Four well-known names in bread have made it to the second round of bidding to take over Irish Pride. According to the Sunday Business Post, in the running are Johnston Mooney & O’Brien, Hovis’s owner Gores, Pat The Baker, and Brennan’s. Gores recently bought Irish Pride's debt, and has been named as a frontrunner, along with Pat The Baker.
EU-funded food and drinks export programme Access 6 has published a guide intended for first time or early-stage food and drink exporters. It uses a step-by-step approach to aid companies in creating an export plan, and outlines six key market profiles to complement the Access 6 Export Learning Centre online resource.
Following JBS’s acquisition of Moy Park, senior JBS executive Jerry O’Callaghan has told Samantha McCaughren of The Sunday Times that he thinks there is ‘ample opportunity’ for Brazilian beef in the EU, if market restrictions were relaxed. In what may be a controversial statement, he said that the quality of Irish beef “is not that good”, because herds are often blended rather than being “pure beef blends”.
Tetra Pak has launched its new ‘eBeam’ technology, which uses electronic beams rather than hydrogen peroxide to sterilise its packaging material. As well as avoiding the use of harsh chemicals, the eBeam also reduces operating costs by 20% and allows for a 60% improvement in production performance.
A cow that recently died from BSE in Louth has been declared as an isolated case by veterinary chiefs who examined 67 other animals linked to the deceased cow. Members of Meat Industry Ireland have released a statement saying it’s ‘business as usual’ in the international beef markets despite the case, which is the first in Ireland since 2013.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has backed calls to introduce a ‘pop tax’ on sugary drinks in the UK to help tackle obesity after the Welsh Nationalist Party, Plaid Cymru proposed the introduction of a levy on said drinks in Wales, with a view to using gained revenue to employ extra doctors.
Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan has assured EU farmers that their interests will be protected by the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, at a meeting of an Oireacthas Joint Committee. Farming lobby groups have expressed concerns that agriculture will be damaged for the benefit of other sectors under the agreement.
La Rousse Foods, which supplies upmarket restaurants, has reported a 23% increase in turnover since last year to €30.8 million. The company’s profits were €2.5 million, while shareholders split €770,000 in dividends, reported The Sunday Times.
RGDATA has reportedly lodged an appeal against the development of a discount food store in Athenry, Co. Galway, with An Bord Pleanála. The retail group argued that a Retail Impact Assessment supplied as part of the application fails to show whether the discount store would have an adverse impact on existing businesses in the area.
Unilever is set to sponsor Vice Media's new video channel aimed at young women. While Vice will retain editorial control of the channel, Unilever will help fund it via content for its Vaseline, Dove, Sure and Tresemmé brands.
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