Breaking News on Food Marketing and Retailing

MEPs vote against amended nutrition claims, food sector rallies

MEPs have rejected the revised nutrition claims list recently adopted by the European Commission, a move which could be detrimental for reformulation efforts in the food sector says a trade body.

Cost-saving shrink wrappers taps into retail-ready trend – developer

A series of shrink wrapping developments, designed to complement a variety of tray packing machines, will provide the food and drink industry with cost-effective retail-ready packaging, its developer has claimed.

Premier Foods explores marketing beyond shoestring, Mr Kipling ‘category blur’

Premier Foods CEO Michael Clarke says he is pursuing a strategy of 'category blur' to revive the company’s disappointing trading performance, as he announces new marketing ammunition for the bakery and snack ‘power brands’ central to the approach.

Mars probed by ad watchdog after footballer and glamour model Twitter endorsement

Mars has become the subject of an investigation by the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority following a campaign involving footballer Rio Ferdinand and model Katie Price to endorse its Snickers bar using social media site Twitter.

Burden of ‘fat taxes’ questioned

Importers of food and drink to European countries that impose a ‘sin’ or ‘fat’ tax should pay close attention to how it impacts the market, according to one expert specialising in EU food law.

Bread brands can seize upon changing UK breakfast habits - Mintel

Bread manufacturers can take advantage of changing breakfast habits among young consumers in the UK by expanding portfolios to include sweet baked goods, according to an analyst.

Market opportunities in medicated confectionery – Leatherhead

Medicated confectionery such as cough and throat sweets has enjoyed an upsurge in recent months and there is scope for new products to enter the category, according to Leatherhead Food Research.

Zetar establishes French subsidiary

UK-based confectionery and snacks firm Zetar has established a French subsidiary to leverage its position in continental Europe.

News in brief

Pepsi’s fizzy growth boosts Britvic results

A strong performance from its UK carbonates division, lead by “substantial” Pepsi share gain, has boosted revenues at soft drinks manufacturer Britvic for the all-important Christmas period, according to city analysts.

Spanish regulator condemns sterol-cholesterol ads

The Spanish manufacturer of a plant sterol drink has been told to amend cholesterol-lowering claims for being too ambiguous in dosage and making unsubstantiated disease reduction claims.

Brookes Avana deal: little competition referral risk

Premier Foods’ £30M Brookes Avana deal with food group 2 Sisters is unlikely to result in complications with the competition authorities, according to city analysts.

World organic food sales shine, but dairy in doldrums

The overall global market for organic food and drink is in good shape but dairy sales in the sector fell during the recession, due to high 2008 milk prices in particular, according to Euromonitor International.

CSM strengthens in-store and out-of-home position with Cook Man acquisition

Ingredients firm CSM has acquired UK bakery firm Cookie Man for an undisclosed fee as it looks to make gains in in-store and out-of-home bakery.

10 key trends for chocolate products

Ethically responsible companies catering to health-conscious consumers with clean-label premium products are likeliest to win, according to a market analyst.

Export boom boosts growth for Finsbury Foods

UK-based bakery firm Finsbury Foods has announced improved sales in a first quarter (Q1) trading driven by significant gains in its export business, but high commodity prices continue to squeeze profit margins.

PRODULCE head looking for healthy innovation

The Spanish confectionery sector must innovate on a health awareness platform, according to the head of the recently formed national confectionery association.

Prune rejection provokes piqued UK MEP into prune eating rumpus

UK Liberal Democrat MEP, Sir Graham Watson, has challenged European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, to a prune eating contest in an adhoc, non-double blind, non-placebo controlled trial to demonstrate the digestive health benefits of the fruit.

Tangerine eyes new markets while large chew bars launched in UK

UK-based Tangerine Confectionery has added large chew bars to its Barratt Sweets brand in the UK market while it considers Scandinavia for other brand product launches planned for Spring.

UK producers 99% compliant with EU egg ban

Nearly all (99%) of British egg producers are now fully compliant with EU legislation banning the use of battery cages, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

UK frozen yogurt market to soar in 2012

The use of innovative flavourings and a consumer drive for healthier food is expected to contribute to major growth in the UK frozen yogurt market, according to industry experts.

BASF pulls out of European GM market

Ingredients and chemicals giant BASF has announced it will pull the plug on its European operations in genetically modified plant development due to a lack of acceptance in the market.

EU orange juice industry on notice after carbendazim test warning

The European orange juice industry has been put on notice by Brussels – with a warning that Brazilian juice imports could face carbendazim testing if US officials find high levels of the fungicide in shipments.

Premier boss Michael Clarke backed by city

Premier Foods boss Michael Clarke has received a resounding vote of confidence from city analysts, six months into his role, as he continues his plan to guide the firm out of trouble.

Dutch frozen food JV on hold after EC competition referral

A Dutch food processing joint venture has been put on hold while authorities in the country investigate its potential effect on frozen snacks market competition.

