East European consumers are enjoying an ever wider choice of soft
drinks as markets open up and purchasing power increases. And
growth in the market shows no sign of slowing, as popular local
brands continue to hold their own against...
The newly-established European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is not
about to 'abandon Brussels,' according to executive director
Geoffrey Podger, and transparency and independence will be the
defining characteristics of the...
German retailer and wholesaler Metro is one of the chief supporters
of new retail technology, running a so-called Future Store
Initiative to trial features such as RFID tagging and
self-scanning.
The global pretensions of British food retail market leader Tesco
were made quite clear last month when the company announced that it had raise more than £1.6 billion
through a share placement and cost savings which would be used to
The world's largest online database of information on how
pathogenic bacteria respond to different environmental conditions
in food has been established by scientists with the USDA's Agricultural Research
Service and the...
A wide range of organic or health food products on sale in the UK
contain traces of genetically modified (GM) ingredients, according
to a study due to be published in April, reports CORDIS.
UK manufacturer of aroma chemicals for food, Oxford Chemicals, made
moves this week to extend the company's reach in the US signing on
a US company for distribution.
A publicity drive launched last week by the UK government will be a
vital part of the fight to stamp out illegal imports of meat and
plant material, said the UK's farm industry body.
The debate on the labelling of additives on food products shifts up
a gear in the UK with the Consumers' Association criticising the
government and the country's food watchdog for failing to make
nutrition a priority.
Flavours and fragrance company Quest continues the battle to
restore lost business as UK parent company Imperial Chemical
Industries (ICI) reports a continuing drop in earnings for the
flavours house.
Spanish supermarket chain Caprabo is to launch a second own label
this year under the Alcosto name, reflecting its recent acquisition of the supermarket chain of
the same name.
It is a sign of the times that a new Radio Frequency Identification
pavilion, or RFID pavilion, will feature at this year's Pack Expo
event in Chicago. This reflects the growing awareness, both within
the food industry and within...
A diet with a high glycaemic load could increase the risk of
colorectal cancer, find US scientists following recent research on
nearly 40,000 middle-aged women. Findings are set to further fire
the ongoing debate on the value of carbohydrates...
Increasing concerns about the healthiness of soft drinks may have
done little to dent sales of colas and other sugar-laden fizzy
drinks (not least because of the proliferation 'low and light'
variants of these drinks) but...
Five new Coliform applications for MicroFoss have been approved by
the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) International
Research Institute. The applications are for coliform in chocolate,
liquid egg, whole chicken, ground...
The packaging sector is becoming increasingly important in the
accession countries, according to a new report from MINEFI -
DREE elargissement. And leading the way is the agrofood and
mass retailing industry - the mainstay of the...
Although growth has been rapid for Nestlé in the Russian
confectionery sector, there are a number of challenges to be
tackled in order to ensure future expansion - low per capita
consumption and ingredients supplies being the primary...
The majority of UK shoppers regularly 'top up' their weekly shop
with additional grocery essentials such as bread and milk, a
practice which continues to support the development of the
convenience store sector in the British...
Edeka, the German food retail group, has reported an increase in
turnover for 2003, a good performance in a market still struggling
to lift itself out of recession. The improvement came as a result
of the company's major cost...
Danisco is on the acquisition trail with rumours suggesting the
Danish ingredients giant is preparing to buy the food additive arm
of ailing French chemicals business Rhodia.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has expressed
disappointment that three closure orders have already been served
by environmental health officers (EHOs) due to breaches of food
safety legislation this year. "Three...
Higher margin ingredients continue to offer financial gains for
textured wheat protein supplier MGP Ingredients. Driving deeper
into the market in 2004 the company will pour millions of dollars
into doubling production of this speciality...
A targeted vaccination campaign for poultry at risk of being
infected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus may be
required in heavily affected countries to control the further
spread of the epidemic, according to global...
