Government plans to change stamp duty regulations in the UK could
have a devastating effect on the retail trade there, industry
associations have warned. Small stores in particular could be badly
hit, with a potential eight-fold increase...
The government's list of producer and retailer prices for a variety
of foodstuffs does not tell the real story, claims Spanish retail
association Asedas. Most stores do not use farm-gate prices as
their reference, the organsiation...
Can the trend for foods with added health benefits turn the tide of
consumer cynicism towards genetically modified foodstuffs? US
researchers hypothesise that shoppers might just pay a premium for
GMOs if they are told of the potential...
Spain's ministry of agriculture has begun publishing both producer
and retailer prices in a bid to bring more transparency to the food
industry - but farmers' associations are calling for even tougher
measures to curb retail...
The market for sugar-free confectionery can only gain pace, keeping
in step with an increased consumer demand for 'guilt-free' products
spurred on by burgeoning rates of obesity and diabetes across the
globe. Suppliers of...
ADM takes on the contract services of a fermentation improvement
technology company - particularly present in nutraceuticals - to
work on 'opportunities and efficiencies' in the food ingredients
arena.
Safeway, the UK food retail chain, has put 53 stores up for sale in
advance of the expected takeover of the chain by Wm Morrison. As
well as Tesco, Sainsbury and Asda, all of which lost out in their
bids to buy Safeway, offers have...
During a visit to the Teagasc National Food Centre last week EU
Commissioner for research, Philippe Busquin - holding the purse
strings to a €700m food quality research budget - witnessed new
technology on food product development...
Spanish supermarkets are to play a more active role in promoting
and protecting the country's food industry following a joint
agreement with the ministry of agriculture there. Food safety, food
quality and support for SMEs are...
Swedish oils and fats company sees profit slip as the weight of
tighter margins, increased competition and a strong Swedish kroner
bears down.The Karlshamns of 2003 has quite evidently been marked
by the loss of one of its largest...
New flavour wins in Latin America went some way to offsetting
weaker customer demand acutely felt in the US, but top line
performance for the third quarter was largely disappointing and the
outlook remains bearish.
Leading cocoa and soybean processor ADM is making a few changes in
Europe announcing two new appointments at its product support and
development (PSD) Centre in Koog aan de Zaan, the Netherlands.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic sweetener...
Carrefour is reported to have pulled out of the race to buy Ahold's
supermarket assets in Brazil, leaving Wal-Mart of the US and local
market leader CBD as the sole bidders. Carrefour will focus on
organic growth in the Brazilian...
Growth is ahead of schedule for wheat-based ingredients supplier
MGP Ingredients with the Kansas-based company moving expansion of
its textured wheat proteins to phase two as demand for their
speciality ingredients continues to gain...
Cereal scientists have honoured a longtime employee of food
processing giant General Mills with one of the highest awards from
the American Association of Cereal Chemists.
Unilever must allow other ice cream makers access to its freezer
cabinets in Ireland, while Wrigley cannot register its Doublemint
brand as a trademark with the EU because it is a descriptive name -
two rulings from the European courts...
Casino has reported good growth in like-for-like sales for the
first nine months of the year, driven mainly by its domestic
discount and convenience store operations. But international sales
continued to feel the force of exchange...
Stating the obvious perhaps, keeping food safe for consumers is
undeniably a key priority for the food industry and governments
alike. European funds are being injected into understanding the
bacteria that find a home in our food...
A settled policy environment is in store for Irish farmers
following reform to the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and
imminent decoupling, said Jim Flanagan director of Irelands'
Teagasc.
Belgian retailer Delhaize is considering the sale of its stake in
Singapore's Stop N Save chain after receiving an offer from an
unnamed bidder. Could this be Delhaize's solution to the problem of
reducing its massive debt...
Philip Green could still try and spoil the party for Morrisons in
its bid to acquire Safeway. The retail entrepreneur this week asked
for updated financial information about Safeway, perhaps an
indication that he will still make...
Meeting targets for the year, US ingredients company Corn Products
International brushes off a tougher economic climate to post a
solid set of third quarter results with earnings rising by 15 per
cent. A strong performance in South...
The European Commission has started legal proceedings against the
German government over its widely criticised deposit scheme for
one-way packaging after concessions from Berlin failed to go far
enough to remove barriers to trade...
Germany's third-largest chemicals company Degussa has taken a €500
million charge in its fine chemicals business unit as it continues
to feel the impact of adverse changes in market conditions.
