Unions urge govt to probe "disgraceful" Twinings fund

06-Aug-2010 - The Trades Union Congress has written to business secretary Vince Cable asking him to investigate whether Twinings received EU funds to “relocate” production from the UK to a new Polish factory, given that UK jobs could be lost as a result.

Unilever: Consumer confidence remains 'fragile'

05-Aug-2010 - The fragile recovery in developed markets could make it hard to pass on rising raw materials costs in the second half, Unilever has warned.

Kellogg’s nutrition head tells UK media: ‘look beyond sugar in cereals’

05-Aug-2010 - Kellogg’s head of nutrition has called for UK journalists to look at the firm’s cereals as a whole and not just single out their sugar content.

News in brief

United Biscuits fined after worker’s fingers severed

04-Aug-2010 - United Biscuits has been fined £10,000 plus costs by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a worker had two fingers sliced off by a mixing machine.

Premier Foods: ‘Open-minded’ about disposals

04-Aug-2010 - Premier Foods remains ‘open-minded’ about selling off assets to pay off debts, bosses have revealed as the firm released interim results broadly in line with expectations, but warned of rising cost inflation in the second half.

Sales surge 22% at vegetable crisp maker glennans

03-Aug-2010 - Vegetable crisp manufacturer glennans has seen sales surge by 22% over the past 12 months driven by strong demand for own-label crisps.

Premier Foods: losing share in bread, cooking sauces and meat-free

03-Aug-2010 - Premier Foods has lost market share in three out of four of its key trading categories in the second-quarter, according to Nielsen data supplied to Investec Securities.

Fruit of the fine

01-Aug-2010 - UK supplier of nuts, seeds and dried fruit, Zeina Foods has introduced a new snack under the Zeina Love Our Foods brand.

Feature

In search of the Holy Grail

01-Aug-2010 - Salt replacement and anti-microbial properties are being studied, says John Dunn

“Teething problems” won’t scupper Amazon launch

28-Jul-2010 - Significant “teething problems” notwithstanding, Amazon.co.uk’s online grocery store has a good chance of success in the long-term, according to food manufacturers taking part in the launch.

News in brief

Princes and ADM join forces in Poland

26-Jul-2010 - Princes has struck a deal with ADM to boost sales of bottled edible oils in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe.

FDF: Resolve legal limbo on 'no added salt' claims

23-Jul-2010 - A clutch of widely-used nutrition claims from ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ to ‘10% less fat’ remain in a state of legal limbo as discussions over whether to allow them under the health claims Regulation drag on.

News in brief

Solid Q1 growth in sucralose, HFCS, at Tate & Lyle

22-Jul-2010 - Tate & Lyle has unveiled first quarter trading figures reflecting “steady” demand in speciality food ingredients, "solid" growth in sucralose volumes and “firm” demand for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).

EC quizzes Polish authorities on Twinings factory fund

19-Jul-2010 - The EU Commission is seeking “formal guarantees” from the Polish authorities that Twinings is not using an EU funding award to invest in a multi-million euro factory that will see the relocation of UK production facilities abroad.

Deadline for Twinings job losses pushed back

19-Jul-2010 - The first round of redundancies at Twinings’ North Shields factory has been delayed until February 2011, having originally been due to start this September.

Exclusive interview

American Sugar: Silvertown will reach "full capacity"

12-Jul-2010 - The new owner of Tate & Lyle’s EU sugar division says it will take measures "to substantially ease the supply situation" as regards raw cane sugar supplies to the Silvertown refinery in London over the next 18 months.

A new type of low-energy, protein pasta

01-Jul-2010 - A new type of low-energy, protein pasta could be a substitute for standard varieties, says the Food Research Institute, Prague.

City: Sugar sale gives Tate & Lyle firepower to develop £500m added value ingredients business

01-Jul-2010 - The proceeds from Tate & Lyle's sale of its EU sugar business should give bosses the firepower to develop an added-value food ingredients business of at least £500m, according to City analysts.

Can new appointments revitalise Premier Foods?

30-Jun-2010 - City analysts are hoping two new additions to Premier Foods’ senior management team can inject new urgency into the business before refinancing issues loom large again.

Kellogg issues massive recall as tainted packaging sparks health fears

28-Jun-2010 - Kellogg Company has recalled 28 million boxes of breakfast cereal in the United States over fears an unknown chemical that has tainted its packaging could cause diarrhoea and vomitting.

National Trust brand to extend to soups, chutney

28-Jun-2010 - The National Trust is discussing contract manufacturing deals with firms making everything from chutney to soup as part of an ambitious plan to get its branded products into every major UK supermarket.

Fledgling sauce maker builds innovative brand based on blueberries

25-Jun-2010 - A fledgling food manufacturing business created by an accountant, a geophysicist and a priest is targeting independent retailers, delis, farm shops and supermarkets with an unusual range of products based on British herbs, Asian spices and blueberries grown on its farm in Bettisfield, North Wales.

Nestlé York staff reject pay offer but agree to more talks

16-Jun-2010 - Union members at Nestlé’s York chocolate factory have rejected an offer from company bosses of a 1% pay rise but agreed to resume talks.

Big Bear: “We have no plans to re-open IPO process”

15-Jun-2010 - Sugar Puffs and Poppets maker Big Bear Group has “no plans to re-open the IPO [initial public offering] process” for the business, director Paul Wilkinson has insisted.