Focus on food security intensifies as politicians gather

18-May-2012 - Government should not rely on industry to fix the food chain, according to global charity Oxfam, speaking ahead of the G8 and Rio+20 Summits.

Zetar’s nuts hit by raw material price inflation

15-May-2012 - Zetar took a 5% hit in annual group revenue after exiting from low margin core commodity sales, particularly in processed and packed nuts, at the beginning of 2012.

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil welcomes WWF review

14-May-2012 - The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has lent its backing to the WWF's Palm Oil Investor Review 2012.

Lobbyists predict UK government ‘greenwash’

14-May-2012 - Pressure group Sustain has reacted with scepticism to the publication of the UK’s Parliamentary Environmental Audit Committee’s Sustainable Food report.

Blommer predicts looming cocoa supply crisis

10-May-2012 - Demand for cocoa is expected to climb 30% in the next 10 years creating a 25% shortage of current supply, according to North American cocoa processor and chocolate ingredients supplier Blommer Chocolate Company.

Cocoa waste may become valuable source of pectin, suggest researchers

10-May-2012 - Cacao pod husks – a major by-product of cocoa processing – could provide industry with a new, environmentally friendly source of pectin, say researchers.

WEEKLY COMMENT

Fine words and cartoon cows: ‘ambitious’ UK dairy vision must be backed by cash

25-Apr-2012 - Another day, another food industry ‘vision document’ complete with funky cartoon cows. It seems that everyone is falling over themselves to get in on the act with such publications, especially in regard to everyone’s favourite food industry buzz word ‘sustainability’.

Strides in producing sustainable palm oil “not matched” by uptake

24-Apr-2012 - Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO) has reached a “milestone” with production in excess of six million tonnes but market uptake has been slowing, according to RSPO figures.

New sustainable sector resonates with ‘lost organic consumers’

20-Apr-2012 - In light of current economic difficulties organic consumers are looking elsewhere for foods, and sustainable products resonate with their core values, according to the MD of Cert ID.

News in brief

Dutch palm oil – 21% sustainable

28-Mar-2012 - Use of RSPO-certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) has seen growth in the Netherland’s and it now represents 21% of all palm oil used in the country’s food industry, according to a report released by the Dutch Task Force on Sustainable Palm Oil.

European resolution on cocoa child labour can boost quality cocoa supply, says CAOBISCO

14-Mar-2012 - The European Parliament today gave its consent to the 2010 International Cocoa Agreement and passed a resolution on child labour in the cocoa sector in a move that will benefit manufacturers, according to industry bodies.

First lab-grown meat moves one step closer, say researchers

21-Feb-2012 - The World’s first burger made entirely from laboratory grown test-tube meat could be ready 'by fall' say the team of Dutch researchers behind the project.

Tomato by-products provide sustainable source of bioactives: Study

13-Feb-2012 - Industrial by-products from tomato processing contain a significant amount of bioactive compounds that could be used to provide natural and sustainable source of antioxidants for functional food formulation, or to act as preservative ingredients in foods, say researchers.

Pineapple ‘waste’ could provide bromelain extract for ingredient use

08-Feb-2012 - Waste from pineapple processing could provide a range of value added ingredients for the food industry, including a new source of the enzyme bromelain, say researchers.

Surimi ‘waste water’ could provide source of additional fish protein ingredients

24-Jan-2012 - Recycling protein from that is usually discarded in surimi processing water could provide an additional source of fish protein ingredients for the food industry, say researchers.

Plentiful supplies of CSPO in Malaysia, but low demand

11-Jan-2012 - There is currently an oversupply of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) in Malaysia due to a lack of demand from industry players, according to leading politician in that country.

New research programme may boost algae ingredient supply chain

09-Dec-2011 - A new research project led by TNO could help to create a more robust and industrially viable algae ingredient supply chain, says the Dutch research group.

EU milk package threatens ‘fairer deal' for farmers, cries NFU

07-Dec-2011 - Opinion is split on the final text of the so-called EU Dairy Package, with the UK National Farmers’ Union (NFU) citing missed opportunities within the European Commission’s (EC’s) text, and Dairy UK stating its continued opposition to minimum contract terms.

Barley brewing offers basis for portfolio variation and sustainability, DSM

28-Nov-2011 - Jeroen van Roon, global marketing manager for beer for DSM Food Specialties told BeverageDaily.com that barley brewing enzymes could help brewers cut down on more costly malt-based products, and develop new portfolio innovations.

Manufacturers moving steadily towards sustainable palm oil - WWF

25-Nov-2011 - The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has found that food manufacturers are making progress towards ecologically friendly palm oil practices.