Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Court says nein to German parmesan claims

Whether you call it parmesan or "Parmigiano Reggiano" the famous hard cheese must now come from a specific area of Italy, the European Court of Justice has ruled this week.

UK moves for early adoption of new milk protein law

The UK dairy industry says it has adopted new regulations on milk powder formulation ahead of schedule, in order to ensure it is on equal footing with its European rivals.

News briefs: Bright Dairy, Winn-Dixie and UK ice cream

This week, Bright Dairy profits from a Chinese yoghurt focus, US retail group Winn-Dixie sell off dairy plants, and impulse buying is found to be the key driver in the UK ice cream market.

Taste is a matter of survival, not just pleasure

A new primer on human taste perception underscores the importance of this primal sense in life experience and gives an insight into the link between the taste of certain nutrients and compounds and our very survival.

Formulation boost for phytosterol in yoghurts

Incorporating heart healthy phytosterols in yoghurt formulations does not negatively impact on the starter cultures, potentially boosting their use in these foods, says new research.

Friesland Indonesian investment targets Asian functional drive

Dairy and ingredients firm Friesland Foods Kievit has constructed a new drying plant in Indonesia for producing encapsulated products to expand the group's portfolio in the wider Asian region.

CIAA outlines priorities to Slovenia presidency

The Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of Europe (CIAA) has issued a memorandum outlining the industry's hopes and priorities for Slovenia's six months in the EU presidency.

New polystyrene milk bottles reduce costs, waste, claims BASF

BASF, a major chemicals and plastics producer, has teamed up with beverage bottle manufacturer ALPLA to create a bottle for milk and yoghurt drinks using impact resistant Polystyrene (PS-I).

Weekly Comment

Supplements - do we ask too much?

Taking a range of supplements from vitamin A to zinc is becoming part of everyday life. But as the latest study is published questioning their efficacy, people could be left wondering do they work?

Arla counts the kroner after exceptional year for milk

Arla Foods has reported a sustained level of profit despite a turbulent year in the milk markets after treading a fine line between paying its members more for their milk and pricing their products competitively.

News briefs: Campina, Danone and Parmalat

This week, Campina enjoys dominance of Dutch retail on the back of yoghurt sales, Danone may look to further expansion in the Americas and Parmalat makes another out of court settlement.

UK dairy reveals quota reform concerns

An industry association representing UK dairy groups says that it remains in support of the European Commission's drive to cut production quotas, though claims more must be done to ensure long-term market stability in the bloc.

Innovation raises Nestle above raw material impact

Repositioning on a healthy food platform and investing in research of value-added ingredients has lifted Nestle out of the reach of raw material prices and other economic encumbrances.

Campaigners reject claims GM answer to food prices

Europe must scrap its biofuel targets to combat the upward spiral of food prices, say green campaigners, discarding claiming that genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are the answer.

Fat-free milk may lower blood pressure

An increased intake of calcium and vitamin D from non-fat dairy could reduce the risk of developing high blood pressure, suggests new research from Harvard.

Dairy body claims natural trans fats not harmful

The European dairy industry says it is confident that there is significant research to back it claims that naturally occurring trans fatty acids (TFA) in milk pose no health concerns to consumers and do not need to be labelled on products.

The packaging that consumers will give up - survey

Almost half of consumers around the world would trade convenience packaging for the environment, according to a new report by The Nielson Company.

Wimm-Bill-Dann opens mega farm for milk supply boost

Russia-based Wimm-Bill-Dann has announced the opening of what it calls a $12m mega dairy farm outside of St. Petersburg as part of a wider focus on stepping up the supply of high quality milk for its operations.

Weekly comment

Making a meal out of saturated fat

The food industry across Europe needs to make a big effort to reduce saturated fat in food regardless of whether national agencies set targets - and it should not wait around for governments to do all the awareness-raising with its consumers.

Lactalis McLelland enters OFT price fix agreement

Dairy group Lactalis McLelland will face a reduced financial penalty from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after accepting responsibility for its role in the alleged price fixing of cheeses in the UK.

DSM strengthens position in antibiotic residue testing

DSM Food Specialties has acquired CMT Srl, the company behind the Copan Milk Test for the detection of antibiotic residues in milk, strengthening its position in the market at a time when European controls are tightening.

Morrisons quiet over price fix strike-back

UK-retailer Morrisons has refused to confirm that it is seeking a judicial review of an ongoing investigation by the UK's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) into allegations of milk price fixing.

Cost and innovation drive US packaging dominance

The US will continue to dominate international packaging machinery sales due to the perceived technological benefits of its products and a favorable exchange rate, a new report has said.

New briefs: Dean Foods, Arla and kosher cheese

This week, Dean Foods fails to profit form full year sales improvements, Arla moves to expand cheese production in the US, and Willi Foods finalises an agreement to produce kosher dairy in Denmark.

