One fifth of Unilever research posts to go
Unilever has rejected suggestions that it is reducing its commitment to research and development (R&D) after a decision to slash more than 20% of...
Archives for November 27, 2006
Meal solutions in good paste
Patak's Foodsolutions builds on Patak's expertise as one of the UK's leading authentic Indian food companies, offering food processors, distributors...
Cash-strapped agency might charge for processing claims
Industry warns that EFSA fees might price firms out of health and novel food markets
Safety first for Food Man leader
Food Manufacture editor Rick Pendrous has been given the Society of Food Hygiene and Technology's (SOFHT) Most Significant Contribution award for...
Superfoods: a nutrition panacea or just another marketing hype?
Hardly a day seems to go by at the moment without some 'new' superfood being promoted to the consumer. Everyone seems to have their own list of what...
One man's health claim is another man's poison
Now that the EU regulation on nutrition and health claims has been adopted, the industry is busily marshalling evidence to back up bids for inclusion...
Meat manufacturers shake up industry with salt reductions
Salt has been an essential ingredient in meat products for years, but pressure to meet the Food Standards Agency targets mean that manufacturers must...
Celebrity chefs add credibility
One trend that certainly seems to be catching on is celebrity chef-endorsement.Launched by food firm Brand Partnership under the Ainsley Harriott...
Academic urges caution over 'clever' kids claims
But nestlé gives £10.6M of serious thought to developing brain food
Oily customers
It's the hottest functional ingredient in town, but will high consumer awareness of omega-3s translate into action? Elaine Watson reports
Miliband gets run of the mill
Environment secretary David Miliband (pictured centre) has officially opened a new rice mill at West Midlands-based Indian food specialist East End...
Aluminium cans lead the price hike for materials
After 12 months of rising energy and materials costs, packaging manufacturers are planning double-digit price increases, with aluminium food and...
Carbon dioxide can replace liquid nitrogen for freezing
Refrigeration specialist Starfrost has developed a way of using carbon dioxide to freeze seafood products that previously could only be frozen using...
Cuts on dessert menu
Job losses will help Minsterley back into the black, says Uniq
GM rice hearing set for February
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) will have to defend its handling of the GM rice contamination issue at the High Court in February.Mr Justice Crane...
Packaging sector hits back at calls for a tax on ‘hard-to-recycle’ materials
An influential packaging industry research body has hit back at a new report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) and the Green...
A question of faith
As more Halal products appear on the shelves, Rebecca Green looks at how firms can capitalise on this growth market
UK folate report published late, but Ireland forges ahead
A long-awaited consultation on adding folate to bread is now expected in mid December - seven months after its original publication date.The Food...
Sausage makers get the cutting edge
Union Food Machinery and Equipment has launched a high-speed sausage cutter. The WT05 cutter can process 1.85m of sausage per second, in any casing,...
Eccentric shaft takes it easy
Blackmer Pumps has developed a pump that goes easy on chocolate. The new Mouvex pump uses an oscillating eccentric piston to produce the pumping...
Checkweighers bake a better cake
Weighing equipment and product inspection specialist Mettler-Toledo has supplied Northern Food subsidiary Park Cakes of Oldham with a range of...
Hands off for hygiene
Improved hygiene is becoming as important as labour cost savings when it comes to justifying the costs of line automation, as Sue Scott discovers
Wholegrain cereals shown to be prebiotic
Wholegrain wheat consumed in the form of a breakfast cereal can provide a natural prebiotic effect, according to new research from Reading...
Vision to parachute in new talent to revitalise Northern
The prospective new owner of Northern Foods’ speciality bread, chilled pastry, cakes and flour milling divisions is in negotiations with “several...
What's in your lunchbox?
Despite our love of exotic food, it seems we Brits are not very adventurous when it comes to sandwiches. So where does that leave innovation in the market? John Dunn reports
Lost for words
Although testing products on consumers is key to successful NPD, Sarah Britton discovers that you can't believe everything you hear
Recalls are set for closer scrutiny ... and costly hike
Hunt for cheap products puts firms at risk
Sisters of lean do it for themselves at Grampian
Grampian Country Foods expects to make cost savings of around £180,000 a year as it rolls out a lean manufacturing programme designed to improve...