Improving the texture of food products through a new emulsification
technology forms the focus of a recently launched EU-funded project
that will concentrate in particular on low-fat products
Which do we prefer - the light or full-on version? Food scientists
investigating sweeteners in soft drinks find the consumer palate
might be perverse, preferring regular cola over its lighter sister,
but non-plussed over orange drinks.
The Co-op group, the UK's biggest farm group and one of its largest
retailers, has responded to a recent customer survey on attitudes
to GM by pledging never to plant genetically modified crops or sell
GM products in its stores,...
As trading nations get to grips with globalisation in the 21st
century the issue of sustainability is increasingly compounded for
commodities on today's market. Nowhere is this more evident than
for coffee - arguably one of the...
Food industry players in France are concerned that legislators
there will go down the same draconian route as their counterparts
in Germany when they come to update the country's packaging waste
legislation early in the new year.
Labelling issues have come to the fore for US jam maker JM Smucker
with a Californian woman suing the company over 'Simply 100 Per
Cent Fruit' that might actually be less than 50 per cent fruit.
Threshers, the drinks retail specialist, has extended its
operations in the petrol station forecourt sector, part of its move
into a wider range of markets which also includes leisure centres
and students' unions.
Albert Heijn, the flagship supermarket business of troubled
retailer Ahold, is to slash the prices of a wide range of food
products by as much as 30 per cent in a belated attempt to win back
consumers. But will this be enough to tempt...
Slacker US sales across all sectors hit third quarter results for
US Sensient Technologies with the colour and flavours company this
week reporting a slide in operating income.
Results from an ongoing Irish initiative to boost product
innovation - new ingredients and finished food and drink products -
unveiled at an industry food event this month in Ireland imply that
investment could be paying off.
Metro has opened its first cash & carry outlet in India, in the
city of Bangalore, the 28th international market for the German
group. A second store will open next month, and the company clearly
sees significant potential in...
Cognis Nutrition and Health and Kemin Foods have finally reached an
agreement in court over the marketing and promotional issues for
lutein and lutein esters products.Specific terms of the agreement
are to remain confidential between...
The Spanish authorities look set to introduce dual labelling for a
number of non-processed food products in order to provide clear
information to consumers regarding the difference between the farm
gate and retail price - yet another...
Increasing numbers of young females drinkers, especially in markets
such as the UK, Germany and Spain, are having a major influence on
the on-trade across the continent, with pub designs and the
products drunk there both changing...
Already burdened with losses of €1bn under Dutch accounting rules,
retailer Ahold has today reported that the US accounting system has
effectively pushed it even further into the red - some €4.3bn to be
precise. And there is little...
Carrefour is to focus on its popular hypermarket format in
Thailand, even though new governement regulations there could make
it harder to expand in the future. The group hopes to open four
outlets there in 2004, taking its total...
The sixth International Cocoa Agreement in three decades came into
force at the beginning of October, heralding a break from the past
with the exclusion of market regulatory mechanisms - production
quotas, buffer stocks and other...
One year after new rules on organic standards hit the American food
industry one in ten Americans are eating more organic foods,
reports a US trend tracker - but price is still a barrier to new
converts.
Burgeoning private agribusiness Cargill saw net earnings slip in
the first quarter of 2004, but performance remained on track
topping last year's figures by a wisp.
Hot weather in France pushed down Q3 sales at Guyenne &
Gascogne, but the same phenomenon helped lift turnover at the
company's Spanish joint venture, Centros Comerciales Carrefour.
The Benelux operation of Fiske Food Ingredients, a distribution
business belonging to €4bn Dutch industrial chemicals group Univar,
has linked up with starch ingredients company Avebe to distribute
the co-operative's full range...
Building on the one-stop-supplier philosophy, the new kid on the
xanthan gum block Danisco has made inroads into the market this
week, linking up with one of the largest xanthan gum suppliers in
China, the Henan Tianguan group.
Ongoing rumours that the Irish food and ingredients company Kerry
Group had bought up a US fruit flavour operation were at last
confirmed with the ambitious food ingredients business broadcasting
that it has purchased US-based Da...
Germans are the most traditional eaters in Europe, while the
British are the biggest fans of take-aways and the Spanish are the
least likely to invite friends round for dinner - at least
according to a new report from Mintel released...
The UK cereals industry has applauded a recent move by the
government to award the cereals industry forum - representing the
cereal trade bodies - a grant of £1.4m over the next three years
'to improve efficiency and competitiveness...