Dairy and water key to Danone profit growth

Group Danone posted a 7.2 per cent increase in sales during the full 2007 fiscal year amounting to €14.5bn, on the back of a strong performance in its dairy and bottled water businesses.

Touch screen technology simplifies fill level inspection

Krones has introduced a new system called Checkmat 753 HF that it claims offers simple-to-use fill level inspection for bottles through touch screen technology.

Time to prepare for the less saturated fat storm, says ADM

The food industry has a window to research ways to reduce saturated fat in products before the UK's FSA starts its consumer awareness campaign at the end of this year, says an expert from ADM who is anticipating a swell of interest from manufacturers.

Proliant announces permeate plans for dairy re-entry

Proliant, a manufacturer of proteins for the food and nutrition industry, has announced its re-entry into the burgeoning dairy ingredients market with the construction of a new whey-based permeate plant in the US.

Dairy dental benefits played up in industry health drive

A UK-based nutrition group has this week kicked off a new scheme designed to promote the consumption of dairy products like cheeses and milk as a key element of good dental health.

FSA board discusses food safety

Today's meeting of the UK Food Standards Agency's Board will include a progress report on food safety, highlighting achievements but also flagging areas of concern like rising rates of foodbourne illness.

FDA extends oxygen scavenging pack uses

A manufacturer of high barrier oxygen scavenging materials says it plans to extend the products applications in food and beverage packaging after receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Weekly Comment

The ethical cocoa confusion

While most consumers agree that ethically-sourced cocoa is no bad thing, an ever increasing number of different schemes risks muddying the issue and puzzling chocolate fans.

Nestle plays down alleged Chavez plant threat

Nestle says it has received no official notice from the Venezuelan Government that its dairy plants in the country may be seized over accusations that both itself and rival European producers are muscling out local players from the industry.

Unilever braced for restructuring benefits

Unilever posted a 5 per cent improvement in sales during the full fiscal year, on the back of its increased focus on products with vitality benefits, emerging markets and personal care.

Western diet pattern 'promotes metabolic syndrome'

The high calorie, low fibre dietary pattern associated with the Western diet is associated with an increased risk of metabolic syndrome, says new research from the US.

News briefs: Parmalat, Saputo and Fonterra

This week, Fonterra reveals its milk supply concerns, Saputo posts profit growth from its North American focus, and Parmalat says it is meeting its financial expectations for the year.

Organic perceived as costly and lacking in flavour

High prices mean over half those surveyed in Ireland have never purchased organic food and confusions abound on its taste and benefits.

Danone, Yakult grants to advance probiotic science

The field of probiotics research is set to receive a boost by two new grants announced yesterday by the Global Probiotics Council (GPC).

Merger fails for UK dairy cooperatives

First Milk, a leading UK dairy cooperative, is reassessing its growth plans after merger talks with national rival Milk Link were mutually called off yesterday.

Fonterra expands to meet dairy ingredient demand

Dairy co-op Fonterra will expand its presence in its native New Zealand with the construction of a new NZ$212m (€113m) milk powder plant to capitalise on growth within the ingredients market.

Unilever targets Russia for ice cream expansion

Unilever is to extend its presence within ice cream manufacture after announcing this week that it has agreed to acquire Russian ice cream company Inmarko.

Supercritical CO2 to offer novel whey ingredients for food?

Food formulators looking for novel gelling agents may soon be offered whey protein isolates and concentrates modified by supercritical carbon dioxide, suggests a new study.

Cosucra highlights its dairy replacers amid high milk prices

Cosucra Groupe Warcoing is seeking to press home the message that pea protein can be used in place of milk protein, reflecting a trend that has picked up speed in the ingredients sector in the light of high dairy prices.

Weekly comment

Branding Vs label info: who's the enemy?

Product branding and information provided to consumers on food labels are again at loggerheads, and industry doesn't seem likely to accept new EU labelling proposals without a fight.

Proposed US hormone growth-milk law slammed

A new bill on milk labelling standards up for consideration in the Indiana House of Representatives has come under criticism this week by some organisations and producers, which claim it would prevent informed consumer choice if passed.

EFSA reports progress on flavour evaluations

The European Food Safety Authority is expecting to complete its evaluation of the safety of 2,800 flavouring substances by April to allow for a positive list to be established, but is seeking for more information from industry.

News briefs: Arla, Global Dairy Conference and Danone

This week, Arla Foods increases payouts to its UK dairy farmers, Athens is picked to host the second Global Dairy Conference in March and Danone may have further expanded its presence in Asia.

LFI researches texture solutions for low fat foods

Leatherhead Food International (LFI) intends to tap into a very pressing technical challenge for manufacturers looking to produce low fat foods that maintain an indulgent appeal.