Despite the clamour to reduce food miles, the food industry relies on transporting products and ingredients whether it is milk, poultry or hops between locations, in order to add value to them.
An automated bagging line by Pacepacker has enabled Merseyside chip shop potato grower Baxters High Brow Produce to improve pack presentation, increase throughput by 38% an hour and reduce production staff.
Automation can make a major contribution to the bottom line. But the logic behind where and how you automate processes is not as simple as might first appear...
Significant public and private sector initiatives look set to spur food and drink processors to meet urgent environmental targets, starting with a call from the UK’s largest food waste recycler.
The queen marched on, confident of her move. The bishop stayed near her, knowing that his position was vulnerable to attack. If the enemy struck, he would be the victim. Yet it would be an honour to die protecting his queen. The moment was tense. Then,...
As it plans to demonstrate how its vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) options can be integrated with high-pressure processing (HPP) at this May’s Interpack show in Düsseldorf, Multivac claims that the process technology is being driven by...
By Paul Gander In the same month that Asda bafflingly began trials on a ‘paper bottle’ for milk, citing its sustainability, the fresh milk supply chain is demonstrating best practice with the existing high density polyethylene (HDPE) format.
Britain may not be able to boast anywhere near the hours of sunshine of some Mediterranean countries, but that doesn’t mean companies based here can’t benefit from greater use of photovoltaic (PV) renewable energy sources.
The concept of late customisation looks to be expanding out of the confines of research departments and into mainstream manufacturing operations. It’s a way of cost-effectively making a variety of products that use a common ingredient by adding flavour...
It’s going to be another challenging year for industry. With VAT increases, soaring fuel costs and extreme weather conditions influencing ingredients, it hasn’t begun well.
Chilli Jam Man has boosted sales by including specific nutritional breakdowns on all its labels with the help of advice from food group Deliciously Yorkshire.
By Lorraine Mullaney Demand for Moo Free’s dairy-free chocolate Easter eggs is so great that the manufacturer has doubled the size of the chocolate room at its Reading factory, taken on new staff and plans to move to new premises later this year.
Responsibility for food labelling in England moved to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) last year. Since then, there has been a deafening silence on the fate of the draft Date Marking Guidance...
Food and agricultural businesses are often unknowingly illegally employing workers from Romania and Bulgaria within the 'black economy' because of a loophole in the law regarding self-employment status, it has emerged.
Around 300 workers employed at a Newcastle frozen food factory who lost their jobs after the site was gutted by fire in early 2009 are finally starting to receive statutory redundancy pay.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating whether a controversial ice cream made with donated breast milk, and sold in a London restaurant, breaches food safety regulations.
Goldenfry Foods has a won a legal judgement against three former employees who misused trade secrets to establish a breakaway company and appropriate a £5m supermarket contract for gravy granules.
Fairtrade claims are currently less important to UK shoppers than health and even animal welfare product claims, data from MMR Research Worldwide indicates – while figures from the Fairtrade Foundation suggest ongoing growth.
Scottish sausage skin maker Devro is seeing growth due to rising meat consumption in emerging markets and the demand for conversion of casings from gut to collagen in animal hides.
Associated British Foods (ABF) has issued what stockbroker Shore Capital describes as a “rather subdued” trading update, following a disastrous UK beet sugar harvest
Dry blended foods producer the Hügli Group has invested around £2m to double the size of its UK production facility and process more savoury products such as soups and sauces.
Diageo anticipates big growth from developing countries in the medium-term, and is planning further acquisitions in these markets given difficult trading conditions in mature markets such as Europe and North America.
Food and beverage manufacturers who drag their heels over salary issues or benefits risk missing out on attracting the best industry talent in a market where highly skilled job applicants can pick and choose, say industry experts.
Workers at Headland Foods in Flint are asking for a more flexible approach to redundancy payments from owner Kerry Group, given worries that they could lose money by taking new work before the factory closes.
The Findus Group has confirmed that 47 workers have accepted voluntary redundancy at the Young's Seafood factory in Grimsby, although the job losses are fewer than initially expected.
Solid branded and own-label growth in 2010 consumer food sales saw Kerry Foods see off rising ingredient costs, cautious shoppers and a tough promotional climate.
Major EU food manufacturers continue to offer low- or no fat products as a consumer option alongside goods higher in fat, while the trend towards healthier food launches along these lines has remained flat or even declined in some states.
Longbenton Foods is still in the running to buy the former Northumberland Foods site in Amble, FoodManufacture.co.uk can reveal, despite a prior inability to complete the purchase that led to the administrator tearing-up a previous sale contract in January.
Cornish pasty producers have welcomed an European Commission (EC) decision to award protected status to products made in the region according to a uniform traditional recipe.
North Tyneside MP Mary Glindon admits she has hit a “brick wall” as she attempts to gain further information on the continuing confusion at Longbenton Foods Newcastle site.
Greencore is under pressure to table a viable counter-bid by March 2 to beat Ranjit Boparan in the struggle to takeover Northern Foods, but still has advantages on its side if it does do so, says one City analyst.
United Biscuits (UB) has announced plans to shed around 85 jobs at its McVitie's biscuit factory in Glasgow, and has begun a consultation with staff and unions in a bid to ensure voluntary rather than compulsory redundancies.
Greenpeace has taken direct action at Princes' Liverpool HQ, in a bid to shame the food giant over what the campaign group claims are its use of destructive tuna fishing methods.
A Scottish entrepreneur claims that two top food manufacturers and a major supermarket have shown interest in licensing an innovative colour-changing label that tells consumers how fresh their food is, which could be used on products within 12 months.
Staff at Longbenton Foods’ Benton Lane factory in Newcastle upon Tyne have reacted with disbelief to claims by owner Geir Frantzen that bosses have maintained “excellent” dialogue with employees during its recent troubles.
Devonshire Desserts - the newly created company that has acquired the plant, machinery and freehold of the former PoleStar desserts factory at Okehampton - is part of the Country Style Foods group led by md Joe Wood, FoodManufacture.co.uk has learnt.
