Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

White paper takes temperature of UK dairy industry

Dairy UK has published a ‘white paper’ on the current state of play in the UK dairy industry, covering competitiveness, consumer trends, and policy vis-à-vis Europe and the environment.

Oystar doubles capacity at Indian subsidiary

Oystar is planning to double the manufacturing base of its Hassia Packaging subsidiary in India to target the growing processed dairy sector in the country.

National Foods to close two Australian dairy factories

National Foods is closing two dairy factories in Australia as part of a consolidation plan that will result in 280 redundancies.

Comment

Where next for ingredients since Cognis and National Starch?

‘Billion dollar deal’ was not a phrase bandied about the food ingredients industry much last year. With BASF buying Cognis for €3.1bn and Corn Products International paying $1.3bn for National Starch, M&A looks to be thawing – but best not get over-excited just yet.

Fonterra’s new deal for Australian dairy producers

More money for dairy producers, paid earlier in the season to ease cash flow problems are the aims behind a new incentive payment from Fonterra Australia.

Sesame proteins point to reduced milk cheese: Study

The milk protein content of soft cheese may be reduced using sesame proteins, and tap into local tastes in China's booming dairy segment, suggests a new study from China and the US.

Dairy price pressures to ease up end of 2010, Rabobank

As supply increases from producers in the Southern hemisphere and demand growth slows the currently high global dairy prices are expected to ease somewhat, according to market analysts.

Tetra Pak and Ball Corp showcase eco-initiatives

Packaging giants Tetra Pak and Ball Corporation both underlined their green credentials as they presented new sustainability initiatives.

Protein could boost nutritional profile of infant formula

After years of pilot production, Arla Foods Ingredients is commercialising a milk protein, osteopontin, for the infant formula market that is found in high quantities in human milk.

Top German dairy producer plans merger

Directors of Germany’s largest dairy company, Nordmilch, and Humana MilchIndustrie have proposed a merger to aid survival in a competitive international market.

Eco-targets extended to cover all dairy products

The UK’s industry-led Milk Roadmap to reduce the environmental impact of the dairy supply has been extended to cover all dairy products.

New ‘propionic’ cultures to boost Alpine cheese flavour

Chr. Hansen has developed new ‘propionic’ cultures to support flavour development and eye formation in Alpine cheeses.

Yakult unveils plans for first US factory

Yakult is building its first factory in the US as the probiotic yoghurt specialist looks to expand its presence in the country.

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Europe must keep cool over country of origin labelling

Always read the small print. Good advice and nowhere more so than in food labelling with today’s increasingly savvy consumers demanding to know what’s in their food, where it came from and what it’s going to do to them.

News in brief

FrieslandCampina moves away from commodities

Multinational dairy company FrieslandCampina has revealed its strategy for the coming decade in which it plans to expand globally and shift its focus to three specialised product categories.

Wiseman: We could recover from systems failure in one hour

Were Robert Wiseman Dairies’ East Kilbride office to go up in smoke, staff could be relocated to a data centre in Glasgow and re-establish financial, operational and supply chain systems within an hour.

Chinese companies climb top-20 dairy list

Asian dairies have made the biggest gains in a list of the top-20 dairy companies compiled by Rabobank.

Blue mozzarella alert sparks labelling debate

The discovery of a batch of mozzarella cheese that turned blue on opening in Italy has prompted calls for mandatory country of origin labelling from the agriculture lobby.

Danone and Unimilk sign Russian merger deal

Danone and Unimilk have agreed to merge their Russian and CIS dairy businesses to create a new entity with annual sales of about €1.5bn.

Yoghurt fastest growing dairy market – YouGov research

Market research agency YouGov SixthSense has published a study suggesting that yoghurt is the fastest growing sector in the UK dairy industry.

Elopak secures FSC certification for key European sites

Having just obtained FSC chain-of-custody (CSC) certification at its main European sites, Elopak is now taking on the higher hurdle of worldwide certification.

MEPs vote to extend country labelling to dairy

To the dismay of dairy industry lobbyists, MEPs have voted to extend country of origin labelling (COOL) to dairy products.

News in brief

Innovation award for DSM’s cheese enzyme

Ingredients firm DSM Food Specialties has been awarded the 2010 Ringier Technology Prize for its cheese enzyme solution, delvozyme.

Carton specialist claims sustainability is an opportunity, not a threat

Van Genechten explains why it considers sustainability to be more of an opportunity than a threat in spite of moves from dairy and food brands to cut back on secondary packaging.

ISO standard on fat content expanded to sheep and goat’s milk

An ISO standard on testing requirements and guidelines for the fat content of milk has been extended to cover sheep and goat’s milk.

High Level Group urges EU to address dairy power imbalance

An EU group set up in the wake of the dairy crisis last year has advocated greater use of written contracts and more collective bargaining power for dairy farmers.

In-line can leak tester detects nano-sized holes

Full automation, increased accuracy and integration into production lines are advantages claimed for a system to detect micro leaks in cans of milk powder by manufacturer Jorgensen Engineering A/S.

Comment

World Cup is an own goal for food culture

Sorry guys, the World Cup is not all about football. It’s about food too, and this year’s tournament should kick off a whole new debate about our sporting food culture.

New federal policy proposals could damage dairy industry, says IDFA

Newly agreed supply management policy in the dairy sector could hurt industry by encouraging consumption of lower priced non-dairy foods, the International Dairy Foods Association has said.

