Martell, the latest priority brand to join the Pernod Ricard
stable, will see a quarter of its workforce axed in the coming
months, a move Pernod says is necessary to keep the company
competitive.
Swiss company Givaudan, the number two global flavours company
behind International Flavors and Fragrances, could be on track to
achieving its objective of becoming 'the undisputed leader in
terms of growth, profitability and...
When scientists from Sweden reported earlier this year that several
ordinary foodstuffs could contain high levels of acrylamide - a
potentially cancer-causing chemical - governments, food
associations and food manufacturers drew a...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) reports this week that the
Committee on Toxicity (COT) is consulting on a draft report that
looks at the implications for human health of phytoestrogens in our
diet. The group recommends more research...
The UK's number two food retailer Sainsbury has seen the same
slowdown in sales as its main rival Tesco, but nonetheless posted
satisfactory growth for the second quarter of the year.
Expanding sales to the many countries which border with Russia, as
well as those further afield, is the order of the day at the
country's leading brewery, Baltika.
Exchange rate declines, in particualr from Brazil and Argentina,
led to a 1.5 drop in third quarter sales at Carrefour, but sales at
constant currency rates were up 5.6 per cent, a figure the French
group preferred to highlight.
US trade body the Council for Responsible Nutrition said this week
that its Omega-3 Working Group has ratified a voluntary monograph
intended to raise the bar for the quality of long chain Omega-3 EPA
and DHA products marketed in...
A Spanish company offering to sell alcohol to consumers in Finland
could prove a rival to the state monopoly. But the fact that
delivery of the drinks could take up to two weeks - to say nothing
of moves to close the legal loophole...
Newly formed agency 'down under', the Food Standards Australia New
Zealand (FSANZ), this week invited interested parties and
organisations to comment on a number of proposed changes to the
Food Standards Code, including...
The next few years are expected to see strong growth in the
European water cooler market as major players strengthen their
positions. While Nestle has been active in Europe for some time,
Danone - market leader in Asia and America...
The controversial topic of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in
Europe formed the centrepiece for a reception this week in Brussels
hosted by the Confederation of food and drink industries in the EU.
Overiding sentiment? Although...
Producers in the US passing off their fortified wines as sherry or
other Spanish products are affecting sales of the authentic
products there, prompting two denominations in Andalusia to
petition the EU authorities.
The CIAA, which represents the interests of the European food and
drink industry, has welcomed most of the proposed changes to the
cumbersome Common Agricultural Policy, but remains concerned over
potential supply shortages in certain...
Expanding ingredients company Danisco strengthened its position in
Asia this month when the company announced that it has set up its
flavour headquarters for the Asian region in Singapore.
Food safety fears over beef are now settled in the psyche of
consumers across the world - stretching from Japan, over Europe and
into the US. But what about seafood? How many of us have been ill
from a less than healthy oyster or...
Following the release of results which show the positive benefits
of DHA supplements on children's concentration levels, experts are
meeting in London today to discuss the issue further.
Europeans are not the only consumers wary about genetically
modified foods and the notion of GM wheat. A Reuters report
on Thursday elaborates on how Asian buyers of US wheat remain
largely opposed to the planned introduction of genetically...
Allegations of anti-competitive practices in the Scottish milk
market by Robert Wiseman Dairies have been dismissed by the Office
of Fair Trading because of a lack of evidence. The decision has
angered other dairy groups, and an appeal...
US food and household goods company Sara Lee on Tuesday raised its
first-quarter earnings outlook, citing lower costs, improved sales
of higher-margin items and more favourable currency rates.
French starch and derivatives producer, now under the aegis of
agribusiness giant Cargill, has launched a new sweetener that
'could help manufacturers of sugar-free sweets to revolutionise
packaging solutions, ' claims the...
The sharp rise in sales in advance of the Millennium, and the
subsequent drop in turnover in 2001, have made life hard for
Champagne producers over the last few years, but things appear to
be getting back to normal in 2002, says the...
Germany's Eckes group has announced plans to sell its alcoholic
beverage business in order to focus on its fruit juice operations,
citing increasing competition and declining margins as its main
reasons for the sale.
Ahold has clarified the terms under which it would be obliged to
buy out its joint venture partners in Scandinavia and Central
America following a similar move in Argentina which took its toll
on the group's latest results.
