 |
| The magazine for professional developers of consumer packaged goods |
|
|
|
|
||
| WELCOME | HEADLINE NEWS 10 June 2003 | |
| Research
shows that 90 percent of new products launched in
supermarkets do not survive more than two years. The cost of failure
runs into billions.
We believe we can show you some ways to improve your success rate, so subscribe now. It's free for 12 issues. Anyone who develops new products for a living must be aware of a multitude of influences. Acknowledging this, we cover scientific discoveries consumer trends product design and formulation engineering technology process engineering manufacturing filling and packaging logistics and distribution retail merchandising end of life disposal Then there are the legal and regulatory issues, such as safety and labelling, as well as intellectual property rights, brand management, competition and international trade that we have to take into account. But it all means nothing without the creativity and insights of men and women who can put things together in new ways to create new products that improve our lives. We celebrate those people. Ian Grant Publisher |
Alpine organic
farmers sign to go GM-free GM Alpine organic farmers sign to go GM-free Leaders of organic farmers’ bodies in five Alpine regions today signed a statement in an effort to create a transnational Alpe Adria zone free from genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The GM-free "bioregion" would cover the whole of Slovenia, the Austrian provinces of Carinthia and Styria and the Italian provinces of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto. The move comes three weeks after the US government said it will sue the European Union at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over GM food. The move has attracted local ministerial support. The creation of the bioregion dedicated to growing organic crops is an answer to the possible commercial re-introduction of GM crops in the EU later this year. Handling Still keeps on trucking
The single motor rear wheel drive with the extendable wheelbase requires less aisle width and enhances stability when travelling. It also reduces energy consumption by up to 30%. Energy feedback when the drive pedal is released saves up to 15% extra, and maintenance intervals have gone from 500 to 1000 operating hours. Still has applied for a patent on the new hydraulic unit. Special wear discs with very low friction ensure a higher contact pressure and guarantee loss-free oil flow within the pump. Operating controls are ergonomically designed, and the new driving seat is adjustable for individual height and weight while a new seat cushion and backrest offers optimal lateral support. M&A ConAgra chickens out but takes $590m US packaged food firm ConAgra Foods is to sell its $2 billion/y chicken business to Pilgrim's Pride Corporation for about $590 million in cash, shares and debt. The sale is part of ConAgra Foods' plan to reshape its portfolio to focus on its branded and value-added food businesses. ConAgra Foods chairman Bruce Rohde said “Divesting our integrated chicken business complements other strategic actions we have taken recently, ranging from branded food acquisitions to divesting canned seafood, cheese, fresh beef, and fresh pork operations." The deal excludes the Butterball brand and ConAgra Foods' prepared chicken products sold in retail channels under brands such as Banquet, Healthy Choice, and Marie Callender's. But the company will continue to buy its poultry from Pilgrim’s Pride. Carlsberg develops taste for Chinese brewers Carlsberg Asia has bought the largest brewery in Yunnan province, the Dali Beer Group, subject to approval by local authorities. The brewery is in Dali city (pop 3m) in south western China; it has a capacity of 1.2 million hl beer, about 750 staff and a 41% market share in the province. Its most important beer brand is Dali Canger. The deal follows Carlsberg’s earlier acquisition of the Kunming brewery, also in Yunnan province, in January 2003, and gives the firm more than half the market share of the province. Yunnan has a population of 43 million with a yearly a beer consumption of only 4.2 litres/head compared to the Chinese average of 18 litres/head. The Chinese drink about 235 million hl of beer a year, mostly local brands. Health & Nutrition Ready meals too salty by half - FSA The UK’s Food Standards Agency has found that some popular ready meals for children have adult levels of salt, and some 'healthy option' meals contain more than half a whole day's target intake of six grams. Eating too much salt can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. Meals surveyed included shepherd's pie, macaroni cheese, lasagne, chicken korma and rice, spaghetti and meatballs, and chicken nuggets and chips. Most 'healthy eating' versions had slightly less salt than the standard. Four of five standard products each contained more than 40% of one day's target salt intake. Earlier the FSA asked food processors to cut the amount of salt in recipes. The UK’s Food and Drink Federation has promised to reduce salt in breakfast cereals, soups and sauces. The FSA also wants producers to include full nutritional information on their labels, and to spell out salt, fat (with saturated fat as a proportion of this), and sugar content. FSA chairman Sir John Krebs said “It isn't acceptable for ready meals loaded with salt to be called 'healthy' options. They are far from it and mislead consumers. The food industry has a responsibility to be honest with consumers. We will be checking again next year to see what progress they have made.” Trade Unilever nudges UK towards euro
