Interview
Tyrrells founder William Chase returns to snacking with popcorn brand
Tyrrells Crisps founder William Chase – who sold the business in 2008 – has returned to the snacks industry with his own popcorn brand.
Archives for April 3, 2016
Morrisons boss puts money where his mouth is
Morrisons ceo David Potts has demonstrated his confidence in turning around the fortunes of the retailer by investing a further £360,000 in shares.
Can firms clean up vanillin's clean label image amid natural supply shortages?
It’s the world’s most popular food flavour but less than 1% of global demand for vanilla can be met by the natural vanilla orchid – and this year’s supplies have been hit by a poor harvest in top producing country Madagascar, sending prices skyrocketing....
UN declares Decade of Action on Nutrition
The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has declared a ‘Decade of Action on Nutrition’, placing nutrition firmly at the heart of its sustainable development agenda.
Salad contaminated with Listeria sickens 33
An outbreak of Listeria from packed salads made by Dole which sickened 33 people has ended, according to public health agencies.
Initial success for China KitKat launch in Walmart, says Nestlé
Nestlé is positioning KitKat as a big brand in China after launching its top confection into the market last December.
UN General Assembly proclaims ‘Decade of Action on Nutrition’
In a move the United Nations has called a major step towards reducing hunger and improving nutrition around the world, its General Assembly has heralded a “Decade of Action on Nutrition” that will run until 2025.
China direct
Shanghai expands blacklist to incorporate stricter penalties
Food regulators will expand Shanghai’s food and drug blacklist to include individuals and companies that are found to use expired materials in food production, in a move prompted by recent scandals.
NY start-up unveils the ultimate plant-based protein snack: BRAMI lupini beans
Lupini beans have a nutritional profile to die for. The problem is, most Americans have never heard of them. But that could change rapidly if the New York based entrepreneur behind BRAMI snacking beans gets his way.
Share a Coke... and a song: Coca-Cola adds lyrics to cans and bottles
Coca-Cola’s ‘Share a Coke’ campaign is taking on a new twist this year, featuring song lyrics on packaging instead of people’s names.
China
Vitamin A prices set to continue to soar
After more than a year-long slump, China’s important vitamin A market is finally starting to rebound, with prices expected to continue to grow until the second-half 2016, according to market analyst CCM.
More than half of older millennials drink kombucha, Mintel finds
The fermented beverage will gain even more momentum this year as taste influencers and conventional grocery stores are putting the spotlight on kombucha.
Albertsons unveils new Signature private label portfolio
Albertsons has introduced Signature, a new private label portfolio that will include several sub-brands spanning multiple categories and more than 4,000 products, from fresh produce to paper towels.
Mountain Dew launches Mtn Dew Black Label
No puppy monkey baby this time. Mountain Dew's recent Black Label launch will appeal to a classier and more refined crowd, says the brand.
'Everything in moderation' advice is unlikely to be effective: Study
'Everything is moderation' is valued as simple, effective advice to promote healthy eating. But without a fixed definition, it leaves people the freedom to define moderation as how much they want to eat and is unlikely to be effective, US researchers...
Tetra Pak Cheese and Powder Systems acquires Laude
Tetra Pak has acquired Laude, which designs, develops and manufactures plastic moulds for hard and semi-hard cheese.
Weight of the world: 20% of adults obese by 2025, study predicts
Around 20% of adults worldwide will be obese by 2025, if policies designed to slow down and stop the worldwide increase in Body Mass Index (BMI) are not revised and implemented, according to a study.
‘Unhygienic’ biscuit firm sorry for double pest infestation
Baketime – the manufacturer branded as operating under “unhygienic conditions” – has admitted double pest infestations at its premises and apologised to Aldi and other customers for sparking a recall of its products.
CDC investigates how lab worker was infected with Salmonella
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is investigating how a lab worker became infected with Salmonella.
Pork consumption grows in the EU
The consumption of pork across the EU, particularly in the south, has increased for two years on the trot, according to new data.
Feature
Cool water key to clean green tomatoes in the Outback
A refrigeration company that first made its name chilling millions of cases of wine has now turned its attention to growing tomatoes in the Australian Outback.
China
Nestlé ramps up coffee research and training in Yunnan
In China, Nestle has opened a coffee centre as part of a university joint venture to research tropical crops in Yunnan province.
Omega-3s may lower homocysteine levels, but B vitamins enhance the effects
Data from randomized-controlled trial supports a modest homocysteine-lowering effect for omega-3 fatty acids, says a new meta-analysis from Deakin University in Australia.
DuPont boosts EU options with AFNOR Certification
DuPont BAX System assays for Salmonella and E. coli O157:H7 have received extended validation from AFNOR Certification.
Brexit would put Irish meat exporters under pressure
Meat experts have warned that a possible British exit from the European Union (EU) could pose a significant threat to the industry in Ireland, should a Brexit restrict trades across the UK’s only land border.
EFSA identifies priority areas in food safety
An EFSA-commissioned study has identified 28 topics around food safety to boost harmonisation of research in Europe.
Nutricia withdraws Karicare from Chinese market
Danone Nutricia has stopped supplying its Karicare brand in China more than two years after the New-Zealand made infant formula was at the centre of a botulism contamination scare.
Four strategies for overcoming diminishing returns on trade promotions
Manufacturers and retailers need to reconsider their approach to trade promotions based on new research that found the lift from the once effective strategy is at its lowest level in five years.
'We want to be clear what we stand for and ‘all-natural’ is not clear'
Good Food Made Simple to transition to organic: 'We want to be clear what we stand for, and ‘all-natural’ is not clear'
Good Food Made Simple – one of a new wave of companies on a mission to revitalize the frozen food aisle - is transitioning its burritos and wraps to a 'made with organic ingredients' platform and ditching the much maligned term ‘all-natural’ as part of a...
Risk-benefit assessment: Weighing up the pros and cons of foods
To have meaningful health recommendations for foods authorities should balance both the risks and benefits of consumption, say a group of Danish researchers backing the concept of risk-benefit assessment.