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Sainsbury ‘grandfather’ praised for sound results: City

08-May-2013 - Sainsbury boss Justin King – “the grandfather of UK supermarkets” – has drawn praise from City analyst Shore Capital, after the nation’s third largest retailer reported sales, including fuel, up by 4.5% to £23.3bn for the year to March 16.

Don't fear failure in new markets: ingredients boss

07-May-2013 - “Don’t be afraid to fail” – that should be the mantra for struggling food firms who are trying to expand their offerings and exploit new markets.

Sneaky way to combat childhood obesity

02-May-2013 - Researchers at Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) claim to have found a way of fighting obesity by “sneaking” nutrients into children's snacks.

Vegetable detection moves up a notch

30-Apr-2013 - Processing up to nine tonnes of fresh vegetables for the retail and catering sectors seven days a week, demands impeccable hygiene and safety from Express Potato Supply of Weymouth.

World’s largest food allergy study launched

23-Apr-2013 - An international study into food allergies has been launched which hopes to establish a standardised approach to allergen management for companies involved in food manufacturing.

Heinz licensing deal launches pastry line and creates 20 jobs

16-Apr-2013 - Heinz has entered a licensing deal with a Welsh chilled food manufacturer to launch a new range of savoury pastry products, which will create 20 jobs.

News in brief

New Essex £25M jam factory plans get go ahead

15-Apr-2013 - Colchester Borough Council’s planning committee has unanimously approved Wilkin & Sons’ application to build a new £25M jam factory in Tiptree, Essex.

Fungus to wipe £7M from Tate & Lyle’s profit

02-Apr-2013 - Tate & Lyle has posted “reassuringly dull” third-quarter figures, despite having to implement measures to tackle aflatoxin, a fungus in maize caused by the unusually hot and dry conditions in the US last summer.

Three top trends to tap into demand for functional foods

21-Mar-2013 - The top three trends food manufacturers need to consider when devising functional products are ‘naturalness’, demand for energy products and the popularity of fruit – not least because the health properties are either already understood by consumers or have European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved health claims in place.

Kids will go potty for fruit in jelly

04-Mar-2013 - Crosse & Blackwell has teamed up with Disney to launch a new range of fruit in jelly pots under its 4Kids brand, to drive value and penetration into the £39.1M potted fruit market.

Bakkavör: horsegate ‘impacted consumer confidence’

22-Feb-2013 - Own-label chilled food manufacturer Bakkavör said consumer confidence had been dented by the horsemeat scandal, while reporting a 5.4% increase in like-for-like sales in its full-year results ended December 29 2012.

Double fatality in apple packing shed

21-Feb-2013 - Police and the Health and Safety Executive are investigating the death of two farm workers in the 20s, who fell unconscious in an apple packing shed on a Conservative peer’s country estate in Hampshire.

News in brief

Rodent infestation forces KB Natural Foods recall

19-Feb-2013 - KB Natural Foods is recalling three batches of its own-label pre-packaged cashew nuts and almonds because of a rodent infestation.

'Easier' than fresh fruit, 'tastier' than dried fruit

07-Feb-2013 - Taura Natural Ingredients has unveiled a range of 'natural' concentrated fruit pieces for artisan chocolatiers and bakers.

News in brief

Versatile lid spices up herbs and seasoning products

06-Feb-2013 - Increasing competition from own-label, as well as more attention to consumer preferences, is helping to usher in fresh packaging innovation in herbs and spices.

Ocado’s appointment of Stuart Rose as chairman welcomed by City

22-Jan-2013 - Online grocer Ocado’s appointment of former Marks & Spencer (M&S) boss Sir Stuart Rose has been welcomed by City analyst Shore Capital, while acknowledging the challenges he faces.

Governments should tell retailers to cut food waste

11-Jan-2013 - Governments in developed nations should tell retailers not to reject foods on the basis of appearance, in a bid to prevent half of all food ending up as waste, according to a new report from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) .

GM could give flatulence-free sprouts for Christmas

21-Dec-2012 - Genetic modification (GM) could be used to produce flatulence-free sprouts, according to Rothamsted Research centre in Hertfordshire.

News in brief

Barry Callebaut to become largest cocoa processor

12-Dec-2012 - Chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut is to become the globe’s largest cocoa processor with the acquisition of the Cocoa Ingredients Division of Petra Foods, based in Singapore for $950M.

Own-label foods to continue gains over branded: Kantar

03-Dec-2012 - Branded food manufacturers are set to suffer further losses in market share as own-label products continue to grow in popularity, according to consumer market researcher, Kantar Worldpanel.

Vegetable processor plans to build new £2M facility

03-Dec-2012 - A family-run vegetable processor has ambitious plans to build a £2M vegetable processing plant that will lead to the creation of 25 jobs in Norfolk.

Hedon Salads goes into administration

26-Nov-2012 - One of the UK’s largest salad producers Hedon Salads has gone into administration and stopped trading.

News in brief

Food manufacturing boss repays £1.7M bonus

23-Nov-2012 - A former boss of Kettle Chips maker Diamond Foods has pledged to repay two years’ bonuses and resigned his position after a financial scandal engulfed the business earlier this year.

Snack food firm faces £40,000 fine after Border Agency Raid

16-Nov-2012 - An Asian snack food supplier in Chadwell Heath, north east London is facing a £40,000 fine after four men were arrested on suspicion of working illegally in Britain during a raid by the UK Border Agency.

Food manufacturer in row over £23,500 labels fine

15-Nov-2012 - A Suffolk food firm claims its £23,500 fine for making false claims about the ingredients in its pesto was “heavy handed” and “wasted public money”, adding that Cambridgeshire County Council backed its view.

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