Ingredients company Acatris Belgium, a division of the Dutch Royal
Schouten group, and FMC BioPolymer announced this week as from 1
January 2003 Acatris will be the exclusive distributor in the
Benelux for the polymer products of...
Goodman Fielder, Australia's largest food company, has today
rejected a hostile bid by international yeast and ingredients
company Burns Philp. Goodman Fielder advised its shareholders to
spurn the bid because "the offer...
Spain and Italy have acted disproportionately in obliging products
made with vegetable fats other than cocoa butter to be labelled as
'chocolate substitutes', the European Court of Justice has ruled. A
simple mention on...
The thorny issue of chocolate labelling in the EU continues with a
judgement this week that finds both Spain and Italy acted against
the backbone of the EC treaty - the spirit of the free movement of
goods - by prohibiting the marketing...
In a two-step evaluation process, the European Commission
Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has confirmed the use of
oligofructose, a prebiotic ingredient with beneficial effects on
gut health, as a safe ingredient in baby food.
New evidence suggests that reducing fat intake during puberty,
already an obession among many western girls, could help lower the
risk of breast cancer later on.
Moving in step with the European Union, the Food Safety Authority
of Ireland this week granted a temporary authorisation for the
marketing and use of the high-intensity sweetener sucralose.
The acuity of senses like taste and smell, essential for our
enjoyment of food and drink, decreases with age. Such changes in
sensory capacities will clearly have an impact on the choice the
older consumer makes with regards to their...
Can heart disease be caused by vitamin D deficiency? According to
researchers from the University of Bonn in Germany, who have been
studying the causes of cardiac failure, very possibly so. They
report on a link between severity of...
The Australian and New Zealand food agency (FSANZ) today invited
individuals and organisations to comment on an application that it
has received to vary its brand new Food Standards Code to
permit the sale of formulated beverages...
The makers of the market leading energy drink Red Bull have
introduced a sugar-free version to the UK market this month. The
company claims it is the first global energy drink brand to address
the growing consumer demand for diet...
A recently published joint report from the FAO and WHO that set out
to evaluate the Codex Alimentarius Commission reveals the
overwhelming belief in the value of the Codex food standards.
Britons are confirmed snack-o-holics, according to a new report
from Datamonitor, meaning that there are excellent growth prospects
for snack makers in this market. And while snack consumption
patterns are different on the Continent,...
Further confirmation that the UK consumer is a snack fiend is
highlighted in a new report that suggests they eat more snacks than
their counterparts in any other European country, which in turn is
helping to fuel a period of robust...
In a bid to strengthen customer relations, French chemicals company
Rhodia announced yesterday that from now on it will be grouped
around four divisions which will essentially serve the company's
key markets.
Dutch-based food research company NIZO has organised the third in a
series of meetings on key topics in dairy and food science.
'Dynamics of Taste, Texture & Perception' aims to present the
most recent developments in...
It is currently illegal for supermarkets and other retailers to
operate loyalty card schemes in Belgium, a restriction which the
European Commission believes contradicts single market regulations.
As a result, the Belgian authorities...
Swedish manufacturer of speciality vegetable fats Karlshamns has
clarified its position on the ongoing issue that suggests the
production of soybean and palm oil in Brazil and South East Asia is
destroying valuable natural environments.
Cheerwine, the quirky US soft drink which is popular in the
southeastern states, is now available for the first time in Europe.
Norway will be the first market for the cherry-flavoured soft drink
outside North America.
As expected, Wal-Mart, the world's largest retailer, has said it is
considering a bid for the UK's Safeway supermarket chain, and that
it is talking to the competition authorities about the implications
of such a bid. US...
A US court has banned Mexican manufacturer of poultry pigments
Pigmentos Vegetales (PIVEG) from selling its purified lutein
product suitable for human consumption on the grounds that it
violates a patent held by Kemin Foods, the producers...
The Ministry of Science and Technology in Thailand has declared
2003 the year of biotechnology with the aim of improving the
quality of certain food products.
The EU remains by far the biggest market for Spanish olive oil
exports, but there is also growing interest from the US, several
countries in South America, and Russia, according to the latest
official figures.
The UK subsidiary of US spice and flavour company McCormick has
completed the purchase of the UK condiment business Uniqsauces for
£12.15 million (€18.5m) cash from Uniq, the European chilled
convenience food group.
