Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

Whole grain info sheet aims to boost consumption

A new whole grains fact sheet aims to provide consumers with easy to understand information on the healthy grains: what they are, what they do and where to find them.

CSM expands global bakery ingredient reach

Dutch firm CSM has acquired ADM's North American bakery ingredients division in a move designed to increase the company's global reach.

Poor performers squeezed out of competitive bakery market

The UK bakery market is set for a shake-up as further consolidation and acquisitions squeeze out under-performing firms and enable stronger companies to seize sales, according to market analysts Plimsoll Publishing.

Novozymes continues food enzyme market growth

Novozymes's strong performance in 2006 continues the enzyme firm's impressive growth in a tight marketplace.

Weekly comment

Deja Moo: Are we ready for cloned cattle?

Here we go again. Yet another technology in its infancy is likely to be introduced into the food supply, while industry remains cautious and consumers divided.

Nestlé cuts cereal salt levels

Cereal manufacturer Nestle has announced it is to cut the salt content of one of its leading brands by 15 per cent, appeasing health-conscious consumers and giving the product a healthier image.

BakeMark captures US style cookie trend

BakeMark UK is set to extend its range of branded cookies with a new product to be launched at this year's IFE trade fair which the company hopes will tune into the consumer trend of US-style bakery.

Caffeine turns bakery into energy food

Caffeine could soon be making its way into bakery products thanks to a new encapsulation process with industry potential.

Fibre could halve young women's breast cancer risk, says study

Pre-menopausal women who eat 30 or more grams of fibre a day could cut their risk of breast cancer by 52 per cent, says a UK-based epidemiological study.

Low-fat peanut flour improves bakery texture, study

Low fat varieties of peanut flour - a common ingredient in many baked goods - can improve food texture and efficiency during the baking process, according to scientists from the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

CSM sells weak French division

Ingredients firm CSM is to jettison part of its French subsidiary, Délices de la Tour, after a disappointing performance from the speciality bread maker.

Better-for-you foods top Mintel survey

Food products with lower levels of 'bad' ingredients, such as fat and sugar, have seen a sharp rise in popularity over the past year, according to Mintel.

Watchdog blasts kids' snacks

Consumer watchdog Choice has launched a damning report into the link between high-sugar, high-fat snacks and childhood obesity - naming and shaming well-known brands from large companies such as Nestlé and Kelloggs in the process.

Weekly Comment

Death to the industry conspiracy theories!

Here we go again. Industry-sponsored studies into the nutritional benefits of food and drink products are biased. Don't believe anything that has an industry sponsor.

Popular porridge pushes oat sales

The traditional breakfast appears to be making a comeback with consumers tuning into the health benefits of porridge oats and driving growth in a formerly small sector of the cereal market.

Premier to close two factories in bid to cut costs

In a bid to cut costs, UK-based Premier Foods said it would close down two of its factories over the next six months, cut about 450 jobs and invest in making three of its plants more efficient.

Common additive may stop acrylamide formation, suggests study

Using the common food additive calcium chloride could reduce the formation of acrylamide in potato chips and French fries by about 95 per cent, according to a new study.

Kellogg launches energy-giving cereal bar

US based snack company Kellogg has added to its line of cereal bars in order to further capitalise on the growing healthy on-the-go snacking sector.

Rice, potato pancake good alternative to wheat, says ARS

Scientists in the US have found that a flour made from rice and sweet potatoes is a "superior substitute" to wheat in pancakes, suggesting a possible alternative for products targeting celiac sufferers.

Cereals group gives breakfast a boost

Porridge - one of the fastest growing cereal categories - is set for a major marketing push thanks to the UK's National Farmers Union (NFU) and Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).

Yeast extract cuts salt but keeps flavour

US based ingredients company Savoury Systems International (SSI) has expanded its range of salt replacers - helping bakers appeal to the growing number of consumers seeking to cut salt from their diet.

Belt conveyer offers 30 second changeover

A new conveyor frame can be completely disassembled, without tools, in 30 seconds, allowing processors to clean their machines and get production underway again faster.

Northern Foods sell off to improve outlook

UK Northern Foods have today reported positive results after selling off faltering businesses, enjoying organic growth of 3.2 per cent.

EU cereal sector plans groundbreaking summit

AACC International's European section plans to hold its first-ever spring meeting in order to tackle the EU cereal sector's most pressing concerns.

Danisco encourages healthy innovation

Danish ingredients giant Danisco is set to host a seminar on international sweet snacking to encourage new product development in the bakery and confectionery industries.

