Latest news with #foodprocessing
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Tetra Pak Egypt Area, Zulfa launch $16.3mln greenfield project in Libya
Arab Finance: Tetra Pak Egypt Area, a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions, has launched its first greenfield project in Libya, a key market within Egypt Area, in cooperation with Zulfa, a subsidiary of Alushibe Group, as per an emailed press release. This comes as part of Tetra Pak Egypt Area's strategy to expand its presence in new, high-potential markets, with investment worth €14 million to introduce advanced packaging and processing solutions to the Libyan market for the first time. As finalized by agreement in late 2024, the 140,000-square-meter facility in Benghazi is set to become one of the region's most advanced industrial sites. Operations are scheduled to commence by early 2026, with product rollouts in the milk and juice categories planned for the same period. The first phase of the facility will see fully integrated processing and packaging units operating within an L3 framework, housing mixing systems, UHT and pasteurization treatments, and three production and filling lines. Wael Khoury, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Egypt Area, stated: 'Launching our first greenfield project in Libya is a major step forward in Tetra Pak Egypt Area's strategy to unlock high-growth markets. Libya holds significant potential, and this investment reflects our commitment to contributing to economic and industrial development.' 'Partnering with Zulfa is pivotal to our approach. Together, we're combining Tetra Pak's global expertise with Zulfa's deep local knowledge and strong market presence. This collaboration is built on a shared vision to drive innovation and sustainable progress in Libya's food industry,' Khoury added. For his part, Walid Shehata, Sales Director at Tetra Pak Egypt Area, said: 'This project builds on the solid foundation of our market share in Libya and positions us to capture emerging opportunities as the market evolves.' Hisham Rizk, Sales Director & Business Development Director at Tetra Pak Egypt Area, commented: 'Collaborating with Zulfa empowers us to deliver tailored solutions that meet Libya's unique needs and unlock new avenues for growth.' © 2020-2023 Arab Finance For Information Technology. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
The olives in your kitchen cupboard are FAKE: Expert reveals the unsettling truth about black olives sold in UK supermarkets
Sometimes nothing satisfies a salt craving quite like some olives. But next time you reach for a can at the shops, you might want to look a bit closer at the ingredients list. Sophia Smith Galer, a British TikTok influencer and writer, warns that black olives are not quite what they seem. In her viral video, she explains that black olives are packed with additives to remove their bitterness and change their colour. It means olives marketed as black might not be naturally black at all. 'You're probably buying fake black olives from the supermarket,' she said in the clip, which has more than 119,000 views and 6,000 likes. Typically, in a cheap can of supermarket black olives, all the individual olives 'taste and look very similar', she explains. But that's because they're 'all turned the exact same black colour' with 'one particular ingredient'. It's a little-known fact that green olives are the ones that have been picked before they're fully ripe, whereas black olives have been left to ripen fully. Whether green or black, supermarket olives are often soaked in sodium hydroxide, which softens them and removes their bitterness. Professor Gunter Kuhnle, food scientist at the University of Reading, said sodium hydroxide is 'quite commonly used in food processing'. 'It's used for the processing of many grains such as maize, peeling of foods, but it's not that often on the label,' he told MailOnline. Lactic acid is also added to olives in brine, as it lowers their pH, acting as a natural preservative against the growth of unwanted pathogens. But there's another additive that you'll commonly find on the ingredients list of black olives – ferrous gluconate. Ferrous gluconate, an iron compound used in the olive industry, imparts a uniform jet black colour to the little round fruits. It means that black olives are often actually green ones that have had the black compound added to make them darker, the TikToker explains. 'Its job is to bind to compounds in the olives to oxidise them and turn them all into this uniform black colour,' explained Smith Galer, who is also a former fellow with Brown University's Information Futures Lab. 'Just because they're called black olives, doesn't mean they were naturally black – they weren't, they were green.' Ferrous gluconate (E579) is approved as a food additive by the Food Standards Agency in the UK and the Food and Drug Administration in the US. It is also used as a supplement to combat iron deficiency, but side effects can include nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. 