Organic groups ‘too influential’ in corridors of power

02-Sep-2011 - Falling demand for organic products means that the government should pay less attention to lobby groups from the organic sector, claims the Crop Protection Association (CPA).

Foreign invader threatens UK fruit

22-Aug-2011 - East Malling Research Association (EMRA) has warned about the threat to UK soft and stone fruit from a pestulant fly that could make it unmarketable.

Birds Eye attacks ‘ridiculous’ ASA vitamin ruling

17-Aug-2011 - Birds Eye has slammed a "ridiculous" UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling that two of its frozen foods adverts made forbidden comparative nutrition claims.

Microwave kit to 'revolutionise' food manufacturing

10-Aug-2011 - Longer shelf-life and improved nutritional qualities and flavours are the benefits claimed for a “revolutionary” new cooking and pasteurisation process from Advanced Microwave Technologies (AMT).

Samworth Brothers pushing for £1bn turnover

09-Aug-2011 - Samworth Brothers is hoping to turnover around £1bn within three years, as the Leicester firm confirmed that it will create at least 70 new jobs at its Kettleby Foods business.

Don’t ‘single out’ sous vide botulism risk, says firm

08-Aug-2011 - Sous Vide Supreme has hit back after FoodManufacture.co.uk published an article in which a food safety expert warned that homemade sous vide food could cause botulism.

Act now on Olympics deadline or face supply crisis: logistics experts

04-Aug-2011 - The food industry is entering a crucial planning period with the 2012 London Olympics now a year away and unless it takes action now availability will suffer, according to logistics experts.

'Wallpaper' sparks botulism food safety fears

03-Aug-2011 - An article published in lifestyle magazine Wallpaper about “cutting edge” food preparation techniques so worried food safety expert, Dr Jo Head that she contacted FoodManufacture.co.uk to share her fears about foodborne botulism.

Adjudicator unlikely to stop retailers abusing suppliers

01-Aug-2011 - The retail promotional system is flawed, unsustainable and needs a complete overhaul, although manufacturers are divided over the ability of the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (GSCOP) or the new adjudicator to tackle this.

Contract loss leads to Bakkavör Spalding reorganisation

01-Aug-2011 - Bakkavör says it needs to reorganise the workforce at its site in Spalding, Lincolnshire, after losing a tender for the supply of speciality salads.

Sorry, says salad firm after pollution prosecution

28-Jul-2011 - Wigan-based Hazeldene Foods has been prosecuted by the Environment Agency (EA) after the failure of a factory pump led to pollution of a local angling pond.

Irradiation could have stopped E.coli crisis: CPA ceo

25-Jul-2011 - The deadly Escherichia coli crisis that killed 47 people in Germany alone and left thousands seriously ill could almost certainly have been averted by irradiating the fenugreek seeds blamed for the outbreak.

Stick to Lion mark eggs given salmonella outbreak, BEIC roars

25-Jul-2011 - The British Egg Industry Council (BEIC) is advising food manufacturers and caterers to stick to British eggs bearing the Lion mark, after a new salmonella scare linked to Spanish eggs.

News in brief

EC's fresh produce campaign 'misses mark'

20-Jul-2011 - The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has criticised the "ineptitude" of the European Commission (EC), following what the trade body says was a poorly planned one-off advertisement aimed at reassuring UK consumers about the safety of fresh produce.

Brakes demands suppliers pay for ‘amazing’ system

08-Jul-2011 - Food service giant Brakes Group is demanding that suppliers pay to use its online purchasing and supply management system, or lose contact with company buyers.

New EU food labelling laws will cost food firms, says consultant

08-Jul-2011 - The UK food industry has given the European Parliament's (EP's) final agreement on food labelling a mixed reception, with one consultant reckoning label changes cost £7,000 per product.

New antibacterial fruit and veg film targets E. Coli

08-Jul-2011 - Spanish polypropylene film company Derprosa has launched a new antibacterial film designed to combat E. coli in the packaging of fresh fruit, salads and vegetables.

Government has ‘no perception’ of E.coli crisis impact

07-Jul-2011 - The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) has criticised “UK government plc” for what it describes as a damaging and misleading response to the deadly European E.coli crisis that has left this country's fresh produce industry in turmoil.

EC bans Egyptian seed imports as fenugreek linked to deadly E.coli outbreaks

05-Jul-2011 - The European Commission (EC) has banned imports of certain types of seeds and beans from Egypt, after the European Food Safety Authority announced yesterday that fenugreek seeds from the country are the most likely cause of deadly E.coli outbreaks in Germany and France.

Date labelling regime 'dilutes food safety messages', says report

05-Jul-2011 - The current UK date labelling regime confuses food businesses, increases consumer risk by “diluting key food safety messages”, and costs industry millions of pounds a year.

Feature

Nature's nurture

01-Jul-2011 - Meet Natures Way, winner of the 2010 Food Manufacturing Excellence award for Fresh Produce and Gary Kilhams, fruit business unit manager, Natures Way Foods.

E.coli reveals traceability poor in many categories

01-Jul-2011 - Most product categories have similar traceability issues to those confronting the fresh produce industry following the E.coli scare in Europe, according to one supply chain expert.

Comment

Service level disagreement

01-Jul-2011 - w When we decided to have our kitchen re-fitted, I knew that choosing a reputable tradesman would be tough. It was my fault for not making the rules of the house clear in the first place.

How d'ya like your eggs in the morning?

01-Jul-2011 - If you listen to Chris Evans on Radio 2, you'll be familiar with the classic 1951 song "How d'ya like your eggs in the morning?" To Helen O'Connell's question, Dean Martin croons: "I like mine with a kiss!"