Latest News

The European Parliament has joined the bloc’s Council in backing a further delay to the introduction of the EU’s anti-deforestation legislation.  

MEPs voted in favour of pushing back the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) by a year to the end of December 2026, a move applicable to “large operators and traders”. 

Under the terms of the proposals, “micro- and small enterprises” will have to adhere to the regulations from 30 June 2027. 

The European Council adopted the same stance earlier in November and proposed simplifying the rules to make it easier for all operators to prepare and comply, in line with the recommendations put forward by the European Commission in October. 

The European Parliament said it “is now ready to start negotiations with member states on the final shape of the law, which has to be endorsed by both Parliament and the Council and published in the EU Official Journal before the end of 2025, for the one-year delay to enter into force”.

Trade bodies in France have devised a charter to try to ease tensions during the industry’s annual price negotiations. 

The document was signed by six organisations including Association Nationale des Industries Alimentaires (ANIA) and La Fédération du Commerce et de la Distribution (FCD). 

The negotiations, which began on Monday (1 December), set the prices of branded products on supermarket shelves in France and will continue for three months. 

Under the charter, industry representatives will promote “a calm climate”, according to France’s Ministry of Agriculture, “through a set of principles of dialogue, consideration of professional constraints and prevention of disputes”. 

The list of commitments also includes providing SMEs “differentiated treatment” and has called for negotiations with these businesses to be completed by 15 January. 

The charter also calls for the promotion of sales of fresh produce and improving information available to consumers around the origin of products, “all with the aim of better supporting supply chains and contributing to food sovereignty”.

Unilever has offloaded UK snacks business Graze to German confectionery group Katjes International. 

The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed. The sale is expected to be finalised in the first half of next year. 

In a statement, Unilever said it is “sharpening its portfolio for long-term growth and scalability”.

The FMCG giant acquired Graze from private-equity firm The Carlyle Group in 2019.

Set up in 2008, London-based Graze originally started as a subscription-only service selling boxes of healthier snacks centred on nuts and seeds. 

Bastian Fassin, managing shareholder of Katjes International, said: “Graze is one of the leading healthy snacking brands in the UK. With its strong brand awareness and strategic positioning, Graze is a perfect fit for our strategy to continue growing with strong consumer brands.” 

Katjes owns UK vegan-confectionery business Candy Kittens, which it also bought in 2019.

Tyson Foods is closing a beef-processing plant in Nebraska to “right size” the struggling segment of the US giant’s meat business. 

After reporting a year of declining beef volumes and forecasting an adjusted operating loss for the division in its new financial year, the meatpacker said it will also convert a beef facility in Texas to a single, “full-capacity” shift. 

Tyson Foods added the moves are intended to position the company’s beef operations for “long-term” success. 

The company said it will increase output at other unidentified beef plants to meet customer demand.  

In the fourth quarter of Tyson’s 2025 fiscal year, “tight” cattle supplies drove the group’s beef business deeper into the red. 

Beef registered an adjusted operating loss of $94m for the quarter, compared to a $71m loss posted a year earlier. Sales for beef rose to $5.49bn from $5.26bn, driven by a 17% increase in average prices. Volumes fell 8.4%.

Steve Murrells, the boss of UK-based meat-and-seafood multinational Hilton Food Group, is stepping down after a little more than two years in the job. 

Former Co-op chief executive Murrells joined the private-label supplier in July 2023 but the publicly listed group said he and the board had “agreed that now is the right time to search for a new leader to take the business forward”. 

Food-industry veteran Mark Allen, who was appointed Hilton chair early last year, has been named the company’s executive chair “while the board considers CEO succession”. 

Allen is chairman and a non-executive director, roles he took upon joining the London-listed business early in 2024. 

Murrells’ tenure included expansion in Canada and the Middle East, as well as trimming Hilton’s portfolio with asset disposals. 

Earlier this month, the company downgraded its 2025 profit forecast, pointing to a “difficult” outlook in the new financial year amid challenges in different parts of its seafood business.