Horsemeat: learning the lessons of an avoidable crisis
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They've been around for a while, but Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Rebecca Green looks at what they have to offer the food industry in terms of increased productivity and profit
Many organisations launch improvement programmes based on good intent, lots of energy and the use of some good tools and techniques. Yet too often these...
Developed to meet the market demands for innovative open-mouth bagging systems, the Chrono-Fill PBS 500 was developed through a collaboration between Chronos Richardson Group and...
Poultry processor Moy Park has installed five Ishida WPL 5000 weigh price labellers and ordered two more for its factory in Ashbourne, Derbyshire, in one...
A novel new three-model range of packaging machines -- the Omni range -- is being marketed under the Shanklin brand and distributed by Sealed Air.The...
An automated solution for bulk packaging of fresh products with variable individual unit weights has been developed by RTS Flexible Systems, which ensures that tighter...
End of line packaging systems supplier Endoline Machinery claims its 310 series of fully automatic pick and place machines offer a further advance in efficient,...
Ink jet and laser marking equipment provider, Domino, has launched a multi-head base for its high-resolution C-Series printer range. It can run up to four...
Bag-in-box packaging specialist Rapak, part of DS Smith Plastics, will be showing a range of its filling equipment at the Anuga FoodTec show in Cologne...
London based Bighams Global Gastronomy and Riverside Bakery have installed new equipment from Packaging Automation to meet their production needs.Bighams has purchased a number of...
German plate heat exchanger specialist GEA Ecoflex will be introducing new models at this month's Anuga Foodtec exhibition in Cologne, which have specific applications within...
New research aims to develop packaging machinery that combines automation with flexibility, as John Dunn discovers
The Cheese Company, part of Milk Link, has opted for an energy efficient turn-key compressed air solution at its Lockerbie creamery. The installation will simultaneously...
Dairy mixing and filling systems are now available from CC Automation since being appointed the sole UK and Ireland agent for German manufacturer Miromatic.Equipment includes...
Dairy processors face the dilemma of needing to invest to improve their productivity while cutting their costs, says Mike Spear
Luxury ice cream maker Mackie's, based in Aberdeenshire, has placed an order for a new ice cream production line, worth in excess of £350,000, with...
Fearful that a carcinogenic ingredient may be cancerous to its reputation, the food industry is pulling out all the stops to cut acrylamide levels. Sarah Britton reports
He's into country sports and other rural pursuits -- and he's even been known to craft the odd walking stick. But Ian Hale's true passion is the same as Andy Warhol's -- Campbell's soup
A new online freight exchange has been launched in a bid to reduce empty running and increase vehicle utilisation.Haulage Exchange is the brainchild of Transport...
The Americans call it LTL (Less Than full Load) distribution. It requires a shared user network to enable it to operate at an affordable cost...
The race is on to sell the remaining assets of cold storage and distribution firm Celsius First after Yearsley Group snapped up depots in Glasgow,...
Buyers of corrugated cases and trays are being faced with price increases of between five and 12% as costs in the energy-intensive paper industry spiral...
Yeo Valley has joined the move to smarter, uniform branding for organic ranges in its new designs for liquid milk.As well as litre and 2-litre...
It's been a while since I touched on claims, mainly due to the fact that we have been awaiting the second parliamentary reading of the...
Essential processes in packaging manufacture, from can coating to ultraviolet printing and plastics barrier coating, could be undermined by European Union (EU) regulations likely to...
Edible hydrocolloid coating materials can be effective in reducing fat uptake in battered fish, according to a new report.Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA)...
Ingredients supplier Puratos has launched a new ingredients system that makes bakery products taste fresher for longer."Our new ActiFresh solutions can increase the perceived softness...
What makes a good development chef? It's a question I'm asked nearly as often as: Do you know where I can find a good development...
Unilever is aiming to raise the value of the £85M fish finger sector by £4.1M with its hand-held Birds Eye Mini Fish Fingers.What might sound...
