All news articles for April 2005

Mandelson backs EU, ASEAN trade accord

EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson has backed calls for a joint feasibility study, which will look at ways of achieving the European Commission's desire for closer trading links with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and possibly lead to the creation of a FTA, Tom Armitage reports.

Australia supports food scientists in functional food race

Spearing the booming global €30 billion market for functional foods, Australian food scientists will receive funding from their government to develop and apply new technologies to protect the health-promoting activity of ingredients.

Chinese farm group to buy Aarhus?

A Chinese farm and chemical group is in the process of buying Danish speciality fats business Aarhus United, and the deal could close by the end of the month, according to reports in the Danish press.

Soy prices still exposed: China reduces harvests

Pressure on soy prices likely to continue with a new report revealing China is expected to reduce its principal soybean planting area, while increasing corn and rice planting in 2005.

FoodNavigator.com scoops industry award

FoodNavigator.com has been named website of the year in the 2005 Business Food and Drink Journalism awards.

Foster's secures Southcorp bid approval

Foster's look set to win its long battle to buy Australian winery Southcorp after grinding down board members' resistance to a deal that could spawn a formidable 'brand Australia' on the world wine market, reports Chris Mercer.

EU delegation to investigate Vietnamese seafood

A team of EU inspectors has arrived in Vietnam to investigate the country's seafood sanitary conditions, after excessively high levels of antibiotics were discovered in a batch of seafood exports, Tom Armitage reports.

Japan investigates additional mad cow cases

Japanese food safety authorities have ordered further testing, after two cows were diagnosed with Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) during preliminary screening, Tom Armitage reports.

New Zealand, Thailand sign free trade pact

New Zealand and Thailand have signed a free trade agreement, aimed at removing a raft of strict regulatory requirements and trade tariffs - two areas which have previously hampered food producers' abilities to export between the two countries, Tom Armitage reports.

Brewers pounce on China's market liberation

Global brewing giants SABMiller and Anheuser Busch have increased their stakes in Chinese brewers by taking advantage of China's crawl towards a more liberal market, reports Chris Mercer.

21st diet pushes up obesity levels in China

Clear openings for health-positioned foods in China with new figures highlighting the rise in metabolic syndrome - a condition where a number of risk factors for heart disease are present.

Chinese firm offers IP-certified sterols, natural vitamin E

Health ingredients manufacturer Fenchem says its newly certified range of non-GMO products will lead the way in building confidence in Chinese manufacturers, reports Dominique Patton.

Cloned beef, dairy cattle produce receives safety endorsement

A team of US and Japanese researchers have declared that milk and meat from cloned cattle are likely to be safe for human consumption, although stressed that research in this area was still very much in its infancy, Tom Armitage reports.

Australia joins calls for trans fat labels

Trans fat concerns hit Australia with consumer groups calling for trans fat to be highlighted on food labels after more than a third of 50 food products tested had levels 'well above what is considered safe by many experts', writes Lindsey Partos.

Fonterra exits National Foods bid, San Miguel triumphs

New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra announced today that it has pulled out of the three month bidding war to buy National Foods, crowning San Miguel the new owner of Australia's largest publicly traded dairy company, Tom Armitage reports.

Lotte eyes Chinese gum opportunities

South Korea's Lotte Confectionery Company, the country's largest snack food manufacturer, has acquired a 100 per cent stake in a Chinese confectioner - a move which will not only bolster its influence among China's fragmented confectionery sector, but also help it move one step closer to catching up with number one gum giant Wrigley, Tom Armitage reports.

Danone ups stake in Chinese dairy giant

French dairy giant Danone has received approval from the Chinese authorities to more than double its existing stake in China's biggest dairy company, Tom Armitage reports.

Vietnam still suffering bird flu deaths

Food manufacturers and meat processors hoping to hear the all clear over the bird flu crisis will have to wait a little longer.

Danes fund Vietnam's clean veg

Vietnam will receive $1.4 million between now and 2007 for its clean vegetable production programme, according to the Vietnam News Agency.

Philippines may need to import more rice

The Philippines may have to import more rice than it has for seven years if a prevailing drought cuts rice production as feared, suggested a senior agricultural official.

San Miguel wins over National Foods' board with revised bid

San Miguel, the Philippines food and beverage group, has trumped a rival bid from Fonterra, the world's biggest dairy exporter, to buy Australia's National Foods, Tom Armitage reports.

National Starch drives deeper into China food market

ICI subsidiary National Starch is the latest ingredients firm to drive into the soaring Chinese food market, unveiling a new technical centre adjacent to its recently opened production plant, writes Lindsey Partos.

China Food Fair to be hold in Xiamen

Xiamen in east China will host the third China International Food Fair, acccording to Xinhua.

Heineken expands in China

Heineken last week announced its decision to acquire a 40 per cent stake in the Chinese brewery Jiangsu DaFuHao, after intimating in its February results that it would continue to look for investment opportunities.

Fonterra makes Yoplait disclosure after competition complaint

New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra, currently involved in a bidding war for Australia's National Foods, has been told by the Australian Takeovers Panel to issue a supplementary bidder's statement about its possible joint venture with Yoplait, after Asian drinks conglomerate San Miguel complained, Tom Armitage reports.

China developes yield -doubling wheat

Scientists have successfully developed and tested a hybrid wheat breed that could at least double China's present per-hectare yield, according to the China Daily.

Enhanced vitamin E cuts cholesterol in animal study

Australian company Phosphagenics said yesterday that its enhanced vitamin E product, marketed as Ester E by US firm Zila, cut LDL cholesterol in mice by up to 40 per cent.

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