Breaking News on the Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector

Headlines > September 2012

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30-Sep-2012

News in brief

Anti-competitive probe a 'timebomb’ for food manufacturers

Food manufacturers trading across Europe have been warned that they are sitting “on a time bomb” if they have engaged in anti-competitive practices.

Food manufacturers missing out on IP income: law firm

"Monetising" intellectual property (IP) can increase a food manufacturer’s valuation, income and access to funding, a legal seminar heard.

29-Sep-2012

Food manufacturing people on the move in September - in photos

Supermarket giant Tesco, high street baker Greggs and confectionery manufacturer Thortons were just three of the food firms who recruited new staff to executive positions in September.

28-Sep-2012

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

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

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

News in brief

Greencore ‘set for growth over next two years’, says analyst

Chilled food manufacturer Greencore is set for significant growth over the next two years, according to city analyst Shore Capital.

News in brief

Acrylamide in chips IS safe says FSA after cancer story

The Food Standards Agency has re-assured consumers about the safety of acrylamide in chips after the Daily Express published a story linking it to cancer.

News in brief

UK food and drink exports continue to rise

UK food and non-alcoholic drink exports have continued to grow this year, rising to £5.9bn in the first six months of the year – an increase of 2.2% compared with the same period of 2011, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Government invests to help food manufacturers innovate

A new scheme offering vouchers worth £5,000 each to help start-up companies in the agrifood sector to innovate has been launched.

Top food manufacturing news for September - in photos

Unicorns, Premier Foods, and Morrisons are just three of the topics to feature in our list of the seven most popular food and drink manufacturing articles published on FoodManufacture.co.uk in September.

27-Sep-2012

News in brief

Banbury Barry Callebaut workers call off strikes

Unite union members at chocolate maker Barry Callebaut’s Banbury site in Oxfordshire have cancelled plans for strikes later this week after agreeing a pay deal with the firm.

UK ‘missing out on £1bn halal opportunity’

The UK meat industry is missing out on a £1bn export opportunity in the Middle East because it has failed to adopt Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidelines on halal, an expert has warned.

Nestlé faces union legal action over women workers in HQ move row

Nestlé UK is being threatened with legal action by the GMB union over the fate of low-paid catering workers affected by its move to new headquarters.

Food manufacturing shouldn't 'fall down the cracks of government': FDF

Food and drink manufacturers have weathered the recessionary storm and now need to be helped to unleash their full potential.

Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards: The shortlist

The shortlist of candidates for the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards (FMEAs) has now been revealed.

26-Sep-2012

News in brief

EFSA to deliver key GM cancer study verdict next week

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has promised to deliver next week its preliminary review of controversial research linking Monsanto’s herbicide glyphosate (Roundup), and the glyphosate-tolerant genetically modified maize NK603 to cancer in rats.

Mars Chocolate unveils new £6M R&D facility

Mars Chocolate’s new £6M research and development (R&D) facility will attract “world class expertise”, says business and enterprise minister Michael Fallon.

News in brief

Job losses ‘inevitable’ after Real Crisps ‘arson attack’

Redundancies are “inevitable” after a suspected arson attack on the Real Crisps factory in Crumlin, South Wales last week.

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

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.

Premier Foods boss battles Curry Queen in Personality Award

Competition for the coveted title Food Manufacturing Personality of the Year is hotting up as Premier Foods ceo Michael Clarke battles curry queen Perween Warsi and four others.

AG Barr’s profits rise as case for Britvic merger strengthens

Irn Bru-maker AG Barr revealed a 4.9% increase in turnover to £130M for the six months to July 28, as city analysts underlined the strong case for a merger with Britvic.

25-Sep-2012

Liberal Democrat conference

CSI Sainsbury TV show would solve food scientist gap: DEFRA

New Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) minister David Heath said he wished there was a hit TV show called CSI Sainsbury to tempt scientists away from forensics and into the food industry. ’−

Barry Callebaut rejects ‘paltry pay offer’ claim after strikes

Chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has rejected claims by Unite the union of making “a paltry pay offer”, after more than 100 members of the union staged two one-day strikes on September 22 and 24 at the firm’s Banbury site in Oxfordshire.

