Food makers can expect tighter voluntary rules on additives in
vegetarian and vegan foods as the UK's food agency gets to grips
with fresh new definitions, reports Lindsey Partos.
The European Commission gives the all clear for private equity firm
PAI to buy the food ingredients arm of Danish firm Chr Hansen,
writes Lindsey Partos.
The world's number one caramel colour supplier DD Williamson drives
further into the profitable natural colours market, acquiring the
natural colours business of Artemis International.
US starch product supplier Penford Food Ingredients targets growing
demand for rice starch, for the first time adding a variety of rice
starches to its current portfolio of potato, tapioca, and corn
starch products,reports Lindsey...
Alginate specialist International Specialty Products (ISP) expands
and consolidates its food stabiliser portfolio, acquiring the
technology and customers of UK business Creative Food Systems
(CFS), reports Lindsey Partos.
Cargill's pioneering Life Stage approach to developing and
marketing ingredients shows how the industry can better tune into
consumer demand, writes Anthony Fletcher from New Orleans.
As Chinese producers move in on western markets, the first response
by many established players is to protect and defend their previous
market positions. It's a doomed strategy.
Reports from a fresh Italian study alleging aspartame could pose a
cancer risk are not in harmony with the extensive research that
exist on aspartame, say suppliers of this popular sweetener.
Private equity moves deeper into food ingredients industry, with
European equity provider ABN AMRO Capital buying up ingredients
distributor IMCD from AlpInvest Partners, reports Lindsey
Partos.
Acquisitive US ingredients firm Cargill leapfrogs into a leading
pectin position as the Citrico acquisition clears allowing pectin
products to fall into Cargill's portfolio, reports Lindsey
Partos.
Campina will merge its European dairy businesses to insulate
against retailer pressure and take advantage of growing consumer
demand for branded, added value dairy products, reports Chris
Mercer.
Grasping the booming opportunities in the Chinese food and beverage
market, Japanese food conglomerate Kagome has linked up with
Chinese firm to bring vegetable and fruit juices to the market.
Food makers designing ready meals would be wise to consider the
over fifties, after fresh research reveals they are driving a hefty
slice of the market,reports Lindsey Partos.
BakeMark UK, subsidiary of Dutch ingredients firm CSM, is hoping to
cash in on the rapidly growing UK market for Indian foods,
announcing yesterday the launch of a new Indian snack product.
Food makers turn to wood-sourced vanillin as high oil prices
continue to put pressure on the price of petrochemical-based
vanilla alternatives, and natural vanilla stocks remain
vulnerable,writes Lindsey Partos.
Food makers opt for the latest darling of the sweetener industry,
sucralose, for their new products with fresh data showing this
sweetener gained ground over aspartame and Acesulfame K in new
launches using sweeteners, for the...
Dutch food and pharma group DSM completes the last step in shedding
its bakery portfolio, selling its stake in the South African yeast
products manufacturer Rymco,writes Lindsey Partos.
A demonstration of the growing popularity of, and ongoing
opportunities for organic ingredients, successful Swedish retailer
IKEA said it will replace standard foods with organic varieties.
New opportunities for natural colour suppliers arise as the UK's
Co-op chain bans a raft of food colours, along with the flavour
enhancer, MSG from all its own-brand food products,reports
Lindsey Partos.
A strong sales increase for Ukrainian brewer Sarmat reveals how the
country's beer market is growing strongly in Russia's shadow and
adds new evidence to the popularity of 'local' brands, writes
Angelina Drujinina.
Russian firm Sanserite will import new, Spanish wines aimed solely
at Russia as demand for foreign wine increases thanks to rising
consumption, higher disposable incomes and a declining domestic
wine industry, reports Angela Drujinina.
Following Wal-Mart's announcement it plans to expand operations
into the rest of Europe, furniture retailer Ikea said it will move
into the grocery market with its own-label products next year.
