Ambient foods

Food firm faces £120k fine after UK Border Agency’s illegal worker raid

22-Oct-2012 - A north London food manufacturer faces a £120,000 fine, after a raid from the UK Border Agency in which 12 people were arrested for immigration offences.

News in brief

Co-op recalls pasta sauce over glass fears

19-Oct-2012 - The Co-op has recalled a batch of its own-brand Truly Irresistible Whole Cherry Tomato and Chilli Pasta Sauce because of a manufacturing fault, which could have led to some of the jars containing pieces of glass.

Premier Foods

What’s top of Premier Foods boss Geoff Eaton’s in-tray?

12-Oct-2012 - After just over a week in the role of chief operating officer of Britain’s biggest food manufacturer Premier Foods, FoodManufacture.co.uk wondered what was likely to be topping Geoff Eaton’s in-tray. So we asked five leading business analysts to find out.

For sale soon: United Biscuits snacks

08-Oct-2012 - United Biscuits' (UB's) snacks business KP Snacks will be sold off as soon as a suitable private equity buyer can be found, according to a prediction from a leading corporate finance expert.

Premier Foods appoints Geoff Eaton as chief operating officer

03-Oct-2012 - Britain’s biggest food manufacturer Premier Foods has appointed Geoff Eaton, formerly ceo of Uniq, as chief operating officer and executive director to “accelerate transformation” within the debt-laden giant.

News in brief

Premier Foods calls on shareholders to approve £200M spreads sale

01-Oct-2012 - Premier Foods has called on its shareholders to approve the proposed sale of its sweet spreads and jellies business to the Hain Celestial Group for £200M.

OFT considers Nakano’s sale plan to ease Premier Foods acquisition

28-Sep-2012 - The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) is considering Nakano’s offer to sell its production plant in Staffordshire, to allay competition concerns following its acquisition of Premier Foods’ vinegar and pickles businesses.

Tate & Lyle results ‘upbeat’ but 'real test to come': analysts

28-Sep-2012 - Financial analysts have welcomed Tate & Lyle’s trading update for the six months ending September 30 but warned of a challenging second half.

Dragons’ Den winners aim to be ‘the Chinese Levi Roots’

26-Sep-2012 - After winning a £50,000 investment on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den, entrepreneurial sisters Lisa and Helen Tse have ambitions to make their Chinese sauces as big as Levi Roots’ Reggae Reggae brand.

News in brief

Real Crisp factory blaze in Wales

21-Sep-2012 - More than 60 fire-fighters and 20 fire engines fought a major blaze yesterday (September 20) at the Real Crisp factory in Caerphilly, South Wales.

Fire boss warns food manufacturers about self combusting noodles

11-Sep-2012 - A leading fire officer has warned food manufacturers to beware self-combusting noodles.

Organic food ingredient sales soar by 20%: EHL

06-Sep-2012 - Ingredients supplier EHL Ingredients reports organic sales on track to reach £3M by January, after rising by 20% in the past five months.

News in brief

OFT approves ABF’s acquisition of Elephant business

06-Sep-2012 - The Office of Fair Trading has decided not to refer Associated British Foods’ (ABF’s) acquisition of the Elephant Etta business to the Competition Commission.

Jam maker wins legal battle over labelling

05-Sep-2012 - A Cheshire jam manufacturer is claiming victory after the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced plans to launch a consultation on changing labelling rules.

Mission to change the UK's vinegar

04-Sep-2012 - Inspired by the culinary habits of mainland Europe, a Wigan manufacturer is on a mission to alter the UK's perception of vinegar

False labelling costs jam maker £15,000

27-Aug-2012 - A Suffolk-based jam manufacturer and the firm’s director have both been fined £4,250 and ordered to pay £6,500 costs, after pleading guilty to 13 charges of falsely claiming that the company’s jams contained locally sourced produce.

Premier Foods still ‘in sticky situation’ after jam sale to Hain Celestial

23-Aug-2012 - Britain’s biggest food manufacturer is “still in a sticky situation” after selling its sweet spreads and jellies business to US multi-national Hain Celestial for £200M, according to a leading City analyst.

Premier Foods boss: the analysts’ view one year on

22-Aug-2012 - Michael Clarke, ceo of Premier Foods, is performing a creditable job of reviving the fortunes of the debt-laden food giant but still faces tough challenges, according to City analysts.

Food factory blaze averted as noodles 'self-combust'

21-Aug-2012 - A Leicester ethnic food manufacturer had a lucky escape this week after a blaze was narrowly averted at its factory.

News in brief

Premier Foods appoints new non executive director

15-Aug-2012 - Troubled food giant Premier Foods has appointed Jennifer Laing as a non-executive director.

Premier Foods ‘unlikely’ to be source of Loyd Grossman botulism

14-Aug-2012 - Premier Foods’ factory is “very unlikely” to be the source of the Loyd Grossman korma sauce botulism incident, according to a final report by Health Protection Scotland, published last week (August 10).

Healthy snacks for stressed workers – new opportunity

09-Aug-2012 - Food manufacturers looking for a growth market should investigate producing healthy snacks for stressed workers.

News in brief

Acquisition boosts Speciality Powders

07-Aug-2012 - Corby-based Phoenix Foods has been sold in a multi-million pound deal to Speciality Powders.

Premier Foods ahead of target to save £40M

07-Aug-2012 - Britain’s biggest food manufacturer Premier Foods expects to achieve efficiency savings of £40M earlier than expected as a result of its restructuring plans, it emerged in its half-year results released today.