Ice cream processors are using Thai flavours to make ice cream more versatile.Artisan Foods' Mango, Chilli & Ginger Sorbet and Chocolate & Chilli Ice Cream...
The cheese market has witnessed an array of new ventures this month, with companies taking cheese outside of the sandwich arena and embracing the indulgence...
Ingredients manufacturers need to play a more direct role in the new product development (NPD) process, especially where functional foods are concerned, according to a...
Consumers are still hungry for locally produced food, but suppliers often fail to research their market and are ill-prepared for dealing with major retailers.Research by...
A novel serving concept called the Bread Bowl has put ethnic bread manufacturer Butt Foods in the spotlight.The idea is simple: sweet or savoury bread...
Farmhouse Fare is building a 930m2 extension to its factory in Clitheroe, Lancashire, to meet growing demand for its premium chilled puddings.The space will house...
Mrs Unis Spicy Foods is aiming to open another factory at Peffermill Industrial Estate in Edinburgh next month, exactly a year after the previous one...
Icelandic fresh prepared food giant Bakkavör is back on the acquisition trail in the UK, less than a year after snapping up Geest and Hitchen...
Suspicion over promises to absorb cuts
Uniq is reducing the permanent headcount at its loss-making Minsterley desserts factory as part of a recovery plan designed to return the plant to profit...
Retailer makes no apologies for imposing a 0.5% non-negotiable marketing allowance
Levying fees for commercial services would not kick in soon enough, warns director
UK food manufacturers will not be issued with US-style mandates from Asda or Tesco demanding they label cases with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, the...
The UK consultancy Hartington China said that it expected to begin building a food and drink import/export and processing centre in China by early next...
Results from the second ECR UK Christmas availability survey showed overall availability of 45 Christmas lines in leading supermarkets was 92.2%, up on last year's...
Organic children's ready meals manufacturer Miniscoff has virtually doubled output, thanks to advice from the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS).The Wiltshire-based company, which supplies the foodservice...
'Unhealthy' foods might pass yet the test
Cash row leaves specialist North East producers without a dedicated business network
Allied Bakeries has introduced tamper evident packaging for loaves produced at its Orpington factory in Kent after a year-long sabotage campaign.The Metropolitan Police said they...
Livingston-based bakery and dessert manufacturer Patisserie UK is aiming to triple in size following a management buyout (MBO) by new md Johnnie Roden.He bought the...
The government-funded Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) announced a major initiative to reduce the amount of glass waste in the UK by encouraging importers...
most production managers 'don't know their true line efficiency'
Organisers of a seminar to help food and drink companies raise skills levels have been left frustrated after being forced to cancel the event due...
Dairy Crest has been in emergency talks with unions to avert strike action since it revealed a plan to close its final salary pension scheme...
Waste reduction is the top priority for businesses looking to cut costs this year, according to the results of Food Manufacture's latest on-line poll.Over a...
A campaign group of health professionals has accused the Food Standards Agency (FSA) of caving in to pressure by "bloody-minded" processors over salt in products...
Small firms are missing out on opportunities for reassurance about their food's microbiological safety by not tapping into valuable web resources, claimed a food safety...
Manufacturers of food products containing omega-3s should stand their ground and ride the current media storm surrounding the health benefits of fish oils, claimed nutritionists.Speaking...
Second profit warning threatens chief
Changes to shelf-life and temperature guidelines could cost the industry dear
Dairy Farmers of Britain (DFB) has appointed Michael Cohen as marketing director. Initially reporting to DFB’s group md Andrew Cooksey, Cohen will be responsible for...
Vegetable processor Parripak Foods has appointed Ian Wingfield as sales and business development manager. Bedfordshire-based Parripak is one of the UK's largest processors in the...
Richard Cousins is to succeed Michael Bailey as executive director and chief executive at catering giant Compass.Cousins, who joins the board on May 2, and...
Martin Paterson is leaving the Food and Drink Federation to set up his own consultancy.Paterson, who is deputy director general and director of communications at...
Walkers Shortbread has appointed Michael Cox as foodservice sales manager, responsible for the growth and development of its foodservice business, focusing on both Walkers Shortbread...
