All news articles for March 2019

Ridgard: ‘I think it’s true to say that fantastic people make fantastic products’

The Original Baker invests in workers

By Gwen Ridler

A confident and passionate workforce is key to creating great products, according to the founders of Malton-based pie, pastry and sausage roll specialist The Original Baker.

Mondelēz International claimed fourth place for its UK milk chocolate wafer snack Cadbury Roundie

Top five global food and drink innovators

By Rod Addy

Nestlé, Barilla, Mondelēz International, Danone and PepsiCo have emerged as the top five global food and drink innovators, according to research by Nielsen.

The inquiry will explore the potential of a tax on packaging containing less than 30% recycled materials

Plastic packaging inquiry launched

By Rod Addy

An inquiry into plastic packaging for food and drink is being launched by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee, aiming to track progress on developing eco-friendly alternatives and how they perform.

New product launches by Coca-Cola and Unilever feature in this month's gallery

New product launches in food and drink

By Gwen Ridler

From Coca-Cola energy drinks to Marmite peanut butter, we take a look at some of the latest developments and trends in the food and drink industry in this gallery of new product developments.

Inside the Factory co-presenters Gregg Wallace and Cherry Healey at the Primula factory in Gateshead

Cheesemaker features on BBC Two factory show

By Noli Dinkovski

A north-east spreadable cheesemaker showed the nation how it makes 3,000t of product a year when it appeared on TV series Inside the Factory earlier this week (26 March).

Dunbia was handed a record fine for non-compliance of TSE regulations at its Preston site (stock image)

Dunbia given £266,000 fine by FSA

By Aidan Fortune

Red meat processor Dunbia has been fined more than £266,000 by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for the failure to remove parts of the animal designated specified risk materials.

BCMPA chief executive Rodney Steel explained how co-packers are reaping the benefits of Brexit

Co-packers benefit from Brexit doubt

By Paul Gander

Food industry uncertainties both around Brexit and the acceptability of different packaging materials are strengthening the position of co-packers, the boss of the trade body representing the sector has suggested.

CCEP has listed on the London Stock Exchange

CCEP listed on London Stock Exchange

By Gwen Ridler

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) has listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE), three and a half years after the merger to create the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler.

Interfood Technology's Textor slicers are designed to

Interfood meets the bacon slicing challenge

By Ellie Woollven

Two models in the Textor range can overcome the challenge of effective bacon slicing in a high-capacity environment, supplier Interfood Technology has claimed.

Employers could be expected to fit the bill for their EU workers. Picture from the Government's Parliament TV website

Employers to foot EU worker bill

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink manufacturers could be expected to foot the bill to keep their EU migrant employees in the country once the UK leaves the EU.

The Ingredients Show promises to offer a wealth of new flavour trends

Ingredients Show preview

Food ingredients show returns to Birmingham

By Gwen Ridler

If being at the forefront of ingredients innovation is crucial to your business, a show taking place at the Birmingham NEC next month could prove to be a goldmine.

The FSA's guidance on the shelf-life of meat products has been questioned by BMPA and MLA research

Shelf-life guidance comes under fire

By Aidan Fortune

Research into the shelf-life of meat products has found that the ’10-day rule’ may no longer be appropriate for the industry.

Buttriss examines micronutrient intake in the UK and its affect on the nation’s diet

OPINION

PHE data reveals falling micronutrient intakes

By Judy Buttriss

British Nutrition Foundation director general Professor Judy Buttriss discusses the decline of micronutrient intakes in the UK and its impact on dietary intake.

AB InBev has rebranded as Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I in the UK

AB InBev rebrands in the UK

By Gwen Ridler

Alcoholic drinks manufacturer AB InBev has changed the name of its UK business to Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I.

Tacon's verdict found the Co-op Group had breached two counts of the GSCOP

£1.3m bill for Co-op Group grocery code breach

By Rod Addy

The Co-op Group must overhaul its processes and face costs of £1.3m after Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA) Christine Tacon announced it had breached the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP).

The University of Nottingham aims to provide a rounded education for its food science and processing students

learning provider

University of Nottingham: agents of change

By Gwen Ridler

Two professors at the University of Nottingham are giving food science and processing students a rounded education to help them break down silos in the food industry.

