All news articles for May 2006

New Zealand pushes food products in China

New Zealand has launched a new promotion of food and beverages in upmarket Chinese retail outlets, in a bid to seek new sales in the fast-growing market.

US group invests in Vietnamese dairy sector

US food producer Gannon Group is investing US$10 million to set up a dairy processing company in Vietnam.

British food and drink exports to China surge during 2005

Sales of British food and drink to China surged 62 per cent during 2005 to reach £95 million (€139m) placing it within Britain's top 20 export countries for the first time, show new figures.

Unilever to boost ice cream brand in Thailand

Unilever Thai Trading said last week that it would invest BT1 billion (€20.4m) in its ice cream business to reinforce its position in Thailand.

Chinese dumplings contaminated by metals, warns consumer group

Chinese consumers are being warned of the risks of heavy metal contamination in traditional zongzi dumplings, a dish that will be consumed in huge quantities this week to celebrate the annual Dragon Boat Festival.

China gears up for Japan's tough residue limits

China's ministry of commerce has issued guidelines to the country's farmers and farm produce exporters on how to meet tough new standards in Japan, one of China's biggest export markets.

Kraft Australia to cut more than 300 jobs

Kraft Foods will axe 325 jobs at two of its Australian manufacturing sites under a two-year plan to reduce costs, it revealed on Wednesday.

Nestlé to buy Australia's Uncle Tobys cereals, snack business

Nestle, the world's biggest foodmaker, has agreed to buy the Uncle Tobys cereal, soups and nutritious snacks brand from Burns Philp for A$890 million (€523.2m) to expand its range of healthier foods in Australia.

Prima Agri joins up with major food group to expand

Prima Agri-Products, one of Malaysia's largest manufacturers of Halal meat products, has joined up with Australian heavyweight food maker, Comgroup, to help it tap growing demand for its products in new markets.

Thai Beverage raises funds for expansion

Thailand's brewer of Chang beer, Thai Beverage, raised S$1.37 billion (EUR677m) on Wednesday in an initial public offering in Singapore, designed to help fund its expansion overseas.

Japanese seafood firms add Thai sushi facilities

A number of Japanese seafood and frozen food companies will this year add new capacity for sushi products at plants in Thailand, according to a report.

Bumble Bee Foods buys stake in Thai tuna processor

The US seafood company Bumble Bee Foods said yesterday that it has entered into a memorandum of understanding to invest in Thai tuna processor Sea Value Company.

Severe drought threatens food security in Western China

Several provinces in western and northern China are facing food shortages due to a prolonged drought that has left hundreds of reservoirs dry and tens of thousands of wells either dry or nearly empty, reported the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) last week.

Oil crisis, tsunami boost Thai appetite for packaged food

Soaring oil prices and a tsunami did little damage to packaged food sales in Thailand last year and instead, brought increased consumption ahead of anticipated price rises.

Oil crisis, tsunami boost Thai appetite for packaged food

Soaring oil prices and a tsunami did little damage to packaged food sales in Thailand last year and instead, brought increased consumption ahead of anticipated price rises.

Malaysian halal sector gets boost from Tesco

Britain's biggest supermarket, Tesco, will spend RM1 billion (€215m) on Malaysian-made halal food over the next five years to cater for rising demand in halal products in its home market.

Indonesia failing to halt bird flu spread

Indonesia is under growing pressure to strengthen its action against bird flu as the World Health Organisation yesterday confirmed five more human deaths from the disease in one of the world's most populated countries.

China imposes anti-dumping tariffs on nucleotide makers

China has imposed anti-dumping duties on disodium additives made by Japan's Ajinomoto and Korean firms Daesang and Cheil Jedang.

Australian wine exports to China soar

Volumes of Australian wine exported to China grew almost 350 per cent last year, making it an increasingly important market for wine producers.

No price rises yet, say Philippines' meat processors

Meat processors in the Philippines say they will not pass on a 2 per cent rise in value-added tax to consumers, to hold on to valuable markets.

Want-Want sees strong first quarter

New confectionery products and strong demand for beverages lifted sales at Taiwan's Want Want Holdings by 28 per cent during the first quarter, while higher margins helped it reduce the impact of rising sugar prices.

Vietnam pepper exports surge on global shortage

Vietnam's pepper exports surged during the first quarter of the year, accounting for more than 60 per cent of the global total, according to the International Pepper Community (IPC).

