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The Unite union called for Weetabix job reassurances

Weetabix jobs reassurance sought by union

By Matt Atherton

The Unite union has called for urgent reassurances over the security of its members’ jobs at Weetabix, after the cereal manufacturer confirmed yesterday (April 18) it would be sold to US consumer giant Post Holdings for £1.4bn.

Food start-ups are competing for a chance for business mentorship at Rabobank's F&A Next conference

Food start-up competition attracts 120 firms

By Gwen Ridler

More than 120 global food and agriculture start-up firms are competing for a place at the agribusiness bank Rabobank’s business mentorship scheme competition, Foodbytes. 

The Snack, Nut and Crisp Manufacturers' Association said the results of a recent acrylamide investigation should not be looked at in isolation

Snacks sector hits back over crisp acrylamide claims

By Matt Atherton

The UK snacks manufacturers’ organisation has hit back over claims the industry was unaware of the potential risks of acrylamide, or was unwilling to take measures to reduce the levels of the cancer-causing chemical.

The research into rice processing could help to tackle food waste and nutritional problems

Research aims to improve rice processing and reduce waste

By Rick Pendrous

Food waste during rice processing and poor nutrition in parts of the Indian population could be tackled, after Sheffield Hallam University was awarded £400,000 to undertake research to help support economic growth in rural communities.

Polman: Unilever is to offload its spreads business and combine its food and beverages units

Unilever to put Spreads business up for sale

By Rick Pendrous

Unilever is to sell off or demerge its Spreads business and combine its Foods and Refreshment activities into one organisation based in the Netherlands, as a result of a structural review just completed.

Tayto Group products will appear in 7,000 more vending machines across England

Tayto snacks to appear in 7,000 vending machines

By Matt Atherton

Snack manufacturer Tayto Group’s sister company Montagu Group has acquired vending machine firm Freedom Refreshments, in a multi-million pound deal which would see Tayto’s products feature in 7,000 more vending machines across England.

One in five potato crisp varieties are high in acrylamide, an investigation claimed

Crisp makers under fire for ‘carcinogenic’ acrylamide

By Matt Atherton

Premium crisp manufacturer Tyrrells has played down warnings over the cancer-causing chemical acrylamide, after an investigation revealed its ‘sweet potato lightly salted crisps’ contained almost 2.5 times the recommended EU limit for acrylamide.

Reckitt Benckiser could sell its French's Food brand (Flickr/Burgermac)

Reckitt Benckiser ‘could sell’ mustard brand

By Matt Atherton

Reckitt Benckiser has begun a strategic review of its French’s Food brand, after reports claimed it was looking to sell the mustard-maker to help fund its £14.3bn takeover of baby food manufacturer Mead Johnson Nutrition.

Tesco Stores Ltd has been fined £129M for overstating its profits in 2014

Tesco fined £129M for market abuse

By Gwen Ridler

Supermarket giant Tesco’s subsidiary, Tesco Stores Ltd, has agreed to pay a £129M fine in order to avoid prosecution for market abuse, after overstating its profits in 2014.

Welsh food and drink boosted by £21M programme

Welsh food and drink gets £21M boost

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink in Wales is to get a £21M boost, as the Welsh government launches a programme to fund research into food production and safeguard thousands of jobs.

Halal food and drink should be the UK's focus once it leaves the EU: Abdalhamid Evans

Halal food a ‘bigger market than China’

By Gwen Ridler

Halal food and drink is a bigger market than China – worth more than £900bn – and will become increasingly important to food manufacturers when the UK leaves the EU, according to a specialist consultant.

A section of the M6 was closed after a lorry carrying food caught fire

Exploding drinks tins create traffic chaos

By Gwen Ridler

Exploding tins of sports drink caused traffic chaos in Staffordshire this week (Wednesday March 8), after a lorry caught fire on a busy section of the motorway.

