Global warming may lead to better wines
Global warming might be feared as a worldwide catastrophe, but interestingly, there are chances that the international wine industry stands to gain from it. Researchers from the Southern Oregon University, Utah State University and the University of Colorado have found that vintages improved as temperatures were raised over the past 50 years, especially in areas with cooler climates but for vineyards situated in traditionally warmer regions the findings could prove troublesome. The research was conducted on 27 renowned wine regions in nine different countries. Using Sotheby’s vintage rating system, it was found that most vintages improved as vineyards’ temperatures rose at an average of 1.30 Celsius over the past 50 years. The effects were strongest in cold regions, such as the Mosel and Rhine valleys of Germany, suggesting warmer temperatures offer great advantages to cold-climate grape growing regions. The study showed that the predicted rise of another 20 Celsius over the next half century could have mixed results. Cooler climates, such as those prevalent in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, could continue to benefit from global warming. But regions with warmer climates, such as Italy’s famed Chianti region, could see grapes ripen too quickly under warmer temperatures. Grapes that ripen too quickly generally have a higher sugar content, which produces more alcoholic wine with less acidity and balance. The rising temperatures might therefore force growers to manage vineyards differently to produce similar wine styles, or to plant different varieties better suited to the changing climate.

Danone's attempt to buy out Russian dairy firm fails
Extending a patchy record on acquisitions strategy, food and drink company Danone SA's plans to take control of Russia's leading dairy products and juice maker Wimm-Bill-Dann OJSC fell flat recently, as the pair said they had broken off talks. In a statement issued by the supplier of Evian mineral water and Dannon yogurt, Danone and New York-listed WBD said marathon discussions on a deal that would have valued the Russian outfit at over $1 billion had ended amicably. Neither side would comment on what went wrong in a talks process kicked into life in June. Danone, which has a 7 per cent stake in the Russian company, said it has no plans to reduce its holding. The world's biggest fresh dairy products company is second behind WBD in Russia, with a 16% share of the $1-billion market. WBD has about 40 per cent of the Russian dairy market.

US Congress proposes laws for fast-food restaurants
In a move to control the increasing concern over the problem of obesity, the US Congress is considering a draft legislation that obliges fast-food restaurant chains to provide nutritional information on their menus. The bill’s sponsors say those who eat in restaurants should be able to make informed choices about what they eat. Obesity in the US and around the world has reached epidemic proportions. Almost two-thirds of Americans are either overweight or obese, according to the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. For some years now, food producers have been obliged to print details of the nutritional value of their products on their packets. Now, some Congress members are sponsoring a Bill that would impose the same obligations on fast food menus which might have far reaching implications that the industry will have to gear up to.

Safety standards for breakfast cereals to be raised by EU
The European Commission has proposed to raise the food safety standards for nutrient enriched foods such as breakfast cereals containing extra iron aimed at young children and calcium-rich soft drinks. Currently there are no EU rules setting out how many vitamins and minerals can be added to enriched food and drink products. The proposal would create a list of vitamins and minerals, which could be added to food if backed up by science but baby food and diet food would not be covered by the rules. National rules, which make it obligatory for producers to add nutrients to food on public health grounds such as adding iodine to salt to prevent women from giving birth to mentally disabled babies, would be excluded from the legislation. The EU food safety authority would also carry out safety checks on the addition of herbal extracts to food.

US charges South Asian countries with dumping of shrimps
Shrimpers from eight US states are planning to launch a controversial trade case that would ask the US government to impose tariffs to stem the phenomenal growth in imports of shrimps from the South Asian countries. These anti-dumping and countervailing duties, if imposed on Indian shrimp imports to the US, will have a disastrous impact on the $1.3 billion Indian seafood export industry. The other countries targeted for this trade action are Thailand, China, Vietnam, Ecuador, Mexico, Brazil, Honduras, Indonesia and Venezuela. Reacting to the move India is teaming up with these countries to fight the charges. The US is the second largest buyer of Indian shrimp following Japan. India’s total marine product exports were to the tune of $ 1.4 billion. Of this, shrimp earned 60 per cent. If anti-dumping duties were imposed, exports worth Rs 1,000 crore would be in trouble. The Seafood Exporters Association of India (SEAI), on the other hand, feels that the battle is going to be a tough one with the petitioners in the US having hired a prominent attorney firm. The Southern Shrimp Alliance and the Louisiana Shrimp Alliance have hired the Washington-based Dewey Ballantine. SEAI officials fear that “with Dewey Ballantine representing the US shrimp trawlers, the fight against anti-dumping is expected to be a long and hard battle.” To counter this threat, a three-member delegation from SEAI visited Washington DC and decided to appoint Garvey Schubert and Barer to be the counsel in the US for the antidumping suit.

