Headlines > Markets
Functional foods market as strong as ever
07-May-2004 - Opportunities for food manufacturers and ingredients firms are set to burgeon in the UK functional food marketplace with new Mintel research forecasting that the £835 million market will double in the next five years to £1.7 billion. While heart disease and breast cancer top the list of consumer health concerns, confidence in health claims is at the root of growth and market gains. On-the-go functional drinks is also a category to watch.
Milk ingredient targets stress management
07-May-2004 - French dairy ingredients firm Ingredia is targeting the growing market for stress management products with a rebranded milk-derived ingredient, said to be more effective than herbals and other supplements currently available.
Special Focus: RFID arrives
07-May-2004 - RFID has arrived. Long hailed as the next IT revolution for industry, communicating labels are being forced into place by retailers and legislators alike, leaving manufacturers racing to implement a newborn technology steeped in unknowns, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Fonterra cut 700 jobs
04-May-2004 - Fonterra, New Zealand's leading dairy exporter, said on Monday that it plans to axe hundreds of jobs in order to streamline its business for future core efficiency. Over the next two years the group plans to cut 700 administrative jobs the group's chairman disclosed, writes Danny Vincent.
US producers hit by increased milk price
04-May-2004 - The increase in milk prices in the US - has been spurred by a storm of factors across the country. Analysts are blaming low production on the discovery of Canadian BSE, the high price of animal feed and even the revolution of low-carb diets. Milk costs are now at an all time high and observers claim the increase has forced even some of the most traditional dairy producers to turn to some non-milk alternatives,writes Danny Vincent.
Dairy processors access impact of accession
30-Apr-2004 - The accession of ten countries to the EU on May 1 means that export quotas, customs levies and export subsidies will be lifted between existing and new member states. Will this open up opportunities for the dairy sector in the east, or have western companies already got the sector tied up, asks Anthony Fletcher.
Celsis wins back Milk Link contract
29-Apr-2004 - Celsis International, a rapid microbial testing company, has won back the contract to test UHT milk produced by British dairy group Milk Link, after losing out to rival Biotrace. The company said that Milk Link's decision reflected Celsis' renewed focus on the dairy industry, writes Danny Vincent.
WBD continues dairy investment
23-Apr-2004 - Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD), the leading dairy and fruit juice producer in Russia, has announced the completion of its latest stage of its production and moderisation program at Baltic dairy factory OJSC. The group, which has been investing heavily in a so far unsucessful attempt at attracting a western investor, claims that this latest investment has further increased efficiency and sales.
Yoplait and Tnuva scouting Romanian dairy
20-Apr-2004 - French dairy giant Yoplait and its Israeli partner Tnuva are said to be in advanced negotiations to establish a dairy venture in Romania, according to reports.
Dairy Partners spreads LatAm footprint
19-Apr-2004 - Dairy Partners America, the joint venture between Switzerland's Nestlé group and Fonterra, New Zealand's leading dairy company, has completed the second phase of its roll out, beginning liquid and powdered milk production in Ecuador, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago.
American Dairy readies for expansion
15-Apr-2004 - One of China's leading producers of milk powder and soybean products, American Dairy, has got off to a strong start following its formation in May 2003 and subsequent acquisition of Beibei Foodstuff in November.
Amersham support added value in dairy
12-Apr-2004 - Amersham, an international bioscience company with a background in the pharmaceutical industry, is turning its expertise to the dairy industry. Its separating technique - designed to filter biomolecules from DNA - may be used to finely seperate beneficial ingredients that are currently going to waste, writes Danny Vincent.
Arla Foods plans Caribbean milk production
12-Apr-2004 - European dairy giant Arla Foods is considering acquiring a diary plant in the Dominican Republic. The company is thought to want to start production of powdered milk there - Arla currently supplies the Dominican market via exports - as well as beginning UHT milk production, writes Danny Vincent.
Space, the future for yoghurts
08-Apr-2004 - A link up between US space technologists and the leading Swedish-Danish dairy firm Arla Foods could lead to new knowledge about how to provide humans with calcium and yoghurt bacteria.
Germans warned over use of Parmesan name
08-Apr-2004 - The EU Commission has issued a final warning to the German government over the use of the Parmigiano Reggiano name for certain cheese products. German producers have been using the name in spite of EU legislation which restricts the use to cheese made in the Italian region of origin, writes Danny Vincent.
Vietnamese dairy readies for growth
08-Apr-2004 - Vietnam Dairy Products (Vinamilk) has been given approval by Vietnamese authorities to merge with Saigonmilk. Vietnam Dairy Products already holds a 20 per cent stake in the company which manufactures both soy and milk products.
Will accession save Parmalat divisions?
07-Apr-2004 - Despite Italian food giant Parmalat's financial crisis, its divisions in both Romania and Hungary continue to operate. Indeed, Parmalat Hungary is expecting that in the run up to accession, production will increase in response to rising demand. Simon Pitman looks at what is in store for the divisions.
Arla Foods UK dairy closure
05-Apr-2004 - Arla Foods UK, the company formed by the merger of Express Dairies and Sweden's Arla Foods, will cut nearly 300 jobs at its Bamber Bridge depot near Preston. The company claims that the closure is a move towards rationalising milk production", writes Danny Vincent.
WBD buys up Uzbekistan dairy
02-Apr-2004 - Despite recently announcing end-of-year results which were impacted by last year's heavy investment programme, Wimm-Bill-Dann is continuing its aggressive expansion policy with a major investment in an Uzbekistan dairy facility.
Arla accused of abusing market position
02-Apr-2004 - Arla Foods, the largest company in the Danish milk sector, is to be prosecuted by the Danish Competition Authorities for its abuse of its dominant position in the market place. writes Danny Vincent.
Russia gears up to EU dairy exports
02-Apr-2004 - The EU has made no secret of the fact that it is now looking into sourcing dairy products from Russia. Simon Pitman spoke to the Russian Ministry of Agriculture to find out about how under-utilisation of production facilities in both sectors could be addressed by increasing exports to the burgeoning EU market.
Friesland to build Romanian presence
02-Apr-2004 - Friesland Romania, a division of Netherlands-based Friesland Coberco Dairy Foods, has made a public offer for a controlling stake in the Romanian dairy group Napolact, in which it already has a 41 per cent stake. The acquisition will give the Dutch company a nationwide presence in Romania - a market with significant growth potential, writes Danny Vincent.
Milk suppliers await super-levy
31-Mar-2004 - UK milk suppliers are awaiting confirmation from the Rural Payments Agency to see if they have exceeded the set quota for milk production. Earlier in the year, industry bodies calculated that production levels were exceeding the year before. Today is the end of the milk year, but farmers will have to wait 10 days to see if they are to face a super-levy.
Europe builds on vegetable proteins
29-Mar-2004 - Helping Europe reduce the massive 70 per cent of vegetable proteins it imports for consumption, a new EU-funded project will focus on how we can obtain quality proteins from grain legumes for both human and animal consumption.
Parmalat to swap debt for equity
24-Mar-2004 - Italy's Agriculture minister has ratified Parmalat's proposal in streamlining its business for survival. The company is set to sell arms of its business to focus on 30 out of its 120 brands. However, industry analysts believe that the dairy group may only be able to raise a fraction it owes from the sale of smaller assets, writes Danny Vincent
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