• The Boston Globe, Thursday, February 16, 2012 10:12 AM

Nestle SA, the world's biggest food and drinks maker, managed to brush aside the impact of a soaring domestic currency to post a solid increase in profits in 2011 as sales rose strongly, particularly in developing countries.

However, the maker of Nescafe, Perrier, Jenny Craig and Haagen Dazs accompanied its full-year statement on Thursday with a warning that tough times lie ahead.

The company based in Vevey, Switzerland reported that its 2011 net profit rose 8% to 9.5 billion Swiss francs ($10.35 billion) if the disposal of eye-care company Alcon is stripped out of the comparison. The sale last year had boosted Nestle's 2010 profit to 34.2 billion Swiss francs ($35.8 billion).

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