'Proper' black olives without the additive will often be a little bit softer than green ones simply because they were left to ripen before being picked and processed. Although the influencer shows us a can of Waitrose black olives, other British big grocery giants sell black olives containing the additive too. MailOnline found Asda, Sainsbury's and Tesco are selling their own brand of black olives containing the 'stabiliser' ferrous gluconate. MailOnline has contacted all four of the supermarkets for comment. MailOnline found ferrous gluconate in supermarket-brand black olives sold by Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose and Asda Not all black olives from these supermarkets will contain ferrous gluconate, however. Many black olives of a good enough quality will have been properly left to ripen before picking, packing and shipping. Naturally black olives (those left to ripen) tend to be sweeter and slightly softer, with less bitterness compared to green olives. For example, at the end of the video clip, Smith Galer eats Beldi olives from Morocco, a naturally-wrinkly variety served cured in salt. 'You can if you want buy real black olives in the supermarket,' she adds. 'Those are the real things.' Herby fraud: One in four samples of sage contain the leaves of other plants, study finds Sage is known as one of the most versatile herbs in the kitchen, adding a punch of flavour to sauces, meats and puddings. But when you purchase a jar of sage at the supermarket, you might not be getting your money's worth. More than a quarter of samples of the popular herb contain leaves from other plants, according to a 2020 analysis. Lab tests have shown that just over 25 per cent of analysed sage samples were heavily adulterated with leaves from other trees. One of the 'sage' samples was made up of just 42 per cent sage and an astonishing 58 per cent other leaves, some unknown.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Tetra Pak Egypt Area and Zulfa launch a €14mln flagship greenfield project in Libya
Cairo: Tetra Pak Egypt Area, a global leader in food processing and packaging solutions, has announced the launch of its first greenfield project in Libya, a key market within Egypt Area, in cooperation with Zulfa, a subsidiary of Alushibe Group. As part of Tetra Pak Egypt Area's strategy to expand its presence in new, high-potential markets, a €14 million investment underpins a project set to introduce advanced packaging and processing solutions to the Libyan market for the first time. The 140,000-square-meter facility in Benghazi, finalized by agreement in late 2024, is poised to become one of the region's most advanced industrial sites. Operations are scheduled to commence by early 2026, with product rollouts in the milk and juice categories planned for the same period. The facility will feature fully integrated processing and packaging units operating within an L3 framework, housing mixing systems, UHT and pasteurization treatments, and three production and filling lines as a first phase. Mr. Wael Khoury, Managing Director of Tetra Pak Egypt Area, stated: 'Launching our first greenfield project in Libya is a major step forward in Tetra Pak Egypt Area's strategy to unlock high-growth markets. Libya holds significant potential, and this investment reflects our commitment to contributing to economic and industrial development.' Mr. Khoury added: 'Partnering with Zulfa is pivotal to our approach. Together, we're combining Tetra Pak's global expertise with Zulfa's deep local knowledge and strong market presence. This collaboration is built on a shared vision to drive innovation and sustainable progress in Libya's food industry.' Walid Shehata, Sales Director at Tetra Pak Egypt Area, said: 'This project builds on the solid foundation of our market share in Libya and positions us to capture emerging opportunities as the market evolves. By working alongside one of Libya's most respected business groups, we're establishing a strong commercial groundwork for sustainable growth and long-term success.' Hisham Rizk, Sales Director & Business Development Director at Tetra Pak Egypt Area, commented: 'At Tetra Pak, we're committed to being more than a supplier; we're a strategic partner. We bring comprehensive solutions that span technical expertise, operational efficiency, and market insights. Collaborating with Zulfa empowers us to deliver tailored solutions that meet Libya's unique needs and unlock new avenues for growth.' Tetra Pak continues to invest in innovative food processing and packaging solutions globally. The new greenfield project in Libya is part of a broader strategy to strengthen sustainable food infrastructure and support local production while driving innovation across the food value chain.
