Is your maintenance engineer a bright spark or an explosion risk?
An increasing number of forklift trucks operate in potentially explosive atmospheres. Explosion protection specialist Pyroban argues that factory...
Archives for June 29, 2008
Walkers makes a crisp job of palletising snacks in Coventry
Pallet logistics systems supplier CSi has completed a £3.7M project to design and install an automated sortation and palletising system for Walkers'...
Tortilla sheeter controls roll gap by product piece weight
No manual adjustment is needed to produce consistently uniform corn tortillas and chips with the Paragon automatic weight control sheeter from...
The traffic lights of factory safety
European Safety Systems (E2S), Europe's leading manufacturer of sounders and beacons, has developed Spectra to extend its industrial range of visual...
How long is a supply chain?
I bought a new calculator recently. I thought my old one was faulty: the numbers didn't add up! Let me explain. Over the past 10 years businesses...
How the cookie crumbles
Sugarcoat it all you want, but health concerns are impacting the bakery and confectionery sector. The BCCC's Barbara Gallani tells Sarah Britton of her quest to get her sector heard
Match made in kitchen
The new Food Creation Centre at National Starch sees culinary and technology experts joining forces to help the firm offer a more streamlined approach to development. Sarah Britton reports
The modern alternative to 3PL
One of the fastest growing trends is the outsourcing of logistics to so-called third-party logistics (3PL) operators. The reason is that companies...
Strategy: who's looking into the crystal ball?
Do you have a formal documented strategy for your new product development (NPD)? I often ask this question of senior management at the food...
Down and dirty
Over 12 years ago, Sam Wrist took a temporary job on the production line of an ice cream factory. Now he's general operations manager and ready to muck in
Dig deeper for micronutrient benefits
Manufacturers could benefit from products with a higher micronutrient content if they studied ingredients further down the supply chain, according to...
Sweet like sacred chocolate: halal sweets go head to head
The sweet-toothed followers of Islam - the second largest religion in the UK - will soon be able to sample a taste of the good life now that the...
Trade Talk
Long live the bent cucumber!
A whole lot to be gained if wholegrain is your game
Manufacturers contemplating the use of wholegrain in their products will be encouraged to hear that the government is expected to quantify its...
LETTERS
To GM or not to GM?
How to get from a to b
Corporate change may be painful for the staff involved, but it can be made easier, says Rod Addy
Meat slicer built for operator safety
Butcher's-style meat and ham slicers have to be sharp, quick, clean and, above all, safe to operate.The high power Galileo 350 butcher's-type meat...
Superheated steam lets you fry without fat
Superheated steam (SHS) could become the frying and drying technology of choice as manufacturers learn more about its unique benefits, according to...
New plant converts food waste to energy
Researchers at Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) have installed a pilot plant that is capable of transforming hundreds of...
Shoppers attack processors for not reducing packaging
Recycling is biggest 'green' issue for public
Pest control system storms the net
Processors are set to save hours of time and effort as Rentokil rolls out its online, real-time pest control system, PestNetOnline.Historically, pest...
Competition Commission defends food ombudsman
The Competition Commission (CC) has dismissed retailers’ concerns that an ombudsman would hinder the food industry.“We’re disappointed by some...
Food fraud alert
The Food Standards Agency has warned firms about an identity theft fraud, which it fears could lead to the sale of unsafe food.Fraudsters supposedly...
Consumers continue to demand functional food
Functional food sales should continue to grow in double digit percentage terms as consumers demand dietary solutions to keep them healthy,...
Supermarkets' dirty tricks hurt own-label processors
Major retailers stifle genuine innovation through short-sighted cost cutting tactics
Sweet temperature control is the solution for confectionery
Tricool has supplied custom-built heating and cooling systems for Baker Perkins' confectionery depositors that are at the heart of the...
High diesel duty is crippling the UK's freight industry
Road hauliers in the UK, which pay twice the diesel duty of competitors in other EU Member States, are pressurising the government to ease the...
