Archives for July 8, 2004

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Gene and grape antioxidant slice obesity away?

Progress towards tackling the obesity epidemic could come from a new study which has found that a compound commonly found in red wine boosts the activity of an identified gene which cuts the growth of new fat cells.

Napier Brown buys into cane sugar

UK sugar and dairy powder supplier Napier Brown Foods will buy up glucose supplier James Budgett Sugars in a deal announced this week worth £17.5 million (€26.2m).

Northern Foods concerned over M&S price cuts

UK-based Northern Foods, one of the biggest suppliers to UK retail giant Marks & Spencer, wants to establish new conditions before agreeing to proposed price cuts and margin improvements, writes Anthony Fletcher.

WBD poaches rival manager

Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods has confirmed the creation of a new top management position with the appointment of former Danone executive Jacques Ioffe as deputy CEO for Strategy and Business Development - a move that boosts the company's growing number of top...

Corn sweetener under world trade panel

After months of unsuccessful talks, the US yesterday successfully secured a World Trade Organisation panel to investigate its claim that the Mexican 'discretionary tax' introduced for corn sweeteners such as high fructose syrups in soft drinks...

Carrefour says it will not meet targets

Being the biggest does not mean being the best, it appears. Europe's largest food retailer Carrefour has announced that it will not meet its sales targets for 2004 after a second poor quarter from its French hypermarket division.

Consistency the key to reducing salt content

Salt levels in pizzas, baked beans and canned pasta still vary greatly, despite repeated claims by manufacturers that they are taking action to lower the level of the ingredient, shows a study by the UK Food Standards Agency. More worryingly, perhaps,...

Health driving French cereal market (but chocolate helps too)

The French are among the most frequent breakfasters in Europe, according to a recent study - but traditional tastes are changing rapidly with cereals beginning to take considerable market share from the less trendy crackers and biscuits. Health...

Retail round-up: troubled times

Two of the UK's troubled supermarket groups head up this week's round up of news from the European retail arena. Neither Marks & Spencer nor J Sainsbury have had much to be happy about in recent months, and, frankly, that is not about to change any...