Food manufacturers’ reasons to be cheerful: FDF

Food and drink manufacturers are optimistic about sales for the remainder of the year, according to the Food and Drink Federation’s (FDF’s) latest Food and Drink Business Confidence survey.

R&R Ice Cream fined £10k after worker's conveyor accident

Europe’s largest own-label ice cream manufacturer R&R Ice Cream was fined £10,000 yesterday (September 24), after a 20-year worker was injured by a conveyor belt.

News in brief

Global seafood body calls for government support for Grimsby seafood

The North Atlantic Seafood Forum has called on the British government to back Grimsby’s £75M seafood manufacturing plan.

24-Sep-2012

News in brief

Ex-Asda boss joins the board at ready meal firm

Former Asda ceo and chairman of The Royal Mail Allan Leighton has joined ready meal manufacturer Charlie Bigham’s as non-executive director.

Food manufacturer told to pay +£4,000 for severed finger accident

Herefordshire food manufacturer Q Cold has been ordered to pay £4,348 after a worker severed her finger in a poorly guarded machine.

Egg prices to rocket, food manufacturers warned

Find alternatives to eggs or face significant cost increases, Arla Food Ingredients has warned food manufacturers.

Dairy Crest needs ‘good second half to make up for challenging H1’

After a “challenging” first half, Dairy Crest will need a strong second half performance to make up the balance sheet, according to city analysts at Shore Capital.

Morrisons outsources to India with 145 UK job losses

Morrisons is outsourcing IT services from its Yorkshire-based head office to India, which will cause the loss of around 145 jobs.

Food manufacturers’ cautious welcome for Vince Cable’s bank plan

Business groups including the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) have given a guarded welcome to government plans to plough £1bn into a state-backed business bank to increase lending to small firms.

English wine sales soar: Mintel

Soaring sales of English wine, the growing popularity of low-alcohol wine and an acceptance of boxed wine are the three key conclusions of new research on the UK wine market from Mintel.

News in brief

Food manufacturer’s worker accused of arson

An employee from the Real Crisp factory in Crumlin, South Wales has appeared in court charged with arson after a blaze engulfed the factory last week.

161 jobs at risk as Dairy Crest closes factory

Dairy Crest has announced plans to close its site at Crudgington in Shropshire within the next 18 to 24 months, putting 161 jobs at risk.

More consolidation to come in Britain’s food manufacturing sector

Britain’s food and drink manufacturing sector can expect further consolidation over the coming year, according to a leading corporate finance expert.

21-Sep-2012

Premier Foods goes to jail and collects £15M

Britain’s largest food manufacturer has signed a £15M deal with the Ministry of Justice to supply all publicly-run prisons in England and Wales with Hovis and Mother's Pride bread.

News in brief

Real Crisp factory blaze in Wales

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.

Scientists row as authorities ponder Monsanto GM cancer study

A new controversial study linking Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup and genetically modified (GM) maize with premature death has left scientists across the world rowing over its validity and regulatory authorities saying they need more time to study its implications.

KFC machine-slaughtered chicken is ‘mislabelled as halal’: EBLEX adviser

Fast food outlet KFC is mislabelling chicken as ‘halal’ because its machine slaughter contravenes Foods Standards Authority (FSA) guidelines, an angry English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) adviser has told FoodManufacture.co.uk.

Meat processors reject campaign group’s salty bacon claims

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) has insisted that food manufacturers are working to cut salt levels in meat, after a pressure group claimed over-salty bacon was threatening the nation’s health.

20-Sep-2012

Social media goes wrong: ‘I shop at Waitrose because Tesco doesn't stock unicorn food’

Waitrose got more than it bargained for when it launched a social media campaign inviting consumers to reply to its tweet: “I shop at Waitrose because …” The response varied from the cutting to the down-right hilarious.

Food manufacturers who cut R&D are “short-sighted”: Pepsi boss

It was "short-sighted" for food manufacturers to cut research and development (R&D), even during an economic downturn, claims a senior manager at PepsiCo.