Brazilian carton plant to meet aseptic demand growth - SIG

SIG Combibloc has unveiled plans to invest €90m in a giant packaging plant in Brazil as it seeks to tap into an explosion in demand for aseptic carton packs in South America over the next few years.

Probiotics may help fat and weight loss: Study

Daily supplements of Lactobacillus gasseri SBT2055 (LG2055) may help weight loss in people with obese tendencies, says new science from Japan.

Lactic acid bacteria and fermented milk research grabs IDF honours

Probiotic and lactic acid functionality in dairy products informed the research undertaken by the Irish, Finnish and US award winners of the IDF Elie Metchnikoff Prize 2010, who were announced at the International Dairy Federation symposia focused on nutrition this week.

Two hour vit A milk test gains AOAC certification

SciMed Technologies has gained certification from AOAC International for a new test that the creators claim can accurately measure vitamin A levels in milk within 2 hours.

New dairy technology academy opens to tackle skills gap

A new dairy technology training centre has opened in the UK as the industry looks to tackle “serious skill shortages”.

Arla develops milk protein for Phenylketonuria sufferers

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed a milk protein to be used in foods for people suffering from the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU).

Carbery targets sports drinks with clean whey

Irish dairy ingredients specialist Carbery is marketing a “clean tasting” hydrolysed whey protein range aimed at the sports nutrition market after completing sensory studies in conjunction with the North Carolina State University (NCSU).

Mead Johnson pulls controversial toddler drink

Online criticism on blogs and forums has prompted Mead Johnson to pull a fortified chocolate drink aimed at toddlers.

Milk Link applies aerospace sealant to cheese packaging

Milk Link and APLIX have joined forces to develop a new open and closure system to make cheese packaging more intuitive.

Dairy foods linked to lower heart attack risk

Swedish scientists have uncovered evidence suggesting that eating dairy foods could actually lower heart attack risk.

News in brief

Danisco awards student grant for dairy research

Danisco has offered a Food Science MSc student a study grant to pursue research which could help reduce waste and cut costs in the manufacturing of fermented dairy products.

Sports nutrition driving whey success

Increased demand from the sports nutrition and dietary supplements industries could see the US whey protein approach 500 million pounds (250 million kg) by 2015, says a new report.

Martek signs omega-3 deal with Chinese dairy to fortify infant formula

Omega-3 producer Martek Biosciences Corporation has signed a multi-year agreement to to fortify Feihe Dairy’s new premium infant formula and growing-up milk products with DHA and ARA for sale in China.

Yoghurt group cautiously optimistic on EFSA’s probiotic approach

A group representing some of the key players in the probiotic world has welcomed certain commitments made by the European Food Safety Authority, saying these will help open up the road to clearer communication on health claims.

Don’t ignore indulgence in yoghurts, says Mintel

The magic combination of health and indulgence continues to drive the market for yoghurts and chilled desserts, according to a new review by Mintel.

EFSA gut health workshop will decide Danone’s next claims move

Global probiotics leader Danone says its withdrawn probiotic health claim dossiers will remain untouched on its shelves at least until it attends a gut and immune health claim workshop to be hosted by EFSA this year.

Müller dispute with supplier highlights contractual perils

Müller Dairy UK has vowed to pursue automated solutions provider RTS Flexible Systems for "substantial damages" following the outcome of a UK Supreme Court verdict on a costly legal dispute.

New heat process improves flaxseed safety

Significantly improved food safety, without compromising product quality, nutritional value or shelf-life, are the benefits claimed for a new proprietary heat treatment process developed by Glanbia Nutritionals specifically for use on its flaxseed range.

Denmark repeals national dairy flavouring rules

Denmark has repealed its national law requiring flavourings for dairy products to go through a risk assessment and approval process, as the EU positive list is finalised and harmonisation is on the cards across Europe.

Special Edition: Nanotechnology

Nano risk assessment a work in progress

The risk assessment framework for nanotechnology in Europe – like so much else connected to the technology – appears to be in its infancy but developing at a rapid pace.

Filtration plant lowers dairy costs and lifts quality, claims GEA

Significantly lower production costs and improved product consistency are the twin benefits claimed for a reverse osmosis filtration plant introduced at one of Saudi Arabia’s leading dairies.

Tetra Pak unveils revolutionary UHT processing system

A revolutionary UHT milk processing system slashes production time by up to 90 per cent, cuts operating costs in half and reduces capital outlay by almost a third compared to conventional equipment, said Tetra Pak.

Leading UK cheese producer questions Minister’s export pledge

A major UK cheese exporter has raised doubts over Food Minister Jim Paice’s plans to invest in cheese processing to boost exports.

Special Edition: Nanotechnology

Food sector and R&D need to chew the nano fat for wider take-up: analyst

The benefits for nano-packaging, showing how it can overcome current food and drink industry challenges in terms of shelf life, distribution or sustainability, need to become more apparent in order to ensure widespread commercial implementation, says an industry insider.

UK dairy farmers welcome Sainsbury’s new dairy welfare scheme

British dairy farmers have welcomed a new “unique,” animal welfare standard launched by retail giant Sainsbury’s shortly after a new Mintel report identified welfare issues as consumers’ top food concern.

News in brief

R&R buys into French ice cream market

R&R Ice Cream is expanding its reach abroad with the planned acquisition of France’s third largest ice cream manufacturer.