Electrical problems at ageing food factories are a principal cause of almost 20% of industry property losses, according to insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson (JLT).
The snacks and biscuits division of UK manufacturer United Biscuits could be parcelled out to different buyers, according to a research firm's analysis of the market following media reports the company is to be sold by its private equity owners.
Soft drinks giant Britvic is confident of meeting profit expectations for the full year but has warned of continuing volatility in the Irish soft drinks market.
Marks & Spencer's decision to introduce branded products into its stores is good news for its own-label suppliers, according to the firm making more than half of its sandwiches and most of its desserts.
A clutch of widely-used nutrition claims from ‘no added salt’ and ‘low-Gi’ to ‘10% less fat’ remain in a state of legal limbo as discussions over whether to allow them under the health claims Regulation drag on.
Food manufacturers will be under pressure to absorb higher raw material and energy costs this year to ensure their products remain affordable as household budgets are squeezed, English Food and Farming Partnerships (EFFP) has warned.
Uniq is still a viable business despite the £400m+ hole in its pension fund, and it is “still plausible” that a solution will be found to enable it to trade its way out of trouble, analysts have claimed.
“Extreme” cost increases have hit demand for nuts and seeds, but strong growth in chocolate, dried fruit and snacks has helped Zetar notch up double-digit rises in sales and profits this year.
Nestlé UK remains hopeful that it can prevent a long-running pay dispute with UK staff from spilling over into widespread industrial action by continuing to negotiate on a site-by-site basis.
The government has confirmed that a slimmed-down Food Standards Agency (FSA) will survive with a renewed focus on food safety, but will lose its English responsibility for country of origin labelling and policy relating to food composition and nutrition.
More than 5,700 products have now had their carbon footprint measured and certified, but Tesco remains the only major supermarket to commit to rolling out carbon footprint labels on pack.
As rumours circulate that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) could be dismantled, CEO Tim Smith has underlined efficiency gains and cost cutting achievements in its annual report.
Many major food companies have become hesitant to promote their research into the potential of nanotechnology for fear of piquing consumer concerns while it is still in its infancy, according to an expert from market researcher Lux Research.
School meal take-up might be back on the rise in secondary schools but still appears to be well below where it was before Jamie’s School Dinners and the School Food Trust (SFT) arrived on the scene five years ago.
The first round of redundancies at Twinings’ North Shields factory has been delayed until February 2011, having originally been due to start this September.
The EU Commission is seeking “formal guarantees” from the Polish authorities that Twinings is not using an EU funding award to invest in a multi-million euro factory that will see the relocation of UK production facilities abroad.
Breaking up the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and shifting those parts responsible for food safety into the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) would be a mistake, according to DEFRA secretary of state Caroline Spelman.
China, India and the US must make firm commitments to sourcing sustainable palm oil if any meaningful progress is to be made on tackling deforestation, according to one UK government minister.
A new £13m can line at Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Wakefield factory returned 78% efficiency in commissioning mode for the whole of last week during the introduction of a new four-pack format.
Flour prices could head further north this summer, driven by a combination of lower-than-anticipated corn planting in the US, reduced wheat production forecasts in Russia and Canada and lower yields in Europe, Premier Foods is predicting.
Greencore has announced plans to sell its Dutch convenience foods business Greencore Continental in a bid to reduce net debt and focus on its core UK and US operations.
A £10m extension to increase production capacity at Moy Park’s Ashbourne poultry processing site by 25% is due for completion this autumn, FoodManufacture.co.uk understands.
Dearne Valley Foods has already re-established one production line at a neighbouring site and is striving to restore another following a fire that devastated its main factory.
For regulatory purposes, the definition of nanoparticles must address functionality as well as size, according to former Food Standards Agency (FSA) chairman Lord Krebs.
Industrial action at Bakkavör’s pizza plant in Harrow moved one step closer today as staff voted overwhelmingly in favour of rejecting the firm's latest pay offer and pledged to conduct a strike ballot.
Press reports suggesting that breaking up the Food Standards Agency (FSA) would constitute a ‘victory’ for the food industry are misleading and “very annoying”, according to the boss of the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST).
Tate & Lyle could net a further £70m from selling its molasses trading and Vietnam sugar businesses following the £211m sale of its EU sugar division, according to Investec Securities.
Further questions about the government’s plans for the Food Standards Agency (FSA) have been raised this week as the Department of Health (DoH) prepares to unveil a white paper outlining its strategy for the health service.
Food manufacturers must challenge “lavatorial” perceptions of fibre to market products more effectively, according to the boss of food research group MMR.
The number of UK food and drink manufacturers facing financial distress in the second quarter of 2010 has fallen since the first quarter of the year, new figures reveal.
The new owner of Tate & Lyle’s EU sugar division says it will take measures "to substantially ease the supply situation" as regards raw cane sugar supplies to the Silvertown refinery in London over the next 18 months.
Kraft has rejected claims made by the Unite trade union that it is behind schedule with the transfer of operations from its Somerdale factory to its new chocolate factory in Skarbimierz, Poland.
Relaunched with a simplified entry form and a brand spanking new London venue, this year's Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards offer your company a fantastic opportunity to get the recognition it deserves.
There is “no evidence” to suggest that the Change4Life initiative has helped to improve the eating habits or lifestyles of the most vulnerable people, according to one health expert.
The first major speech from the new government outlining its approach to public health and nutrition makes no reference to the Food Standards Agency (FSA) or its future role within the Department of Health (DoH).
An Indian firm is targeting UK food manufacturers with a novel vegetable-based organic greaseproof paper that can be re-used three times and withstand temperatures of up to 200°C.
Speculation over whether Robert Wiseman is planning to build another dairy in southern England has intensified following the publication of its interim management statement.
With the economy still emerging from recession and many firms keeping a tight rein on spending, it should come as no surprise that blue sky new product development (NPD) is not top of the agenda at many food retailers, according to food manufacturers...
Mars-owned Wrigley will pay consumers up to $7m after settling a class action that challenged its right to claim its Eclipse gum was, "scientifically proven to help kill the germs that cause bad breath".