19-Sep-2012

News in brief

FSA ‘needs time’ to study Monsanto cancer link research

Food safety watchdog the Food Standards Agency (FSA) needs more time to study controversial research linking Monsanto’s herbicide Roundup and genetically modified (GM) maize with premature death, its spokesman told FoodManufacture.co.uk today (September 19).

News in brief

Sainsbury to hire 15,000 Xmas workers

Retail giant Sainsbury is pinning its hopes on a bumper Christmas as it plans to recruit 15,000 new workers over the festive and New Year period.

News in brief

ASA rejects claims Allinson bread adverts misled consumers

Allinson brand-owner ABF Grain Products has welcomed a ruling from the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rejecting accusations of misleading marketing made by the Real Bread Campaign (RBC).

News in brief

£1.35M price tag for Cromer Crab site

Estate agents marketing Young’s Seafood’s former Cromer Crab factory say they have received about half a dozen expressions of interest.

News in brief

Park Cake’s pay offer averts strikes

Supermarket supplier Park Cake Bakery has made a backdated pay offer to staff at its bakery in Oldham, following the threat of strike action.

Halal chicken sold at KFC ‘may not be ‘real halal’

KFC sales of halal chicken, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, may not meet the requirements of Islamic law, according to a leading group of Muslim scholars in the UK.

News in brief

Scots sell gluten-free croissants to French Carrefour stores

The Edinburgh-based gluten-free food specialist Genius Foods has struck a deal with French retail chain Carrefour to sell gluten-free croissant, pain au chocolat and other products in Spain.

Fresh hope of saving 1,700 jobs at Hall's of Broxburn

Fresh hope of safeguarding 1,700 jobs at Vion’s Hall’s Broxburn meat plant emerged yesterday (September 18), after Scottish finance secretary John Swinney revealed that three parties were interested in buying the business.

18-Sep-2012

DEFRA ministers: Who does what

Ministerial responsibilities in the newly reshuffled Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) have been revealed.

Water efficiency to have ‘biggest impact’ on food manufacturing

Food manufacturers have been told to find “innovative ways of reducing water use”, after a survey by the Foodservice Consultants Society International UK and Ireland (FCSI) revealed 84% of members saw water usage as having the biggest impact on the sector over the next three years.

High pressure food treatment extends shelf-life to up to 50 days

A new way of ‘naturally’ extending the shelf-life of products without the need for supplementary preservatives or additives is being offered to UK food manufacturers by savoury snacks manufacturer Deli 24.

£20,000 fine for Walkers after worker breaks leg in Quavers accident

Walkers Snack Foods has been ordered to pay £30,000 after a 400kg block of compacted snack waste smashed into a worker, breaking his leg.

Morrisons & poultry industry fight ‘pasty tax’ on chickens

The UK poultry industry has teamed up with the retailer Morrisons to launch a campaign to fight a planned tax on rotisserie chickens.

Baby foods boss turns tables on organic critics

The organic food market has plenty of critics and doubters, but the md of organic baby and children's food producer Organix is fighting back.

17-Sep-2012

Small food manufacturers’ growth plans stifled by banks

Small food and drink firms make a crucial contribution to the £1,000bn driven through local economies by small businesses each year, but it could be far greater if banks loosened their purse strings.

News in brief

British Army enlists Greggs to supply savouries in Germany

The British Army has given the nation’s biggest high street baker its marching orders by enlisting Greggs in a trial to supply baked savouries to Germany.

Ireland to intensify food production to boost exports

The Irish government has unveiled ambitious plans to intensify sustainable food production for export. The aim is to boost its economy and help remedy food shortages around the world.

Vion rejects Scottish government plan to save 1,700 meat jobs

Meat processor Vion UK has rejected an offer by the Scottish government to buy and lease back its threatened Hall’s of Broxburn plant to avert its closure and save 1,700 jobs at the site.

Communication key to nanotech’s future in food & drink

British consumers would accept the use of nanotechnology in the production of food and drink if the benefits were more clearly explained by people they trust, new research has revealed.

14-Sep-2012

News in brief

Greggs announces new chairman

High street sandwich retailer Greggs has announced that Ian Durant will take over as chairman of the board next May.

Tesco post for former FSA chief executive Tim Smith

The outgoing chief executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to join Tesco as group technical director.

