Chr Hansen is already on the look out for new acquisitions as the
firm enjoys a fresh financial thrust from its new private equity
owners, PAI partners, reports Lindsey Partos.
The Dutch company Schoeller Wavin Systems and the Swedish firm Arca
Systems are forming a new group that will become the world's
largest manufacturer of plastic returnable packaging for material
handling.
Chr Hansen's vice president explains why the group is launching an
innovative and highly unusual marketing campaign across Eastern
Europe, and tells us what he hopes to learn from the experience.
Anthony Fletcher reports.
A reputation for quality and efficiency across Europe and Asia have
helped Swiss baker Hiestand to predict it will beat its own
earnings targets for 2004. But the company's biggest challenge is
deciding where to go next, writes...
Danish ingredients giant Chr Hansen is about to launch an intensive
research and marketing campaign across Eastern Europe to learn more
about local taste preferences and beat the opposition to one of the
world's most promising...
Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa are strong growth areas
for the flavours market while in western Europe low calorie and low
carb diets will continue to spur demand, claims a new report.
PepsiCo is now in a prime position to dominate the blossoming
European snacks market, especially the emerging eastern sector,
after US food maker General Mills pulled out of their 12-year-old
joint venture to pay off mounting debts,...
The rising star of Britain's cake sector, Inter Link Foods, is
buying its way into Poland - hoping to benefit from the growing
dominance of multinational supermarkets across eastern Europe while
also using its new plant to ship...
Double-digit growth rates are expected in the beverage sector
throughout central and eastern Europe over the next decade, fuelled
by growing consumer spending power and the arrival en masse
of major western drinks groups. But it is...
Packaging provider Superfos has gained hygiene standard approval
from the Institute of Packaging and the British Retail Consortium.
With the UK public being the leading per capita consumers of
convenience foods of Europe, the move...
US cereals and snacks group Kellogg is to centralise its European
operations in a new office in Ireland, giving it a major presence
in the market with the world's highest per capita consumption of
ready-to-eat cereals, writes...
The market for fats and spreads in eastern Europe is rapidly
diversifying, whilst rapidly expanding. Furthermore the latest
product launches from the Mintel databases in this segment indicate
that functionality is becoming increasingly...
Weighing and packaging specialist Ishida Europe has consolidated
its presence in the German market through the establishment of a
full subsidiary company, Ishida GmbH.
Plant extract suppliers are developing new technologies to
sterilise herbs to help customers avoid increasing scrutiny of
solvent use and meet higher demands for product quality.
A conference to address the future of central & eastern
Europe's packaging markets is to be held in Bologna, Italy next
month. The event will attempt to evaluate the investment potential
for packagers in emerging markets...
Britain may be Europe's biggest snack food market, but changing
habits in continental Europe mean that even the staunchest
supporters of traditional gastronomy - the French - are
increasingly snacking between meals, according...
Leading foreign supermarket chains in Eastern Europe claim they are
expecting to significantly increase their food exports to foreign
subsidiaries throughout Europe, giving a major boost to food
producers there, writes Simon Pitman.
The Central and Eastern European packaging and processing sector
comes a very definite top with respect to market potential,
according to recent market research carried out for the Total
Processing and Packaging 2004, currently running...
European sales of aluminium foil in 2003 achieved the same level as
2002, according to the latest figures from the European Aluminium
Foil Association (EAFA). The body believes that this shows the
strength of the foil industry in...
Countdown to the integration of 10 new member states in Europe this
April begins under the aegis of the Irish presidency. For
manufacturers, a clear understanding of the marketplace in these
countries will be vital to pitching the...
US ingredients companies continue to make moves into the European
marketplace with FiberGel Technologies, a supplier of the fat
replacer Z-Trim, announcing it has linked up with Swiss company
DKSH to target European consumers with...
The steel packaging industry in Central Europe is set to prosper,
as long as outmoded means of production can be upgraded. The
consumption of steel packaging in Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic
and Slovakia is projected to grow at...
Dutch retailer Ahold's efforts to streamline its business are
continuing apace, with yesterday's announcement that the US convenience store business
was to be sold followed today by news of a realignment at the
retail headquarters...
