Prodravka, one of the leading food processors in the Central
European region, has confirmed that it has conducted a market
analysis which will lead to the closure of plants in accession
countries.
The Romanian chocolate sector looks set to become increasingly
competitive as the third largest player, Kandia, prepares to
finalise a merger with Excelent - a move that will create the
leading producer on the market.
Russia's food processing sector is still burgeoning, with a
recently published report from the USDA's agricultural service
indicating that in 2002 it grew an estimated 14 per cent to reach a
total value of $25.9 billion....
The majority of chilled food products sold in the French
supermarket sector are kept at the optimal temperature, but there
is still plenty of room for improvement compared to the rest of the
chill chain.
Baltic Beverages Holding has revealed its full year 2003 and fourth
quarter results, showing the company has continued to maintain its
growth in the maturing beer market.
Confirmation of growing opportunities for health and nutrition
businesses that target the slimming and weight loss market comes
from a new study that reveals the American consumer 'is open to
help in dealing with obesity'.
The food industry had its knuckles wrapped again this week, this
time by the UK's food watchdog that accused it of misleading the
consumer when using the terms 'fresh?and 'natural?on food labels.
It was in January 2003 that Yorkshire-based food retailer Wm
Morrison surprised the British supermarket sector with the
announcement of a £2.9 billion takeover bid for larger rival
Safeway. Now, more than a year later, the finishing...
At a time when most of its major international rivals are busy
expanding their businesses in both new and existing markets, Dutch
food retail group Ahold is continuing to sell off a number of
business units in an attempt to revitalise...
Plant closures and 'competitive pressures?saw profits slide for US
sugar giant Imperial Sugar despite a rise in operating income for
the first quarter. Global sugar surplus keeps the prices down and
competition up.
Parmalat representatives from across Europe will meet today to
discuss the measures that the new management will take to help its
distressed units. Trade union leaders in Hungary claim that the
Eastern European country's unit...
War and disease have marked volatile prices for cocoa in the past
three years, peaking at 17 year highs in 2002 when the Ivory Coast
?source of two fifths of the world cocoa crop ?endured civil war.
Research into genomes could contribute...
As avian influenza continues to sweep across Asian poultry flocks
the global soybean market seeks to assess the fallout, estimating
up to 3 million tonnes of soybean in lost business. Currently
driving the international market for...
In a move to protect home markets Chinese corn processor Global
Bio-chem will link up with Japan's Mitsui & Co to develop,
manufacture and sell the bulk reduced calorie sweetener sorbitol in
China under a new joint venture...
German sugar giant Suedzucker willl break ground on a new plant to
produce bioethanol fuel from wheat at Zeitz in East Germany.
Earmarked for completion by 2005, the plant will operate in
conjunction with the local sugar factory.
Tesco, the UK's leading food retail group, is one of a number of
leading companies in the food industry criticised this week for
"driving down employment conditions for millions of women
workers around the world" by...
Gostomel Glass Factory, Ukraine's largest glass-bottle producer, is
borrowing €13.3 million from the EBRD to build a new facility that
will enable it to produce 600,000 beer bottles a day.
Consumers in the UK can eat their porridge safe in the knowledge
that their oat products are free from harmful toxins - mycotoxins -
after an extensive survey in the UK found very low traces, if none
at all, of the contaminant in...
East European consumers are enjoying an ever wider choice of soft
drinks as markets open up and purchasing power increases. And
growth in the market shows no sign of slowing, as popular local
brands continue to hold their own against...
German retailer and wholesaler Metro is one of the chief supporters
of new retail technology, running a so-called Future Store
Initiative to trial features such as RFID tagging and
self-scanning.
The global pretensions of British food retail market leader Tesco
were made quite clear last month when the company announced that it had raise more than £1.6 billion
through a share placement and cost savings which would be used to
UK manufacturer of aroma chemicals for food, Oxford Chemicals, made
moves this week to extend the company's reach in the US signing on
a US company for distribution.
The debate on the labelling of additives on food products shifts up
a gear in the UK with the Consumers' Association criticising the
government and the country's food watchdog for failing to make
nutrition a priority.
Flavours and fragrance company Quest continues the battle to
restore lost business as UK parent company Imperial Chemical
Industries (ICI) reports a continuing drop in earnings for the
flavours house.
