Innovate to stop soft drinks sales slump, says Britvic boss
As the economy continues to impact on consumers throughout 2012, soft drinks manufacturers will have to boost innovation to offset increased pressure, according to Britvic boss Paul Moody.
Archives for March 31, 2012
Linx printers crack the global distribution code
Two coders from Linx Printing Technologies are now available globally (except for the US).
Firms fight to fix EU palm oil crisis
Rod addyThe crisis in sustainable palm oil (SPO) supply is improving in Europe, but progress is slow and sourcing the right fractions remains a challenge, according to industry stakeholders.
DSM launches a barrage of innovation in enzymes
Ingredients giant DSM is launching the first in a range of enzyme-based supplements with potential as food ingredients to help consumers with food intolerances.
Efficient steam boilers bring cash benefits
Heinz and Greene King are two of the latest firms in the food and drink sector to take advantage of energy efficient improvements to significantly cut the operational costs of their boilers.
Go with the flow wrapper to seal fragile pasta
Italian packaging machinery firm PFM has announced a new variant of its Falcon flow-wrapper, which enables nests of pasta such as tagliatelle, vermicelli and similarly fragile products to be wrapped on edge in a slimline film pack, ready for display
Soft drink bosses' bitter view of sugary food tax
Senior soft drink executives have poured scorn on continued EU pressure to roll out taxes on sugary foods, including France's soda tax, which was levied on sugary drinks from January 1.
Rick Pendrous
Is this a match made in health claims hell?
Is marketing compatible with good food science? I ask this having recently attended two conferences on the new European Nutrition and Health Claims regulation at which the two appeared to be pulling in opposite directions.
Off the shelf
In 1962 management guru Peter Drucker described logistics as the economy's "last dark continent." He said: "We know little more about distribution than Napoleon's contemporaries knew about the interior of Africa."
Water-soluble astaxanthin emulsion for drinks
Algatechnologies has developed a 2% natural astaxanthin in a liquid emulsion format under the AstaPure brand.
Beneo's Palatinose aids fight versus flab
Beneo's sweetener Palatinose confers weight management and fat burning benefits more effectively than higher glycaemic sugars, according to recent studies the firm commissioned.
Raising hopes
Fears that European consumers could miss out on the potential health benefits offered by food science because of the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) rejection of almost two thousand submissions for health claims approval could prove to be yet...
Fix the mix for organic granola
German organic food producer Barnhouse is using an Ajax Equipment continuous mixer and batch mixer to make organic crunchy granola for breakfast cereals on a new process line.
Plant extract supplier targets Europe
US-based Cactus Botanics aims to build its presence in Europe by establishing its first warehouse on the continent in Germany.
It's in the bag
Two things strike you as soon as you begin to engage Intersnack md Richard Robinson in any conversation about his background. The first is that, although he is relentlessly positive, it is in a way that's not the least bit irritating. His is a quiet,...
Manufacturers miss a trick on turning waste into profit
Too many food and drink companies are missing out on huge potential "hidden" cost savings in their operations, a expert in lean manufacture has claimed.
Oil baron
Health conscious consumers must weigh up whether they get omega 3 (O-3) from fortified food or supplements. Martin Jamieson, president and chief executive of Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC), which claims to be the world's largest O-3 ingredient supplier,...
Past is present
If there is part of its name that sums up what the Provision Trade Federation (PTF) stands for it is the word 'trade'. However, reading through Providing for Britain: a new book published to celebrate the PTF's 125th birthday, you'd be forgiven for...
Consistently meet changing demands for marinated meat
Marel has launched an in-line meat marinating system.
Holistic approach turns commercial food waste into money
The Holsworthy Biogas power station in Devon, which turns over £5M a year, is proof that a large-scale anaerobic digestion plant can operate economically when commercial food waste is used as the feedstock.
Cloud with an emulsified lining
National Starch Food Innovation has launched Purity Gum Ultra: a new starch-based emulsifier for cloudy beverages. The firm says the product delivers "exceptional turbidity and stability" in soft and alcoholic beverage formulations.
