Breaking News on Prepared Food and Meat Processing

Bemis agrees to sell-offs to clinch Alcan takeover

25-Feb-2010 - Bemis Co has agreed to sell off part of Alcan’s US flexible packaging operations in order to secure the takeover of the company from Rio Tinto.

Marel to sell Stork Food and Dairy Systems

05-Feb-2010 - Marel has announced that it is to sell subsidiary Stork Food and Dairy Systems to Dutch investor Nimbus as part of a strategy to focus on its core processing segments.

N.Ireland's £10m boost for food processing and packaging

16-Dec-2009 - Plans to invest almost £10m in Northern Ireland’s food processing and packaging sectors have been announced.

Thousands of suppliers threatened by $300m Kraft cutbacks

11-Sep-2009 - Kraft Foods is slashing its supply chain costs by $300m - a decision that Leatherhead Food International predicts will dramatically affect suppliers and could result in casualties.

Cloud Packaging meets shorter run trend with Toll takeover

07-Sep-2009 - Cloud Packaging Solutions has said the acquisition of Toll Packaging will boost its ability to meet the increased demand for shorter packing runs triggered by the current global economic crisis.

More difficulty ahead for food sector as European recession eases

14-Aug-2009 - France and Germany have emerged from recession but the global nature of the food industry may mean it takes longer to recover than other sectors, according to a senior economist at Wageningen University.

News in brief

Irish Food Board foreign assignment to fellows

31-Jul-2009 - Ireland has launched new initiative to boost food exports, by assigning 25 graduates as fellows to partner with Irish food firms in 33 international markets.

EU funding vital to cushion extra animal welfare costs, say meat processors

06-Jul-2009 - Europe’s meat processors will suffer unless the European Commission meets extra costs resulting from a new regulation on improving animal welfare at slaughter, said an industry body.

MeatProcess.com acquired by William Reed Business Media

05-Jun-2009 - Decision News Media, publisher of MeatProcess.com and 16 other websites serving the international food, nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, has been acquired by the leading UK business-to-business publisher William Reed Business Media.

Canada eyes more beef, grain exports to Europe

05-Jun-2009 - Canada is making overtures towards free trade talks with Europe that could open up a new source of beef for the EU – if a parallel hormone-free industry could be established – and boost grain supplies.

FDA backs proposal for US industry fees to fund food inspections

04-Jun-2009 - A contentious proposal to compel US food manufacturers to contribute towards safety inspection costs took a step forward yesterday after the Food and Drug Administration signalled its backing for the idea.

Weekly comment

Economic depression a stimulus for fresh business

02-Jun-2009 - The economic recession is biting across the globe, and bleeding casualties litter all industries, but now is not the time to cower. Those willing to spend may provoke a stimulation of their business that could set them up for years, if not decades, to come.

News in brief

Americans support subsidy cuts for large farms, says survey

05-May-2009 - Most Americans support cutting farm subsidies to large farming businesses, according to a new survey from www.worldpublicopinion.org .

Swine flu impacts global economy

28-Apr-2009 - The swine flu virus first identified in Mexico cannot be contained, warns Dr Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO), as the economic impact of the outbreak continues to spread.

News in brief

Dean Foods targets Santee Dairies buy - report

20-Apr-2009 - US-based processor Dean Foods is expected to purchase the Santee Dairies milk processing operations from retail group Stater Bros., according to press reports.

North American meat sector target of Listeria technology

14-Apr-2009 - Netherlands based company, EBI Food Safety, has announced that it has teamed up with US distributor World Technology Ingredients (WTI) to accelerate the penetration of its GRAS approved phage based product, Listex, into the North American meat and poultry sector.

US beef acquisition off the cards

23-Feb-2009 - Brazil's JBS, the world's largest beef producer, has abandoned its efforts to acquire US meat company National Beef Packing Company.

Processor to focus on packaged meat segment

18-Feb-2009 - Pork processor Smithfield Foods is closing six plants and transferring production to other facilities in a move it claims will enable it to concentrate on growing its higher-margin packaged meat business.

Sustainability and profits go hand in hand, says Nizo

16-Jan-2009 - Shareholders are increasingly looking for evidence that a food company has green projects ingrained in the management strategy, says Nizo Food Research, which is organising a workshop on how to make sustainability profitable.

News in brief

Ulrick & Short hires consultant chef

09-Jan-2009 - Ingredient firm Ulrick & Short added the talents of a chef to its team, to create food samples and advice on correct use of ingredients in products to maintain flavour.

News in brief

Cargill's meat division acquires Carneco Foods assets

18-Dec-2008 - Cargill Meat Solutions (CMS) has purchased assets of Carneco Foods LLC, including a ground beef processing plant in Columbus, Nebraska.

News in brief

Smithfield and Spanish meat processor merge

18-Dec-2008 - US pork processor Smithfield Foods has announced the merger of its European subsidiary with the largest processed meats company in Spain.

ECJ hands anti-competition verdict to Irish beef processors

20-Nov-2008 - The Irish beef industry’s attempts to reform have been scuppered by an ECJ ruling, which has judged a scheme for some processors to leave the market so as to raise profits for those who remain to be anti-competition.

Lawsuit filed to block US beef packer acquisition

21-Oct-2008 - The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit to stop the country's third and fourth largest beef packers from merging.