News in brief

Ardo UK promote Hiscott to marketing manager

Frozen fruit and vegetable processing company, Ardo UK has appointed Stuart Hiscott as marketing manager.

News in brief

Vion Food Group appoint Kloosterboer

Vion Food Group has announced that Dirk Kloosterboer will be taking over the responsibilities as chief executive and chairman following the departure of Uwe Tillmann at the Dutch owned meat processor.

Opinion

From Russia with love of zealous hygiene law

Some food exporters who thought Russia's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) on August 22 would open doors for exports will be sorely disappointed. That is because the Russians have announced that they will continue to require compliance with over- zealous hygiene rules seemingly designed to make it as hard as possible for hopeful exporters to that country.

Warburtons to close Blackpool bakery: 71 jobs to go

Unions are urging bakery giant Warburtons to look at ways of keeping its Blackpool bakery open, after the company announced plans to close the site this week (September 12).

News in brief

Warburtons averts nationwide strikes

Strike action seems to have been averted at baker Warburtons’ sites nationwide, after the company come up with a “no strings attached” pay offer for staff.

13-Sep-2012

News in brief

Thorntons appoints new chairman

Food manufacturing business guru Paul Wilkinson will take over as the chairman of Thorntons’ board of directors on February 1 2013.

Glanbia's new dairy site to create 100s of jobs

Glanbia Dairy ingredients Ireland has announced ambitious plans to invest £120M (€150M) in the construction of a world-class milk processing facility in Belview, County Kilkenny.

Top three food and drink inventions: Royal Society

The fridge, pasteurisation and canning are the greatest three inventions in the history of food and drink, according to the Royal Society − the UK’s national academy of science.

Top food manufacturing news for August - in photos

Wyke Farms' Facebook campaign against its delisting by Morrisons and the threat of self-combusting noodles were just two of our seven most popular news stories last month. Review the highlights with our photogallery of top stories.

Chilled food manufacturers smash energy targets

The Chilled Food Association (CFA) says members may have smashed energy reduction targets set out in a Climate Change Agreement with the government by 62% − but they won’t be able to do an encore.

Meat processors welcome new FSA strategy

Meat processors have welcomed the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) new plan for official meat controls and how they should be financed.

12-Sep-2012

Halal group backs police raids to tackle ‘huge problem’

A halal certifying body has warned of the “huge problem” of bogus halal meat facing ethnic and other consumers, while offering support for police and Trading Standards’ raids on halal meat wholesalers.

News in brief

Food firm's workers injured in DIY fire-fighting bid

Two factory staff were treated for smoke inhalation after attempting to tackle a fire that broke out at a food packaging factory in Cambridgeshire last week

Thorntons suffers from savvy shoppers and weak footfall

Sales savvy shoppers and weak footfall on the high streets contributed to a drop in sales and profits at chocolate retailer Thorntons.

News in brief

Don’t miss September issue of Food Manufacture

Salt reduction, new food labelling rules and a profile of meat firm TMI Foods are just three of the topics that appear in the September issue of our sister title Food Manufacture.

Premier Foods, Bakkavör and Greencore join youth jobs plan

Major players in the food industry met Prime Minister David Cameron at Downing Street yesterday (September 11) to champion a scheme that will provide free training to jobless youngsters.

11-Sep-2012

Fire boss warns food manufacturers about self combusting noodles

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

Sports nutrition firm Provexis set for Olympic growth

Provexis, the sports nutrition company, is gearing up for growth even before it accounts for a surge in demand following the Olympics.

2 Sisters pizza factory creates 100 jobs to meet demand

One of 2 Sisters’ pizza factories has created 100 jobs after securing new business supplying own-label chilled pizza to major retailers.

More retail space key to Greggs’ growth strategy

Britain’s biggest high street baker Greggs, with its “strong balance sheet”, is poised for significant growth, based on acquiring up to 25% more space, according to City analyst Shore Capital.

Global food sourcing is a risky business

Counterfeit documentation, ancient protocols, and immature risk assessment procedures are just the start of the problems food manufacturers face when sourcing ingredients from the other side of the globe.