Contrary to fears that they would be excluded, workers in food manufacturing employed by external agencies will now be covered by the Gangmasters Licensing (Exclusions)...
Bakery ingredients supplier Meneba has appointed Andreas Wollge as account manager for Germany. Prior to joining Meneba, Wollge worked at at variety of international bakery...
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has received several new applications from UK food producers for protected geographical indication status (PGI).Forced rhubarb...
Food and Drink Federation (FDF) president Gavin Neath has called for competing 'front of pack' labelling schemes to be reviewed after two years to decide...
The low glycaemic index (GI) revolution could die an early death unless the food industry persuades regulators that claims about hunger management don't need to...
A new food safety scheme is being developed to help small food and drink manufacturers meet customer requirements and comply with the law without spending...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is expected to publish its long-anticipated salt targets this week after months of wrangling with the industry.An FSA spokeswoman declined...
Patak's is restructuring its management team to create a more dynamic organisational structure within the business.The most significant changes are the promotion of Jonathan Bye...
Ardo UK md Stephen Waugh has been confirmed as president elect at the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF).Waugh will take up his new role in...
Bradford-based Trilogy Foods announces the appointment of Linda Moses as group technical manager. Moses originally studied food technology and microbiology before moving into industry. She...
Steve Freeman is returning to Schwan’s Consumer Brands in Leyland as its new managing director. Previously European sales and marketing director at the company’s Marathon...
Jim Watson has been appointed group operations director at Daniels Chilled Foods.In his new role, he will work across all brands including New Covent Garden...
Terry Ennis will become md at Anchor Seafoods following the retirement of Tony Redman.Ennis is also group md of The Seafood Company - owner of...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has been asked to look into legalising the manufacture of ‘smokies’ under controlled hygienic conditions to meet the large demand...
Arbroath Smokies producer RR Spink & Sons is investing more than £150,000 in new equipment at its Arbroath factory after picking up new business with...
Nestlé Rowntree is cutting 275 jobs in the UK, including a number within its manufacturing operations, following speculation for several years about its operations here.Job...
Freshly squeezed juice, smoothies and soups manufacturer The Serious Food Company will branch out into premium desserts later this month after opening a new factory...
Inspection and certification business Efsis is aiming to open new offices in Argentina and Brazil this year as it ramps up its international expansion plans.The...
New US government funded research has confirmed the safety of the high intensity sweetener aspartame in advance of a review by the European Food Safety...
The future of the Global Cake Company in Bridlington has been called into question following news that its parent company Schwan’s Consumer Brands, has embarked...
Manufacturers across Europe face lengthy delays and extra costs in getting approval for their food and drink products, if they miss a deadline for inclusion...
Lime is the latest fruit to enter into Diageo's Smirnoff flavoured vodkas range in the US."Flavoured vodkas continue to fuel the growth of the vodka...
Whisky and green tea might seem an unusual pairing, but it has become such a popular tipple with young people in Asia that scotch export...
Ian McNaught whips up a seafood classic with a tangy twist
Adding Dera Food Technology's Justfiber range of fibres to white bread can offer it a fibre boost to rival its brown counterpart.The majority of UK...
Japanese brewer Asahi has launched Super Yeast Ever-Changing Draft Beer, a seasonal beer that uses two different types of yeast to offer consumers two separate...
Swiss ingredients supplier Frutarom claims it can save bakers money with its meat and fish preparations.The firm says that frozen products which involve combined applications,...
Unifine Food & Bake ingredients is using the upcoming Food & Bake show at the NEC, Birmingham from March 19-22 to display its latest offerings....
Glycaemic Index (GI) cynics may have been proved wrong as, what many assumed was a fly by night fad, seems to have cemented itself into...
