All news articles for April 2015

The new concept 'More' store stocks 700 free-from stock keeping units

Holland & Barrett to open 50 ‘free-from’ stores

By Rod Addy

Holland & Barrett aims to launch 50 ‘free-from’ food stores over the next two years, with the first new concept outlet, dubbed ‘More’, opening its doors in Chester today (April 23).

Joanna Blythman has accused the industry of misleading consumers

Industry won't 'swallow' this book

By Nicholas Robinson

Food and drink manufacturers have been unfairly attacked by a recently published book that tried to shame the sector for allegedly misleading consumers about clean labels, one industry expert has said.

The FSA has urged shoppers not to consume the product

Cancer-causing dye sparks palm oil recall

By Rod Addy

The presence of a cancer-causing dye, Sudan IV, in palm oil products sold at a London cash and carry has prompted the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to issue a recall notice.

Tesco reported an annual pre-tax loss of £6.38bn

Signs of hope after Tesco’s ‘dismal’ year

By Rod Addy

Tesco has suffered a ‘dismal’, ‘nightmare’ year, “struggling to reassert its dominance”, but is showing signs of hope for the future, according to analysts.

Left to right: Richard Stevenson, Lloyds Bank Commercial Finance, Paul Williams, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking (in cab) and Neil Evans, NR Evans md

Food distributor NR Evans creates 60 jobs

By Rod Addy

Chilled food distributor NR Evans has created more than 60 jobs in an expansion of its operation backed by a £3M lending facility from Lloyds Bank.

Food fails for politicians

Election 2015

When political food fails – in pictures

By Laurence Gibbons

What do a bacon sandwich, a sausage roll and a hot dog have in common? You’d be forgiven for thinking the answer is that they are all tasty snacks consisting of a baked treat with a pork filling, but they have actually all caused headaches for campaigning...

Pork Farms first announced the deal in August 2014

Pork Farms and Kerry Foods deal set to clear

By Rod Addy

Pork Farms’s purchase of Kerry Foods’s chilled savoury pastry factories at Poole, Dorset, and Spalding in Lincolnshire, has been provisionally cleared by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

Ahmed: 'Steady flow of new products'

Tate & Lyle faces £125M in costs for restructure

By Rod Addy

Tate & Lyle has announced a restructure of its international ingredients business, which focuses it on its Speciality Food Ingredients (SFI) division in Europe and will cost £125M.

'Dodgy' supermarket pricing tactics could cost shoppers millions: Which?

Supermarket pricing ‘misleads’ shoppers: Which?

By Michael Stones

Supermarkets’ ‘misleading pricing policies’ have been referred to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the form of ‘a super complaint’ by the consumer pressure group Which?

David won round one but will he triumph this time? Unlikely, was Begbies Traynor's verdict

Food suppliers ‘devastated’ by supermarket price war

By Michael Stones

Supermarket price war continues to “devastate” small-scale food and drink suppliers, as they fight a David and Goliath style battle with the big retailers, warns business recovery specialist Begbies Traynor.

Sales of natural fruit pieces show promise as interest increases

Rise of natural fruit pieces

By Nicholas Robinson

Sales of natural fruit pieces for use in confectionery products are on the rise, as some firms report annual purchase increases of almost 8%.

There is hope for gut health

All eyes on gut health

By Michelle Knott

There is a glimmer of hope for Europe’s probiotics sector, Michelle Knott reports on developments

Iglo Foods has bee sold for a cool £1.87bn

Iglo Foods sold to Nomad for £1.87bn

By Michael Stones

Frozen food firm Iglo Foods has been snapped up by investment firm Nomad Holdings for £1.87bn (€2.6bn), in a deal announced on Monday (April 20).

England stars Cahill, Rooney and Oxlade-Camberlain with the prize winning balls

Mars aims to score with millions of football fans

By Laurence Gibbons

Chocolate manufacturer Mars has launched its “biggest ever” football giveaway in a bid to score big with millions of football fans and boost sales of its chocolate bar.

Food and drink would ‘prefer’ a Conservative government – expert

Election 2015

Food industry ‘better’ with Conservatives: expert

By Nicholas Robinson

Food and drink manufacturers would be disadvantaged by a Labour coalition with the Scottish National Party (SNP) and would instead prefer another Conservative government, according to a leading analyst.

Santa Maria's growing range has helped it secure sales of £30.4M

Innovation helps Santa Maria secure £30.4M sales

By Laurence Gibbons

Mexican food manufacturer Santa Maria has posted £30.4M in value sales for the 52 weeks to February 28 2015 as a result of increased innovation in the sector, the firm claimed.

