Inside food & drink manufacturing
PPMA show preview
Interroll will be showing its new modular conveyor platform, which is designed to help users, system integrators and original equipment manufacturers to quickly plan and easily assemble modern material flow systems.
A variety of handling systems are available from Burnley-based Global Bakery Solutions (GBS) to meet the automation needs of today’s plant bakeries.
Northern Irish crisp maker Tayto is using four new Optyx digital sorters from Key Technology to control the removal of defects and foreign material (FM) during manufacture of its batch- and continuously-fried potato chips.
Jeremy Corbyn, who is leading the other candidates in the polls to become the next leader of the Labour Party, divides opinion. Those on the right see him as an unreconstructed leftie who would make Labour unelectable. His fans – including many young...
Professor Colin Dennis, who is to chair Food Manufacture Group’s food safety conference: Safer food and drink – from the harvest to the home – later this month, yesterday became the 76th president of the US Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
PPMA show preview
In response to demand from food packers wanting to code secondary flat-pack boxes and cartons, Rotech will unveil its new RF-Box Feeder at the show. One of five exhibits on its stand, the RF-Box Feeder enables users to pre-mark flat cases prior to...
A production problem, which left bran flake products contaminated with small pieces of plastic, has prompted both Sainsbury and Tesco to issue product recalls.
Huel, the manufacturer of a new nutritionally complete powdered food, launched in June this year, has claimed the product sold out three times within its first month on sale.
Food manufacturers must work harder to excite “bored” consumers and find ways to engage their senses, master chocolatier Paul A Young said following his involvement in Tate Britain’s Sensorium exhibition in London.
Suffolk cider producer Aspall has started work with its new apple press this week, part of a £2.2M investment to modernise its production facilities.
Is a renewed focus on sugar reduction an inevitable consequence of the SACN recommendations? Lynda Searby digests the report and its implications for the food industry.
Cooking and cold storage operator James T Blakeman (Services) & Co is making big efficiency and productivity gains since investing £900,000 in a double-belted helix spiral freezer at its factory in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
Canmaking machinery provider CMB Engineering has installed one of its 3400 Die Necker multi-stage machines into its Academy based in Shipley, West Yorkshire. This will allow CMB to provide its customers’ engineers with training in a non-production...
PPMA show preview
A low-cost automatic guided vehicle (AGV) system designed specifically for mid-sized companies has been introduced by JBT. The JayBoT will make its UK debut at this year’s PPMA show.
Manufacturers of food in modified atmosphere packs (MAP) are one of the key targets for a new range of highly efficient vacuum pumps just launched by Atlas Copco.
PPMA show preview
Customer demand for faster, more-versatile bulk bagging has inspired Pacepacker Services to launch a new high-speed bagging line called FastPac.
A fire at Dairy Crest’s Davidstow cheese production facility in Cornwall has left the site’s biomass boiler in need of repair.
Road haulage and warehousing firm John Hackling (Transport), which is based in the Cotswold village of Bourton-on-the-Water, operates a 12,077m2 shared-user warehouse, which provides in the region of 10,000 pallet locations for storing anything from...
Marks & Spencer is preparing to roll out unannounced audits to the majority of its food suppliers in a bid to further strengthen its supply chain integrity against fraudsters looking to cash in on vulnerable companies.
Government rules on the taxation of healthy and unhealthy foods have been slammed by a health food producer, which claimed the system was confusing and unfair.
Belgian waffle house Biscuiterie Thijs is using six Fanuc delta M-2iA robots to pack its products at a rate that ensures over 150 more waffles a minute are handled than can be achieved manually.
PPMA show preview
An expanded range of processing and packaging automation equipment and ancillary products will be displayed R A Rodriguez. The equipment on show will include the full range of Universal Robots.
Cargill has launched a new instant starch that improves the texture of tomato-based convenience foods.
High salt intakes may boost the risk of obesity in both adults and children, claims new research.
Manufacturers should prime themselves to take advantage of the supermarkets’ abolition of ‘guilt lanes’ by making healthy alternatives to chocolates and sweets to stock at checkouts, like the online snack manufacturer Graze has done, its boss has said.
A novel tamper-evident closure is available from Waddington Europe (Par-Pak) which prevents tampering and includes a ‘flag’ to indicate when products have been interfered with.
Four twin Ishida Atlas economy range ECO (Integrated Packaging Systems) are being used at KDV Group , Russia’s largest snack producer, to handle its growing production requirements.
Weetabix’s new single serving breakfast pot range, launched last February, features polyester lids supplied by Bury-based Clondalkin Flexible Packaging, formerly known as Chadwicks Lids.
Many dairy processors could make big savings by moving away from traditional methods for cleaning their pipework and choosing an environmentally friendly system called ‘ice pigging’, a patented technology offered by Aqualogy Environment.
PPMA show preview
Vision systems that aid product traceability and help fight counterfeiting and delta robots that can be easily integrated into automation systems will be displayed by Omron.
A new hydraulic bulk bag conditioner from Flexicon Europe handles bags ranging from short to extra tall using hydraulically-actuated rams that automatically adjust in height during conditioning cycles.
PPMA show preview
Interactive Coding Equipment (ICE) will be launching two new features for its Vulcan print and apply labeller which enable the machine to apply labels to the front of a moving pack, or across adjacent panels of a case or shrink-wrapped product to allow...
Dairy businesses could prevent costly injuries in the workplace by adopting new guidance for all dairy processing sites.
Manufacturers faced mixed news last month with the release of government statistics showing food deflation in July at “one of the lowest values ever recorded”.