Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Weekly comment

Temporary workers and corporate responsibility

As ever more food companies find themselves in the position of having employed migrants who were mistreated by illegal labour providers, it may be time for firms to start taking more responsibility for the temporary workers many of them rely on.

Danisco debuts multilingual probiotics web presence

Danisco Cultures has launched five versions of the website that promotes its probiotic cultures in five different languages in response to what it calls "accelerating global development" of its licensing concept.

Northern Ireland dairies aim to go greener

Ensuring Northern Ireland's dairy processors and farmers are meeting their environmental responsibilities has been outlined as a key challenge for the industry by an industry expert.

Probiotics push into UK iced lollies

Unilever has joined the growing number of manufacturers exploring new ways of delivering probiotics by launching an iced lolly aimed at children in the UK.

Italy avoids EU Mozzarella ban

After a week of uncertainty for the future of Italian Mozzarella producers, the European Commission today said it will not be banning sales of the cheese.

News briefs: Wiseman dairies outlook, Ben & Jerry vs China

This week, Robert Wiseman Dairies says it is on track to meet its 2007 profit expectations, and the founders of ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's takes a stand.

Aseptic film improves safety of bag-in-box packaging

Arena Products is responding to the increasing pressures for manufacturers to ensure food safety by adding aseptic-filling capabilities to its Air-Evac Bag-in-Box packaging.

Non-dairy products boost Bel profits

France-based dairy group Bel this week posted strong results for the year 2007, although the firm said profits were dampened by weaker growth in cheese sales.

Wimm-Bill-Dann looks to functional future in Siberia

Wimm-Bill-Dann yesterday kicked off production at a new site its hopes will allow it to tap into growing demand in Siberia and other far-east regions of Russia for functional and infant nutrition products.

Denomega targets dairy industry with omega-3 oil

Norwegian supplier Denomega has debuted a fish oil aimed at the dairy industry it says will be on market in "major products" by the summer.

Deal could make traffic lights mandatory, claims report

Supermarkets in the UK could be 'forced' to adopt the Food Standards Agency's traffic light labelling scheme, claims newspaper.

Weekly comment

Calm crucial for energy products

Energy drinks are a runaway success but extreme marketing and product formulation has the potential to cast a shadow over the multi-billion dollar global industry.

News briefs: milk quotas, Agropur and Unimilk

This week, the EU agrees to implement a two per cent quota hike, Canada-based Agropur expands its operations in the country, and Unimilk reportedly sets a possible date for its initial public offering.

Dairy industry rubbishes 'junk food' ban

Dairy industry players have called for a reassessment of how their products are perceived under the UK's nutrient profiling system, ahead of a government debate next month on extending advertising restrictions based on the scheme.

Growth, consumer interests on the agenda for CIAA

The CIAA has highlighted several important areas of debate and strategic consideration for food manufacturers, which it is planning to address at its annual conference in November.

New Friesland venture aims for encapsulation development

Friesland Foods has formed a new research and development division for encapsulated products that can serve processor demand for new methods of delivering typically unstable functional ingredients.

Campina to step up focus on low fat dairy

Dairy company Campina said it will increase investments into products geared towards the growing health and wellbeing trend on the back of significant success of its low fat products in 2007.

Tetra Pak's dairy cooperation to tackle euro industry challenges

Tetra Pak is teaming up with one of the leading dairy processors in Luxemburg as part of a €100m scheme to construct a state of the art, environmentally efficient production site, the company has said.

High milk prices vital for long-term dairy stability, says industry

The continued price hikes faced by European dairy processors for milk will offer an important opportunity for encouraging further investment and ensuring product sustainability in the industry, a UK dairy association has claimed.

Danone cautioned over UK Actimel adverts

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told French dairy giant Danone to remove or alter a "misleading" probiotic yoghurt drink TV advert.

Danisco invests in pilot ice cream making technology

Danisco has invested in pilot low temperature extrusion technology to produce high-quality, low-fat ice-cream, to enable testing of ingredients using the same systems as its customers use.

Weekly comment

Allergen-free: time for clarity

Claiming 'free from' is not a light statement to make. Lives depend on it. As scientific progress questions the validity of such claims, it is time to establish exact guidelines and communicate these to people for whom ingredients are a matter of life and death.

Study shows Europe to be largest global market for dairy

Europe is the largest market for dairy products worldwide with an estimated 42 per cent of the worldwide market in 2007, though it will become increasingly reliant on innovation in the industry to meet further growth, according to a new report.

