Intitiatives by the food industry and governments to bring the
five-a-day phenomenon to the consumer gained further credence this
week with a new study showing fruit and vegetable consumption can
cut 'bad?cholesterol.
The tide is turning down under with a new poll showing Australians
are increasingly worried about genetically modified foods and the
risk they could pose to human health and the environment.
It was in January 2003 that Yorkshire-based food retailer Wm
Morrison surprised the British supermarket sector with the
announcement of a £2.9 billion takeover bid for larger rival
Safeway. Now, more than a year later, the finishing...
At a time when most of its major international rivals are busy
expanding their businesses in both new and existing markets, Dutch
food retail group Ahold is continuing to sell off a number of
business units in an attempt to revitalise...
The UK government has been forced to postpone plans to give the
green light for a GM crop after the devolved assembly of Wales and
the Scottish Parliament refused to cooperate. The Welsh executive
is vociferous in its support of organic...
The European Parliament has voted to create a European Centre for
Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), following growing concern
over animal disease epidemics. "Outbreaks like SARS in 2003 and
bird flu this year have been a...
Plant closures and 'competitive pressures?saw profits slide for US
sugar giant Imperial Sugar despite a rise in operating income for
the first quarter. Global sugar surplus keeps the prices down and
competition up.
The female hormone estrogen has been shown for the first time to
potentially protect against colon cancer. The new research also
found that soy protein may help reduce the number and size of
tumors that do occur.
Parmalat representatives from across Europe will meet today to
discuss the measures that the new management will take to help its
distressed units. Trade union leaders in Hungary claim that the
Eastern European country's unit...
The impact of vegetables, fruits and fibre on rectal cancer have a
role to play in reducing rectal cancer risk with findings from new
study suggesting high intakes could cut risk by up to a third with
whole grain foods as a particularly...
War and disease have marked volatile prices for cocoa in the past
three years, peaking at 17 year highs in 2002 when the Ivory Coast
?source of two fifths of the world cocoa crop ?endured civil war.
Research into genomes could contribute...
As avian influenza continues to sweep across Asian poultry flocks
the global soybean market seeks to assess the fallout, estimating
up to 3 million tonnes of soybean in lost business. Currently
driving the international market for...
Peanut allergies might be on the rise in consumers, but a new study
concludes that a weight loss diet rich in peanuts is better for
heart health than a low fat alternative.
David Byrne, the European Commissioner for health and consumer
protection, has outlined the measures that have been taken to
protect Europe's poultry industry. Speaking at the European
Parliament yesterday, he claimed that safeguards...
Lawmakers in the US have proposed a mandatory livestock
identification system to combat outbreaks of food borne disease
such as mad cow or foot and mouth disease. The system would work by
keeping track of herd movements and being...
In a move to protect home markets Chinese corn processor Global
Bio-chem will link up with Japan's Mitsui & Co to develop,
manufacture and sell the bulk reduced calorie sweetener sorbitol in
China under a new joint venture...
German sugar giant Suedzucker willl break ground on a new plant to
produce bioethanol fuel from wheat at Zeitz in East Germany.
Earmarked for completion by 2005, the plant will operate in
conjunction with the local sugar factory.
Tesco, the UK's leading food retail group, is one of a number of
leading companies in the food industry criticised this week for
"driving down employment conditions for millions of women
workers around the world" by...
Gostomel Glass Factory, Ukraine's largest glass-bottle producer, is
borrowing €13.3 million from the EBRD to build a new facility that
will enable it to produce 600,000 beer bottles a day.
Red clover isoflavones may help to protect women, recently advised
to stop using HRT, from the risk of osteoporosis, suggests new
research that shows a protective effect of the supplement on the
lumbar spine.
Consumers in the UK can eat their porridge safe in the knowledge
that their oat products are free from harmful toxins - mycotoxins -
after an extensive survey in the UK found very low traces, if none
at all, of the contaminant in...
