They are the most notorious gang in the food colourings world, with frazzled parents blaming them for turning their little darlings into a bunch of snarling, hyperactive troublemakers. But it's High Noon for the 'Southampton six', as the EU prepares to run them out of town.

Tough times for meat processors mean that the industry has been going through a prolonged period of consolidation. But as businesses merge, that doesn't always mean that bigger is better when it comes to manufacturing facilities.

With the general economic gloom claiming high-profile victims in almost every area of business, it's easy to blame the wider slump for factory closures in the food industry. But announcements in the ready meals sector over recent months are as much to do with the specific dynamics of the ready meals market as they are with the wider recession.

After years of wrangling, the new regulation on flavourings was finally adopted by EU Agriculture and Fisheries ministers on November 17. The new rules are part of a wider overhaul of legislation known as the FIAP (Food Improvement Agent Package), which covers additives, enzymes and cultures.

The commercial sandwich market in the UK is worth £5.25bn annually, which means we are munching our way through a whopping 2.8bn shop-bought sandwiches each year, according to the British Sandwich Association (BSA).