Sabic in $595m joint venture for plastics production
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic) is to form a US$595m food packaging joint venture with Korean petrochemical firm SK Global Chemical, the firms have announced.
Archives for June 15, 2014
Mum finds blade in baby food packaging
A supermarket has issued a nationwide recall of its Baby Macro Organic Tomato Chicken with Pasta Puree after a mother found a metal blade inside the packaging.
ABZ Agro woos Saudi investors for buffalo meat venture
Indian meat processing firm ABZ Agro is hunting for Saudi investors for a new buffalo meat production plant.
Saudi poultry to soar 52% by 2018
Saudi Arabia's poultry production will rise 52% over the next four years, as the country's total agricultural sector is set to hit US$1.7bn in value, according to a new report.
Insights ahead of IFT 2014
Innovative hydration and sugar reduction to propel healthy beverage, DSM says
Ahead of the 2014 Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting & Food Expo in the Big Easy next week, representatives from DSM Nutritional Products, which will be among the presenters in a June 22 session titled “Innovations in Functional...
Cutting your losses: Seaweed extract improves fresh spinach storage quality
The fertiliser and soil conditioner Ascophyllum nodosum extract (ANE) could present a sustainable and ‘market ready’ solution for prolonging the shelf life and enhancing the nutritional value of highly perishable cut fresh spinach without gene...
Meet the 20-something entrepreneur behind quinoa-fueled snacking startup eatKeenwa: ‘You’ve got to be tenacious'
“My background is in sales, so I’m used to dealing with disappointment,” observes the founder of quinoa-based snacking brand eatKeenwa. But for every door that’s been shut in Blake Niemann’s face in the past 18 months, another one has opened. And his...
Insights from the BASF 2014 Media Summit
Connecting the dots from ag to food
Is the farm-to-table movement all it’s cracked up to be? Is a healthy dialogue about GMOs even possible? Can we fix growing income disparities in the developed world? A group representing many points on the agribusiness value chain weighed in.
Functional foods forum participant says the move toward organic is an unstoppable groundswell
Natural and organic is the future of functional food and food in general, according to MetaBrandCEO Eric Schnell. Schnell is a panelist in an upcoming NutraIngredients-USA online forum title "Trends in Functional Foods" and set for June 30.
Protein star performer for 2 Sisters
Boparan Holdings, the holding company for 2 Sisters Food Group, has reported strong progress in its third financial quarter (Q3), with its protein division contributing significantly to sales and profitability.
Public confidence in food chain is under the spotlight
Public confidence in the UK food chain has come under particular spotlight after recent incidents, according to the UK Government Chemist’s annual review.
Carbon monoxide sickens food processing workers
Nearly two dozen staff at Keybrand Foods were taken to hospital after a carbon monoxide leak at the processing facility.
Dutch Spices claims first with allergen-free range
Dutch Spices claims to have become the first company in Europe to offer a range of dry spice blends, marinades and sauces that are free from the 24 allergens on the Dutch food allergen database (Levensmiddelendatabank).
CME Group spills beans on new cocoa contract
Futures exchange company CME Group has made a “strong commitment” in the cocoa market and plans a new contract to rival the IntercontinentalExchange Group (ICE).
Meat processing crisis hits Crimea
In the coming months the Crimean peninsula could be left without meat products, with almost all companies involved in meat processing at risk of bankruptcy, experts have predicted.
Weighing up the responsibility: Should obesity be classed as a disability?
If the European Court redefines obesity as a disability, the rules of responsibility could shift horribly away from the parties involved - including the food industry.
Brazil's Marfrig considers Saudi factory
Brazilian food processor Marfrig is planning to set up its first factory in the Middle East within the next five years, with Saudi Arabia the most likely location.
India
EU, US request for food security data sparks trade row with India
The US and EU have called on the World Trade Organisation to make the provision of full information on India’s food subsidy programme a precondition before they can begin negotiations on how to tackle the issue of legitimising food procurement subsidies.
Almarai signs fodder port deal as Q1 profits rise 7%
Saudi dairy and poultry producer Almarai has signed a deal for berth and processing facilities at King Abdullah Port (KAP), in order to import its own animal feed.
US university creates curriculum for Nestlé training center in China
The University of Wisconsin-Madison, US, will develop the curriculum for a $400m Nestlé dairy training center in China.
Iraq set to resume Brazilian beef imports
Iraq is expected to re-start imports of Brazilian beef, following a technical visit by Iraqi government inspectors to Brazil this month.
Japan
Japanese railway to use KitKat bars as tickets
Japan has a reputation for food innovation, and a new initiative by Nestlé will transform one of its iconic chocolate bars into currency for train travel while at the same time promoting a crisis-hit part of the country.
Qatar launches farmers’ association
Qatar has created a farmers’ association, backed by the Ministry of Economy and the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), to promote agricultural development in the country.
DRINKPRENEUR LIVE! START-UP ACCELERATOR: LONDON, JUNE 11 2014
‘There’s nothing soft about soft drinks!’ Tesco's top buyer warns entrepreneurs
Tesco’s top soft drinks buyer has warned entrepreneurs that the category graveyard is full of promising brands that failed because they ran out of cash, despite getting their concept ‘spot on’.
2 Sisters appoints new chief financial officer
2 Sisters Food Group has appointed Stephen Leadbeater as its new chief financial officer, following Steve Henderson’s decision to take early retirement.
Saudi Arabia warms to microwave food
Saudi Arabia's younger consumers and working women are driving a gradual shift towards microwaveable meals, but wider change will be slow to come, according to research firm Euromonitor.
Saudi ready meals market hits $7bn, but growth set to slow
Saudi Arabia's ready meal, coffee, tea and spices market grew 118% to reach US$7bn in value between 2007 and 2012, but growth will slow in coming years, according to a new report.
Brazil uses World Cup to score with regional buyers
Brazil’s food vendors are leveraging the FIFA World Cup to woo Middle Eastern buyers by setting up trade meetings to coincide with the football tournament.
Hillshire Brands says goodbye to Pinnacle Foods, hello to Tyson Foods
Jimmy Dean sausage maker Hillshire Brands has recommended terminating its agreement to acquire Pinnacle Foods in the wake of the $63/share takeover offer from Tyson Foods.
Australia
Australia to get national standard for free-range eggs
Australian consumers will finally have a clear definition for free-range eggs after state and territory ministers agreed to a New South Wales proposal to develop a national standard for free-range eggs.