Cases at Cranswick's Watton plant now stand at 175

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30 October

Covid-19 numbers rise at Cranswick meat plant in Norfolk

Positive cases of Covid-19 at UK meat processor Cranswick's plant in Watton, in the eastern English county of Norfolk, have risen to 175, according to Norfolk County Council (NCC).

NCC held a press conference yesterday (29 October) where officials said the pace of infections had picked up in the county over the past week to 89 per 100,000 from 59/100,000, with the rise "closely" connected to the Cranswick Country Foods' plant in Watton, mainly in its butchery operations.

While 175 staff had tested positive, another 185 had negative results, the NCC said, with those infected self-isolating. A mobile test unit was set up at the Cranswick site on Monday. The virus at the plant has escalated from the initial four cases reported earlier in October, the NCC confirmed.

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29 October

Kellogg ups guidance again after Covid, emerging markets boost sales

Kellogg lifted its forecasts for full-year sales and earnings today (29 October) after reporting a near-5% rise in underlying net sales in its third quarter.

The US-based cereal and snacks giant has seen Covid-19 continue to fuel its retail sales, while the Pringles maker also pointed to "strong growth" in emerging markets in the third quarter.

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France to enter second national lockdown

PresidentEmmanuel Macron has announced a second national lockdown in France, starting tomorrow (30 October).

Only schools and businesses deemed to be selling essential goods, like supermarkets and pharmacies, will stay open.

Cafes, restaurants and other shops will shut down.

"I know the weariness and this feeling of a day with no end that is overcoming all of us," Macron said in a national address. "We must stick together and remain united, and not give in to the poison of division."

Citizens will only be allowed to leave home for essential work or medical reasons andwould need to fill in a form to justify leaving their placeof residence. They are allowed to exercise for one hour a day.

The measures will last initially until 1 December.

"We have been overwhelmed by the rapid acceleration of Covid-19," Macron said. "The virus is circulating at a speed that not even the most pessimistic forecasts had anticipated."

Data from Johns Hopkins University show France has had 1.28m cases of the novel coronavirus, with 35,823reported to have died.

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Germany set for "lockdown light"

Angela Merkel and leaders of Germany's 16 federal states have agreed to a partial lockdown starting on Monday (2 November).

Restaurants and bars will close, although they can still offer takeaway services.

Entertainment venues such as theatres and cinemas will be shut. Gyms will also close.

Shops are to remain open, with a regulation stipulating only one customer allowed per 10 square metres (or 108 feet).

Speaking at a press conference, Merkel said Germany was "in a very serious situation", adding:"We must act, and now, to avoid an acute national health emergency."

Data from Johns Hopkins University shows Germany has had486,972 confirmed Covid-19cases, with 10,281 reported to have died.

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28 October

Merkel 'wants to close restaurants'

Reuters has reported today (28 October) Angela Merkel is looking for Germany's state premiers to agree to a move to shut all restaurants in the country from 4 November.

The news agency says it has seen a draft resolution that would close all bars, cinemas, gyms and concert halls, among other venues.

The German Chancellor is said to be set to hold a conference call with state leaders later today.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Germany has had 463,555 confirmed cases of Covid-19. Some 10,177 citizens have died.

Reuters has also reported Germany's Economy Minister, Peter Altmaier, as saying the country was likely to reach 20,000 cases a day by the end of the week.

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27 October

Nestle's confectionery plant in Newcastle hit by Covid-19 infections

Nestl said its plant in Fawdon in the north-eastern city of Newcastle has recorded 29 positive cases of Covid-19 among the workforce.

The cases were confirmed from the 19-26 of October, a Nestl spokesperson said, adding: "If a case is confirmed, we undertake rigorous contact tracing to ensure we can isolate any other individuals who may have been in close contact in the workplace.

"We have also introduced the additional measure of the mandatory wearing of disposable masks across the factory. Keeping people safe remains our top priority."

The factory manufactures a range of confectionery products, including Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles, Rolo, Munchies and Toffee Crisp.

The spokesperson continued: "We are working closely with authorities and continue to follow all advice to reduce the risk of infection. Our factories already have strict hygiene measures in place and we have issued extra guidance and implemented additional measures across all of our sites since the very beginning of the pandemic."

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Burton's Biscuit Co. confirms four Covid-19 cases at Edinburgh factory

Burton's Biscuit Co.has confirmed four workers at its factory in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh have tested positive for coronavirus, although the plant is operating normally.

The facility produces a range of shortbreads and the Burton's snack and biscuit brands Fish 'n' Chips and Viscount, a spokesperson for the company told just-food.

"The health, safety and well-being of our colleagues remains our number one priority. We continue to work closely with local health authorities to ensure that the most stringent hygiene and social-distancing measures are in place," the spokesperson said. "In addition, we continue to follow all guidance and advice provided by theGovernment.

"The Health Protection Team has undertaken a risk assessment and confirmed they are satisfied with the appropriateness of the measures taken by the company."

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Update on Covid-19 cases at Cranswick site

Local health officials in the eastern English county of Norfolk have issued an update on the number of positive Covid-19 tests at a plant run by UK meat giant Cranswick.

Describing the incidence of cases at the pork-productsfactory in Watton as a"significant outbreak", Norfolk County Council director of public health Dr Louise Smith said testing of staff at the site had "identified about 140 positive cases out of around 300 tested so far".

