Ingredients

 

Meat processing units to close

A continuing decline in cattle and sheep numbers in Scotland has claimed another victim, with farmer-owned agri-businesses ANM announcing the closure of two meat processing units, with the loss of around 50 jobs. ANM, which owns Aberdeen & Northern Marts, is closing Scotch Premier Meat’s lamb slaughter plant at Dornoch and Highland Country Foods’ meat […]

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EU approval for Neotame

NutraSweet’s zero calorie sweetener Neotame has just been approved for use in the EU, following official authorisation by the European Commission. The sweetener developed by US company is a derivative of aspartame, and is said to be around 8,000 times sweeter than sugar and 30 to 60 times sweeter than aspartame (depending on the application) […]

Spread sales fall as consumers seek cheaper alternatives

Families across the country are being forced to find cheaper alternatives for their morning toast, say experts, amid price rises for jam and sweet spreads of between 12 and 14 per cent. But chocolate spread manufacturers aren’t complaining, as their product is the only one in the market to see a rise in sales, according […]

Artificial trans fat ban

A ban on the use of artificial trans fat-containing cooking oils which came into effect on January 1 means restaurants in California will no longer be able to use ‘oil, shortening or margarine containing specified trans fats’. The ban will extend to all retail baked goods by 2011, although packaged foods will be exempt. Bans […]

Orange juice prices set to soar

The price of orange juice looks set to soar by up to a third after cold weather and disease hit citrus groves in Florida. The American state is one of the world’s main producers – and the problems it has experienced have already led to the price of concentrated juice doubling in a year. Supermarket […]

Recession-busting chocolate sales

Chocolate sales around the world have defied the recession, according to new research from Mintel. In China and the Ukraine, chocolate confectionery sales rose 18% and 12% respectively in 2009, and Mintel predicts continued growth through to 2013. Other countries have also seen chocolate bars, bags and boxes flying off the shelves, albeit at lower […]

New food chain rules reminder

The Food Standards Agency is reminding slaughterhouse operators and livestock keepers that they will soon have to ensure that Food Chain Information (FCI) is provided for all cattle, sheep and goats sent for slaughter. The new requirement under European Union legislation comes into force from 1 January 2010, and will apply to all slaughter animals, […]

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Condensed operation expands

An increase in demand for sweetened condensed milk has led to German company WS Warmsener Spezialitäten putting its second production facility into operation. The new site means the company can now produce more than 30,000 tons of the product per year. “We will now be even more flexible when it comes to the Europe-wide supply […]

Scotland Food & Drink sets revised £12.5 billion growth targets

Scotland Food & Drink has unveiled new industry growth targets of £12.5bn (£13.8bn), and announced the backing of three additional sectors – fishing, aquaculture and agriculture. At its recent AGM, the leadership organisation urged the continued collaboration of the entire industry to help bring Scotland out of recession and gain a competitive edge in lucrative […]

FSA seeks meat research contractors

The Food Standards Agency is seeking a contractor, or contractors, to carry out research into future meat controls in the UK. The deadline for applications is Monday, 4 January, 2010. The Agency has carried out a range of work to identify food safety hazards in connection with the production of meat and to establish effective […]

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Salt targets not likely to be met before 2024′

Millions of deaths could be prevented each year if individuals consumed 5g less salt per day. That’s the finding of a new review of research studies, which also calls for top-down regulations in addition to self-regulation by industry. Eating less salt reduces the risk of stroke by almost a quarter and the chances of heart […]

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Tetra Pak ‘green’ plastic trial

Tetra Pak has agreed to carry out a limited trial to source green plastic from Brazil for use in its carton packaging. The company has reached agreement with the largest Brazilian petrochemical company, Braskem SA, to purchase limited volumes of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) derived entirely from a renewable feedstock. The agreement represents the first move […]

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ADI action on ‘Southampton Six’

The European Food Safety Authority has lowered the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for three of the so-called Southampton Six food colours, but none of the scientific reasons given is associated with hyperactivity. A study published in 2007 concluded that cocktails of six artificial food colours – Allura Red (E128), Ponceau 4R (E124), Quinoline Yellow (E104), […]

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