It's war, but how low can they go?

Consumers may be winning but at a hefty cost to the food industry, writes Stuart Washington. 

Practically every child in Australia in the '70s, '80s and '90s used some of their pocket money to buy Allsep's lollies. Noses pressed against the corner shop's glass counter, grimy 10¢ coins would be exchanged for booty made by Allsep's: jelly snakes and bright yellow lolly bananas.

The company has operated in Melbourne since it was founded by Wally Allsep in 1934, serving literally generations of Australian kids.

Now that long history has a cloudy future. Earlier this year almost the entire range of bagged Allsep's lollies supplied to Woolworths was replaced by Chinese imports. And Allsep's is still dealing with the loss of one of its biggest customers.    Full Read