IT

Experts from the dairy and meat categories will offer insights to support your digital journey

Cheese and meat firms share digital insights

By Rod Addy

Digital technology can benefit businesses of all sizes and does not have to cost the earth, delegates will hear at the next free Food Manufacture webinar, which is sponsored by Siemens.

Carvalho: 'We can give the consumer full sight of their products’ journey from orchard to plate'

Why UK almond supplier is implementing blockchain tech

By Rod Addy

Veracruz Almonds is boosting traceability by implementing blockchain technology at its estates in Idanha-a-Nova and Fundão, Portugal in preparation for expanding its exports to distributors and suppliers in the UK and Europe.

Ensuring compliance across a complex supply chain is tough at the best of times

Experts from Tesco and McCormick tackle compliance

By Rod Addy

Experts from Tesco and global herbs and spices supplier McCormick & Company will form part of a panel tackling traceability and compliance in a volatile market in our free webinar on 25 May.

Newton: Manufacturers need to focus on technology's value as well as its features and functionality

Opinion

How to increase profit margins in food processing

By Andrew Newton

Profit margin is one metric to keep a close eye on and strive to continuously improve. Here Andrew Newton considers ways to boost margins in food manufacturing businesses.

Fotiadis: 'Investment in new technologies is key to a sustainable food chain'

Supply chain opinion

Food supply chain fragility: what can be done?

By Fotis Fotiadis

Events over the past 18 months have shown how fragile our global food system is. Fotis Fotiadis, chief executive officer and co-founder of Better Origin, discusses what can be done in this opinion piece.

Made Smarter helps small to medium-sized firms understand where industry 4.0 could fit into their strategies

Made Smarter

How Made Smarter is helping firms grow through digital tech

By Rod Addy

Food manufacturers classed as small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are proving keen to implement industry 4.0 via Made Smarter and it's paying off, says Donna Edwards, director for Made Smarter's North West adoption programme.

A worker at Len Wright Salads

Food manufacturers adopt industry 4.0 via Made Smarter

By Rod Addy

Potato producer Fylde Fresh and Fabulous, chocolate manufacturer Ye Olde Friars and cake and pudding maker Classic Desserts are among the latest businesses to sign up to the north west Made Smarter Adoption programme.

Sanderson: 'Transforming transparency into genuine traceability'

Food safety opinion

Innovation and creativity love crises and constraints

By Rick Sanderson

“Crises present us with unique conditions that allow innovators to think and move more freely to create rapid, impactful change,” as Larry Clark, managing director, Global Learning Solutions, Harvard Business Publishing once said.

The site will require the existing workforce to acquire new skills

Treatt and Siemens detail new digital factory

By Rod Addy

Global ingredients supplier Treatt shares more details about its new digital factory in Suffolk, construction of which has involved a close partnership with Siemens, in this podcast.

Falfish's systems enable it to trace customers' products back to catches made by individual boats, managing fluctuating stocks

Second of a two-part interview on take-up of software and automated processes

Half of food firms operate paper-based planning processes

By Rod Addy

Half of all food firms have processes that include significant paper-based planning, with some larger players completely paper-led, according to Rob Stephens, managing director at Systems Integration (SI).

Firms producing perishable products are increasingly turning to software systems to keep pace with raw material orders

Two-part interview on take-up of software and automated processes

EU exit concerns drive companies towards automation

By Rod Addy

Food firms are being driven to automate ordering and production in response to the effects of the UK Brexit vote, according to Systems Integration (SI).

The Nursery Kitchen aims to recruit more staff, expand its customer base and launch new ranges

Nursery meals company dives into Industry 4.0

By Helen Gilbert

The Nursery Kitchen is set to embark on a pilot digital technology programme that will help it move away from outdated, paper-based processes and boost productivity.

Marples: 'Automated reporting, user-friendly dashboards, alerts and real-time notifications provide hugely valuable data'

Supply chain software firm finds fresh funding

By Helen Gilbert

Food tech specialist Authenticate Information Systems has secured a new funding round of £2.3m that will allow it to double the size of its software and data teams.

Hanwell has launched an app for tracking critical environmental alerts

Hanwell adds mobile alarms app

By Ellie Woollven

Wireless environmental monitoring equipment specialist Hanwell Solutions has introduced a smart EMS Alarms app for critical environment alerts.

New blockchain-based traceability service could build trust in the beef supply chain

Blockchain service for beef products launched

By Rick Pendrous

A blockchain-based traceability service is being launched by auditing specialist NSF International, which aims to improve operational efficiency and cut costs for farmers while improving consumers’ trust in the supply chain.

