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Volac sells to consumers

Volac sells to consumers

By Rod Addy

Whey ingredient manufacturer Volac has pledged to expand the number of products under its newly launched consumer brand The Good Whey Company.

Firms fight to fix EU palm oil crisis

Firms fight to fix EU palm oil crisis

By Rod Addy

Rod addyThe crisis in sustainable palm oil (SPO) supply is improving in Europe, but progress is slow and sourcing the right fractions remains a challenge, according to industry stakeholders.

Hand delivery

Hand delivery

By Freddie Dawson

Visions of automaton servants to cater for every need are a far cry from the present state of robotics. Despite this, the use of robots in automated primary packaging systems present significant benefits to manufacturers in terms of hygiene, throughput...

Fix the mix for organic granola

Fix the mix for organic granola

German organic food producer Barnhouse is using an Ajax Equipment continuous mixer and batch mixer to make organic crunchy granola for breakfast cereals on a new process line.

Heinz: investing in energy-efficient boilers

Efficient steam boilers bring cash benefits

By Rod Addy and Rick Pendrous

Heinz and Greene King are two of the latest firms in the food and drink sector to take advantage of energy efficient improvements to significantly cut the operational costs of their boilers.

Off the shelf

Off the shelf

By John Dunn

In 1962 management guru Peter Drucker described logistics as the economy's "last dark continent." He said: "We know little more about distribution than Napoleon's contemporaries knew about the interior of Africa."

New sausage starter culture

New sausage starter culture

Frutarom Savory Solutions has launched a new starter culture, Bitec Advance LD-20, to make firm and fresh raw sausages and sausage spreads. The firm says the culture decreases pH value rapidly, while providing an especially mild acidic profile. Additionally,...

British rose veal steals the show

British rose veal steals the show

Veal still has a controversial reputation because of the way it used to be produced in the UK. But the days of rearing calves in crates are long gone and British Rose Veal now comes with the approval of animal welfare bodies.

Raising hopes

Raising hopes

By Rick Pendrous

Fears that European consumers could miss out on the potential health benefits offered by food science because of the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) rejection of almost two thousand submissions for health claims approval could prove...

Past is present

Past is present

By Rick Pendrous

If there is part of its name that sums up what the Provision Trade Federation (PTF) stands for it is the word 'trade'. However, reading through Providing for Britain: a new book published to celebrate the PTF's 125th birthday, you'd...

New fibres give fortification functionality

New fibres give fortification functionality

By Rod Addy

Food manufacturers can access more fibre options for fortification and texture and taste enhancement of breakfast cereals and baked goods, thanks to ingredients company Ulrick & Short extending its Scilia fibres range.

It's in the bag

It's in the bag

By Rod Addy

Two things strike you as soon as you begin to engage Intersnack md Richard Robinson in any conversation about his background. The first is that, although he is relentlessly positive, it is in a way that's not the least bit irritating. His is a quiet,...

Mixing it up

Mixing it up

By Rod Addy

This is Summit Foods' 31st year. Our core business is frozen meat-based snacks. My family background was in farming, but I have worked in food processing all of my career. My father used to supply eggs to Morrisons. Then came the Edwina Currie [salmonella...

Where does the nanny state go from here?

Where does the nanny state go from here?

By Clare Cheney

I was going to write about cancer and red meat but then I watched the webcast of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board meeting on March 20 on the microbiological safety of raw drinking milk.

Industry has mixed reaction to 2012 budget

Industry has mixed reaction to 2012 budget

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink manufacturers have given Chancellor George Osborne's budget a mixed response. However, given his need to focus on reducing the deficit, the overall view was that it was relatively business friendly.

Meat processers are missing opportunities to promote their products, according to Streeter

Meat packaging `misses brand opportunities‘

By Mike Stones

Unimaginative meat packaging misses significant opportunities to promote brands, improve customer service and cut waste, warned Andrew Streeter, research fellow at market intelligence firm Datamonitor.

Improve chief executive Jack Matthews talks to FoodManufacture.co.uk about the industry skills shortage

Government support needed for skills gap

By Mike Stones and Dan Colombini

Sector Skills council Improve has urged the government to “remove the shackles” from the food industry, which are currently preventing many firms from targeting a younger generation of workers to the sector.

MP Jo Swinson has accused firms of “hiding behind green credentials”

Lib Dem MP slams Easter egg packaging

By Dan Colombini

Confectionery manufacturers have come under fire from Liberal Democrat MP Jo Swinson, who accused some firms of being too complacent on the packaging efficiency and recyclability of Easter eggs.

No EU guidance on wording for health claims is available to firms

Uncertainty continues on health claims wording

By Freddie Dawson

Manufacturers are still not sure how much flexibility they have in wording health claims because guidance from the European Commission (EC) is not yet available.

Experts have confirmed that Dairy Crest could exit the liquid milk market

Dairy Crest liquid milk exit possible

By Rod Addy

The spectre of Dairy Crest’s future exit from liquid milk has again been raised by industry commentator Julian Wild of Rollits solicitors following a pre-close trading update from the firm.

Unite and Tulip will meet with ACAS in the row over redundancy payments for the formerTranfoods workers

Unite confirms ACAS talks in Tulip Tranfoods row

By Dan Colombini

The row over redundancy payments at meat processing firm Tulip’s Tranfoods site has taken a step towards reconciliation after Unite the union revealed that the firm had agreed to talks with the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service ACAS.

A lack of global resources means firms will have to change their methods, according to Neath

Food manufacturers must adapt to lack of resources

By Rod Addy

Dwindling global resources will force food manufacturers to radically change the way they do business in the next few years, according to Gavin Neath, Unilever’s senior vice president of sustainability.

Experts said a trade buyer was likley for the the fish finger maker

Iglo Foods Group sale will attract trade buyer interest

By Dan Colombini

A major multi-national trade buyer is going to be the most likely bidder for frozen food firm Birds Eye Iglo, according to city analysts, after its owner Permira confirmed it was exploring a sale of the business.

HR forum chairman Jack Matthews believes some young people have a negative view of the industry

Food manufacturers need schools for skills gap

By Mike Stones

Food and drink manufacturers should visit schools to attract more young people into the industry rather than rely on recruiting the unemployed to fill the widening skills gap, according to the HR Forum.

The Department of Health has been accused of showing manufacturers a lack of support over salt reduction

Food manufacturers need DoH salt support

By Dan Colombini

Food manufacturers’ willingness to reduce salt in their products is being tested by a lack of support from the Department of Health (DoH), according to a leading health expert.

PepsiCo has confirmed a new £9.3M expansion of its Peterlee site

PepsiCo cuts mileage with £9.3M expansion

By Dan Colombini

Walkers Crisps manufacturer PepsiCo UK has revealed that it is set to cut about 400,000 miles from its annual road usage with a new £9.3M investment at its Peterlee warehouse and distribution centre.

The chancellor wants to impose the warm food tax within six months

Greggs slams government over warm food tax

By Dan Colombini

High street baker Greggs has hit out over the government’s decision to impose a tax on all warm foods after Chancellor George Osborne’s budget announcement led to £30M being wiped off the firm’s value.

Unite has claimed that workers at the Tranfoods site have been locked out since March 6

Unite confirms Tulip Tranfood redundancy talks

By Dan Colombini

Workers from meat processing firm Tulip’s Tranfoods site in Birkenhead will sit down with the firm’s management tomorrow in a bid to end the row over redundancy payments, according to Unite the union.

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