Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North America EU edition

News in brief

IFT calls for employment survey participants

10-Nov-2009 - The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has said it intends to contact members via email this week to participate in the 2009 IFT Employment & Salary Survey.

Maple Leaf dismisses hygiene breaches at Listeria plant

10-Nov-2009 - The discovery of mould, meat debris and slime in the Maple Leaf plant at the centre of the 2008 Listeria outbreak just weeks after it re-opened did not pose food safety concerns, the company said.

Kraft’s bid is ‘contemptuous’, says analyst

10-Nov-2009 - Even if Kraft intends to increase its bid for Cadbury, its latest offer has probably managed to upset both the board and shareholders, says Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.

Weekly comment

Life in a European health claims wasteland

09-Nov-2009 - Ka-CHING! Hear that? No it’s not the sound of overflowing cash registers as consumers throw endless wads of euros at scientifically-backed, healthy foods in greater numbers than ever before.

News in brief

Eagle granted SQF accreditation

09-Nov-2009 - Eagle Food Registrations has added SQF (Safe Quality Food) accreditation to the portfolio of food safety certification it is able to offer.

Kraft launches hostile takeover bid for Cadbury

09-Nov-2009 - Kraft has formally made a £9.8bn ($16.3bn) hostile takeover bid for British confectioner Cadbury, just hours before the 5pm GMT deadline imposed by the UK Takeover Panel.

Danisco’s Madison plant expansion underway

09-Nov-2009 - Danisco has started expansion of its cultures plant in Madison, Wisconsin, which it says responds to increased demand for direct vat inoculants (DVI) cultures in the US.

MGPI’s restructuring pays off in Q1

09-Nov-2009 - MGP Ingredients has reported a net income of nearly $4m for the first quarter of fiscal 2010 on the back of lower energy and commodity prices, as well as restructuring which slashed its payroll costs.

General Mills expands open-source innovation network

06-Nov-2009 - General Mills is beefing up its Worldwide Innovation Network (G-WIN) with an online collaboration tool to align “scientists, researchers, engineers, inventors and entrepreneurs” with technical challenges highlighted by the company.

News in brief

Stevia-sweetened soft drink launched in New Zealand

06-Nov-2009 - New Zealand beverage company Frucor has launched Revive Supplement Water, sweetened with PureCircle’s Reb A, the high intensity sweetener derived from the leaves of the stevia plant.

Canada tightens front-of-pack nutrition labeling rules

06-Nov-2009 - Canada is updating its front-of-pack nutrition labeling scheme, disqualifying whole food categories, changing the rules for fiber, salt and fat, and introducing criteria for trans fat and sugar.

Paper aims to debunk livestock production ‘myths’

06-Nov-2009 - The environmental impact of intensive modern livestock production is much lower than many people assume, according to a paper presented at the 71st Cornell Nutrition Conference in Syracuse, NY.

Uniting consumer insight and marketing success: Report

05-Nov-2009 - Most food manufacturers have not yet figured out how to translate consumer insights into effective marketing tactics, according to a new report from the Grocery Manufacturers Association.

News in brief

Siddiqui defends against anti-organic accusations

05-Nov-2009 - The Obama administration’s choice for chief agricultural negotiator at the stalled Doha talks has defended himself against accusations that he is a “pro-pesticide lobbyist” in a Senate Finance Committee hearing.

Lawsuits filed over E.coli-contaminated beef

05-Nov-2009 - Two lawsuits have been filed in the US after a multi-state outbreak of E.coli 0157:H7 that has so far been linked to two deaths and 28 illnesses.

Plant closure expenses drag profits down at IFF

04-Nov-2009 - Sales were showing signs of recovery for International Flavors and Fragrances in the third quarter, but profits were dragged down by charges.

Action groups slam Siddiqui nomination

04-Nov-2009 - An alliance of farming, health and environmental groups has protested against the government’s choice of a pesticide industry executive to represent US interests in agricultural trade talks.

Global food safety group meets with Chinese envoys

04-Nov-2009 - Chinese food safety delegates met with international food safety experts in Minnesota this week to conclude a two-week program discussing individual nations’ role in the development of global standards.

USDA invests in organics

03-Nov-2009 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced $19m in funding for organic agricultural research across the country as part of a drive toward a more sustainable supply of organic ingredients.

Carrageenan remains on USDA's National List

03-Nov-2009 - The Seaweed Industry Association of the Philippines has welcomed the news that the USDA has kept carrageenan on its list of ingredients allowed in organic foods after a mix-up last year nearly saw it removed from the list.

Call for more education on Canadian nutrition labeling

02-Nov-2009 - Most Canadians use on-pack nutrition labeling as their primary source of nutritional information but many need to interpret it better, according to a study from the Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition.

News in brief

Big gaps in US food-borne illness response

02-Nov-2009 - Delays in the public health response to food-borne illness in the US occur because some state health departments cannot efficiently track produce-related illnesses, according to a survey commissioned by the Produce Safety Project (PSP).

Misplaced letter could cost $1.26bn in bottled water case

02-Nov-2009 - PepsiCo has lost a $1.26bn case after a misplaced letter meant the drinks giant failed to turn up in court.

Doctors resign over Coca-Cola funding

30-Oct-2009 - Nearly 20 doctors have resigned from the American Academy of Family Physicians after it accepted a grant from Coca-Cola to pay for education about the dietary role of beverages and sweeteners.