Powder flow problems? I should cocoa
Cocoa powder storage in silos, hoppers and bins can be fraught with blockage problems such as bridging and 'ratholing' because of its cohesive...
Archives for March 1, 2006
New energy thirst-quenchers burst gassy drinks' bubble
The Hotelympia show in London last month saw the unveiling of a new way to enjoy water in the form of O2go. When added to water, these powder...
Poll reveals drift towards outsourcing
Three out of four respondents to Food Manufacture's latest on-line poll believe more UK food and drink companies will exit manufacturing this year...
Direct Table more than saves its bacon with a £20m plant
Bacon processor Direct Table Foods will open a £20m, purpose-built factory in Bury St Edmunds next month to replace the previous plant, which was...
More 'breakthrough thinking' needed or Heinz will become a has-been, cautions Miller
Heinz must fundamentally change its approach to innovation or risk being sidelined in categories it has dominated for decades, its UK president has...
Sucralose war looms as Wal-Mart takes the shine off T&L's Splenda
Tate & Lyle has shrugged off the latest threat to its money-spinning Splenda sucralose business as a minor irritation while it ramps up...
Who ate all the pies?
They might struggle to appease the healthy eating lobby, but meat pie makers are going the extra mile to reduce salt and artery-clogging trans fats, says Michelle Knott
Dust-up over explosion risks
With new rules on explosion hazards in dusty environments coming into force in July, John Dunn asks what manufacturers need to do to comply
Nutritional kiddy range knocks the parrot off its perch
Sainsbury has followed Tesco's lead and relaunched its own-label children's range. The retailer has done away with its Blue Parrot Café brand and...
Feast of yeast for Japanese
Japanese brewer Asahi has launched Super Yeast Ever-Changing Draft Beer, a seasonal beer that uses two different types of yeast to offer consumers...
Meat-free goes mainstream
Consumers looking for healthier options are increasingly heading for the meat-free fixture. Gail Hunt finds out how manufacturers are cashing in and whether the veggie option is always the healthiest one
Panache of roasted scallops with foie gras, sauce sauternes
Ian McNaught whips up a seafood classic with a tangy twist
Tougher rules on product endorsement on the way
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to introduce guidelines on food endorsements, having argued for their inclusion in Europe's forthcoming regulation...
Note of frustration as retailers fail to sing to the same tune
Incompatible product specs prompt action
New effluent guidance will let firms operate without permits
Pollution control permits for food manufacturing sites might not be needed after all
Kitchen specialist
Chef Paul Durbin set up Loxton Foods in the late 1980s and now uses sous-vide technology to supply restaurant quality food to foodservice outlets
A bowl full of opportunity
Consumers want less sugar, less fat, less salt, and a clean label to boot, which means MSG, hydrolysed vegetable protein and modified starch are off the menu for soup makers, says Elaine Watson
Sowing the seeds to create healthier low-GI bread
Glycaemic Index (GI) cynics may have been proved wrong as, what many assumed was a fly by night fad, seems to have cemented itself into the mind of...
Scientists call for increased control of nanotechnology
Undamped fears could kill market, says IFST
FSA labels 'dead in the water'
Industry is making a mockery of agency's hopes for harmony as brands go own way
Raising bakery's game to attract new talent to the industry
Spring is in the air, and as our thoughts turn to the smell of freshly baked hot cross buns, so too do Improve's. The food and drink sector skills...
Culture shock
A raft of new training courses and programmes has been developed to help employers cope with their increasingly multicultural workforces. Rebecca Green takes a look
Trans-formed
When retailers start announcing the removal of all hydrogenated fats from their products, how do manufacturers respond and what are the technical implications? Rebecca Green finds out
Ethnic food producers urged to hit Europe's new hot spots
Firms' island mentality means they could miss the cross-channel boat, warns agency
Uni-Lite fantastic
Microbiology and life sciences products supplier Biotrace has launched the latest version of its Uni-Lite hygiene monitoring instrument in response...
Somerfield on PCC prowl
As I explained last month, Somerfield is desperate to reduce its supply chain costs.Its chosen approach is to build PCCs (pre-consolidation centres)....
Alfesca on the prowl as Lyons roars ahead
The Icelandic owner of Lyons Seafoods and Farne Salmon and Trout is on the lookout for more UK acquisitions after a record year in which both...
Benzene tests confirmed on UK drinks
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed it is investigating claims that benzene, a known carcinogen, could be present in soft drinks.It comes...
Communication breakdown
Cleaning factories would be a whole lot easier and quicker if engineers thought more about hygienic plant design, says Elaine Watson
Retail pressure on ready meals suppliers focuses attention on novelty and cost
Retailer demands for well-differentiated ready meals, on low margins, often with product life measured in weeks rather than months, are having a...
Folate fortification gives flour power, but at what cost?
Fears have been expressed that bakers will end up footing the bill if the government goes ahead with plans to fortify flour to increase pregnant...
Chills but no frills
Sarah Britton finds out what the German market holds for manufacturers
3PLs cash in on customisation co-packing opportunities
Wincanton is scouting around for a site suitable for a new dedicated co-packing operation in a bid to cash in on growing demands from retailers for...
Jamie blamed for killing off school dinners
A preoccupation with buzzwords such as 'local', 'fresh' and 'organic' when it comes to meals procurement in state schools is diverting attention from...
Crisp firm buyer promises golden future
Tayto, the company that bought Golden Wonder and its brands from administrators in February, said it planned to develop new products and...
Separate UK salt rules could wreck exports of dairy foods
Making products for multiple markets would no longer be viable, warns industry body
Organic regulations overhaul
There are certain topics in food legislation that defy sensible comprehension, and European organic legislation is a prime example.To fully...
Tesco sets the pace on shelf-ready packs
Tesco has led the move to shelf-ready packaging (SRP) among retailers, and helped to create the Starpack award in this category.Head of design Jeremy...
Frozen frustration
He's been ramming it home for years, but Captain Birds Eye's 'If it's fresh it's frozen' mantra just hasn't hit home with consumers, who still see frozen as the poor cousin of chilled, says Elaine Watson
Aunt Bessie starts baking batches of the very best cakes
This month sees the launch, not only of a new product range, but a new category within frozen food, which is expected to add £50m to the sector.Food...
Typhoo tea production streamlined
Before it sold its Typhoo tea business to the Indian Apeejay Surendra Group last year in a deal worth £80m, Premier Foods had streamlined production...
Eco-friendly suppliers plan boardroom coup
engineers only want cheap plant rather than low life-time costs
Chocolate gets a labelling makeover
Chocolate bars and sweet packaging are soon to include health messages in an echo of warnings on cigarette packets. In the past, manufacturers have...
Guilt-free indulgence
If a cake has less than 100 calories per serving, it's going to taste like cardboard, right? Wrong, says Mr Kipling and a raft of other manufacturers jumping on the guilt-free bandwagon. Gail Hunt reports