Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Analysts cautious as Dairy Crest spreads bets

20-Jul-2011 - City analysts have expressed continued concerns over Dairy Crest’s dairies business, following the release of the firm’s first quarter trading results yesterday.

Tetra Pak acquires Chaswill Process Technology

18-Jul-2011 - Global packaging and processing giant Tetra Pak has acquired Cape Town-based Chaswill Process Technology; a process engineering company active in the food and beverage sectors.

Natural colours drive Chr Hansen Q3 results; probiotic uncertainty continues

06-Jul-2011 - The newly renamed Natural Colors Division was the star performer in Danish ingredients supplier Chr Hansen’s Q3 results, showing 34% organic sales growth for the quarter, compared to 5% for Cultures and Enzymes, and 9% for Health and Nutrition.

Glanbia sticks to profit target despite one-off charge

30-Jun-2011 - Glanbia has incurred an €8m exceptional charge from its struggling consumer products business in Ireland but remains on track to achieve double digit earnings growth for 2011.

Fonterra reports China milestone, looks to India

24-Jun-2011 - New Zealand-based dairy giant Fonterra is now looking at expansion in India after a successful foray in China, including a recent bumper bond listing in Shanghai.

Loseley Dairy Ice Cream assets sold to US firm

23-Jun-2011 - The plant and machinery belonging to Welsh firm Loseley Dairy Ice Cream has been sold to an undisclosed US company, FoodManufacture.co.uk has learnt.

News in brief

Beneo hikes up prices of Isomalt by 20 per cent

21-Jun-2011 - Ingredient supplier, Beneo, has announced a 20 per cent hike in the price of its sweetener Isomalt, citing rising inflation rates and the need to secure a flexible supply chain.

News in brief

Bond issue reveals Fonterra’s Chinese expansion plans

17-Jun-2011 - Fonterra has signaled its intention to invest further in the Chinese dairy market with its first bond issue denominated in Chinese renminbi.

Lactalis almost certain to secure Parmalat (and the price is right), says analyst

17-Jun-2011 - EU approval almost seals the Lactalis acquisition of Parmalat, according to an Italian analyst, who described the bid price as “fair”.

News in brief

EC gives Lactalis the go-ahead for Parmalat acquisition

15-Jun-2011 - The European Commission has approved the proposed €3.4bn takeover of Parmalat by Lactalis.

Arla looks to merge with distressed Swedish dairy

10-Jun-2011 - A slump in milk demand in Sweden at the beginning of the year has prompted distressed Swedish dairy co-op Milko to turn to Arla to take on its farmers.

News in brief

DuPont takeover prompts resignation of Danisco top brass

08-Jun-2011 - Danisco chief executive officer Tom Knutzen and chief financial officer Soren Bjerre-Nielsen have resigned their posts in the wake of DuPont’s €4.44bn takeover that was finalised last month.

China-Biotics is ‘junk stock’, says China Economic Review

01-Jun-2011 - Allegations of financial impropriety against China-Biotics are growing louder with respected investment publications coming down against the company for massaging its financial figures to overstate revenues.

First Milk extends dairy kingdom

31-May-2011 - First Milk has bought Fife-based Kingdom Cheese and Kingdom Dairies to extend its product range into new cheese and cream products, while the firm has updated FoodManufacture.co.uk on the progress of its plans to build a new Scottish creamery.

Cheesy smiles at Dairy Crest

19-May-2011 - Dairy Crest announced a new set of efficiency measures as it released what one City analyst described as “a good set of numbers” for the year to March 31 this morning.

General Mills signs Yoplait acquisition agreements

18-May-2011 - General Mills has entered into definitive agreements to acquire a 51 percent controlling interest in French yogurt maker Yoplait and a 50 percent stake in a related entity that holds the global Yoplait brands.

Lactalis takeover bid rejected by Parmalat

18-May-2011 - Lactalis’ €3.4bn takeover bid for Italian dairy giant Parmalat has been rejected, following a “unanimous decision” by the firms’ board of directors in Milan yesterday.

Beechdean buys Loseley Ice Cream brands

13-May-2011 - Beechdean Farmhouse Dairy Ice Cream has bought Loseley Dairy Ice Cream’s brands out of administration, and revealed plans to double its own turnover to £20m within two years as a result.

Market rigging investigation will have no impact on Lactalis bid, analyst

13-May-2011 - An Italian police investigation into allegations of market rigging surrounding the Lactalis purchase of shares in Parmalat SpA (PLT) won't jeapardise its takeover bid, according to a leading analyst.

IFF reports strong Q1 growth aided by beverages and confectionery

11-May-2011 - Double-digit growth in the beverage, savory and confectionery sectors helped International Flavors & Fragrances to achieve revenue of $714m in the first quarter of this year; nine per cent up on the same period of last year.

Glanbia on target for double digit profit growth

11-May-2011 - Glanbia is standing by its double digit profit forecast for 2011 after an encouraging start to the year that saw the company reap the rewards of higher global dairy and nutritional prices.

Encouraging Q1 prompts Dean to increase 2011 profit forecast

11-May-2011 - Dean Foods has upped its profit forecast for the full year on the back of better than expected first quarter results.

Global dairy prices take a dip in March

06-May-2011 - Global dairy prices were down 2.4 per cent from March after seven months of steady growth, according to the latest figures from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Chinese dairy firms fill up GEA order book in Q1

06-May-2011 - GEA is seeing “dramatic increases” in orders from the Chinese dairy market as local companies seek to improve standards and meet higher local demand.