UK food manufacturers are bucking the trend of declining orders in other industries to claim strong performance by comparison, according to the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Frutarom has posted strong double digit growth figures for its second quarter/half year results, driven by acquisitions, organic growth, price increases, falling raw material costs and more favourable purchasing deals.
Norweigen consumer goods giant Orkla are on track to meet competition from large multinationals in the international with acquisition of Reiber & Søn for over €800 million.
German confectionery coatings firm Capol will have increased presence in the United States after its private equity owner purchased a US distribution business.
Chinese soft drinks manufacturer Wahaha has signed a deal with the UK’s Nottingham University to collaborate on research and development covering areas including bioenergy, food technology and electric motors.
Europe and North America were the worst performing regions for Nestlé according to its first half (H1) results, while Asia, Oceania, Africa and emerging markets delivered double digit growth.
Symrise’s flavour and nutrition division nailed an increase in sales in the first half (H1) of 2012, driven by performance in emerging markets and increasing sales with major customers.
CSM clawed back some pre-tax profit losses from higher raw material costs and falling demand in its second financial quarter, but pre-tax profits remain down for the half year (H1).
Royal DSM paid tribute to its nutrition division which held steady as its sales and profits dipped for the second quarter and first half of the financial year, as recessed global economies took their toll on bottom lines.
Nestlé has encountered a “consistent deterioration in growth” in 2011-2012 in the US, its biggest market, according to analyst Andrew Wood at Sanford C Bernstein.
Symrise has opened a €12m flavours and fragrances centre in Sao Paulo, Brazil, marking the completion of its roll out of such sites in emerging markets, according to the company.
Beverage, sweet goods, snacks and health and wellness sales drove robust sales growth in Givaudan’s flavours division in the six months to June 30, the company reported.
Spanish ingredients producer Natra has unveiled a new granulated chocolate product that it says will form a ‘new generation’ of powdered chocolate for the industry.
UK meat processor Cranswick would benefit from millions of pounds worth of investment and the potential closure of Vion’s pig processing unit in Scotland in the coming year, according to analysts.
Devro has reported rising edible collagen volumes in Europe, especially eastern Europe, Scandinavia and Germany, in its results for the first half of its financial year.
Dairy Crest has been praised for its “Churchillian” decision to defer its planned raw milk price reduction while it continues talks with protesting farmers.
Israeli supplier Lycored has paid an undisclosed sum for a Ukrainian firm specialising in fungal pathogen-derived carotenoids in a move that brings a natural beta carotene into its portfolio.
Unilever has become “Nestle-like” in its delivery of strong and consistent results, according to Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford C Bernstein.
Natural ingredients supplier Naturex has reported a healthy 15% growth in sales for the first half of its financial year on the back of ‘positive contributions’ from the firm’s new acquisitions.
Pre-tax profit at Tate & Lyle’s Speciality Food Ingredients (SFI) division took a hit in its first quarter from strikes in Turkey and lower volume sales in sucralose.
The Office of Fair Trading’s (OFT’s) investigation of Premier Foods’ sale of its vinegar and pickles business to Mizkan Group is unlikely to hamper the process, according to financial analyst Clive Black.
Hundreds of British milk farmers picketed outside Arla and Robert Wiseman Dairy plants last night, protesting over plans to cut the price paid to suppliers for raw milk.
Weather woes, UK promotional pressure and the gravity of Britvic’s Fruit Shoot recall due to flawed packaging design have put a dampener on the firm’s stock rating with analysts.
UK supplier Gee Lawson has debuted organic red yeast rice (Monascus purpureus) into a sector dominated by Chinese supply and which has won a European Union health claim for cholesterol maintenance.
Iglo Foods Group is mulling over its future strategy following owner Permira’s cancellation of plans to refinance the business with a reported €500m after efforts to sell it failed.
2012 has seen a “remarkable” rise in merger and acquisition activity involving the UK food and drink industry, with much of it taking place in the past two months, according to industry commentators.
High purity stevia volume sales at PureCircle have increased by more than 20% year-on-year, PureCircle reported in a pre-close update for the second half of its financial year.
UK firm Ulrick & Short has vowed to step up its research into launching new functional clean label ingredients and extending the uses of its additional raw material crop base.
Premier Foods’ sale of its ethnic flour business Elephant Atta for £34m was a sign of how desperate it was to right its balance sheet, according to market commentators.
Global ingredients firm DSM has pumped €20m into its Delft factory in the Netherlands, on top of a separate €100m investment in research and development in the region.
Mars has opened a €80m (RUB 3.3bn) chocolate factory in Russia’s Ulyanovsk region as it looks to capture a greater share of the highest value BRIC chocolate market.
Netherlands-based SVZ has completed its acquisition of Mondi Foods from Sono International, following approval of the deal by competition authorities and the Dutch works council.
Ingredient specialist Palsgaard has won an award for its dedication to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) from the Danish liberal party, the largest party in Denmark.
Vion Foods Group will cut hundreds of jobs as the firm focuses on optimising production and integrating recently acquired businesses, says the company.
Food mogul Nestlé has recommenced operations in Azerbaijan through a registered company following suspended trade of its entire product range in March due to supply problems.
Monsanto faces the loss of billions of euros in revenues from its genetically-modified (GM) soy in Brazil after the country’s Supreme Court ruled that any decision reached in a local court case should apply nationally.
