Dean Best's food industry blog - from just-food.comDean Best's food industry blog - from just-food.comFood industry flocks to the summer sales- June 30, 2008 The height of the summer usually means several things: rain at Wimbledon, mud at Glastonbury - and a period of serenity on the business pages. Well, wouldn't life be boring if it were so predictable. While the world's top tennis players thrashed it out in the sun last week, and thousands of music revellers basked in sunshine at Glasto, a series of deals were struck in the food industry, as companies in sectors from ingredients to meat moved to reshape their businesses in the face of rising...http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1486 Will Washington waver on biofuels- June 25, 2008 All eyes - at least among food suppliers in the US - are now on the country's environment agency, as the debate over Washington's biofuels policy heats up. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is mulling whether to allow Texas to waive half its commitment to the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS), which lays down how much corn the state should put aside for biofuels this year. Texas, backed by presidential hopeful John McCain, argues that the mandatory use of corn for biofuels is driving up.http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1485 The shake-up in posh chocs goes on...- June 23, 2008 And so the shake-up of the fast-growing premium chocolate market goes on. After the sale of Godiva late last year and Nestle's publicly-stated ambitions to boost its presence in the category, today (23 June) saw the sale of Belgium's Guylian to South Korean confectioner Lotte. The deal will give Guylian the chance to boost its profile in Asia, where demand for posh chocolate is steadily growing. The transaction is unlikely to create too many waves in the US, however, where Swiss firm Lindt is...http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1484 CIES - closing thoughts- June 20, 2008 After sitting in a bar of Germans cheering on their football team last night (yes, I am a bitter Englishman), it was a relief to return to the orderly calm of the CIES World Food Business Summit in Munich this morning (20 June). As just-food has reported this week, the conference has provided a fascinating snapshot of the work food manufacturers and retailers are doing in the complex field of sustainability. However, many of the more thought-provoking views on the issue have come from outside...http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1483 Sustainability is sexy- June 19, 2008 Sustainability is sexy. No, you read that correctly. The message from here in Munich is that sustainability is sexy. According, that is, to Mark Price, the managing director of UK retailer Waitrose. Price - the self-styled "Chubby Grocer" - took his turn to chew the fat over the issue dominating the CIES World Food Business Summit this week. This morning, Price outlined Waitrose's work on sustainability and, by and large, it was clear to see that the retailer has made some...http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1482 Sustainability makes a buzz in Munich- June 18, 2008 "In the words of JFK, the best time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining." So spoke Gareth Ackerman, chairman of South African retailer Pick 'n Pay, as he addressed the CIES World Food Business Summit in Munich today (18 June). Let's hope the roofs of Munich needed no extra work on a day that has seen some foul, and well quintessentially English, weather in this most German of cities. In all seriousness, Ackerman, who also doubles up as chairman of the CIES Summit committee, was issuing a.http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1481 Live from the CIES World Food Business Summit- June 18, 2008 just-food hits the picturesque German city of Munich over the next three days to bring you live coverage from one of the leading European food industry conferences of the year - the CIES World Food Business Summit 2008. Though steeped in Bavarian history, Munich is a truly international city and an ideal place for such a global event. Weaving through the groups of tourists (and even the odd hen party) strolling along the bustling city-centre Marienplatz last night, it was clear that the..http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1480 Nestle, Nooyi and rotten tomatoes- June 16, 2008 There were plenty of rotten tomatoes thrown around the US last week in the wake of the salmonella outbreak sweeping across the sector, and some were being sent in the direction of the country's food safety officials. News that the salmonella scare had affected people in 17 states brought to mind similar nationwide recalls over spinach and peanut butter - and reignited the debate over the effectiveness of the US Food and Drug Administration. There is widespread agreement that the FDA needs more..http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1479 The news you want - faster- June 13, 2008 Be you a sausage maker in Hull or a pineapple trader in Hawaii, you all have different interests - and different demands for information. So, we have made a slight tweak to the way we categorise our news. You'll see on the home page that there are now a series of new news categories from baby food to bakery that will help you get to the information you want - faster. We hope you find this useful. Remember, I'm always keen to hear your thoughts on our service - good, bad or indifferent.http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1478 How food safety is focusing minds of US consumers- June 11, 2008 The salmonella scare sweeping through the US tomato sector could not have come at a more inopportune time. The outbreak comes as a study from Deloitte shows that US consumers are becoming more wary over the safety of their food - and more willing to boycott products subject to recall. According to Deloitte, over three-quarters of US consumers are now "more concerned" about the foods they eat than five years ago. What's more, over half of shoppers in the US admit to shunning a particular food -..http://www.just-food.com/blogdetail.aspx?ID=1477 |