Danisco has reported a slowdown in food ingredient volume sales in Q3 as the economic downturn kicks in; sweeteners and enablers are worst hit, but growth rates in cultures ‘satisfactory’.
The growth in ready meals, plus desire for clean-label, restaurant-style products has led the UK’s Ulrick & Short to launch a new functional starch from wheat.
Sugar could be shedding its bad boy image to take a surprise spot on the public’s list of trusted ingredients, as manufacturers look to appeal to more savvy consumers.
Danisco says it continues to focus ingredient products designed to replicate consumer needs for convenient, ‘home-made’ style products through recent testing of a new range of dairy desserts.
The IFE09 trade fair is playing host to the ingredients industry for the first time, in recognition of the growing role of ingredients firms in the development of finished products.
Chr Hansen is launching a new natural violet colour derived from purple carrot, which is said to bring cost and stability benefits for a broad range of beverages, fruit preparations and confectionery.
Chr. Hansen has launched a new range of cultures to capture the market for a popular Eastern European cheese, encouraging producers to switch to the Direct Vat Set (DVS) system rather than the traditional bulk starter method.
Synergy is launching new range of dairy ingredients for savoury foods intended to help control formulation cost issues and improve the sensory appeal of better-for-you products.
As Arla Foods drives ahead with plans to bolster its operations in whey and finished dairy products, the group says its latest acquisition highlights wider interest in the markets of Western and central Europe.
Consumer watchdog Which? has renewed its calls for food manufacturers and retailers to do more to address sugar, salt and fat content and take a consistent, industry-wide approach to labelling to help people make healthily choices.
Cutting costs is the top priority in 2009 for food and beverage companies, according to a report from Deloitte which outlines strategies companies can adopt to stay ahead in challenging economic times.
In recent years the share of private label goods sold by retailers has been on the rise, reaching almost 50 per cent in traditional retailers. The FoodNavigator editorial team discusses what's driving the trend, and what it means for big brand manufacturers.
UK organic farmers will not have the option to switch to conventional animal feed during the recession, the Soil Association has decided, as a consultation raised concern for consumer confidence.
Clutched to the president’s chest like a medal of nationalisation, Cargill Venezuela cannot be sitting very comfortably this week as it awaits the fate of its rice plant.
DSM and Roquette have announced that they are to commercialize the production of bio-based succinic acid by the end of 2009 after trials have shown that producing the acid via biological means, rather than using petrochemicals, is commercially viable.
Grocery retailers and manufacturers have pledged to work together to cut UK household food waste by 155,000t or 2.5 per cent of total waste before the end of next year.
The rules that govern agreements between retailers and suppliers could be strengthened under a new proposal by the UK’s Competition Commission (CC) to protect manufacturers and others from restrictive practices.
Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has taken control of a rice plant owned by a subsidiary of Cargill, according to reports, on the grounds that it does not produce price-controlled basic rice.
The food industry’s new sustainability roundtable will seek to unify all the green assessment methods now in use and under development, says the CIAA’s environmental director, rather than developing yet another approach from scratch.
Spotting a market opportunity ten years ago, John Mudd set out to create an alternative to mass-produced crisps, building a business that today sees 2.5 million packs of Real hand-cooked crisps sold each week in the UK.
Reb A producer PureCircle has reported a net profit increase of 75 per cent for the first half of 2009 after securing major contracts with companies including PepsiCo, Whole Earth and Cargill ahead of regulatory clearance in key markets.
Cadbury’s commitment to source cocoa for its popular Dairy Milk chocolate bars is a strong signal that responsible sourcing is moving out of a niche and into the mainstream, and will introduce more consumers to the principal.
Edible coatings and films firm Mantrose UK rolls out an anti-scuffing innovation that it claims protects against surface damage while maintaining the original appearance of the chocolate.
Arla Foods has announced plans to form a definitive partnership with a start-up company called Green Meadows Foods in the hope of capturing a leading share of the North American protein market.
Danisco reducing its production of xylitol in China and mothballing its xylose facility, as its sweeteners division is implicated as one of the causes of lower earnings expectations.
The ingredients firm Diana Naturals is extending its range to embrace the trend for organic extracts with the launch of seven new fruit and vegetable products.
Vitiva is leveraging the trend in natural, fresh ready-meals in marketing its Vivox rosemary-derived preservative, claiming tests suggest it can prevent rancid flavours in meat-based ready meals.
Ingredient firms may lack flexibility in the face of fluctuating raw material prices, which can leave them lumbered with contracts at prices less favourable than spot market prices.
The priority of the new Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) Roundtable is to reduce the confusing array of different labels and statements appearing on food packages but fostering agreement on scientific assessment of environmental impact.
Chaucer Foods is seeking to extend the use of freeze dried ingredients into new snack and nutraceutical concepts, leveraging the technology’s ability to preserve flavour, colour and nutrient content in a range of foodstuffs.
Kerry has agreed to the acquisition of the savoury flavourings business Dera Holding NV in order to pursue its drive into markets in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
UK-based ingredients supplier Ulrick and Short has extended its range of starches and fat replacers for use in dairy desserts, custards and fruit compotes.
Flavour giant Givaudan is using new sensory validation techniques to measure how salt impacts on aspects of taste, and is using this as the basis for new ingredients.
About half of consumers never read the nutrition label before purchasing pre-packaged food, according to a new survey which adds weight to the Guidline Daily Amounts (GDA’s) debate.
The sugar and ingredients divisions of Associated British Foods (ABF) are expected to show good growth backed favourable foreign exchange rates when its interim results are announced in April.
Consumer concerns about a synthetic growth hormone used in milk production have prompted two leading food producers in the United States – General Mills and Dannon – to reformulate their dairy product lines. It is a decision that will have immediate implications...
Mariann Fischer Boel, member of the European Commission responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development, said the organic food sector needs the support of good legislation, which would help build consumer awareness and trust.
The increase in food prices around the globe will ease later rather than sooner, as benefits of falling commodity prices take time to trickle through the chain.
The CIAA has expressed its concerns over the alleged abusive practices by retailers in their dealings with food manufacturers, as high food prices in 2008 put firms under pressure.
The amount of land dedicated to organic produce is growing due to government backing and market forces, opening up opportunities particularly in developing countries, according to a new report.
Nestle expects to carry on seeing growth in earnings over 2009 despite the global recession, using its strong 2008 results as a springboard for growth.
A new beverage is claiming to be the first ice tea that can safeguard the health of teeth, thanks to the use of isomaltulose in place of sucrose and an aseptic process that prevents bacteria without the need for acids.
Cosun has agreed to buy part of Danisco Sugar business to satisfy antitrust conditions on the transaction, but Nordzucker and Danisco are today in discussions over the final price.
“A year of stark contrasts” as DSM board chairman, Feike Sijbesma called it, has seen DSM turn a near €1bn profit but left the Dutch ingredients giant unable to make a forecast for this year as the economic crisis sets in.
