Givaudan has developed a unique sensory language called Sense ItTM Salt which enables a more accurate description of the complex taste effects of salt in foods. Sense ItTM Salt will enhance Givaudan’s ability to create flavours that restore the taste aspects of salt and drive consumer preference in low sodium applications.”It is now well understood in the food industry that salt is a very efficient and complex taste enhancer that goes beyond just making food taste salty. Salt has a range... Read more »

The UK government has announced that from yesterday (2 September) it has made changes to which departments have responsibility for food labelling policy.The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will retain responsibility for food safety aspects of labelling, but in England, other responsibilities will go to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). Responsibilities for nutrition labelling will move to the Department of Health at a later date. The three departments will work closely together... Read more »

Chinese meat processor Zhongpin has completed a five-month expansion and improvement of its pork plant in the city of Anyang in the Henan province.Zhongpin invested around US$6.6m in the reconstruction project to further improve the plant’s pre-cooling room, slaughtering line equipment, refrigeration systems, sewage treatment system, and ancillary facilities. With the expansion, Zhongpin has increased the plant’s capacity by 35% to an annual capacity of 85,000 metric tons from the previous... Read more »

Richard Laube, Executive Vice President in charge of Nestlé Nutrition, has decided to pursue personal opportunities outside Nestlé and is therefore leaving the company with immediate effect.During his five years at Nestlé, Mr. Laube first held the position of Head of Business Development before taking up his responsibilities as Head of Nestlé Nutrition. Under his tenure, Nestlé Nutrition grew substantially, not least as a result of the acquisitions of Jenny Craig, Novartis Medical Nutrition... Read more »

Stevia supplier PureCircle has received a notice of allowance from the US Patent and Trademark Office for the production of high purity stevia sweeteners. The UK-listed firm earlier this month launched a global campaign in a bid to boost awareness of the natural sweetener among consumers. Issuance of the US patent, the company said today (31 August), will provide it with “strong competitive advantage and protections” across PureCircle’s portfolio of high purity stevia products. The... Read more »

* Company returns net profit of EUR82m * Operating profits up 7.6% on savings * Sales in Asia up 8.9% at constant exchange rates Carrefour SA has returned to profit in its first half with sales growth driven by a strong performance in emerging markets such as China. The company said that for the six months to 30 June 30, it recorded a net profit of EUR82m (US$104m) compared to a loss of EUR58m in the year-earlier period. From continuing operations, Carrefour reported a net profit of EUR67m, compared... Read more »

Nestlé, the world’s biggest buyer of coffee, will invest more than half a billion US dollars (CHF 500 million) in a wide-ranging plan, endorsed by the Rainforest Alliance, that will address responsible farming, sourcing and consumption across its coffee supply chain. Nestlé, which purchases around 780,000 tonnes of green coffee a year, or 10 per cent of the world’s supply, unveiled the Nescafé Plan in Mexico City today. The Nescafé Plan is a global initiative and builds on the US$220... Read more »

UK retailer Asda said it is “working hard behind on the scenes” on plans for its Netto stores, as it awaits approval from the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) for the purchase.Asda paid GBP778m (US$1.24bn) for the 193 outlets in May this year and earlier this month it said it is currently working with the OFT, which is reportedly requiring the retailer to sell some 30 of the Netto stores. Reports on Friday (27 August) suggest that Asda has submitted planning applications to convert several... Read more »

Japanese exporters may be suffering from the historically high yen, which traded at a record JPY84 to the US dollar this week - but for Japanese food importers and retailers it is boom time.In the wake of the yen’s recent rise, which is casting a shadow on Japan’s export-driven economy, the ministry conducted a survey last week (24 August) of around 200 companies, including about 20 major food and food retail firms. Around 40% of major food retailers in Japan said they will expand their... Read more »

Nestlé on Wednesday completed the sale of its remaining shares in Alcon to Novartis, representing around 52% of Alcon’s share capital, for USD 28.3 billion.Nestlé acquired Alcon in 1977 for USD 280 million. Over the years, Nestlé supported Alcon’s R&D drive and international expansion, enabling the company to build a significant global leadership position in the eye care business. Taking into account the three steps of the gradual divestment of Alcon - the initial IPO of 23.25%... Read more »