In the bag
Will hunger for healthier food-on-the-go increase pressure to reformulate traditional bagged snacks? Gail Hunt asks
Manufacturers pull kids' ads in advance of Ofcom ruling
Confectioners Leaf UK and Haribo were the latest firms to call a voluntary halt to TV and radio commercials aimed at children, as the regulator Ofcom...
Fancy a career in food? ... You can with the gingerbread man
"Run, run as fast as you can ... " We all know how the rest goes, but unfortunately for the industry, it seems young people aren't running as fast as...
Cream of the crop
Sarah Britton reports on the winners of the 2006 Food Manufacture Excellence Awards
A letter from America
Hello from Boston!Whilst over in the US on a work trip, I visited a general food store. It was a complete eye-opener - I have never seen so many...
Road pricing would pose supply chain headaches
As road pricing rises up the government's agenda, the food and drink sector - a major contributor to atmospheric pollution and congestion on our...
Willy Wonka, eat your heart out!
Whether you're after a marshmallow lollipop for Valentine's or a chocolate severed finger for Halloween, Swansea's answer to Willy Wonka can oblige
Optimistic day job syndrome
I should by now have finished a job that required a client manager to work with me to install a cost-to-serve process that produces true customer and...
Time to stop trucking around
You take the high road ... and I'll take the high road, manufacturer urges Scottish firms
Dry-offset print challenges in-mould labels on quality
Major users of plastic pots and tubs, including Unilever, are considering moving away from high-quality, in-mould labelling as new technology...
How do we know when we get there?
To be successful, any improvement programme needs not only a vision, but also progress and goal indicators. Therefore, establishing the right...
Robot feeds our appetite for Mini Jaffa Cakes
Sewtec Automation has increased the throughput of one of Britain's favourite snacks. It has installed a top-loading robot on the Mini Jaffa Cakes...
Wise up to e-learning
Want to improve training and raise efficiency at the same time? One e-learning package is promising just that. Rebecca Green takes a look
Scots seafood industry warns of mass migration and losses
'This reflects the government's attitude to manufacturing - they don't give a stuff'
Councils still building case against Cadbury
A decision on whether to prosecute Cadbury for breaching food safety laws in relation to salmonella contamination of its chocolate products earlier...
Preparation and reaction
I remember my days at United Biscuits; one of our core values was 'stretch' - an 'attribute to inspire others' by showing the amount you can stretch...
What's the catch?
Changing the appearance of seafood may sound like a developer's dream, but there are fears that consumers won't take to new formats. Sarah Britton investigates
A mini bite out of the market
Bite-sized coated desserts are the way forward, according to coatings firm Witwood Food Products.New product development controller Susan Arkley...
Horlicks packs up
Up to 70 jobs will go at Glaxo-SmithKline's Horlicks factory in Slough when the firm outsources carton and bottle production at the end of 2007. "The...
Cloth-bound cheese under threat
There are fears the future of cloth-bound cheese, which is exclusive to the UK, is at stake because the European Commission (EC) plans to stop...
Pasta la vista
It may be the home of the Slow Food movement, but Italy has been quick to catch on to the benefits of organic exports, says Rebecca Green
White crab meat omelette with smoky liaison sauce and granary toast
Be egg-stravagant with a recipe from Ben Read, head chef at the Iglu Ethical Eatery
Herbal remedies for meat
Rosemary may replace manmade antioxidants in meat manufacture in order for products to maintain a clean label, claim scientists.Synthetic compounds,...
Quest sold to Givaudan
Staff at Quest International's flavours facility in the Wirral were waiting to find out what new owner Givaudan had in store for the business as Food...
Artificial stomach can 'eat' real food and even vomits
Manufacturers get inside view of digestion
Save energy, save money
Many managers are unaware of just how much energy their pumps consume. But there are big energy and cost savings to made, as Michelle Knott explains
Nisa-Today's buys British
Meat supplier, Chitty Food Group, has secured a contract to supply 28 pre-packed British beef, pork and lamb lines into Nisa-Today's, the independent...
The beauty of hot food cubed
A new Scandinavian vending system, where chilled and frozen food can be microwaved to order, is using the resilience and insulating qualities of...