All news articles for January 2005

Steroids to bulk food crops?

Fundamental research could bring added bulk to crop harvests used extensively by the food industry.

Australian wine 'set for growth'

Wine grape production is projected to increase by over 5 per cent to 1.93 million tonnes over the two years to 2006-07, according to a new report that goes against industry opinion that slowing exports could lead to a red wine glut.

China to expand margins for flavours firms?

Europe and the US continue to dominate demand in the €4.5 billion flavours market, but Asia Pacific region is quickly catching up thanks to high single-digit growth, reveal figures from a new report,Lindsey Partos.

Philippines joins sugar export market

A record sugar cane crop has helped the Philippines become an exporter of sugar after years of imports. It expects to sell 160,000 tons overseas this year, according to the country's Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA). Anand Krishnamoorthy reports.

DSM gains full control of vitamin joint venture in China

DSM has reached an agreement with China's leading pharmaceuticals group to buy out its stake in a vitamins joint venture, strengthening the Dutch group's presence on the Chinese market, reports Dominique Patton.

Heineken, Suntory to up Chinese presence

Dutch brewer Heineken is considering expanding its presence in China with the acquisition of an additional stake in the Kingway Brewery, while Japan's Suntory has already stepped up its operations there with the acquisition of the Shanghai Donghai Brewery.

Vietnam rice exports could be stunted by limited supplies

The Vietnam Food Association says that in 2005 turnover in rice exports is expected to reach $1 billion, but with no plans to increase crop growing areas, the target may well prove difficult to reach.

Bearish prices for palm oil push Malaysia to consider crop cuts

Food makers enjoying bearish prices for palm oil used extensively in food applications could see a rise as Malaysia, the world's number one producer, builds plans to reduce palm oil production, writes Lindsey Partos.

Australia to benefit from cheese price stability

Global cheese prices rose to new highs last year and are expected to remain firm this year, backed by strong demand in consuming regions and stagnant output among exporting countries such as Australia, reports Anand Krishnamoorthy.

Tea drinkers facing increased prices after tsunami

Russia's large tea-drinking community is bracing itself for higher costs as the south east Asian countries devastated by December's tsunami increase their prices in a bid to rekindle much-needed economic growth, writes Angela Drujinina.

Kerry expands in China

Irish food group Kerry joins the growing competition in the dynamic Chinese food market, this week announcing a €20 million investment programme to expand its presence there.

China drags its heels on GM rollout

China, potentially one of the most promising markets for genetically modified (GM) crops, is stalling the adoption of transgenic plant cultivation as a cautious government ponders their safety reports Anand Krishnamoorthy.

China begins soybean futures trading

China is continuing its moves to liberalise trade and facilitate economic growth, and food producers have this month been given a particular boost with the start of futures trading for imported soybeans, reports Anand Krishnamoorthy.

First Chr Hansen food colour plant in China opens

Number one natural colours firm Chr Hansen makes inroads into the lucrative Chinese market, this week unveiling a new food colour factory to meet a rise in local demand, and marking the first step in a raft of investments in the region.

Chinese prosperity boosting drinks groups

Growing consumer spending levels in China have helped boost sales at two of the world's leading drinks groups. South Africa's SABMiller and France's Rémy Cointreau both benefited from the increasing interest in premium drinks brands as status symbols, writes Chris Jones.

Tesco builds Korean business

Hot on the heels of last year's entry into the Chinese market, Britain's leading food retailer Tesco has strengthened its business in South Korea with the acquisition of a number of stores from the Aram Mart group. The move will help it stay ahead of its international rivals in Korea and further bolster Tesco's ambitions on the global stage, Chris Jones reports.

Chinese milk boom to provide ongoing investment opportunities

The burgeoning Chinese milk sector is set to continue its rapid expansion on the back of increased consumer awareness and improved distribution networks, but can it provide adequate returns for overseas investors? Tom Armitage reports.

Flavour firm Takasago uses China as hub

Number six global flavours player Takasago International has established a new division in Shanghai aimed at expanding its manufacturing and retail presence in China as well cutting costs.

Loders Croklaan highlights Malaysian connection

Dutch producer of oils and fats Loders Croklaan has changed its company logo in an effort to underline the connection with its Malaysian parent company IOI Group and emphasize their joint palm oil strategy.

