Markets

10-Aug-2004 - US scientists have designed an edible film made from natural ingredients that protects foods coated in the material from spoiling. The film can also hold vitamins and other nutrients within it to boost the nutritional value of the food.

Scientists unlock nutty flavours in cheddar cheese

06-Aug-2004 - Dairy science moves one step closer to helping dairy manufacturers formulate the right product to meet customer demand as food scientists reveal the science behind consumer perception of nutty flavours in the popular cheddar cheese, reports Lindsey Partos.

US dairy industry welcomes WTO talks

04-Aug-2004 - Breakthrough talks at the weekend on world trade will have received a reticent welcome from a European food industry likely to see the phasing out of payouts to export food products.

UK organic foods drive forward

03-Aug-2004 - Two years after the UK government launched an organic action plan for the entire food supply chain, the country has seen a 46 per cent rise in organic produce provided by UK farms.

Major dairy player joins up with BASF for NPD

29-Jul-2004 - Dairy company Fonterra and German vitamin maker BASF are collaborating on research to find new commercial opportunities for value-added, healthy dairy products.

Food labels need to be better, say UK consumers

28-Jul-2004 - Food makers need to write clearer food labels so that consumers can easily understand the ingredients used in the food formulation, finds a new report released in the UK this week.

Baby Chef installs PA sealing plant

28-Jul-2004 - UK baby food manufacturer Baby Chef has installed Packaging Automation sealing equipment at its Portsmouth plant to ensure that the lids on its new baby food pots are strong and reliable.

GM foods part of our future, say food scientists

28-Jul-2004 - Law makers, consumer groups and industry continue to clash over the use of GM ingredients in the European food chain, but a major UK-based food science body asserts this week that genetic modification has the potential to offer strong benefits - quantity, quality and acceptability - for the world's food supply, reports Lindsey Partos.

Flavour focus to up market share in ice cream

27-Jul-2004 - Flavour firms operating on the global scene will turn their sights to Asia to up returns as evidence suggests new flavours are emerging in China in the brand war between foreign and domestic food makers.

EU Commissioner outlines benefits and challenges of enlargement

26-Jul-2004 - EU Commissioner Sandra Kalniete believes that EU enlargement promises huge benefits for the food production sector, but changes must still be made to a number of current trade regimes.

Ongoing opportunities for dairy players

26-Jul-2004 - Good news for players in the dairy industry as a new report claims thevolume of dairy trade is growing at a faster pace than global milk production. But Europe is outstripped by Australia and New Zealand on the global stage.

Functional spreads and yoghurts see biggest ad spend

26-Jul-2004 - Yoghurts and spreads still account for the majority of the UK's functional foods market, shows new research, and this is reflected in advertising spend.

Health brings new openings for cocoa milk?

22-Jul-2004 - There could be growing opportunities for makers of chocolate milk in health positionings, in particular in the Nordic countries. Danes, for example, are consuming more of this product than ever before, and new product introductions are increasingly focusing on reduced calorie formulations.

Commodity squeeze hits food giant

19-Jul-2004 - Rising commodity and ingredients prices continue to hit the global food chain with US food giant Kraft the next in line to be hit by price pressures suggesting that despite reasonable fourth quarter figures, the soaring costs are likely to have an impact in the near future.

Cheese focus for Central Europe

19-Jul-2004 - Accession has sparked significant growth for the accession states of Central Europe, a fact that is reflected by a rash of product launches for the sector highlighted by this week's look at the Mintel database where cheese is the focus.

Demand for added-value whey to rise in Middle East

13-Jul-2004 - An increasingly sophisticated food market in the Middle East will open up opportunities for food makers and suppliers of third generation, added-value whey products in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, writes Lindsey Partos.

Arla close to developing intelligent milk cartons

13-Jul-2004 - Swedish dairy giant Arla Foods is close to starting work on the development of new sensory dairy packaging that can monitor its own shelf life.

Soy going mainstream

12-Jul-2004 - Soy has become a mainstream ingredient in the US, according to a report from Business Communications Company (BCC), which also suggests that the recent growth in the soy market is set to continue.

WBD poaches rival manager

09-Jul-2004 - Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods has confirmed the creation of a new top management position with the appointment of former Danone executive Jacques Ioffe as deputy CEO for Strategy and Business Development - a move that boosts the company's growing number of top management to have carved out their careers in western Europe.

Milk, dietary calcium may protect against bowel cancer

08-Jul-2004 - Higher consumption of milk and calcium is associated with a lower risk of bowel cancer, according to a major study based on 10 different trials.

Blue colours for calcium boost

07-Jul-2004 - As food developers and marketers are aware, bright colours hold a strong appeal with children. Jumping on the back of this phenomenon Danisco in the US has launched a new flavour concept to add to milk.

Tatramleko questions decision to shift HQs

30-Jun-2004 - Tatramleko, one of the Czech Republic's largest dairy concerns, is giving further thought to to the idea of moving its headquarters to neighbouring Slovakia in an effort to reduce taxation costs.

Swiss ice cream makers: running to stand still?

30-Jun-2004 - Swiss ice cream manufacturers are hoping that the heatwave-induced growth of 2003 will not melt away in 2004, and are counting on continued interest in the impulse sector in particular to revitalise their fortunes. But even the many new product launches planned for the summer are dependent on good weather if they want to stimulate real growth, writes Chris Jones.

Packaging innovation in the MENA dairy market

29-Jun-2004 - The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) consumed some 200,000 tonnes of processed cheese last year, a rise of nearly 18 per cent on the 165,000 tonnes consumed in 2000, according to Proteus Insight. The UK market analyst believes that western packagers should be quick to capitalise on this growing market.

Asian non-dairy market offers opportunities for new products

29-Jun-2004 - Growing consumer awareness of the health benefits of soya consumption is reinvigorating sales of soy drinks in south-east Asia, according to a new report from OrganicMonitor. And while the category is dominated by Asian manufacturers, there could be opportunities for European firms making organic soy drinks or other non-dairy alternatives.