The British are the biggest consumers of instant coffee in Europe,
driven by the desire for speed and convenience. But new research
from Mintel shows that many of the new instant coffee products
launched over the last year were not...
British Retail Consortium dismisses protests made by the campaign
group Greenpeace over "GM milk". The campaign group has
staged a number of protests over the use of GM feed for dairy cows,
but the retail consortium said...
US biotech crop pioneer Monsanto is to suspend the introduction of
the world's first biotech wheat, amid public outcry at the possible
risks of genetically modified crops and at Monsanto's aggressive
marketing tactics, writes...
Top ingredients supplier Danisco will phase out its activities in
oil and protein crops in order to focus on sugar beet seed, said
the Danish firm this week, in a move reflecting changes to the
European sugar regime in 2006 that will...
With shortfalls in grain harvests progressively worsening over the
past four years, closing the gap will not be easy, says Lester
Brown at the Earth Policy Institute. He predicts this year may
witness another shortfall, bad news for...
Narzan, one of Russia's best-known mineral water companies, has
received a loan for $12.25 million from the European Bank for
Reconstruction and Development as part of a combined equity
investment scheme.
Leading Ukrainian poultry processor CJSC Myronivsky Khliboproduct
has confirmed the lauch of a new oilseed processing plant, in a
move which the company says will help it to save costs at its
poultry processing division.
British retailers are widely regarded as some of the best in the
world, leading the way in areas such as own labels, loyalty cards
and retail services. But many of them are, it seems, failing to
perform to the best of their ability...
Poor first quarter figures from two of Europe's leading food retail
groups were attributed to both companies' exposure to the US
market, where the weak dollar has significantly impacted
euro-denominated sales. But neither...
Luc Vandevelde, the man credited with bringing British retailer
Marks & Spencer out of the doldrums, has parted company with
the group four years after taking over as chairman. But as he
leaves, there are signs that all his good...
Nestlé has launched a new ice cream production line at its Namyslów
facility in south-east Poland. The extension aims to meet an
extensive broadening of its ice cream product portfolio in an
effort to keep up with increasing demand...
The recent escalation of raw material, manufacturing, energy and
packaging costs will result in an increase in price for soy protein
ingredients, says the Solae company, as soybean prices hit 15 year
highs and the firm passes rises...
Last year Denmark became the first country in the world to ban
trans fats from food products over fears these hydrogenated fats
could contribute to heart disease. While the EU has yet to reach a
position on the labelling of these...
The dynamic performance of the Romanian chocolate sector continues
to gather pace with the announcement from Supreme Chocolat that it
has increased its sales in the first quarter by an impressive 120
per cent.
The European Union is ready to cut generous, and much criticised,
subsidies on farm exports to jump start troubled world trade talks,
said EU trade chief Pascal Lamy on Monday.
Acquisitive ingredients firm Kerry will spend €170 million on four
bolt-on flavour acquisitions announced yesterday as the €3.7
billion Irish company continues to consolidate its position in the
highly competitive flavours market....
On the back of rising sales for frozen fruits UK ingredients firm
J.O.Sims has linked up with German supplier Dinter Trading, which
will provide the UK firm with a range of fruit berries from eastern
Europe. Fruit ingredients firms...
The all-important market for caramels in Russia continues to be
encroached upon by cheaper imports from Ukraine helped by good
sugar supplies, according to findings from a recent market report.
Lithuanian grain producer Malsena says that its move towards
multi-functional food manufacturing has meant challenges finding
skilled staff to operate its new pasta line. In its quest the
company says that it will have to turn towards...
SABMiller, one of the world's largest brewery groups, has increased
its presence in the Romanian market after announcing the
acquisition of a controlling stake in leading local brewer Aurora.
Specific functional and nutritional benefits have boosted sales in
recent years for the fast growing, EU-subsidised milk protein
concentrate market. With export markets continuing to grow French
ingredients group Ingredia has linked...
An industry drive to push the nutritional benefits of flour could
lead to increased sales for the £3 billion UK bread market.
Farmer's in the UK last week met with the National Association of
British and Irish Millers (NABIM)...
Spain's soft drinks market is expected to grow by around 7 per cent
this year, a slight slowdown compared to 2003's heatwave-boosted
performance but nonetheless healthy growth driven by premium and
functional products.
Opportunities for food manufacturers and ingredients firms are set
to burgeon in the UK functional food marketplace with new Mintel
research forecasting that the £835 million market will double in
the next five years to £1.7 billion....
In the thriving world of snacks the key to success for food
developers will be in designing time-positioned, healthy and guilt
free indulgences as the consumer becomes more fussy, says a new
report from Datamonitor that shows UK snackaholics,...
