News In Brief
Saucey stuff
The Office of Fair Trading has referred Heinz's £470m acquisition of HP Foods, which makes Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce and Amoy sauces, to the Competition Commission. Its report is not expected until April 2006, which means that HP will continue to be run as a separate business.
The deal has already received approval in Ireland and Germany.
Melting moment
Ice cream maker Hill Station made a net loss of £596,000 on turnover of £1.37m in the 18 months to July 31, 2005.
The company has just announced a reverse takeover of rivals Granelli McDermott and Loseley Dairy Ice Cream, which it said would catapult it into third place by value in the UK market.
The company is placing 250m shares on the Alternative Investment Market in a bid to raise £7.5m to fund the acquisition and provide some working capital, said chairman Pieter Totte.
Typhoo tea-off
Premier Foods has sold Typhoo Tea to Indian firm Apeejay Tea, for £80m. Premier let the UK's third largest tea brand go after a 9% dip in tea sales in the first half of this year. It has used the proceeds to reduce debt.
London Fruit & Herb, Lift, own-label contracts and Premiers tea blending and packing facility at Moreton, Wirral have all been handed over to the Calcutta-based group. The Wirral factory, which employs 249 people, will remain in operation and the head office will be moved there from St Albans.
Health check
The parliamentary under-secretary of state for public health Caroline Flint will be speaking at a half-day seminar being organised Food Manufacture's sister magazine The Grocer on the first anniversary of the government's Public Health White Paper.
Entry to the seminar in London on November 22 is free. Contact furvyn.furevqna@jvyyvnz-errq.pb.hx by November 7.
More export cash
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is to give a further £2m to Food for Britain, which is responsible for promoting regional food and drink in England and overseas.