Raw milk camembert poses safety concern, says manufacturer

A leading France-based cheese manufacturer claims that authorities responsible for protecting traditional manufacturing techniques of camembert will eventually be forced to stop using raw milk in the product because of potential health concerns.

More people likely to accept nano than GM, say researchers

Foods produced using emerging nanotechnology are less likely to come up against consumer hurdles than genetically modified foods since they do not involve tinkering with genes, and therefore have a greater perception of naturalness, says a new paper.

News briefs: Nestle, Danone and Kerry Foods

This week, Nestle lifts its 2008 profit expectations on an expected fall in commodities costs, Danone denies it has an interest in purchasing Dean Foods, and Kerry Foods makes an Irish dairy acquisition.

Processor concern over German biotech ruling

Recent amendments to Germany's biotech laws will allow the country's food processors to make use of a "without biotech" label on their products, despite some concerns that such claims are misleading, says a new report.

Arla's emissions pledge reflects dairy eco concerns

Arla Foods say it will aim to cut 25 per cent of its current green house gas (GHG) emissions from its entire production and distribution cycle by 2020, in line with revised global targets on industrial carbon dioxide (CO2) output.

Milk prices slowing EU dairy herd decline

The current high prices for raw dairy milk being paid by processors and consumers is encouraging Europe's dairy farmers to better meet growing demand for the product, according to a new report.

Green group calls for halt on nanotechnology

Environmental group Friends of the Earth (FOE) has called for a moratorium on the use of nanotechnology in the food chain, claiming insufficient research has been carried out into its effect on human health and the environment.

Macphie makes non hydrogenated cream alternatives

Ingredients manufacturer Macphie has developed a range of non-hydrogenated dairy cream alternatives aimed at meeting the growing demand for healthy yet indulgent products.

Weekly comment

Warning signs: reconsidering shock tactics

Here's a possible new marketing angle for food and beverage manufacturers: "Food can kill".

Natural trans fats not as bad as industrial-produced: study

Trans fatty acids are not created equal, according to the results of the European-wide TRANSFACT study, with natural sources not sharing the detrimental health effects as their industrially-produced counterparts.

Milk Link restructures long life - for the long term

Milk Link, a leading UK dairy co-operative, said it is restructuring its long life milk operations to ensure the future profitability of the business.

News briefs: Friesland, Chinese organic dairy and cave cheese

This week, Friesland posts full year profit growth on the back of its ingredients division, China-based emerald dairy claims to be one of the country's first processors to gain dairy certification, and Napolact re-launches some of its cheese brands.

China driving European raw materials innovation

The improved quality of the Chinese ingredients supply chain is forcing European operators to lift their game, according to one leading UK-based supplier.

Danone coy on Wahaha merger talks

Danone remains tight-lipped over reports that it hopes to merge a number of rival companies run by the founder of its Chinese joint venture partner Wahaha into its own operations in the country.

New ripening cultures add flavour to low-fat cheese

New cheese ripening cultures can improve the flavour in low-fat products as well as speeding up ripening time, says manufacturer Chr Hansen.

CAT scan technology offers dairy development potential

A UK-based imaging specialist is quite literally hoping to get a better look at dairy formulation, by expanding its scanning technology to aid processors working in the industry.

Aseptic fillers target improved production speed

Two new aseptic filling machines can reduce the processing time required by dairy manufacturers for using multiple small-volume carton packages, their manufacturer claims.

Eastern European dairy outgrowing Western rivals

The Eastern European dairy industry is expected to grow at a faster rate than rival markets in the US and Western Europe over the next few years, on the back of increasing consumer spending and product innovation, according to a new report.

EDA not supporting UK farmers' 'fair trade' calls

Calls by a UK-based dairy cooperative for the implementation of a "fair trade" style price system for the country's milk farmers to avoid a potential supply crisis, have not been backed by the European Dairy Association (EDA).

Probiotic cheddar to offer blood pressure benefits

Adding probiotic bacteria to cheddar may lead to the formation of blood pressure lowering proteins, giving the cheese an added health punch, report Australian researchers.

FSA rubbishes cheese health-warning rumours

The UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) has this morning played down claims that dairy processors could face having to include cigarette-style health warnings on products like cheese and butter.

Weekly comment

The great food price smash-and-grab

While the world's media is bemoaning rising food prices, the French government is sniffing around the food industry for signs of gleeful profiteering. If it is right, the long-term losses of the nouveau cher will be far greater than the handful of centimes gained.