Unilever chief executive Paul Polman abandons its sustainability credentials at his peril, suggests one City analyst

Unilever review likely to lead to food disposals

By Rick Pendrous

Unilever’s top-to-bottom review of its business following the rejection of the £115bn bid from US Kraft Heinz earlier this week is likely to lead to the Anglo-Dutch company disposing of some of its underperforming food business, according to City analysts.

Amazon has launched both a 5,000 head recruitment drive and a new apprenticeship scheme

Amazon launches 5,000-head recruitment drive

By Michael Stones

Amazon, the online retail giant, has revealed plans to recruit 5,000 more full-time workers, taking its total UK workforce to more than 24,000, and launched a new apprenticeship programme.

Inflation are forecast to overtake pay rises in the manufacturing sector

Manufacturing pay rises scrape ahead of inflation

By Gwen Ridler

Pay increases in the manufacturing sector – including food and drink firms – are slightly ahead of consumer price inflation, revealed EEF, the manufacturer’s organisation.

Tesco could be prosecuted for displaying out-of-date promotions on its shelves

Tesco could be prosecuted for out-of-date labels

By Gwen Ridler

Tesco’s failure to remove out-of-date promotional labels from its shelves is a criminal regulatory offence, which could lead to fines – and even imprisonment of individuals found guilty, a law firm has claimed.

Food and drink sector mergers and acquisitions are predicted to rise this year

Food and drink M&As predicted to rise in 2017

By Noli Dinkovski

A competitive environment and the increasing bargaining power of major retailers is putting food producers under growing pressure – which in turn is driving mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity – a trade credit insurer has found.

More than 4,000 students learned about food and manufacturing opportunities, claimed Nestlé

Nestlé supports 4,557 students in STEM subjects

By Gwen Ridler

Nestlé has helped more than 4,000 young people gain insight into food and drink manufacturing industry careers through science, technical, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, according to Nestlé UK & Ireland’s Social Impact Report released this...

Food and drink in Scotland could see a £750M boost if producers take on public-sector contracts, such as school dinners

Potential £750M boost to Scottish food industry

By Gwen Ridler

Scotland’s food and drink industry could get a £750M boost, as the government plans to make public-sector catering contracts more accessible to Scottish businesses. 

Amazon plans to build a £1.2bn air cargo hub in the US

Amazon to build £1.2bn air cargo hub

By Gwen Ridler

Online retail giant Amazon is to build a £1.2bn ($1.5bn) air cargo hub at an airport in the US and create more than 2,000 jobs, to help fulfil its global orders.

Getting young girls interested in STEM subjects could help bridge the gender pay-gap

Focus on STEM subjects could solve gender pay-gap

By Gwen Ridler

The gender pay-gap in the manufacturing sector – including the food and drink industry – is due to a lack of young girls studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects, claimed the EEF, the manufacturer’s organisation.  

Heineken paid £160k for pollution that killed fish

Heineken pays £160k for river pollution

By Gwen Ridler

Drinks producer Heineken has been ordered to pay £160,000 for breaching environmental laws enforced by the Environment Agency (EA), after a pollution incident killed fish.

Weetabix has revealed plans to invest £30M in its Northamptonshire factories

Weetabix invests £30M but warns of price rises

By Matt Atherton

Weetabix will invest £30M in its Northamptonshire factories to expand its UK and international brands, the company’s chief executive revealed, but also warned of price rises as the pound’s value falls.

Workers at Weetabix's Corby and Kettering factories have postponed strike action

Union calls off Weetabix strike

By Gwen Ridler

Workers have postponed industrial action at Weetabix’s Corby and Kettering factories, after the manufacturer announced it would hold more talks with the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw).

Nestlé are investigating fake food factories in China. Image from Beijing News

Nestlé investigating Chinese fake food factories

By Gwen Ridler

Nestlé has joined Chinese authorities in investigating factories suspected of producing £12M worth of counterfeit food seasonings and sauces, including fake Nestlé products.

Ross McMahon shares his plans to grow his infant formula business

Me and My Factory

Infant formula boss plans for growth

By Noli Dinkovski

Eighteen months ago, Ross McMahon saved the former Heinz factory in Kendal from closure. Now, business is thriving.

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