The UAE is planning to introduce a new law restricting levels of salt and fat in packaged food, officials from the country’s Ministry of Health have said.
Tomra has developed its camera technology and software to modify its Genius 640 3-way sorter with two rejector streams for dates in MENA because ‘the industry wants different sizes, below and above a certain size so they all look the same in a package’.
Canadian beef and livestock producers are set to benefit from the opening of two new export markets, agriculture minister Gerry Ritz and trade minister Ed Fast announced today.
An outbreak of Salmonella that sickened six people in five states from nut butter is over, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Middle East confectionery sales are set to boom, with the Saudi market projected to grow 43% by 2016 according to KPMG, and the region as a whole by 20% in 2015.
For Middle East beverage consumers, it’s what’s on the outside that counts, as buyers focus on packaging and marketing over contents, according to a Euromonitor report.
Brazil’s sales of dairy products to Arab states rose four-fold to US$72m in the first eight months of the year, with egg sales also rising 28% in the same period.
Bottled water consumption in the GCC will rise by 50% to more than 21 billion litres by 2020, according to a report from the Gulf Organization for Industrial Consulting (GOIC).
The Ukrainian poultry industry is looking to offset potential losses in the Russian market with an increase in exports to Muslim countries, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
The United Arab Emirates chocolate market is one of the fastest growing chocolate markets across the globe as big players such as Mars and Nestlé up their investment and others eye entry, according to TechSci Research.
With prospects for economic growth in Dubai and the UAE looking positive, imports of food, particularly meat, will becoming increasingly important as the city’s population grows, according to a report by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The global Halal food market will be worth US$1.6tn by 2018, up from US$1.1tn in 2013, according to a report commissioned by Dubai Chamber of Commerce.
Abu Dhabi’s Agthia Group announces a first-half profit of US$28.5m, up 21% year-on-year, but says its consumer food division lost US$3.9m in the period.
Sharjah food producer Delta Food will invest US$11m in expanding its facilities in the Sharjah Airport International Free Zone (SAIF Zone) to drive expansion into new markets.
Growing non-GCC sales lifted the profits of Dubai’s Al Islami Foods, pushing it to triple production with a new factory, the firm announced in its annual results.
Governments across the Middle East are trying to enforce price controls on food staples ahead of Ramadan, as consumers report price rises of up to 40%.
The UAE’s Saif Al Khaili Group has signed up to build a food processing facility in Abu Dhabi Ports’ Kizad Food Cluster, as part of a major industrial project, Kizad has announced.
Italian food exports to the GCC were up 21% in 2013, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the growth and sales, according to figures from Italian food export organisation Cibus.
Brazilian food processor Marfrig is planning to set up its first factory in the Middle East within the next five years, with Saudi Arabia the most likely location.
Qatar has created a farmers’ association, backed by the Ministry of Economy and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), to promote agricultural development in the country.
The Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority (Jafza) is courting Brazilian companies as it promotes its new Halal zones on a promotional tour of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Non-stick coating bakeware specialist FBS Prestige has seen phenomenal demand from the Middle East as the country’s bakery sector evolves, its CEO and chairman says.
Any further escalation in the ongoing crisis in Ukraine could have a serious and adverse impact on the food supply situation in the Middle East, including countries in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), according to the World Bank.
The UAE’s new food safety law will see higher penalties for those found to be endangering food safety, according to the draft legislation presented this week by the country’s law makers.
The regional plastics industry must innovate and offer more value-added products in order to thrive in the food setors and others, an industry leader said this week.
Brazilian food exports to the Middle East jumped significantly in 2013 to total a record US$5.3bn and 17bn tonnes, according to the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).
The Middle East gluten-free market is nascent but brimming with potential thanks to a young and wealthy consumer base increasingly interested in health and wellness, market experts say.
Oman plans to more than double its fishery production to 480,000 tonnes per year, increasing industry revenues to US$1.9bn, according to a government minister.
Ethiopia and Somalia are both pushing to increase the level of food and agricultural foreign direct investment from GCC (Gulf Co-operation Council) states.
The order given by Dubai’s ruling sheikh in 1959 to dredge the Creek, the water channel that flows into the heart of what was at the time a sleepy fishing village, is commonly seen as the move that would transform the Gulf state into an economic powerhouse.
Indian speciality rice major Amira Nature Foods has announced plans to enter the UAE’s organic food market as it focuses on gaining a larger market share across the wider Middle region.
Pakistan’s food exports to the UAE could potentially triple to US$1.2bn from last year’s US$400m because of local demand for the country’s products, Pakistan’s ambassador to the UAE, Asif Durrani, said at Gulfood earlier this month.
UAE firms Spinneys Dubai and the National Food Products Company (NFPC) are both set to establish new facilities in the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (Kizad), the zone announced.
Saudi Arabia has banned energy drink advertising altogether and will limit their distribution and sale, while brands including Red Bull will now be forced to carry health warnings.
A trade mission made of agricultural leaders from around the US is en route to the Middle East and Europe in a bid to develop further export opportunities for beef, pork and lamb.
Saudi Arabia is increasing its investments in Pakistan's food production sector, with the countries agreeing a number of deals following an intense period of high level diplomatic activity.
