Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Does milk make you a brain box? Research links dairy to stronger mental performance...

Eating at least one yogurt or drinking a glass of milk each day could have a positive impact on cognitive function, according to a new US study published in the International Dairy Journal.

Krones looks to seal deal at Anuga with new aseptic valves

German food machinery giant Krones has confirmed to BeverageDaily.com that it will launch new aseptic valves as the latest additions to its EvoGuard series at the Anuga FoodTec trade show in March.

Silver-ion silicone boosts dairy processing safety – developer

A silver ion-laced silicone material that absorbs and destroys pathogens such as E.coli and Salmonella will ensure safety standards are met in the dairy sector, its developer has claimed.

Irish Dairy Board strengthens global vision with new multi-million loan

The Irish Dairy Board (IDB) has released details of a new €350m banking facility that it says will provide members with extra ammunition to pursue domestic and international growth.

'Our competitors will be laughing all the way to the bank': Fonterra savages mooted milk regulation changes

Dairy giant Fonterra has reacted angrily to New Zealand (NZ) government proposals that its member farmers provide more milk to competitors, insisting the move will ‘line foreign pockets’ and ‘handcuff’ the firm.

Spanish regulator condemns sterol-cholesterol ads

The Spanish manufacturer of a plant sterol drink has been told to amend cholesterol-lowering claims for being too ambiguous in dosage and making unsubstantiated disease reduction claims.

World organic food sales shine, but dairy in doldrums

The overall global market for organic food and drink is in good shape but dairy sales in the sector fell during the recession, due to high 2008 milk prices in particular, according to Euromonitor International.

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PepsiCo cites dairy as ‘key component’ in global growth strategy

Pepsico says that the dairy sector is a ‘key component’ in its global growth strategy, and has the potential to post growth more than double that of bakery and chilled processed foods combined.

Belgian baby formula-linked Salmonella outbreak sickens 16 in Russia

Tainted powdered milk formula from Belgium has been recalled in Russia after more than a dozen babies were struck down with Salmonellosis.

Convenience key for Vika’s cheese customers, as Dutch firm enters partnership

‘Convenience’ is the watchword within cheese ingredients for Dutch firm Vika Food Ingredients, with the company focusing its R&D efforts on products with this benefit, having just signed a new co-operative partnership with A-ware Food Group.

Tight supply and high prices in guar gum look set to continue

Tight supply and high prices in guar gum are set to continue until at least the end of 2012, and probably beyond, claims a leading hydrocolloid industry analyst.

World-first pouch recycling tech takes leap toward commercialisation

Ground-breaking technology backed by food giants Kraft and Nestle that paves the way for the recovery of aluminium from flexible pouches has taken a major step towards commericalistion after securing crucial new funds.

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Cheese fungus-coated skyscrapers loom?

Swiss researchers have created a sort of artificial 'rind' using cheese fungus, producing a material that eats organic material and replicates the protection that a Camembert rind gives to the cheese.

‘Cheese makes you chubby’ New York billboards scream

The US-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has taken shock tactics to consumers by posting two huge billboards in New York warning of what it claims are the obesity-related dangers of eating cheese.

Dairy Crest could be next, analysts hint, as fat of Wiseman deal chewed over

Dairy Crest could be the next UK processor to find itself the subject of a takeover approach, while Müller will have to leverage its stronger market position to secure stronger growth in the country, analysts have suggested.

Tumbling dairy prices up in latest Fonterra Global Dairy Trade auction

The majority of internationally traded commodity dairy products traded in the latest Fonterra Global Dairy Trade auction event sold for higher prices, arresting a series of price slides dating back to December 6.

DRI president leads 2012 dairy charge to spotlight ‘total nutrient package’

Reflecting on a successful last year in research terms, US Dairy Research Institute (DRI) president Gregory Miller told Dairy Reporter.com about the key challenges facing the industry in 2012.

Academics attempt to bridge probiotic science and marketing gap

“Currently, there is a gap between the point where the biomedical science ends (with the publication of a paper in a scientific journal) and the point where the business begins (with the claim for a health benefit).”

Steppe change for Arla with first ever Russian facility to double local turnover

Arla Foods has signed an agreement with Russia’s third-largest dairy concern, Molvest Group, to establish its first production site in the country, which will produce yellow cheese.

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'Moo-ve over on that water bed', says Ohio cow to neighbour...

The best milk demands healthy and happy cows, and one Ohio dairy farm has taken this mantra to heart by providing their cows with customised waterbeds.

ADM loses faith in bioplastic JV on cost and demand anxieties

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) said it is considering the future of its bioplastics operations as it terminated its joint venture with Metabolix and prepared to halt production of the PHA resin at the purpose-built US facility.

Eco concerns clear in recent Chinese, Indian customer visits: Tetra Pak

Tetra Pak says that during recent client visits in both India and China, customers have shown an increased interest in environmental issues such as energy use, water consumption and product loss.

FrieslandCampina told to remove healthy foods logo from pack

Dutch dairy manufacturer FrieslandCampina has been cautioned about the use of a healthy foods logo from packs of its reduced fat ham and cheese.

Robert Wiseman agrees multi-million Müller takeover deal: analysts react

Robert Wiseman Dairies says it has agreed the terms of a £279.5m takeover deal by Müller UK (a wholly owned subsidiary of the German dairy giant) and is recommending the offer unanimously to shareholders.

