The Central America Free Trade Agreement narrowly passed its first
Congressional test yesterday, but only after concessions were made
to the sugar industry writes Anthony Fletcher.
American Farm Bureau Federation president Bob Stallman agues that
the sugar industry is wrong to oppose the ratification of the
Central American Free Trade Agreement, writes Anthony
Fletcher.
The EU's Sugar Management Committee has backed a new regulation
demanding that five of the new member states destroy their surplus
sugar stocks or face fines, reports Chris Mercer.
Hungry food ingredients giant Cargill to enter Brazilian sugar and
alcohol production sector for the first time, announcing a new deal
to buy Açucareira Corona sugar mills.
Functional flavours and ingredients manufacturer Danisco, one of
Europe's largest sugar suppliers, is to cease the processing of
sugar beet at one of its sites in Lithuania, Tom Armitage
reports.
Organic and low/no sugar are the tags food manufacturers should be
looking at adding to their packaging if they want their products to
enjoy strong and sustained growth, said AC Nielsen.
Moves to reform the European sugar regime will accelerate after the
EU loses its appeal against a World Trade Organisation decision
that its handouts to sugar farmers are illegal, reports Lindsey
Partos.
Evidence backing the antioxidant powers of natural cocoa could
bring new opportunities for confectionery firms looking to boost
slacking sales in a saturated market, reports Lindsey Partos
.
A new method that uses powerful enzymes to convert fructose and
sucrose into the low calorie sugar alcohol mannitol receives patent
protection, opening up cheaper sources for this chewing gum
ingredient, reports Lindsey Partos.
Leading merchant of cocoa, sugar and coffee ED&F Man has
launched Corigins, a US-based supplier offering traceable, quality
sugar and cocoa ingredients, Philippa Nuttall reports.
EU Agriculture Commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has dealt a blow
to sugar reform lobbyists across Europe and developing countries by
voicing her opposition to special arrangements for different states
when proposals are adopted later...
Major food commodity processor and ingredients supplier Archer
Daniels Midland (ADM) will expand cocoa operations in Brazil to
match expansion of current product lines, the firm said this week.
Romanian sugar producers face a hard time in the run-up to the
country's predicted accession to the EU in 2007, with few firms
capable of the high level of investment that will be necessary to
compete with other companies from...
The Competition Commission (CC) today announced it has
provisionally cleared the completed acquisition by Napier Brown
Foods (NBF) of James Budgett Sugars (JBS), but voiced concerns
about the lack of competition in the UK sugar...
Imperial Sugar yesterday (Thursday) announced a higher
first-quarter profit, but predicted that operating income would
fall significantly in 2005 as the sugar industry remains
challenging, reports Philippa Nuttall.
A record sugar cane crop has helped the Philippines become an
exporter of sugar after years of imports. It expects to sell
160,000 tons overseas this year, according to the country's Sugar
Regulatory Authority (SRA). Anand Krishnamoorthy...
Ireland's lone sugar processor Greencore Sugar is to cease
operating at its Carlow production facility in anticipation of the
pending EU reform of the sugar industry, Tom Armitage
reports.
High blood sugar levels could be a risk factor in developing
several types of cancer, suggest researchers that tracked over 1
million Koreans for a decade.
Prices for cocoa remain relatively volatile as political unrest in
Ivory Coast, that produces some 40 per cent of global cocoa crops,
keeps the market nervous.
Food and ingredients producer Greencore has warned early that its
Irish sugar business could be seriously damaged when the EU finally
implements its sugar reform, expected next December, writes
Chris Mercer.
Plans for EU sugar reform are unfair and would only benefit the
biggest producers, according to 10 member states including
Slovenia, Hungary and Latvia, as new discussions split opinions in
eastern Europe, reports Chris Mercer.
Cocoa prices have leapt in London, driven by fears that instability
in Ivory Coast, that produces some 40 per cent of global crops,
could impact supplies.
Brussels will fight to appeal against a new decision by the World
Trade Organisation that rules the EU illegally subsidises exports
of sugar, ruling in favour of a legal challenge by Australia,
Thailand and Brazil, the world's...