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Breakfast cereal sales declined for decades before Kellogg's sale to Italian company
Breakfast cereal could use a lucky charm. U.S. sales of the colorfully packaged morning staple have been in a decades-long decline, a trend back in the spotlight with news that Italian confectioner Ferrero Group plans to purchase the American company that makes Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Froot Loops, Rice Krispies and other familiar brands. Except for a brief period during the coronavirus pandemic, when many workers were home and had time to sit down with a bowl of cereal and milk, sales of cold cereal have steadily fallen for at least 25 years, experts say. In the 52 weeks ending July 3, 2021, Americans bought nearly 2.5 billion boxes of cereal, according to market research company Nielsen IQ. In the same period this year, the number was down more than 13% to 2.1 billion. Cereal has been struggling for multiple reasons. The rise of more portable options like Nutri-Grain bars and Clif Bars – which both went on sale in the early 1990s – made it easier for consumers to grab breakfast on the go. Concerns about food processing and sugar intake have also dimmed some consumers' enthusiasm for cereals. One cup of Lucky Charms contains 24% of a consumer's daily recommended intake of sugar, for example. 'Cereal finds it really hard to get out from underneath that,' said Tom Rees, global insight manager for staple foods at the consulting company Euromonitor. 'It can't escape the fact that it doesn't look like a natural food. You have to create it and form it.' Rees noted that for decades, cereal manufacturers focused on adding vitamins and minerals to build cereal's health credentials. But consumers now are looking for simplified ingredient lists. Artificial dyes — like the petroleum-based colors that brighten Froot Loops — have also come under fire. Last fall, dozens of people rallied outside WK Kellogg's Battle Creek, Michigan, headquarters demanding that it remove artificial dyes from its cereals. Kellogg and General Mills — another major U.S. cereal maker — have since pledged to phase out artificial dyes. Add to that, consumers are expanding their idea of what breakfast can be. Yogurt and shakes have replaced the traditional bacon and eggs. Kenton Barello, a vice president at the market research firm YouGov, said his polling shows that Generation Z consumers, who were born between 1997 and 2007, eat more vegetables for breakfast than other generations. Barello said YouGov's polling also shows that members of Gen Z are less likely to eat breakfast but still buy ready-to-eat cereal, suggesting they're eating it as a snack or for other meals. 'With younger generations, there are differences in their relationship with food and these eating moments,' Barello said. 'They are going about breakfast in a different way than Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.' Cereal's struggles are part of what led to the breakup of the Kellogg Company. In 2023, the century-old company that put Battle Creek, Michigan, on the map split into two companies. Kellanova took popular snack brands like Cheez-Its, Pringles and Pop-Tarts as well as international cereals, and WK Kellogg made cereals for the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. In 2024, M&M's maker Mars Inc. announced a plan to buy Kellanova for more than $30 billion. That plan has cleared U.S. regulators but is still awaiting regulatory approval in Europe. WK Kellogg was left to try to rejuvenate the cereal business. The sale of WK Kellogg to Ferrero doesn't mean supermarket cereal aisles are at risk of extinction. Packaged food companies have options for turning around their soggy cereal sales, Rees said. He thinks Kellogg's Mashups line, which mixed brands like Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops into one box, appeal to younger consumers, who tend to like interesting flavor combinations. The market may also have a fragmented future, according to Rees. Companies may have to accept that younger buyers want a sweet-and-spicy cereal while older buyers might want a Keto-friendly option. 'The future might be realizing that the era of 'This brand will serve everybody' isn't going to happen,' Rees said. Julia Mills, a food analyst with the consulting company Mintel, thinks the shrinking population of children in the U.S. gives cereal makers the opportunity to shift to more sophisticated flavors and packaging. Cereal could be positioned as a fancy topping for yogurt, for example, or a fiber-rich food that can improve gut health. Some niche cereal brands, like high-fiber Poop Like a Champion cereal and high-protein, zero-sugar Magic Spoon, are already doing that. But legacy brands say they shouldn't be counted out. Jeffrey Harmening, the chairman and chief executive officer of Cheerios maker General Mills, said his company considered trying to acquire Magic Spoon. Instead, it made high-protein versions of Cheerios, which now outsells Magic Spoon. 'The key to longer term is, honestly, is giving consumers more of what they want,' Harmening said during a conference call with investors in March. Dee-ann Durbin, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
