Manufacturing firms employ more women bosses
Manufacturing businesses in the FTSE 100 have more women on their boards than other firms but more should be done to boost their numbers, according to a new report.
Archives for March 18, 2013
PepsiCo outstrips Coke in global nutritional stakes: ATNI report
PepsiCo has the jump on The Coca-Cola Company in the newly released Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) that ranks 25 large food and beverage firms in terms of nutrition-related performance globally.
Will vitamin C price fixing victory constrain future Chinese cartel behavior?
A longstanding vitamin C price fixing case has reached conclusion with a $162 million judgment in the case involving four Chinese companies. While its a victory for the concept of private enforcement, it doesn’t mean cartel behavior by Chinese companies...
Research
Kids with easy access to sweet drinks 5x more likely to overindulge
Primary and secondary school students are five times more likely to be high consumers of sugar-sweetened drinks, such as soft drinks, if these drinks are available in their homes, according to a University of Sydney study published in the journal...
Australian standards
Watchdog taking a quack at claims with action against duck meat co.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has indicated it will be focusing on the veracity of label and marketing claims after it instituted court proceedings against a duck meat producer.
Salmonella outbreak linked to ground beef appears over, says CDC
An outbreak of salmonella that sickened 22 people appears to be over, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
EU protected food and drink products worth €54.3bn
The sales value of European foods and agricultural products protected under the EU’s geographical indication (GI) scheme hit €54.3bn in 2010, according to a new report.
Campden BRI forecasts promise of cold plasma
Food industry advisory body Campden BRI is exploring the effects of cold plasma technology on specific surfaces and microorganisms to help food manufacturers wage war on pathogens.
Bird flu outbreak in the Netherlands
More than 80,000 chickens have been destroyed on a farm in the Netherlands following an outbreak of low pathogenic avian influenza virus.
Toy-filled chocolate egg approved for sale in US
New Jersey-based Candy Treasure has overcome a US ban on toy-filled chocolate eggs dating back to 1938 after its Choco Treasure surprise eggs were deemed safe for sale.
Cocoa child labor: Story so far
Industry pledges reach $10m on cocoa child labor but ‘job is not done’
The industry has pledged $10m in new funds since 2010 to eliminate the worst forms of child labor, but a newly released report says the job is far from over.
Indian economy
India’s credit negative food inflation has broad monetary implications
High food inflation in India is “credit negative” for the wider economy, hurting government finances and making it difficult for the country’s central bank to deal with monetary policy, according to Moody’s.
Focus on New Zealand: Carbon commitment
New Zealand’s agriculture sector has sidestepped the country’s Emissions Trading Scheme, but farmers are clearly committed to working on their carbon footprint, with some good results achieved to date.
Manila madness
Using foresight to shift attention from oversight
The Philippines’ embattled agriculture secretary is clearly clairvoyant, otherwise he would never have come out with such a grand prediction as he did last week—that his government plans to shelve rice imports in 2014.
Food and drink exports tough out the recession
Britain’s food and drink exports are remaining resilient during the recession – with total UK food and non-alcoholic drink exports for last year maintaining their value of £12.1bn, according to the Food and and Drink Federation (FDF).
Smells for satiety: Olive oil aroma could help boost feelings of fullness
Foods produced with olive oil or olive oil aromas in place of other oils or fats could help consumers feel fuller for longer, according to new research.
Fat, sugar and texture: ‘It’s always a question of compromise’
Reducing fat and sugar brings major textural challenges – and for food and drink makers it is always a matter of compromise, according to head of food innovation at Leatherhead Food Research Dr Wayne Morley.
Food security institute opened in Northern Ireland
A new £33m ‘food fortress’ aimed at improving sustainable, safe and secure global supplies of quality food, was officially opened by Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke in Belfast last week (14 March).
Hain Celestial: ‘Chia is red hot… Coconut's been on fire’
Hain Celestial has unveiled a raft of new products utilizing hot ingredients from chia and quinoa to coconut pulp and almonds, including organic gluten-free chia seed corn tortilla chips under the Garden of Eatin' brand, and coconut almond butter under...
Pea protein shows potential for gluten-free formulations
Adding pea protein to gluten-free bread may enrich the nutritional content of the product, with a sensory panel rating it ‘most acceptable’, says a new study.