The expansion of European retailers such as Tesco in Asia does not
have a detrimental effect on local business, according to a new
report. In fact, hypermarket growth in Thailand has fuelled the
expansion of independent food retailers...
Cargill Sweeteners North America, a subsidiary of agro-giant
Cargill, has formed a marketing alliance with sugar beet processor
Wyoming Sugar to sell and distribute sugar products to food and
beverage manufacturers. The agreement...
Yesterday we reported on a UK bread product which can help pregnant
women increase vitamin levels. Today we cross the Channel to
France, where a Nimes-based company is set to expand sales of its
slimming baguette to the capital.
Danish company Novozymes has launched a new competitively priced
glucose oxidase for the bakery industry, the industrial enzyme
specialists announced on Monday.
UK group Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) on Friday appointed
National Starch executive Charles Knott as the new chairman and CEO
of Quest International, its fragrance, flavours, and food
ingredients business. The announcement comes...
As discussions continue at a European level on the proposed new
reform to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), farmers in the UK
are to launch a cross-industry campaign that aims to bridge the gap
between consumer and producer.
Reports in last week's Wall Street Journal linking the
troubled Ahold company US Foodservice with two of the biggest food
companies in North America have met with fierce denials from the
companies concerned - Sara Lee and ConAgra...
Bread fortified with a variety of vitamins and omega-3 DHA has been
launched by independent UK bakers Warburtons. The loaf is designed
to help increase DHA intake among pregnant women.
More researchers with business heads are needed if Europe is to
become the most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010, said
Dimitris Deniozos, the Greek General Secretary for Research, on 24
March.
Recent food and drink highlights from Mintel's GNPD (Global New
Products Database) include fruity cappuccino, confectionery
products packaged like hair mousse and chocolate CDs featuring
Elvis Presley songs.
Price discounting by retailers and the strength of the Swiss franc
severly reduced exports of biscuits from Switzerland to Germany, by
far the most important foreign market. The situation is no better
at home, with cheap imports reducing...
In a difficult economic climate, Scotch whisky exports topped the
£2 billion mark for the 10th year in a row last year, helped by
increasing interest in malts. There were strong gains in Asian
markets such as Korea and Taiwan, which...
Swiss retailer Migros launched a 'probiotic butter' last month,
designed to promote health and offer a good taste sensation at the
same time as tapping consumer demand for healthier products.
The United States and western Europe combined account for 58 per
cent of the global market of the flavour and fragrance industry,
highlights a recent article from Frost and Sullivan analyst Vivek
Tapuria. But with growth slackening,...
Sainsbury's, the UK's number two food retailer, has reported
preliminary figures for the fourth quarter and full year 2002 which
show that the company's programme of restructuring over the last
few years is continuing...
The United States and western Europe combined account for 58 per
cent of the global market of the flavour and fragrance industry,
highlights a recent article from Frost and Sullivan analyst Vivek
Tapuria. But with growth slackening,...
Will the launch of a new logo help UK consumers gain a clearer
understanding of the 5-a-day scheme? Well, possibly, but there is
still a long way to go before the average Briton has a clear
picture of just what constitutes a portion...
Guyenne & Gascogne, the retail group which is the leading
franchise holder for Carrefour in France, has reported a solid
increase in sales for 2002 helped by store expansions and synergies
created by Carrefour's 2000 merger...
The CIAA, otherwise known as the voice of the European food and
drink industry, this week clearly expressed its support for
legislative proposals that would reform the Common Agricultural
Policy (CAP).
CUB, the Australian beer arm of Foster's, is to extend its
marketing partnership with Diageo to include the latter company's
premixed spirit brands for the first time. The deal should see the
rapid growth of the draught...
US food company Kraft Foods has put its powdered soft drink
concentrate plant in Hyderabad, India up for sale, reports the
Indian paper Financial Express.
A strong performance from its cash & carry and electronic goods
units helped German retail company Metro to a 4 per cent increase
in sales for 2002 - a good performance in light of declining
turnover in the German retail sector...
Decoupling would secure significant income gains for EU farmers,
writes the European Commission this week. The comment on the link
between production and subsidy - so called 'decoupling' - is in
response to the release of...
Dutch life science company presented its sustainable strategy
yesterday and emphasised the company's progress in the fields of
'People, Planet and Profit' through a new medium - the 'Triple P'
report.