Spanish supermarket chain Caprabo is to launch a second own label
this year under the Alcosto name, reflecting its recent acquisition of the supermarket chain of
the same name.
A diet with a high glycaemic load could increase the risk of
colorectal cancer, find US scientists following recent research on
nearly 40,000 middle-aged women. Findings are set to further fire
the ongoing debate on the value of carbohydrates...
Increasing concerns about the healthiness of soft drinks may have
done little to dent sales of colas and other sugar-laden fizzy
drinks (not least because of the proliferation 'low and light'
variants of these drinks) but...
The packaging sector is becoming increasingly important in the
accession countries, according to a new report from MINEFI -
DREE elargissement. And leading the way is the agrofood and
mass retailing industry - the mainstay of the...
Although growth has been rapid for Nestlé in the Russian
confectionery sector, there are a number of challenges to be
tackled in order to ensure future expansion - low per capita
consumption and ingredients supplies being the primary...
The majority of UK shoppers regularly 'top up' their weekly shop
with additional grocery essentials such as bread and milk, a
practice which continues to support the development of the
convenience store sector in the British...
Edeka, the German food retail group, has reported an increase in
turnover for 2003, a good performance in a market still struggling
to lift itself out of recession. The improvement came as a result
of the company's major cost...
Danisco is on the acquisition trail with rumours suggesting the
Danish ingredients giant is preparing to buy the food additive arm
of ailing French chemicals business Rhodia.
Higher margin ingredients continue to offer financial gains for
textured wheat protein supplier MGP Ingredients. Driving deeper
into the market in 2004 the company will pour millions of dollars
into doubling production of this speciality...
Reports in today's press suggest that Europe's biggest retail group
Carrefour is about to sell off its online shopping arm Ooshop - a
move prompted by the continued losses at the business.
In an unexpected move, Spanish supermarket operator Consum has
decided to leave the Eroski retail group and pursue its own store
development programme.
Mad cow disease, bird flu and a poor US soybean harvest failed to
rock quarterly profits for the world's largest oilseed processor
Bunge. But the company held back from rising future earnings
outlook because of market volatility.
Fazer Maiznica Druva, the second largest bread maker in Latvia, has
refitted one of its production facilities in the city of Ogre, some
40 kilometres outside the capital Riga.
The financial troubles of Italian food group Parmalat stretch well
beyond the home front. In both Romania and Hungary the company's
divisions are facing acute problems that threaten its future in the
region. But business will...
Raisio has opened up its first production facility in Russia.
Located just outside Moscow, The Finland-based company says it is
hoping that the move will help it to expand its margarine portfolio
in Russia and neighbouring states.
In recent years the Russian dairy sector has undergone tremendous
upheaval, with the consolidation of old dairy plants changing the
face of the industry. We spoke to the Russian National Dairy
Institute to find out what impact these...
Swedish food retail and wholesale group Axfood is to supply a
further 105 convenience stores under the terms of a new agreement
worth SK100 million. Meanwhile, Finnish counterpart Kesko has
shrugged off a relatively poor performance...
Nisa-Today's, the independent UK convenience store
group, has proposed a merger with larger counterpart Londis, the much
coveted symbol group. But Londis' reaction has been reserved, to
say the least.
Rating agency slapped a negative outlook on Australian food company
Burns Philp & Co as the ingredients company, that integrated
food giant Goodman Fielder last year, unveiled a 9 per cent drop in
2003-04 first half profits.
Meat processor Tyson will cut trans fats from a range of meat
products, the meat titan said this week joining other US food
makers pressed to remove this artery-clogging ingredient from their
product ranges. Across the pond, investment...
US ingredients companies continue to make moves into the European
marketplace with FiberGel Technologies, a supplier of the fat
replacer Z-Trim, announcing it has linked up with Swiss company
DKSH to target European consumers with...
Demonstrating the clear divisions that exist between member states
and the European Commission over genetically modified foodstuffs,
in the same week that Belgian ministers threw out an application
for an oilseed rape, the EU's...
Long awaited rules on the use of the sweetener sucralose entered
into European law last week, ushering in new market opportunities
for suppliers of this zero calorie product.