Call for food and drink community players
Food and drink organisations from across the UK will be able to get recognition for their impact on their local community and the natural environment by entering this year's Community Partnership Awards (CPA) organised by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
Treat every obstacle as a positive opportunity
If there is one single piece of advice that the food and drink industry, and indeed the wider global community, needs to hear at this particular juncture it would be this: accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative.
Egg white protein in easily digestible form
Egg whites contain high-quality proteins with important nutritional and functional properties. Egg white proteins are relatively easy to digest and are efficiently absorbed into the body, which makes them useful for processing food products such as...
Show and tell
Think back to what you were like at 15. Possibly you were sullen and uncommunicative at times, but most likely you were also full of energy and ideas. These latter traits are foremost among the characteristics of Vitafoods Europe 2012, which, now in its...
Roquette ups capacity in France and Italy
Roquette is boosting production and innovation to meet growing demand for dairy and microalgae ingredients.
New sausage starter culture
Frutarom Savory Solutions has launched a new starter culture, Bitec Advance LD-20, to make firm and fresh raw sausages and sausage spreads. The firm says the culture decreases pH value rapidly, while providing an especially mild acidic profile....
United Biscuits is 'likely' to sell Hula Hoops, say city analysts
Speculation has resurfaced over the past month that Hula Hoops maker United Biscuits (UB) is planning to sell off its salty snacks business.
Taste replaced
Finding the right fat, sugar or salt replacer is only part of the challenge when reformulating or developing new, 'healthier' foods. Arguably, balancing the flavour profile of the reduced fat, sugar or salt product is a far more difficult task, for...
Boilers make dream steam team to reduce bills
Yeast producer Lallemand GB has installed two Babcock Wanson BWD fire tube boilers with integral economisers and BW72H control system at its Suffolk plant.
Portion packs gain traction in war on domestic food waste
Portion packs appear to be winning over converters and brandowners in the armoury being deployed against domestic food waste.
Firms set strategies for 'perfect storm'
Rising input costs are set to drive new collaborative strategies for businesses operating in the food supply chain, according to a leading economist.
Stevia makes low-calorie cream dessert for kids
Stevia holds great potential for reformulation in a wide range of food categories, such as dairy, beverages and confectionery, according to Cargill.
Volac sells to consumers
Whey ingredient manufacturer Volac has pledged to expand the number of products under its newly launched consumer brand The Good Whey Company.
Grain train
Heart health ingredients based on oats and barley are set to become serious contenders in the growing fortified functional food market.
Anti-acid solution in the pipeline
KP Foods, a part of the United Biscuits group, has had issues in recent years with refrigeration dryers failing because of the acidic conditions on site. This can be caused by ingredients such as acetic acid affecting the internal copper tubing.
Industry has mixed reaction to 2012 budget
Food and drink manufacturers have given Chancellor George Osborne's budget a mixed response. However, given his need to focus on reducing the deficit, the overall view was that it was relatively business friendly.
Mixing it up
This is Summit Foods' 31st year. Our core business is frozen meat-based snacks. My family background was in farming, but I have worked in food processing all of my career. My father used to supply eggs to Morrisons. Then came the Edwina Currie...
New fibres give fortification functionality
Food manufacturers can access more fibre options for fortification and texture and taste enhancement of breakfast cereals and baked goods, thanks to ingredients company Ulrick & Short extending its Scilia fibres range.
Where does the nanny state go from here?
I was going to write about cancer and red meat but then I watched the webcast of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board meeting on March 20 on the microbiological safety of raw drinking milk.
British rose veal steals the show
Veal still has a controversial reputation because of the way it used to be produced in the UK. But the days of rearing calves in crates are long gone and British Rose Veal now comes with the approval of animal welfare bodies.
Maintain texture and taste in reformulated food
Kerry Ingredients & Flavours has designed emulsification and texture systems to improve processing characteristics and enhance the appeal and sensory qualities of fat-reduced products from cakes to margarines, desserts and whipped toppings.
Hand delivery
Visions of automaton servants to cater for every need are a far cry from the present state of robotics. Despite this, the use of robots in automated primary packaging systems present significant benefits to manufacturers in terms of hygiene, throughput...
LycoRed launches Sante upgrade for soup apps
Food processors cutting monosodium glutamate (MSG) from powdered or canned soups can now access an improved version of natural enhancer Sante from Israel-based LycoRed.