Major restaurant group Tragus Holdings yesterday said it would
re-brand its entire division of 64 Bella Pasta restaurants, after
posting maiden pre-tax profits of £5.7 million (€8.19 million.)
Weetabix, the iconic British breakfast cereal maker, is the second
British brand acquired by US-based Hicks, Muse, Tate & Furst
this month. The £642 million acquisition comes hot on the heels of
the purchase of Unilever's...
European research into the potential carcinogen acrylamide has
received a massive injection of cash to boost the biggest
international project to date on toxic substances formed when food
is heated.
RHM, one of the largest food retailers in the UK and Ireland has
announced its sale of Pasta Foods LTD to a management buy-out team
for an undisclosed fee. In a separate deal it has also sold Three
Cooks limited to Cooks limited,...
Hot weather hit frozen food and ready meals but boosted salads and
sandwiches in the first half for Uniq. Reported sales were slightly
lower than last year due to the residual effects of disposals, but
the company's restructuring...
Major British sugar and sweetener group Tate and Lyle has reported
a sixper cent decrease in half year profits today and the success
of agreementsfor future prices for it starches and sweeteners will
have a major impact onthe profits...
Following low wheat crop yields, analysts are warning that Ukraine
isthreatened with increasing food prices, particularly with respect
to breadand bakery produce. The rise in food prices is also
expected to have asignificant knock-on...
The addition of two major grocery brands (Mazola and Ovaltine)
helped lift sales and profits at Associated British Foods in the
last 12 months. But the traditional ingredients, agriculture and
retail businesses also improved during...
Kellogg, the cereal and snacks maker, has raised its full-year
profit forecast after an excellent third quarter performance which
saw both sales and profits rise significantly. The gains came as a
result of new product launches, brand...
Even four years into its five-year Path to Growth programme,
Unilever still has plenty of non-core brands to offload. The latest
are Ambrosia and Brown & Poulson, two well-known ambient food
brands in the UK market, which have...
Leading Scottish baker, Warburtons, is set to construct a new £14
million(€20.3 million) extension to its Bellshill bakery, which is
set to more thandouble the company's output for the region.
Anglo dutch consumer goods group Unilever posted an 11 per cent
rise inprofits today after announcing their results for the third
quarter, animproving margin even though sales stagnated.
Greggs, the UK's leading sandwich and savouries manufacturer, has
announcedsix monthly results to 18 October that show an improvement
in sales andgrowth.
The Benelux operation of Fiske Food Ingredients has linked up with
starch ingredients company Avebe to distribute the co-operative's
full range of products.
United Biscuits continues to restructure with a £10 million plan to
expand its Harlesden plant in north west London. This follows the
closure of its biscuit production facility in the English Midlands
earlier this year.
CCHBC, one of the world's largest Coca-Cola bottlers, is now about
to become a leading supplier of savoury snacks, at least in its
home market of Greece.
Bunge North America has announced that its subsidiary, Bunge
Milling, has acquired ConAgra Foods' Atchison corn dry milling
plant and related grain elevator in Kansas.
There is increasing speculation regarding the future of French
dairy-to-biscuits group Danone, with the firm being touted as both
a takeover target and a likely bidder in recent days.
The UK manufacturer Glisten, has taken the first steps towards
strengthening its position as a niche food group with the
acquisition of Sunya, a manufacturer of baking aids and sweet
spreads.
US bakery firm Krispy Kreme appears keen to become part of the
British establishment. The firm's first UK store was opened today
at Harrods, the Knightsbridge department store famous for its
opulence and glamour.
UK subsidiary of bakery ingredients giant CSM takes the first steps
on the road to 'sweet treat' growth through the integration of its
latest acquisition, the cookie supplier Readi-Bake.
The appreciation of the euro against both sterling and the US
dollar took the shine off an otherwise excellent set of results for
Irish bakery group IAWS in 2003.
Sweden's Cerealia Foods has increased its health offering with the
acquisition of five companies focused on vegetarian, organic and
healthy food products.
Lorenz Bahlsen Snack-World has said that it is considering
concentrating the production of one of its speciality products,
Laugengebäck crackers, to its existing factory in Skawina in
Poland.
Despite significant restructuring following the acquisition of
Pillsbury in 2001, US bakery and foods giant General Mills is
reported to be satisfied with its overall results for the first
quarter of fiscal 2004.
The launch of 26 new products in the first four months of the year
have given the UK's Inter Link Foods - maker of Soreen malt loaf -
a solid base on which to grow sales in the first half.
Parmalat's sales in the Americas have been affected by the
appreciation of the euro against the US and Canadian dollar during
the first half, with bakery sales noticeably down.
Northern Foods has continued its strategy of focusing on the
fast-growing convenience food sector with the sale of its Fox's
Confectionery unit. Will the troubled Fox's biscuit business be the
next unit put on the market?
The increasing popularity of chilled pasta meals across Europe has
helped drive up sales and profits at Belgian group Ter Beke in the
first half. And with a new acqusition in France set to boost sales
further in the second half, full...
Northern Foods has warned that pre-tax profits for the first half
of 2003 are likely to be lower than expected as a result of rising
ingredient costs and the loss of several contracts.
As US agribusiness Cargill reaches further into Europe, the
upcoming Food Ingredients Europe 2003 exhibition in Frankfurt,
Germany bears witness to the company's growing presence.
National Starch has appointed Biomin to distribute its nutrition
products in Scandinavia. The exclusive agreement includes the
supply of Hi-maize and Novelose, plus forthcoming new product
developments in Denmark, Finland, Norway...
The European Commission on Friday approved plans by US company
Archer Daniels Midland to purchase food giant Unilever's edible oil
refining subsidiary VDBO.
The world's biggest breakfast cereal producer, Kellogg, has
reported better-than-expected results in the second quarter, driven
by innovation and consumer promotions.
Abbot Laboratories has paved the way for rapid company expansion in
the weight control and healthy living categories following an
agreement to acquire nutrition bar company ZonePerfect Nutrition.
Disappointing results from French food and drink group Danone saw
biscuit sales dropping 6 per cent to €1.5 billion. However, they
would have risen by 1.1 per cent on a like-for-like basis.
Biscuit manufacturer Lu Polska, which is part of the French-based
Danone Group, is to close down its production plant in Jaroslaw,
Poland. The closure will result in the loss of 500 jobs.
Cargill and Riceland Foods have announced their intention to link
up to manufacture, market and sell lecithin products to food,
pharmaceutical, and technical customers.
