The Japanese consumer, still reeling from the Snow Brand scandal
surrounding the mislabelling of beef, suffered a further shock this
week when Japan's number-three meat wholesaler, Starzen Co.,
admitted to falsely labelling cheaper...
Despite the negative impact of a strong Swiss franc Swiss food
group Nestlé this week reported a net profit increase of 15.9 per
cent to CHF 6 681 million (€4 524m) from the previous year, setting
a new net margin record of 7.9 per...
The European Commission moved one step closer this week to
establishing the food safety edifice for the European consumer with
the launch of the hunt for an Executive Director to head up the new
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Governments and companies the world over are feeling the impact of
biotechnology on society. In a recent collaborative research
project, funded by the European Commission, social scientists from
16 European countries, Canada and the...
A natural substance which fights the fungus that harms foods such
as grapes, mulberries, peanuts and beansprouts may help prevent
cancer, according to a study published in the British Journal of
Cancer this week.
Danone, the French foods group, said on Wednesday that it had
agreed to sell its Italian cheese and ham unit, Galbani, to BC
Partners, a private equity fund, for E1.02bn.
Supplementing a diet with stabilised rice bran could help reduce
blood sugar levels in people suffering from type I and type II
diabetes, according to recent research from the US.
Researchers in California have discovered the receptor that allows
us to taste the flavour found in high-protein food. The receptor
for amino acids, which make up proteins, causes the umami taste
found in meat and other protein-rich...
Consumers across Europe are moving away from restaurants and
towards their own homes as the dinner party culture picks up in
popularity, according to a new report from market analyst
Datamonitor.
US health science company Forbes Medi-Tech is currently in active
discussions with several major food manufacturers regarding the
commercialisation of its cholesterol-lowering food ingredients.
Salmonellosis is on the rise in Europe and tougher controls are
needed to prevent the spread of the foodborne disease, a senior
World Health Organisation official said on Tuesday.
High-caffeine drinks must be more clearly labelled as part of a
package of changes to EU labelling regulations, the UK Food
Standards Agency reports this week.
The European Commission, within its Fifth Framework Programme and
linked to the Fair-Flow 4 project, has funded a 3-year project
entitled "Virus Safe Seafood", with the overall objective to
provide useful and rapid tools...
UK supermarket chain J Sainsbury has been named the leading food
retailer for the third year running in the Index of Corporate
Environmental Engagement, published by Business in the Environment.
New research virtually eliminates the likelihood of mad cow disease
being transmitted from one generation of cattle to the next, a
senior British government adviser on the disease has reported.
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority has taken the step of
issuing advice to pregnant women about the risk of contracting the
food poisoning bacteria listeria, following the deaths of two
unborn babies in Western Australia from...
Gourmet Italian cheesemaker Suprema Specialties, whose finances
have been under investigation, said it has filed for bankruptcy
protection and its chief executive has stepped down.
Food-borne diseases are increasing in Europe and a rapid alert
system needs to be extended across the continent and beyond to
protect consumers, delegates at a United Nations conference in
Budapest said this week.On the rise are diseases...
The European Commission has approved plans by Swiss food and drink
manufacturer Nestle to purchase German company Schoeller, a
producer of ice cream and frozen foods.
A recent report has found that weight control foods now make up
more than two per cent of food and drink sales worldwide. The
sector is growing, with sales increasing by about 25 per cent since
1996.
Scottish ice cream maker Mackie's is launching the world's first
mood-enhancing ice cream, according to a report in Scotland on
Sunday. The company, based in Aberdeenshire, Scotland has added the
essence of an orchid , native...
The latest food scandal involving Snow Brand Milk Products hit this
weekend after Japan's biggest dairy company said it had altered
expiry dates on butter.
Thailand's Central Islamic Committee said that halal food products,
or those complying with Islamic rules, could dominate an $80
billion world market within one year, if the government and private
sector worked together to boost...
Consumer products giant Procter & Gamble is to sell the plant
that makes its controversial fat substitute olestra, which never
lived up to company expectations.
Doctors in Britain are warning that diabetes could spread in the
current generation of fat, couch-potato teenagers, putting more
pressure on Britain's ailing healthcare system.
A recent study confirms the evidence that moderate alcohol is
beneficial. American scientists have found that the risk of heart
disease in older women may in fact be reduced by alcohol.
Opta Food Ingredients has reported a loss in the fourth quarter
ended 31 December 2001 of €360,748. Revenue for the quarter was
$5.9 million (€6.73m) compared with $6.0 million for the comparable
2000 quarter.
The evolving characteristics of food, technology, pathogens and
consumers make it unlikely that the consumer marketplace will ever
be entirely free of dangerous organisms, according to a new report
by the Institute of Food Technologists.
Japanese meat processor Snow Brand Food has announced plans to
liquidate its operations by late April as sales continue to plunge
following recent labelling scandals.
Dutch food group Wessanen reported reduced 2001 net profit in line
with market expectations and forecast a 15 percent rise in core
earnings this year as its acquisition strategy reaps rewards.
Cadbury Schweppes announced that it has agreed to acquire a 51 per
cent equity interest in Kent, the leading sugar confectionery
manufacturer in Turkey, in addition to a majority equity interest
in its distribution arm, Birlik.
Researchers at Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark have found
that a moderate intake of alcohol can raise the risk of stillbirths
but may not be a factor in later infant mortality.
The European Union has made recommendations to end the strict
controls on hormone-free beef products imported from the US, having
found no traces of hormones or other banned substances in recent
tests.
Recent research from Kansas State University suggests that
wholegrain wheat is an important anti-carcinogenic food because of
its powerful antioxidants.
The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping reform of food
safety legislation, giving itself more powers to take emergency
steps in crises such as the dioxin poisoning scare.
Farmer-owned food and agricultural cooperative Land O' Lakes
announced a $30 million advertising campaign to strengthen its
position as a leading brand of consumer dairy products.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) will soon host a
global meeting to review progress towards ending hunger. The
meeting, the 'World Food Summit: five years later' aims to track
progress achieved since the 1996...
Growing consumer appetite for ready-to-eat meals with a minimal
preparation time and few preservatives has led to increased
production and sales of chilled ready meals, reports the UK
Institute of Food Research.
Further evidence to support the idea that a daily dose of extra
virgin olive oil can protect the human body from 'bad' cholesterol
has recently arrived from Spain researchers.
The latest "mad cow disease" scare in Germany got a boost over the
weekend after reports that the McDonald's fast food restaurant
chain in Germany had pulled beef from circulation, Reuters Health
reports.
In the US, the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and the National
Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) signed an agreement this
week to establish a public/private sector partnership with the Food
Industry Information Sharing and Analysis...
Two dietary supplements readily available in most health food
stores have been shown to slow down the ageing process in rats,
raising hopes that an anti-ageing pill for humans could soon be a
reality.
Environmental biotechnology has been used by humans for centuries
in food making, medicine, fermentation and waste treatment.
According to a new study, today the market for microbial blends and
nutrients is gaining in strength.
More research confirms the benefits of moderate drinking. A daily
moderate intake of alcohol may prevent blockages in the arteries
that supply blood to the legs, according to a new study.
US soup maker Campbell Soup Co. announced on Tuesday that it is to
form a business unit aimed at finding new uses and markets for
existing products such as using soups as ingredients in
convenience-oriented meals.