AFSSA, the French food safety authority, has called for a
significant reduction of sugars added to processed foods alongside
stronger backing for foods containing wholegrains and high fibre.
In her introductory speech before the European Parliament last
week, farm chief designate Mariann Fischer Boel signalled that
sugar reform and defending EU products at WTO talks were among the
key challenges for EU agriculture over...
Prices remain steady for cocoa, despite news that the start of the
new cocoa harvesting season from the world's biggest producer,
Ivory Coast, has been delayed due to a dispute.
A new campaign to reduce sugar levels in foods and consumer diets
in order to tackle the national obesity problem is reportedly being
considered by the UK government, to run after the current attack on
salt is over, writes Chris Mercer.
Sugar producers from Serbia and Montenegro will once again benefit
from preferential access to the European Union market, following
the EU's recent lifting of a 15-month ban on duty-free sugar
imports from the country - a move...
The contribution that the common sweetener ingredient sucrose has
made to the growing incidence of obesity is the focus of a dispute
between the US sugar association and a New Zealand scientist.
Firm changes to the heavily criticised European sugar regime are
unlikely to have a significant effect on the world sugar market,
and that prices are likely to remain low, a US sugar industry
analyst tells an international sweetener...
The European Union last week announced plans for a radical overhaul
of the EU sugar regime, a resolution that is likely to bring about
both applause and criticism from its New Member States in Central
Europe.
Long-awaited changes to Europe's heavily subsidised sugar regime
are on the way after the European Commission tabled a new set of
rules that could lead to cheaper sugar ingredients, writes
Lindsey Partos.
Cheaper sugar ingredients could be on the way for food makers as
rumours continue to circulate about the proposed new rules to the
EU sugar regime that could open up the protected European market,
prompting Danish sugar giant Danisco...
Cheaper sugar ingredients could be on the way for food makers in
Europe as draft plans for tough changes to the much criticised
sugar regime come to light.
A roasting system equipped with state-of-the-art debacterisation
has been developed for US chocolate and cocoa producer Blommer. The
process is claimed to preserve the properties of cocoa better.
Top ingredients supplier Danisco will phase out its activities in
oil and protein crops in order to focus on sugar beet seed, said
the Danish firm this week, in a move reflecting changes to the
European sugar regime in 2006 that will...
Earlier this month CAOBISCO, the body which represents European
manufacturers of sugar-based foods, came racing to side of the
businesses it represents in the accession countries. Once installed
in an enlarged Europe, the new Member...
Manufacturers of sports supplements may need to reduce sugar levels
in certain products as new research from Japan shows that
preference for sweetness decreases after exercise.
Romanian sugar producers say they are facing possible collapse
because of suffocating sugar quotas which have been in place for
the last five years, in the run up to accession.
Scientists in the US are well on the way to developing sugar beets
with improved seedling vigour, higher sugar content, and enhanced
disease resistance.
Russian white sugar production from imported raw beet is reported
to be down by 23 per cent for the start of the year, as the sector
struggles against diminished supplies of raw materials and high
stocks of unsold processed sugar....
'It is incorrect to focus on any specific food or ingredient in
attempting to address obesity,' cautions the US food industry, in
the face of mounting criticism that sugar intake plays a key role
in today's overweight...
On the cusp of reform to the EU's heavily supported sugar regime,
some of the world's poorest sugar exporting countries have called
on Europe 'to put fairness at the heart of the new regime'.
With the Commission proposal for changes to the EU sugar regime but
a few months away, Commissioner Franz Fischler explains why sugar
reform is 'unavoidable.'
The Russian sugar industry has suffered under the weight of poor
logistics, erratic raw supplies and a lack of financing. We spoke
to a leading industry analysts to find out how the industry is
facing up to these challenges and what...
Plant closures and 'competitive pressures?saw profits slide for US
sugar giant Imperial Sugar despite a rise in operating income for
the first quarter. Global sugar surplus keeps the prices down and
competition up.
German sugar giant Suedzucker willl break ground on a new plant to
produce bioethanol fuel from wheat at Zeitz in East Germany.
Earmarked for completion by 2005, the plant will operate in
conjunction with the local sugar factory.