New Spanish confectionery association formed: PRODULCE

Five segments of the Spanish sweets market have come together to form the new Spanish Confectionery Association (PRODULCE).

Europe isn’t ‘squeaky clean’ warns expert, after new claims of Chinese infant formula death

A leading food safety expert has urged people to remember that Europe is not squeaky clean when it comes to scare stories, following the reported death of another Chinese baby from claimed infant formula consumption.

News in brief

Robert Wiseman confirms Muller takeover talks

Dairy giant Robert Wiseman has confirmed that it is subject to a takeover bid by German firm Müller Dairy following a rise in the firm’s share price.

News in brief

Ferrero Group appoints new md

Confectionery firm Ferrero Group has appointed Pieraldo Oldano as the new md of Ferrero UK & Ireland.

Tyrrells acquires rival UK veg crisp maker Glennans

UK-based vegetable crisp manufacturer Tyrells has acquired fellow UK veg crisp maker Glennans for an undisclosed sum.

Bakery firms can seize on Scandinavian low-carb trend, says analyst

Bakery manufacturers can capitalise on an emerging Scandinavian dietary trend with new low-carb offerings, according to an analyst from Euromonitor International.

Nuclear headlines overstate Beverage Partners Worldwide RTD tea rescope: analyst suggests

Following Nestlé and Coke’s decision to slim down its ready-to-drink (RTD) tea business, Beverage Partners Worldwide, Euromonitor analyst Richard Haffner told BeverageDaily.com that nuclear headlines suggesting a ‘global retreat’ perhaps overstated its significance.

Irish eyes smile as Diageo revamps St James’s Gate Brewery

Diageo today announced plans to invest €153m in a brewing centre of excellence at St James’s Gate, Dublin, that it said would form part of a wholesale rejuvenation of the iconic site.

Tesco results disappoint in struggling retail market

A disappointing performance from Tesco over the make-or-break Christmas period means that festive trade for the multiples was “worse than expected”, according to city analysts.

Irish food and drink exports up 12% in 2011

The value of Irish food and drink exports has increased by €1 billion, representing a 12% surge in 2011 and driving the country’s overall export revenue, according to Irish food board.

News in brief

Thorntons sales fall below expectations over festive period

UK chocolate firm Thorntons has announced that its second quarter sales had fallen below expectations in a trading update issued today.

Mars France expands M&M production capacity with €40m investment

Mars Chocolat France has announced plans for a multimillion investment in its Haguenau plant that will boost the site’s production capacity by 20%.

Food props up sales at M&S

Retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) expects trading conditions in the new year to “remain challenging” despite a rise in food sales over the all-important Christmas period.

Warburtons cuts 73 jobs following plant closure

UK bakery firm Warburtons has announced that it is to axe 73 jobs at its Oldham bakery after closure of the site.

Revolutionary ethylene absorber is ‘berry’ good - Marks and Spencer

Marks & Spencer (M&S) said it has become the first retailer to use a “revolutionary” ethylene strip in strawberry punnets at the point of sale that will extend the shelf life of the fruit by up to 50%.

Jamie Oliver helps boost frozen food sales by £250M

Celebrity endorsements by TV chefs such as Jamie Oliver plus consumers’ perception of high-value and low-waste helped the UK frozen food sector grow by 5.2% to reach sales of £5.36bn last year, according to the British Frozen Foods Federation (BFFF).

Canned meats gets easy-opening makeover

One UK canned ham producer has revamped its packaging to make it easier to open as it seeks to tap into growing consumer demand for convenience.

Cadbury invests £6m on shelf ready and resealable packaging

Cadbury UK has announced that it will introduce shelf ready packaging to make its chocolate bars stand upright in stores to better attract customers’ attention in a £6m (€7.2m) scheme.

Revolymer seeks collaborators as Rev7 degradable gum base gets EU novel foods approval

UK-based polymer firm Revolymer has gained novel foods approval in the EU for a gum base that degrades faster than conventional bases and is seeking commercial partners to launch chewing gum products in the EU.

Fray Bentos takeover deal in the can, says OFT

Scottish food group Baxters’ acquisition of the Fray Bentos brand from Princes has received approval from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT).

French authorities approve soda tax legislation

French lawmakers have approved legislation for the proposed tax on sugar sweetened beverages in the country – effective from January 2012.

Six New Year’s resolutions for food manufacturers

Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? Perhaps you have broken a few already? We asked key industry figures and opinion-formers to make three resolutions on behalf of UK food and drink manufacturing.

EC gluten-free labelling regulations enter full force

A European Commission regulation requiring products labelled ‘gluten-free’ to contain below a maximum gluten content level came into full force yesterday.

Long term studies needed before dark chocolate health link established – study

The flavonoid epicatechin that is present in dark chocolate could be used to treat human diseases, but studies to date have been too small and longer controlled tests are required, according to a study.