All news articles for February 2005

Branded ingredients: the path to growth in pressurised industry?

The news this month that the world's number one drinks giant Coca Cola has linked up with Tate & Lyle's Splenda sweetener in a new branding venture could signal the beginning of a new wave of ingredient - manufacturer tie-ups.

ADM upgrades cocoa processing in Brazil

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.

Russian confectioner lifted by Green Week participation

United Confectioners, Europe's biggest confectionery holding group which unites Russia's 15 leading producers, saw its 2005 order book swell after its recent participation in Berlin's Green Week exhibition, with exports likely to grow by 20 per cent as a result of deals signed at the show, reports Angela Drujinina

Fischer Boel outlines EU CAP reform priorities

Mariann Fischer Boel, the EU's recently appointed agriculture commissioner, has claimed that sweeping EU agricultural reforms will provide UK farmers with a "better balance of support", while forging a more competitive and sustainable European agriculture industry, Tom Armitage reports.

Profits up for Nestlé as confectionery sales improve

Nestlé, the world's number one food company, hopes to appease investors by offering a sizeable dividend payout, despite announcing a disappointing overall drop in 2004 sales, Tom Armitage reports.

Romania facing struggle to compete in sugar sector

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 rest of the Union - especially given Romania's current sub-quota production levels, writes Bogdan Tudorache.

Cadbury Schweppes back on track after reshuffle

British confectionery and soft drinks group Cadbury Schweppes is back on the path to growth after the acquisition of confectionery group Adams and a complete overhaul of its US beverage business. Cost reductions, investment in confectionery innovation and a strong performance in the difficult US soft drinks market all contributed to a major bounce back in 2004, writes Chris Jones.

Degussa breaks up ingredients unit in fruit system sale

Flavours and texturants firm Degussa will shrug off its fruit preparation business to an American equity company in a sale that prepares the ground for a total divesture of its remaining food ingredients unit.

Thorntons boosted by wider retail sales

British confectionery manufacturer and retailer Thorntons suffered along with most of the UK's retail sector over the Christmas period, but its first half results were buoyed by an otherwise solid performance from products sold through other retail outlets. But the company remains clear that its future lies in improving its own network of stores and range of products, writes Chris Jones.

Neotame on EFSA's agenda

Non-nutritive sweetener neotame is on the agenda in Europe as scientific experts meet today in Brussels to discuss the food additive up to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar.

Tate & Lyle builds up ingredients portfolio with new investment

Race for the next high margin ingredient continues as the UK maker of Splenda sweetener signs off €36 million over the next five years to invest in "next-generation food and industrial ingredients".

Splenda maker invests heavily in NPD

Race for the next high margin ingredient continues as the UK maker of Splenda sweetener signs off $46 million over the next five years to invest in "next-generation food and industrial ingredients".

Nestlé labelling disregards UK government guidance

The British arm of Nestlé has become the latest food producer to revamp its nutrition labels, yet the country's food industry is on rocky ground by entrenching its support for guideline daily amounts against the government's wishes, argues Chris Mercer.

Chocolate industry affirms reponsible farming need

Democrats Tom Harkin and Eliot L. Engel wrote a hard-hitting piece in the LA Times on Monday about the human cost of the chocolate trade, but the cocoa industry has hit back by reaffirming its commitment to responsible farming.

DSM: low margin food ingredients climb in tough climate

DSM, the largest food fermentation company in the world (in value terms) sees its combined food units beating industry growth for the year, but bakery still under pressure, reports Lindsey Partos.

Swiss chocolatiers lose market share to rising foreign imports

The number of imported chocolate products into Switzerland has increased for the fourth year running - but will the EU's looming CAP reforms soon bring this burgeoning trend to an end, asks Tom Armitage.

Nestlé installs cost-cutting pallet labelling system

Sato has developed an automated pallet labelling concept for Nestlé using UHF RFID tags that should help the company make significant supply chain savings.

Coke urges US and EU to tackle trade barriers

Companies seeking to do business across the Atlantic face significant hurdles if the United States and European Union do not work to remove non-tariff trade barriers, claimed Coca-Cola chief executive Neville Isdell.

Peanuts in plentiful supply

Several recently published studies have revealed the nutritional benefits of peanuts and USDA figures released last week show that there is no shortage of supply for food manufacturers.

