Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

EDA warns against excess intervention in dairy supply chain

The European Dairy Association (EDA) has warned that intermediaries and standardised contracts are not the answer to concerns about imbalances in the dairy supply chain.

Politician accuses FSA of “anti-dairy” campaign

A British member of parliament has accused the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of leading an “anti-dairy” campaign.

Danone's nutrient enriched yoghurt boosts satiety, study

Low-fat dairy yoghurt enriched with protein and guar gum fibre can significantly reduce short-term appetite, claims a new study.

Sustainable packaging definitions and principles agreed

Global leaders across the packaging, food manufacturing and retail sectors have approved a set of common definitions and principles for sustainable packaging.

News in brief

Robert Wiseman offers snow bonus to workers

Scottish dairy firm Robert Wiseman is offering a one-off winter weather bonus of £100 to 3,500 of its 4,500 workers.

Food nutrition labels fail to impress European consumers

Less than one-third of European consumers look for nutrition labels when shopping, according to a new study by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC) published in the Journal of Public Health.

Dairy Crest creamery sale reflects supply chain changes

Dairy Crest says its proposed sale of shares in Wexford Creamery reflects a growing trend for farmers to own more of the milk processing supply chain.

Mozzarella scandal unlikely to upset demand, says analyst

Widespread use of cow’s milk in buffalo mozzarella may cause an outcry in Italy but it is unlikely to damage the European market.

Antioxidant uptake from coffee unaffected by milk: Nestlé study

Adding milk to coffee does not reduce the bioavailability of antioxidants, says a new study from the Nestlé Research Center.

Arla to make iced coffee for Starbucks in Europe

Starbucks chilled coffee may soon be on European supermarket shelves after the Seattle coffeehouse signed a deal with Arla Foods.

Yakult to commence US production in 2012

Japanese probiotics pioneer, Yakult Honsha, will commence manufacturing its little probiotic dairy bottles in the US for the first time in 2012, the company has announced, as it seeks to move into eastern seaboard US states.

News in brief

General Mills adds antioxidants to probiotic yogurt

Yoplait owner General Mills has added the antioxidants, vitamin A and vitamin E, to its YoPlus and YoPlus Light functional probiotic yogurts.

Weekly comment

Cheesed off – jingoism takes the spoils in the Cadbury battle

Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated, quipped Mark Twain. Predictions of the demise of Cadbury following the approval of Kraft’s offer are premature and are flawed by knee-jerk anti-Americanism.

Dairy proteins could have packaging potential

Food-packaging products made from dairy ingredients could provide a viable alternative to petroleum-based packaging products, according to scientist based at the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

Vitamin D may cut colorectal cancer risk by 40 per cent

Increased blood levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by as much as 40 per cent, says a study with people from 10 European countries.

Carton sector highlights UK packaging strategy flaw

A leading carton trade body has criticised the UK’s packaging strategy for failing to recognise the significance of renewable materials after a study found 90 per cent of consumers said packing should contain them.

Mocon buys into Irish bioscience firm

Mocon Inc has prioritised the development of a pathogen screening process for a range of foods after announcing it has acquired a 16.9 per cent stake in Irish company Luxcel Biosciences Ltd.

Commission approves 13 dairy promotion programmes

The European Commission has approved 13 programmes to promote dairy products in the EU with a total budget of €35.8m.

Special edition: Weight management

Science: Slimming ingredients beyond satiety

In the third part of our series on weight management, NutraIngredients looks at how nutritional approaches may boost body-shaping, and how our gut microflora may be the future of weight management.

Danes unite to mine infant formula prebiotics

Danisco and Arla are taking part in a €2.5m+ business/academia research project to isolate and develop some of the oligosaccharides naturally present in human breast milk for use in infant formulas.

FSA survey finds support for one per cent milk

A Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey has found that the overwhelming majority of UK consumers consider one per cent milk to be an acceptable alternative to semi skimmed.

Mettler-Toledo launches new hygienic checkweigher for dairy

Mettler-Toledo Hi-Speed has launched a new USDA-approved checkweigher specifically for dairy and meat application.

Flavor and texture improvements needed for low fat cheese success

Producers of low-fat cheese need to improve the flavor and sensory aspect of their products if they are to achieve widespread consumer acceptance, says a new study.

News in brief

Dairy industry joins USDA and NFL to fight obesity

The USDA, the National Dairy Council and the NFL have launched the Fuel Up to Play 60 campaign to tackle childhood obesity with the help of $250m from US dairy farmers.