While the UK slowly recovers from its largest ever food recall,
reports from Australia reveal chocolate maker Masterfoods has
pulled a massive three million chocolate bars from the shelves
after extortionist threats.
Barry Callebaut, the world's largest supplier of bulk chocolate,
plans to cut costs in Europe as the Swiss firm posts a fall in
revenue for nine month figures.
Signing yet another deal to feed its seemingly insatiable appetite
for acquisitions, US ingredients firm Cargill makes a drive into
the whey derivatives market, reports Lindsey Partos.
The area sown to wheat and barley over the last season in the UK
has decreased, said the HGCA last week, yet there is no apparent
cause for concern as good yields may still produce a strong crop,
reports Lorraine Heller.
The lack of food science recruits in the UK is unsustainable if the
country wants to remain a centre for innovation and avoid becoming
the food industry's global admin office, says the head of Britain's
most prestigious...
Weight and health concerns continue to propel the market for
low-calorie sweeteners, with a host of recent global product
launches showing the popularity of sugar replacer aspartame in new
sugar and sweetener formulations, reports...
Tel Aviv-based additive supplier Israel Chemicals expands its
activities through the acquisition of Brazilian food additive
manufacturer Adicon Industria E Comercio De Aditivos.
Danish ingredients group Chr Hansen, shortly to be sold to private
equity firm PAI, posts a small rise in revenue and a decent boost
in pre-tax profit for the nine months to May, reports Lindsey
Partos.
Ochakovo, one of Russia's biggest domestic breweries, has launched
an aggressive marketing campaign to help sell its Ochakovo Premium
beer and Ochakovsky kvass abroad, Angela Drujinina reports.
Moscow's leading retailer, Sedimoy Continent, has launched a new
discount, food hypermarket format that promises new opportunities
in private label as Russia's retailers look to increase their
control of the country's...
Russia's seafood market is one of the country's fastest growing
food sectors as more consumers with rising disposable incomes stop
thinking of it as an expensive luxury but as a normal part of their
weekly shop, reports...
Ireland's leading butterfat supplier Glanbia has signed a joint
venture agreement with Belgian group Corman, to make and market
dairy spreads and butterfat products.
Fats and oils firm Loders Croklaan will divest its US ingredients
encapsulation business to New York's Balchem Encapsulates in a bid
to concentrate on core business, reports Lindsey Partos.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has welcomed the
introduction of legislation that would establish a voluntary
country-of-origin labeling (COOL) program in place of a mandated
program.
Milk prices paid to UK producers are notoriously low, yet tough
streamlining has positioned the dairy industry well to cope with
new EU CAP reforms and subsidy cuts that seem increasingly likely,
writes Chris Mercer.
Following up on the company's policy on further international
expansion, Wal-Mart's chief executive Lee Scott, indicated the
world's largest retailer was now ready to go after the market's
currenttop dogs.
Ambitious ingredients firm Cargill reaches into its deep pockets,
strengthening its portfolio to food makers in China through the
acquisition of an academia supported food ingredients firm based in
Peking, reports Lindsey Partos.
Job losses at leading lactic acid supplier Purac are on the cards
as the firm's owner, bakery ingredients supplier CSM, continues its
restructuring programme to strengthen core activities.
ScoringSystem has launched an Internet-based record keeping system
and database to allow companies to track their food products
throughout the supply chain using radio frequency identification
(RFID) and a new way of determining the...
A lawsuit targeting Kraft, General Mills and Dannon for dishonest
advertising over weight-loss claims has been attacked as a front
for animal rights extremists, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Despite soaring sales figures for health-positioned products, new
research suggests the health message has yet to reach children,
reports Lindsey Partos.
Ingredients players and food makers could expect some relief in soy
ingredients prices as soybean futures on the Chicago Board of Trade
fell yesterday, reports Lindsey Partos.
Reflecting ongoing product development for low-fat lines targeting
the health conscious consumer Yoplait Dairy Crest launches a new
line of dessert recipe yoghurts that hinges on a range of fruit
flavours.
