Fuller, Smith & Turner, the UK brewing, pub and hotel group, has agreed to sell its entire beer business to Asahi Europe, a wholly owned subsidiary of Asahi Group Holdings, for an enterprise value of £250 million on a debt free, cash free basis.

The business being sold comprises the entirety of Fuller’s beer, cider and…

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €40 million loan to Sodiaal, the leading dairy co-operative in France and the third largest in Europe, to support the financing of its Research and Development program. The transaction is part of the actions of the European Strategic Investment Fund (SIEF), also known as the ‘Juncker Plan’.

Sodiaal…

Lactalis Group is expanding its presence in India and Egypt with two acquisitions. In India, the French dairy group is purchasing Prabhat, a dairy products company specialising in the production of packaged milk in plastic bags/pouches and ghee, that was established in 1998 at Shrirampur (State of Maharashtra). Prabbat is also a leading supplier of…

Fazer is investing €40 million in a new production facility at Lahti in Finland. The investment, which will take place in 2019-2020, will strengthen Fazer’s position as a forerunner in value added grain-based products. It will create 30 new jobs in Lahti.

Operating in eight countries and exporting to around 40 countries, Fazer produces bakery, confectionery,…

Tesco is making a number of changes to its stores and offices in the UK to further simplify its business. This will entail closing counters in around 90 stores, with the remaining 700 trading with either a full or flexible counter offer for customers. The move is in response to changing customer shopping habits, which…

Although the EU’s system for protecting consumers from chemical hazards in food is soundly based and respected worldwide, it is currently overstretched, according to a new report from the European Court of Auditors. The European Commission and the Member States do not have the capacity to implement the system fully, the auditors say.

EU food safety…

Nestlé has opened its first Research and Development Centre in Ireland at its existing manufacturing facility at Askeaton in County Limerick, marking the completion of a three-year building programme with a capital investment of €27 million. The new R&D centre will focus on scientific research to support innovations in the development of milk-based maternal and…

Tim Brett, President of Coca-Cola Western Europe, has been elected President of UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, the industry association representing the non-alcoholic soft drinks sector in Europe. He commences his two-year tenure with immediate effect, and assumes the presidency from Stanislas de Gramont.

Following recent UNESDA pledges to make packaging more sustainable by increasing recyclability,…

Conagra Brands, one of North America’s leading branded food companies, is exploring strategic alternatives for its Italian frozen pasta business, Gelit, which is headquartered at Doganella di Ninfa in Italy. Gelit is a leading producer of authentic Italian frozen food and ready meals, primarily for private label customers. The business employs approximately 145 full-time employees,…

Pladis, one of the world’s leading snacking companies, has appointed A Salman Amin as global CEO. He will take over the leadership officially in February.

With a strong reputation in the food and drink sector, Salman Amin takes up the role after a highly successful international career spanning 30 years and three continents. Most recently, he…

As the UK struggles through the dark January days, with vitamin D in short supply, latest research from Mintel reveals some good news for the 'sunshine drug', as it is crowned Britain’s favourite single vitamin supplement. According to Mintel, usage of Vitamin D has risen a glowing 7 percentage points in the last year and today…

FrieslandCampina has opened a new distribution centre at Meppel in The Netherlands. The facility will store and transfer dairy products coming from the dairy group’s production locations in Beilen and Meppel and transport these products towards export markets. The sustainably built distribution centre improves transport efficiency and this substantially reduces annual CO2 emission.

The 31,000 sq…

Unilever has unveiled reusable packaging innovations across nine of its brands, including four new product formats. The new products will be trialled on Loop™, a global, first-of-its-kind, waste-free shopping system.

Bringing together a coalition of consumer goods companies, along with international recycling leader TerraCycle, Loop™ is an innovative new business model for premium durable packaging which is…

Vitafoods Europe 2019 (7-9 May, Palexpo, Geneva) will this year explore the collaboration required to shape a more sustainable future for the nutraceutical industry. This follows the growing popularity of plant-based ingredients, as well as the demand for more responsible farming methods, and the unprecedented backlash against packaging over recent years.

Archer Daniels Midland Company has announced a long term partnership with General Starch Limited (GSL), a leading tapioca starch producer located in Thailand. ADM will have exclusive distribution rights of the GSL modified tapioca starch products in the majority of the European countries, as well as in the Middle East and Africa. This range of…

Mondelēz International has joined the Loop initiative, founded by recycling leader TerraCycle, which aims to tackle packaging waste with a new subscription-based model for distributing consumer goods to homes in reusable containers. The initiative aims to reduce reliance on single-use packaging and to provide a convenient and durable solution to consumers.

Loop enables consumers to enjoy Milka biscuits responsibly, by allowing…

Packaging Innovations, Empack and Label&Print will return to Birmingham’s NEC, for the 14th edition of the show, on 27 & 28 February 2019. As the UK’s largest packaging show, and the only one that caters to the whole of the packaging supply chain, there will be plenty on offer for visitors from the food and…

Scotland’s premier awards for the food & drink industry is back for 2019 and is looking to celebrate the leading lights within the sector. Now in its 20th year, the Scotland Food & Drink Excellence Awards will take place in Edinburgh on Thursday 23rd May 2019. Entries for the new structure of 20 categories are…

Highland Spring, the UK’s largest supplier and producer of natural source bottled water, has responded to popular demand by making a 100% recycled and recyclable plastic eco bottle a permanent hydration choice in 2019. Following a hugely successful 2018 trial, the Highland Spring eco bottle™ will be rolled out nationwide.

The eye-catching label will feature a…

The high speed and low maintenance of three Proseal GT1s tray sealers are providing Heck Foods with increased efficiency in its factory operations as well as better quality packaging for its sausage and burger products. The tray sealers deliver a fast and reliable sealing operation, running for 12 hours a day and at a speed…

Tetra Pak is to become the first company in the food and beverage carton industry to offer full-colour digital printing on its carton packages, working in collaboration with Koenig & Bauer, a global leader in the field. The digital printing technology will simplify the complexity of design handling, reducing time from design to…

Label&Print, which returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 27 & 28 February 2019, will offer visitors an exclusive look at the future of the industry, showcasing the very latest products, services and technologies available to the packaging community. From leading sellers and manufacturers of print and labelling equipment, through to designing, branding and finishing…