Europe isn’t ‘squeaky clean’ warns expert, after new claims of Chinese infant formula death

A leading food safety expert has urged people to remember that Europe is not squeaky clean when it comes to scare stories, following the reported death of another Chinese baby from claimed infant formula consumption.

Fraunhofer looks beyond Wheylayer film coatings to ‘encouraging’ thermoformable composite work

Gemany’s Fraunhofer Institute says that after the success of research on replacing petrochemical-based polymers in food packaging film barriers with sustainable whey-based alternatives, scientists are now striving to replace EVOH (ethylene vinyl alcohol) in thermoformable composites.

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FrieslandCampina takes sustainable stance on dairy farming

Leading Dutch dairy processor FrieslandCampina has launched a sustainable dairy farming programme from the beginning of the year after formal approval from its member dairy farmers.

EFSA should review ’growing up’ milks before regulations change, says EU infant foods group

The European Union should put the brakes on any mooted changes to rules governing milks targeting 1-3 year olds until a scientific review can be conducted, according to the EU group that represents infant food makers.

Indian detergent scare reveals widespread milk adulteration

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has spoken out on the results of tests that found nationwide evidence of substandard milk and even products with traces of detergent.

Irish food and drink exports up 12% in 2011

The value of Irish food and drink exports has increased by €1 billion, representing a 12% surge in 2011 and driving the country’s overall export revenue, according to Irish food board.

Groupe Lactalis lift-off looms for Swedish dairy co-op Skånemejerier

Groupe Lactalis’ bid to take over Sweden’s second largest dairy player fits with the French firm’s strategy of reducing its reliance on cheese, and would give it further brands with which to pursue milk product growth in emerging markets, according to Euromonitor International.

Nothing fishy about this milk: Aussie startup claims world dairy first

Australian firm Progel claims to have created the world’s first non-fermented, multi-strain probiotic drink products – with up to four times the amount of omega-3, and without the fishy taste and smell – and now seeks international partners to commercialise the technology.

Chr. Hansen results beat expectations, colours providing improved ROI

Chr. Hansen’s first quarter results for financial year 2011/12 are a notch stronger than analysts had expected.

Campden BRI identifies food and drink industry challenges

Vigilance in supply chain management, risk assessment, efficiency and sustainability are the key challenges facing the food and drinks industry over the next three to five years, according to a new report from Campden BRI.

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Nestlé accelerates Chinese dairy development

Nestlé has announced plans to construct a new dairy farming institute in Shuangcheng, in the Heilongijiang province of China.

Can you Jugit? PFM spies rosy UK milk bag future with new machine

Multinational food packaging company PFM has launched a new entry level milk bagging machine onto the UK market that it hopes will benefit from a perceived trend towards bagged milk on sustainability grounds.

‘Undervalued’ lactose doesn’t deserve bad dairy rap, study

The role milk sugar lactose and its derivatives play in the human diet is often ‘misunderstood, underestimated and undervalued’, according to a new paper in the International Dairy Journal (IDJ).

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Arla whips lid off Scottish expansion plans

Arla Foods says it aims to grow production capacity by almost 40% at its Lockerbie dairy in Scotland, and create a new depot in Bellshill, Glasgow to cater for growing demand.

Row erupts over Fonterra’s plan to ship NZ school milk

The New Zealand Green Party says that Fonterra’s plan to supply free school milk should be undertaken by the New Zealand government rather than ‘profit-driven companies’.

Canadian listeria cheese warnings reiterated in US

US health authorities have issued a warning in relation to a variety of cheese and dairy products potentially contaminated with listeria monocytogenes – weeks after Canadian officials recalled the same products.

Tainted milk and website prompt Mengniu share slide

Shares in China's largest dairy producer Mengniu Dairy Co.slumped at the end of last year, following a new scandal over milk tainted with a cancer-causing chemical and a violation of the firm's website by hackers who claimed it was "doing harm to its own people".

Lactofree success promises cross-category lift for UK dairy, Arla

Arla believes the runaway success of its ‘Lactofree’ lactose-free brand can give the whole UK dairy sector a much-needed lift, and also strengthen its broader product portfolio.

Cargill wins EU novel foods approval for omega-6 form ARA

Cargill is celebrating the European Union approval of a Mortierella alpine, algae fermented arachidonic acid (ARA)-rich oil, to be used in infant formula and formula for older children.

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Workers spread norovirus in the workplace

Workers infected with norovirus could put firms at risk of poisoning consumers through contaminated products, experts have warned.

Draft dioxin guidance could ‘cripple’ food sector, warns US industry

The US food industry is lobbying the Obama administration to ease pending federal guidance recommending that consumers severely limit their daily dioxin intake.

MEPs back PARNUTS amendments to prompt EU baby milk law reforms

Pro-breast feeding advocates and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are throwing their support behind mooted amendments to the European Union PARNUTS Directive they believe can improve the safety, quality and marketing transparency of infant formulas and other products.

US dairy sector beat fiscal doldrums in 2010, IDFA

2010 world dairy market prices recovered from lows caused by the world financial crisis the year before, according to a new report from the US-based International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA).

Mead Johnson infant formula given all clear by US feds

No traces of Cronobacter have been found at the Mead Johnson infant formula plant and there is no need for a product recall, said US safety bodies last week as part of an investigation into four babies infected with the bacteria - two of whom have died.