Hershey fined $4m for Canadian price fixing
Hershey Canada has been fined $4m after pleading guilty to fixing chocolate prices in Canada.
Archives for June 23, 2013
US anger over failure to pass five-year farm bill
US farmers have reacted with shock and disappointment to the House of Representative’s decision not to pass a five-year farm bill.
‘Prison wine’ from Italy will be locked behind US bars
Seven hundred year-old wine producer Marchesi de Frescobaldo has ‘released’ the first vintage of a wine made by prisoners on the Italian prison island of Gorgona, as authorities claimed such work helped lower reoffending rates.
Range of factors influence chance of E.coli in spinach pre-harvest, says study
Workers’ personal hygiene, the field’s use prior to planting of produce and the time since the last irrigation are some factors that influence the likelihood of E.coli contamination of spinach on farms prior to harvest, according to researchers.
Kellogg’s blaze sparked by jammed Corn Flakes
Firefighters tackled a blaze which started when a batch of Corn Flakes caught fire at Kellogg’s Manchester factory.
Food for thought: Dietary sat fat may alter Alzheimer's risk protein
The saturated fat content in the food we eat has an important influence on the lipidation states and levels of proteins that are linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to new research.
Sucralose eco-production process given green light in China
A Chinese company is preparing to debut a brand new environmental process that helps break down harmful byproducts from the sucralose production process.
Solazyme & Roquette to each go it alone on microalgae-sourced ingredients
Californian algae expert Solazyme and French ingredients giant Roquette have dissolved their joint venture Solazyme Roquette Nutritionals (SRN), with Solazyme promising to accelerate commercialization of its suite of microalgal food ingredients.
Palm oil agreement to increase Europe’s sustainable supply
A new European palm oil supply agreement should make it easier for companies to source 100% segregated palm oil across the continent, say the companies behind the deal.
STOP fussing over UK traffic light labelling
Last week, the UK introduced a voluntary front-of-pack nutrition labelling system combining GDAs with traffic light colours. The European food industry is up in arms – but it has no good reason to be.
TreeHouse Foods to acquire mayo, dressings and sauces maker Cains Foods in $35m deal
Private label specialist TreeHouse Foods has struck a deal to acquire Cains Foods, a privately owned manufacturer of shelf stable mayonnaise, dressings and sauces, based in Ayer, Massachusetts, for $35m.
Snapshot: China
Dirty ingredients prompt more Chinese to opt for clean labels
It is no coincidence that China is leading the way across the Asia-Pacific region by moving towards natural foods. With the country’s industry sullied by an ever-evolving tale of lax food safety standards - with the will to improve in this department...
Portion size proves challenging for cake freshness: Novozymes
Consumers want indulgent and premium on-the-go cakes, but reducing portions can prove technically challenging in terms of quality and freshness, says Novozymes.
EU food industry could face broader charging on inspections
Proposed changes to EU legislation covering the food chain could see food processors front costs for official inspections, such as those faced by the meat industry.
CAP: meat production subsidies under negotiation
Representatives of the European Union (EU) institutions are working towards a final deal next week on how much of the EU agriculture subsidies should go towards maintaining meat and livestock production, which might collapse without public funding.
CP Kelco starts Brazilian pectin expansion as global demand rebounds
Hydrocolloid giant CP Kelco has announced the first phase in a series of projects to expand its Brazilian pectin operation by 30% to cope with rebounding demand for the ingredient.
Green bull? ‘Natural energy’ grows health claim wings
The EU energy market is set to grow by €1bn by 2017 and much of that could come from ‘natural energy’, a sub-sector that has been boosted by recent health claim approvals, says Euromonitor International analyst, Diana Cowland.
Big interview: Ted Nixon, chairman and CEO, DDWilliamson
DDW: We could be as big in natural colors as we are in caramel colors in 5-10 years
Founded in 1865 - the year Lincoln was assassinated - DDW has been in the food colors business for an astonishing 148 years. But there’s no room for complacency, CEO Ted Nixon tells Elaine Watson during a visit to the firm’s HQ in Louisville, KY.
Synlait Milk launches expansion-funding NZ$120m public share offering
New Zealand-based infant formula manufacturer, Synlait Milk, has launched an initial public offering (IPO) of shares in the hope to raising around NZ$120m (US$93m) to fund a series of "growth initiatives."
Food safety
Chinese regulators finally get tough on infant formula manufacturers
A group of Chinese governmental agencies have united to implement tighter controls on domestic companies that manufacture infant formula.