Reports in today's press suggest that Europe's biggest retail group
Carrefour is about to sell off its online shopping arm Ooshop - a
move prompted by the continued losses at the business.
In an unexpected move, Spanish supermarket operator Consum has
decided to leave the Eroski retail group and pursue its own store
development programme.
Mad cow disease, bird flu and a poor US soybean harvest failed to
rock quarterly profits for the world's largest oilseed processor
Bunge. But the company held back from rising future earnings
outlook because of market volatility.
Fazer Maiznica Druva, the second largest bread maker in Latvia, has
refitted one of its production facilities in the city of Ogre, some
40 kilometres outside the capital Riga.
The financial troubles of Italian food group Parmalat stretch well
beyond the home front. In both Romania and Hungary the company's
divisions are facing acute problems that threaten its future in the
region. But business will...
Scientists are one step closer to understanding the health benefits
of onions with a new study in Australia revealing the lipid
modulating and immunostimulatory properties of the raw brown
version.
Raisio has opened up its first production facility in Russia.
Located just outside Moscow, The Finland-based company says it is
hoping that the move will help it to expand its margarine portfolio
in Russia and neighbouring states.
In recent years the Russian dairy sector has undergone tremendous
upheaval, with the consolidation of old dairy plants changing the
face of the industry. We spoke to the Russian National Dairy
Institute to find out what impact these...
European Research Commissioner Philippe Busquin has announced a €43
million investment plan designed to improve the efficiency of the
food supply chain. Speaking at Wageningen University in the
Netherlands, he said that the purpose...
Swedish food retail and wholesale group Axfood is to supply a
further 105 convenience stores under the terms of a new agreement
worth SK100 million. Meanwhile, Finnish counterpart Kesko has
shrugged off a relatively poor performance...
Nisa-Today's, the independent UK convenience store
group, has proposed a merger with larger counterpart Londis, the much
coveted symbol group. But Londis' reaction has been reserved, to
say the least.
The possible cultivation of GM crops within the European Union
suffered a setback this week after the Belgian government decided
to reject an application to grow GM oilseed rape. Officials said
that the decision was based on the belief...
Rating agency slapped a negative outlook on Australian food company
Burns Philp & Co as the ingredients company, that integrated
food giant Goodman Fielder last year, unveiled a 9 per cent drop in
2003-04 first half profits.
Meat processor Tyson will cut trans fats from a range of meat
products, the meat titan said this week joining other US food
makers pressed to remove this artery-clogging ingredient from their
product ranges. Across the pond, investment...
It is common for pigs to wait in holding pens for at least 2 hours
after transport before slaughter to improve meat quality. Loading,
unloading, and travel stress can lead to lactic acid build up in
pigs' muscles, which can affect...
US ingredients companies continue to make moves into the European
marketplace with FiberGel Technologies, a supplier of the fat
replacer Z-Trim, announcing it has linked up with Swiss company
DKSH to target European consumers with...
The EU has provided €2.2 million of funding for a new project that
aims to promote transnational cooperation in plant genomics
research and, ultimately, better coordinate the €80 million spent
annually in Europe on such activities,...
Safeguarding America's food supply against possible terrorist
threats will eat into a considerable chunk of the USDA's budget
next year. The country is also planning to stockpile animal
vaccines, following concerns that...
Demonstrating the clear divisions that exist between member states
and the European Commission over genetically modified foodstuffs,
in the same week that Belgian ministers threw out an application
for an oilseed rape, the EU's...
Long awaited rules on the use of the sweetener sucralose entered
into European law last week, ushering in new market opportunities
for suppliers of this zero calorie product.
Working to bring low fat lamb products to the European marketplace
scientists in Spain are set to add value to the end product with
new research focusing on boosting the presence of the disease
fighting 'friendly fat? conjugated...
The European Union confirmed yesterday a six-month ban on Thai
poultry imports because of the bird flu outbreak rampaging across
Asia. Fresh and frozen Thai poultry products will remain barred
from the economic bloc until 15 August...
