Anyone who has visited the United States will have witnessed the
generous portions that regale the multitude of eateries. But
according to new research to come out of the States, this is in
fact a new phenomenon, and one which has...
As the time-pressed, and stressed, European consumer increasingly
relies on semi- and ready-made foods, the food industry perseveres
in its desire to meet theses needs with the constant launch of new
processed products. An upcoming...
Christmas sales fell compared to the particularly strong
performance in the previous year, but UK chocolate manufacturer and
retailer Thorntons said it was happy with its overall performance
in the first half of 2002/03.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is slowly taking form -
several months behind schedule - with the announcement this week
that it is currently on the look out for scientists to join its
scientific committee and scientific...
Ingredients company Acatris Belgium, a division of the Dutch Royal
Schouten group, and FMC BioPolymer announced this week as from 1
January 2003 Acatris will be the exclusive distributor in the
Benelux for the polymer products of...
Spain and Italy have acted disproportionately in obliging products
made with vegetable fats other than cocoa butter to be labelled as
'chocolate substitutes', the European Court of Justice has ruled. A
simple mention on...
Isomalt, the sugar replacer from German company Palatinit, can help
breakfast cereal stay crunchier for longer when compared to sugar,
the company has claimed this week. It can also reduce production
costs, and give the cereal a longer...
Moving in step with the European Union, the Food Safety Authority
of Ireland this week granted a temporary authorisation for the
marketing and use of the high-intensity sweetener sucralose.
Finland's Raisio group has sold its Swedish ice cream business
Carlshamn to Ingman Foods, another Finnish dairy producer, for an
undisclosed sum. Raisio is selling off non-core businesses to raise
cash for its more important...
The acuity of senses like taste and smell, essential for our
enjoyment of food and drink, decreases with age. Such changes in
sensory capacities will clearly have an impact on the choice the
older consumer makes with regards to their...
A slowdown in biscuit sales of around 6 per cent took its toll on
third quarter results at Northern Foods, the UK's leading producer
of own label foods for the supermarket sector. But while there is
little sign of improvement...
UK company RPC Containers has manufactured a premium gift box for
Nestle's global brand After Eight chocolate mints with an unusual
s-shaped configuration.
A recently published joint report from the FAO and WHO that set out
to evaluate the Codex Alimentarius Commission reveals the
overwhelming belief in the value of the Codex food standards.
Swedish manufacturer of speciality vegetable fats Karlshamns has
clarified its position on the ongoing issue that suggests the
production of soybean and palm oil in Brazil and South East Asia is
destroying valuable natural environments.
Increased marketing expenditure to back the relaunch of the
flagship McVities brand helped United Biscuits increase its sales
in 2002. But it is the possible future of the company - and the
likelihood of a bid from minority shareholder...
While health foods are becoming increasingly popular across the
globe, there are still some areas which remain undeveloped by the
major food producers. One such area is diabetic food, which has
struggled to overcome limited distribution...
While health foods are becoming increasingly popular across the
globe, there are still some areas which remain undeveloped by the
major food producers. One such area is diabetic food, which has
struggled to overcome limited distribution...
Cadbury Schweppes has had a busy week. While yesterday's
acquisition of the US confectionery group Adams was undoubtedly the
most important in the company's recent history, Cadbury has also
revealed that it is planning a...
Cadbury Schweppes has allegedly fought off rival bids from Nestle
and Kraft to buy the Adams sugar confectionery group, making it the
world's biggest player. But there are still question marks over
whether Adams was the right...
Canadian biopharmaceutical company Forbes Medi-Tech this week
reports on study results showing that chocolate, containing its
cholesterol-lowering phytosterol ingredient Reducol, significanly
reduced LDL cholesterol in people with...
Replacing dietary fat with a higher intake of carbohydrates,
including sugar, can have a positive effect on weight control in
overweight individuals, according to a study sponsored by the
European Commission and EU sugar industries...
Fairtrade foods, schemes that seek to guarantee farmers in
developing nations a fair deal, are making inroads into the
mainstream, thanks to support from the major supermarkets and
changing consumer concerns, reports market research...
UK confectionery and soft drinks group Cadbury Schweppes saw a
steady year-to-date performance in 2002. British and Irish
confectionery operations continue to perform strongly with
increased sales forecast to drive a double-digit...
Rumours have resurfaced concerning a potential bid for the Adams
confectionery business by the UK's Cadbury Schweppes. While such a
bid would undoubtedly strengthen the British group's market
position, analysts at Euromonitor...