Future perfect
When it comes to making a profit in the food and drink industry, mastering supply and demand is essential. Michelle Knott reports
Equipment collaboration speeds up sauce making
Two of Europe's food equipment companies have joined forces to bring manufacturers new options in cold-fill sauce production. Pursuit Dynamics and...
Tunnel vision adds power to gluten-free bakery plant
European Process Plant has installed the first Gouet double action tunnel oven in Britain at Village Bakery's new £3M gluten-free bread bakery in...
Study with eyes wide open
Experts raise concerns over FSA's possible adoption of 'open access' research policy
Experts identify foods that are easy to swallow
New research has identified the types of foods that need to be developed for people who have increasing difficulties chewing and swallowing as they...
Science gets under the skin
Radical UV technology extends the shelf-life of fresh produce and boosts profits
Battle lines drawn over GM
GM Food's ability to help the current food crisis is sparking increasingly heated debate
Indian food gets off to a flying starter with vegetarian samosas and bhajis
It is no secret that vegetarians tend to get a raw deal when it comes to eating out due to the limited options available to them.But vegetarian menu...
New beans mean pots of money
Heinz has sold over 5M packs of Snap Pots since they were introduced in 2007, making them one of the most successful product launches in recent...
Ultra-low-fat ice cream coming soon
Unilever plans to work more closely with ingredient and equipment suppliers through 'open innovation' as it prepares to release a volley of novel ice...
Report calls for co-ordinated food policy
There should be a fresh, co-ordinated approach to food policy making that puts food-related concerns at the heart of government.That was the verdict...
Baxters dips into the casual dining scene
Consumers who love the unmistakable taste of beetroots, but can't be bothered with the formalities of plucking them from a glass jar may be...
May the best food man win
The Food Manufacture Excellence Awards celebrate the very best in UK food and drink manufacture. The closing date for entries is now July 14, so you'll need to hurry. To download an entry form, visit www.foodmanawards.co.uk
Aluminium rivet bar makes conveyor belt splicing easy
Flexco in the US has released its improved aluminium multi-rivet driving tool to assist in the splicing of conveyor belts in working environments...
Unrecyclability myth is exploded
The official opening of a Dagenham recycling plant for plastic bottles highlights the hotly-debated fate of mixed plastics, reports Paul Gander
A price to be paid
Increasing demand has brought the cost of oil to record levels. Mary Carmichael reports on a commodity that is liquid gold to manufacturers
Light and sound combo beats the bugs in water disinfection
The Lazur is an advanced water disinfection system combining ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultrasound in a single unit. Recently introduced by water...
Wizard way to maintain production after a fire
Power support company, Merlin Power Management, has enabled Randall Parker Foods, a producer of high quality meat products, to continue production...
Robot meat and cheese slicer claims to be fastest in class
Interfood Technology has introduced the new Food Robotics slicers from Weber to help processors automate food handling.Weber Food Robotics can be...
Location, location, location
I lived for a while in a village which was split in half by a stream. On entering the village pub we were asked if we were local. We then had to...
Go against the grain
With rocketing wheat prices, bakers are having to find some ingenious routes out of a very sticky situation. Rod Addy reports
Space-saving solution for tin handling
RTS Flexible Systems has joined forces with Excel Automation to roll out a space-saving solution for automated tin handling to help independent...
Robot is the star of stack handling
Changing consumer habits, environmental pressures and traceability requirements are making efficient logistics ever more important.Freshness and food...
Ready, steady, go
Producing a line of own-label ethnic ready meals for Asda is no mean feat. S&A Foods talks to Rick Pendrous about life on the short shelf
Industry drives new era of sustainable distribution
Firms are joining forces to save road miles, according to Grocery think tank IGD
BRC joins calls for greater standardisation in recycling
The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has thrown the blame for any limitations on what is 'recyclable' back at UK local authorities and the huge...
Hidden lactose powder may cause health issues
Manufacturers' failure to label 'hidden' lactose powder in foods means many lactose intolerant children are going undiagnosed, a health expert has...