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Young's Seafood

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Unilever today (19 July) announced the sale of frozen-food business Findus Italy to Birds Eye Iglo for a cool EUR805m.

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UK frozen food sales have benefited from the recession, with cash-conscious consumers turning away from chilled foods to the freezer cabinet. Young's and Birds Eye have enjoyed success and now another household name - Findus - wants a slice of the action. Young's and Findus are stablemates in the newly-named Findus Group and, under a new CEO, the business is aiming high. Dean Best reports.

How to source palm oil is vexing the minds of many in the food industry. Growing consumer awareness of the links between palm oil, deforestation, the threat to wildlife and products on supermarket shelves is encouraging manufacturers and retailers to look for sustainable sources. However, only a few have grasped the nettle and, as Adam Harrison, senior food and agriculture officer for the WWF tells Dean Best, the industry needs to do much, much more - and quickly.

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Frozen food has become one of the more maligned sectors in the food industry in recent years, particularly in the UK. The seafood category, while enjoying growing consumer awareness of the importance of a balanced diet, faces its own challenges over sustainability. In this month's just-food interview, Dean Best met Mike Parker, an experienced seafood executive and part of the team behind the Young's and Findus brands.

Young's Seafood has declined to comment on a report it could be among potential suitors casting their nets to acquire the UK-based Icelandic Seachill, owner of The Saucy Fish Co. brand.

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The interim chief executive officer of Young's Seafood, Bill Showalter, has been confirmed as the UK company's permanent CEO.

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Young's Seafood has said its new Simply Bake range aims to "inspire" a renewed love of fish in a declining market sector and net a following of younger consumers.

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Pete Ward is to step down as CEO of Young's Seafood Limited and leave the company after 38 years of service following a major strategic review of the business. 

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UK-based jerky firm Meatsnacks Group has struck a lease agreement with Scotland's Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) for a facility in Spey Valley formerly occupied by Young's Seafood.

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Young's Seafood believes it can "rebuild" sales over the coming year through a focus on innovation, expansion into new channels such as foodservice, as well as M&A. 

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Young's Seafood is launching gluten-free fish fingers in the UK in a move the company said aims to attract new shoppers to the segment and take gluten-free products to mainstream consumers.

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Young's Seafood International Holdings has announced CFO Bill Showalter will replace CEO James Hill, who is to leave the the UK seafood group.

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Young's Seafood has added frozen products to its The Funky Fish Kitchen range, which the UK seafood processor sells through Asda.

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Young's Seafood, the UK processor, has today (23 September) confirmed how it plans to use two plants that were under threat after the end of a contract to supply Sainsbury's.

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Nomad Foods, the new owner of frozen food business Iglo Group, is set to expand its business in the sector with a deal to acquire Findus Group assets in Europe.

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This week, Mondelez International reported its first-half results and cited the benefits of pricing and productivity on its margins. In the UK, Young's Seafood announced a potential revised restructuring plan that could ease the impact on jobs at two plants. Nestle appointed a new MD for its under-fire India arm and just-food caught up with the CEO of Danone's US organic baby food unit, Happy Family, as it ventures into adult snacks.

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A number of jobs could be saved at the Young's Seafood plants in Fraserburgh and Grantown on Spey following a revised restructure plan.

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This week, PepsiCo reported on its second quarter numbers and its conference call detailed its plans to prepare for a tough second half to the year. Elsewhere Hostess Brands' owners insisted they were not looking for an IPO or a sale at present. animal abuse and McCain announced an A$10m investment at a Tasmania plant. Here is the week in quotes.

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Young's Seafood has outlined plans that could lead to the closure of two processing sites in Scotland - and the loss of over 900 jobs - in the wake of Sainsbury's moving a contract away from the UK group.

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Young's Seafood confirmed it has lost a contract to supply fresh salmon and smoked salmon to UK retailer Sainsbury's.

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Young's Seafood has added four new products to its Funky Fish Kitchen range in the UK.

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Findus Group today (20 January) insisted there is "no sale process underway" for its UK business after speculation its shareholders are preparing to sell its business in the country.

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US food groups General Mills and ConAgra Foods were under scrutiny this week with both reporting first-quarter results. WhiteWave Foods, the US natural and organic specialist, struck a deal to buy dairy-free brand So Delicious, while Thai seafood giant Thai Union Frozen Products made its second acquisition in Europe in a matter of weeks. Meanwhile, we spoke to the CEO of Wise Foods about his plans to grow the US snacks business.

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Young's Seafood has insisted its decision to cancel investment at a site in Fraserburgh will "not have any negative impact" on employment prospects or plans to expand its other plant in the Scottish town.

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UK firm Young's Seafood has added six products to chilled range The Funky Fish Kitchen.

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Young's Seafood said that profitability improved during 2013 thanks to a "corporate simplification project" and rising sales.

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Sugar again grabbed the headlines after the World Health Organization revised its guidance on how much of the ingredient to consume. Elsewhere, a US retailer with over 2,400 stores could be created after Albertsons owner and private-equity firm Cerberus Capital Management struck a deal that looks set to see it buy Safeway.

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Young's Seafood CEO Leendert den Hollander has resigned, the UK-based seafood business said today (3 March).

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Icelandic Group, the owner of The Saucy Fish Co., is merging the management teams within its UK operations in a move it claims would increase its competitiveness in the country.