Packaging equipment

App to encourage sharing of packaging ideas

App lets designers share ideas

By Rick Pendrous

A development tool, which allows packaging designers to create artwork on three-dimensional (3D) digital models of their chosen container, is now also available on mobile devices.

“This incident was entirely preventable ...

Food packaging firm gets £33k bill for severed finger

By Michael Stones

A food packaging firm has been ordered to pay more than £33,000 after one of its workers suffered a severed finger and other hand injuries while trying to unblock a poorly guarded machine.

Theres more room for innovation in hard cheese, says Adams Foods's marketing director

Adams Foods responds to customer demand for innovation

By Nicholas Robinson

Adams Foods has pumped £3M into a new customer innovation centre in response to customer demand for innovation in hard cheese, the company’s marketing director Alastair Jackson has said.

Princes started work at its Bradford site in 2012

Princes completes £40M Bradford redevelopment

By Nicholas Robinson

Princes food and drink group has completed a £40M redevelopment project at its Bradford-based soft drinks factory to increase capacity and improve its production capabilities, after work began in Autumn 2012.

Clothier: 'We are going to look at where we can go with green transport'

Wyke Farms invests £800k in packaging systems

By Rod Addy

Wyke Farms has invested £800,000 in shelf-ready packaging technology as part of its ‘100% Green’ initiative, and plans further eco-friendly projects, according to ceo Richard Clothier.

Food firms can prepare for FIR with new kit

Quick changes for FIR compliance

Coding specialist Interactive Coding Equipment (ICE) is offering kit which it claims will help food companies prepare for the new EU Food information for Consumers regulation (FIR), which comes into force on December 13.

Tim Moulsdale: It's all about getting product out of the scale quickly

Control speed and quality in bagging

By Paul Gander

Vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) for light product, whether crisps or salad, is one of those areas where line speed, handling and quality control have to be balanced against each other. In particular, how do you integrate metal detection without reducing...

CCE has invested £13M in a new bottling line at its Wakefield site

CCE’s £13M Wakefield investment to boost economy

By Laurence Gibbons

Coca-Cola Enterprises’ (CCE’s) planned £13M bottle production line at its Wakefield facility could help Yorkshire attract global investment and boost the UK economy, according to prime minister David Cameron.

The Fuel brand entered the breakfast category targeted at young men

Man packaging: not for girls?

By Paul Gander

From Yorkie bars to Coke Zero, the food industry has shown itself to be sceptical about the role of gender-orientated packaging – particularly where it targets men. But a new industry survey supports the idea that for some brand-owners this can be a critical...

Chocolate manufacturers can benefit from new wrapper

Chocs and biscuits get wrapped

Chocolate, confectionery and biscuit makers in the UK are being targeted with new flowrapping equipment from Ulma Packaging.

AG Barr makes brands such as Irn Bru and Rubicon

AG Barr production shift could see 40 jobs go

By Rod Addy

AG Barr’s relocation of carton production from its Tredegar site in Wales to Milton Keynes could result in a net loss of 40 jobs as it closes the Tredegar factory.

31% of sandwiches bought in the UK are chicken

The UK’s favourite sandwich is chicken

By Nicholas Robinson

Sandwiches with a chicken filling are the most popular variety bought by consumers, new data from the British Sandwich Association (BSA) has shown.

The new Kerrygold production facility will have a capacity of 50,000t of butter

New €30M Kerrygold site to create 50 jobs

By Laurence Gibbons

The Irish Dairy Board (IDB) has invested €30M (£24.6M) in a new butter production and packaging facility for its Kerrygold brand, creating 50 jobs in Mitchelstown, County Cork.

Automating arduous and mundane tasks such as palletising can free staff up to focus on more valuable jobs

FOODEX 2014

Food firms could treble productivity with lean tools

By Rod Addy

Food manufacturers could treble their productivity with no new resources by applying lean manufacturing tools, according to Professor Peter Hines, partner at lean consultancy SA Partners.

Lack of engineering know-how makes food firms scared about investing in automation, says one expert

FOODEX 2014

Fear factor, not cash, limits food factory automation

By Rod Addy

Food industry automation projects stall not because of lack of finance, but because of the ‘fear factor’ that firms won’t have engineers with the know-how to install or maintain systems.

Flexible packaging to be key to Ishida’s Foodex stand

X-ray can spot specific invaders

Innovation in quality control and the ability to tailor equipment for a variety of food packing applications will be the key themes of Ishida Europe’s Foodex stand.

Packaging Automation to show cost cutting tray sealers at Foodex

Low energy tray sealers can cut costs by 90%

Electric flexible tray sealers designed to seal film, foil or board lids to plastic, foil or board trays, will be shown by Packaging Automation (PA). Speeds ranging from 15 to 150 packs a minute mean that equipment can cater for the needs of the start-up...

Genius has secured a listing to 800 Tesco stores following its acquisition of two production sites last year

Acquisitions led to growth and jobs at Genius Foods

By Laurence Gibbons

Gluten-free food manufacturer Genius Foods has grown its product category by 25%, created 400 jobs and secured two “milestone” contracts, following its acquisition of two Finsbury Food Group production facilities last year.