Associated Press
11-07-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Breakfast cereal sales declined for decades before Kellogg's sale to Italian company
Breakfast cereal could use a lucky charm. U.S. sales of the colorfully packaged morning staple have been in a decades-long decline, a trend back in the spotlight with news that Italian confectioner Ferrero Group plans to purchase the American company that makes Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Froot Loops, Rice Krispies and other familiar brands. Except for a brief period during the coronavirus pandemic, when many workers were home and had time to sit down with a bowl of cereal and milk, sales of cold cereal have steadily fallen for at least 25 years, experts say. In the 52 weeks ending July 3, 2021, Americans bought nearly 2.5 billion boxes of cereal, according to market research company Nielsen IQ. In the same period this year, the number was down more than 13% to 2.1 billion. Cereal has been struggling for multiple reasons. The rise of more portable options like Nutri-Grain bars and Clif Bars – which both went on sale in the early 1990s – made it easier for consumers to grab breakfast on the go. Concerns about food processing and sugar intake have also dimmed some consumers' enthusiasm for cereals. One cup of Lucky Charms contains 24% of a consumer's daily recommended intake of sugar, for example. 'Cereal finds it really hard to get out from underneath that,' said Tom Rees, global insight manager for staple foods at the consulting company Euromonitor. 'It can't escape the fact that it doesn't look like a natural food. You have to create it and form it.' Rees noted that for decades, cereal manufacturers focused on adding vitamins and minerals to build cereal's health credentials. But consumers now are looking for simplified ingredient lists. Artificial dyes — like the petroleum-based colors that brighten Froot Loops — have also come under fire. Last fall, dozens of people rallied outside WK Kellogg's Battle Creek, Michigan, headquarters demanding that it remove artificial dyes from its cereals. Kellogg and General Mills — another major U.S. cereal maker — have since pledged to phase out artificial dyes. Add to that, consumers are expanding their idea of what breakfast can be. Yogurt and shakes have replaced the traditional bacon and eggs. Kenton Barello, a vice president at the market research firm YouGov, said his polling shows that Generation Z consumers, who were born between 1997 and 2007, eat more vegetables for breakfast than other generations. Barello said YouGov's polling also shows that members of Gen Z are less likely to eat breakfast but still buy ready-to-eat cereal, suggesting they're eating it as a snack or for other meals. 'With younger generations, there are differences in their relationship with food and these eating moments,' Barello said. 'They are going about breakfast in a different way than Millennials, Gen X and Baby Boomers.' Cereal's struggles are part of what led to the breakup of the Kellogg Company. In 2023, the century-old company that put Battle Creek, Michigan, on the map split into two companies. Kellanova took popular snack brands like Cheez-Its, Pringles and Pop-Tarts as well as international cereals, and WK Kellogg made cereals for the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. In 2024, M&M's maker Mars Inc. announced a plan to buy Kellanova for more than $30 billion. That plan has cleared U.S. regulators but is still awaiting regulatory approval in Europe. WK Kellogg was left to try to rejuvenate the cereal business. The sale of WK Kellogg to Ferrero doesn't mean supermarket cereal aisles are at risk of extinction. Packaged food companies have options for turning around their soggy cereal sales, Rees said. He thinks Kellogg's Mashups line, which mixed brands like Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops into one box, appeal to younger consumers, who tend to like interesting flavor combinations. The market may also have a fragmented future, according to Rees. Companies may have to accept that younger buyers want a sweet-and-spicy cereal while older buyers might want a Keto-friendly option. 'The future might be realizing that the era of 'This brand will serve everybody' isn't going to happen,' Rees said. Julia Mills, a food analyst with the consulting company Mintel, thinks the shrinking population of children in the U.S. gives cereal makers the opportunity to shift to more sophisticated flavors and packaging. Cereal could be positioned as a fancy topping for yogurt, for example, or a fiber-rich food that can improve gut health. Some niche cereal brands, like high-fiber Poop Like a Champion cereal and high-protein, zero-sugar Magic Spoon, are already doing that. But legacy brands say they shouldn't be counted out. Jeffrey Harmening, the chairman and chief executive officer of Cheerios maker General Mills, said his company considered trying to acquire Magic Spoon. Instead, it made high-protein versions of Cheerios, which now outsells Magic Spoon. 'The key to longer term is, honestly, is giving consumers more of what they want,' Harmening said during a conference call with investors in March.
