The European Court of Justice yesterday authorised Denmark to
impose tougher food additive limits, effectively overuling a
previous decision declared by the European Commission.
Are our spending patterns dictated by fear? A new report from
Datamonitor suggests that this is, indeed, the case. In order to
feel safer about purchases, consumer concerns over crime,
terrorism, food safety and disease determine...
Knocked by the Nitrofen scandal in 2002, the boom for organic foods
in Germany has stepped down a gear with sales stagnating. But as
production continues to rise and producer margins continue to fall,
there is pressure to increase...
Meeting in Brussels this week under the umbrella of the Agriculture
Council, European agriculture ministers hammered out the latest
issues affecting agriculture in Europe. Food safety and CAP reform
headlined the event.
The European Commission has announced a proposal to harmonise
maximum residue levels for pesticides in products of plant and
animal origin. The proposal aims to consolidate and simplify
current legislation.
Adults at least 65 years old, who consume between one and six
alcoholic drinks each week, have a lower risk of dementia than
those who do not drink, according to new findings published in the
Journal of the American Medical Association...
Geoffrey Podger, the recently elected executive director of the
European Food Safety Authority, this week gave the green light for
the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to evaluate flavours
for an EU-wide initiative that is...
Could enzymatic changes in complex carbohydrates improve the
nutrient content of food and animal feed? European researchers
suggests their findings will not only benefit processing
technologies but also improve the quality of a variety...
As expected, the proposed bids from Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco for
the Safeway supermarket chain are to be investigated by the UK
competition authorities. Rather more unexpected was the decision to
also refer the bid from Morrisons,...
Danish chewing gum company Gumlink, formerly known as Dandy,
announced this week that it will invest $7.69 million (€7.24m) in a
new research and development facility in Vejle, Denmark.
The food industry prides itself on reacting quickly to consumer
trends, but it has been slow to adapt to the needs of one person
households - a growing segment of the market - claims a new
UK-based report from market analysts Mintel.
The high profile issue of health continues to grab the spotlight
with the news yesterday that the European Commission is to pour
€312m into a new action programme 'to protect and improve the
health of Europe's citizens'.
As the questioning consumer continues to show concern over the
safety of food products and notably the use of antibiotics in farm
animals, new research could offer a healthy alternative to boost
the immunity system of pigs - fish...
Migros, the Swiss co-operative retailer, has announced that it is
to extend the range of branded food and non-food products it sells
to include some of the biggest names in the consumer goods
industry.
'It is a truth, universally acknowledged,'…that olive oil is good
for the health. But why? Volunteers from across Europe could soon
provide the answer as they participate in a new project to
investigate exactly how this...
Nutritional ingredients business Cognis continues to concentrate on
core activities with the announcement this week that it has sold
its Fragrances & Specialties business (Cognis F&S) to
Japanese speciality chemicals business...
Food and drink products have often been at the heart of trade
disputes between countries, but in recent years they have become
not the reason for these disputes but rather weapons wielded by
politicians. The US call for a boycott...
Food safety and food security will be the focus of the 5th annual
Food Safety Summit, to be held at the Washington DC Convention
Center 18-20 March 2003.
Food and health ingredients company Acatris will use this year's
Vitafoods exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland as a platform to tackle
men's issues with the launch of its new product, LinumLife.
The Supermarket Code of Practice, introduced a year ago to protect
suppliers from 'unfair practices' by the major UK supermarekt
groups, has had little or no effect, claims Friends of the Earth.
More than half of the UK's...
Not for the first time, research reveals that Scotland must
urgently tackle the national diet as figures show Scots continuing
to die earlier and suffer higher levels of serious disease than
most of their European counterparts.
Confirming reports from the European Commission yesterday that the
European consumer is sceptical about food-related biotechnologies,
are the findings of a joint UK-US study into GE biscuits.
Researchers found European shoppers to...
Will we shortly be able to pluck an oat juice from the supermarket
shelf? The answer is, yes perhaps, as evidence continues of the
benefits of soluble dietary fibre.
