CA senator introduces GE labeling bill SB 1381: ‘A simpler, cleaner version of Prop 37’
California state senator Noreen Evans (D – Santa Rosa) has introduced a new GMO labeling bill claimed to be a “simpler, cleaner version of Prop 37’.
Archives for February 21, 2014
Navigating the $23bn children’s food & beverage market
It’s no secret that children are an important target group for food and beverage manufacturers, as this $23bn segment accounts for roughly 4% of the overall US food and beverage market (worth $639bn), according to Packaged Facts.
Infection fall positive in battle against Campylobacter
European food safety leaders have reported the first fall in human cases of campylobacteriosis in five years.
Unilever to sell Peperami and Bifi meat snacks business
Unilever has agreed to sell its meat snacks business to Jack Link’s for an undisclosed sum, the company said on Friday.
Mud in your eye: EFSA rejects vision and stool claims
Replacing vegetable oils with an esterified vegetable oil in infant formulas will not soften infant stools, and a choline form will not boost vision, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found.
Poultry site clucks about chicken safety
The National Chicken Council’s recently launched ChickenRoost.com site takes consumers and producers on a journey through the poultry industry.
Preview: Vinisud February 24-26
Flavoured wines big hit with younger drinkers
Demand for flavoured wines continues to grow, according to a report from Wine Intelligence that will be presented at tradeshow Vinisud next week.
Is the food industry falling out of love with ‘natural’ claims? Not according to the data, says Mintel
When PepsiCo replaced the word ‘Simply Natural’ with ‘Simply’ on some Frito-Lay lines recently, some commentators wondered if this signaled the beginning of the end of the industry’s love affair with all-natural claims. However, new data suggests otherwise.
PathoGenetix: GSS tech demonstration
PathoGenetix has described the biophysical processes of DNA stretching that allow for high-throughput stretching in Genome Sequence Scanning technology (GSS).
Eurofins invests in pesticide testing
Eurofins Food Testing UK has bought a second Triple Quadrupole liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS) system to increase capacity for pesticide residue testing.
Commercial baby foods may provide greater variety than homemade
Infants who eat commercially prepared baby foods tend to consume a wider variety of vegetables and more fish than those who eat homemade baby foods, according to a new study.
Big Interview
Unilever: ‘Social media has brought a totally new dynamic to the business’
Customer care has come a long way since the pen and ink complaints letters of yesteryear – so how has a major company like Unilever made the transition to digital media?
Kellogg CEO: We integrated Pringles flawlessly
The acquisition of Pringles back in 2012 has tripled the scale of Kellogg in some emerging markets – completely changing the nature of business, its CEO says.
Hartman Strategy: Private label may not be the growth engine we have been led to believe
While some analysts predict US private label penetration rates (which have remained stubbornly at around 18% of dollar sales for in recent years) could reach 25-30% or higher in the next few years, their “exuberance… is perplexing at best”, according to...
Ammonia leaks hit 2 US cold-storage facilities
Two separate cold-storage facilities suffered from roof collapses and subsequent ammonia leaks, within hours of each other.
UK pork exports hit record since 2000
UK pork exports for last year hit record high since 2000, exceeding 256,000 tonnes (t) with a value of over £325m.
Young Brits lack confidence in the kitchen: Mintel
Pupils in UK primary and secondary schools will have compulsory cooking lessons from September this year – as new research from Mintel suggests less than a third of British people aged 16-24 are confident in the kitchen.
India launches homegrown quick test for food contamination
India’s health ministry has launched a kit that will determine the cause of food poisoning outbreaks faster and more cost-effectively than established foreign imports, it claims.
Special edition: Gluten-free
Industry already has all the ingredients for great gluten-free products: Univar
Gluten-free baked products have a historically bad reputation—be it in the flavor, texture, performance or shelf life department. But the surge of demand from all corners of the market has forced bakery and snack manufacturers to respond with improved...
Who owns organic? PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Nestlé and General Mills…
A new chart compiled by Dr. Phil Howard at Michigan State University reveals the extent to which multinational food and beverage firms now dominate the organic food and beverage market when it comes to share of dollar sales.
Garden of Flavor launches first HPP juices with probiotics
Garden of Flavor is set to launch the first HPP processed juice with probiotics – namely the GanedenBC 30 strain from Ganeden Biotech.
Have ‘all-natural’ lawsuits peaked? And what defense strategies are working?
While the number of lawsuits filed against food and beverage manufacturers over ‘all-natural’ claims appeared to peak in 2012 and drop off again in 2013, it’s too early for the industry to start cracking open the champagne just yet, say legal experts.
'Pepsi's been outmaeuvered by coke, outshone by dr pepper' - crusading investor
‘Coke has mediocre PepsiCo on its heels’: Peltz’s withering verdict
Nelson Peltz insists that Coke has PepsiCo on the back foot and says the latter is even outshone by Dr Pepper despite a stellar beverage portfolio including Gatorade, Tropicana and Mountain Dew.
Ukraine’s MHP looks beyond Russia for export
A leading Ukraine meat supplier has announced a switch in strategy to reduce its exposure to the volatile Russian poultry market.