Foreign equity group wins bid for China's leading meat processor

China's biggest food processor, the meat and poultry group Henan Shuanghui, looks set to change hands from its state owners to a foreign private equity fund, with a stake in another of the country's meat companies.

FSANZ promises to speed up food approvals

Food and beverage companies working in Australia and New Zealand will see a faster response to applications for new food ingredients and products from next year, the authorities say.

Biacore targets China with food analysis kits

The Swedish supplier of food testing equipment, Biacore International, is taking over from its sales agent in China and launching a full business operation in the market.

DSM making long-term investment in China

The Dutch chemicals group DSM is on course to significantly bolster its presence as a supplier to China's food industry, with major investments in ingredient production expected to bear fruit in two years time.

Australian sugar tax remains in new budget

Australian food and beverage makers face another year of tax on sugar but some further tax deductions when buying machinery, shows the new budget.

Givaudan on track with world's largest flavours plant

Leading flavours house Givaudan says a new facility in Shanghai, claimed to be the world's largest flavours plant, will allow it to capture rising demand for quality and innovative flavours in the Chinese food and beverage market.

Vietnam to clamp down on shrimp safety

The Vietnamese food safety agency said yesterday that it will tighten inspections of shrimp before they are used in southern food processing plants to protect against the risk of contaminants.

Roquette riding fast growth in Chinese confectionery

Confectionery companies in China are rapidly catching up with other markets by offering healthier, sugar-free products, but not without their own traditional flavours and texture, says leading ingredient supplier Roquette.

San Miguel to focus on growth

San Miguel's chief executive reassured investors on Tuesday by outlining its plans to concentrate on growing sales and sustaining profits over the coming years.

Fraser & Neave targets Middle East to offset weak domestic demand

Malaysia's largest soft drinks maker Fraser & Neave Holdings says it will treble its exports sales in the next two years by entering the Middle East's condensed milk market.

Indonesia's foodmakers switch to sweeteners

Use of sweeteners in Indonesia has surged in the last year, as food and beverage makers seek cheaper alternatives to sugar.

Australians too busy for lunch

Almost two thirds of Australians eat takeaway food for lunch every week and one in three skip the meal altogether, finds a new survey.

Asian countries vow to step up co-operation on bird flu

Asian health and agriculture ministers say they will work more closely, across borders, to try to control the spread of bird flu and reduce its impact on the region's poultry trade.

Amcor defers Queensland customers' payments

Australian packaging group Amcor said last week that it will defer payment owed by customers hit by Cyclone Larry until early 2007.

Asian children need better nutrition

China has made huge progress in reducing malnutrition among children over the past 15 years but in other parts of Asia much more needs to be done, said a Unicef report released on Tuesday.

Asia Pacific Breweries moves into India

Asia Pacific Breweries is making headway in its aim to become the region's leading brewer, with its first acquisition in the world's second most populous nation, India.

Korean group calls for new research into acrylamide

French fries and potato chips available in South Korea are higher in the carcinogenic chemical acrylamide than previously thought, said an environmental group on Tuesday.

Stronger rupiah boosts Indofood profits

The world's leading instant noodle maker Indofood said last week that its first-quarter net profit rose 48 per cent from the prior year's same period thanks to an increase in sales and foreign-exchange gains.

Australian food vulnerable to terrorists, says report

Australia's food production is vulnerable to terrorist attack using unconventional contaminants, according to a report.

Frutarom targets Korean market with healthy plant extracts

Flavours and plant extracts firm Frutarom is investing in clinical trials in South Korea to tap into the strong growth of functional food and beverages in this market.

Uni-President wants to be Asia's leading food maker

Taiwan-based food processor Uni-President plans to become the largest food and beverage group in Asia outside Japan within three years, according to a report.

No extension to Australia's country of origin laws

New labeling rules on a food's country of origin will not be extended to packaged products based on more than one fruit or vegetable, said the Australian government yesterday.

Health bodies join lobby against junk food ads

Two of Australia's leading health bodies say the government should introduce stronger regulation to restrict junk food advertising and improve education about proper nutrition to fight the alarming rise in childhood obesity.

Ginger processor says profit growth will continue

The world's largest producer of ginger for confectionery, Buderim Ginger, said on Friday that it expects to see higher profits this year, thanks to the long-term improvements made through its restructuring programme.

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