The fate of Safeway, the UK's fourth-largest food retailer, still
hangs in the balance. An offer from smaller rival Morrisons was
accepted last week, but Britain's number two player, Sainsbury's,
has now trumped that...
UK food ingredients supplier Soya International has acquired the
soft drinks and juice manufacturing business from Bradford-based
company T Kearns. The business, ventured under the new name of
Simran Enterprises, will add to the growing...
Thai Bites, the rice cracker snack from Jacob's, is to benefit from
a major advertising and promotional campaign in 2003, with the
company setting aside £4.5 million to help push the brand into the
top spot in the cracker...
The devaluation of the Brazilian and Argentine currencies has taken
its toll on full-year sales at French retailer Carrefour, but the
company has maintained its profit forecast as a result of steady
growth in sales at constant exchange...
Australian ingredients company Burns Philp has agreed to waive or
change some of the conditions of its A$2 billion (€1.1bn) takeover
bid of Goodman Fielder, Australia's largest food company, leading
the Australian Takeovers Panel...
The UK-based Food Industry Panels Group (FIPG), a broad consortium
of trade associations in the food manufacturing, storage and
distribution sectors,is set to publish its Fire Risk
Minimisation Guidance.
Having a drink at least three times a week may help protect men
from heart attacks, report researchers in the US in this week's
New England Journal of Medicine. The observational study,
which tracked the drinking habits of nearly...
Strong evidence emerges that shows obesity and being overweight in
adulthood are linked to a significant decrease in life expectancy,
according to new research from the United States.
Researchers studying rice genomes under a National Science
Foundation Plant Genome Research Program award have identified the
species' first active DNA transposons, or "jumping genes."
A £3 million (€4.6m) pilot research facility for new food product
development will be managed by Food Knowledge & Know-how (FKK)
of Reading Scientific Services following a new agreement with the
University of Reading.
The future of the UK's Safeway supermarket group has often been
linked to larger rival Asda, but it is in fact the smaller
Morrisons group which is to become the new owner of the chain. Such
a deal makes more sense, not least...
Supermarket operators are constantly striving to make the shopping
experience as pleasurable as possible for their shoppers, a vital
part of winning customer loyalty in an increasingly cutthroat
business. But the look of the store...
Carbonate sales might be fizzing, but a new report from beverage
analysts Canadean shows that the growth in sales of still drinks is
even greater - and that the rate of growth is likely to continue to
gather pace for the next few...
French retail rivals Carrefour and Auchan have both announced
developments for their foreign subsidiaries. In Spain, Carrefour
has sold 45 Champion supermarket outlets, while in the US, Auchan
will close its two Texan hypermarkets...
Genetically modified potatoes, developed to tackle malnutrition
among poor Indian children, are in the final stages of testing,
according to a report in the journal New Scientist.
No more deep-fried chocolate bars, fry-ups and shortbread for the
Scots. A major new long term campaign, launched yesterday by the
Scottish government, will seek to improve the diet of the Scots in
a bid to combat the nation's...
Very Italiano, a new frozen pasta snack with the sauce already
added, is set to expand beyond its core market of Italy and take on
the challenge of entering the US and Asian markets this year.
French chemicals company Rhodia is to sell its UK-based brewing and
enzymes businesses to US biotech company Genencor International in
a bid to strengthen its focus on food additives.
Two of the biggest names in US agriculture have joined forces to
create a new company focused on speciality ingredients, in
particular soy proteins and lecithins. DuPont will control the
company, dubbed Solae, with Bunge taking a...
One less Saturday than in 2001 had a significant effect on French
hypermarket and supermarket sales in December, according to the
latest figures. A Saturday in December can often see sales 35 per
cent higher than in the rest of the...
Last year was a difficult one for Dutch retail group Ahold, at the
profit level at least, but the final sales figures for 2002 were
nonetheless encouraging. But with organic growth rates slowing
considerably compared to 2001, there...
As we enter a brand new year, a new report from market analysts
Mintelreveals that 2002 proved to be the most successful year for
newproduct introductions since 1995, with the number of
introductionsexceeding 22,000. The figure represents...
While health foods are becoming increasingly popular across the
globe, there are still some areas which remain undeveloped by the
major food producers. One such area is diabetic food, which has
struggled to overcome limited distribution...