10-Sep-2012

Tesco ‘washes hands’ as 183 distribution jobs threatened

Union leaders say Tesco is “burying its head in the sand” as 183 drivers’ jobs have come under threat at its Doncaster distribution centre.

Food refrigeration firm told to pay £140k over fatal accident

Food refrigeration firm George Baker & Co has been ordered to pay £140,000 after admitting safety failures that led to the death of a 61-year old worker, who was crushed beneath an unsecured racking system.

News in brief

Jim Paice “disappointed” to be sacked as farming minister

Jim Paice described his sacking as food and farming minister as “disappointing.”

Sugar to drive ABF results 'substantially ahead' of last year

Food and fashion firm Associated British Foods (ABF) will report adjusted operating profit for the second half of its financial year “substantially ahead of last year”, thanks to a strong performance in sugar.

Poole’s Pies hopes winning new business will earn a crust

Winning new business is tough at any time but particularly challenging during a recession. One food manufacturer dedicated to the challenge is Wigan-based pie maker Poole’s Pies.

Food manufacturers warned apple prices could double

A potentially disastrous year for UK apple growers could see manufacturers stung by a rise of as much as 100% in the cost of pre-processed cookers.

News in brief

2 Sisters worker in ‘life threatening’ condition after industrial accident

A 2 Sisters factory worker is in a “life threatening” condition in intensive care after an industrial accident at the food manufacturer’s Scunthorpe site.

Food manufacturers seek smarter salt targets

A more 'results oriented' approach to cutting salt in people's diets is being sought by manufacturers, given the problems faced by some sectors of the industry in meeting the existing 2012 salt reduction targets

New safety fee to punish lawbreakers

Firms that flout the law by failing to ensure their workplaces are safe for workers will be subject to additional costs from next month.

News in brief

New TV show to target ‘lies’ told by some food manufacturers

Major food manufacturers which tell marketing “lies” and are “only concerned with the bottom line” will be exposed in a new TV series, one of its presenters has vowed.

07-Sep-2012

Police and Trading Standards continue halal meat probe

Birmingham City Council is considering whether to press charges after officers carried out raids on halal meat wholesalers last month.

Union urges food safety watchdog action on meat threat

Unison, the UK’s largest union, is urging the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to make tests for the parasitic disease toxoplasmosis a routine part of meat inspection regimes, as new figures reveal the disease now affects up to 1,000 Britons a day.

News in brief

2 Sisters’ factory worker rushed to hospital with spinal injuries

A food factory worker was rushed to hospital with spinal injuries yesterday after becoming trapped in machinery at 2 Sisters’ chicken processing site in Scunthorpe.

Scoop of the year: ice cream sales top £1bn

Britons have spent £1.1bn on ice cream, sorbet and frozen yogurt already this year, up from £910M five years ago, according to the latest research from Mintel.

News in brief

Greencore has scale for 'meaningful profit growth’

Chilled food manufacturer Greencore has now reached “the necessary scale to deliver meaningful profit growth”, says City analyst Panmure Gordon.

06-Sep-2012

Organic food ingredient sales soar by 20%: EHL

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

Morrisons’ boss highlights food manufacturing’s role

Food manufacturing made a key contribution to Morrisons’ financial results for the half-year to July 29, says ceo Dalton Philips.

News in brief

OFT approves ABF’s acquisition of Elephant business

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.

News in brief

Former food minister to get knighthood

Former food and farming minister Jim Paice is to receive a knighthood.

New labelling rules will add to firms' workload

Manufacturers could be burdened with a huge extra workload under changes proposed to the enforcement of food labelling rules.

WRAP shapes new shelf-life future

The Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is canvassing the food industry about the most promising ways to extend shelf-life, with the results of the consultation set to shape the waste reduction watchdog's future research.

Asda attacks its rivals' price promotions

Supermarket promotions look set to be an increasingly contentious subject over the autumn and in the run-up to the busy Christmas grocery trading period.

05-Sep-2012

Please, Mr Hunt: broaden responsibility deal: food manufacturers

Food manufacturers have urged new health secretary Jeremy Hunt to broaden the Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD) – not to make its commitments deeper.