Investment is on hold for food and drink firms

Election 2015

Industry stagnates as suppliers cut investment

By Nicholas Robinson

UK industry – including food manufacture – is in a “state of stagnation” as suppliers cut investment and impose recruitment bans and pay freezes until May’s general election, experts have claimed.

Grubs up, according to the FAO

Grub’s up as FAO tweets insect infographic

By Michael Stones

Putting insects on a plate is the subject of a new infographic posted on the social networking site Twitter by the Food and Agriculture Organisation, as pressure mounts to make the protein more acceptable to EU consumers.

Auras: 'No enhanced biodegradation'

Oxo-biodegradables come under fire again

By Paul Gander

New research from Michigan State University (MSU) has reignited the heated debate between advocates of compostable and oxo-biodegradable plastics.

Bottling firms are demanding more from plastics permeability

Barrier properties for bottle use

By Paul Gander

Evidence from testing activity suggests that coating specialists are developing barriers with selective gas permeability in order to tailor in-bottle atmospheres to suit different beverages, rather as product-specific modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)...

There are three barriers preventing women in manufacturing

Top three barriers to women in manufacturing

By Laurence Gibbons

A lack of knowledge about food industry careers, misconceptions about manufacturing and a dip in apprenticeships are the three barriers blocking women from starting careers in the food and drink manufacturing sector.

Nick Clegg won praise for his manifesto's commitment to EU membership

Liberal Democrat manifesto to ‘finish the job’

By Michael Stones

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg launched his party’s manifesto on Wednesday (April 15) claiming that it built on a record of policies delivered in national government.

Goodburn thinks food should be used in every lesson at school

Chilled Food boss on recruitment mission

By Nicholas Robinson

There are many threats to the food and drink sector, but CFA director Kaarin Goodburn tells Nicholas Robinson the skills gap is the biggest

No glass ceiling blocking women: Nestlé’s boss Fiona Kendrick

Nestlé boss rejects 'glass ceiling' theory

By Nicholas Robinson

Nestlé’s boss Fiona Kendrick has rejected accusations that a glass ceiling is preventing women from becoming leaders of big UK food and drink firms.

Tacon: 'I want to know how retailer practices have changed over the past 12 months'

Tacon urges trade to respond to groceries survey

By Rod Addy

All 10 major food retailers have now backed the second annual groceries suppliers’ survey launched by Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon last month, according to a GCA spokeswoman.

More convenience products are needed to stem the decline in sales of boxed cereals

Boost convenience products to grow, says cereal boss

By Nicholas Robinson

Changing consumer needs and an increasingly challenging market will continue to push cereal manufacturers to develop convenience products, Bokomo Foods’s ceo John Hiles has said.

CCE Milton Keynes's plant manager is eyeing up investment

Inside CCE Milton Keynes

By Nicholas Robinson

Coca-Cola Enterprises’ (CCE’s) 40 year-old Milton Keynes site has had more than £6M invested into it in the past three years, but plant director Nicholas Nixon wants more.

The Empire Strikes Back: supermarkets have started to fight back against discounters

Supermarket Empire ‘strikes back’

By Laurence Gibbons

The empire strikes back: that’s the verdict of City analyst Shore Capital on supermarkets’ bid to repel the market share gaining hard discounters Aldi and Lidl. But concerns remain about Sainsbury.

The departure of Casper Meijer means 70% of Morrisons' board have quit the business since the new boss began work

Morrisons board bosses: 70% ‘leave the building’

By Michael Stones

Seven in 10 of Morrisons’ management board have left the business since new ceo David Potts began work last month, notes City analyst Shore Capital, after the departure of group trading director Casper Meijer on Monday (April 13).

Business leaders gave a mixed reaction to Labour's manifesto

Election 2015

Labour plans draw mixed reaction from business

By Michael Stones

Business leaders have given a mixed response to Labour’s manifesto published on Monday (April 13), with praise for its commitment to EU membership but criticism of its curb on zero-hours contracts.

 EEF were dissapointed by Cameron's policy over an EU referendum

Election 2015

Conservative manifesto ‘disappointing’ for manufacturers

By Laurence Gibbons

David Cameron’s policy to let the public decide on an EU referendum, revealed in the Conservative manifesto today, was “disappointing”, according to the boss of the manufacturers’ organisation EEF.

The Labour manifesto pledged a long-term strategy for the food sector

Election 2015

Labour’s manifesto: food industry implications

By Michael Stones

Labour pledged to expand the role of the supermarket watchdog to protect food producers, create better paid jobs and apprenticeships across the rural economy, while creating a “world-leading food, farm and fisheries sector” in its manifesto released yesterday...

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