Weekly comment

Why Haiti must stay on the CSR agenda

50,000 and counting. We'll probably never know exactly how many perished in the 7.0 earthquake that brought Haiti, quite literally, crashing down last Tuesday, 12th January 2010, just before 5pm. But for those who survived and who make it through the hard days, weeks and months ahead, getting enough to eat will be a long term challenge.

Dairy sector challenges greenhouse gas report

Trade body Dairy UK has challenged the conclusions of a recent report assessing how the food industry can cut greenhouse gas emissions, claiming it included “dangerous” and “alienating” principles.

Vitamin D plus calcium may protect everyone from fracture: Study

Daily supplements which combine vitamin D and calcium may reduce the risk of fractures for everyone, regardless of age or gender, say the results of a huge study.

Nampak to hit recycled content target for milk bottles this month

Nampak Plastics will reach the milestone of including 10 per cent recycled content in all its HDPE milk bottles in 2010, in line with the UK government Milk Roadmap targets.

News in brief

FrieslandCampina CEO unveils 2020 dairy vision

The head of FrieslandCampina has unveiled a vision of the dairy industry in 2020 in which sustainability is no longer an issue and dairy ingredients have spread into cosmetics and clothing.

Arla plans marketing and capacity increases

Arla is upping its marketing spend by 30 per cent in 2010, and plans to invest almost a billion DKK in more capacity increases and structural changes.

Irish dairy trade body slams carbon tax

The Irish Dairy Industries Association (IDIA) has attacked a new carbon tax in Ireland saying that the measure will put jobs at risk.

Heinz infant formula advert misleading, says ASA

A complaint from viewers about a TV advert implying health claims with regard to a follow on formula from Heinz has been upheld by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Dairy trade body says FDA labeling study is too narrow

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) has criticised a planned Food and Drug Administration (FDA) study into front of pack nutrition labels for not having a wide enough scope.

Industry views sought on baby milk ingredients

Feedback from manufacturers is being sought on new standards being proposed for inclusion in the Food Chemcials Codex (FCC) which aim to ensure the quality and enhance the safety of key ingredients widely used in infant formulas.

Analyst unpicks impact of melamine scandal on Chinese dairy industry

A leading food analyst has warned that the latest Chinese melamine scandal will set back the local dairy industry at least two years.

News in brief

Study shows lunchbox less nutritious than school meals

A new study has indicated that packed lunches given to school children by parents in the UK do not meet the nutritional standards for meals provided by the educational establishment.

Weekly comment

Cold snap could last longer for food sector

“More snow on the way.” So say the weathermen, and Europe is stocking up and hunkering down for a long, cold winter. But while the fluffy flakes will halt, at least come Spring, for the food sector the chill could be felt throughout 2010.

News in brief

Soil Association moves to end culling of male dairy calves

New Soil Association rules have come into force requiring its organic farmers in the UK to commit to ending the practice of culling male dairy calves at birth.

Ice cream and frozen desserts market in US remains solid, says report

Sales of ice cream and related frozen desserts in the US are up on last year as discounts and deals hold off the effects of recession, according to Packaged Facts.

Unilever says: adopt EU term and break reformulation ice

Aligning the UK with Europe over definitions of ‘ice cream’ would give manufacturers more of an incentive to reformulate, Unilever has claimed.

UK FSA updates health claims guidance

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has tweaked its EU nutrition and health claims guidance to take into account deadline changes and clarify how charities and national associations can endorse claims.

Nestle reopens Zimbabwe dairy factory

Nestle has reopened its dairy processing plant in Zimbabwe after receiving written assurance from the local government guaranteeing staff safety.

Beneo backs functional price premiums

The recession has not dented the will of consumers to pay price premiums for products that deliver digestive, bone and other benefits, according to European consumer research conducted by global inulin and oligofructose leader, Beneo-Orafti.

News in brief

Glanbia expects 2010 earnings return of 8 per cent

International cheese and nutritional ingredients company Glanbia has said it expects a return to earnings growth in 2010 of 6 to 8 per cent.

Alert widens over iodine-tainted soya milk

Ireland has become the latest country to issue a food safety alert over iodine-contaminated soya milk from Japan believed to have sickened 10 people in Australia.

FDA moves to shut down listeria-tainted cheese facility

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it intends to close down a New Jersey cheese maker in the wake of listeria contamination and an alleged failure to correct unsanitary conditions at the plant.

China uncovers more melamine tainted milk powder

Chinese authorities have closed a Shanghai dairy involved in the 2008 melamine scandal and arrested three of its executives after finding more milk powder tainted with the toxic chemical.

News in brief

FrieslandCampina develops responsible marketing standard

FrieslandCampina has brought in a new corporate standard for responsible marketing practices, with a view to helping children develop healthy eating habits and doing its bit to curb obesity.