Somerfield, the UK supermarket group, said that its ongoing store
refit programme had a major effect on sales in 2003, in particular
the makeover given to the Kwik Save discount store chain. But this
was not enough to save the Kwik...
Food makers and ingredients firm across the world are currently
affected by the rising world price for basic food commodities. In
each of the last four years world grain production has fallen short
of consumption, forcing a drawdown...
US-based Dow Agro Science has confirmed that its grain corn
containing an insect resistant trait has received regulatory
approval for import into China, reports Simon Pitman.
Tapping into the €83 million market for cellulose gum use in food
applications, UK-based ingredient firm Fiske has signed a new
agreement with CMC leader Noviant to distribute the firm's range of
cellulose gums.
The use of hydrocolloids, in particular carrageenans, to provide
texture and viscosity to meat products has grown over decades in
parallel to the needs of food makers. While supply shortages are
currently impacting the price of a...
Migros, the Swiss food retailer, has launched a range of
gluten-free products aimed specifically at coeliacs, the first time
the co-operative group has catered for sufferers of the digestive
disease.
Two Spanish retail groups unveiled their 2003 results last week,
and both showed the benefits of a year of continued expansion in
the supermarket sector. But will either Eroski or Caprabo be
interested in further growth this year,...
Leading foreign supermarket chains in eastern Europe claim they are
expecting to significantly increase their food exports to foreign
subsidiaries throughout Europe, giving a major boost to food
producers there, writes Simon Pitman.
Two European food retail groups issued their first quarter results
last month, figures which reflected the ongoing tough conditions in
many countries across Europe and the rest of the world.
UK chemicals giant ICI closes on a €305 million deal with Irish
food and ingredients firm Kerry to shed the struggling ingredients
arm of its flavours subsidiary Quest International. In the same
week, the ICI group - that includes...
Milk processors in Poland are anticipating increased production on
the back of rising demand both from the domestic and export
markets. Leading Polish milk processor, SM Mlekpol says that on the
back of this it is expecting to increase...
Signs that rising global commodity prices are starting to move
along the food chain to food makers and retailers were clear this
week when the frozen vegetable giant Birds Eye Foods announced a
rise in product prices across the board.
CAOBISCO, the
industry body that represents European manufacturers of sugar-based
foods, stands up for the accession countries as the new member
states face a hike in sugar prices to conform with the EU sugar
regime, reports...
Pressure on food manufacturers to remove artery-clogging trans fats
linked to heart disease from foods continues in the US and Europe.
In response to increasing demand and imminent labelling rules in
the US, food ingredients players...
Wal-Mart and eight product manufacturers have begun testing
electronic product codes, or EPCs, at select Supercentres in the
US. If successful, the concept will change forever the manner in
which manufacturers and retailers operate...
On 1 May an historic moment marked the entry of ten countries and
75 million consumers into the European Union. Churchill's 'Iron
Curtain' has been consigned to the history books, heralding
democracy, stability and...
A day before the enlargement of the EU, which will see eight
central and eastern European countries join the Union, one of
Europe's biggest retail groups, Metro, has reported first quarter
growth driven by an excellent performance...
A new strategy designed to give Britain's retail sector early
warning of new regulations which could affect the way stores do
business has been welcomed by the industry, which hailed it as a
first step towards improving the lot...
Marcin Morawiecki is the vice-president of Racke International, a
company that imports wine and spirits into Poland. He has cancelled
the company's planned accession celebrations tonight on account of
the bureaucratic nightmare...
Earlier this month CAOBISCO, the body which represents European
manufacturers of sugar-based foods, came racing to side of the
businesses it represents in the accession countries. Once installed
in an enlarged Europe, the new Member...
As 15 EU member states become 25, Europeans everywhere are reaching
for atlases that look suddenly archaic as they predate the
statehood of more than half the accession countries. The European
map has changed faster than the European...
Quality is key to the future success of the UK on-trade if it is to
emerge from the shadow of a buoyant take-home market and generate
new momentum for beer sales, according to a new assessment of the
sector by the UK arm of brewing...
Eight former Communist countries from central and eastern Europe
will tomorrow join the European Union, the culmination of 15 years
of rapid economic and social development since the end of Soviet
rule. But with most of the leading...
Ongoing growth in cultures sales to the dairy industry and health
markets helped the Danish ingredients firm Chr Hansen post a modest
rise in revenue for the food ingredients division in the first six
months. Organic growth for the...
Improved flavour sales in Europe gaining from modest gains in
currency conversions boosted first quarter results for the US
flavour giant International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).
Strategies in 2003 to get the company back into...
