, we change the world." Is the slogan of Freecycle.org, a global network of gifts between individuals born in the United States in 2003, which now has 7 million members in 95 countries. In France, it boasts just over 44,000 members. The principle is simple: users register for free on the site to enter into relationships with other individuals and to make donations and recovery of objects. With over 345,000 members, the site Donnons.org created in 2006 has never experienced the crisis. In February, over 9,000 people registered on the site, after more than 11,000 new members in January. "With the decline in purchasing power, our members are looking for an alternative way to consume, and want to give new life to objects instead of flooding the waste dumps," said Isabella Geist, moderating Donnons.org. For the poorest, this site allows free access to certain equipment. "Unlike associations, we function as a social network. Some people stay in touch after making a donation. "

The "comeback" the most spectacular remains of the knitting. Photo credits: Karine Image / Flickr

PSA Peugeot Citroen could find salvation in America. Held by the French manufacturer Peugeot family experiencing great difficulties – the automotive division has lost money in 2011 – has confirmed tonight that "considering proposed cooperation and alliances (…) in its globalization strategy and performance improvement. " The group does not directly project with General Motors but Latribune.fr and Financial Times both report that the French group is in advanced talks with the U.S. giant. For now, GM has declined comment. Kelly Cusinato, spokesman for the group, simply reaffirmed that GM "regularly speak to other companies in the sector but we do not comment anything beyond that." According Latribune.fr, discussions between the two automakers started there "few months" might even lead to an agreement that would be formalized during the Geneva Motor Show in early March.

The reconciliation between the two groups are "an alliance, not a merger or ad hoc cooperation" as the French group may have with competitors like Ford, Toyota and BMW. Such a project would enable a PSA to get a second wind while the group in crisis is unable to fund the investment needed for its redevelopment internationally.

If this project goes to completion, it would make strategic sense, and would bring synergies for both groups. It would create a powerful global industry leader with over 11 million vehicles sold per year worldwide. PSA lacks international basis although it is a major strength of GM, the first manufacturer in the world. For its part, the American manufacturer said last week that he wants to refocus the strategy of its European subsidiary Opel, which has lost $ 747 million in 2011. "An alliance between Peugeot and Opel would be strategic because their production units do not overlap. PSA is mainly located in France and in southern and eastern Europe as Opel is more present in Germany and the north, "says the Financial Times.

But any agreement must first be approved by the Peugeot family, which owns 30.9% of the capital and 48.3% of the voting rights of PSA, said LaTribune.fr reminder that the American manufacturer is "twice as big "in sales as its French rival.  

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She, however, improved the quality of service. The unemployed, who had previously two parties, the ANPE and Assedic, are addressed only to the employment center. There are two more administrations for taxes, but only one. Another advance, the French can make 80% of their usual procedures online at any time of day and night. Finally, we are always looking to reduce delays. Thus, the Hospices Civils de Lyon (CHU) fell by over 50% of the time to transition to pediatric emergencies, reducing it to half past one.

The Paris market takes a few colors on Friday. In this holiday, where the activity should be reduced, the CAC 40 opened up 0.21% to 3070.33 points. Same trend in Frankfurt the DAX index rose 0.23% to 5881.49 points. In London, the FTSE-100 index key values ​​has opened down slightly from 0.07% to 5541.55 points.

Investor sentiment is supported by advanced this week in the eurozone. Management of public finances in Greece and Italy, two countries that focus on crisis fears of European debt, will change hands. In Greece, Lucas Papademos, former Vice President of the European Central Bank (ECB) has éténommé at the head of a government of national unity. In his first statement, he said that the euro is a "guarantee of monetary stability." The new Greek prime minister should take the oath at noon today.

Nothing tempers the optimism of Flemming Morgan, head of the division of Danone Medical Nutrition. Four years have joined the global leader in fresh dairy products, it wants to move up a gear. "We want to accelerate the growth of our business, says Scot, who runs for five years the former business of Numico, which was acquired in 2007. We want to innovate and introduce new segments of medical nutrition in new countries. "

Medical nutrition business is the most misunderstood of Danone, which represents only a third of sales of Activia. In annual growth of 10% in four years is the most profitable activity of the group.One that Franck Riboud, Danone CEO, says she has "tremendous potential mechanical unstoppable" because of the aging world population, the spread of diseases such as diabetes and allergies, or the progression of plagues such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

This is a world market for $ 8 billion still focus on Europe and the United States. A new hunting ground for agribusiness payday loan lenders. Danone and Nestle also covet the nutrition branch of Pfizer. "We are halfway between food and pharmaceuticals, says Flemming Morgan, claiming first place in Europe at Abbott and Nestle. We develop our products with a pharmaceutical approach, but they are nevertheless food.This is not about to replace drugs but to provide complementary solutions. "Danone has brought his knowledge of consumer tastes and textures by improving products.

Specific segments

These are not sold in supermarkets but in half pharmacies generally prescribed and reimbursed. Administered orally or by means of a tube or a tube, they are also prescribed in hospitals and nursing homes. Faced with GPs overwhelmed and poorly trained in nutrition, Danone is betting on its relations with researchers or with associations to serve as opinion leaders.

Danone has chosen to focus on specific segments. Neocate Infant with his powder, it offers an alternative to milk for babies allergic to cow's milk.