Lithuanian meat processor and wholesaler Vilniaus Mesa is to invest
some 17 million litas (€4.9m) in a new plant to be located in
Vilnius, according to a report in the Baltic Business Weekly. It
would appear that the prospect if EU...
Tetra Pak has been a pioneering force in the central and eastern
European food and beverage packaging sector. However, with
accession just around the corner a series of new challenges are
about to present themselves. We spoke to a...
The British are the biggest consumers of chocolate in Europe,
munching their way through more than 10 kg each every year. A
reflection of Britain's ongoing love affair with snacking - and
consumers' reluctance to choose...
A new custom-designed margarine tub for Russia is one of several
current initiatives from RPC division Bebo Polska, whose three
sites in Poznan, Piaseczno and Kruszwica are continuing to make
inroads into the expanding Eastern European...
Research published findings in the Journal of Food Protection
suggests that the presence of undeclared peanut protein in European
chocolate is much higher than in North American confectionery.
New data from the Association of European Producers of Steel
Packaging (APEAL) suggests that the recycling of cans and other
steel containers in the EU is becoming well established. Last
year's recycling rate topped 60 per cent...
Third quarter results released today by Schneider Electric suggest
that the market for plant operations technology, especially in
Europe, is going through a continued period of stagnation. Although
the company is confident of a gradual...
Polish packaging provider, Can-Pack, has confirmed the opening of
an aluminium can factory in Ukraine. The opening is in line with
the company's intentions to expand into the Eastern European
market.
RPC's developing business in Poland has received a boost with the
selection of the Eclipse 2 multi-layer polypropylene bottle for
leading manufacturer WSP Spolem's new mayonnaise Majonez Kielecki.
The appreciation of the euro against both sterling and the US
dollar took the shine off an otherwise excellent set of results for
Irish bakery group IAWS in 2003.
Europeans may be among the strongest opponents of GM foods, but
that does not mean that they are big supporters of organic food,
increasingly seen as an alternative to GM. Organic food sales
growth in western Europe is slowing, but...
Starter cultures are at the heart of dairy research in Europe. A
network of scientists will identify new tools to give Europe's
dairy industry the competitive edge over USA, New Zealand and
Australia.
Scottish & Newcastle's strategy of expanding its European
business at the same time as selling off its UK pub arm is making
it an attractive takeover target.
A new study has revealed that Biotechnology could help control
diseases and pests that take a bite out of European-grown crops,
resulting in more food production at lower costs and with less use
of pesticides.
BakeMark International is to exhibit in Western Europe for the
first time at iba 2003. The event is one of the largest bakery
industry events of the year.
The installation of Ishida multihead weighers at Vaasan &
Vaasan, one of Finland's leading bakers, is said to have doubled
production capacity and reduced giveaway to almost zero.
Spain is set to be the first European country to start producing
Crown Cork & Seal's SuperEnd end for beverage cans, following
its successful launch in a number of other world markets.
BakeMark International, an international provider of bakery
ingredients and supplies, is boosting its capabilities in fats for
the Eastern European market.
Dutch-based international food ingredients company CSM has reached
an agreement with Unilever on the acquisition of its bakery
ingredients business in Hungary.
Noodles are one of the fastest-growing products in the packaged
food market, but European sales are dominated by the UK. A new
report from market analysts Euromonitor reflects on whether other
markets in Europe will benefit from the...
The European food industry is to gather in Spain at the end of the
month for an international symposium on food technologies and the
canning industries.
Kappa Packaging has acquired the Norwegian corrugated board
manufacturer, Grenland Papp. The company will be merged with the
Norwegian sales arm, Kappa Förenade Well, to form a new group,
Kappa Grenland.
French baked goods company Brioche Pasquier invested heavily in
2002 after one of its production facilities was destroyed by a
fire. But the loss did not prevent the company from increasing
sales.
Bread will always be a staple part of any diet, but a new report
from Datamonitor suggests that consumption in western Europe could
be reaching saturation point. However, markets such as Spain, still
have potential for further growth.
A new study on the Turkish flexible packaging industry from market
intelligence firm PCI Films Consulting suggests the country's
progress in this field should be closely watched.
Britons are confirmed snack-o-holics, according to a new report
from Datamonitor, meaning that there are excellent growth prospects
for snack makers in this market. And while snack consumption
patterns are different on the Continent,...