Left to right: Brian Holliday and Peter Nallen

Siemens to help malt firm slash costs

By Helen Gilbert

International brewing giant Boortmalt hopes to reduce its costs by up to 30% within the next 12 months after signing a productivity improvement and technology programme with Siemens Digital Industries.

Digital technology has a low adoption rate in manufacturers' food safety

Technology downplayed in food safety

By Gwen Ridler

Less than one-in-ten (8%) manufacturers see new digital technology as playing a major role in their food safety schemes, according to a new report by certification body DNV GL.

UK sugar beet growers face fierce competition with Europe if their isn't more investment in the industry. Picture from British Sugar

News in brief

Sugar grower threat after ‘critical’ system taken down

By Gwen Ridler

British sugar growers will struggle to compete with their European counterparts if Associated British Foods (ABF) does not continue to invest in the industry, the National Farmers Union (NFU) has warned.

Cuthbert: ‘A collaborative retail-supplier relationship should be using all available data’

Opinion

Work with retailers to gain accurate forecasts

By Guy Cuthbert

More collaboration between suppliers and retailers is needed to be able to create accurate forecasts in the food and drink industry, according to Atheon Analytics’ Guy Cuthbert

Digitalisation is the only way to meet food compliance, claims Systems Integration

Digitalisation needed to meet new safety standards

By Gwen Ridler

Digitalisation of the quality assurance (QA) process is the only way food and drink firms will be able to achieve compliance with the new British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standards for Food Safety, the head of a food compliance software provider...

Whitworths has partnered with IFS Applications to update its IT systems

Whitworths’ IT revamp reaps rewards

By Rod Addy

Whitworths has revolutionised its business by overhauling its IT systems in partnership with software solutions provider IFS Applications.

Most modules in the basic Supply Chain Mapper package are designed to be free to use for up to three years

Qadex rebels against supply chain software costs

By Rod Addy

Supply chain software costs are preventing smaller foods firms from developing robust traceability systems, so a free software tool is being launched to encourage an honest, level playing field.

Grahamslaw: ‘Blockchain will be be part of the answer to what will be a very complex issue’

Blockchain only part of the answer

By Gwen Ridler

Blockchain will have its place in the food and drink supply chain, but won’t be the answer to all of its problems, an expert in supply chain has claimed.

Spanish laser coding firm buys into UK

Spain’s Macsa ID snaps up Halo Lasers

By Michelle Perrett

A Barcelona-based specialist in laser coding, marking and scoring systems for the food and beverage industries, among others, has expanded into the UK with the purchase of Bedfordshire-based Halo Lasers.

Speakers at the Institute of Food Science & Technology’s 2018 spring conference spoke of the potential of remote audits

Could remote technology help audits?

By Rod Addy

Remote audits, using drones for filming and even Google Glass, will offer solutions to consumer demands for robust food supply chain standards, but can only supplement face-to-face methods.

Sterling Crew: ‘Blockchain has the potential to revolutionise food traceability and transparency’

Opinion

How blockchain can build trust in food

By Sterling Crew

Sterling Crew, strategic adviser at Shield Safety Group, explains how the use of blockchain can build trust in the food and drink industry.

Blockchain can boost tractability in the food supply chain, explains Flynn

Blockchain would help coordinate the supply chain

By Gwen Ridler

The use of blockchain could help coordinate the different parts of the food and drink supply chain, according to James Flynn, founder and chief technical officer at food safety software provider Primority.

The UK could benefit by up to £21bn through better data management

Better data quality would boost sales

By Rick Pendrous

Suppliers could increase sales by 1–3% by improving the quality of their product data, according to new research from barcode standards body GS1 UK.

Companies are yet to realise the full benefits of digital technologies

Digital could help to unlock £56bn in value

By Michelle Perrett

Food and drink companies could unlock £56bn in value for the sector over the next decade by investing in digital technology, new research from Accenture, the professional services company, has claimed.

Rising product recalls highlight the importance of having effective traceability systems, says CSB-System

Seeing is believing

By Michelle Knott

Greater visibility is needed in the food supply chain to predict problems before they occur and mitigate their impact when they do.

Unilever will pull advertising from Facebook and Google is they don't work to remove toxic online content

Unilever to drop advertising on toxic online platforms

By Gwen Ridler

Marmite owner Unilever has threatened to pull advertising from online platforms such as Facebook and Google if they fail to protect children or create division in society and promote anger or hate.

Barcode scanners must be ISO compliant

Supplier fines in the spotlight

By Rick Pendrous

Britain’s supermarkets have been accused of “profiteering” at the expense of their suppliers by imposing inflated charges for product recalls and other faults, including for barcode labels on cases of product that don’t comply with their system specifications.

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