Sugar replacer firm Palatinit are set to highlight the trend
towards health and convenience in the growing sugarfree
confectionery sector at the ISM trade fair next year.
Top manufacturers are using intelligent software to integrate
management tools with shop floor data to boost productivity by up
to 27 per cent, according to new research.
Northern Foods reported a drop in bakery sales this week with the
sector falling 6.6 per cent from 18.6 per cent after a
disappointing performance for the quarter ended 30 September.
Northern Foods yesterday reported a 1.1 per cent drop in underlying
revenues for the quarter ended 30 September, as the UK-based
company continues to shed underperforming units.
Scientists at Symrise have reported the potential of benzyl amides
as potential bitter-masking compounds for food and drink, research
that may lead to cheaper alternatives for food scientists and
formulators.
Rents for warehouse and distribution centers are rising across the
US, with tight supply andincreasing construction costs continuing
to boost lease prices past their 2001 peak, according to
asemi-annual study of the market.
Europe's vegetable canners and freezers are being hit by a supply
shortage - and extra costs - due to the effects of the weather on
the continent's harvests.
H.J. Heinz strategy to raise prices and cut costs has paid off in
profit margins increasing to 15.5 per cent in the second quarter of
2006, two percentage points higher than the comparable period last
year.
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.
Premier Foods' strategy of acquisitions and price increases helped
boost first half operating profits by 12.7 per cent and margins by
almost one percentage point.
Europe's third party logistic (3PL) providers are moving to
integrate more of their operations with those of their clients as a
means of providing a more efficient service, according to a survey.
Driven by tougher waste legislation and set EU targets, the
recovery of plastics in the bloc is growing steadily, according to
a new report by Applied Market Information (AMI).
The avian influenza scare is causing fluctuations in the demand and
price for poultry in the EU, according to the latest agricultural
forecast by the European Commission.
The world's leading cereal producer Kellogg's has posted a three
per cent rise in second quarter net earnings, as strong sales in
the Americas help compensate for rising commodity costs.
The UK's food and drink manufacturers and retailers will come under
more pressure to recycle more and cut the amount of waste they
produce, according to an Environment Agency report.
Germany remains a world giant in the packaging material and machine
sector, with a high demand, especially for plastics, about to reach
record levels according to a new report.
An Australian research team has reported that a low-GI
carbohydrate-rich diet leads to weight loss of five per cent or
more and reductions in 'bad' cholesterol levels.
European post-consumer polyethylene terephthalate (PET) collection
recycling rates reached 796,000 tonnes in 2005, a 15.1 per cent
increase over the previous year, according to a trade association.
In the wake of UK government concerns over childhood obesity and
pressure from health watchdogs, crisp manufacturers have been
pursuing healthier alternatives to kid-friendly brands.
World coffee production over the next year will rise by nearly ten
per cent, or nearly 11 million bags, over the previous year,
fuelling a rising demand for the brew, according to a forecast
report.
Nestle doesn't expect raw material prices to rise further this
year, despite a recent FAO report that forecasts an increase of
over 2 per cent in the world food import bill in 2006.
The amount of EU research and development funds currently going to
the food industry should be doubled, the bloc's manufacturer's
association said yesterday, in releasing a study that painted a
grim picture of the sector's...
The average UK citizen spends £34.31 per week on food and drink and
is increasingly spending this money on healthier foods, according
to a recent Defra report.
Operating profit was flat while sales rose only two per cent in
real terms for Unilever, which said yesterday its profit rose six
per cent in the first quarter of this year.
Tingyi, manufacturer of China's leading instant noodle brand,
MasterKong, said sales of its ready to drink beverages surged in
2005, and additional capacity being added this year will continue
growth from this segment of its...
Swiss food giant Nestlé has announced a first-quarter sales rise of
14.1 per cent to CHF22.8bn (€14.5bn), beating analyst expectations
and reconfirming its full-year target of a five to six per cent
growth rate.
UK manufacturers boosted food and drink exports by three per cent
last year, with industry finding new overseas markets and
opportunities in supplying the private label segment.
Adopting a low-carb diet may improve fertility problems and hormone
profiles of women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS),
says US research.
Kraft Foods has recorded stable first quarter results, masking
falling operating income with a favourable tax settlement and
raising prices to combat spiralling production costs.
British food retailers and suppliers have developed a growing
commitment to domestically produced organic food, as consumers
insist on more environment-friendly production practices.
UK food manufacturers are slow to take up the use of radio
frequency identification (RFID) due to a lack of knowledge of the
technology, according to new research.
UK processors are demanding more innovation from their packaging
suppliers to support the launch of new products for expanded
markets, according to a survey.
A fall in profitability by £313m (€452m) has pushed management at
Wm Morrison to come up with a three-year recovery plan, placing
further pricing pressure on suppliers.
Like many other food producers General Mills is suffering from
rising costs, which are holding back profits, despite increasing
sales, according to the latest financial report.
The US might be consolidating its position as the fattest nation,
but Europe is catching up fast - and all this despite record
spending on diet products.
In a bid to return its European operations back to an acceptable
level of growth, Unilever today put up for sale most of its
underperforming frozen foods businesses, which includes four
manufacturing plants.
Prices for raw materials and energy are forecast to rise by around
five to 10 per cent this year, but Nestlé believes cost cuts will
balance the equation out, the company's chief executive said
yesterday.
Troubled chocolate maker Barry Callebaut has increased sales
volumes during its financial first quarter, but the growth has
meant a tumble in profit margin.
The number one influence on whether to buy food processing
equipment was whether it lived up to its specifications rather than
whether it was too costly, according to a survey by amanufacturing
supplier.
Estimates for world durum wheat and corn output are down sharply
from last year's record harvests, indicating processors might face
a price hike for the commodities depending on the demand.
Price reductions for imported herring and tuna will bring needed
relief from recent hikes for many European processors, while others
will be paying more for their seafood supplies, according to Food
and Agriculture (FAO) forecasts.
Despite the launch of new health-conscious products, more
advertising spend and a bid to maintain competitive prices in
Western Europe, Unilever's sales and margins in the region
continued to tumble in the third quarter.
Continual productivity improvements are behind Novozymes' solid
performance since it was floated on the stock market in 2000,
according to CEO Steen Riisgaard.
The EU's food industry is falling behind in comparison to its main
competitors, such as the US, and is especially weak on the use of
information communications technology, investment in researchand
development and innovation...
Biscuit consumption in China has soared in recent years, on the
back of changing consumer lifestyles and a general growth in
disposable incomes, according to a report published by Leatherhead
Food International (LFI).