Breaking News on Food Marketing and Retailing

Barry Callebaut completes Japanese acquisition

10-Jan-2008 - Swiss-based Barry Callebaut today announced the completion of a deal to acquire production facilities from Japanese company Morinaga, only one day after the inauguration of the company's manufacturing plant in China.

Western innovation drives ready to drink coffee growth

10-Jan-2008 - Rising demand for ready to drink (RTD) coffee in both Western Europe and North America is expected to drive global growth in the market as the industry meets consumer demands for taste and functionality, new research says.

Weekly comment

Back to tap: bottled water's enviro-woes

07-Jan-2008 - It looks set to be a vintage year ahead for Chateau Eau De Source Public - or as it is more humbly known, tap water - as consumers find themselves encouraged to shun the mineral variety of the product to reduce packaging waste.

Soup ingredients to go wild and exotic

07-Jan-2008 - Pork belly, watermelon and goji are amongst some of the more unusual soup flavours predicted to be popular in 2008, according to Campbell's Kitchen and Swanson Broth.

Weekly comment

Time for antioxidants v2.0

17-Dec-2007 - 'Antioxidants' crop up every where, from beverage cans to cereal packets. But industry must wake up to over use of the antioxidant tag before the term loses meaning for consumers.

Eastern promise for European water sales

17-Dec-2007 - Bottled water consumption continues to rise drastically in Eastern Europe, increasing by 15 per cent during 2006, new research has found.

Weekly Comment

Infant nutrition: Too close for comfort?

10-Dec-2007 - Industry has to walk a tightrope between lending a benevolent hand to support infant nutrition for the good of public health, and cynical marketing that seems to cash in on sensitivities.

Confectioners look to exotic, functional flavours

05-Dec-2007 - Manufacturers will increasingly turn to unusual confectionery flavours such as pomegranate, eucalyptus and goji in order to make their products stand out from the competition on supermarket shelves, according to a new report.

Weekly comment

Industry's role against HIV/AIDS

03-Dec-2007 - Following World AIDS Day, the food industry should reflect on its own potential to advance the fight against a disease that continues to sweep a devastating toll.

Snack bars outsell confectionery, report

03-Dec-2007 - Thanks to the health and organic trends, sales of cereal bars in the EU will experience average compound annual growth of 7.2 per cent up to 2010, far outstripping sales of candies and chocolate, a new report claims.

Fresh, super and organic top trends for 2008

28-Nov-2007 - The top 10 trends to watch for next year include fresh and organic, superfruits, bold flavors, and probiotics beyond yogurts, according to Datamonitor's Productscan database.

Cereal makers missing emerging market boon

26-Nov-2007 - A large number of global breakfast cereal manufacturers are failing to take advantage of the potential for their products in markets such as Eastern Europe and Asia, according to consumer analyst Euromonitor.

Nestle invests in research for beverages boost

22-Nov-2007 - Nestle intends to step up its focus on beverage production with the opening yesterday of its first research and development centre dedicated solely to drink brands destined for the food service industry.

Condiment, snacks processor pledges 20pc carbon reduction

20-Nov-2007 - Mustard maker Reckitt Benckiser pledged this month to reduce its carbon footprint by 20 per cent by 2020, outlining what it calls a complete supply chain analysis of its CO2 emissions throughout a product's lifecycle.

Facebook chocoholics still not satisfied

31-Oct-2007 - Only two months after Cadbury gave into a Facebook campaign to re-launch Wispa chocolate bars, members of the online social networking site are now clamouring for the return of Wispa Gold.

European Muslims are hungry for more Halal, expert

19-Oct-2007 - European Muslims are underserved by Halal food options, says certification expert from Singapore, while Southeast Asia and the Middle East are eyed by certified Western companies keen on exports.

Raw coffee bean may aid obesity battle

17-Oct-2007 - Unroasted green coffee bean extract taken as a drink or supplement can help people reduce weight, according to a new study.

Coca-Cola seeks medicinal and coffee kicks

16-Oct-2007 - Coca-Cola this week announced plans to scour China for traditional medicines to develop a more nutritionally beneficial portfolio of drinks.

Food price and obesity affect mothers' shopping habits

10-Oct-2007 - Increasing the price of unhealthy foods does have the desired effect of reducing consumption, according to a new study from the US.

Global consumers steer towards premium beer

09-Oct-2007 - Sales of premium beer continue to outgrow globally over private label and discounted varieties, according to the latest findings by beverage research group Canadean.

UK proposes to tighten protection for whisky

09-Oct-2007 - The UK government yesterday announced new production, export and labelling measures to protect whisky from the threat of counterfeit goods.

Fast-paced Italians swell probiotic market

03-Oct-2007 - The Italian probiotic supplement market is the largest in Europe - even outstripping America - and it is still ripe for further expansion.

Yellow fats can still melt into market, Mintel

02-Oct-2007 - As the yellow fats market competes against products for consumers aspiring to healthier lifestyles, Mintel has highlighted how manufacturers of these goods should play up their taste attributes.

Weekly comment

Ripping the red tape

01-Oct-2007 - They say that patience is a virtue. But when it comes to the regulatory process on both sides of the Atlantic, patience too often results in dust gathering in the "to do" box on some regulator's desk.