All news articles for May 2013

The marriage of Shuanghui and Smithfield Foods could bring opportunities for UK businesses such as Cranswick, said Shore Capital

Cranswick to benefit from global pig merger: City

By Mike Stones

UK meat firm Cranswick is likely to reap strategic benefit from the merger of China’s largest meat processor and pig producer, Shuanghui International, with the world’s largest pork processor North America’s Smithfield Foods, according to City analyst...

Badger cull row: Are badgers victims or villains?

Badger cull: RSCPA again accused of ‘bullying and hypocrisy’

By Mike Stones

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has again been accused of “bullying and hypocrisy”, after Freedom Food – its wholly owned subsidiary – wrote to farmers in the new badger cull areas, warning those who allowed the cull...

Don’t get hammered. Manufacturers should guard against the risk of religious discrimination, following the growing number of cases brought by Christian workers

Rising number of Christian discrimination claims

By Gary Scattergood

Manufacturers need to be increasingly aware of putting their businesses at risk of accusations of religious discrimination when seeking to change employee terms and conditions, with a legal expert reporting a growing trend in the number of tribunal cases...

A diet high in fruit and vegetables and low in meat was not necessarily more sustainable, according to a new greenhouse gas emissions study

More fruit and veg doesn’t make diet more sustainable

By Gary Scattergood

A healthy diet lower in meat and higher in fruit and vegetables is not necessarily more sustainable – and may lead to higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE), a new study has claimed.

Frances said consumer recycling was crucial to helping CCE achieve its carbon footprint reduction target

Consumer recycling key to carbon footprint: CCE

By Gary Scattergood

Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has launched a study with 10 British households to understand why recycling rates are so low despite people claiming they frequently recycle.

‘Aside from Tesco initially responding to the problem in Ireland, industry spokespeople were largely absent in the beginning,’ said Andrew Rhodes

Horsemeat webinar

Horsemeat webinar – highlights captured in quotes

By Mike Stones

The horsemeat crisis was undeniably devastating for the UK food industry but there may be a number of positive outcomes, according to speakers at Food Manufacture’s webinar earlier this month. Here we capture in quotes the highlights of the webinar –...

The horsemeat crisis proved food retailers and manufacturers were not solely responsible for food safety and quality, said Hilary Ross

Horsemeat webinar

Manufacturers and retailers not solely responsible for safety

By Mike Stones

A key lesson from the horsemeat crisis was that responsibility for food safety should be shared throughout the food industry and was not solely the role of food manufacturers and retailers, according to a leading food lawyer.

The horsemeat crisis could have a silver lining, said Mintel's Kiti Soininen

Horsemeat webinar

Horsemeat crisis more opportunity than threat: Mintel

By Mike Stones

The horsemeat crisis could be more of a long-term opportunity than a threat to the UK food industry, Mintel told the Food Manufacture Group’s horsemeat webinar earlier this month.

AG Barr 'outperformed a sluggish market', said Panmure Gordon

AG Barr still committed to Britvic merger

By Mike Stones

Irn-Bru manufacturer AG Barr is still committed to a merger with Britvic, according to its latest financial statement covering the 15 weeks from January 27 to May 12.

Make a date to attend our Food Safety Conference 2013 on Thursday October 17 at the National Motorcyle Museum near Birmingham

Food Safety Conference

Food safety to take centre stage at new conference

By Mike Stones

The latest thinking on food safety will take centre stage at a one-day conference organised by the Food Manufacture Group at the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull on Thursday October 17 2013.

Demand for more lightly processed foods, containing fewer additives and preservatives, could lead to more cases of food poisoning

Food safety threatened by milder treatments

By Rick Pendrous

Consumer demand for more lightly processed foods containing fewer additives and preservatives could be compromising food safety, leading scientists have warned.

Food firms may have to report levels of cross contamination between species well below the 1% threshold used in the horsemeat scandal

Meat contamination rules to be tougher

By Gary Scattergood

Food firms will probably have to report levels of cross contamination between species well below the 1% threshold used in the horsemeat scandal under new guidelines being prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the...

Widespread use of DNA testing for horsemeat contamination would be a waste of money, delegates were told at a recent food fraud conference

Market intelligence needed to avoid next food scandal

By Rick Pendrous and Laurence Gibbons

Manufacturers need to use market intelligence and horizon scanning tools to protect themselves against the next food scandal following the horsemeat contamination incidents this year, experts have argued.

While the BRIC nations lead the pack, other emerging markets are gaining ground behind them

Top 10 emerging markets for food and drink manufacturers

By Lorraine Mullaney

Few advanced economies can measure up to the potential of emerging markets, which have been forecast to exhibit the fastest growth rates for food and non-alcoholic beverages over the next five years, according to a new report from global law firm Linklaters.com.

Carling workers allegedly face pay cuts of up to £9,000 a year

Carling workers in pay row demo

By Lorraine Mullaney

Employees of the Molson Coors brewery in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, will demonstrate in public tomorrow (May 25) against management’s alleged plans to cut their pay and reduce their terms and conditions of working.

Britvic's plan to cut hundreds of jobs was 'a bitter blow', said the union Unite

Britvic’s job cut plan ‘a bitter blow’: union

By Mike Stones

Soft drinks firm Britvic’s plan to cut hundreds of jobs – with the closure of two factories and a warehouse – has been slammed by the union Unite as “a bitter blow” to the workforce and the local economy.

Food manufacturers could benefit from positive EFSA rulings on omega-3 health claims, said Diana Cowland

Vitafoods 2013

Omega-3 brain and vision benefits could boost food firms

By Gary Scattergood

The brain and vision benefits of omega-3 are offering vast opportunities to food manufacturers on the back of positive European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims rulings.

Warburtons said the agreement underlined its commitment to growth and diversification

Warburtons acquires specialist bakery

By Laurence Gibbons

Britain’s leading bakery brand owner Warburtons has completed the purchase of speciality bread and pastry manufacturer Giles Foods, for an undisclosed sum.

Alex Mayfield asked the DH to look elsewhere to meet salt reduction targets

Plant bakers braced for more government salt reduction demands

By Gary Scattergood

Bread bakers should be prepared to face further reductions in salt levels when new limits are set by the Department of Health (DH) later this year – despite hitting their 2012 targets and reducing levels by 40% over the past decade.

Mothers' diets and lifestyles before and during pregnancy can affect their infants’ risk of succumbing to disease

Obesity during pregnancy poses lifetime health risk for babies

By Rick Pendrous

A woman’s diet and lifestyle before and during pregnancy, and her baby’s diet in early life, can affect the infant’s risk of succumbing to disease later on and this will have important implications for the food industry, a new scientific report has concluded.

Food Manufacture's business survey will chart the mood of UK food and drink manufacturing

Take part in Food Manufacture’s business survey

By Mike Stones

How do you rate the prospects for your food and drink business over the year ahead? Taking part in Food Manufacture’s 2013 exclusive State-of-the-industry survey will allow you to compare your views with other industry professionals.

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