Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: PART 2

End to prescribed quantities to drive new bread loaf size in 2009

A recent law from Brussels has thrown up new opportunities for different loaf sizes for UK bakers, with 2009 set to witness an escalation in new product development related to the weight of pre-packaged breads.

New service can help extend shelf life, says LFI

Reliable accelerated tests are proving invaluable in enabling food processors to have a confident assessment of shelf life before a product launch, says Leatherhead Food International (LFI).

Exclusive interview: Part 1

Issues facing the UK's bakery industry in 2009

Bread is a good-value, consumer staple and the current economic climate is an opportunity to reinforce its value, says the director of a leading UK bakery body.

Cargill’s ‘Healthy Cookie Base’ targets wholegrain demand

Cargill has released a high fiber vitamin and mineral-enriched base for cookies and bars designed for manufacturers to customize with their own ingredients.

Opportunities for growth in gluten-free foods

New gluten-free rules from Brussels may well incur incremental costs for bakers and snack manufacturers but with one in a hundred UK consumers estimated to be gluten intolerant, unlocking the market for gluten-free products could reap strong financial gains for industry players.

News in brief

UK bakery fined after crushed hand incident

A bakery in the UK has been fined £3,500 (€3,758) after a young woman crushed her hand feeding dough into a biscuit-making machine, the BBC reports.

Healthy packed lunch trend drives development

New standards for food in schools is driving innovation in lunchbox-friendly products as parents heed official messages about healthy eating, according to the latest research from Mintel.

Salt reduction benefits may go beyond blood pressure: Study

Reducing the intake of salt from the diet may improve the health of blood vessels, with the effects going beyond blood pressure benefits, says a new study.

Kellogg tests compact cereal box

Cereal giant Kellogg is testing a space-saving cereal box that the firm says could “redefine” the cereal aisle.

News in brief

Shocking research sheds light on kebab content

A new study into the nutritional content of kebabs sold in the UK has shown that the late-night take-out could be disastrous for healthy eating, with some doner kebabs racking up as many has 1000 calories without sauce.

Crisps and tortilla chips top Super Bowl snack indulgence

As the most anticipated marketing event in the US calendar - Super Bowl Sunday – approaches, market analysts Nielsen predicts snack sales could hit nearly $600m (€455m) in the run-up to event.

Clamshell labeller for bakers brings flexibility to ingredients listings

Canadian labelling equipment firm Nita targets bakers with its clamshell labeller that claims to add “more flexibility to change ingredient listings on the fly”.

Platinum promise for curbing trans fat formation

A new study has delivered positive results on the use of platinum as a catalyst during hydrogenisation of oils, but without the production of harmful trans fats.

Weekly comment

Time to quieten the nutrition label noise

Everyone from government to grocers seems to have their own idea of how best to inform consumers about foods’ nutritional content, but a labeling free-for-all has resulted in a clamor of nutrition labels which are actually getting in the way of comprehension.

New gluten-free labelling could mean extra costs for bakers

New rules from Brussels implemented this week on the labelling and formulation of gluten-free foods could signal a rise in costs for the bakery industry.

Almond price dip to favour snack makers

Bakers and snack makers using costly nuts in their formulations may be tempted to switch to almonds as the price continues to dip for this nutritional tree nut.

News in brief

LDC to buy number four sandwich firm in France

French processed meat and poultry supplier LDC reinforces its position in the dynamic French sandwich market, announcing earlier this week that it will buy Entracte, the number four player in the French market for sandwiches.

Zetar to sell baked snacks business

Zetar has decided to sell off its Baked Snacks subsidiary less than two years after it was established to gain ground in the healthier snacks sector, as the company appears to have lost patience in its performance.

Too early to predict salmonella impact on industry, says council

The American Peanut Council is being cautious over the potential long-term impact of salmonella contamination on the industry, as the recall of salmonella-contaminated peanut products goes global.

Strong partnerships in cereal supply chain engender financial gains

The recent contraction of raw material supplies to the food industry, that arguably tipped the delicate balance in the cereal supply chain, may have created a climate for better 'partnership building', suggests the UK's Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA).

Unrefined sweeteners bring antioxidant boost to bakery: Study

Fresh evidence from researchers in the US suggests that substituting refined sweeteners with unrefined equivalents in food formulations could raise disease-fighting antioxidants in consumer diets.

Caravan claims to have ‘rewritten rule book’ for trans-free shortenings

Caravan Ingredients has claimed to have transformed the processing of shortenings and foods containing them, such as bakery products, with a new line of diglycerides.

Weekly comment

In praise of pesticides

Who likes pesticides? Misunderstood by consumers and misrepresented by pressure groups, pesticides are a soft target for legislators. The latest blow to that soft target could have hard consequences for the European food industry and for developing countries.

Ungerer launches oat fibres as natural flavour carriers

Ungerer has developed a new range of flavoured oat fibre powders that are imbued with natural flavour that can add both a fruity taste and health benefits to baked goods, dairy, desserts and smoothies.

Inox instantiser machine helps bakers to dissolve and disperse

Australian firm Inox Fabrications Australia has designed a machine to aid bakery players rapidly dissolve and disperse viscous solids, semi solids and powders.

