Big Food needs to care more; start-ups can’t feed a planet housing 9bn people in 2050; and genuine disruptive technologies are spawning and spinning faster than flapping butterfly wings…So, er, stay calm and keep making (hopefully healthy) food.
Heinz and Kraft Foods will merge to create the world’s fifth largest food and drink company, after Heinz owners 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway agreed to acquire Kraft.
Fresh-cut fruit and veg are sold as an instant vitamin boost. But chlorine disinfection, refrigeration and up to three weeks on the shelf mean their vitamin content is often low – so is there any point in buying them?
The European Union (EU) health and food safety commissioner Vytenis Andriukaitis has called for solidarity between EU countries in dealing with the Russian ban on exports of EU pig and food products.
When launching a new product, don’t underestimate the power of good design – and make sure you trademark everywhere, says Suzie Walker, founder of The Primal Pantry.
Four top trends – sobriety, risk management, nutritional supplements and everyday indulgence should guide food and drink manufacturers when planning innovation.
A novel cooking and cooling process for rice could help slash the number of calories absorbed by the body by more than half by increasing levels of resistant starch, say researchers.
Manufacturers need to be innovative and clever if costs to reformulate food products are to be kept low, says Cindy Beeren at Leatherhead Food Research.
Adding an exotic ‘superfood’ ingredient gives fresh appeal to a well-established product – and manufacturers don’t have to look far for the latest one as analysts say that post-recession consumers want local, simple ingredients.
Antimicrobial consumption in food animals is predicted to increase by as much as 67% by 2030 to more than 105,000 tons, according to a new research paper.
In 2015, Russia will make its first deliveries of beef abroad from Europe’s largest cluster of cattle, being reared in the Bryansk and Kaliningrad Oblasts, according to a spokesperson for the project.
Korea has signed a memorandum of understanding with the UAE to develop its Halal food industry, with the aim of almost doubling its current US$680m Halal food exports to US$1.23bn by 2017.
GCC consumers are increasingly getting their calories from packaged food and soft drinks, with calorific intake from fats and sugar set to rise dramatically, according to new data from Euromonitor.
Saudi dairy producer Nadec launched a new research and development centre this month, as the company reveals 7% profit growth in its full-year results.
The UAE’s date palm oases may be formally recognised by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation as of global agricultural importance, the FAO announced this month.
Egypt’s food and agriculture sector saw a boost in foreign investment at the Egypt Economic Development Conference (EEDC) this month, with billions of dollars pledged and dozens of projects announced.
Automating quality management processes can help firms meet compliance requirements and react quicker if there is a problem, according to Sparta Systems.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for taxation and restricted marketing of unhealthy foods and drinks to children aged under 19 to help cut childhood obesity.
As sugar has become one of the most maligned ingredients within food, Euromonitor International research analyst Jack Skelly says the future may prove trickyfor manufacturers.
European food companies are illegally grabbing land from smallhold farmers in Africa as part of the G8 New Alliance project, says an Action Aid report published this month.
Trans-fat bans, and limiting the availability of sugary and fatty foods are the best ways to battle obesity, while nutrition information fails to deliver benefits, says a new review of anti-obesity policies.
Russian agricultural giant and one of the largest meat producers in the country, Miratorg, reported a 38% jump in revenue year-on-year to RUB74.06 billion (US$1.23 billion), which is a record figure for the company, according to its press service.
Creating a successful new soft drink has more to do with connecting with consumers than its taste or nutritional profile, says co-founder of Akuō – Drink to Think Lukas von Grebmer.
Al Ain Dairy, the largest dairy processor in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has launched what it claims are the world's first camel milk ice cream and milk powder products available on the mass market.
On the back of a deal with a ‘strong’ equity partner, Barentz International will use the additional funds to accelerate growth in its key markets in Europe, India, China and Asia Pacific, it said.
As MEPs prepare to discuss proposed amendments to TTIP’s investor principle in Riga next week, the European Commission says that most of the controversy springs from ‘common misconceptions’.
By Fintan Hastings, external affairs adviser, British Retail Consortium
The close relationship between supply chain partners means they are well-placed to help each other tackle food waste, says Fintan Hastings, external affairs adviser at the British Retail Consortium.
