Spain woos Greece over meat exports
Spanish meat producers, seeking new export sales to compensate for repeated bans on deliveries to Russia, have stepped up efforts to woo importers and agents in Greece.
Archives for November 19, 2014
Special edition: Track and Trace
Revolutionising traceability? DNA barcodes track the food, not the package
Food producers will be able to spray unique DNA barcodes directly onto food to improve traceability, when DNATrax becomes commercially available next year.
Most beverage ads targeting kids still promote sugar and caffeine, not health, says report
American children were exposed to significantly fewer TV ads for sugary drinks in 2013 compared with 2011. But not every soda giant got the memo, says a new report, which claims that children aged 2-11 saw 29% more TV ads for PepsiCo sugary drinks in...
EC pledges €28m for Baltic dairy farmers impacted by Russian embargo
The European Commission (EC) has pledged €28m (US$35m) in financial aid for Baltic milk producers “particularly adversely affected” by the Russian embargo.
Special edition: Track and Trace
Global food traceability technologies market to hit $11.15bn in 2015
Foreign producers are stepping up to tighter traceability regulations of export destinations, a trend which is pushing the global food traceability technologies market forward, according to business information portal Visiongain.
Australia
Bush tucker will only catch on when it becomes more productive
Australia’s “bush tucker” industry needs a new business model that includes commercial cultivation in order to reach its potential, according to a South Australian academic.
Ignorance leads some supplement, food manufacturers to incorrectly report protein values, consultant says
Protein fortification is a red hot trend in the market, but one formulation expert questions whether all of the information on the protein portions of those product labels is being reported correctly.
Oldways Whole Grains: Breaking Barriers conference
Schools need manufacturers’ help to meet new whole grain requirements
The higher cost and lack of familiarity with whole grains are complicating some schools’ efforts to comply with requirements to serve 100% whole grains that went into effect last July, according to school dietitians.
Sustainable palm oil milestone in sight for Unilever
Unilever will be able to guarantee 100% sustainable palm oil for its European food business by the end of this year, it has announced.
Deforestation-free commitments need to turn into actions: CDP
Companies make commitments to deforestation-free supply chains but some are still failing to take action, according to a report from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).
Not so sweet? Honey Monster cereal value to plummet €10m
Raisio will reduce the book value of Honey Monster cereal by €10m – a move that comes just weeks after its multi-million brand revamp of the product.
Nestlé gluten-free cornflakes hit Europe
Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) has developed Nestlé gluten-free cornflakes for select European countries to capture increasing interest from non-celiac dieters.
InstantLabs fights food fraud with seafood ID tests
InstantLabs has launched the first of a series of DNA tests for seafood, to combat the increasing problem of fraud in the sector.
What the…? Wrigley looks to block Perfetti Van Melle’s ‘WTF’ trademark
Global gum leader Wrigley is trying to block the third largest gum player Perfetti Van Melle’s from registering character trademarks for ‘WTF’ and ‘What the Fresh’ in the US.
Study debunks manufacturer fears labeling added sugar would confuse consumers
Most Americans believe knowing how much added sugar is in a food would be helpful, according to a recent study that contradicts food manufacturers’ concerns that a proposal to differentiate added and naturally occurring sugar on the Nutrition Facts label...
Lactalis enters race to acquire Egyptian cheesemaker Arab Dairy
French dairy giant Lactalis has entered the race to acquire Arab Dairy Products Company with an offer that tops all earlier bids for the Egyptian cheesemaker.
BEUC kicks off campaign for antibiotic reduction in livestock
The European Consumer Organisation (BEUC) has launched a campaign urging EU institutions to restrict the use of antibiotics in livestock.
Special edition: Track & Trace
Lascom updates CPG software to edit product specifications prior to INCO
Lascom, which develops PLM (product lifecycle management) software, has updated its CPG version to better manage data and documents ahead of the 1169/2011 European regulation consumer information on food (INCO Regulation), which comes into effect on...
Dispatches from Food Matters Live, London
Gluten-free health benefits? For those without an intolerance there's no proof, claim experts
Choosing gluten-free food is a lifestyle choice, but there is no evidence that it’s a healthier option for those not suffering from gluten intolerance, say experts.
UK bird flu strain confirmed as H5N8
The recent outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the UK has been confirmed as the H5N8 strain of the disease - the same as the outbreaks in the Netherlands and Germany this month.
General Mills settles ‘100% natural’ Nature Valley lawsuit; does not admit liability
General Mills has agreed that it will not use the term ‘100% natural’ to describe Nature Valley bars that contain certain ‘artificially produced’ ingredients in order to settle a long-running false advertising lawsuit*.
Healthy planet, healthy people: Balancing carbon footprint and optimal nutrition
Plant-derived foods have been suggested as preferable to those of animal origin from an environmental perspective as well as for health – but nutrient density must be taken into account, suggests a new study.
“This is a good move for Raisio. They are the correct parent of this niche brand.”
Raisio brings cholesterol-lowering Benecol home for €90m
“J&J should have sold it 10 years ago,” is one analyst’s appraisal of Finnish agro-food giant Raisio’s buy-back of the licensing rights to its cholesterol lowering, plant stanol-based Benecol brand today, referring to US market difficulties for the...
dispatches from Emballage 2014, Paris
Dylog targets detection of similar density contaminants
Dylog has launched an X-ray machine to detect low density products at Emballage 2014, in Paris.
New Cattle Council of Australia president announced
Howard Smith has been elected to take over from Andrew Ogilvie as president of the Cattle Council of Australia.
WINE VISION 2014: FOCUS ON...SMART VIRAL MARKETING
‘Nice wine, no corkscrew?’ Mirabeau En Provence solution strikes YouTube gold with 8 million+ views
Mirabeau En Provence owner Stephen Cronk says the desire for a direct consumer connection inspired him to record a 50 second YouTube video that's won the Rosé producer a staggering 8m+ views to date.