The troubles at Ahold caused by accounting scandals in the US and
Argentina could lead to a sell off of several of its operating
units - and the UK's number one player Tesco is thought to be ready
to pounce.
As research in laboratories across the globe continues into the
presence of potential carcinogen acrylamide in a variety of foods,
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emphasised last week that
consumers should continue to eat...
Researchers from the Georgia Institute of Technology claim to have
developed a more efficient, less costly method of disinfecting
water used in food processing. The new Advanced Disinfection
Technology System relies on ultraviolet...
Health ingredients manufacturer Cognis Nutrition and Health has
announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has
approved GRAS status for the company's Xangold brand natural lutein
esters products in a variety of...
At a time when the UK supermarket sector is under increased
scrutiny because of the plethora of bids for the number four player
Safeway, the role played by supermarkets in improving consumer
choice and convenience has been defended...
As our obession with healthy living and slimline figures soars
increasing numbers of people fall into the diet trap - one month
the weight falls off, and the next it returns, with avengance.
Budejovicky Budvar, the Czech state-owned brewer, has won the sole
rights to the name Bud and American Bud in Switzerland just a week
after another victory in the UK.
One of our most powerful senses - that of smell - remains
enigmatic. Of the five basic senses, the sense of smell is the
least understood, up until now. Scientists in the US claim this
week to have sniffed out potential clues to how...
From one sense to another - taste. As children, and indeed adults,
how many of us have been forced to swallow bitter-tasting medicines
? But there could be a solution for present and future generations,
and a natural one at that.
New guidance aimed at ensuring UK consumers are not bluffed into
buying rice incorrectly labelled as 'basmati' has been published
this week by the UK Food Standards Agency.
French grape polyphenol supplier Ferco Développement has stepped up
production capacity and increased its colorant range with the news
this week that it has fully acquired the production plant Sefcal, a
subsidiary of Chr Hansen, based...
Irish food ingredient and dairy company Kerry continues to move
forward with the group reporting on Tuesday a 22 per cent leap in
2002 profits after tax to €189 million thanks to a strong
perfomance across all businesses.
Functional drinks are growing in popularity across the world, but
the products which sell best in Japan are not necessarily the same
as those which do well in Europe or the US, meaning that there is
plenty of room for growth in all...
Danish chewing gum manufacturer Dandy, which changed its name in
October last year to Gumlink, is to establish a new research and
development centre in Vejle, Denmark.
Ahold's accounting fiasco - which means that its profits have been
overstated to the tune of $500m - has cost the heads of two senior
board members, sparked off two US lawsuits and led to new calls for
a harmonisation of accounting...
Warning of American job losses, a white paper issued today by the
American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) describes specific scenarios
under a country of origin labelling regulation that would dissuade
frozen food makers from using...
The world's largest processor of soybeans, US company Bunge, said
on Tuesday that fourth-quarter net income had more than doubled,
reflecting the acquisition of French rival Cereol last year and
healthy growth across all its...
Mexican company Pigmentos Vegetales del Centro (Piveg) was recently
granted a temporary stay of injunction - the initial phase of a
patent infringement suit initiated by lutein supplier Kemin Foods
and the Catholic University of America...
A new system designed to use companies' own employees as soldiers
in the frontline in the war on bioterrorism has been created by two
US consultancies.
Denmark's food and drink manufacturing companies are expected to be
the star performers in that country's economy this year, with
growth of between 6-10 per cent. The growth will come from new
product launches and international...
More heart healthy food products could be hitting the shelves soon
following the claim from US healthy ingredients company Cargill
Health & Food Technologies that it has helped trigger a US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) action...
Women who eat more eggs as teenagers may be less likely to develop
breast cancer later on, say researchers at Harvard University. They
also found that butter tended to raise the risk of the disease
while people who use vegetable oil...
The six bidders for UK supermarket group Safeway have now become
five with the withdrawal yesterday of the US investment group KKR.
The remaining candidates, all of them retail specialists, now await
a decision from the regulators...
Could a cure to sickle-cell related deficiencies lie in the rind of
the honey-like bounty of Mediterranean summers ? Scientists in the
US would have us believe so with new research that suggests melon
rinds contain citrulline, an...
