A new test instrument accessory to check the optimum peel strength
of sealed lids on yoghurt packaging has been developed by UK firm
Lloyd Instruments. The TG 5346 peel fixture is the latest addition
to a fast expanding grips and...
UK government agrees 'in principle' to the commercial cultivation
of GM maize on UK soil, provoking an angry reaction from consumer
campaigners who claim the recent debate and science review on GM
foods has fallen on deaf...
Acquisitions for UK food, ingredients and retail firm Associated
British Foods are key to reducing dependency of group profits on
ABF's leading revenue source British Sugar. This week the company
signs a deal with Unilever to...
Food manufacturers continue to face the costly process of food
recalls as the UK's Food Standards Agency brings more food products
contaminated by the illegal carcinogenic food dye Sudan to light.
With its takeover of Safeway finally completed, Morrisons now faces
the difficult task of integrating the two businesses and bringing
the profitability of Safeway's somewhat downmarket stores up to its
own high level.
The last few years have seen a sharp increase in the number of
discount stores throughout Europe, with recessions in many of the
Continent's leading economies prompting consumers to tighten their
belts and shop around for bargains.
Having recently announced that it is selling its stake in the
Carlsberg brewery, Norway's Orkla Foods is continuing its aim to
increase its presence in the Eastern European market with the
acquisition of more facilities to expand...
Polish fruit processor Agros Nova has said that it aims to become
the country's largest producer of fruit juices within the next
three years, despite having lost ground since the merger which
formed it early last year.
The wholesale sector in the UK is expected to continue to play an
important role in the grocery sector for the next ten years, in
particular in helping brand owners improve their relationship with
independent retailers. But while...
After three successive years of depressed consumer spending and low
prices, German retailers are hopeful that 2004 will see a return to
growth, albeit at a relatively low level.
A hardy winter cereal crop could soon be a common sight in European fields as scientists in France present the fruits of 30 years of labour in the labs.
Favourable news for the pro-GM camp as a team of British scientists
claims that genetically modified (GM) maize is less damaging to
wildlife than conventional varieties. At the same time, leading UK
organisations call on Tony Blair...
A new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) programme designed to
improve efficiencies in consumer demand chain management is about
to be launched in the US. The technology is still in the testing
phase, but developer Albertsons,...
Last month Europe came a step closer to introducing harmonised
rules on controlling mycotoxins in food. Closely following
discussions of Europe's Standing Committee on the Food Chain and
Animal Health, the Scottish Food Standards...
On the cusp of reform to the EU's heavily supported sugar regime,
some of the world's poorest sugar exporting countries have called
on Europe 'to put fairness at the heart of the new regime'.
Expecting a higher uptake of vegetable fats by European chocolate
manufacturers following the new '5 per cent' chocolate rule, Danish
oils and fats supplier Aarhus United sees a drop in income for
2003, compounded by currency...
Wermer Bauer, executive vice president of technology, processing
and R&D at Nestlé, has urged food manufacturers to recognise
the link between sound engineering and strong financial
performance. He also told delegates at the International...
A survey of sunflower and soya oil manufacturers in Russia reveals
that they are struggling against poor soy bean supplies, out-dated
production equipment and excessive market competion. Although
manufacturers still envisage market...
Rubbing shoulders on the shelves with 'low-carb' friendly food
products, wholegrains must reach out to the consumer to remain in
the game. Cereal chemists in the US bring wholegrains into the
user-friendly zone with a new,...
Britain's number one food retailer is about to stretch its lead
even further following the announcement on Friday that its proposed
takeover of convenience store group Adminstore had been approved by
the Office of Fair Trading....
Convenience store operator Londis has begun the lengthy process of
looking for a buyer or a partner after the company's board agreed
yesterday to put the company up for sale.
Greggs, the specialist baked goods retailer, said last week that
growth in the booming British sandwich market was showing some
signs of slowing down and that it expected to see increasing
competition in this high added value sector.
Wheat, corn and soybean prices will remain high for much of 2004,
warns the US agency Fitch Ratings, with the industry likely to see
a continual shifting of higher ingredients costs onto the food
manufacturer. But tough negotiations...
US starch supplier MGP Ingredients witnesses the benefits of
'adding-value' to ingredients products with strong growth in
low-carb ingredients pushing demand for its resistant wheat starch
FiberStar 70.
