Frozen food producer McCain Foods (GB) has invested £25m into the UK potato industry to help navigate the pressures of the coronavirus and erratic weather caused by climate change.
Fresh prepared food provider Bakkavor and biscuit giant Pladis have both confirmed fresh cases of coronavirus at their manufacturing sites over the past week.
Cranswick, the UK food producer, has said it remains cautious about the longer-term economic impact of COVID-19 and the uncertainty surrounding the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
Food manufacturers could find themselves in breach of their existing insurance policies if they have made “significant” operational changes in the wake of COVID-19, a leading insurance buyer has claimed.
In this exclusive interview, Andy Zynga, boss of European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) Food, addresses likely access to funding after the Brexit transition period and three funding recipients that caught his eye.
The reopening of the foodservice and catering sector has seen a change in demand for ingredients as venues streamline menus in the wake of coronavirus, Stockport based EHL Ingredients has revealed.
The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) is urging food suppliers to foodservice firms to work together to manage frozen stock near the end of its shelf-life as result of COVID-19 stockpiling.
A new €5.4m (£4.87m) support fund to help food and drink startups navigate the challenges of the coronavirus outbreak has been announced by innovation and investment group EIT Food.
The global disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic has not dampened merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the food and drink industry, according to business advisory firm BDO.
Indian foods manufacturer Vibrant Foods has increased production at its TRS Foods factory in Southall and East End Foods West Bromwich factory by 50% to manage surging sales, sparked by the coronavirus lockdown.
More than a third of UK consumers believe food and drink firms are not transparent enough when it comes to product recalls, according to standards and barcode provider GS1 UK.
Prepared foods manufacturer Greencore is in dispute with the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) for hiring agency staff to meet demand while lower paid employees remain on furlough.
Prepared foods manufacturer Bakkavor has denied strike action occurred at its Wiltshire cake factory, after confirming cases of coronavirus there as it announced the planned closure of its Alresford salad plant, affecting 100 jobs.
The drinks trade has faced one of its “most challenging times ever” Dayalan Nayager, managing director, Diageo Great Britain, Ireland and France has said.
Heineken claims the COVID-19 pandemic constitutes a “major negative macroeconomic development” that is having a “significant impact” on its markets and business in 2020.
Milk, cheese and butter sales boomed in retail during lockdown as consumers drank hot beverages and scratch cooked at home, new data from marketing campaign, Milk Your Moment has revealed.
The rapid onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the drastic lockdown restrictions, has left many businesses – particularly those that rely on heavy footfall – in dire financial circumstances.
European Freeze Dry has announced a £1.5m investment in its factories in Preston, Lancashire, and Kirke Hyllinge in Denmark to meet soaring demand for its freeze-dried ingredients and ready meals.
MPs have praised the food industry for developing its own guidance in the “vacuum left by Government” when the coronavirus pandemic began to be felt in the UK.
Convenience food manufacturer Greencore has restarted production at a number of its sites across the UK, as it reported the impact of coronavirus on its sales in its third-quarter financial results.
Harwich-based wholesaler Surya Foods has said it is continuing to prioritise the safety of its staff after five coronavirus cases were found at its site.
The National Food Strategy has intensified pressure on food manufacturers to support healthy eating, with author Henry Dimbleby claiming the industry clothes “itself and its products in false virtue”.
Many food and drink manufacturers have made use of the lifeline provided by the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – particularly those with production lines purposed for the foodservice industry, where demand has significantly reduced.
Hundreds of employees at a tomato packing site in Worcestershire supplying retailers including Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and the Co-op are being tested for COVID-19, after 14 members of staff tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
First Milk is investing £5m this financial year to boost capacity and meet environmental goals, chief executive Shelagh Hancock and chief financial officer Greg Jardine reveal in this exclusive Food Man Talks video podcast.
Public Health Wales (PHW) has confirmed that ‘widespread’ and ‘rapid’ testing was taking place at dip maker Zorba Delicacies’ Ebbw Vale food processing plant after four confirmed cases of COVID-19 there.
Nestlé UK & Ireland has revealed it is to support 8,000 families at risk of summer holiday hunger with a new £1m investment with Community Shop and FoodCloud
Argent Foods furloughed more than 500 workers in businesses hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic alongside other tough measures, it announced in its financial report for the 12 months to 31 December 2019.
The Welsh meat sector faces “worrying challenges” and “a menacing maelstrom of uncertainty” amid further disruption from coronavirus and an EU trade deadlock, Hybu Cig Cymru-Meat Promotion Wales’ (HCC) chairman Kevin Roberts has warned.
The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the ‘strength’ and ‘fragility’ of the food supply chain, according to the Food and Drink Sector Council (FDSC), which has launched a COVID-19 Recovery Plan for the industry.
Strong sales during the coronavirus pandemic will see Signature Flatbreads create 75–100 jobs as part of a significant investment to increase production capacity at its Dunstable factory.
Food and drink manufacturers we’re speaking to were disappointed by the sparse information on shift patterns within the Government’s ‘Working safely during coronavirus (COVID-19)’ guidance.
The COVID-19 pandemic could give rise to the biggest case of food fraud since the 2013 horsemeat scandal with “catastrophic effects” food safety assurance specialist Lloyd’s Register has predicted.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Summer Economic Update has been broadly welcomed by members of the food and drink industry, but concerns were raised over the speed at which the sector would be able to recover.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak has promised Government support to protect and create new jobs to support the UK economy, along with plans to kick-start the hospitality sector, in a ‘mini-budget’.
Workplace deaths across the manufacturing sector – including food and drink firms – have fallen over the past year, according to the Health and Safety Executive’s (HSE’s) annual workplace fatality figures for 2019/20.
Public Health Wales officials have issued an update on the ongoing coronavirus cases at the Welsh factories of 2 Sisters, Rowan Foods and Kepak Merthyr.
Food industry coronavirus initiatives have continued over the past month, with a range of companies offering support to consumers, the NHS and firms in the supply chain.
The coronavirus-hit 2 Sisters Food Group poultry processing site in Llangefni, Wales has reopened today (3 July), after being given the go-ahead from local safety bodies.
The employees tested positive from the 1,400 strong workforce at the factory in the Beaumont Leys area of the city. It followed cases at a number of other food processors in the area, which have reported clusters of COVID-19 at their sites.
UK labour shortages could stunt meat industry growth and create food security risks, but butchers and EU workers offer vital skills pools, according to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA).
Health officials have revealed that the 2 Sisters Coronavirus outbreak at the Llangefni factory in Wales has been “contained” and there is no evidence of community transmission.