Beneficial knock-on effects of the Avian Influenza and BSE crises
could soon be felt within Denmark's pork industry, according to
some industry experts. Denmark's Bacon and Meat Council believes
that after months of historically...
East European consumers are enjoying an ever wider choice of soft
drinks as markets open up and purchasing power increases. And
growth in the market shows no sign of slowing, as popular local
brands continue to hold their own against...
The newly-established European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is not
about to 'abandon Brussels,' according to executive director
Geoffrey Podger, and transparency and independence will be the
defining characteristics of the...
German retailer and wholesaler Metro is one of the chief supporters
of new retail technology, running a so-called Future Store
Initiative to trial features such as RFID tagging and
self-scanning.
The global pretensions of British food retail market leader Tesco
were made quite clear last month when the company announced that it had raise more than £1.6 billion
through a share placement and cost savings which would be used to
The world's largest online database of information on how
pathogenic bacteria respond to different environmental conditions
in food has been established by scientists with the USDA's Agricultural Research
Service and the...
A wide range of organic or health food products on sale in the UK
contain traces of genetically modified (GM) ingredients, according
to a study due to be published in April, reports CORDIS.
UK manufacturer of aroma chemicals for food, Oxford Chemicals, made
moves this week to extend the company's reach in the US signing on
a US company for distribution.
A publicity drive launched last week by the UK government will be a
vital part of the fight to stamp out illegal imports of meat and
plant material, said the UK's farm industry body.
The debate on the labelling of additives on food products shifts up
a gear in the UK with the Consumers' Association criticising the
government and the country's food watchdog for failing to make
nutrition a priority.
Flavours and fragrance company Quest continues the battle to
restore lost business as UK parent company Imperial Chemical
Industries (ICI) reports a continuing drop in earnings for the
flavours house.
Spanish supermarket chain Caprabo is to launch a second own label
this year under the Alcosto name, reflecting its recent acquisition of the supermarket chain of
the same name.
It is a sign of the times that a new Radio Frequency Identification
pavilion, or RFID pavilion, will feature at this year's Pack Expo
event in Chicago. This reflects the growing awareness, both within
the food industry and within...
A diet with a high glycaemic load could increase the risk of
colorectal cancer, find US scientists following recent research on
nearly 40,000 middle-aged women. Findings are set to further fire
the ongoing debate on the value of carbohydrates...
Increasing concerns about the healthiness of soft drinks may have
done little to dent sales of colas and other sugar-laden fizzy
drinks (not least because of the proliferation 'low and light'
variants of these drinks) but...
Five new Coliform applications for MicroFoss have been approved by
the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC) International
Research Institute. The applications are for coliform in chocolate,
liquid egg, whole chicken, ground...
The packaging sector is becoming increasingly important in the
accession countries, according to a new report from MINEFI -
DREE elargissement. And leading the way is the agrofood and
mass retailing industry - the mainstay of the...
Although growth has been rapid for Nestlé in the Russian
confectionery sector, there are a number of challenges to be
tackled in order to ensure future expansion - low per capita
consumption and ingredients supplies being the primary...
The majority of UK shoppers regularly 'top up' their weekly shop
with additional grocery essentials such as bread and milk, a
practice which continues to support the development of the
convenience store sector in the British...
Edeka, the German food retail group, has reported an increase in
turnover for 2003, a good performance in a market still struggling
to lift itself out of recession. The improvement came as a result
of the company's major cost...
Danisco is on the acquisition trail with rumours suggesting the
Danish ingredients giant is preparing to buy the food additive arm
of ailing French chemicals business Rhodia.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has expressed
disappointment that three closure orders have already been served
by environmental health officers (EHOs) due to breaches of food
safety legislation this year. "Three...
Higher margin ingredients continue to offer financial gains for
textured wheat protein supplier MGP Ingredients. Driving deeper
into the market in 2004 the company will pour millions of dollars
into doubling production of this speciality...
A targeted vaccination campaign for poultry at risk of being
infected by the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus may be
required in heavily affected countries to control the further
spread of the epidemic, according to global...
