Nestlé warned sales growth this year will be the weakest in at least two decades, giving activist investor Dan Loeb ammunition for his campaign to overhaul the world’s largest food firm, while Danone kept its 2017 goals despite a sales slowdown in the second quarter.

Nestle is in talks to merge its international ice cream business with R&R Ice Cream in a €3bn deal, according to a source familiar with the matter, as the world’s biggest packaged food firm focuses more closely on its higher-performing brands.

Two out of three pet owners said their furry friend’s first reaction to them won them over.

Confectionery-to-coffee giant Nestle today reported strong sales growth as price increases helped to offset rising input costs.