Soup firm invests following vending machine contract

On form to meet vending machine soup demand

Newly-established supplier to the vending industry, Gloucestershire-based Maxpax, is investing in a second TFS 400 Thermoformer from Ulma Packaging. The machine will vacuum wrap paper cups to meet the growing demand for its Incup range of drinks for Knorr...

Packaging firm invests in checkweighers

New checkweighers give the right response

Universal Flexible Packaging (UFP) has installed three new Ishida DACS-W checkweighers at its Leicester factory. It now has five Ishida multihead weighers and 12 checkweighers.

Ainsley Harriott brand expands Symington’s range

Ainsley Harriet’s soup in a tub

The Ainsley Harriott brand has expanded its product range, made by Symington’s, with what is claimed to be the first-ever soup stored at ambient temperature and packaged in a tub. This novel approach from Clondalkin Group company Chadwicks means the products...

Packaging Innovations show preview

The latest technology in the bag

This month’s Packaging Innovations show, which takes place at Birmingham’s Nationals Exhibition Centre (February 26 and 27), promises to introduce visitors to some exciting new developments in food and drink packaging. The show will include more than...

Software aids traceability in today's complex retail business climate

Direct network links help to manage data proliferation

With the growing amount of data being generated for - and on - packaging lines, particularly around printers, readers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), cameras and other peripherals, food and drink companies are realising the value of a direct link...

Kolak owner Ashok Lakhani (l) with fellow director and son Rikin Lakhani

Installation triples snack output

The installation of Ishida’s latest snacks packing solution - 18-head multi-head weighers and Atlas bagmakers with advanced Ishida integrated Total Packaging Systems (iTPS) software - at Kolak Snack Foods in London, is helping to nearly triple output...

Work has begun on the Haverfordwest effluent treatment plant

First Milk investment soured by Wrexham’s fate

By Rod Addy

Dairy cooperative First Milk faced bitter sweet developments this week, with news of green investment in its Haverfordwest creamery in Pembrokeshire soured by confirmation it would close its Wrexham cheese packing plant.

Lye Cross Farm makes a variety of Cheddar and territorial cheeses

HSBC pumps cash into cheese maker

By Rod Addy

HSBC has pumped millions of pounds into Somerset cheese manufacturer Lye Cross Farm, which it claims will boost production by 1,000t a year to 4,500t to meet growing demand.

Youtube suprise hit - a day in the life of a fish box

Film: a day in the life of a fish box

A film showing ‘A day in the life of a fish box’ – from port to plate – has proved a surprise hit on YouTube, according to its producers, the British Plastics Federation (BPF).

Cheese plant's efficient packaging pumps

Vacuum pumps enable more efficient packaging

When Crewe-based FayreField Foods established its custom-built cheese cutting and packaging plant, it called on vacuum pump manufacturer Busch to supply two R 5 0630 oil-lubricated rotary vane vacuum pumps, which stand alone in a purpose-built enclosed...

Salad factory to provide 'latest technology' for Worcestershire firm

State of the art salad factory

Equipment supplier Lingwood Food Services has been involved in the development of a state of the art salad factory for Kanes Foods.

Greencore 'revolutionises' chilled ready meals

Join the chilled food 'revolution'

Greencore Prepared Meals claims to have revolutionised chilled ready meals with the development of retorted meals with peelable film. The firm makes retorted chilled meals for customers such as Weight Watchers and retailer own-label.

French bean sprout manufacturer automates packaging line

Keep the freshness and crunch in bean sprouts

France's biggest producer of bean sprouts Heng Sieng has automated its packing operation with the installation of two Ishida multihead weighers that combine gentle and hygienic handling with fast and accurate weighing.

Karro plans to improve efficiencies and increase exports out of its Malton site

Karro Food Group’s top two priorities

By Gary Scattergood

Increasing volumes and improving efficiencies are the two main priorities in the year ahead for Karro Food Group, which was formed following a management buyout of Vion’s pork division last December.

Bottles that can handle the heat

Lighter-weight bottles offer hot-fill flexibility

An enhanced range of bottles for hot-fill food and beverages, which uses a technology for improved filling, greater design flexibility, lighter weight and smoother walls, has been introduced by polyethylene terephthalate packaging specialist APPE.

The campaign aims to increase 'retail-ready' formats

Pallet project to slash food industry costs

By Rick Pendrous

Pallet specialist CHEP is to lead a campaign to bring manufacturers and retailers into agreement on a standard pallet size, which it claims offers huge potential cost savings.

Unless the new labels change purchasing behaviour, they will have failed

Campaign to clarify new hybrid label

By Rick Pendrous

The government is planning a public education campaign to help consumers understand the new hybrid front-of-pack (FoP) nutrition labelling scheme the Department of Health (DH) recently launched to stem rising obesity levels.

Ishida crisp packing performance raised by 35%

Higher packing performance is in the crisp bag

Ishida's Atlas range of snack food bagmakers have been enhanced to the extent that their performance on crisp packing has been raised by 35%, making 150 bags a minute possible on a single machine.