Foster's moves to acquire Southcorp

Southcorp has said that Foster's A$3.1 billion takeover attempt today is "inadequate and opportunistic". But, with its beer business stagnating and the global wine trade consolidating, Foster's may need to get aggressive. Kim Hunter Gordon reports.

Kirin ups stakes in San Miguel

Kirin Brewery Company has acquired a further 117 million class B shares of San Miguel Corporation, pushing its share in the Philippines food giant up by 4.12 per cent, giving Kirin a 19.67 per cent stake in San Miguel.

Fishing sector 'devastated' by tsunami

The tsunami waves have had a devastating impact on the fisheries sector in many countries of the Indian Ocean, the FAO says, inflicting major upheaval on the seafood processing category.

GE launches hi-tech freight security system

An effective means of ensuring freight security could soon be on the market following the successful testing of GE and CIMC's new Tamper Evident Secure Container (TESC).

Tsingtao to market low-end beer in Beijing

Tsingtao, China's leading domestic brewer, and one of the few home beer brands to make it on to the international market, has announced that it is about to start marketing a low-end beer in Beijing. The move is significant as competitor Yanjing already sells a low-end beer there.

Ingredients focus for new Chinese food safety index

Ingredients will be the prime focus of a new food safety system proposed for the burgeoning Chinese food market.

Slow down in exports to cause Australian red wine glut

A drop in export growth and the strength of this year's crop has meant that the addition of the 2005 vintage will cause a surplus of red wine in Australia, reports Kim Hunter Gordon.

Foreign investment pours into China

As food ingredients suppliers take a stake in the burgeoning Chinese market new figures released by the United Nations confirm foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows to Asia and the Pacific rose by a massive 55 per cent in 2004 on the year before.

Quest targets drinks developers with new citrus range

As the beverage sector continues to dominate overall flavour sales ICI-owned flavour firm Quest International launches a new citrus range with improved stability to spear growing demand from developers for 'refreshing' flavours in drinks, reports Lindsey Partos.

China wakes up to coffee

As China slowly starts to wake up to the smell of coffee, we consider whether or not it will ever prove to be a rival for the nations favourite soft drink, tea. Simon Pitman reports.

Tsunami devastates Asian food production

An estimated 2 million people are now in desperate need of food aid as the impact of the tsunami on Asian food production becomes apparent, says the UN.

North Korea to export water to the South

North Korean 'Mount Myohyang' mineral water, allegedly a favourite of dictator Kim Jong-il, is to be sold in South Korea later this month.

Tsunami after effects expected to hit companies

Although the direct effect the Tsunami had on food businesses was small, the next few weeks and months are expected to have a greater impact on business operations as the region begins the long job of rebuilding.

News-in-brief

The regional news highlights include Thai poultry producers focusing on the domestic market, seaweed price hike in the Philippines and Thai rice export records.

Quality and stability key issues for Vietnam rice

Vietnamese rice exports have earned the country nearly $10 billion in the past sixteen years, but despite this, the Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development says that there is still plenty of room to further enhance both production and productivity, reports Simon Pitman.

Global packaging machinery demand forecast to rise

World demand for packaging machinery is projected to rise over 4 per cent a year through 2008 to over $31 billion, according to a recently published report by Freedonia.

Coca-Cola targets rural China

Coca-Cola has confirmed that construction has begun on a new bottling plant in the Zhangquiu City near Jinan, capital of Shandong Province in east China. The move is part of a trend whereby large food and drink companies are increasingly setting up distribution and manufacturing operations in more rural areas.

Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Headlines

All news

Product news

Product innovations

Related sites

All news

Headlines

All news articles > January 2005

28-Jan-2005

27-Jan-2005

26-Jan-2005

25-Jan-2005

21-Jan-2005

20-Jan-2005

19-Jan-2005

18-Jan-2005

17-Jan-2005

14-Jan-2005

13-Jan-2005

12-Jan-2005

07-Jan-2005

06-Jan-2005

05-Jan-2005

04-Jan-2005

Sign up for your free newsletter

Stay updated on the latest breaking news from your industry

On-Demand Webinars

On demand Webinars

Videos & Audio

Technical Papers

Product Brochures

Weekly / Daily Free Newsletter

Other Newsletters

Related sites

All Decision News Media Sites