UB has announced plans to close its biscuit production site at
Ashby de la Zouch in the English Midlands at the end of next year
as part of its ongoing plan of restructuring its now profitable UK
biscuit operation.
The phenomenal growth in sales of flavoured alcoholic beverages was
always going to be hard to maintain in the long term, and a new
report from Canadean predicts that sales in leading markets will
slow substantially in the next two...
Vrumona, the Netherlands-based soft drinks arm of Heineken, has
specified Tyco flow control equipment for an extension to its main
production facility.
Colruyt is to buy part of the loss-making Belgian operations of
Dutch retailer Laurus for an undisclosed sum, including the Spar
franchise business. Laurus is still negotiating the sale of its
other Belgian units.
Tesco, one of the leading bidders for Safeway, has claimed that its
proposal will be good for customers, local communities and
suppliers - claims which have been rubbished by environmental group
Friends of the Earth.
The international market for flavoured alcoholic beverages has
witnessed strong growth in recent years and despite a predicted dip
the pace is set to continue in coming years, cites a new study from
UK market analysts Canadean.
Scientists at the Purdue University in the US have discovered that
ozone gas can eliminate insects in grain storage facilities without
harming food quality or the environment.
Danish vegetable oils and fats company Aarhus Oliefabrik announced
yesterday that together with Astion, it will increase the
development portfolio of BSP Pharma principally using oil from the
African shea nut.
SABMiller, the world's second largest brewer, has added another
Polish brewery to its portfolio there. The addition of the Dojlidy
brewery's brands will help extend the company's geographical
presence in the north east...
Emmenthaler production is set to grow steadily over the next two
years, but too much cheese on the market has led to rock bottom
prices and a lack of any real brand identity - a situation export
market leader Emmi hopes to rectify.
The secrets of the tequila plant are set to be revealed with the
launch of a new study in the UK that will seek to study the
properties of this heady plant.
Responding to recent media reports that bananas may be extinct
within ten years, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
has urged producers to promote greater genetic diversity in
commercial bananas.
Growing and steady interest in herbal supplements, particularly in
the US, is spurring demand for plant-derived chemicals. According
to a new report figures show that in the US growth is expected to
rise by 6.8 per cent annually in...
The Burns Philp - Goodman Fielder saga continues with the news
today that the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission has
cleared the hostile bid from Australian ingredients company for
Australia's largest food company.
Portuguese retail group Jeronimo Martins has sold its Eurocash cash
& carry business in Poland to an MBO, allowing it to
concentrate on its Biedronka business there.
Comparing prices between stores is a tried and tested means of
stealing a march on competitors in the food retail business. But
the basis for these comparisons must be shown to be correct and not
misleading, as the advertising watchdog...
The heated debate on the labelling of foodstuffs in Europe and the
thorny issue of health claims was fired up once again this week
when UK press reports suggested that new proposals from the
European Commission outline tough new measures.
Stollwerck, the German confectionery group, is to close two ageing
production facilities and transfer production of its Gubor brand to
the Van Houten plant near Hamburg, according to parent company
Barry Callebaut.
Super-broccoli with serious cancer fighting abilities could shortly
be hitting the supermarket shelves following an agreement between a
seed supplier and scientists in the UK.
In the US, the Food Safety Summit is to be held, 18-20 March, at
the Washington, D.C. Convention Center. The event is expected to
attract more than 1,000 food safety professionals and will be
addressing a number of key issues including...
Morrisons has reported strong growth in sales in the first four
weeks of 2003 - lending more support to its case for offering the
best opportunity for growth for Safeway.
DSM Food Specialties has opened its first sales and customer
service office in the Far East - marking the company's continued
investment in the region.
The virtues of tea multiply by the year with scientists across the
world unveiling new health benefits of this global beverage.
Researchers in the US report this week that extracts from white tea
may be able to protect the skin from...
Four European research institutes have joined forces to found a new
research association that aims to encourage, co-ordinate and
disseminate research in the field of organic food and health.