If a cake has less than 100 calories per serving, it's going to taste like cardboard, right? Wrong, says Mr Kipling and a raft of other manufacturers jumping on the guilt-free bandwagon. Gail Hunt reports
They might struggle to appease the healthy eating lobby, but meat pie makers are going the extra mile to reduce salt and artery-clogging trans fats, says Michelle Knott
Consumers want less sugar, less fat, less salt, and a clean label to boot, which means MSG, hydrolysed vegetable protein and modified starch are off the menu for soup makers, says Elaine Watson
He's been ramming it home for years, but Captain Birds Eye's 'If it's fresh it's frozen' mantra just hasn't hit home with consumers, who still see frozen as the poor cousin of chilled, says Elaine Watson
When retailers start announcing the removal of all hydrogenated fats from their products, how do manufacturers respond and what are the technical implications? Rebecca Green finds out
Consumers looking for healthier options are increasingly heading for the meat-free fixture. Gail Hunt finds out how manufacturers are cashing in and whether the veggie option is always the healthiest one
Scientists in the UK are behind a move to relax restrictions governing irradiation of food.The Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) supports the use...
Tate & Lyle has shrugged off the latest threat to its money-spinning Splenda sucralose business as a minor irritation while it ramps up production in...
Industry is making a mockery of agency's hopes for harmony as brands go own way
Chocolate bars and sweet packaging are soon to include health messages in an echo of warnings on cigarette packets. In the past, manufacturers have been...
Kitchen Range Foods intends to encourage a more affluent consumer to the in-store bakery market by introducing Cadbury twinpack donuts to the fixture. "Bringing a...
Easter is often associated with rebirth, so what better time for Diageo to unleash some new life into its Bailey's brand?Baileys with a hint of...
The Food Standards Agency has piled pressure on bacon manufacturers to lower salt and fat levels in their products and in response, TMI Foods of...
Sainsbury has followed Tesco's lead and relaunched its own-label children's range. The retailer has done away with its Blue Parrot Café brand and replaced it...
The Hotelympia show in London last month saw the unveiling of a new way to enjoy water in the form of O2go. When added to...
This month sees the launch, not only of a new product range, but a new category within frozen food, which is expected to add £50m...
Spring is in the air, and as our thoughts turn to the smell of freshly baked hot cross buns, so too do Improve's. The food...
A raft of new training courses and programmes has been developed to help employers cope with their increasingly multicultural workforces. Rebecca Green takes a look
Before it sold its Typhoo tea business to the Indian Apeejay Surendra Group last year in a deal worth £80m, Premier Foods had streamlined production...
Cocoa powder storage in silos, hoppers and bins can be fraught with blockage problems such as bridging and 'ratholing' because of its cohesive nature.A big...
With new rules on explosion hazards in dusty environments coming into force in July, John Dunn asks what manufacturers need to do to comply
Microbiology and life sciences products supplier Biotrace has launched the latest version of its Uni-Lite hygiene monitoring instrument in response to demands for faster results...
Sika-Amorex has installed a hygienic flooring system at the new bottle filling hall at Quinn Glass's 205-acre drinks production and distribution facility in Elton, Cheshire.A...
When it comes to tackling pests, education is key, says Rentokil Pest Control, which has just launched a new programme designed to help raise pest-awareness...
Cleaning factories would be a whole lot easier and quicker if engineers thought more about hygienic plant design, says Elaine Watson
Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection is growing in popularity as manufacturers increasingly try and avoid using chlorine in wash water, according to process engineering company GB Environmental.GB's...
Sarah Britton finds out what the German market holds for manufacturers
Wincanton is scouting around for a site suitable for a new dedicated co-packing operation in a bid to cash in on growing demands from retailers...
Chef Paul Durbin set up Loxton Foods in the late 1980s and now uses sous-vide technology to supply restaurant quality food to foodservice outlets
Dairy Farmers of Britain is installing new planning systems at its Llandyrnog cheese plant in North Wales in a bid to boost service levels, drive...
As I explained last month, Somerfield is desperate to reduce its supply chain costs.Its chosen approach is to build PCCs (pre-consolidation centres). This means that...
The organisers of the industry's Starpack Awards have made shelf-ready features, packs which sell themselves, flexibles, age-inclusiveness and materials innovation the focus of new award...