Weekly Comment

There aren't plenty more fish in the sea

As a youngster I was brought up on a healthy diet of tuna fish sandwiches and Disney - making my new year's resolution for 2007 the toughest yet. That's right, I'm giving up tuna and who knows, even cod.

UK consumers shun slimming foods

People in Britain may be getting bigger, but the market for slimming foods is shrinking as consumers look for more natural and long-term solutions to lose weight, new research shows.

Pasties and pies still prove popular

British baker Greggs has reported growing sales as UK consumers prove the popularity of pasties, pies and on-the-go snacking remains, despite the current trend towards healthier options.

Nutrition labelling evaluation aims to break deadlock

An independent evaluation of front of pack nutritional labelling in the UK could help break the deadlock over which labelling system is most effective.

Chocolate added to Quaker cereal

Breakfast cereal manufacturer Quaker Foods has become the latest cereal maker to incorporate chocolate into its range of healthy products.

Gluten-soy protein's potential for carb replacement

A gluten-soy protein isolate combination has significant potential as a carbohydrate replacer in cookies aimed at the low-carbohydrate diet sector, say researchers.

Baker serves up a slice of the black stuff

Ireland's signature drink, Guinness, can now be found in a loaf as well as a pint glass thanks to an unusual example of new product development in the country's bakery sector.

Weekly comment

FSA rules ok? The labelling rebellion

The battle of wills between the UK food watchdog and industry heavyweights over nutrition labelling threatens to destabilise the balance of power between industry and government.

Olive oil linked to lower blood pressure

Moderate intake of olive oil, a mainstay of the Mediterranean diet, was successful in reducing the blood pressure of healthy men who don't usually eat a Med-type diet, suggests a new study.

Natural snack maker focuses on seasonal sector

Healthy snack bar company Eat Natural is continuing its focus on new product innovation with the launch of a seasonal variety.

Genes could provide clue to elimination of wheat pest

US Scientists are mapping the genes of a wheat pest in an attempt to halt the fly's destructive effect on crops and thereby safeguard yields.

New freshness test for pre-packaged bread

Bakery Equipment supplier Stable Micro Systems has developed a new way of determining bread softness and freshness in pre-packaged loaves - allowing manufacturers to test store-ready bread without risking damage.

EC outlines future of globalised food ingredients market

European agriculture commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel has outlined how a future globalised food ingredients market might look.

EU food and drink industry trends review

The CIAA end of year review of the European food and drink industry's performance underlines again how significant the industry is to the EU economy.

Labeler speeds-up productivity and changeovers

A new range of glue labelers can process up to 400 containers per minute and cuts changeover times, reducing downtime, its manufacturer claims.

Irish bakers pass on commodity costs

Bakers are again warning that the soaring price of flour is set to drive up bread prices as costs are pushed further down the supply chain to consumers.

Food labelling debate on a collision course

Some of the UK's biggest food manufacturers are launching a £4m campaign next Monday to promote GDA labels - a move that will reignite the debate over food labelling.

Starch research targets clean label products

New research into the properties of various starches could be of use to food manufacturers developing clean label products.

Danisco develops new gingerbread flavouring

European ingredients giant Danisco has found a new way for bakers to break into the profitable holiday dessert market with the introduction of a seasonal gingerbread ice-cream flavouring.

Bamboo leaf extract to stop acrylamide formation?

Using an antioxidant-rich bamboo leaf extract could reduce the formation of acrylamide in potato chips and French fries by about 75 per cent, according to a new study.

Sara Lee launches 100 percent whole wheat bread

Sara Lee has launched a new bread category that it claims could help increase US whole grain consumption by billions of grams per year.

Healthy trans fat oil developed?

University of Arkansas researchers have developed a trans fat oil that they claim could have health benefits.

Kellogg's diet cereal gets a Chocolatey makeover

Breakfast cereal manufacturer Kellogg's has introduced a new chocolate version of its core diet brand Special K in an attempt to satisfy consumer desire for the confectionery which has been rejuvenated by a new healthier image.

Allied Bakeries hit by new round of malicious tampering

Allied Bakeries' Kingsmill sliced bread brand has been hit with a new round of sabotage,with the company reporting the new incidents to the UK's food regulator over the holidays.

Low-phytate dough promises better nutrition

US scientists have been examining newly-developed varieties of low-phytate, high-phosphorus wheat in order to assess its impact on baking quality, nutritional content and suitability for industrial bread production.