The ongoing problem of where to house the new European Union food
safety authority could be resolved by establishing an agency in
both Finland and Italy.
The new merger between Haarmann & Reimer and Dragoco, to be
known as 'Symrise', is thought to be capable of sales of €1,245
million. How does Danisco flavours, aiming to become the world's
number five, plan to compete?
How many compounds in foods could help reduce the risk of insulin
resistance? Scientists are currently working on this question in a
bid to pinpoint which food components could protect human beings
from becoming insulin-resistant.
As western nations draw up strategies to combat the growing number
of starving people in the developing world - currently standing at
a staggering 800 million and growing - a British based group warns
this week that, at the other...
Although it is the smallest company bidding for Safeway,
Yorkshire-based retailer Morrisons believes it has the strongest
reasons for buying its rival - not least because its business model
continues to bear fruit, as its strong 2002...
Carrefour's Spanish unit Dia has acquired 38 supermarkets from
troubled company El Arbol for an undisclosed sum. The French
company has also unveiled plans to step up its investments in
Brazil.
Poultry processors have been warned by a report from the UK Food
Standards Agency which shows that there is a continuing problem
with added water and animal protein in chicken supplied to
restaurants and takeaways.
Irish cheese maker Glanbia has announced it is ready to expand its
operations. A reduction in borrowing and a strengthened financial
position have enabled it to consider building its core business
areas through acquisitions, write...
The market for foods designed specifically for consumers with
allergies or intolerances is set to grow rapidly over the next few
years, according to a new report from Mintel.
A food scientist in the United States has developed a new
technology to tackle an old problem in cheesemaking - bitterness.
The solution - that hinges on an enzyme - could ultimately lead to
a reduction in costs for cheesemakers.
Reflecting continuing concerns over the direction of the US
economy, consumers are twice as likely to consider price as a
reason for purchasing a brand name product as they were a year ago,
according to a survey released last week...
Troubles at its US operations, exacerbated by the weakness of the
dollar, took their toll on 2002 results at Belgian retailer
Delhaize. A major refit and cost reduction programme in the US
should lead to an improvement this year,...
Is it possible that soy foods could influence human reproductive
development? A new study released this week reports that male rats
whose mothers were fed diets containing genistein - a chemical
found in soybeans - developed abnormal...
Two years after its launch, the 'virtual' Spanish supermarket
capraboacasa.com, is going from strength to strength. Sales through
the online business now account for 1 per cent of the chain's total
turnover, and grew...
Carrefour, the leading French food retailer, has operations in many
other countries, three of which have reported growth this month. In
Spain, sales grew 9 per cent, while in Greece the company posted a
16 per cent increase. Carrefour's...
A new study from Germany suggests that cutting back on meat could
help us live longer. Researchers, studying the impact of vegetarian
nutrition, highlighted the benefits of a vegetarian diet.
The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has
released its opinion on the safety of carrageenan, mainly in
response to work published by Tobacman in October 2001, reports
Reading Scientific Services this week.
As food allergies and intolerances continue to surge in the western
world a new report reveals that the market has grown by some 165
per cent since 2000. Valued at £55.6 million in 2002, a number of
key factors have driven this sector,...
Last week we reported on a new survey that revealed the growing
popularity of natural colours. Good news for ingredients companies
such as Danish Chr.Hansen who announced this week that the United
States Patent and Trademark Office...
As scientists warn the western world about the health implications
of eating too much sugar, food manufacturers and food/beverage
processors are reconsidering the additives they use in their
products and what alterations need to be...
Ahold's much publicised financial concerns have prompted
speculation that Europe's second largest food retail group could
become a potential takeover target. Both Carrefour and Tesco have
been linked to the Dutch group,...
Leader Price discount stores and Monoprix city centre supermarkets
were among the main drivers of growth for Casino, the French food
retailer, in 2002. They will also drive growth in 2003, but a
recovery at Dutch unit Laurus is also...