News in brief

Britvic and AG Barr in merger plan

Soft drinks firms Britvic and Irn Bru manufacturer AG Barr are planning a merger, both firms revealed today (September 5).

Frozen food is ‘more sustainable' than chilled

Chilled food is more energy intensive than frozen, according to a new scientific report on carbon emissions.

Premier Foods faces ‘death or glory’ by 2014: City analyst

Debt laden food manufacturing giant Premier Foods faces “death or glory” by 2014, warns one leading City analyst.

News in brief

Mars disowns deep-fried Mars bars

Chocolate manufacturer Mars has disowned the iconic northern delicacy the deep-fried Mars bar.

Jam maker wins legal battle over labelling

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.

04-Sep-2012

News in brief

DEFRA gets a new boss

Owen Paterson, Conservative MP for Shropshire, has been appointed secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in Prime Minister David Cameron's first cabinet reshuffle.

News in brief

Poor forecasting is chilled food firms' biggest challenge

Retail and foodservice buyers' poor forecasting of chilled and fresh product demand is costing them dearly in product shortages and unnecessary waste, it has emerged.

Feature

Green dream

Lynda Searby finds out how the European market for stevia is unfolding

US Chobani Greek yogurt arrives in UK with promise of 300 jobs

A US brand credited with starting a Greek yogurt craze in the US has arrived in the UK, bringing the promise of up to 300 jobs.

Food manufacturers must co-operate on sustainability: M&S boss

Food businesses will “die” unless producers, manufacturers and retailers work together to make products more sustainable, claims the head of sustainable development at Marks & Spencer (M&S).

Shoppers ‘conned’ by fair trade chocolate labels

Consumers are being ‘conned' by a certification system that means fair trade chocolate bars may not contain any fair trade chocolate.

Opinion

Salt-reduction targets: will they get tougher?

Salt reduction will remain a priority for the Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD), according to Dr Susan Jebb, chair of the PHRD's Food Network. And yet there are still no signs of tougher salt reduction targets in processed foods beyond those originally set by the Food Standards Agency for this year

Opinion

We all age but good diet softens the blow

In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes, said the American inventor and statesman Benjamin Franklin. The words still resonate. But in Franklin's 18th Century world, death tended to come early - often quite brutally.

Feature

Staying alive

Our increasingly ageing population presents lucrative opportunities for functional foods, says Michelle Knott

Eat to the beet

Scientists are raising the bar of fast food to create the ultimately healthy, plant-based beetburger, says Sue Scott

Feature

Culturevulture

Lars Bredmose speaks candidly to Lynda Searby about Chr Hansen's probiotics strategy in a hostile regulatory climate

New potential for appetite control

In a bid to win the battle against obesity, DuPont Nutrition & Health has made a soluble fibre and low-calorie carbohydrate that can help to increase satiety and reduce food intake.

Europe keeps it clean

Demand for clean-label ingredients continues to rise, with 75% of European consumers rating ingredients lists as important and 69% always reading front-of-pack messaging when making a purchase, according to new research.

PureCircle seeks patent for flavours

PureCircle has received a Notice of Allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for a patent pertaining to its growing line of natural flavours.

Health trend steers soft drinks to success

New product activity in soft drinks appears to be accelerating strongly again, with rising levels of global launch activity recorded by Innova Market Insights over the past two years.

Euro 16M facility to make natural sugar from grapes

To expand trade opportunities for ingredients derived from Sicilian grapes and create new jobs, Naturalia Ingredients has invested euro 16M in a facility to produce natural crystallised sugars from grapes.

To Russia with clean-label trend

To mark the arrival of the clean-label trend in Russia, Kerry Ingredients & Flavours is launching clean-label ingredients on the Russian market for the first time.

Guar gum replacer cuts cost by up to 40%

In a bid to offer manufacturers cost savings on guar gum, Glanbia Nutritionals has expanded its OptiSol 5000 range to include a guar gum replacer that offers up to 40% cost savings over guar gum and other gum systems.

EFSA approves Chromax

Chromax is the first and only chromium picolinate approved by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), according to its maker, Ingredia Nutritional.

