Knife crime, obesity and skiffle music. Out of all the evils
currently threatening the welfare of Western teenagers, recent US
headlines finger the main culprit as the caffeinated alcoholic
beverage.
This week, Flower Foods bakery continues its geographical expansion
plans with its acquisition of ButterKrust bakery, and Kellogg
acquires a major Chinese cookie company.
Swelling domestic stocks for Malaysian palm oil, widely used by
bakers, left crude palm oil futures closing lower on Monday,
offering a slight relief for prices.
New outsourcing contracts for industrial cocoa from new and
existing chocolate makers boost volume growth for cocoa supplier
Barry Callebaut, helping to offset harmful exchange rates, energy
prices and inflation.
The global shortage of molasses and competition from biofuels
continue to put upward pressure on prices for yeast, but
opportunities for yeast players lie squarely with the emerging
market for speciality yeast products, and specifically...
This week, the FSA holds an event focusing on salt-reduction
initiative, Flower Foods announces its merger with Holsum Bakery,
and the American Bakers Association addresses food prices.
Food industry voices are joining those of politicians in the GM debate, hailing the controversial technology as the answer to the food supply crisis. But the hearts and minds of consumers must still be won.
Bunge has announced the signature of a definitive agreement to
acquire Corn Products International for around $4.8bn, a major deal
that plunges it into the high-potential sweeteners market.
A UK-based breakfast cereal association says it is teaming up with
its dairy counterparts to this month kick off a new promotion
scheme playing up the nutritional benefits of consuming the
products.
A TV advert for Nestlé cereals must not be broadcast again in its
current form because it contains misleading information about
eating wholegrain foods, said the UK Advertising Standards
Authority (ASA).
Children's favourite snacks are crisps, biscuits, cakes and
confectionery but the healthy eating message is filtering through,
according to a new survey.
Irish baker IAWS is set to merge with Hiestand of Switzerland to
create Aryzta, a €2.5bn firm that will spear the €30bn global
value-added bakery market.
The Vandemoortele Group has announced its plans to take over Group
Panavi, expanding further its presence in the European frozen
bakery products market.
Faster new product development is likely after Associated British
Foods (ABF) announced yesterday the merger of its Ryvita business
with natural food company Jordans to create one of the biggest
player in the healthy snacks and cereals...
Sensible, nutritious, snacking twice a day combined with three
small meals can form a healthy, balanced diet, claims Kellogg's
Smarter Snacking Report published earlier this month.
French sugar and food solutions company Tereos has confirmed it is
hoping to acquire Danisco's sugar business, and that it is bidding
against Germany's Nordzucker.
Ingredients company Alfred L Wolff is vigorously denying
accusations against two of its US executives who were arrested for
allegedly importing honey from China mislabelled as coming from
Russia and the Ukraine.
Leading sugar and starch producer in Central and Eastern Europe,
Agrana has announced it has acquired, subject to regulatory
authority approval, 50 per cent of the shares in the sugar sales
operations of the Studen Group, Vienna.
Latest figures from the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO)
suggest that there will be a rise in world production of cocoa
compared to last year and a rise, though smaller, in world
grindings.
Manufacturers are getting more adventurous over erythritol use since it gained EU-wide approval this year, says Cargill, but the real boom will come when they can make a low-calorie claim in Europe.
Sustainability in the bakery industry will be the focus of an event
to take place next month in the UK, which aims to bring together
ingredients makers as well as manufacturers of finished products.
A better understanding of how genes affect a person's sensitivity
to taste could enhance the development of foods that meet specific
consumer preferences and individual nutritional needs.
Ajinomoto Sweeteners Europe has launched a defamation law suit
against US supermarket Asda over labelling on own-brand products
that calls aspartame a 'nasty'.
United Biscuits, Tate & Lyle and Cadbury Schweppes presented
their carbon cutting methods at an industry event focused on
developing a greener supply chain.
Leading global confectioners Mars and the Wrigley have announced
that they will merge, creating what Bill Wrigley called 'the
world's leading confectionery company'.
The International Grains Council (IGC) and Rabobank Group, a
specialist in food and agribusiness banking, forecast that the
prospect of a record world wheat harvest in 2008/09 could help to
reduce wheat prices on global markets.
Kraft Foods announced on 24 April that it has signed agreements to
sell its Artiach biscuits business in Spain to Barcelona-based
bakery Panrico and its Balaton chocolate trademark in Hungary to
Nestle.
Ingredients firm Cargill yesterday completed the expansion of its
Polish wheat processing facility, designed to meet consumer demand
across the European bloc.
NutraCea is expecting to see its first sales of stabilised rice
bran in Central and Eastern Europe following this week's FiCEE
trade show, where the ingredient has been warmly received for its
potential to reduce manufacturers'...
Which? has renewed calls for greater controls on food marketing to
children, claiming that new technologies like text messages are
contributing to the 'pester power' of manufacturers.
The European Commission opened an in-depth investigation today into
Associated British Foods' plan to buy parts of Dutch yeast producer
GB Ingredients.
A salmonella infection spreading through states in the US could be
linked to a recently recalled batch of cereal, the nation's Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
A Paris French court yesterday ruled that the Swiss company Cornu -
based in the Swiss village of Champagne - and its French
subsidiary, cannot use the Champagne appellation to sell its
biscuits in France.
Real Good Food today reported a drop in profits for 2007, which the
UK-based firm blamed on ongoing EU sugar reforms as well as the
escalating price of raw ingredients.
It is hard for food companies not to get drawn into the temptation of using attractive label claims that may be shrouded by a veil of doubt. But the real risk comes when the 'if you don't know, don't ask' question is finally answered.
Malaysian multinational Sime Darby is to channel €34m into
expanding its value-added oils and fats presence in Europe,
including upgrading its existing Unimills facility and setting up
new palm oil facilities.
Ocean Spray is continuing to push into the Asia-Pacific
bakery market with a new partnership with Taiwan-based baker
ChiaTe, the company announced yesterday.
Cosun is expecting its recent acquisition of CSM Suiker to prop up
its margins somewhat in the coming year, as conditions remain tough
for the European sugar industry.
PepsiCo and Strauss Group have completed their joint venture
partnership to operate fresh dips maker Sabra, a move that confirms
both companies' plans to extend their presence in the growing
healthy Mediterranean foods market.
Two dried fruit specialists have joined forces to create Shoreline
Fruit, a new company positioned to benefit from growth in
fruit-derived ingredients, and to offer security of supply from
farm right through to finished products.
A new report published by the Scottish Food Standards Agency urges
children to reduce the amount of cakes and biscuits they are
eating, warning that they currently have too much sugar in their
diets.
Over the last two weeks alone, Cadbury Adams has recalled Mini Eggs
because of a nut trace, Wholesnax failed to label the presence of
soya in its nuts, and a Korean company may have surprised one poor
consumer with a rat's head.
In financial news this week, Sara Lee sells its Mexican business to
focus on core brands, Dunkin' Donuts increases franchises in
Tennessee, and Dorset Cereals is purchased by Wellness Foods.
The use of biomass for fuel should not jeopardise the food supply,
EuropaBio has proclaimed, but more European investment is needed in
second generation technology that does not compete with food
sources.
In these uncertain times for the bakery business the Finsbury Food
Group's profits have soared by giving people what they want, says
Chief Executive Dave Brooks.
