Breaking News on Food Processing & Packaging

Move to end working hours opt-out mistake, says FDF

17-Dec-2008 - The UK food and drink sector claims the vote today by the European Parliament in favour of ending the opt-out clause in the EU Working Time Directive (WTD) will not serve industry well during the current economic slump.

Euro ‘cow tax’ talk is all hot air – says EDA

15-Dec-2008 - Ongoing talks in the US over a potential tax on methane emissions from dairy cows and other livestock farming is unlikely to be rolled-out globally and would not be welcomed within European dairy, according to one industry expert.

News in brief

GMA appoints new president and CEO

12-Dec-2008 - Pamela Bailey, president and CEO of the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), has been named the Grocery Manufacturers Association’s (GMA) new president and CEO.

Abattoir efficiency report welcomed

04-Dec-2008 - The UK meat industry and taxpayers will both benefit when ways of improving efficiency in abattoirs suggested by a new report are implemented, according to the British Meat Processors Association.

EU policy change could double crop prices, study

02-Dec-2008 - New pest management legislation in Europe could result in crop production shifting to other countries and prices for commodities shooting up, a study has warned.

Weekly comment

Why farm support puts food on plates

01-Dec-2008 - “Four legs good, two legs bad.” When the pigs take over the land in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, they have no hesitation; any creature with four legs is beyond reproach and any human is bad, mad and dangerous to know.

Weekly comment

Conjuring with calories: Regulation and labeling changes

24-Nov-2008 - There was something magical about the recent news that the caloric value of both gum arabic and erythritol have been officially lowered, but whether it turns out to be a sleight of hand or a real change remains to be seen.

Wheat yields will be slashed as phosphate runs out, warns scientist

21-Nov-2008 - 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.

Waste reduction urged as demand for recyclables drops

17-Nov-2008 - A push for waste minimisation and the production of high quality marketable recyclables is being promoted by stakeholders as demand and prices for recycled materials the UK drop significantly.

EU pesticide ban would hit supply, says food industry

07-Nov-2008 - 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.

New software is performance boosting tool, says developer

05-Nov-2008 - New software can help food and beverage companies benchmark, measure and improve performance in five key areas: sales, finance, procurement, production and the warehouse, claims the developer.

Milk price alternative sought in EU tractor protest

28-Oct-2008 - A barrage of tractors have descended upon the latest meeting of EU agriculture ministers to drive home dairy farmers’ calls for what they claim are the basic conditions required to ensure a ‘fair’ price for their products.

ADM and ABF strike vegetable oil deal

28-Oct-2008 - Archer Daniels Midland has joined with Associated British Foods in a new venture to manufacture, market and distribute packaged vegetable oil products in the US and Canada.

News in brief

Smithfield completes sale of beef operation to JBS

24-Oct-2008 - Smithfield Foods has announced the sale of its beef business to Brazilian beef company JBS SA.

Sustainability tops agenda at fish processors' event

21-Oct-2008 - A framework to ensure sustainability and quality of fish supplies was top of the agenda at the recent assembly of European fish processing industry association members (AIPCE).

Scheme could improve food chain efficiency

21-Oct-2008 - A new project aims to connect farmers with food manufacturers by building strong working partnerships based on mutual understanding, said the group behind the initiative.

Lawsuit filed to block US beef packer acquisition

21-Oct-2008 - The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit to stop the country's third and fourth largest beef packers from merging.

BSE testing change could benefit meat sector

16-Oct-2008 - A move to raise the age limit from 30 to 48 months at which UK cattle are tested for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), would, if implemented, help reduce processors' costs and free up supplies.

Supply chain event to emphasis technology and collaboration: IGD

15-Oct-2008 - A supply chain conference next month will focus on managing risk in a volatile trading environment as well as how to use technology to optimise efficiency, claims a UK food and drink industry think tank.

News in brief

Free energy usage assessment service for SMEs

15-Oct-2008 - Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) is driving awareness of its free energy assessment service with a range of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) including food and beverage manufacturers.

News in brief

Supermarkets, manufacturers told to pay on time

14-Oct-2008 - UK environment secretary Hilary Benn has warned that just one late payment can make the difference between survival and going out of business for a small supplier, according to The Guardian.

Costs for plastic use by food makers to ease as oil prices plummet

13-Oct-2008 - Costs are set to ease for food makers reliant on plastics packaging as crude oil futures in New York plummet on Friday to the lowest level since October 2007.

Meat and dairy consumption damaging climate, says Food Ethics Council

10-Oct-2008 - A new report from the UK’s Food Ethics Council claims that one of the ways to cut food’s environmental footprint is for consumers to cut down on what the Council says are energy intensive foods like meat and dairy.

UK firm offers revenue streams for used cooking oil

08-Oct-2008 - Finding new ways to use cooking oil waste could cut costs and potentially generate revenue for food processors, claims UK based company Bio Driven.