US food sector growth reliant on global prosperity

Growth in the US agricultural sector over the next decade will be reliant on growing international economic activity to support gains in consumption, trade, and prices, according to the USDA.

Unilever rejigs management as core brand sales flag

Anglo-Dutch consumer giant Unilever is set to overhaul its management structure - a move which it claims will help restore top-line sales growth and allow it to draw a line under what it called an "unsatisfactory" 2004 performance, Tom Armitage reports.

Increase in counterfeit food drives innovations

Seizures of conterfeit food products and medicines entering the EU increased by 77 per cent from 2002 to 2003, according to the European Commission. Foodstuffs seized included sweets, waffles, chewing gum and even apples.

Splenda fights back

Tate & Lyle's Splenda brand in the news again this week as McNeil Nutritionals, the table-top supplier of this increasingly popular sweetener, takes the US sugar industry to court.

Cloetta Fazer turns to core brands as profits slide

Scandinavian confectioner Cloetta Fazer remains optimistic that it can turnaround flagging Polish sales, despite posting disappointing 2004 operating profits, Tom Armitage reports.

Bidding starts soon for Degussa ingredients unit

Bidding for the food ingredients business at Degussa, Germany's third largest chemicals group, could be underway by the start of the second quarter.

Safety in early stage of food production highlighted

Food in the pre-harvest stage is more vulnerable to contamination than food in the processing and packaging stages of production, because of environmental variability and our inability to control it, according to a new report released by the American Academy of Microbiology (AAM).

Genencor buy fits into strategy, says Danisco

Set to see sugar profits dip with incoming European sugar reform, Danisco's announcement last week to acquire enzyme player Genencor is the latest in a string of acquisitions that will go some way to bridging the sales gap, writes Lindsey Partos.

Scotland and Wales to influence CAP?

Recently devolved Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have already established a strong bargaining position in the development of EU policy, particularly in agriculture, likely to affect how the UK handles CAP reform in the future, claims a new UK study.

Coca-Cola to use Splenda logo on new Diet Coke

Sales and consumer awareness of sweetener from UK manufacturer Tate & Lyle look set to rise as number one global soft drinks player launches a new version of Diet Coke, complete with Splenda sucralose logo on the packaging, writes Lindsey Partos.

Food labels with '3D' power bring new knowledge to consumer

Food labels that mirror the 'three-dimensional' power of food could soon reach the food industry, should rule-makers and industry take on board a new concept designed by a New Zealand scientist.

Marketers facing new taxes

Marketers of fast moving consumer goods in Russia may now think twice about using free samples to promote their products, following a decision to tax them. Angela Drujinina reports.

New look for confectionery brand

Russia's Voronej confectionery company has revamped both the contents and the packaging of its product range in a bid to compete more effectively with the growing number of foreign confectionery brands, writes Angela Drujinina.

WILD rolls out fruit sweetener

German ingredients firm WILD launches a new fruit sweetener range to meet growing demand for 100 per cent natural food labels.

EU trade commissoner Mandelson to overhaul food regulations

Peter Mandelson, the newly-appointed EU trade commissioner, is considering launching a review of the EU's stringent food hygiene regulations in an attempt to tackle growing accusations that its policies are protectionist and denying developing nations a fair opportunity to compete, Tom Armitage reports.

Imperial Sugar forecasts difficult year

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.

UK sugar acquisition given clearance

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 market.

Willpower the only answer to obesity?

External signals override natural signals that we have eaten enough, but is it all a question of education, ask US researchers, exploring methods to tackle obesity.

EU obesity project to bring NPD openings for industry?

In a bid to stem the flow of funding to European health budgets, Brussels has invested more than €14 million in the fight against fat.

EU sets out food traceability guidelines

The EU has issued new guidelines to facilitate the traceability of food products across all member states.

Wrigley lifted by innovation and acquisitions

Continuing moves into new segments of the confectionery market have helped US gum maker Wrigley end 2004 with record sales and profits. And the acquisition of Spain's Joyco, with strong market shares in India and China, should continue to drive growth in emerging markets in 2005, writes Chris Jones.

United Confectioners moves to protect its brands

United Confectioners Holding has initiated a complex standardisation programme across its product range, a fact that will allow products at different factories to be manufactured to the same stable quality and taste, Angela Drujinina writes.

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