Products are often marketed to specific segments of the population
- although the best ones tend to have a general appeal - but the
artificial segmentation of the market means that some groups are
missing out, claims Datamonitor.
German retail group Metro is run a series of ads in the German
press to promote its new image as a vibrant, international business
- part of an ongoing process of streamlining the company and
generating growth.
Dutch ingredients company CSM completes the acquisition of Carpro,
increasing its market penetration in North America. The acquisition
of Carpro - a US manufacturer of bakery supplies in the United
States - brings the H.C. Brill and...
Selling off its loss-making units over the last year has put
troubled Portuguese retailer Jeronimo Martins on the road to
recovery. But with a high debt level still in need of reduction,
the company still has a way to go before it...
How to tackle 'Generation Y', or the 'Net generation', and even
'tribal groups'? Such an array of segmentation, far from benefiting
marketers, is limiting their ability to consistently target the
youth...
Food ingredients giant Danisco invests further in Mexico, and
pectin, with the announcement this week that is to construct a DKK
40 million production plant for speciality pectin in Tecomán,
Mexico.
Investing in brands, even in times of recession, is the best way
for smaller food companies to ensure their survival once the
economic situation improves. But this investment need not be in
classic advertising formats, and can take...
UK ingredients company Edlong Flavours announced this week that it
has developed a new range of authentic European Cheese flavours
designed for ready meals - food service and retail - applications
Are our spending patterns dictated by fear? A new report from
Datamonitor suggests that this is, indeed, the case. In order to
feel safer about purchases, consumer concerns over crime,
terrorism, food safety and disease determine...
Knocked by the Nitrofen scandal in 2002, the boom for organic foods
in Germany has stepped down a gear with sales stagnating. But as
production continues to rise and producer margins continue to fall,
there is pressure to increase...
As expected, the proposed bids from Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco for
the Safeway supermarket chain are to be investigated by the UK
competition authorities. Rather more unexpected was the decision to
also refer the bid from Morrisons,...
The food industry prides itself on reacting quickly to consumer
trends, but it has been slow to adapt to the needs of one person
households - a growing segment of the market - claims a new
UK-based report from market analysts Mintel.
Migros, the Swiss co-operative retailer, has announced that it is
to extend the range of branded food and non-food products it sells
to include some of the biggest names in the consumer goods
industry.
Nutritional ingredients business Cognis continues to concentrate on
core activities with the announcement this week that it has sold
its Fragrances & Specialties business (Cognis F&S) to
Japanese speciality chemicals business...
Food and drink products have often been at the heart of trade
disputes between countries, but in recent years they have become
not the reason for these disputes but rather weapons wielded by
politicians. The US call for a boycott...
Food and health ingredients company Acatris will use this year's
Vitafoods exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland as a platform to tackle
men's issues with the launch of its new product, LinumLife.
The Supermarket Code of Practice, introduced a year ago to protect
suppliers from 'unfair practices' by the major UK supermarekt
groups, has had little or no effect, claims Friends of the Earth.
More than half of the UK's...
The new merger between Haarmann & Reimer and Dragoco, to be
known as 'Symrise', is thought to be capable of sales of €1,245
million. How does Danisco flavours, aiming to become the world's
number five, plan to compete?
As western nations draw up strategies to combat the growing number
of starving people in the developing world - currently standing at
a staggering 800 million and growing - a British based group warns
this week that, at the other...
Although it is the smallest company bidding for Safeway,
Yorkshire-based retailer Morrisons believes it has the strongest
reasons for buying its rival - not least because its business model
continues to bear fruit, as its strong 2002...
Carrefour's Spanish unit Dia has acquired 38 supermarkets from
troubled company El Arbol for an undisclosed sum. The French
company has also unveiled plans to step up its investments in
Brazil.
Irish cheese maker Glanbia has announced it is ready to expand its
operations. A reduction in borrowing and a strengthened financial
position have enabled it to consider building its core business
areas through acquisitions, write...
Reflecting continuing concerns over the direction of the US
economy, consumers are twice as likely to consider price as a
reason for purchasing a brand name product as they were a year ago,
according to a survey released last week...
Troubles at its US operations, exacerbated by the weakness of the
dollar, took their toll on 2002 results at Belgian retailer
Delhaize. A major refit and cost reduction programme in the US
should lead to an improvement this year,...