German wine and spirit group Racke will distribute the Lamberti
brand of Italian wine in Germany from 1 June, replacing its own
partner, Steiner, as the main German distributor for GIV wines.
The long term outlook for cocoa production in the world's biggest
producing country - the Ivory Coast - will be badly affected by the
current, and deepening, crisis in the country.
Supplementing the diet with the fatty acid conjugated linoleic acid
(CLA) may lead to better weight control and disease management in
diabetics, suggest results from a small US study.
Dr Pepper, the Cadbury subsidiary which claims to be the biggest
non-cola soft drink producer in the US, is the latest company to
see the potential of milk, launching a range of flavoured milk
drinks under the Raging Cow brand and...
The local impact on competition, rather than the national market
share of each retailer, is likely to be the best way of assessing
the rival bids for Safeway, claims new research. But it also means
that a carve up of the Safeway business...
US fast food group McDonald's, reporting huge losses for the last
quarter of 2002, is the latest multinational to jump onto the
organic bandwagon in the UK. The international fast food chain
announced earlier this month that...
Private labels are yet to make much of an inroad into the
confectionery segment, but new analysis from Euromonitor suggests
that the premium chocolate market could provide a rich vein of
growth for private label in the future.
News to delight dairy manufacturers and dismay opponents to
genetically modified foods arrived this week with publication of a
new study that reveals protein-rich milk from not only cloned but
also genetically modified cows could...
A rise in reported outbreaks of foodborne diseases such as
Salmonella and E. coli from eating fresh fruit and vegetables has
prompted scientists in the US to take a closer look at processing
techniques.
A ruling from Brussels that a new Catalan law imposing taxes on
hypermarkets to help support other retailers has proved to be a
short-lived victory for Spanish retail association Anged. The law
has now ben changed, but the tax still...
The tussle for control of Safeway in the UK has certainly grabbed
the headlines in recent weeks, and it could prove to be the first
of many such takeover battles this year, predicts market research
group M+M Planet Retail, especially...
US flavours and fragrance giant International Flavors &
Fragrances saw fourth quarter 2002 sales rise 5 per cent to $424.3
million (€391m) from $405.6 million for the same period in 2001,
despite weak economic conditions in Latin...
A suspected link between the feed additive canthaxanthin and
eyesight problems has led the European Commission to reduce
authorised levels of the additive that gives farmed salmon its pink
colouring.
The International Chamber of Commerce in Thailand will call on the
European Union to review its safety measures on Thai chicken
exports after it was notified about the EU's unofficial statement
regarding the lifting of restrictions...
Whittard of Chelsea, the leading tea and coffee retailer in the UK,
has posted an excellent set of first half results, further boosted
by very strong Christmas trading.
As each day passes it would seem that new initiatives are taking
place in the western world to tackle the increasing problem of
obesity and diabetes. This week George W. Bush, US president,
announced that the fiscal year 2004 budget...
As agriculture and environment ministers at a European and national
level discuss the potential impact of proposed changes to the
Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) - and in particular the efficacy
of initiatives to encourage sustainable...
In the US, Tuscarora, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swedish group
SCA and a division of SCA North America, has formed a new division
that will specialise in products and services for the temperature
assurance market.
Nutraceutical Clinical Laboratories International has said that
tests conducted at its research and development facility have
demonstrated that one of its preservatives, NuPreserv, has been
proven to significantly extend the shelf...
The stability of failure in single dough bubble walls is related
directly to the extensional strain hardening properties of the
dough and that strain hardening plays an important role in the
stabilisation of bubble walls during baking.,...
The dictum 'breakfast like a king, lunch as a prince, and dinner as
a pauper' has been turned on its head as the findings of a new
report from the UK reveal that nearly a third of British school
children do not eat breakfast...
Proposed changes to the oft-maligned Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP) have been broadly welcomed by the EU food industry, in
particular moves which will improve the competitiveness of the
European agriculture sector. But not everyone...
Somerfield, like its compatriot Iceland, has suffered in recent
years because of a poor image and shabby stores. Both chains have
invested in new formats, and for Somerfield at least, this
investment appears to be paying off.
