Drink group says Scottish strictness is spreading

National governments are increasingly taking the lead from Scotland in looking to clamp down on the sales and marketing practices of alcoholic drinks makers, throwing further uncertainty over their livelihoods,...

Dairy Crest sticking with brands despite Yoplait sale

UK-based Dairy Crest says that it remains committed to branded dairy production despite its decision to offload its yoghurt operations that it ran as a joint venture Yoplait.

News in brief

FDF announces new chair of Frozen Foods Group

The UK’s Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has named Norman Soutar as the new chair of its Frozen Foods Group, as the industry drives to remind consumers of quality and...

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Local MP joins Cadbury in packaging pledge

Riding the environmental ticket, UK conservative MP Tim Loughton this week joined Cadbury and the National Trust to cut down on packaging as foil-filled Easter approaches.

Rainforest chewing gum could answer sustainable needs

In a break from artificial gum formulations, a consortium of Mexican co-operatives have used an organic gum base as the key natural ingredient for a new biodegradable gum set...

Bakery solutions urgent as UK consumers bin 7m bread slices a day

Pressure continues on the bakery industry to design solutions to combat food waste as figures reveal that UK consumers bin seven million slices of bread every day.

Müller told to cease misleading ‘natural’ ads

Dairy firm Müller Dairy UK must withdraw TV and print ads for a brand of its children’s yoghurt products after the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that they made...

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Tata says hello to branded tea plans

India-based Tata Tea says that it is looking to develop a common brand identity for its core flagship beverage products, which include bottled water, as part of a wider shake...

Commission gains blended rose regulations approval

The European Commission says it has obtained member state support for new draft regulations relating to the labelling and blending of rose wines in attempts to better compete on the...

UK consumer ups spending on bakery products, but innovation crucial

Figures released this week suggest the popularity of bread and bakery products prevails with UK consumer spending rising to £3.8bn (€4.08bn) in 2008, but despite the growth, a push in...

French crisp maker Sibell boosts production capacity after fire

Following a fire last year that ravaged half of its factory, French crisp maker Sibell is set to be fully operational this month, following a €15m clean-up investment that has...

Info-share key to new green dairy scheme

Anonymity could be a secret weapon in green dairy production through a new scheme to publish and compare the environmental outputs and emissions from processors.

Irish profit protests mirror EU milk supplier woes

Irish farmer’s groups have added their voices to growing dissent among European milk suppliers, claiming that some producers in the country potentially face an entire year of financial loses unless...

Sweet Charity affirms help for confectionery employees

With current tougher times in the economy impacting disposable income, a charity for past and present confectionery employees, Sweet Charity, affirms its key aim in 2009 is to raise...

Carlsberg upbeat despite eastern finance fears

Eastern European markets like Russia have been a key driver for brewers’ sales in recent years, though as governments in the West look to help prop up some economies in...

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Easter bunny brings less confectionery

Signs that even the Easter bunny is cutting back, with research conducted by BIGresearch for the US National Retail Federation finding Americans will spend less this year on their Easter...

UK minister 'renews commitment' with Cadbury on Fairtrade

The visit of UK minister Mike Foster to Cadbury’s Birmingham factory last week aimed to "renew a working commitment" with the chocolate firm and to discuss fair deals for cocoa...

Comment

Omega-3: Fishing for alternatives

Short of an earth-bound deity walking amongst us and miraculously multiplying our fish stocks, industry must invest more in alternative sources of omega-3 to meet nutritional needs.

News in brief

Food Commission seeks celebs to sign no junk ad charter

The UK’s Food Commission is introducing a charter for celebrities who want to pledge they will not use their image to promote foods high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or...

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Coca-Cola fails with Huiyuan ambitions

Coca-Cola has announced that a proposed acquisition of the China-based juice manufacturer Huiyuan will not go ahead following failure to obtain approval from the China Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

Private label innovation looms over big brands

Innovation is increasingly being marked out as a way for private label firms to gain market share – and for big brand players to keep it.

No Innocent interest in niche US smoothie market

With the US market for fruit-based smoothie drinks expected to undergo continued growth over the coming years, the reported interest of Coca-Cola in UK-based drink group Innocent could seem timely.

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UK drinking down amidst pub future fears

UK Alcohol consumption has fallen by three per cent during 2008, according to figures compiled by the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).

Soft drink big boys driving nutraceutical interest - report

The nutraceutical soft drinks segment is expected to maintain growth through the economic downturn, with sales expected to rise at high single digit rate until 2013 due to a growing...

Recycling logo for consumer packaging launched in UK

Major UK supermarkets have signed up to a new recycling logo for consumer packaging, aiming to present how much of the packaging can be recycled and where.

Cheese flexibility equals resilience in testing times, says industry

As the European Commission expects some short-term fall in demand for added value dairy products, one national trade association claims that cheese is well placed to meet various consumer needs...

Industry says self-regulation, not pricing, key to drink battle

As UK authorities reportedly mull adopting minimum pricing on alcoholic beverages sold in the country, European drink makers claim they remain better placed to regulate the market than governments.

