An expert from Mintel gives a taster of new flavor trends in the US, and predicts how long it could be before we are all enjoying the likes of peri-peri, lavender and cactus.
As 2008 draws to a close, BakeryandSnacks.com recalls some of the mergers and acquisitions that have seen consolidation of bakery manufacturing over the past year.
Falling petroleum prices and an abundance of other vegetable oils has brought soybean oil prices a new low – but other oils are eating away at market share.
An article published in the British Medical Journal today has dismissed the commonly held belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children as a ‘medical myth’.
Consumers are expected to switch from fresh food to more shelf-stable goods in 2009, but the food and beverage sector has a rocky road ahead, according to an industry analyst.
Manufacturers of children’s breakfast cereals and lunchbox snacks have been accused of misleading parents about high levels of salt, sugar and fat in a British Heart Foundation report.
The popularity of spelt has rocketed in recent years, leading to a 130 per cent increase in European product launches containing the ancient grain over the past three years.
Sara Lee has announced that it will slash 700 jobs from its global workforce and outsource parts of its North American and European finance and information services groups.
Canada Bread has launched an investigation following an allegation that the managing director of its UK-based New York Bagel subsidiary attempted to fix prices in the UK.
Sourdough bread combining Roquefort cheese and almonds has become the UK’s most expensive loaf in uncertain financial times, though the product may yet reflect consumer resilience for higher value baked goods.
One of the most fiercely debated and amended pieces of European Union food law history is playing out before our eyes, and its effects are beginning to be felt.
The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has approved changes to the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) wheat futures contract in an effort to bring prices back in line with cash values – but warned that they may not go far enough.
Answering questions about food structure, the potential of bioactive ingredients, and general safety could be achievable in-house and on the bench top within 18 months, if development of the most advanced model gut continues as planned.
Batches of organic oats being sold in the UK could be flouting the law after an investigation found they contain the pesticides Chlormequat or Glyphosate, according to the Soil Association.
The Obama effect and concerns about food safety could help boost US brands overseas which appear to be falling out of favor, according to a new report from Euromonitor International.
The price of bread flour looks set to soar after cereal quality survey results from the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA) showed UK wheat quality to be lower than previously thought.
The economic downturn in the US is leading to strong sales increases for store brand products, but high quality standards need to be maintained to make sure they are long-lasting, experts warn.
Researchers at Rothamsted Research in the UK have analysed 200 globally-sourced whole grains for their known health-promoting components, which they say could lead to selective grain breeding for healthier wholegrain foods.
Associated British Foods has reached an agreement in principle to acquire Ebro Puleva’s sugar business for €385m – a deal that would further fortify the world’s second biggest sugar firm.
Research for the EU’s Quality Low Input Food Programme has warned that wheat yields could be more than halved by the end of the century at the latest, as the world’s phosphate supplies run out.
The founder of American snacks company Guiltless Gourmet has announced the launch of a new company called Right Brothers Foods in Austin, Texas, which aims to tap into demand for healthy snack foods.
Beneo-Remy has reassured customers that prices for its rice-derived ingredients will not rise ‘for a few months at least’ after trade restrictions and volatility on world markets played havoc with raw material costs earlier this year.
DSM Food Specialities has announced a 35 per cent increase in its yeast production capacity in The Netherlands, citing demand from processed foods, salt reduction technologies, and the natural trend.
French authorities are set to amend their reliance on food crop use for biofuel production, a new report claims, amidst industry concerns over the impact of alterative fuel on commodity prices.
UK ministers have agreed with a Food Standards Agency proposal on voluntary phasing out of the ‘Southampton six’ food colours by the end of 2009, according the agency’s chief executive.
Kerry Ingredients and Flavours is expecting to see considerable growth in its business in Russia over the next five years, as a result of both its global customers investing in the country and its own investment efforts.
UK food manufacturers claim the outcome of this week’s vote supporting tighter pesticide usage by the European Parliament’s environment committee fails to fully recognise the potential gravity of the emerging situation.
CPI’s withdrawal of support for the planned merger with Bunge is a knee-jerk reaction to the current economic crisis, according to a Frost & Sullivan analyst.
Bakery products have underlined the overall resilience of UK-based processor and retailer Associated British Foods (ABF) despite what the company calls ‘steadily worsening economic conditions’ during the 2008 fiscal year.
Dutch bakery supplies business CSM has announced that it will cut 200 jobs from its workforce across Germany, France and the US in the next two months in response to plummeting sales and falling consumer confidence.
Consumers are shifting blame for obesity problems in the US on to food manufacturers, saying they should provide healthier products and holding them more responsible than fast-food firms, according to analysts.
Hong Kong officials say they have found dangerous levels of melamine in a brand of eggs imported from China prompting fears that the chemical has found its way into animal feed.
Competition authorities are sniffing about the food industry for evidence of price-fixing activities. A partner at law firm Eversheds explains how cartels come about, and why food may be a fertile breeding ground.
SunOpta is continuing its march into the organic vegetable oils sector as it announces a new deal with Daabon Organic USA to distribute organic palm oil products.
After a ten-year struggle, Melton Mowbray pork pies have secured Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status to become the first cooked recipe-based product in the UK to receive the protection.
MGP Ingredients has announced that it has stopped production at its Atchison flour mill in Kansas and intends to switch the sourcing of its wheat flour to ConAgra for its protein and starch ingredients.
Surviving, and thriving, in a pressing economic climate will dominate the modus operandi for bakers and pastry makers active in today's, and tomorrow's, market and innovative concepts that can ramp up underlying growth are essential, such as...
US grain-based ingredients company MGP Ingredients has outlined its new customer-focussed strategy for dealing with volatile grain markets after registering its first net loss for a decade.
Russian grain processor PAVA aims to increase the quality and volume of its wheat flour production with the installation of a new grain dampening unit at its Rebrikha mill.
The fall-out from the melamine crisis in China is prompting manufacturers to be super careful about sourcing safe ingredients, say industry sources – not just dairy and not just those coming from China.
The Norwegian Agricultural Authority (SLF) has announced a one-third increase in subsidies to organic grain farmers in an effort to meet ambitious government targets and growing consumer demand.
