European Union legislation could limit the availability of key process chemicals
Essential processes in packaging manufacture, from can coating to ultraviolet printing and plastics barrier coating, could be undermined by European...
Archives for March 28, 2006
Energy efficient cheese
The Cheese Company, part of Milk Link, has opted for an energy efficient turn-key compressed air solution at its Lockerbie creamery. The installation...
Mixing and filling systems offer full traceability
Dairy mixing and filling systems are now available from CC Automation since being appointed the sole UK and Ireland agent for German manufacturer...
Moy Park weighs and labels
Poultry processor Moy Park has installed five Ishida WPL 5000 weigh price labellers and ordered two more for its factory in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in...
Britain is losing out in Europe's robotic race
most production managers 'don't know their true line efficiency'
Retailers deny plans to insist that suppliers use RFID tags on cases
UK food manufacturers will not be issued with US-style mandates from Asda or Tesco demanding they label cases with radio frequency identification...
On the flexible coding case
Ink jet and laser marking equipment provider, Domino, has launched a multi-head base for its high-resolution C-Series printer range. It can run up to...
Communication is the key ingredient in the NPD process
Ingredients manufacturers need to play a more direct role in the new product development (NPD) process, especially where functional foods are...
Bakery supplier masters the soft touch
Ingredients supplier Puratos has launched a new ingredients system that makes bakery products taste fresher for longer."Our new ActiFresh solutions...
New online exchange nets in hauliers
A new online freight exchange has been launched in a bid to reduce empty running and increase vehicle utilisation.Haulage Exchange is the brainchild...
Knowledge transfer fails to move firms
Organisers of a seminar to help food and drink companies raise skills levels have been left frustrated after being forced to cancel the event due to...
MBO for Patisserie
Livingston-based bakery and dessert manufacturer Patisserie UK is aiming to triple in size following a management buyout (MBO) by new md Johnnie...
Chop for ethnic group, which failed to curry funding favour
Cash row leaves specialist North East producers without a dedicated business network
Developing character
What makes a good development chef? It's a question I'm asked nearly as often as: Do you know where I can find a good development chef?Ironically,...
Handholding helps organic baby food firm grow up fast
Organic children's ready meals manufacturer Miniscoff has virtually doubled output, thanks to advice from the Manufacturing Advisory Service...
Northern's faltering rescue plan signals more changes
Second profit warning threatens chief
Coatings build barriers between batter and oil
Edible hydrocolloid coating materials can be effective in reducing fat uptake in battered fish, according to a new report.Campden & Chorleywood...
FSA moves to head off threat of deadly bug in chilled packs
Changes to shelf-life and temperature guidelines could cost the industry dear
Rising energy costs and closures push up corrugated materials prices
Buyers of corrugated cases and trays are being faced with price increases of between five and 12% as costs in the energy-intensive paper industry...
A fair share
They've been around for a while, but Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Rebecca Green looks at what they have to offer the food industry in terms of increased productivity and profit
Bowled over by bread creation
A novel serving concept called the Bread Bowl has put ethnic bread manufacturer Butt Foods in the spotlight.The idea is simple: sweet or savoury...
Seafood firms prey on finger food fanatics to drive market
Unilever is aiming to raise the value of the £85M fish finger sector by £4.1M with its hand-held Birds Eye Mini Fish Fingers.What might sound like...
EFSA work at risk in cash crisis
Levying fees for commercial services would not kick in soon enough, warns director
Asda's cheaper pinta could put industry in a quandary
Suspicion over promises to absorb cuts
Manufacturers compete to take home a slice of the cheese sector
The cheese market has witnessed an array of new ventures this month, with companies taking cheese outside of the sandwich arena and embracing the...
Race is on for Celsius assets
The race is on to sell the remaining assets of cold storage and distribution firm Celsius First after Yearsley Group snapped up depots in Glasgow,...
Food to die for?
Fearful that a carcinogenic ingredient may be cancerous to its reputation, the food industry is pulling out all the stops to cut acrylamide levels. Sarah Britton reports
Driving down costs
Dairy processors face the dilemma of needing to invest to improve their productivity while cutting their costs, says Mike Spear
Share, you know it makes sense
The Americans call it LTL (Less Than full Load) distribution. It requires a shared user network to enable it to operate at an affordable cost to the...
Hale & pace
He's into country sports and other rural pursuits -- and he's even been known to craft the odd walking stick. But Ian Hale's true passion is the same as Andy Warhol's -- Campbell's soup
Voluntary vs compulsory -- what's what?
It's been a while since I touched on claims, mainly due to the fact that we have been awaiting the second parliamentary reading of the proposal on...
Glimmer of a compromise over health claims labelling
'Unhealthy' foods might pass yet the test
Marks sparks supplier row as it puts a hand in firms' pockets
Retailer makes no apologies for imposing a 0.5% non-negotiable marketing allowance
Handmade puds on a roll
Farmhouse Fare is building a 930m2 extension to its factory in Clitheroe, Lancashire, to meet growing demand for its premium chilled puddings.The...
It's chocs away as flexibility takes flight
New research aims to develop packaging machinery that combines automation with flexibility, as John Dunn discovers
Long Term Training for continuous Improvement
Many organisations launch improvement programmes based on good intent, lots of energy and the use of some good tools and techniques. Yet too often...
Mouths open over bagger
Developed to meet the market demands for innovative open-mouth bagging systems, the Chrono-Fill PBS 500 was developed through a collaboration between...
Bakkavör ready to prey on 'fragmented' UK market
Icelandic fresh prepared food giant Bakkavör is back on the acquisition trail in the UK, less than a year after snapping up Geest and Hitchen...
Dairy Crest strike stayed
Dairy Crest has been in emergency talks with unions to avert strike action since it revealed a plan to close its final salary pension scheme to new...
Firms fail to tap into free food science
Small firms are missing out on opportunities for reassurance about their food's microbiological safety by not tapping into valuable web resources,...
Nutritionists dismiss research throwing doubt on to health benefits of omega-3
Manufacturers of food products containing omega-3s should stand their ground and ride the current media storm surrounding the health benefits of fish...