She added: "The analysis of swabs continues and the remaining staff on site are being tested today and tomorrow."

A spokesperson for Cranswick, one of the UK's largest suppliers of pork and poultry products, said its employees diagnosed with the virus were "tested in line with the advice given to us by PHE [government agency Public Health England]and , are all asymptomatic and currently self-isolating".

Tests at the site are ongoing and the spokesperson said Cranswick was "continuing to work co-operatively" with local and government health officials "to agree the next steps but envisage[s]there will be disruption to the full operation of the plant in the short term".

Cranswick has pork-products plants in Eye in eastern England, further north in Preston, near Hull, and in Ballymena in Northern Ireland.

In August, Cranswicktemporarily closed the Ballymena facility after cases of Covid-19 among staff.

In May, it was reportedthree workers at Cranswick's plant in Wombwell in south Yorkshire in northern England died after contracting the virus.

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26 October

Nestlsets out capex plans in India

The Indian arm of the world's largest food maker has outlined plans to invest in manufacturing.

NestlIndia, which is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange, said it's to spend INR26bn (US$351.6m) over the next "three to four years" on projects that "augment our existing manufacturing capacities", as well as on the construction of a new factory in Gujarat. That move, whch will see Nestlbuild a plant to make Maggi products, was announced last year.

Approached for just-food for more detail on the plans and on the scale of the investment compared to previous periods, NestlIndia declined to comment, pointing to its status as a listed company.

The disclosure came as NestlIndia reported a 10.2% rise in third-quarter sales to INR35.25bn. The business pointed to "double-digit" growth for brands including Maggi noodles and KitKat chocolate.

NestlIndia said demand in the country's "out-of-home channel improved through the quarter but continues to be impacted by Covid".

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How to keep the heat under US frozen-food sales

US frozen-food sales have received a boost from Covid-19 but the category was already in growth before the pandemic, bouncing back after several years in the doldrums. just-food's US columnist Victor Martino looks at how manufacturers and brand-owners can continue to drive sales.

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Biofach trade show to go virtual

One of Europe's largest annual trade events focusing on organic food is to be held virtually in 2021.

Biofach, put together by Germany-based exhibition company NrnbergMesse and held alongside personal-care expo Vivaness, convenes every February and this year's show took place as usual before Covid-19 struck Europe.

"The numerous conversations and in-depth dialogue we have had in recent weeks and months have made one thing clear to us. Within the organic food and natural and organic cosmetics sector the desire for interaction, networking and knowledge transfer with experts, and to discover trends and innovations, remains huge and unabated, especially in these exceptional times, Petra Wolf, member of the NrnbergMesse management board, said.

"I very much regret that the physical trade fair cannot take place and stress that this decision was an extremely difficult one for all of us. However, before we all meet again on site in Nuremberg in 2022, the Biofach / Vivaness eSpecial will offer an ideal platform for professional dialogue in 2021."

The virtual event will take place between 17 and 19 February next year.

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Poland announces curbs on restaurants

The whole of Poland went into a "red zone" of restrictions on Saturday, including the partial closure of restaurants.

Delivery and takeaway will still be allowed but dine-in has been banned under measures that stop just short of a national lockdown.

The announcement was made on Friday, with Poland's government confirming the following day President Andrzej Duda had tested positive for Covid-19.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Poland has had 263,929 confirmed cases of the virus. Some 4,483 citizens have died.

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South Africa's Libstar eyes cost improvements

The South African FMCG group has started "cost rationalisation" projects across the business in a bid to make savings but, the company insisted, up capacity and improve service for customers.

The company said "several" initiatives were underway, including at its Lancewood dairy arm and at its Dickon Hall Foods unit, which co-manufactures for food majors including Nestl and Unilever.

"Several cost-rationalisation projects are underway throughout the Group, most notably within the Dickon Hall Foods, Lancewood and Libstar HPC [home and personal care] divisions. These projects are expected to start yielding meaningful benefits from H1 2021." Libstar said alongside the publication of a third-quarter financial update.

Approached by just-food for more detail, including on the possible impact on products and jobs, Libstar said the projects are "all aimed at the improvement of the group's operating efficiencies and service levels to customers".

It added: "At Lancewood, we have invested in hard-cheese packaging upgrades to improve manufacturing efficiencies and service levels. Cost-rationalisation efforts are underway at Dickon Hall Foods. These projects have been aimed at improving production efficiencies and volume throughputs."

In the nine months to 2 October, Libstar's revenue increased 6.2% after a 14.4% rise in its third quarter.

"Whilst the group has been able to protect gross profit margins, general and administrative expenses for the year ended 31 December 2020 are likely to remain significantly higher relative to the prior year," Libstar said, pointing to Covid-19-related expenses and the fact the company is lapping "a lower comparative base" in the shape of the fourth quarter of 2019.

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23 October

UK-based private-label business Oscar Mayer to close plant

Oscar Mayer, a manufacturer of private-label ready-meals for UK food retailers, has entered consultations with staff over the proposed closure of its plant in Chard, south-west England, with 860 workers to lose their jobs.

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More:

Trading through Covid-19 and beyond, daily food industry updates Friday 30 October (free to read) - just-food.com