McDonald’s to close its automated convenience stores
McDonald’s is planning to close four vending machines in the Washington metropolitan area after a yearlong experiment with automated convenience stores. The 18-foot-wide, 130-item ‘Redbox’ machines sold dozens of products like olive oil, milk, cartons of eggs, chicken sandwiches, paper towels, detergent, diapers, and DVDs. The prices at the machine – $1 for a can of soup, $2 for a half-gallon of milk and $4 for a box of Cheerios – were roughly in line with those at nearby convenience stores, although the selection was limited. The machines typically stocked 200 products, less than a tenth of the total in a typical convenience store. “We are focused on bringing more customers to our 30,000 restaurants,” a spokeswoman for the company, Lisa Howard, said. “The Redbox automated convenience store did not fit into our longterm growth strategy.”

Poland receives warning from EU over food safety
The European Commission (EC) has warned the Polish Government to make efforts to bring its food safety standards relating to meat production in line with the current EU regulations if it is to ensure a smooth ascension to the European Union. Citing serious concerns over controls on animal movement and the testing of cattle for infectious diseases, the EC has pointed out that there are still many areas in the Polish food industry where safety and hygiene are lagging well behind current euro zone counterparts. According to a report, only 66 of Poland’s 3,300-odd red meat processing plants have been awarded permits to export to the EU so far. So far some 1,500 food processing plants have applied to fulfill the EU criteria, but a further 1,500 companies have given up trying to adapt the EU standards and will consequently be closed on May 1, 2004. With specific regards to meat processing facilities, the EU has warned that Poland risks a temporary ban on all meat exports if all the plants in question are not upgraded or closed.

UN transfers oil-for-food project to Iraqi coalition
The UN oil-for-food distribution programme that most Iraqis depend on has been transferred from the United Nations to the coalition government. The 7-yearold programme has become the sole source of nutrition for more than 60 per cent of the country. US officials expect that the recipients of the monthly market basket – a dry assortment of cereals, grains, flour, tea, sugar, cooking oil and soap – will hardly notice a difference. Shortly after the US and the British troops ousted the Saddam Hussein regime, the Americans drafted a Security Council resolution recognising the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) as the occupying power. The resolution also ordered the transfer of the oil-for-food program to the US-led coalition.

Mexico officials forge ‘sweet’ deal with US
The Mexican Agriculture Secretary Javier Usabiaga has expressed optimism that the United States and Mexico stand a chance to resolve a protracted trade fight over sugar and high fructose corn syrup by the end of the year. Nearly two years ago, Mexico imposed a tax of up to 20 per cent on soft drinks sweetened with corn syrup, a move that effectively halted US exports of corn syrup to Mexico. Mr Usabiaga said he was hopeful that Mexican lawmakers would repeal the tax by the end of this year. In return for US access to Mexico’s corn syrup market, Mexico wants to ship more of its surplus sugar to the US.

Tyson foods strikes joint venture deal in Canada
Tyson Foods has struck a joint-venture deal with a Toronto-area poultry company to produce chicken products for the Canadian market. Tyson and Export Packers will build a chicken processing plant in Paris. The plant will begin operating next spring and will produce Tyson and Export Packers’ branded products which will be marketed to Canadian consumers, restaurants and other food service companies. Tyson Foods is the world’s largest processor and seller of chicken, beef and pork and the second largest food company in the Fortune 500 group of companies. The company has about 120,000 employees and 300 plants and offices around the world. Export Packers, based near Toronto, is one of Canada’s largest privately owned food companies.

TO READ FURTHER... SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR COPY TODAY!!!

 

Print this Page

Email this Page

Post your Opinion

Rate this article