Is the phrase 'Have a Break' inextricably linked to the KitKat
confectionery brand? Well, no, at least according to the UK High
Court and US confectionery group Mars. But Nestle, the Swiss maker
of KitKat, is set to continue...
US filling equipment provider All-Fill has introduced two new
volumetric cup filling machines. Both machines debuted at the
recent Pack Expo and are for dry granular filling requirements,
such as seeds, popcorn, snack foods or confectionery.
Cadbury Schweppes is the focus of our latest visit to the Mintel
Global New Products Database, and the last few months have
been busy ones for the UK confectionery group. Christmas products,
movie tie-ins and an increasing range of...
The vast disparity between the price consumers in the UK pay for
their chocolate and the amount West African cocoa growers are paid
for the key ingredient in the confectionery has been highlighted
again this week by the Co-op. The...
Next January will see the launch of Fruity Smarties, a new
variation on the popular Nestle chocolate confectionery brand which
contains a fruity jelly produced by Haribo. Is this the start of a
beautiful relationship between the two...
The world's leading chocolate producers have joined forces with
international labour organisations to promote ethical production
practices in West Africa, the main cocoa-growing area. Child labour
is top of the list of current...
Cargill Sweeteners North America forms marketing alliance with
sugar beet cooperative to sell and distribute its sugar products to
food and beverage manufacturers. Both companies hope the agreement
will lead to the development of...
More research to suggest that chocolate could be of benefit arrived
this week with scientists in the US suggesting that dietary
flavonols found in certain chocolates and cocoa could improve blood
vessel function.
In light of the 18th session of the Codex Committee on Fats and
Oils to be held in London, UK on 3-7 February 2003, the US
Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration said
this week that they are to sponsor a public...
Swiss chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut has reported an
increase in pre-tax profits for the 2001/02 year despite a decline
in volumes and higher raw material costs. Nwe product launches at
the premium end of the market have helped...
The UK eats more chocolate than any other nation in Europe, some
660.9 million kg to be precise. Chocolate accounts for 30 per cent
of the total confectionery market in the UK, but sugar
confectionery sales are also booming, driven...
Britain is still a nation with a sweet tooth, with chocolate
reigning supreme when compared to other European countries.
According to a new report from market analysts Datamonitor, the
popularity of chocolate and sweets continues...
Arcor, one of the success stories of South American business, has
grown rapidly from its roots as a family-run confectioner and now
has major operations throughout the Americas. But the opening of a
new international HQ in Barcelona...
The decline in the German confectionery market, and of the Yes
chocolate brand in particular, has forced Nestle to close its
Berlin plant and concentrate production on Hamburg.
The introduction of sugar-free versions of popular confectionery
products during 2001 helped revitalise an industry which had been
stagnating for some time, according to a recent study.
After months of bitter negotiations with staff at its Fontaneda
biscuit unit in Spain, Britain's United Biscuits group has agreed
to sell the company to Siro, another Spanish biscuit maker which
has agreed to maintain staff levels...
Thorntons, the UK chocolate maker and retailer, has continued to
post good like-for-like sales growth in the first four months of
the financial year, but Christmas will be the key test of its
business plan.
Halloween has become a Europe-wide phenomenon in recent years,
moving away from the English-speaking islands in the North to the
rest of the Continent, and adding a dash of US-style marketing for
good measure. And food producers across...
A federal government bail-out of the Australian sugar industry was
under threat on Tuesday after business and opposition groups, in
particular food manufacturers, objected to a three cent a kilogram
levy to fund the $120 million plan...
Mexico is rapidly emerging as one of the world's leading suppliers
of confectionery, and now seems set to usurp Chicago's position as
the world centre for confectionery production, a trend that is
being mirrored between...
Higher volume food and beverage flavour product sales to existing
customers contributed to a net increase for the third quarter for
flavours company Technology Flavors & Fragrances.
A good third quarter sales performance in Finland helped Nordic
confectionery group Cloetta Fazer to a 33 per cent increase in
pre-tax profits for the period.
In May 2002 Swedish scientists released information that
acrylamide, a potential carcinogen, had been found in a range of
foods. Food agencies across the world are monitoring the situation
very closely. An upcoming conference in the...
It is an undisputable fact that modern consumers are constantly
driving food developers to new heights - and it is nowhere more
evident than in the field of health. At SIAL, the food and drink
industry extravaganza taking place in...
