Breaking News on the Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector

Latest news headlines

Products

Suppliers

Soaring UK livestock prices hit Vion’s profits

25-May-2012 - Meat processing giant Vion said the economic slump and “unprecedented” UK livestock prices had contributed to a crash in profits.

DEFRA pledges to fight ‘disproportionate DSM rule’

25-May-2012 - Food and farming minister Jim Paice has pledged to fight new EU rules ordering changes to the labelling of desinewed meat (DSM) products, which come into force tomorrow (May 26).

Illegal imports of unlabelled desinewed meat products threaten UK operators

24-May-2012 - Britain’s meat processors will be at a distinct commercial disadvantage compared with some of their EU counterparts when new rules governing changes to the labelling of disinewed meat (DSM) products come into effect this month.

News in brief

Greencore results: the analysts’ verdict

23-May-2012 - Half-year results from convenience food manufacturer Greencore published this week (May 22) have attracted a warm reception from city analysts.

Premier Foods’ disposals 'essential' to service debt

23-May-2012 - Disposals are essential if Premier Foods is to service net debt, which is likely to remain at £1.2bn this year, warns financial specialist Panmure Gordon.

Greencore: US chilled foods market ‘worth billions’

22-May-2012 - Anglo Irish convenience food manufacturer Greencore sees “huge potential for expansion” in the US chilled food market, according to its chief financial officer Alan Williams.

News in brief

Bakkavör and Tesco to spice up ready meals

21-May-2012 - Own-label chilled food manufacturer Bakkavör is producing a new range of Indian meals for Tesco.

News in brief

New seafood processor Sealincs to create 100 jobs

21-May-2012 - About 100 jobs will be created by a new seafood processing business in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire.

UK signs £50M deal to export pork to China

18-May-2012 - The UK has signed a landmark deal, worth at least £50M, to export pork to mainland China – the world’s biggest market for pig meat.

Which? reignites ‘traffic light’ food labelling debate

18-May-2012 - Consumer group Which? has called for ‘traffic light’ labelling to be used as an industry standard to improve nutritional information for consumers.

Bakkavör to launch ethnic food range

16-May-2012 - Own-label, fresh prepared foods firm Bakkavör is to launch an ethnic foods range “very soon”, according to the management statement accompanying its results for the quarter ended March 31.

Scotch Premier Meat to axe 30 jobs

15-May-2012 - Meat Processor Scotch Premier Meat plans to cut 30 jobs as part of cost-cutting measures at its facility at Inverurie, Scotland, which, the firm claims, will help it promote a high-quality image.

News in brief

2 Sisters’ RF Brookes to axe 193 jobs

14-May-2012 - Chilled food manufacturer RF Brookes – owned by the 2 Sisters Food Group – plans to cut 193 jobs at its factory in South Wigston, Leicestershire.

FSA chief scientist's hi-tech answers to campylobacter

09-May-2012 - Dr Andrew Wadge, the Food Standards Agency’s chief scientist, explains why new technologies, such as lactic acid antibacterial washes during chicken processing operations, should be used to reduce the 403,000 cases of campylobacter food poisoning in the UK each year – many resulting from contaminated chickens bought by people from supermarkets.

Fish discards under spotlight at fisheries congress

08-May-2012 - Campaigners want to see businesses take a more active role in negotiations to reform the Common Fisheries Policy and tackle controversial issues such as ‘discards’.

Recession blamed for Daysdrove meat processor closure

08-May-2012 - Daysdrove abattoir – a Shropshire meat-processor – has closed with the loss of 13 jobs.

Comment

We're all going to die: don't blame red meat

05-May-2012 - "Red meat is not only unhealthy but can be positively lethal," according to new research.This was the opening sentence of an article in The Times in March. It was reporting on the latest meat-eating health scare, which was generated by a paper published in the US Archives of Internal Medicine.

Hain Celestial to expand soup after Irish purchase

04-May-2012 - New Covent Garden soup owner the Hain Celestial Group is to grow soup sales in the UK, Ireland and the US after its acquisition of Irish chilled soup specialist Cully & Sully.

MPs to hear evidence on £200M desinewed meat ban

02-May-2012 - An influential group of MPs working on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hear evidence next week (May 15) about the EC’s requirement for a UK ban on the production of desinewed meat from cattle, sheep and goats.

Turkey firm Cranberry Foods acquired by Faccenda

01-May-2012 - The UK’s second biggest turkey producer Cranberry Foods has been acquired by leading poultry producer Faccenda, for an undisclosed sum, to form one of the country’s largest food manufacturers.

Scots meat firm blames rising costs for administration

01-May-2012 - Rising costs and sharp competition have been blamed for forcing Scottish meat processor Caithness Beef and Lamb into administration.

FSA rejects claims of ‘over-zealous’ prosecution

27-Apr-2012 - The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has rejected claims that it acted “over-zealously” in pressing for the prosecution of Somerset meat firm A C Hopkins (Taunton) for breaking meat hygiene regulations.

News in brief

Meat firm ordered to pay £23k for breaking hygiene rules

25-Apr-2012 - Somerset meat firm A C Hopkins (Taunton) has been ordered to pay £23,000 in fines and costs for breaching the meat hygiene regulations.

FSA study aims to cut poultry Campylobacter

24-Apr-2012 - The Food Standards Agency (FSA) aims to cut campylobacteriosis by commissioning research to trace the sources of Campylobacter infection – often linked to poultry.

Safety watchdog EFSA urges more turkey salmonella surveys

24-Apr-2012 - Food safety watchdog, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has urged EU Member States to step up monitoring of turkeys for salmonella infection.

Sign up for your free newsletter