The Chewing the Fat series has the FoodNavigator team getting its teeth into food issues. The gluten-free market is set to continue its expansion in the coming years, fuelled by better diagnosis and a fad for gluten-free foods. The FoodNavigator editorial...
Sugar could be shedding its bad boy image to take a surprise spot on the public’s list of trusted ingredients, as manufacturers look to appeal to more savvy consumers.
Inspired by The Economist's 'burgernomics' Big Mac index, French market analysts Gira Conseil have launched the 'buttered-ham sandwich' index, to compare prices of the country's enduring ham and butter sandwich, and in this...
In recent years the share of private label goods sold by retailers has been on the rise, reaching almost 50 per cent in traditional retailers. The FoodNavigator editorial team discusses what's driving the trend, and what it means for big brand manufacturers.
Indonesia's Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) confirmed last week claims that certain snack products are contaminated with melamine, reports The Jakarta Post.
Clutched to the president’s chest like a medal of nationalisation, Cargill Venezuela cannot be sitting very comfortably this week as it awaits the fate of its rice plant.
The French sandwich market is in full flight, reaping €6.1bn in sales in 2008 on growth of 11 per cent, finds trend trackers Gira Conseil, with the popularity of the baguette far from unerring.
Despite today's overarching trend towards new and exotic flavours, when it comes to crisps, traditional flavours like cheese & onion and ready salted are best, generating strong sales and bolstering growth for snack makers despite the challenging...
Spotting a market opportunity ten years ago, John Mudd set out to create an alternative to mass-produced crisps, building a business that today sees 2.5 million packs of Real hand-cooked crisps sold each week in the UK.
Nailing down the key factors behind the recent price spike for staple grain commodities, a new report from the US department of agriculture underlines the pivotal role of stock levels in the price equation.
The sugar and ingredients divisions of Associated British Foods (ABF) are expected to show good growth backed favourable foreign exchange rates when its interim results are announced in April.
Consumer concerns about a synthetic growth hormone used in milk production have prompted two leading food producers in the United States – General Mills and Dannon – to reformulate their dairy product lines. It is a decision that will have immediate implications...
In the second part of the BakeryandSnacks.com interview with award-winning scientist Prof. Dr. John Taylor, the 2009-2010 president of the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC) discusses why health will continue to be a central...
The salmonella contamination of peanut products has brought American food safety under scrutiny causing some to question the value of the Made In America brand.
In the first of a two-part interview, award-winning scientist Professor Dr John Taylor, and 2009-2010 president of leading cereal science organisation, the International Association for Cereal Science and Technology (ICC), sheds light on the key issues...
Organisers of the baking industry's first online trade show - eBakery-Show International 2009 (www.ebakeryshowinfo.com) - have pushed the date back from 1 April to 1 August in response to the economic climate.
The divisive GM issue rumbles on at a European level with an EU expert committee failing to reach an agreement to lift French and Greek national bans on the cultivation of a Monsanto maize crop.
Improving its green credentials, Walkers' crisps becomes the first company in the UK to retain a carbon reduction label, after cutting its carbon footprint by 7 per cent in two years.
The UN's Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) has predicted lower cereal prices for 2009 as production outstrips use and world cereal stocks recover from recent critical lows.
The GM debate at times seems much like the Hokey Cokey (or Pokey, if you’re US-based). There’s been a lot of putting in, some putting out, and quite a lot of shaking things all about, but as of yet, there hasn’t really been a turnaround and definitely...
Debate is heating up about the best way to present nutrition information on food labels throughout the EU as lawmakers hammer out the details of new legislation. The Food and Drink Federation gives a view from industry.
Last week’s withdrawal of a high-profile functional food in France is disappointing for the company concerned and maybe for the healthy/functional foods industry, but you may be led to think differently if you happen to be a reader of the UK broadsheet,...
UK retailer Marks & Spencer has won a protracted legal battle against the VAT office that had classified its marshmallow teacakes as chocolate biscuits.
Pressure continues on snack makers to reduce portion sizes as the UK's health secretary Alan Johnson challenges the industry to design healthy snacks in smaller portions.
Water is the new carbon and companies are starting to engage in water strategy planning, measuring and managing of its use for greater efficiency, according to a new report.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An expert from Mintel gives a taster of new flavor trends in the US, and predicts how long it could be before we are all enjoying the likes of peri-peri, lavender and cactus.