Gum must be more sustainable, litter stats reveal

Gum makers must continue initiatives for a sustainable solution to gum litter, with new research finding discarded chewing gum makes up more than three-quarters of the litter found on UK...

Snack makers to seize green business opportunities

Baker and snack makers should grab the opportunity to leverage their business through green credentials as demand prevails, says the UK's Carbon Trust.

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Doctors block choc fat tax motion

Doctors in Scotland voted narrowly against a motion to introduce a fat tax on chocolate, proposed by a medic who is concerned that chocolate has moved beyond a treat food.

Brewers keeping it local key in drink abuse battle

European brewers claim they are playing a major role in pushing responsible drinking initiatives in the bloc through localised commitments to the EU Alcohol and Health Forum.

French cereal giant Soufflet rolls out rice snack for kids

Newly acquired packaging technology drives leading French cereal firm Soufflet to extend its Vivien Paille brand, launching a rice and milk snack targeted at 5 to 14 year olds.

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Cadbury brings back 'Old Jamaica' on popular demand

UK chocolate company Cadbury will launch two Bournville variants to retailers from this month - Cadbury Bournville Old Jamaica and Cadbury Bournville Orange. Both are available in 180g bars which...

Portion size choice for confectionery 'widest it's ever been', says industry group

Tackling the growing issue of portion size for final products, much work has been achieved in the confectionery sector to satisfy consumer demand and promote choice, says industry association.

Snapple prioritizes taste in HFCS-free tea

Dr Pepper Snapple has released an all-natural version of its iced tea which uses high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) instead of sugar, but has denied that it was driven...

Which? rounds on food industry in health debate

Consumer watchdog Which? has renewed its calls for food manufacturers and retailers to do more to address sugar, salt and fat content and take a consistent, industry-wide approach to labelling...

Arla’s eyes remain on Europe following Dutch deal

As Arla Foods drives ahead with plans to bolster its operations in whey and finished dairy products, the group says its latest acquisition highlights wider interest in the markets of...

UK confectionery sector cuts Easter egg packaging by as much as 90 per cent

Efforts by the confectionery industry to slash Easter egg packaging are paying off, engendering cost benefits and distribution improvements for manufacturers and retailers, says the UK's government-funded WRAP.

New ham sandwich economic 'yardstick' mimicks Big Mac index

Inspired by The Economist's 'burgernomics' Big Mac index, French market analysts Gira Conseil have launched the 'buttered-ham sandwich' index, to compare prices of the country's enduring ham and butter sandwich,...

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Danisco appoints new sweeteners boss

Danisco has named Stephane Constant as the new executive vice president to head up its sweeteners division. Constant will drive the overall strategy for the operating unit.

Coke pops Innocent offer

Atlanta, Georgia-based Coca-Cola has tabled an offer for a minority stake in stalling UK smoothie maker, Innocent, according to press reports.

Quaker Oats repositions brand in health focus

Quaker Oats fully embraces the health and wellness message behind its hallmark ingredient - wholegrain oats - re-positioning all of its products under one umbrella for the first time in...

Branded alcohol-complaints hit decade high

The Portman Group, an industry-led responsibility body says the number of complaints made under its code of practice for alcohol packaging has reached a decade-long high amidst growing concerns over...

Research on New Nordic Diet looks to healthy eating, locally

A new research project starting in Denmark this year could position the New Nordic Diet as the healthy diet of future, paralleling the much-vaunted Mediterranean diet in its benefits but...

Cheese & onion flavour drives UK sales for crisp makers

Despite today's overarching trend towards new and exotic flavours, when it comes to crisps, traditional flavours like cheese & onion and ready salted are best, generating strong sales and bolstering...

Roundtable to unite green food assessment methods

The food industry’s new sustainability roundtable will seek to unify all the green assessment methods now in use and under development, says the CIAA’s environmental director, rather than developing yet...

New code proposed for retailer-supplier deals

The rules that govern agreements between retailers and suppliers could be strengthened under a new proposal by the UK’s Competition Commission (CC) to protect manufacturers and others from restrictive practices....

Dispatches from European Sandwich and Snack show

Real crisp success underlines consumer shift to hand-cooked crisps

Spotting a market opportunity ten years ago, John Mudd set out to create an alternative to mass-produced crisps, building a business that today sees 2.5 million packs of Real hand-cooked...

Cadbury builds Fairtrade awareness, bar-by-bar

Cadbury’s commitment to source cocoa for its popular Dairy Milk chocolate bars is a strong signal that responsible sourcing is moving out of a niche and into the mainstream, and...

UK consumer watchdog questions functional foods

The influential UK-based consumer welfare advocate, Which?, has poured scorn on some functional foods, despite the fact 59 per cent of its highly sceptical members buy omega-3, probiotic and other...

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More firms make FSA Southampton-free list

The UK’s Food Standards Agency has added to its listing of companies that do not use the Southampton-six colours, including Cool Drinks company, Lakeland, Montgomeryshire Natural Spring Water products, Plas...

Guest article

UK labelling proposal under the spotlight

Owen Warnock, partner and food law expert at international law firm Eversheds, checks the fine print on calls for legislation in the UK regarding country of origin meat labelling.