Search Results for: food

The Ghanaian government has welcomed an “unprecedented increase” in cocoa prices in the 2023/24 season of 129.36% year-on-year as the market responded to production declines worldwide – costing chocolate manufacturers dear. Ghana’s food and agriculture minister Bryan Acheampong said Ghanaian cocoa prices had risen from Ghanaian Cedi GHS20,928/tonne (USD1,325) and GHS1,308 (USD82.80) per 64kg bag in September 2023 to GHS48,000/tonne (USD3,030) or GH3,000 (USD190) per 64kg bag as the season wrapped last month (September 2024).…

The international can manufacturing and filling industry is continuing to face increasing regulatory pressure regarding certain food contact chemicals, which while protecting cans against corrosion, may also harm consumer health and the environment.

Dubbed by environmental groups as ‘forever chemicals’ because they take so long to degrade, these substances include bisphenols, phthalates and PFAS (per and poly-fluorinated alkyl substances).…

THE EUROPEAN and international dyeing sector will effectively lose the ability to use inks manufactured using solvents made with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) under new European Union (EU) measures to ban fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-gases). These are considered 100 to 24,000 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide, and hence controls are tightening.…

The China National Coatings Industry Association has complained that a European Union (EU) anti-dumping investigation into Chinese exports of titanium dioxide have sparked anti-dumping tariff rates far higher than expected. The provisional anti-dumping rates announced by the European Commission in July were 39.7% for the Longbai Group, 14.4% for Anhui Jinxing Titanium Dioxide Group, 35% for other responding companies, and 39.7% for other non-responding companies.…

Since the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, and the ensuing Israeli war on Gaza, the Palestinian banking sector has been caught in the crosshairs. Meanwhile, Hamas continues to get funding as the war enters its 10th month.

The Palestinian banking sector, overseen by the Palestinian Authority (PA), has been under heightened pressure from the Israeli government following the Hamas-led attacks.…

Food and drink industry regulators worldwide are tightening rules and guidance on reducing the use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), pushing food manufacturers to develop alternatives to this non-stick chemical used notably in microwave popcorn bags, grease-proof paper and plastic sandwich bags.…

The Swedish metal packaging sector is trying to maximise recyclability and circularity, particularly in aluminium, as the country works to heighten food security and anticipate future challenges, including the government bolstering food stocks through commitments made when joining NATO.

Sweden’s Krone SEK356 billion (USD33.8 billion) food and beverages market has reported strong growth over the past three years, growing by 6.6% in 2022 on the previous year, according to the latest figures from state-run Statistics Sweden (Statistiska centralbyrån) (1).…

The European Union (EU) has committed itself within a new 2024-9 strategic agenda to securing “a competitive, sustainable and resilient” food and drink sector that delivers “food security”. EU heads of government agreed that food producers’ position within the supply chain would be strengthened.…

Although the low countries boom in the paints and coatings markets of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg (Benelux) during the Covid-19 pandemic is easing, and the industry has been hit by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis, the sector is holding up well.…