Breaking News on the Food and Drink Manufacturing Sector

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Food manufacturers need new infrastructure

23-Nov-2011 - Too many UK food manufacturers are saddled with 19th and 20th century infrastructure, warns the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Small cake firm start-ups explode

18-Nov-2011 - The number of small cake manufacturers starting up over the past year has exploded, according to the insurance broker Simply Business.

News in brief

Health firm fined after worker lost finger

16-Nov-2011 - A Yorkshire firm which manufactures health and nutrition products was fined £4,887.65 after a worker’s finger was severed by a blending machine.

Software to cause hard problems for food firms

11-Nov-2011 - Software systems used by many UK food manufacturers are 10 years behind those of their European competitors and need to be upgraded urgently, a software supplier has claimed.

Chicken firm fined after back-breaking accident

11-Nov-2011 - A Norfolk chicken processing firm, Crown Chicken, has been fined £3,500 after one of its employees broke his back after falling from a ladder.

Food manufacturers top HSE injury list

11-Nov-2011 - Workers employed by food manufacturers are nearly twice as likely to suffer a major injury in the workplace compared with their colleagues in other sectors of the manufacturing industry, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed.

News in brief

70 fire-fighters fight Broadland Hams blaze

11-Nov-2011 - A blaze at Broadland Hams’ food factory in Norwich needed 70 fire-fighters and more than 14 fire engines and appliances to bring it under control.

All for one centrifugal option

01-Nov-2011 - The ability to standardise pump type cuts the cost of stocking spare parts and maintenance.

New leak-free plastic pump pal

01-Nov-2011 - A new pump model DB5.5 has been added to the range of Finish Thompson DB plastic magnetic-drive sealless centrifugal pumps.

New oven slashes electricity by 65%

01-Nov-2011 - The installation of a new oven has reaped rewards for Thomas's Bakery in Elland, West Yorkshire, which has cut its latest electricity bill by 65%.

Samson has precise control of large valves

01-Nov-2011 - Valve specialist Samson Controls claims its control valve positioner package can resolve problems sometimes associated with achieving precise control of large valves.

New labeller is 'the workhorse of the industry'

01-Nov-2011 - Greggs Baker has reported a significant boost to productivity since the installation of Advanced Dynamics Eurokett Junior 115 on a morning goods wrapping line at its Manchester factory.

Warning: act on refrigeration law or face prosecution

01-Nov-2011 - Food and drink manufacturers must get to grips with new regulations to control the use of refrigerant gases or risk prosecution, warns a specialist in the field.

Feature

A plug's game

01-Nov-2011 - The two big challenges for food manufacturers today are flexibility and efficiency. One minute Tesco wants cartons of freshly squeezed orange juice. Two hours later Morrisons is ringing up for blackcurrant drink. How do you reprogram the production, filling and packaging lines to give you maximum flexibility yet keep changeover times to a minimum?

Premier attacks operational costs

01-Nov-2011 - Britain's biggest food manufacturer, Premier Foods, has come under a lot of flak recently for the problems with its leadership, direction and strategy.

Grandad's recipe wins the sausage crown

01-Nov-2011 - A Pork and Sage sausage made to a traditional recipe that dates back to 1912 has been crowned the best in the catering sector.

News in brief

Shirley Bassey sings praises of Peter’s Pies

01-Nov-2011 - Welsh superstar, Shirley Bassey, is singing the praises of Peter’s Pies after the bakery firm joined forces with the Noah’s Ark Appeal to help raise funds for the Children's Hospital for Wales.

Heineken cider plant training boosts efficiency

31-Oct-2011 - The Bulmers cider plant in Hereford has been through big changes since it was acquired by Heineken from Scottish & Newcastle in 2009 but more are on the way.

Food firms’ fear of change delays energy savings

31-Oct-2011 - UK food and drink manufacturers are failing to make maximum energy savings because their managers are worried about change, warns a new business launched by the Carbon Trust.

New dairy in Wales to create 14 jobs

28-Oct-2011 - At a time when factory closure announcements seem common, new venture Proper Welsh is defying the gloom with the opening of a dairy that will create 14 jobs and process Welsh milk close to source and distribute it across Wales.

New nanotechnology definition reignites a big row

24-Oct-2011 - The EU Commission’s new definition of nanotechnology is likely to reignite the controversy about how European Union legislation should cover this emerging technology, a law expert has warned.

Robotics workshop to help food firms match Europe

20-Oct-2011 - A robotics workshop will take place next month to help UK food and beverage manufacturers catch up with their European competitors.

Nom Dairy’s £110M investment to create 350 new jobs

17-Oct-2011 - The Shropshire-based firm Nom Dairy UK is to invest £110M in new production lines that will create 350 new jobs at its Donnington Wood facility in Telford.

News in brief

Vion employee trapped in machinery at pork plant

17-Oct-2011 - An investigation has been launched into how a man suffered head injuries at a Vion Food site in Suffolk

Kerry to close Okehampton site in move to Tenbury

14-Oct-2011 - Food and flavours firm Kerry Ingredients has confirmed that the closure of its Okehampton factory will be complete by the end of March 2012, with the loss of over 90 jobs. But it has also revealed expansion plans for its Tenbury Wells site, which will create 50 new jobs and double the site’s production capacity.

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