The increasing use of plastic packaging in the beer sector - as
well as the versatility of the material - is helping to drive
growth of PET and other plastics in the drinks sector. But cans,
glass and laminates still have important...
The draconian measures introduced to reduce the use of one-way
packaging in Germany could still incur the wrath of the European
Commission, despite concessions by Berlin. But even if Brussels is
satisfied, German retailers, drinks...
Scanvaegt has launched a new system aimed at reducing give-away in
poultry processing. The DreamBatcher is said to substantially
reduce wastage by enhancing the efficiency of the packaging
processing.
Energy drinks are adding a touch of zest to the European soft
drinks market, with Mintel's Global New Products Database revealing
an array of weird and wonderful names, ingredients and marketing
ploys designed to entice consumers...
Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) is to launch a new pesticide
detection service for the food industry. The new service is being
offered in partnership with an approved third party laboratory.
Product innovation continues in the Scandinavian non-dairy sector
with a new line of organic cereal drinks launched this month to
meet the growing tide for milk substitute products. New kid on the
block? Spelt drinks.
Ahold is to publish its audited results for 2002 on Thursday -
restated following the revelation of accounting fraud earlier in
the year. The figures are unlikely to make encouraging reading, and
shareholders and investors alike will...
Environmentalists took to the streets in Brazil last week in
protest after the country's vice president said he would lift a ban
on genetically modified soy crops.
US soybean processor ADM is launching its organic whole soybean
powder NutriSoy on the European market at next month's Food
Ingredients Europe. The product has been nominated for the 'most
innovative ingredient' award.
A new spectrophotometer called 'Chameleon' has been launched by
Spectroscopic and Analytical Developments, designed to analyse the
contents of finished food and beverage products.
Rising sales channelled through a long-standing relationship with
Treatt have opened the way for UK-based Endeavour Speciality
Chemicals to step into larger premises.
In the space of seven days US agri-giant Bunge has not only plunged
deeper into Far Eastern oils but also shed the private label retail
bottled oil business of its edible oil division.
As expected, Morrisons is the only retailer allowed to bid for the
Safeway chain, with rival offers from Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda all
blocked by the UK government. But Morrisons' bid is unlikely to be
as high as it was in January,...
Asda, the American-owned supermarket chain, is continuing with its
campaign to increase sales of British food and drink products, with
50 new UK-made items set to hit the shelves in 2003. Clearer
labelling and in-store promotions...
Next month two subsidiaries of the Denmark based Foss Group - Foss
Electric and Foss Tecator, will be merged in an effort to maintain
future growth for the food analysis company.
Parties interested in forging ahead with GM foodstuffs in the UK
have a battle on their hands as the widest public debate ever held
in Britain finds an overwhelming percentage of people uneasy.
Bord Bia - the Irish Food Board - hosted a consumer food and drinks
industry day this week in Dublin. Entitled 'Paths to Growth', the
conference was attended by representatives from more than 100 Irish
food, drink and ingredients...
In the same week that the European Commission tables proposals to
overhaul the EU sugar regime, Belgian company Cosucra Groupe
Warcoing announces that its days of sugar beet processing are over,
opting instead to focus business entirely...
The European Commission has resolved to ensure that the same
standards of food safety apply to all products, regardless of
origin. Commissioner for health and consumer protection David Byrne
said that food imports into the EU should...
Guyenne and Gascogne, the French retail group, has continued to
improve its sales and profits in the first half of 2003, building
on the major advances made in the first six months of last year.
Parties interested in forging ahead with GM foodstuffs in the UK
have a battle on their hands as the widest public debate ever held
in Britain finds an overwhelming percentage of people uneasy,
suspicious or hostile to the introduction...
A report from Dow Corning claims that billions of euros are lost
each year because of unnecessary repair work which has to be
carried out on processing equipment that has not been sufficiently
lubricated.
British sugar and sweeteners group Tate & Lyle said this week
that first half profits should be in line with expectations, and
the second half stronger than in the previous year.
A report commissioned for the UK's Food Standards Agency has
provided the clearest evidence yet that there is a link between
advertising food products aimed at children and the declining
health standards among the younger generation.
US spice giant McCormick & company posted an improved set of
figures for the third quarter boosted by strong sales, acquisitions
and better distribution.
Demand for natural ingredients must be met by ingredients companies
looking to make significant gains in the health arena. German Wild
group has taken up the challenge announcing this week the launch of
a new plant-based colour for...
Although trade talks in Cancun collapsed this month the pressure
remains on the European Union to shake up its heavily subsidised
sugar regime. At a time when the sugar industry continues to
struggle as fears grow over a worldwide...
Caprabo has become the biggest supermarket operator in the Spanish
capital Madrid after the acquisition earlier this week of the
Supermercados Alcosto chain.
Market Advice has carried out an in-depth analysis of the Moscow
sausage market. The organisation interviewed the sales and
marketing departments of the top 20 largest traders of sausages
& related products in the region.
The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) says contrary to media reports
yesterday it has not issued an official health warning about the
Atkins diet, or linked it to increased risk of obesity and cancer.
When Cyclone Hudah struck the island of Madagascar in April 2000
destroying 15 per cent of the world's vanilla crop the news sent
prices rocketing for the peoples favourite ice cream ingredient -
and they still haven't recovered.
Nestlé Rowntree, the UK confectioner, has already got itself into
trouble with adverts for its Yorkie chocolate bar featuring the
tagline 'Not for Girls' but appears happy to step on a few more
toes with the latest development...
A new product from Emerson Process Management is enabling steam in
place (SIP) cycle time reductions of typically 20 per cent on fully
monitored plant installations.
A bumper cocoa harvest for Ghana has pushed the country into the
number two global producer slot, behind the Ivory Coast and ahead
of Brazil. Fresh figures from the West African country show farmers
pulled in more than 500,000 tons...
Materials testing specialists, Lloyd Instruments, has passed its
Transition Audit from ISO 9000:1994 to ISO 9001:2000, which gives
the company TickIT accreditation for software excellence.
Farmers in southern Brazil are urging the government to pass an
emergency to allow use of GMO soybeans in the coming 2003-04 season
(October-September), reports the American Soybean Association this
week.
Swiss co-operative retailer Migros has formed an alliance with
LeShop, an online shopping portal, to create a web-based
supermarket offering shoppers both Migros own label goods and a
full range of branded products for the first time.
Only months after buying Unilever's Indian fats business Hindustan
Lever, US agri-giant Bunge carves deeper into the Indian oils
market acquiring the India-based assets of private edible oils
company Prestige Foods this week.
A Europe-wide project is underway to assess whether local wild
vegetables eaten in southern Europe might have health-promoting
properties, opening the way for a new breed of nutraceutical.
Banking, insurance, mobile phones, holidays - areas not
traditionally covered by food retailers but which are becoming an
increasing part of the weekly food shop for many British consumers.
But as the major multiples expand their...
Price competition in texturants put pressure on Danisco ingredients
results for the first quarter of 2003/2004 but flavours and a long,
hot summer went some way to boosting the underlying performance.
