Despite fears of sovereign downgrades and tumbling share prices, UK food and drink manufacturers increased their output by 0.5% in June 2011, but many are suffering pain from rising input prices.
Samworth Brothers is hoping to turnover around £1bn within three years, as the Leicester firm confirmed that it will create at least 70 new jobs at its Kettleby Foods business.
Sous Vide Supreme has hit back after FoodManufacture.co.uk published an article in which a food safety expert warned that homemade sous vide food could cause botulism.
Southall food manufaturer Quality Foods has been fined more than £16,000 for numerous food hygeine offences after council inspectors found glass in a samosa, ingredients buckets covered in slime and machines covered in caked-on food and grease.
One City analyst has described Premier Foods claim that its poor performance in the first half (H1) of this year was due to a “successful pricing exercise” as “amazing”.
Gosforth firm Continuous Retorts (CRL) has received a £250,000 investment from a major investment fund, for what the latter describes as potentially “game changing” food processing technology.
The food industry is entering a crucial planning period with the 2012 London Olympics now a year away and unless it takes action now availability will suffer, according to logistics experts.
Version 6 of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety could lead to more unannounced audits being forced on manufacturers, according to a third-party certification body.
The retail promotional system is flawed, unsustainable and needs a complete overhaul, although manufacturers are divided over the ability of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) or the new adjudicator to tackle this.
As part of the Vion Group, Snowbird Foods is brimming over with new concepts for a host of meat products, from sausages to meatballs. We grill the man behind production
With the launch of the tendering process for foodservice packaging suppliers, the London 2012 Olympics organisers are providing a welcome boost to 'widely recycled' and industrially compostable materials.
The Chilled Foods Association (CFA) has rebuffed criticism from a food firm md who described the manufacture and sale of chilled prepared foods as “incredibly wasteful" compared with ambient and frozen foods.
Ranjit Boparan says that running Northern Foods and 2 Sisters Food Group across five rather than four business divisions this year will give the group a “sharper business focus”.
Premier Foods has pleased the City and commentators with the speedy appointment of Mike Clarke from Kraft Foods as its new ceo, after analysts described a late June trading statement as "shocking".
Increased penetration of own-label products within the UK retail sector will pose new challenges to branded food manufacturers in coming years, according to a recent webcast by Trace One and Planet Retail.
Greencore ceo Patrick Coveney has told FoodManufacture.co.uk that he is “highly confident” that his company’s £113M cash offer for Uniq will be successful.
Greencore has announced the terms of a recommended cash offer for Uniq worth £113m, which values the chilled and convenience food firm at 96p per share.
Chilled and frozen food transporter, BW Refrigerated Couriers has started to switch its panel van fleet to Mercedes Sprinter vans, each with 100% Somers ATP-certified refrigerated panel van conversions.
Premier Foods needs urgently to find a successor to ceo Robert Schofield, say industry sources, as the firm continues to hunt for an heir amidst rumoured pressure from institutional investors.
What role is in-pack industrial microwave processing likely to play in the future chilled ready meals market? Paul Gander talks to experts for and against this technology about the likelihood of its adoption in the UK.
Premier Foods has refused to comment on rumours that it is close to selling its own-label chilled foods and cake business RF Brookes and Avana Bakeries to a major industry rival.
Analysts at Shore Capital have described Premier Foods half yearly trading statement released today as “shocking, even by Premier’s standards”, as the company revealed a significant slump in profits for the first half of 2011.
Premier Foods says it has not received an approach for its Sharwoods brand, after the owner of Veetee Food Group reportedly said he had secured financial backing to support a potential bid for it.
A food law expert says he is surprised by a new compromise on the EU Food Information Regulation that removes the need for food firms to provide front-of-pack nutrient data, but warns that enhanced Country of Origin Labelling (COOL) could still raise...
A scientist who chairs the UK's independent Committee on Toxicity (COT) says the European Commission’s (EC’s) move to ban the import of baby bottles using Bisphenol A (BPA) is not based on scientific evidence, and has rejected calls to ban its use...
Aramark UK says that suppliers should view a letter it sent on June 1, demanding price reductions of 12% or more, as an “opportunity not a threat”, but a leading foodservice consultant has described the move as an ''extraordinary step".
Northern Irish meat product supplier Millar Savoury Foods has gone into administration, blaming difficultlies in passing on commodity price increases to supermarket customers.
Manufacturers of lower-profile food brands could fall victim to the retailer-driven trend towards more own-label products over the next 15 years, according to a new report from financial services provider Rabobank.
Getting food and drink packaging right is vital in encouraging consumers to engage with a product or brand and to ensure food safety, but what is the public looking for, and how are trends changing?
Uniq’s troubled desserts division, Minsterley, is likely to derail rumoured bids for the company by either Greencore or possible new suitor Samworth Brothers, say experts.
Swedish ready meals manufacturer Gooh! has implemented a new in-pack microwave cooking and pasteurisation concept into its premium meal production that results in a shelf-life of at least 30 days at 8°C.
The construction of a £4M processing facility for fresh produce and prepared food manufacturer Katsouris Fresh Foods has commenced. Based in Wembley, London, the firm is a subsidiary of Bakkavör.
Northern Foods/2 Sisters Food Group began meeting suppliers yesterday, with the professed aim of shedding around half ‘‘over time’’ in a bid to boost supply chain efficiency and increase turnover to £3bn by 2015.
Greencore cfo Alan Williams has told FoodManufacture.co.uk that he can "categorically confirm the business is not for sale", following a news report that said the €850m turnover convenience foods group had held talks with private equity firms...
Northern Foods is proposing to close it Leeds office and move the majority of staff to its ‘shared service centre’ in Wakefield, FoodManufacture.co.uk has learnt, as owner Ranjit Boparan starts restructuring his new acquisition.
Nestlé UK may keep its headquarters in Croydon, despite reissuing a warning that it is "reviewing other options" outside the London borough in a bid to escape its dilapidated site by 2014.
Uniq ceo Geoff Eaton says retailers cannot continue to demand bespoke desserts for rock-bottom prices, following his firm’s recent review of this arm of its business.
Greencore has refused to comment on rumours that it has appointed bankers to explore a possible £100m takeover of chilled food group Uniq, while Brookes/Avana may also be on the firm's radar after Premier Foods said it is willing to consider offers...
Imagine a superior chilled ready meal that doesn’t require extensive high-risk and low-risk production areas and has a shelf-life of 30 rather than the usual 14 days. Korma in the sky? Absolutely not.
The same benefits of shelf standout, cost efficiency in the supply chain and energy efficiency in processing still apply to retort pouches, says one supplier, but the UK market is showing signs of saturation.