Weighing solution packs and protects fragile product at rapid speed

Working with the Sucralliance subsidiary of confectionery group Cemoi, Ishida has devised a multihead weigher design to pack products with brittle shells at up to 50 150g packs a minute without significant collision damage.

Coffee firm cracks thermal packaging code

Basingstoke-based Ferns Coffee has installed a new thermal transfer coder to replace a printer that was 30 years old.

Thinking outside the lunch box

On-the-go dining is set to witness some big changes, thanks to a range of packaging innovations that will be on display at the Lunch! exhibition at the Business Design Centre in London this month.

Cookie jar design clearly maximises product display

A Christmas gift pack for Thorntons' premium twist wrap brand Moments will this year feature a bespoke jar and lid.

Feature

Fresh catch

Novel packaging is netting new fish and seafood consumers, reports Paul Gander

Seal and MAP quality 'bolster flow-wrapping'

Improved confidence in seal quality and better management of gas flushing is leading to new growth in flow-wrapping, particularly using higher-end long-dwell machines, said Bosch Packaging Technology.

Shoppers filter out sustainable claim

Brands that go out of their way to explain on pack the sustainability of their product or packaging could be wasting their time, according to new consumer research.

Find the right way to handle food and beverages

Specialist in pneumatic and electric drive technology Festo will display some new development concepts in handling and positioning. Visitors to its stand can meet experts in food and beverage, who will be on hand to discuss the sector's automation challenges.

Price hedging is key to survival for dairy processors and farmers

Milk processors and dairy farmers will need to make far greater use of price hedging tools if they are to survive in today’s increasingly volatile world, claims a leading dairy risk management analyst.

Pump up the paste for more accurate detection

High-performance metal detection systems, including gravity and pipeline models, will be shown by Fortress Technology. The technology is designed for more effective inspection of bulk, freefalling and pumped liquid and paste food products.

Tray sealers, weighers and detectors - oh, my

The PPMA show will be the UK exhibition debut for Ishida's new tray sealer model. Ishida will also show the latest examples of its weighing, packing, detection and quality control equipment, which together enables the firm to provide total solutions for customers.

Integration is key to bulk handling

Bulk handling systems manufacturer Flexicon Europe will display its integration expertise at the show. It will highlight ways of improving efficiency in the handling and transfer of powders, flakes and granules.

Scotland celebrates £4M seafood investment

Sco-Fro's Galloway Seafoods factory at Newton Stewart hosted a visit by Scottish Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead last month to celebrate its £4M investment in new processing facilities.

Liquid engineering for pastes

S+S Inspection will demonstrate its inspection systems for food sector packaging. These include the Raycon X-ray inspection system and the Liquiscan metal detection system for liquid, viscous and paste products.

Inspectors call

Automation systems, online detectors, robots, checkweighers and bulk handlers, will all feature strongly at this year's Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) show, which takes place at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre from September 25-27

Robots know their pick and place

Various live demonstrations of ABB's latest equipment will feature on its stand, including its smallest ever multi-purpose robot. The compact, agile and lightweight, six-axis, IRB 120, which is designed for pick-and-place applications, is now available as an ISO 5 (Class 100) clean-room version, ideal for food and drink applications.

New enzymes and innovations

The SternIngredients stand will feature the latest flour treatment development from sister company Mühlenchemie. The product uses enzyme combinations to replace guar gum powder in bread.

Farmers praise Arla's milk pricing plan

Arla Foods has won praise from farmers’ leaders after announcing a new pricing and sourcing strategy for milk, which starts with a significant increase in the price it will pay for milk.

Atkins aims to broaden appeal with bread mix

Diet specialist Atkins has launched a bread mix that can be consumed on the New Atkins Diet.

Pureé with fruit foraged from Latvian forests

Two new products are giving food manufacturers access to fruit that contains wild berries foraged from the forests of Latvia.

Boost par-baked bread's shelf-life and look

A longer shelf-life is now possible for Europe's fast-growing, par-baked bread sector, according to ingredients firm DuPont.

Mission to change the UK's vinegar

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

Enzyme for the hydrolysis of meat and fish protein

Biocatalysts specialises in the production of enzymes for the modification and hydrolysis of food protein substrates. Many of these are actively used to decrease bitterness and promote positive flavour production, hence the name Flavorpro. This range includes animal, microbial and plant-derived enzymes.

