snacks
UK snack food firm sells loss-making subsidiary
UK snack food and confectionery firm Zetar has sold a loss-making snacks business to the unit’s chief executive in a deal worth almost £2.7 million. The Baked Snacks Company Ltd (BSC) has gone to Mobeen Mehdi, following a management buy-out by his team. Mehdi has paid £590,000 up front, with the balance due over the […]
New natural starch from Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle has introduced a new natural starch to its line of waxy maize starches in order, it says, to provide a wider range of clean label textures for snack foods. The X-Pand’R SC starch is the second to boast a clean label in the company’s X-Pand’R range of starches as the company looks […]
INGREDIENTS NEWS: Peanuts prove a healthy handful
Leading nutrition researchers at the 2nd International Nuts and Health symposium have recommended increased peanut and nut snacks consumption as a more effective step to improve dietary health and reduce risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Proceedings published in the Journal of Nutrition concluded that replacing snacks high in refined carbohydrates with nuts […]
Teens are nuts over snacks
Recent research carried out across secondary schools in the UK has revealed that unsalted peanuts are a popular ingredient amongst teenagers. After taste trials, a staggering 95% of pupils confirmed they would buy healthy snacks containing unsalted peanuts and dried fruit mixes. These results will be of particular interest to manufacturers looking to tap into […]
Oh so Naturally Fabulous
The Fabulous Bakin’ Boys have launched a new range of adult snacks. The Naturally Fabulous bars are the culmination of two years research and development. Naturally Fabulous products are nut free, made from ingredients that are free from any artificial colours, flavours, preservatives and hydrogenated fats. All eight bars are individually wrapped for convenience and […]
Consumers rely on a quick fix
Health-conscious consumers want to eat better, but often perceive healthy food as inconvenient and lacking in indulgent qualities. A new report from independent market analyst Datamonitor reveals the desire to compromise these often mutually exclusive needs will increasingly drive demand for healthy snack food and drink. More than 20% of consumers surveyed in Europe and […]
Cakes & biscuits – changing inside and out
The cake and biscuit sector has clearly responded to the growing demand for better-for-you snacks. In August 2006 the total biscuit category was worth £120 million (£176m). The healthier biscuit sector has been showing growth and was worth £24 million in August 2006, compared to £20 million in August 2004. Malachy McReynolds, managing director of […]
Sun Valley introduces peanut-free nut factory
Sun Valley, processor of nuts and savoury snacks, is introducing a completely peanut-free nut factory in response to the increasing number of reported peanut allergies. Sun Valley, processor of nuts and savoury snacks, is introducing a completely peanut-free nut factory in response to the increasing number of allergies. The company’s second, separate factory will handle […]
Nestle puts on weight with Jenny Craig
Nestle SA has agreed with a private equity group including ACI Capital and MidOcean Partners, the acquisition of Jenny Craig, a weight management company offering branded nutritional products and services in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The company achieved sales in excess of US$ 400 million during the past year with double-digit organic […]
School ban triggers tuck-in trade
Banning junk food in schools in an effort to encourage healthy eating among pupils has backfired, as teachers have discovered a flourishing trade in sweets, crisps and pop. The ringleaders behind the ‘bike-shed’ trading are budding retailers in the form of pupils, who are cashing in on their classmates craving for all things sugary, salty […]
Firms face challenge from health food fads
The current consumer enthusiasm for healthier eating is creating a challenge for food companies. According to a new report from JPMorgan, firms are unsure whether to continue with high margin products that are not deemed so healthy as the narrow margin wellness foods. A research report entitled Obesity: Re-shaping the food industry, says that profitability […]
Heinz has offer for seafood unit
Heinz has received an offer for its European Seafood operations, including the John West, Petit Navire and Mareblu brands, and four processing facilities. The unit has 5,000 employees and annual sales of £400 million. It produces more than 400 million cans of seafood products per year. The factories are based in the Seychelles, Ghana, France […]
Robust performance despite challenging environment
Northern Foods latest trading results show year-on-year sales growth of approximately 3.4 per cent. Despite a challenging trading environment and significant inflation in input costs, performance across ambient and frozen businesses remains robust. Pat O’Driscoll, chief executive, said,“As has been well documented, the trading environment remains tough and we will need to recover further input […]
Heinz and Unilever to exit frozen foods
Both Heinz and Unilever have announced preliminary plans to divest their frozen food businesses. Unilever said it was undertaking a study into ‘strategic options’ for the future of its frozen foods business in western Europe. This encompasses the main brands – Iglo, Findus and BirdsEye – and will cover the 11 countries in Europe where […]