Department urged by food industry to prevent sugar shortages in EU

SUGAR shortages in the European Union will leave Irish food companies facing price increases and ingredient sourcing difficulties this year, according to the food wing of employers’ body IBEC.

Food and Drink Industry Ireland has called on the Department of Agriculture to support the food industry at an upcoming meeting of the European Commission’s sugar management committee, which is planning to issue 350,000 tonnes of sugar export licences.

World market sugar prices reached a 30-year high in November. The group predicts 2011 will be the third year that global production/consumption has been in deficit. The group said its members were having difficulty sourcing sugar and that a larger quantity of sugar needed to be made available within the EU.