Bakkavör, Kerry Foods or Premier Foods could all be in the running to produce Sainsbury’s Chinese ready meals following Northern Foods’ decision to close the factory that currently makes them, say City analysts. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) Given that Northern Foods plans to shut its Ethnic Cuisine factory in Swansea because it can’t make a profit from the Sainsbury’s contract, it might not at first glance appear like a very attractive tranche... read more →
Sion Roberts, chief executive of the English Food and Farming Partnerships, has warned that supplier and processor relations need to improve to prevent severe loss of business. (meatinfo.co.uk) Speaking at the Eblex/Bpex 2010 Outlook Conference, Roberts said: “The last 20 years has been about developing brands. The future will be about developing the supply chain.” Factors such as price volatility and the security of supply are increasingly influential,... read more →
Banning artificial trans fats in the UK could prevent 11,000 heart attacks and 7,000 deaths a year, according to two senior doctors writing in the British Medical Journal. (foodnavigator.com) Artificial trans fats are made by partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, a process that turns them into semi-solids, giving them a higher melting point and longer shelf-life, thereby making them better suited for use in the food industry. However, evidence has... read more →
Many British consumers still regard sweeteners with suspicion, although in practice, very few actively avoid products that contain them, according to research commissioned by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF). (foodnavigator.com) A quarter of British adults polled last month by YouGov on behalf of the BNF said they lacked confidence in the safety of low calorie sweeteners, while almost a third of those expressing concerns believed the ‘risk’... read more →
Implementing the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommendation that makers of soft drinks with added sugar should introduce 250ml cans and bottles could cost the industry upwards of £10m, according to the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA). (foodproductiondaily.com) At the end of last week, the FSA unveiled new proposals for the food and drink industry on saturated fat and sugar. For beverage manufacturers, the FSA said all soft drinks containing added... read more →
The adoption of more modified atmosphere and leak-proof packaging by retailers, as well lobbying for the use of antimicrobial washes could help cut campylobacter in UK chicken, an international summit concluded. (foodproductiondaily.com) The conference, hosted this week by the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), also declared that a renewed emphasis on biosecurity measures by producers in the UK would also reduce the prevalence of the food bug. Some 90 experts... read more →
Even some of the most unusual innovations from top restaurant kitchens could inspire manufacturers of packaged foods, according to Ted Russin, food scientist at specialty hydrocolloids firm CP Kelco. (nutraingredients.com) Speaking at the recent Research Chefs Association conference in Phoenix, Arizona, Russin demonstrated how the techniques and ingredients used to produce foods in cutting-edge restaurants could be translated for use in packaged foods,... read more →
The food industry is one of the most well-respected industries in terms of social responsibility, according to a new survey from research-based consultancy Penn Schoen Berland. (foodnavigator-usa.com) The second annual Corporate Social Responsibility Perceptions Survey, conducted in partnership with brand consulting firm Landor Associates and strategic communications firm Burson-Marsteller, interviewed a nationally representative online sample of 1001... read more →