"It would appear from (the) announcement that Britain’s membership of the euro is a matter of when, not if. That is welcome, but the government needs to go further,” FitzGerald said in a prepared statment. "Every year the UK stays out, the greater the difficulties that will be faced in competing for investment across the EU and the more difficult it will be for the UK to remain competitive. Unilever remains committed to the UK. But, like many companies, we plan on a pan-European basis and the (government’s) announcement means that our UK business will continue to face currency risk in sourcing and in exporting to the eurozone. This puts the UK at a disadvantage to our eurozone operations in terms of attracting new opportunities and investment in the future. The quicker the playing field is levelled the better." Taste Retro sandwiches take off Perhaps it’s a longing for the good old days, but Allied Domecq’s US sandwich company Togo’s aims to bring back traditional sandwich flavours. This month it will reintroduce six old standards in over 300 stores throughout California. These are Turkey, Salami & Cheese, Turkey & Cranberry, Roast Beef & Avocado, Capicola, Salami & Cheese, Avocado & Cheese, and Ham, Turkey, Salami & Cheese. But they are teamed with four new hand-formed fresh-baked breads: Onion Herb, Parmesan White, Rustic White, and Wheat brushed with honey. Logistics Tesco signs ProLogis to build Polish centre UK-base retailer Teson has retained the ProLogis consultancy to design and build the first phase of a national distribution centre in Teresin, Poland. Tesco wants the 38,857 square metre facility finished by November, and may add an extra 27,870 square metres to the store. ProLogis announced a lease agreement with Tesco in April for a 26,000 square metre facility in Prague. ProLogis has some 21.1 million square metres of storage space in 1,728 distribution facilities in 67 markets in North America, Europe and Japan, not counting chill rooms. People British management practices under scrutiny AIM, the UK management research initiative, has appointed 17 researchers to uncover the key problems facing British business. AIM director Anne Sigismund Huff said that the three-year fellowships are Britain's biggest investment in management research. The money will allow the fellows to structure their work as they wish, and is not earmarked for pre-specified research. "This means that they will have the time and resources to pursue key problems of their own choosing in areas such as innovation, UK productivity and ways of spreading good practice throughout British companies,” she said. "They will be setting up networks across the UK to perform and disseminate their research, and discussing the issues internationally. Interactions with business leaders and policy makers will be one of their main commitments." Education Poor pay, long apprenticeship deter science students Lengthy training periods and poor salaries are undermining the sciences’ ability to compete for students. This is one of the conclusions of a workshop on the future of graduate education put on by the US National Science Foundation (NSF) recently. The NSF, the US’s top science body, says graduate education in the US is likely to look quite different in 20 years, but (inevitably) it will take more research to say more. “We lack research findings on many key issues to guide change,” it says. The workshop looked at the effect on graduate education of demographic changes in the student population, the globalisation of science, the revolution in information technology, the emergence of new disciplines, social and cultural considerations, and employment horizons. For now, the US continues to attract local and foreign students of science, math, engineering, and technology. But several speakers saw future students as lifetime learners with a strong problem-solving ability but a need to hone specific skills or master new topics throughout their careers. They will also move around more, and institutions will have to deal with more students from different backgrounds. Kim Baldridge of the San Diego Supercomputer Centre said advances in information technology would allow essentially universal access to coursework and digital libraries, freeing students from geographic restrictions. But long periods of preparation with relatively low pay sapped enthusiasm for scientific careers compared to others that offer a faster payback with less effort. The NSF’s Kerri-Ann Jones showed that the US workforce is growing slower compared to other countries. “As other countries get richer, the US will have to compete more strenuously for the international talent that has flowed to our institutions in the past,” she said. Other speakers suggested that the US’s dependence on foreign-born scientists is likely to increase. Courses are likely to become shorter and more specific, offered over distances, and so change traditional degree-oriented programmes. Corporations will emphasise “just in time” learning done in international and interdisciplinary teams. Companies will consider paying for lessons a strategic investment instead of an automatic benefit to the employee. Educational partnerships between the corporate, academic, government, and non-profit sectors will loom big in post-graduate education. The challenge will be to give students an international perspective on the problems they study and the management skills to enable complex international collaborations. Problems that cut across disciplinary boundaries will drive the curriculum in many programmes. Teaching methods will have to preserve disciplinary depth and passion for discovery but allow students to prepare for a variety of potentially global careers. |
| Tuesday, 01 February 2005 |
| Events |
| FishWrap |
| NumbersGames |
| PaperChase |
| Library |
| Links |
|
|
German forklift truck maker Still has
incorporated the latest technical innovations into its new model,
the electric RX-50 3-wheeler. The new unit comes in capacities of
1.0, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.6 tonnes. The 24-volt, 3-phase drive puts 12%
more power onto the ground compared to its predecessor, and it has
five drive programmes.
Unilever chairman Niall FitzGerald welcomed the UK
government’s decision, announced on Monday, not to rule out the euro
as Britain’s currency.