Clean-label artisan baked goods

German firm Kampffmeyer Food Innovation has developed an active ingredient to enable bakers to make clean-label Mediterranean-style bakery products.

New dairy and fat-free frozen fruit smoothies

Cheshire Farm Ice Cream is making its way into the frozen smoothie market with the launch of a dairy-, gluten- and fat-free fruit product.

Sliceable sauces spice up cold cuts and sausages

Frutarom Savory Solutions has developed stabilising compounds that cause dips, ketchup, sauces and mustard to become firm and sliceable, thus enabling them to be incorporated into sliced meats and sausage specialities. The compounds are gelatin-based and are available as powder mixes.

Blue sky's the limit for Jardox's new factory

To meet increasing demand for its existing range and expand into new product areas, savoury ingredients supplier Jardox has invested £2.2M in expanding its premises.

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Food fighter

Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh is fighting to see fair food for all, reports Rick Pendrous

Facebook helps cheesemaker fight delisting by Morrisons

Cheesemaker Wyke Farms proved the power of social media last month when its Facebook campaign against its delisting by Morrisons was bombarded with messages of support.

News in brief

Organic food ‘no healthier’: Stanford University

Organic food is no healthier than conventionally-produced produce, according to researchers at Stanford University.

Labour doubts Coca-Cola's UK plan

Labour is unlikely to support the introduction of a nationwide approach to kerbside collection of waste packaging - particularly plastics - as called for by food and drink processors such as Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE).

Glanbia uses Culina to spread across the UK

International dairy food group Glanbia Consumer Foods is seeking to raise its profile in the UK. The firm, which has its headquarters in Ireland, has appointed logistics firm Culina to manage the distribution of its chilled products in the UK.

Industry expects 'strong science' from FSA chief

Catherine Brown's strong science background will be a key asset in her new role as chief executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA), according to industry sources.

Barry Callebaut's cocoa training

Chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut is working with the Rainforest Alliance to train Cameroon farmers and improve traceability of cocoa supply.

It's licensed to fill pastries - the industrial way

Mouth-watering fillings for the industrial manufacture of savoury snacks and convenience products, will be exhibited by Ruitenberg Ingredients under its Rudin brand. Currently the fillings are used in puff pastry, Danish pastry, bread, filo dough and quiches.

Trade fair taster

IBA 2012, the international bakery and confectionery trade fair, takes place in Germany from September 16-19. Here's a brief taste of the exhibits

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Altered states

Novel processes are altering the future of white bread, says Andrew Williams

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The light fantastic

Traffic lights tell TMI Foods' Mike Garner when the production line is down. Reports Rick Pendrous

Study claims bread is key to a healthy diet

A report promoting the wide-ranging nutritional benefits of bread will help counter views that it's not always a healthy product.

FERA to offer support services for new product development

Support for new product development (NPD) is available, following the creation of a new Applied Innovation Campus at the Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) in York.

03-Sep-2012

Barclays denies making £529M betting on food prices

Barclays has denied boosting food manufacturing ingredient costs by making £530M on food price speculation.

News in brief

Morrisons opens Grimsby fish plant

Morrisons’ new fish processing plant in Grimsby began operations today (September 3) − five months after work began on converting a disused factory at Europa Park.

Police and Birmingham officials raid halal food wholesalers

Birmingham Council Trading Standards officials, backed by police, have raided halal wholesalers in the city and seized hundreds of chickens, computer equipment and documents.

Arla’s UK and German mergers boost income by £1.2bn

Danish milk processor Arla’s merger agreements with Milk Link in the UK and German processor MUH will increase the firm’s annual revenue by £1.2bn.

Global weather woes could boost food manufacturers' input prices

Short-term shortages of wheat for food processors and longer-term price increases are likely to be the outcome of the wettest summer for a century, a crop specialist has warned.

2 Sisters workers accept reduced pay and working conditions

Cavaghan & Gray workers have voted to compromise with parent company 2 Sisters in their dispute over reduced pay and working conditions.

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