US FDA moves to update its health advisory on risks associated with
eating all raw sprouts due to the recent outbreak of E. coli
O157:H7 associated with alfalfa sprouts.
Sales at Iceland continued to decline in the 13 weeks to the end of
September, but the Big Food Group's overall results were buoyed by
a solid performance from its Booker wholesale unit. M&S,
meanwhile, saw good food sales...
US food companies can seek federal approval to avoid using the word
"irradiation" on labels of foods treated with the disease-killing
process, and instead use language such as "cold pasteurisation,"
the US Food...
The InterMopro dairy show in Duesseldorf this week was the ideal
platform for Dutch dairy group to showcase a number of new products
destined for the German market. The company is also planning to
quicken the pace of the introduction...
Early results from a new study show that adults who eat raisins
prior to and during intense workouts may modulate their levels of
oxidative DNA stress.
William Grant & Sons, distiller of the Glenfiddich brand of
Scotch whisky, has added the Gibson's Finest Canadian rye whisky to
its portfolio, buying the brand for an disclosed sum from Diageo.
In February this year Swiss healthcare group Novartis announced its
intention to divest itself of the Health and Functional Food
(H&FF) arm of its Consumer Health sector business in order to
focus on the core pharmaceutical business....
Auchan and its Italian partner, the Agnelli group, have launched a
offer for all the outstanding shares in the La Rinascente group, a
€735m bid which result in the Italian company being delisted.
A six-week on-pack promotion linking Iced Gems with the animated
film The Ice Age is designed to help Jacob's Bakery establish the
brand as a popular lunchbox favourite.
New research from the US claims that new, high-yielding selections
of Theobroma cacao, may offer new hope to the world's cacao
growers - and to chocolate manufacturers and chocolate lovers
across the world.
Australian company Bonlac Foods is to enter into a joint venture
with Japanese firm Imanaka to manufacture chocolate and sugar
blended products at Dandenong, reports IndustrySearch.com.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said this week that it is
to establish a standard of identity for white chocolate.
The standard will provide for the use of the term `white
chocolate' as the common or usual name of...
The fluctuations of the sparkling wine market, which have affected
cava as much as Champagne in recent years, have prompted Spain's
Codorniu group to expand into other wine regions - most recently
the Ribera del Duero.
Swiss fine chemicals company Lonza said today that Martin Ebner's
BZ Group Holding plans to sell its 19.8 per cent stake in the
business in the coming weeks in a bid to raise cash for the
investor group.
Eastman Chemical, Aventis and eight other companies conspired for
17 years to fix the price of sorbates, a widely used food
preservative, New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said in a
lawsuit.
More action is needed from both government and industry alike if
the steady decline in French wine exports is to be halted, a junior
minister has warned. New World producers could soon take over as
the major exporters to Europe if...
Confirmation that the European scientific world is alive and
kicking arrived this week when the Commission announced that it had
received over 12,000 'expressions of interest' (EoIs) in response
to a call for ideas on promising...
Cooking with iron pots could play a significant role in preventing
iron deficiency, a major nutritional problem in the developing
world, according to a recent study by scientists in the United
States. Researchers from Cornell University...
The acqusition of Enaco earlier this year has allowed Spain's
Caprabo group to quicken the pace of expansion. October alone will
see the company open 17 new stores, strengthening its position in
the eastern region of Levante.
The UK's fears about GM foods, and the insistence of the government
that GM trials should continue - highlighted by the publication of
the Consumers' Association report which we also report on today -
are shared by the Swiss...
The persistent old wives' tales about eggs - that they are
unhealthy, that they cause consumption or that they are
contaminated with salmonella - mean that British consumers are
missing out on the potential health benefits of...
Dutch starch producer Avebe has unveiled a new line of functional
starches designed to improve the texture and processing of savoury
snacks. The Snacktex range is for use in extruded snacks, sheeted
and fried or baked snacks and coated...
Analysing the DNA of 11 strains of probiotic bacteria can help food
scientists improve the safety of a number of food products such as
cheese, yoghurt or wine. It could also help them fight food
spoilage, and improve production methods.
In the UK, Alaska Food Diagnostics, a joint venture between Circus
Capital and DSTL, is using Ministry of Defence technology to
develop a rapid test for harmful bacteria in food.
