Global food prices fall for third consecutive month, says FAO
The FAO Food Price Index was down for a third consecutive month in June, as good supply and improved global production prospects for wheat, maize and palm oil lowered prices.
Archives for July 2, 2014
Italian food exports to GCC leap 21%
Italian food exports to the GCC were up 21% in 2013, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading the growth and sales, according to figures from Italian food export organisation Cibus.
GlobalMeatNews Meat World Cup - France v Argentina
Following the group stage of the GlobalMeatNews Meat World Cup, we are now in the second round, where the winning teams from the last round are going head-to-head in terms of beef production stats.
Insights from IFT 2014
The sky’s the limit for malleable energy category: Mintel
The concept of “energy” is a multifaceted one, to be sure: it can come in bursts or slowly; via beverages, shots, biscuits or bars; with appeal that spans sports nutrition, weight management and even kids.
Health for breakfast; indulgence for lunch - Instant porridge blossoms in Russia
Instant hot cereal is rising in Russia as urban consumers seek healthy, convenient options, but beware - indulgence remains top of mind, says an analyst from Canadean.
South Korea
Korean women catching up with the world’s biggest boozers — Korean men
South Korean women are developing a taste for a tipple at a remarkable rate, with the number who regularly consume alcohol having grown by more than 33% in just over a decade.
Dispatches from IFT 2014
Cricket bars founder: ‘We launched a product without a supply chain in place to scale it’
Since it was created in 2012, Chapul Inc. has been on a mission to integrate edible insects into Western diets, using its cricket energy bars as the vehicle.
Top 10 foodborne parasite list to create public awareness
A "Top Ten" list identifying foodborne parasites of greatest global concern has been released to create public awareness around the issue.
China
China leads world beef market’s return to better days
Chinese beef import volumes remain historically high, but still a long way behind last year’s stratospheric growth.
Oman’s $130m shrimp farm names lead contractor
The US$130m Qurun Aquapolis aquaculture project in Oman announced the appointment of its lead contractor this month, with construction scheduled to be completed by 2016.
Australia
Goodman Fielder agrees to takeover bid from Wilmar and First Pacific
Iconic Australian food maker Goodman Fielder has finally agreed to an A$1.34bn (US$1.26bn) offer by Wilmar International and First Pacific Company to acquire the company after the last two bids were turned down.
Asian investors plough $106m into ambitious Chinese dairy Huaxia
A coalition of Asian investors is ploughing US$106m (€77.7m) in to Huaxia Dairy Farm to fund an expansion of the Chinese company's farming and processing operations.
Fonterra and Dairy Crest enter infant formula ingredients partnership
Dairy Crest and Fonterra have entered into a strategic partnership to produce and market infant formula ingredients, demineralized whey powder and galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS).
ASPEN IDEAS FESTIVAL 2014, COLORADO
‘Who are you, Mother Teresa?’ We are American. We eat chips and drink soda!’: PepsiCo boss Indra Nooyi on investor ‘who took me to the cleaners’
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi says she didn’t want a short-term ‘cut, slash and burn’ policy that would have seen the company make enormous earnings from 2006 despite the upset her long-term nutritional foods focus caused some investors.
Iraq violence threatens critical harvest, says FAO
The recent conflict in Iraq has pushed the country to the brink of a food supply crisis through risks to harvests and growing refugee numbers, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned.
Al Khaili Group to build food factory in Kizad
The UAE’s Saif Al Khaili Group has signed up to build a food processing facility in Abu Dhabi Ports’ Kizad Food Cluster, as part of a major industrial project, Kizad has announced.
Analyst Insight: The battle between fructose and glucose
Manufacturers should look to reduce overall use and reliance on sugar and not focus on replacing fructose with glucose, while concerns over HFCS should start to disperse as newer research invalidates current thinking, says Laura Jones of Mintel.
Global beef market prices forecast to strengthen
The global beef market is set to regain its positive momentum in the third quarter of the year once the current high supply has worked its way through the system, according to Rabobank.
Eliot Beer
Regional Brazilian coffee imports soar 20% as prices fall
The Arab world’s Brazilian coffee imports rose 20% year-on-year by volume in the first five months of 2014, while revenue fell 7.7% over the same period.
Almarai and PepsiCo plan $345m Egypt investment
Almarai and PepsiCo announced a joint plan to invest US$345m in projects in Egypt over the next five years, taking advantage of the growing stability in the country.
Waters targets quantitative and qualitative applications
Waters Corporation has introduced two Xevo mass spectrometers for benchtop quantitative and qualitative applications.
Blanket EU driftnet fishing ban ‘completely inappropriate’ for UK waters, says DEFRA
The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has said it will seek to opt out of a proposed pan-EU ban on driftnet fishing.
Petra delivers for Barry Callebaut in nine month results
Barry Callebaut has registered sales growth in its nine month results driven by the recently acquired Petra Foods cocoa business.
Regional governments work to hold down Ramadan food prices
Governments across the Middle East are trying to enforce price controls on food staples ahead of Ramadan, as consumers report price rises of up to 40%.
Cranberry juice brand Ocean Spray hits the GCC
US cranberry juice brand Ocean Spray has announced the official launch of its products in the GCC, to tap into the region’s growth markets.
Valensa International: We have solution to chia contamination problem
If you wash chia seeds after you harvest them, they turn into a gelatinous goo. Which can be a problem if you are trying to tackle salmonella, contamination with which is currently causing some big issues in the trade.
Heliae enters joint venture to produce astaxanthin in Japan via hybrid algal technology
Astaxanthin has been a red-hot ingredient in the United States for several years and demand is ramping up worldwide. To meet that demand in the Japanese market, Heliae, an algae technology company based in Gilbert, AZ, is teaming up with Sincere...