Pregnant women who drink more than eight cups of coffee a day could
be increasing the risk of their child being stillborn, according to
research from Denmark reported in this week's BMJ.
Claims by Swedish dairy company Arla that its Rosenborg cheese is
the most popular blue cheese in Britain have caused offence to
Stilton producers, who argued successfully that their cheese is by
far the most widely sold UK brand.
Fortitech, a US supplier of nutrient systems, announced yesterday
that the chemical group BASF has completed the transfer of its
human nutrition premix business and customers in the Asia Pacific
region to Fortitech.
Is it because we travel more ? Is it because of the influence that
the US eating patterns wield over the UK ? Or because gastronomic
traditions are far less marked in the UK than in some of our
continental European neighbours ? Whatever...
In the mature and stable food and drinks industry innovation is
often seen as the lifeblood of growth, writes market analysts
Datamonitor this week. But effective innovation and trend spotting
is inextricably linked to real consumer...
An acidified calcium sulphate solution called Safe2O has been shown
to significantly reduce the amount of Listeria monocytogenes on hot
dogs and prevented regrowth of the pathogen over a 12-week period.
Belgian retail group Colruyt has continued its expansion into the
wholesale food distribution business with the acquisition of two
Paris-based companies, Jean Didier and Harrydis.
Health concerns continue to drive bottled water sales in the UK as
the findings of a new report reveal that sales rose another 11 per
cent last year to 1770 million litres, contributing £1,000 million
(€1.472m) in retail value, writes...
Conditional agreement was reached between Goodman Fielder and DGF
Stoess for the acquisition Leiner Davis's global edible gelatin
business for US$170...
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) announced today that it is to
consult on the preliminary steps taken by the European Commission
to consider the harmonisation of community rules on the voluntary
addition of vitamins and minerals...
The diet foods market across Europe continues to grow, but
increasing consumer disillusionment about the effectiveness of
dieting could curb growth in the future unless manufacturers and
retailers get the right nutrition message across,...
As the European Commission discusses moves towards harmonising
health levels between the EU15, a panel of Dutch scientific experts
has positively approved Bakkerij Veenhuis' request for a health
claim for the Vitaalbrood Flora...
A new study, funded by the AMI foundation in the US, has discovered
that lactic acid can prove to be a strong listeria inhibitor for
food processing environments.
UK provider of texture analysis equipment Stable Micro Systems this
week announced the launch of an annular pumping rig for measuring
the relative proportions of viscous behaviour and elastic behaviour
in visco-elastic materials.
Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy is just one of a host of
pressures for change on British farmers, the president of the UK
National Farmers Union (NFU) Ben Gill told the union's annual
conference earlier this week.
Cognis Nutrition & Health, a nutritional ingredients supplier,
has responded to claims made earlier this week by Dutch rival
Loders Croklaan regarding the infringement of several of its
patents.
Auchan's Sabeco subsidiary posted a 6.8 per cent increase in sales
in 2002, but fell just short of its target of €900 million
turnover. Expansion is still the order of the day, with 20 new
outlets planned for 2003, eight more...
Research now underway will provide the means to develop novel forms
of bread, and other foods, which contain increased amounts of
soluble fibre, making them far healthier than they currently are.
Campbell Soup is introducing a number of new products and formats
for its flagship soup brands in the US in a bid to tap into growing
demand for convenience foods. A host of new ready-to-eat soups,
easy open packaging and innovative...
Australian scientists claim that more tender beef is just around
the corner, a move that will make the processing of beef products
easier as well as providing a boon to the consumer market.
European researchers are attempting to discover whether moving to a
different country and changing diet can alter the risk of
developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) using population studies
from Italy, Belgium and the UK.
The lines are blurring between sweet biscuits and confectionery and
between sweet biscuits and snacks, according to a recent review of
last year’s various product launches by Mintel’s Global New
Products Database (GNPD).
Store refits, expansions and openings at a cost of £360 million
were revealed yesterday by UK food retailer Asda. Included in the
revamp are the introduction of three new mezzanine floors in
exisiting Asda stores.