Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

Heat halts French walnut boom

After a recent boost in French walnut production, combined with the growing popularity of the nut among consumers, producers should be celebrating - but bad news came this week in the form of a government report indicating supply in the country has fallen.

Cognis creates new cost-cutting baking agent

European ingredients group Cognis has developed a baking agent which claims to lower costs and improve performance in the baking of all yeast-based products such as croissants and buns.

Crop contamination risk downgraded

British farmers and bakery firms can breathe a sigh of relief as the risk of crop contamination from mycotoxins is low this year, according to an industry organisation.

Bakery focus puts CSM back on track

CSM believes it is back on track after first half results revealed some strong improvement, breaking a three-year trend of declining results.

EU set to bring 'super cereal' to supermarkets

The EU is funding an innovative new research programme that could see the introduction of a highly nutritional cereal within the bloc.

Sara Lee encourages food-lovers to get emotional

American-owned food group Sara Lee is going back to basics with a new marketing campaign designed to remind food lovers of the joys of eating - shirking the trend towards functional foods.

Grain supplies dip further

The International Grains Council (IGC) has been forced to lower grain estimates announced last month as conditions in the worldwide grain market worsen.

Weekly Comment

Some home-eating truths

As food manufacturers inch closer to the holy grail of low-calorie, trans-fat free flavor-fantastic products one has to ask how we veered so far from the common sense of fresh home-cooked meals.

Ailing Northern Foods closes factory

Struggling bakery business Northern Foods has announced the closure of a major bakery in a cost-cutting move that will axe 690 jobs.

Quest develops 'flexible' approach to snack flavours

Quest has developed what it calls its '3-D approach' to snack flavour development in order to offer customers greater flexibility and identify key trends earlier.

Kelloggs criticised over 'misleading' advert

Cereal giant Kellogg's has been told to change or ditch an advert for one of its flagship brands after 19 complaints were made to an advertising regulatory body.

The honeycomb that keeps its crunch during baking

An ingredients firm has developed honeycomb that is more resistant to the baking process - making it stable enough for inclusion in products such as muffins and cakes.

Weetabix acts on rising demand for healthy oats

The iconic UK cereal brand Weetabix has added a new oat variety to its portfolio in a bid to attract health-conscious consumers seeking to benefit from its cholesterol-lowering properties.

Werhahn snaps up ingredients maker

German bakery firm Werhahn has taken over British baking ingredients manufacturer GB Ingredients (GBI) in a bid to expand its reach into the international market.

Whole Grain Stamp approved for use on meat, poultry products

Products containing meat and poultry will now be able to feature the Whole Grain Stamp, after the US government announced it was to expand the list of goods eligible to use the eye-catching symbol.

Australia, NZ bakers face further fortification

Bakeries in Australia and New Zealand may be required to use only iodised salt in the future, if a proposal from the countries' food regulator is approved.

Cereal Partners expand despite falling market

The UK division of Cereal Partners Worldwide which produces Nestlé cereal brands such as Shreddies, Cheerios and Fitnesse has announced plans for expansion.

Breeding beetles could damage harvest

Saw toothed grain beetles could decimate British crops and lower supplies for bread manufacturers if growers fail to implement proper post-harvest procedures.

Weekly comment

Food science for all

Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.

German allergy experts to focus on prevention plans

Allergy experts in Germany met last week to develop a comprehensive strategy for combating the condition through spreading information and conducting further research.

Yeast extract product claimed to replace MSG

DSM Food Specialties claims that its Maxarome Select product - a natural high 5' nucleotide yeast extract - can effectively replace monosodium glutamate (MSG) in crisps without any loss of flavour or taste.

Walkers slammed for salt claims

One of the UK's leading crisp manufacturers, Walkers, has been reprimanded by an advertising authority for 'misleading' adverts detailing the reduced salt content in its crisp brands.

Consumers choose 'wholesome' breads

'Wholesome' British bread brands such as Warburtons and Hovis are gaining growing sales in a health-conscious market, according to a new report.

School snacks banned in Russia

Snacks including sweets and potato chips will not be sold in school canteens throughout Russia from September of this year, under a new initiative announced by the country's chief sanitary doctor, Gennady Onischenko.

