All news articles for August 2015

Morrisons is reportedly close to selling its convenience stores

Morrisons said to be close to convenience store sale

By Michael Stones

Morrisons is close to agreeing the sale of its M-Local convenience stores to investment group Greybull Capital, according to press reports, as Shore Capital warned the supermarkets’ convenience business had “reached its zenith”.

Food manufacturers should safeguard their supply chains against weather-related threats

More secure food chains needed to cope with drought and floods

By Lynda Searby

Food manufacturers need to make their supply chains more resilient to cope with the increased risk of weather-related production volatility, according to a new report produced by an independent food security research taskforce.

The number of multiple audits suppliers experience could be reduced with the latest update to the BRC Global Standards Directory

BRC Global Standards update will cut multiple audits

By Rick Pendrous

Food manufacturers should be able to reduce the number of multiple retail food hygiene audits they are subjected to, with the updated British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standards Directory published yesterday (August 13).

Bakkavor recently sold its remaining Italian pizza business

Bakkavor sees international sales boost

By John Wood

Bakkavor has boosted turnover and profits for the half-year to June 27, with its international business making up for a decline in UK sales in the second quarter.

More than 900 jobs were at risk

450 jobs saved at Young’s after £1.35M investment

By Nicholas Robinson

Young’s will create more than 200 jobs after securing £1.35M of investment, following a recent announcement to ditch more than 900 jobs when it lost a major contract to supply Sainsbury in June.

Amazon may be succeeding in the US, but the model won't work in the UK, an analyst has warned

Amazon Fresh UK launch: the flaws

By John Wood

Amazon’s plan to dominate fresh food delivery in the UK could be flawed if it follows its US model too closely, a leading food chain consultant has warned.

Plant bread sales are expected to decline further

Is the decline of packaged bread terminal?

By John Wood

A report questioning whether packaged bread manufacturers in the UK could be facing a terminal decline in sales of their products, has been published by Euromonitor International.

The CMA could still change its mind about giving the go-ahead, according to City analysts

Dairy Crest sale could be approved by October

By Lynda Searby

Müller is one step closer to concluding its deal with Dairy Crest, following the Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) announcement that it agrees with Müller’s proposals for alleviating anti-competition concerns.

Amazon is expected to launch its Fresh business in the UK very soon

Amazon’s fresh food launch powers ahead

By John Wood

Amazon is fitting out a former Tesco warehouse in Weybridge, Surrey, amid speculation that it could launch its UK fresh food delivery service as early as next month.

How did Taylors of Harrogate troublehsoot its problem?

Taylors of Harrogate reduces maintenance downtime

By Nicholas Robinson

Taylors of Harrogate has significantly reduced the maintenance downtown on its packaging lines after making minor adjustments to operations at its Harrogate manufacturing facility, the company’s shift manager John Hennighan said.

The £31M investment is the biggest the site has seen in its 40 year history

Me and My Factory

In Allied Bakeries’ new bakehouse

By Nicholas Robinson

Allied Bakeries’ Stevenage site has come to the end of a £31M investment, Russell Zaple tells Nicholas Robinson all about it.

Dropping A level food technology could have serious consequences for the industry

Food bosses backlash over DfE’s A level ditch

By Nicholas Robinson

Food and drink industry leaders have slammed government proposals to ditch food technology at A level, claiming it could seriously damage the sector, while Twitter erupted in a storm of support to keep the qualification.

KITE exceeded its £10M target

Welsh food SMEs given £80M boost

By John Wood

A knowledge exchange project operated by a university and a further education college has added more than £80M to the turnover of Welsh small- and medium-sized food businesses (SMEs) since its formation in 2009.

supermarkets account for 0.25Mt of food waste a year, according to WRAP

Retailers shouldn’t carry the blame for food waste, says BRC

By Nicholas Robinson

Food waste reduction by manufacturers and households needs to be the focus of attention since they are the biggest culprits, rather than supermarkets, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) director of food policy Andrew Opie has argued.

Burton's is aiming to get a foothold in the healthy eating market, according to reports

Burton’s battles it out for Nakd

By Lynda Searby

Burton’s Biscuit Company is reportedly fighting off stiff competition for Natural Balance Foods, as private equity firms and other food companies battle it out to buy the Nakd and Trek bar manufacturer.

Jens Bleiel: 'Irish dairy will target sports nutrition harder'

New science for dairy hydrolysate

By Nicholas Robinson

A dairy-based ingredient to promote faster recovery from exercise will be developed following research carried out by Food for Health Ireland (FHI), the organisation says.

Givaudan has invested €11.5M in the Tokyo centre

Flavour firm opens in Japan

By Nicholas Robinson

Givaudan, a global flavour and fragrance house, has pumped more than €11.5M into a new Tokyo-based technical centre.

New breeding techniques are being used to develop hardier wheat strains

Crop strains developed in ‘no time’

By Rick Pendrous

French grain co-operative Limagrain is using the latest gene selection techniques and advanced computer technology to speed up the development of wheat and maize varieties with characteristics that provide benefits to both cereal farmers and manufacturers...

Chéron: Price stability is needed

Limagrain boss calls for price stability

By Rick Pendrous

The EU needs to adopt a new stabilisation model from 2020 to counter extreme volatility in prices for commodities, such as wheat and maize, caused by speculation in global markets, according to the boss of French grain co-operative Limagrain.

Opinions are divided about the logic of vertical integration of the food supply chain

Supermarkets ‘risk losing millions’ in manufacturing

By Nicholas Robinson

Supermarkets planning to take up food manufacturing in their fight to gain a competitive edge over the limited range discounters Aldi and Lidl risked losing millions of pounds and faced being stuck with underperforming factories, a leading analyst has...

The CBI backs the strike rules changes

Strike law changes will cause problems in food

By Nicholas Robinson

Strike law reforms proposed by the government in the Trades Union Bill could “sour” relationships between workers and employers and increase the likelihood of unofficial action, the manufacturers’ organisation EEF has warned.

Nobody expected the online sales explosion when FIC was first mooted

Online sales cause FIR compliance headaches

By Rick Pendrous

Explosive growth in internet sales of food and drink is causing big problems for manufacturers and regulators when it comes to ensuring compliance with the European Food Information for Consumers (FIC) regulation, also known as FIR in the UK, a senior...

Devro's cost-cutting could help improve the business further

Cost-cutting could save Devro’s skin

By Lynda Searby

Devro’s restructuring exercise looks to be working in returning the Scottish collagen product maker to profitability, as the group posted profits before tax of £9.6M for the first half (H1) of 2015.

Aldi will team up with team GB to promote British produce to consumers

Aldi makes Olympic effort to support British food

By John Wood

British produce is set to get a sharp boost after Aldi announced its partnership with the Olympics team GB, weeks after the German discounter pledged to ‘change the face of retailer and supplier relations’.

Richmond sausage sales were impacted by deep promotional activity

Kerry Foods sales revenue falls by 6.4%

By Alice Foster

Kerry Foods has suffered losses as a result of heavy promotional activity caused by the major multiples in response to the growth of the German discounters Aldi and Lidl.

200 trucks a day would be given priority by police

Calais crisis: quick-to-market routes for food

By John Wood

As plans for ‘quick-to-market’ routes for vehicles carrying key consignments, including fresh produce, get under way in Kent, the Scottish government’s fisheries and food secretary Richard Lochhead has urged the UK government to continue to push for a...

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