Canadian firm SunOpta last week signed an agreement with MicroSoy
of Jefferson, Iowa to market its toasted soy flake ingredients in
the North American market.
Dutch retailer Laurus will be glad to see the back of 2004, a year
which saw it struggle with widespread restructuring and a damaging
price war. But 2005 is not guaranteed to be any easier, as the hard
work of rebuilding its business...
Pressure on price and market share for Nutrinova, a leading
supplier of non-nutritive sweetener acesulfame-K, is set to rise as
a key patent for the sweetener will soon reach its deadline,
reports Lindsey Partos.
Evidence continues to mount suggesting the benefits of moderate
drinking to overall health with a new study on over 4,000 older
women finding a daily drink could sharpen the mind.
Peanuts are in the news again as being healthy - despite their
high-fat levels - as researchers suggest that they may be as rich
in antioxidants as many fruits.
Tough European legislation on junk food advertising to children
could become a reality, if the food industry fails to produce an
effective self-regulatory framework to help society deal with
increasing obesity in children.
Lock Inspection Systems has supplied a UK food company with a
custom made metal detector for its two production facilities, in an
effort to help maintain food quality in the face of growing demand.
The Florida Citrus Commission has approved a proposal to allow
citrus growers to opt out of paying taxes that support its
marketing program, according to the Florida Ledger.
Growth in Asian and South American markets boost sales for colours
firm Chr Hansen, counterbalancing a fall in revenue in North
America for the first quarter of the year.
Irish food group Kerry joins the growing competition in the dynamic
Chinese food market, this week announcing a €20 million investment
programme to expand its presence there.
Rexam, the global consumer packaging company has published an
updated Environmental and Social report outlining environmental and
social issues that are relevant to the company and the strategies
in place to manage corporate responsibility.
On the eve of his move to Parma in Italy, to head up Europe's first
food risk agency, Geoffrey Podger affirms the authority has already
cleared the first hurdle, independence, reports Lindsey
Partos.
New fundamental research could open up opportunities for
flavourists trying to harness plant pathways to produce essential
oils used as flavour additives.
Growing demand for exotic flavours in food formulations guide UK
food ingredients firm JO Sims to source a wider range of tropical
fruits from South America.
Bravo! Foods International has announced that it will begin
shipping its new branded fortified milk drink to retail grocery,
convenience and independent stores at the beginning of February.
Meeting the challenge of organoleptic changes when fat is removed
from low fat formulations, Chr Hansen launches a new culture to
improve texture in sour cream and buttermilk, writes Lindsey
Partos.
Formation Systems has launched what it claims is the only process
Product Lifecycle Managmenet (PLM) software that completely
integrates the product development process from formulation to
packaging.
Representatives of the food industry yesterday filed a letter with
the FDA demanding that the government harmonizes the date for trans
fat labeling with the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer
Protection Act.
US-based investment group New Century Holdings intends to
consolidatemarket leader Vel Pitar's position as Romania's
topbakery, writes Bogdan Tudorache in Bucharest.
Supplies for a range of vegetable oils used extensively by the food
industry are likely to improve for 2004/05 year on stronger yields
for peanuts, soybeans and rapeseed oil.
Somerfield, the British retail group, continues to struggle with
its Kwik Save unit, acquired in 1998. The company has taken a long
time to find the right trading format for the discounter and
recently took the decision to close or...
Food company J.M. Smucker said yesterday that it had found a buyer
for its US foodservice and bakery products businesses, plus its
Canadian Gourmet Baker operations.
Hot on the heels of last year's entry into the Chinese market,
Britain's leading food retailer Tesco has strengthened its business
in South Korea with the acquisition of a number of stores from the
Aram Mart group. The move...
Number one natural colours firm Chr Hansen makes inroads into the
lucrative Chinese market, this week unveiling a new food colour
factory to meet a rise in local demand, and marking the first step
in a raft of investments in the region.
Japanese sweetener and seasonings giant Ajinomoto will drive funds
into South and Central America to strengthen its presence in the
developing markets there, announcing a raft of different investment
programmes for 2005.
As Europe's food agency finally makes the permanent move to Italy,
a framework plan for 2005 consolidates the key objectives for the
EU's major risk assessor.
Growing consumer spending levels in China have helped boost sales
at two of the world's leading drinks groups. South Africa's
SABMiller and France's Rémy Cointreau both benefited from the
increasing interest in premium...
Cosmeceuticals, or supplements that target skin health and beauty,
are seeing fast growth in Europe since emerging as a new concept
but much of the growth so far has come from a handful of brands,
reports Dominique Patton.
Fuller Smith & Turner, the brewer of London Pride ale, has
geared up for growth by investing in a £2 million new line of keg
racking equipment supplied by German manufacturer KHS, writes
Kim Hunter Gordon.
Number six global flavours player Takasago International has
established a new division in Shanghai aimed at expanding its
manufacturing and retail presence in China as well cutting costs.
Russia must loosen limitations on ownership of the companies by
foreign citizens and must improve transparency in order to attract
more foreign investments, says a new report of the Organization on
Economic Cooperation and Development...
Auchan is rumoured to be a prospective tenant at a huge 118,000
square-metre mall to be built near Moscow's third transport ring,
writes Angela Drujinina.
Britain's biggest supermarket group Tesco continued to out-perform
its peers over the Christmas period, bucking the general trend of
flat or declining sales with an impressive 7.6 per cent rise in
like-for-like sales. And with...
Wheat prices are still open to risk as low global stocks provide
little buffer to surprise supply shocks but soybean prices should
remain low on record high global inventories, writes Lindsey
Partos.
Israeli flavour firm Frutarom, with clear ambitions to become one
of the top ten flavour players, is seeking a listing on the London
Stock Exchange to raise funds for imminent acquisitions.
Barry Callebaut, the world's leading supplier of chocolate to the
confectionery industry, has reported a 6 per cent fall in first
quarter sales revenues to CHF1.15bn (€0.79bn) as squeezed margins
bit into its bottom line. The...
Novoye Sodruzhestvo, a Moscow-based holding company, intends to
build Russia's largest soybean processing plant, according to the
news provider Interfax.
InBev, the company formed last year by the merger of Belgium's
Interbrew and the Brazilian giant AmBev, says it is on track for
solid profit growth in 2004 despite missing its full-year volume
growth target, writes Chris Jones.
Barry Callebaut, the world's top supplier of industrial chocolate
to the confectionery industry, has reported a 6 per cent fall in
first quarter sales revenues to CHF1.15bn ($0.97bn) as squeezed
margins bite into the bottom line.
