There is still sufficient cocoa available on the market, despite political turmoil in the Ivory Coast situation, the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) said yesterday, although there are concerns over cocoa damage over long storage periods.
DuPont has extended its $6.3bn takeover bid for Danish biotech firm Danisco for the second time, after holders of only six percent of Danisco’s shares have accepted the offer.
A new compound that blocks bitter tastes, may help to make reduced sugar foods and drinks more palatable for consumers by jamming metallic type bitter tastes, say flavour scientists from Givaudan.
Tate & Lyle looks set for full year results in line with expectations as its refocus on specialty ingredients pays off and it sells its mothballed facility in Fort Dodge, USA, to Cargill for US$57m (GB£36m)
Levels of bisphenol A detected in human urine dropped by 66 per cent in just three days after subjects eliminated their exposure to canned and plastic packaging, new research has found.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) are promoting new financial instruments to help unlock agricultural potential in Russia and Ukraine at a time of rising food prices.
Research carried out by World Action on Salt and Health (WASH) underlines the high and yet inconsistent salt levels in pizzas worldwide, even from the same brandowner.
Royal Cosun has struck a deal to sell Unifine to US bakery products and equipment supplier Dawn Foods, as it repositions to focus on processing of arable crops.
Chr Hansen has joined the industrial platform Kluyer Centre for Genomics of Industrial Fermentation and will benefit from early access to research results on gene sequencing of enzyme and culture production strains.
Researchers in The Netherlands claim to have pushed back boundaries on gluten-free bread formulation by using whey protein and locust bean gum structured into a ‘mesoscopic’ protein particle suspension.
Unilever says it is spending around £2.6m to upgrade production and expand production at its historic Colman’s mustard factory in Norwich, but admits that it could shed up to 20 jobs as a result.
A culture of new opportunities from yeasts may soon be on offer for food the food industry, as a new EU project aims to explore the potential of ‘non-conventional’ yeast species.
The collapse of talks on the novel foods amendment will have a detrimental effect on innovation and competitiveness in Europe, says the CIAA and an economist, while Commissioner Dalli is still figuring out what to do next.
An innovative coating made from “nano-bricks” has shown huge promise in boosting the barrier properties of plastic food packaging to extend shelf life and product quality, said new research.
Food formulators should not ignore interactions between food texture and structure with physical and sensory aspects for flavour perception, according to experts from NIZO Food Research.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) says its new strategic plan to 2015 reflects recent changes in nutrition responsibilities in the UK, with principal spending areas covering its core remit of effective regulation and food safety.
Last ditch efforts to salvage the novel foods regulation were derailed yesterday after the European Parliament and Council failed to reach agreement over the issue of cloned animals – with each side blaming the other for the impasse.
Cargill has expanded its brand portfolio in India with the acquisition of the refined sunflower oil brand Sweekar from Mumbai-based consumer goods manufacturer Marico.
Feelings of hunger, or food associated images, do produce ‘mouthwatering’ sensations, or increase saliva flow, in the same way that the smell or taste of food does, according to new research.
The recent Ghana-Liberia agriculture pact is unlikely to have a major impact on the global cocoa industry; whereas Nigeria is a region to watch, according to Euromonitor.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have created a new safety plan to assist government agencies in their responses to food emergency situations.
Ongoing high prices for raw materials including cocoa, milk powder, sugar and wheat and a decline in contract manufacturing sees Swedish confectionery group Cloetta reporting second-quarter sales loss and falling first-half earnings.
The digestibility of foods like pasta – made up of starch in a protein matrix – may depend on the processing method, says new research that shows the importance of mixing on a finished product.
BASF has announced plans to reduce its workforce by 450 by the end of 2012, as it progresses with its integration of Cognis and works towards its growth goal of €135m EBIT by the end of 2015.
Two-layered emulsions were found to increase the retention of volatile flavours during spray drying, according to researchers from the University of Bourgogne.
Eight organisations from as many European countries have formally announced the creation of the Leading Organic Alliance (LOA), a grouping which will co-operate closely to push at the boundaries and definitions of what is ‘organic’.
Frutarom Savory Solutions has entered into an agreement with the German Institute of Food Technologies (DIL) to conduct research on starter cultures, which the company expects will propel it into a leading position in Europe in the field.
When it comes to deciding whether to purchase functional foods, ‘the principal considerations still do not pertain to health, but rather taste and price’ according to a new consumer study.
The European Union is to step up controls on food imports from Japan in the wake of the nuclear accident at Fukushima – but stressed there was no evidence that consumers in the region were at risk from radiation-contaminated food.
The co-author of an influential new report on UK food policy has hit out at the coalition government for its inertia on sustainable food policy since it came to power in May 2010.
EU food industry representatives have termed ‘premature’ the proposal by the European Commission (EC) to allow 650,000 tonnes of out of quota sugar exports from October.
Consumption of most ready-to-eat meat products contributes very little to HCA intake but cooking conditions and ingredients are influential, suggests new US study.
Fairtrade International (FLO) has increased minimum prices and required price gaps for different Fairtrade coffees in reaction to the recent spike in prices.
IMCD UK and Sensient Dehydrates have signed an agreement that gives IMCD exclusive rights to distribute Sensient’s range of dehydrated vegetables in the UK and Ireland.
Vitiva has developed a new heat-stable red colour from beetroot for use in meat applications instead of expensive and allergenic carmine from cochineal insects.
The Italian food industry is developing the strategy and expertise for companies to exploit the international marketing potential of social networking websites.
The visual and functional characteristics of food and drink packaging were rated as being key in benefiting a brand - with appearance trumping practicality, new research has said.
A new high performance protease which enables production of wheat gluten hydrolysate with good solubility could give product developers a consumer friendly alternative to monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Wheat prices have been volatile in March but are still well below their 2008 peak, according to a new report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Barry Callebaut has a contingency plan in place in light of ongoing Ivory Coast turmoil and has stepped up production at its cocoa processing facilities elsewhere to meet its customers’ needs.
Danisco’s fine Q3 results may make some investors less willing to sell, believing the company can bring profit alone or that DuPont may be persuaded to raise its offer, say commentators.
The food and drink industry needs to reach out to young women and encourage them to look at this industry for scientific career options, said panellists at a careers conference.
Investment in a new £150k production line by UK-based Gordon Rhodes & Son will boost production capacity of its bespoke seasonings and mixes by up to 60% and improve customer service, says the company.
Nordzucker and Pure Circle have created their joint venture company to handle development, sales and marketing of stevia and steviasucrose ingredients in Europe, following their agreement to work together last year.
Arla Foods is to establish a whey processing joint venture with the merged Nordmilch-Humana company DMK to produce whey protein concentrate (WPC) and lactose for the food industry.
Some canned foods could vanish from supermarket shelves if any future deadline by lawmakers to ban bisphenol A (BPA) outstripped the pace of research to find replacements, said the North American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA).