Tesco has led the move to shelf-ready packaging (SRP) among retailers, and helped to create the Starpack award in this category.Head of design Jeremy Lindley...
Retailer demands for well-differentiated ready meals, on low margins, often with product life measured in weeks rather than months, are having a major impact on...
Future food industry labelling could be supported by other forms of consumer information provision, says the Food Standards Agency (FSA), when planned European Union (EU)...
Brazilian pulp producer Fruits of the Amazon has granted ingredient supplier J O Sims exclusive UK distribution rights to the acai berry.The firm claims that...
There are certain topics in food legislation that defy sensible comprehension, and European organic legislation is a prime example.To fully understand it, you need to...
Heinz must fundamentally change its approach to innovation or risk being sidelined in categories it has dominated for decades, its UK president has warned.Jane Miller,...
Fears have been expressed that bakers will end up footing the bill if the government goes ahead with plans to fortify flour to increase pregnant...
A preoccupation with buzzwords such as 'local', 'fresh' and 'organic' when it comes to meals procurement in state schools is diverting attention from the real...
Incompatible product specs prompt action
Making products for multiple markets would no longer be viable, warns industry body
Carlsberg will axe almost a fifth of its UK workforce this year in response to difficult trading conditions in the on-trade and soaring energy costs.The...
Three out of four respondents to Food Manufacture's latest on-line poll believe more UK food and drink companies will exit manufacturing this year and outsource...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has confirmed it is investigating claims that benzene, a known carcinogen, could be present in soft drinks.It comes as Germany's...
engineers only want cheap plant rather than low life-time costs
The Icelandic owner of Lyons Seafoods and Farne Salmon and Trout is on the lookout for more UK acquisitions after a record year in which...
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has revised its advice on eating some species of white fish and crab after the most comprehensive species survey in...
Supermarket Sainsbury is to stop selling the endangered fish species skate and huss, as part of a claimed commitment to selling sustainably-sourced fish. It sells...
Fudge and toffee ingredients firm Food Design is doubling production capacity to 1,600t/year by investing £500,000 at its Harrogate plant. It pointed to strong export...
Young's Bluecrest has become the first company to process cod from the newly accredited sustainable Pacific cod fishery off Alaska.Products from the fishery in the...
A planned merger of admin and support services by the Institute of Food Research (IFR) and the plant sciences research organisation the John Innes Centre...
Toppings, decorations and inclusions firm Nimbus Foods has spent £330,000 on new equipment at its factory in Dolgellau, Wales.The cash, from parent company Glisten and...
Bacon processor Direct Table Foods will open a £20m, purpose-built factory in Bury St Edmunds next month to replace the previous plant, which was burned...
Chilled firms see least incentive to invest
Firms' island mentality means they could miss the cross-channel boat, warns agency
The meat processor Tulip is to close three UK factories in Chard and Chippenham with the loss of 850 jobs. It claimed the sites were...
Consultant AEA Technology Environment is launching research into the environmental impact of ready meals production, as part of the government-sponsored market transformation programme on sustainability....
East Anglian Food Ingredients (EAFI) was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £3,000 in costs after being prosecuted by Essex County Council for the sale...
Sales of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are expected to grow at 8% year-on-year until 2010, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan. While strict...
You are too late if you are an HR professional and want to get a place at Food Manufacture's first HR Forum of the year...
Some consumers buying expensive 'functional foods' may be wasting their money because their genetic make-up means that they are less responsive to the active ingredients...
Heinz has agreed to sell its European seafood business to a consortium, led by former Heinz director David Williams and backed by Lehman Brothers Merchant...
Undamped fears could kill market, says IFST
Tayto, the company that bought Golden Wonder and its brands from administrators in February, said it planned to develop new products and manufacturing opportunities at...
Pollution control permits for food manufacturing sites might not be needed after all
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to introduce guidelines on food endorsements, having argued for their inclusion in Europe's forthcoming regulation on nutrition and health...
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