British consumers are now drinking more bottled water than ever
before, attracted by the healthy image of the product. And it is
this image which is likely to protect natural mineral waters such
as Evian or Vittel from the impact...
Dutch retail group Ahold has finally negotiated the sale of its
Argentine unit Disco - to Cencosud, the Chilean retailer which had
originally agreed to buy the company back in November. After
withdrawing entirely from the Asian market...
Despite strong research that shows eating regular daily servings of
'powerhouse' fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of chronic
disease, new research out of the US says people are not eating
'because they are...
Suggesting further growth opportunities for functional foods - and
ingredients suppliers - in the dairy sector research from Wales
finds organic milk contains two-thirds more omega-3 essential fatty
acids than its conventional sister....
The European Commission says that Polish food processing companies
are now making good progress towards reaching EU hygienic
standards. However, the latest reports from the country Agriculture
and Food Ministry suggest that the meat...
Parmalat Hungary has reported that its production is now starting
to increase, a sign that it is over the worst, perhaps. News that
the group has secured a $128 million US loan might also give the
division further backing.
Opportunities for food manufacturers in Australia may well be
rooted around innovative flavours and health ingredients, say
researchers at CSIRO on the day the Australian government earmarks
millions of dollars to invest in R&D...
A recent market survery reveals that the growth of the Polish
discount store market is continuing apace, with the market share
set to grow significantly in the course of the next two years.
A test has been developed that can reveal the presence of meat from
32 different kinds of animal species. The DNA-based scheme is
currently being examined by European food regulatory bodies as a
possible means of ensuring that a food...
Chipping away at heavy debt the Australian ingredients firm Burns
Philp & Co will spin off its US herbs and spices unit - Tones
North American - following 'expressions of interest' for the
division, the company said...
You say tomato…and Sainsbury's says 'kumato'. Six years in R&D,
the super-sweet, nutritional black tomato has arrived on the
supermarket shelves to meet increasing consumer demand for novel,
exotic food products.
Countdown to new rules for the labelling of allergen ingredients
begins with national governments and stakeholders in Europe getting
to grips with the small print before enforcement next year. The
Scottish food watchdog updates the...
The US could see its share of the wheat market in Indonesia,
southeast Asia's biggest buyer, cut by half this year as a result
of surging freight tariffs. Rocketing prices are transforming
global food export markets as importers...
The future of Londis, the British convenience store operator,
remains uncertain after the company's board failed to reach
agreement earlier this week on the best way forward for the
company.
Just days after completing the sale of part of its Brazilian unit,
Dutch retail group Ahold has announced the sale of its last remaining
Asian business, Thailand-based CRC Ahold. The US and Europe will
now be the sole focus of Ahold's...
Adding value to the quintessential tropical starch commodity
cassava could be an economic alternative for a food industry
currently undergoing squeezed margins through high raw material
prices.
E.Leclerc claims that its low-price policy kept its hypermarket
sales buoyant in 2003 as French consumers tightened their belts and
switched to discount stores. But what is really needed to
revitalise the retail sector is a change...
Milk and cheese remain staples of diet in most parts of the world,
but yoghurt continues to be the main engine for growth in the
global market, not least because of its versatility as a functional
product, according a recent report...
Spanish manufacturer Vitatene moves one step closer towards market
approval for its lycopene food ingredient derived from the fungus
Blakeslea trispora with the UK's Advisory Committee on Novel
Foods and Processes (ACNFP) concluding...
Carrefour, the French retail giant, said that it met its profits
growth targets for 2003 but that it was raising the bar even higher
in 2004 as it revamped its French operations and continued its
worldwide expansion.
Leda Technologies, which has developed a patented pasteurisation
system that it claims is capable of eliminating Salmonella and high
levels of avian flu in shell eggs, is looking to roll out its
technology on an industrial scale.
Britain's biggest food retailer Tesco looks set to take a further
step towards its goal of competing with global giants such as
Carrefour and Wal-Mart with a move into the massive Chinese retail
market.
As soyoil prices hit 19 year highs, poor soybean harvests and
increased demand from China take their toll on the world's leading
oilseed processor with Bunge North America announcing that from
early this month it will idle production...
With the Commission proposal for changes to the EU sugar regime but
a few months away, Commissioner Franz Fischler explains why sugar
reform is 'unavoidable.'
