Breaking News on Dairy Processing & Markets

Yili forges ahead as Bright loses share in China's dairy sector

Chinese dairy Yili, one of the country's top two, has increased sales and profits in the first six months of the year despite rising raw material costs, reinforcing its market share in the fast-growing dairy sector.

More omega-3 in organic milk, say scientists

Scientists have called on Britain's food safety authorities to recognise the superior health qualities of organic milk, after a new study showed it contained higher levels of omega-3 than conventional milk.

Carton loader for your average manufacturer

An automated carton end-loader will bridge the gap between large production lines and small-scale operations, giving quick labour-saving options for medium-sized manufacturers, says its developer.

Weekly Comment

Some home-eating truths

As food manufacturers inch closer to the holy grail of low-calorie, trans-fat free flavor-fantastic products one has to ask how we veered so far from the common sense of fresh home-cooked meals.

Arla using cheese to conquer America

Americans are eating Danish havarti cheese faster than Arla Foods can make it for them, the firm has said, helping it to build a better foothold across the Atlantic.

More milk, cheese varieties needed to combat kid calcium deficiency

Children are not getting enough calcium in their diets, according to US dieticians, who recommend that more milk, cheese and yogurt products targeting kids would be one way to address the deficiency.

Ice Cream boosts Nestlé dairy division

Ice cream and bottled water sales were saved from a rather disappointing first half in Europe by the heatwave that has swept across the continent this summer.

Freshness dating could harm more than it helps, study

Food companies may have more to lose than to gain by placing freshness dating on their refrigerated products, says a new study, which reveals that consumer taste perception is influenced by how fresh they believe a product to be.

Functional drinks driving UK yoghurt boom

Sales of yoghurt in the UK are set to increase by 40 per cent over the next five years, and smash the £2bn barrier by 2011, with surging functional yoghurt drinks driving sales.

China returns US milk powder with excess nitrite

China has sent back more than 100 metric tons of American milk powder after it was found to contain potentially dangerous levels of nitrite.

One hump or two? Camel milk ice cream is here

A leading dairy firm in the Middle East is attempting to trade on the health benefits of camel's milk by using it to make a lower fat, reduced sugar ice cream.

House moves to ban carbon monoxide packaging

Policy makers within the US House Committee on Agriculture are mulling over a proposal to ban carbon monoxide from meat packaging in the US, potentially ending the controversy surrounding the process.

DNA used for cheese quality stamp

Scientists are using DNA extraction to build a quality 'ID card' for Andalusian goat's cheese, potentially offering a new way of proving the safety and quality of speciality products.

Stilton, the king of cheese, returns

Deep in the heart of Britain's midlands, the only seven dairies in the world licenced to make Stilton blue cheese have had their work cut out this year to meet a surge in consumer demand.

Dairy Crest milkman deal goes through

Dairy Crest officially became Britain's biggest 'milkman' this week, after competition authorities cleared it to take over the doorstep delivery business of rival Arla Foods UK.

New Synergy cheese ingredients designed to enhance flavour, mouthfeel

Savoury ingredients supplier Synergy has launched a line of cheese ingredients designed to enhance flavour and mouthfeel while also providing manufacturers with some cost benefits.

CLA could cut 'weight creep' during holidays, ageing

Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) could prevent weight and fat gain at times of the year when people are most susceptible, as well as during the natural ageing process, says a new study supported by Cognis.

Tetra Pak ramps up capacity in China

Leading carton maker Tetra Pak will double capacity at its Beijing factory, it said yesterday, allowing it to meet the expected ongoing growth in China's dairy sector.

Weekly comment

Food science for all

Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.

Danone eyes acquisition trail

French food and water giant Danone has built up a war chest of up to €1bn to spend on acquisitions over the next three to five years, according to a report.

Wiseman cleared for Milk Link deal in UK

Britain's competition watchdog has cleared dairy firm Robert Wiseman to take over the liquid milk business of rival group Milk Link, as the industry continues to consolidate.

Horizon dairy targeted for lacking organic practices

A legal complaint filed against the nation's largest organic dairy firm has rekindled an ongoing debate surrounding the integrity of organic production.

Cow completed

It was announced yesterday that scientists have successfully mapped the most extensive cow genetic sequence - bringing and end to a three year project that is promising to revolutionize the beef and dairy industry.

Campina plots US expansion with Vitalus

Dutch dairy firm Campina is aiming to reach critical mass in its penetration of the North American functional and nutritional ingredients sector, entering into a joint venture with Canada-based Vitalus.

Different omega-3s vary in heart benefits

Eating a diet rich in the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), may positively affect 'bad' cholesterol levels in the elderly, says a study from the Netherlands.