Manufacturers urged to inform public in peanut butter recall

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has highlighted the difficulty of investigating ingredient-driven illness and called on manufacturers to inform consumers of the origin of their peanut ingredients.

News in brief

Premier receives cash bid for French patisserie

Hovis bread maker Premier Foods received a boost to its debt-ridden shares following a cash offer of €50m for its French speciality bakery business Martine Specialites.

Real Good Food combines bakery and sugar divisions

The Real Good Food Company has announced it is consolidating two of its businesses which serve the baking industry to stream-line its management team and build on innovation capabilities.

Bakery equipment goes under the virtual hammer

The entire complement of bakery machinery from St Helens-based Pimblett’s bakery in the UK is due to be auctioned online after the company went out of business last month – a tool that the auctioneers say is becoming increasingly common.

News in brief

Baker Perkins to equip new Colombian cereal manufacturer

Congrupo, a new Colombian cereal manufacturer, has chosen Baker Perkins to supply equipment for its factory in Bogota.

PWP's easy-to-open cake domes 'reduce product damage'

PWP Industries has released an easy-to-open airtight packaging for cakes, which the company describes as “a category buster” that reduces product damage while cutting down on plastic.

Statisticians rubbish cereals link to baby boys

A new paper has challenged research that concluded a child’s gender could be determined by its mother’s diet at conception.

Sunflower paste offers cheaper alternative to almond in bakery

SunOpta has developed its line of sunflower-based ingredients to include a sunflower paste designed to be used in the same way as almond paste in bakery and confectionery products.

AHD launches chia flour for gluten-free bakery

AHD International has expanded its range of chia products to include chia seed flour, a gluten-free, heart-healthy alternative to white flour in bakery products.

RSSL extends allergen testing capability

Reading Scientific Services Ltd (RSSL) has announced that it has validated new methods to test for the presence of fish and molluscs in food products.

Hovis sales boost after relaunch

Premier Foods has announced that the recent relaunch of Hovis bread, which included quality improvements, has resulted in increased market share.

News in brief

New puffed fruit range driven by demand for healthy snacks

US-based Explorer’s Bounty has released a range of puffed fruit snacks, which it says taps into consumer demand for organic, healthy snack foods.

Weekly comment

The invincibles – recession proof food and healthy eating

There are fears that in the economic crisis consumers will put on “recession pounds” by eating unhealthily. Rightly or wrongly, food manufacturers may suffer the blame but “unhealthy” and “recession proof” do not necessarily go hand-in-hand.

Common hydrocolloid may reduce cholesterol levels: Study

The commonly used hydrocolloid hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) may reduce cholesterol levels by over 20 per cent, suggests new research from the Dow Chemical Company.

Credit crisis could lead to rice price rise, warns IRRI

Rice prices could rise again in the near future as farmers find it more difficult to secure credit and lower grain prices cause them to plant less, according to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

New laser system to speed up bakers’ volume tests

A new system to analyse the volume of baked goods has been developed by Stable Micro Systems which claims it can speed up the testing process to help ensure consistency of production.

Bread to withstand economic gloom

Bread sales are expected to be resilient against the economic downturn as consumers still see it as a good value food, according to the director of a bakers’ association.

News in brief

Walkers launches crisp competition finalists’ flavours

Walkers has launched six new wacky crisp flavours in response to a UK-wide competition in which members of the public were challenged to come up with a rival to the nation’s established favourites.

New loaf size could help cut waste

Bread manufacturers are being encouraged to take advantage of recent changes to regulations by introducing new loaf sizes to the UK market to help cut down on waste.

New oxygen analyzer aimed at smaller companies

A new oxygen analyzer for package headspace is targeted at entry level and small businesses due to its ease of use and affordability, says Mocon.

National Starch launches ingredient for reduced-fat cakes

National Starch Food Innovation (NSFI) is launching a new specialty starch derived from tapioca, which is said to enable a 75 per cent reduction on the butter, margarine or shortening used in cakes.

Nano sensors offer rapid detection of Salmonella, claims ARS

A nano sensor to detect Salmonella bacteria has been developed which could enhance food safety and security, claims a team of scientists.

Major international project to boost South Asian cereal production

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has announced a $30m collaborative project which aims to boost South Asian cereal production by five million tonnes a year.

BakeMark urges bakers to invest in high quality ingredients

BakeMark UK has advised that “economising is not the same as down trading” and has suggested that using premium quality ingredients is the most important factor in remaining competitive – even if that means comparatively higher costs.

UK anti-obesity ad campaign swings into action

The UK’s nationwide New Year’s Resolution, to curb obesity, swung into action over the weekend; the health minister has hinted at drastic actions for the food industry if it proves unsuccessful, say reports.

News in brief

Kellogg’s launches Special K savoury snack range

Kellogg’s has launched a new range of savoury snacks under the Special K brand with the intention of targeting health-conscious snackers and women in particular.

Organic still not mainstream

Organic foods are yet to gain mainstream acceptance by US consumers according to a new study by a marketing research and consulting firm in the consumer products industry.