Warnings have been issued to Government over a lack of clarity surrounding Brexit

Meat industry issues Brexit warnings

By Aidan Fortune

The British Poultry Council (BPC) has called on the Government to ensure that the population continues to have access to quality food once the UK leaves the EU.

Manufacturers have never been under more pressure to reformulate – but at what cost?

FEATURE

Piling on the pounds: the route to reformulation

By Noli Dinkovski

With the threat of taxation hanging over their heads, manufacturers are scrambling to meet sugar and calorie reduction targets, but with consumers looking for cleaner labels, there is no easy route to reformulation.

Bristows of Devon and Crawford & Tilley will be brought together as one entity

Bristows and Crawford & Tilley brought under one roof

By Gwen Ridler

Bristows of Devon and Crawford & Tilley owner the Paramount Retail Group is to bring the two companies together under one entity, the Great British Confectionery Group, for trading purposes.

St Pierre Groupe, formerly Carrs Foods, has invested £6.7m in international growth

St Pierre Group secures £6.7m investment

By Gwen Ridler

St Pierre Group, recently rebranded from Carrs Foods, has secured a £6.7m investment from BGF and Lloyds bank in a bid to accelerate international growth.

Pasta Foods has invested in a new pasta production line ahead of expected Brexit supply issues

Pasta Foods invests in new production line

By Aidan Fortune

Ingredients manufacturer Pasta Foods has installed a new state of the art production line in its Norwich facility to help cope with expected rising demand caused by Brexit.

Own-label suppliers, including Bakkavor, will be negatively impacted by the Sainsbury's/Asda merger

Sainsbury’s/Asda merger putting suppliers at risk

By Gwen Ridler

Own-label suppliers will be negatively affected by the proposed Sainsbury’s/Asda merger, whether or not it gets approved by the Competition and Mergers Authority (CMA), according to Barclays analysts.

2 Sisters owned Fox's Biscuits is set to axe 250 jobs

2 Sisters to axe 250 jobs at Fox’s Biscuits

By Gwen Ridler

Hundreds of jobs are at risk at Fox’s Biscuits’ Uttoxeter site in East Staffordshire, after the manufacturer announced plans to reduce the 700-strong workforce at the loss-making site.

The SBcCo Group has secured a new manufacturing facility in North Yorkshire

Brewer secures new factory to boost exports

By Gwen Ridler

Drinks producer The SBCo Group has completed a seven-figure deal to acquire a manufacturing facility in Cropton, North Yorkshire, in a bid to boost exports to China and Hong Kong.

David Jones and Michal Chalupka discuss Britvic's apprenticeship programme

Meet the apprentice: Britvic

By Gwen Ridler

Britvic UK & Ireland is keen to develop its people, whether through formalised training or apprenticeship schemes, as the firm’s Michal Chalupka and David Jones explain.

This latest UK development for Magnum follows the launch of Magnum Vegan in Classic and Almond varieties in September 2018

Unilever extends Magnum White Chocolate selection

By Rod Addy

Unilever is taking its Magnum White Chocolate ice cream variant in a fresh direction, launching Magnum White Chocolate & Cookies, hailing 2019 as the year of white chocolate.

Terms such as 'partially outdoors' puzzle shoppers

Animal welfare phrases confuse shoppers

By Rod Addy

Shoppers are confused by the proliferation of animal welfare terms used on product labels, with only a few striking a chord with them, delegates at a recent Winterbotham Darby conference heard.

The move taps into the trend for plant-based diets, says brand owner Upfield

Flora gets vegan-friendly overhaul

By Noli Dinkovski

Spreads brand Flora is to become 100% plant-based has part of a relaunch that includes a rollout of the Dairy Free variant to caterers.

Concerns have been expressed over the lack of progress on tackling AMR

AMR data should ‘ring alarm bells’

By Aidan Fortune

The lack of progress on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has been described as worrying, following the publication of new data.

Simply Lunch managing director Sam Page (centre), with brothers Jack (left) and William (right), is confident the firm’s bullish outlook will help it ride the Brexit storm

Me & My Team

Simply Lunch on the same page

By Sam Page

The boss of the family-run food-to-go business explains how they built an empire – and a strategy for overcoming Brexit uncertainty.

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