Danisco Sweeteners targets health-focused consumers

Danisco Sweeteners has developed a range of ingredients designed to help food makers create snacks with less than 100 calories.

United Biscuits to stamp out trans fats

European biscuits and snack manufacturer United Biscuits has become the latest bakery company to eradicate harmful trans fats from its products, tying in with the industry drive towards healthier production methods.

Cholesterol-cutting bread hits shelves

UK supermarket Tesco has launched a new cholesterol-lowering loaf to target consumers eager for a healthier alternative to standard bread.

Flour prices rise

UK flour prices are set to rise in the wake of dropping crop yields and increasing energy costs, according to experts.

The obesity blame game- reader feedback

Last week's comment on the food industry's role in the rising obesity epidemic has generated a flood of responses from readers agreeing with or disputing our position that the industry deserves a break. Some of the comments received are published below.

Gene breakthrough could revolutionise rice crop

The discovery of a gene that enables rice to survive complete submergence could help overcome one of agriculture's oldest challenges.

EC publishes food commodity income prospects

The EC has published prospects for agriculture markets and income from 2006 to 2013 - but the failure of the WTO talks could impact future growth.

CIS countries continue prominence in grain production

Despite uncertainty regarding European grain production, three countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are becoming increasingly vital suppliers to the world market.

Lion Capital to acquire Kettle Foods as natural snack market expands

Kettle Foods, the company behind the popular Kettle Chips brand, looks set to be acquired by private equity firm, Lion Capital - a sign of its growing importance in the healthier snack market.

Sara Lee looks to baked goods after financial setback

Despite set backs to its global expansion plans, the Sara Lee corporation has revealed that's its North American bakery division still remains profitable.

China sets grain production target

China will have to produce 500 million metric tons of grain by 2010 to meet domestic demand, even as the amount of farmland continues to shrink, said the Ministry of Agriculture last week.

Kingsmill gets Omega-3 boost

UK bread-maker Allied Bakeries has launched a new range of omega-3 fortified bread to help it compete in an increasingly health-oriented market.

Unilever margins fall as marketing spend increases

Unilever yesterday reported a decline in second-quarter operating margins, as the company continues to spend on marketing in a bid to boost lackluster sales.

Weekly Comment

The obesity blame game

Laying the blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food industry has become a convenient mistake, and until this is recognized there is little chance of controlling the growing obesity epidemic.

Greggs hit by heat, health and high energy prices

UK bakery group Greggs has blamed a combination of hot weather, healthier eating and rising energy costs for a drop in first half profits.

Russian exporters gamble on wheat as crop threat persists

Russian traders are buying stocks of wheat at well above export prices in a bid to capitalise on a potential surge in prices, following a difficult summer for European grain production.

RHM invest in 'healthy' Hovis

Hovis bread, produced by the UK bakers RHM, is to get an expensive facelift in a bid to strengthen its position as Britain's healthiest brand.

Small supplier makes a big impression

A small UK bakery has landed a contract to supply the retailing giant ASDA as they keep up with the consumer trend for homemade luxury bakery products.

Honey Monster teams up with Big Bear

The iconic UK Sugar Puffs breakfast cereal - advertised by the product's signature character Honey Monster - is set to make a comeback as the brand is sold to the food buy-out company Big Bear.

Snacking may be gene-activated, suggests study

Eating snacks outside of set meal times may be due to irregular switching on of genes in brain that 'expect' food at irregular hours, a result that has implications for obesity.

Cognis launches healthier aerating agent

Cognis has launched a new aerating agent that it claims has the potential to improve the health value of baked goods.

AWB warns drought may hit profits

Wheat and grain exporter AWB has reduced its profit forecasts in the face of drought and rising commodity costs.

Industry races to get green, GM omega-3 from plants

Industry giants are locked in a "fish oil arms race" to develop genetically modified crops that could challenge the supremacy of fish as the best source of omega-3 fatty acid, with both BASF and DuPont reporting progress in the field.

Zetar profits healthy after snack purchase

Following its recent acquisition of snack manufacturing companies, Humdinger and Readifoods, food buyout company Zetar has announced growing profits for its second year of business.