M&S boss wins backing despite food sales ‘below expectations’
City analysts have backed the new boss at Marks & Spencer (M&S), Steve Rowe, after the company unveiled food sales below analysts’ expectations.
Archives for April 11, 2016
'Turn traceability into a marketing tool,' say creators of farm-to-fork smartphone app
OriginTrail, an app created by Slovenian startup that allows consumers to scan processed products in the supermarket and trace ingredients back to the farm, means manufacturers can turn transparency commitments into action, say its creators, who have set...
Bulgarian poultry processor invests €8m to modernise capacity
Bulgarian poultry processor Gradus has revealed it has invested more than BGN15 million (€8m) to expand and modernise its output capacity.
More food producers go bust, after ‘supermarket price war’
The rate of food manufacturers going bust has tripled in five years – with an 11% rise in firms going out of business in the past year alone – as a direct result of “cut-throat competition” between the UK’s leading supermarkets, warns accounting and...
3D Food Printing Conference 2016
Wageningen University & FrieslandCampina researching 3D printing of milk protein structures
3D food printing gives academics an opportunity to explore the functionality of ingredients and how we can delay the process to get a solid structure and build challenging shapes, according to Dr Maarten Schutyser, professor, Food Process Engineering,...
US cattle industry calls for vote on TPP
A total of 225 US food and agricultural associations, including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) sent a letter to members of Congress on Monday 11 April calling for an efficient vote on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Chinese consumers demand premium beer products
The Chinese beer market is the world’s largest, yet it is experiencing negative volume growth after growing continuously for the past 24 years, according to China Alcoholic Drinks Association (CADA). Industry insiders say domestic beers have to look for...
India
Spice prices to fall as farmers increase production
The world’s pepper market has seen prices falling from the highs they experienced in the second-half of last year after the arrival of a new crop into India and Vietnam.
Medics: Years of Indian health gains would be wasted without soda tax
An international group of 50 medical professionals has united to call on Indian lawmakers to sign off on a proposed sin tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
“Truly exciting”: Probiotic may increase muscle mass, energy & performance
Supplements of Lactobacillus plantarum TWK10 may increase muscle mass, boost energy, counter fatigue, and improve physical performance, says a new study with lab mice.
Buy a bar, feed a child: From Cougar Town to mission-driven marketing, meet the CEO of This Bar Saves Lives
If you spot a hot guy handing out samples in a Whole Foods store that looks kind of familiar (if you’re a fan of Jane the Virgin, Cougar Town or Veronica Mars, that is), it could be a case of wishful thinking. Conversely you might just have stumbled...
Chr. Hansen’s new culture helps manufacturers offer premium cheese on a budget
Today’s shoppers are demanding higher quality cheeses with new flavors and convenient formats, but often are unwilling to pay the higher prices necessary to cover the added cost of innovation – placing manufacturers between a rock and a hard place.
Consumers want more local food, but are retailers geared up to give it to them?
While interest in many food trends tends to ebb and flow, consumer demand for ‘local’ food – which taps into many other movements, from organic to specialty – continues to rise. But what does ‘local’ really mean, which consumers are most interested in...
Physician develops pasteurized probiotic cheese, available in US market
New Hampshire physician Mark R. Windt, M.D., decided to combine his passion for cheese and medical expertise by developing a pasteurized, probiotic cheese that is also lactose- and sugar-free.
‘The way to tackle obesity is…’ ICBA president on alternatives to sugar tax
The debate on how to tackle obesity has been thrown fully into the limelight following the announcement of a UK sugar tax on beverages. Jim Goetz, president of the International Council of Beverages Associations (ICBA), says singling out beverages risks...
India's first online confectionery marketplace: Chocozonia taps emerging e-commerce nation
E-commerce startup Chocozonia has upped its distribution to include Cadbury, Nestlé and Mars products as well as homemade Indian chocolates after spotting an unmet need for an online confectionery channel in India.
Germany in social media storm over halal meat
German social media campaigners have called for pork to be placed in the halal section of supermarkets to challenge the “cruel” way animals are slaughtered, but critics argue this is an Islamophobic attack.
Is the booming gluten-free baby food market about to get another boost?
New studies have prompted changes to some advice on the introduction of gluten. Could it have an impact on booming EU sales of gluten-free baby foods?
Thermo Scientific X-ray specializes in wider, taller packages
Thermo Scientific has launched the NextGuard C500 X-ray System which accommodates wider, taller packages.
Wearable sensor tracks calories by recognising chewing sounds
Scientists have developed a wearable system that monitors calorie intake by recognising the chewing and swallowing sounds of food, a research paper has revealed.
Copa-Cogeca slams ‘unacceptable’ EU-Mercosur deal
Farming body Copa-Cogeca tells EU ministers to oppose a deal with South American trade bloc Mercosur that would pave the way to lower tariffs, leading to a “catastrophic impact” on beef
Dispatches from EFSA stakeholder meeting in Brussels
Novel regulation - same old delays? Stakeholders express novel food process concerns
The updated novel food regulation has been billed by the European Commission as a new streamline system that will put innovation back on the EU menu – yet attendees of a stakeholders meeting this week expressed concern these hopes would be dashed by...
European Parliament votes to scrap nutrient profiles
Members of European Parliament (MEPs) voted today to scrap nutrient profiles, a result that leaves consumer rights groups, public health campaigners and some industry players sorely disappointed.
Sri Lankan tea and rubber smallholders to gain from IFAD loan
Sri Lanka has taken a UN loan to improve food security and increase incomes for 32,000 rural households dependent on tea and rubber plantations in central and southern regions of the country.
South Asia radius
'Celebrities should not be allowed to promote junk foods and drinks'
A ban on celebrities endorsing sugary drinks and junk foods is among the policy moves called for by a Delhi think tank in a bid to reduce India’s diabetes rate, which is reaching epidemic proportions.