Swiss liquid packaging group SIG has sold 14 new filling lines in
one go to leading Chinese dairy Yili, reflecting the speed and
scale of growth in the country's dairy sector.
China's first drinkable yoghurt product, containing MEG-3 fish oil,
is currently rolling out, and has received strong endorsement from
the Guadong Dairy Association.
When a company 'gives back' to the world through charitable
donations, should we wholeheartedly commend it for being a good egg
or sniff cynically at the profit potential that underlies every
business decision?
Raisio will launch its Benecol functional ingredient in Russia - a
challenging market where obesity and cardiovascular disease levels
are high, but awareness of the dangers of high cholesterol is low.
China is luring more and more of the world's dairy firms through a
strong growth in domestic demand, says a new report, indicating
European companies have some ground to catch up.
Finnish dairy company, Valio is working with Russian company
Galaktika to build a new dairy facility in Russia to meet growing
consumption of dairy products.
Kraft Foods, the US snack and dairy firm, has agreed to remove all
genetically modified ingredients from its products in China, in a
sign anti-GM attitudes are on the increase.
Probiotics, unheard of a year ago, are now being added to more and
more products in China, and look set to see rapid growth in demand,
according to key supplier Chr Hansen.
Russian packager and food producer Nevskie Syry has launched a new
line of cheese packaging using inert gases that it says can
significantly extend products' shelf-life.
Dutch dairy co-operative Campina has got clearance from Russian
authorities to expand its dairy drinks production in Moscow as
demand for fresh dairy soars.
The French group launched its first dairy research centre in Asia
at the same time as raising its stake in China's Bright Dairy &
Food Co to 11.55 per cent.
Kraft Foods, one of the world's largest food producers, has begun
selling melted cheese in Russia and has an aggressive expansion
plan to become a leading player within seven years.
Arla Foods' factory re-jig paid off this week as the group signed a
joint-venture deal with China's leading dairy firm to get its added
value milk powder products into one of the world's fastest emerging
dairy markets.
As Chinese producers move in on western markets, the first response
by many established players is to protect and defend their previous
market positions. It's a doomed strategy.
Signing yet another deal to feed its seemingly insatiable appetite
for acquisitions, US ingredients firm Cargill makes a drive into
the whey derivatives market, reports Lindsey Partos.
Food safety for Chinese milk powders hits the headlines again as
authorities detect excessive iodine content in another Nestle baby
milk powder, according to Chinese news reports.
Dairies not manufacturing premium-range yoghurt are missing out,
with new products hitting this lucrative market every month,
reports Angela Drujinina.
Nestle, the world's biggest foodmaker, has apologised to Chinese
consumers after the country's safety authorities detected too much
iodine in one of its milk-power brands.
Diversifying supplies and managing risk for the world's most
expensive, and popular, natural flavour, for the first time
ingredients giant Danisco receives a batch of sustainable organic
vanilla from an Indian monk, reports Lindsey...
Nestle has launched an investigation into its milk products, after
a type of baby powder sold in Chinese supermarkets failed to meet
national standards over iodine content, reports Claire
Johnston.
Russia's dairy, bread and juice sectors are driving a raft of
novelty product innovations aimed at inspiring Russia's functional
food sector, offering opportunities for companies looking for more
value-added products, reports...
French dairy giant Danone has received approval from the Chinese
authorities to more than double its existing stake in China's
biggest dairy company, Tom Armitage reports.
High taxes on raw materials and soaring energy costs are severely
hampering progress in Russia's ice cream industry, according to one
industry body which is campaigning for government intervention. Yet
consolidation and tighter...
Russia draws the wrath of the dairy exporting community, after
imposing a duty hike of more than 100 per cent on hard cheese
imports, Tom Armitage reports.
Managers at Estonia's Estmilk dairy group have warned that the
company is on the verge of collapse after its Russian shareholder,
Nutritec, failed to inject funds into the ailing firm.
More Polish dairy processors have been granted permission to export
to Russia, while Mlekpol, one of Poland's leading dairy companies,
has had its export license application rebuffed, along with around
forty other applicants,...
Suppliers of ingredients to the developing ice cream market in
China will welcome news that Nestlé, the world's number one food
maker, will deepen penetration and sharpen competitiveness in this
burgeoning market through new...
Prices for a number of key food ingredients in Russia have risen in
January and February, according to a recent survey, and supply
difficulties are expected to keep costs high for the foreseeable
future, reports Angela Drujinina.
Russian authorities are set to readmit Polish dairy exports,
according to unconfirmed reports appearing in the Polish press last
week, but will this be enough to satisfy overseas investors?
asks Tom Armitage.
Number one natural colours firm Chr Hansen makes inroads into the
lucrative Chinese market, this week unveiling a new food colour
factory to meet a rise in local demand, and marking the first step
in a raft of investments in the region.
Russia must loosen limitations on ownership of the companies by
foreign citizens and must improve transparency in order to attract
more foreign investments, says a new report of the Organization on
Economic Cooperation and Development...
Aluminium packaging giant Alcan is investing $55 million to build
and equip two new Russian plants - a clear indication that foreign
firms are beginning to take notice of the Russian packaging market,
writes Anthony Fletcher.
As food ingredients suppliers take a stake in the burgeoning
Chinese market new figures released by the United Nations confirm
foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Asia and the Pacific
rose by a massive 55 per cent in 2004 on...
Dutch dairy producer Friesland Coberco says it is transferring its
China manufacturing operations to its joint venture partner,
Tianjin Sino-Finnish Dairy Research due to the 'rapidly
deteriorating conditions' in the dairy...
Consumers and producers are united in their desire for lighter,
functional packaging on the Russian food market, driving the
development of plastics and paper in the dairy, bakery and
confectionery sectors and sending traditional...
Tetra Pak has launched what it describes as a low investment carton
packaging solution ideal for manufacturers looking to penetrate
lucrative new chilled beverage markets.
A new ice cream product enriched with iodine is to be launched in
the New Year by Russian dairy group MiasoMolTorg JSC, the first
product of its kind on the Russian market and the latest to play on
the health credentials of dairy...
Risk assessment and market predictions translate into new pectin
opportunities for Danisco that will break ground on a new pectin
plant in Brazil, to be up and running by 2007, reports Lindsey
Partos.
China has become the second largest importer of packaging machinery
in the world, a topic that will be highlighted this week at
Interfood Shanghai 2004.
The need of ingredients and equipment suppliers to reach Russian
food manufacturers is becoming increasingly urgent, but in the
absence of established B2B advertising channels, few avenues have
been open. Now a new alliance between...
Steep declines in the number of milk cattle in Russia is having
knock-on effect on the country's dairy industry, which is being
forced to import increasing amounts of milk from other, more
expensive sources. But calls for greater...
Tetra Pak, the European packaging giant, has inaugurated a new
liquid food packaging plant in Beijing this week, the latest step
in its bid to profit from the rising Chinese interest in dairy
products.
The discovery by Russia's State Trade Inspectorate of tons of fake
condensed milk on the supermarket shelves in Moscow and St.
Petersburg has once again highlighted the enormity of the task
facing the Russian authorities in clamping...
Russian veterinary authorities will take a further three weeks to
decide the fate of Polish dairies wanting to export to Russia - a
move that is seen as part of a general trend to limit imports of
all dairy products into the country.
Russia has become a lucrative market for dairy product exporters in
recent years, in particular those based in eastern Europe. But the
threat of punitive import duties from the Russians, concerned about
the future of their own dairy...