Middle East boycott hits Arla profits

A boycott across the Middle East on dairy products made by Denmark's Arla Foods has hit the group's profits in the first of half of the year, it has announced.

Report slams plans to cut UK milk supply

Cutting Britain's milk supply to raise farmgate prices will not win the battle to raise earnings across the UK dairy sector, warns a new Milk Development Council report.

Added value steers Milk Link sales

Fresh dairy ingredients and Stilton cheese have helped Britain's Milk Link to improve both turnover and profit margins over the last year, the group has said.

The obesity blame game- reader feedback

Last week's comment on the food industry's role in the rising obesity epidemic has generated a flood of responses from readers agreeing with or disputing our position that the industry deserves a break. Some of the comments received are published below.

CLA offers benefits to diabetics, says new study

Conjugated linoleic acids (CLA), common in dairy products, are showing promise improving insulin action and decreasing blood glucose levels, according to both rat and human studies.

Scientist shortage threatens UK research

Britain is failing to recruit enough world-class scientists because the country's education system is not up to the job, the UK's Confederation of British Industry has warned.

US dairy fights to halt lactose warning labels

A group of American consumers are set to appeal against a court ruling that said dairy products did not have to carry labels warning about the dangers of lactose intolerance.

Transgenic goat milk could prevent diarrhea

Milk produced by transgenic goats is seen to shore up protective intestinal bacteria against illness, thanks to the antibacterial action of an enzyme found in human breast milk; if the findings hold true for humans it could help prevent death from diarrheal illness in the developing world.

Elderly people may be ripe for probiotics

Elderly people could ward off digestive problems with probiotics, said scientists at a briefing yesterday that may raise awareness of the benefits amongst this sector of the population and help direct marketing of consumer products.

Asda makes British cheese pledge to Dairy Crest

Britain's second biggest supermarket, Asda Wal-Mart, has attempted to head off supply chain complaints by signing a two-year deal to buy cheese from a Dairy Crest plant in northern England.

Weigh and collect tech a valuable prospect

A computer-integrated weighing system will allow food packagers to weigh products and automatically collect data, its manufacturers claim.

Quality not just quantity of cholesterol affected by fats, says study

Eating a meal rich in saturated fats inhibits the activity of so-called 'good' cholesterol to protect against inflammation, but a meal rich in polyunsaturated fats boosts its action, says a study from Australia.

Milk Link ups prices to supply Britain's organic milk boom

UK dairy processor Milk Link will pay farmers more money for their organic milk from this October as the industry attempts to keep pace with soaring demand.

Inspectors to be granted right to enter plants for testing

Under a proposed new law, UK inspectors would have the right to enter any manufacturing premises to check for the presence of animal borne diseases.

Weekly Comment

The obesity blame game

Laying the blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food industry has become a convenient mistake, and until this is recognized there is little chance of controlling the growing obesity epidemic.

Flavour scientists hold key to low-fat dairy, suggests review

The growing demand for healthier, low-fat foods is the biggest challenge for the flavour scientist, say the authors of a new review.

Latex used in one-third of food packaging, study finds

About one-third of the UK's food packaging has been found to contain hidden latex, leading to calls for processors to note the presence of the known allergen on their products.

Defects caught by pattern, texture

New inspection technology can identify subtle defects in packaging and products based on pattern and texture, its designers claim.

China to clamp down on antibiotics in milk

China is preparing to launch a new national standard on raw milk to prevent dairy products containing antibiotic residues from reaching the marketplace.

Vitamin K-fortified milk must carry warning

New Zealand dairy Fonterra must add a warning label to its new vitamin K-enriched milk and yoghurt to reduce the risk for people taking the blood thinning drug Warfarin, said the New Zealand food authorities yesterday.

Danone cashing in on new products, markets

Emerging markets and new 'health products' helped Danone to continue its strong sales growth in the second quarter of 2006, though the group has struggled to turn around losses on its home French market.

Spanish dairy launches Arab milk

Spanish dairy co-op Feiraco has launched a range of fermented milk products specifically targeted at Spain's Muslim community, tapping into a relatively neglected niche market.

Glanbia probes milk tampering

Irish dairy group Glanbia said it was investigating a small number of its suppliers over suspicions that they tampered with their milk.

Irish dairy to milk multi-million euro funding

A €300m investment package will be handed to Ireland's dairy processing industry over the next three years to help it meet market challenges that lie ahead, the country's government has announced.

Zidane to join team Danone?

Yes, that's right. Freshly retired French footballer Zinedine Zidane may yet be selected to join the board of dairy, water and biscuit giant Danone, says a report.

Ben & Jerry's launches fairtrade ice cream in UK

Vanilla ice cream carrying the Fairtrade symbol will hit British supermarkets for the first time in August, as maker Ben & Jerry's returns to the campaign trail.