Horsemeat: learning the lessons of an avoidable crisis
WRBM
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Food giant Premier Foods is swapping its traditional on-premise IT system for a cloud-based collaboration suite Google Apps for Business to be implemented in the fourth quarter of this year.
The nation’s changing breakfast preferences, the impact of shifting diets, and the great British takeaway are three key food trends to emerge from Mintel’s first survey charting consumers’ changing food choices between 1972 and 2012.
Sir, I was intrigued to read an article in a recent edition of Food Manufacture regarding foodborne illnesses.
Sir, I have worked in the food industry for 20 years and now approach my final year of an MBA at Manchester Business School.
Wastewater neutralisation firm Omex Environmental has expanded its range of pH control solutions with the introduction of the Magmex 1060 grade.
After consultation with the Carbon Trust, Devon food wholesaler Philip Dennis Foodservice has invested £1.2M in an on-site 80m-high, 800kW wind turbine, which will generate 100% of the Ilfracombe depot's electricity needs with spare capacity sold back to the National Grid. It will save almost 13.5t of carbon dioxide emissions each year.
Greencore has installed a new continuous total organic carbon (TOC) monitor, 'the BioTector', to refine wastewater treatment at its site in Selby.
Climate Center is introducing a new range of high-efficiency, low and reduced global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants, including new hydro-fluoro-olefin (HFO) blends.
The 'embedded water' content of food and drink is rising up the agenda for processors, says David Burrows
Controlling levels of food waste can preserve the future of your business as well as the planet, says Sue Scott
The 2012 Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards are now open for entries. To make the entry process even easier, manufacturers can now enter online.
Tough times are inspiring companies to maximise efficiency, which is good news for the environment, says Michelle Knott
We've got to produce more for less, while reducing the horrendous levels of waste along the food supply chain. Ahead of this month's Rio+20 Earth Summit, Britain's food and drink manufacturers are keen to show they are playing their part in becoming more resource efficient while reducing their environmental impact.
While other pack types such as rigid plastics are seeing growth in inline forming and filling options, pouches continue to see more interest in the preformed version, with shaped and multi-compartment packs offering valued differentiation.
Spiral conveyors can help firms save space and prevent machinery from becoming cut off by production lines, according to equipment supplier, Astec Conveyors.
An investment of around £50,000 in modelling software by UPM Conveyors helped it to design a new custom pepper grader for fresh produce firm, Thanet Earth.
Using fully sealed drum motors on conveyor belts enables manufacturers to improve hygiene, save space and cut energy consumption, according to drum motor manufacturer, Interroll.
The new faster, more efficient conveyors are good for the top line, says Freddie Dawson
Craft brewery Frederic Robinson has refitted its brewhouse at a cost of £5M to enable the efficient production of a wide range of beers in small batches.
Cherries are on their way to 'superfruit' status, according to Innova Market Insights. The research firm says cherries featured in 7% of juice drink launches in 2011 - up from 4% five years earlier.
Norfolk-based cold pressed rapeseed oil producer Larchwood Foods has developed two oils to meet the requirements of the food manufacturing sector: Larchwood Foods Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil and Larchwood Foods Extra Virgin High Oleic Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil.
Kerry Ingredients & Flavours developed Beatreme to enable processors to meet the demands of health-conscious consumers within an indulgent profile by lowering saturated fat levels.
DD Williamson (DDW) has developed a new oil-dispersible caramel colour using its proprietary emulsion technology.
Biocatalysts' new product Lactase 849MDP is a fungal enzyme that can be used in Kosher and Halal applications.
LycoRed Israel has launched microencapsulated formulations for hair and nail nutrition, which it claims will expand options for manufacturers. The products are based on vitamin B complex and amino acids.
Doehler has added red hues called Red Brilliance to its natural colour range. The colouring concentrates are produced from black carrots at Doehler's plant in Akkent, Turkey and meet clean-label requirements for food and drink applications.
A healthy image and premium profile are helping to make dark chocolate a rising star, reports Lynda Searby
FSA chief scientist Andrew Wadge wants to spread the word on science around the UK, reports Rick Pendrous
Derek Wiles shares his stories of life in the fresh olive oil business. Rod Addy reports
Food manufacturers and others face “very big” challenges in developing supplies of sustainable soya, according to Jan Kees Vis, Unilever’s global director of sustainable sourcing development.
The June issue of Food Manufacture, out today (May 30), features an invitation from the Food Safety Agency’s (FSA’s) chief scientist to report food manufacturers that jeopardise safety by cutting corners.
Speculation has emerged over the past month that chilled own-label food manufacturer Bakkavör could be the subject of a takeover bid following its troubled recent history
Premier Foods is winning back City analysts' support under the direction of chief executive Michael Clarke, whose restructuring plans have restored their confidence.
The nation’s most complained about advert in the Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA’s) 50-year history featured Kentucky Fried Chicken, according to its annual report published today (May 30).
Chancellor George Osborne has heeded the advice of high street baker Greggs and others and scrapped plans to charge VAT on some hot pasties, pies and sausage rolls.
Gloucestershire homemade pie manufacturer Mad About Pies plans to set up a second manufacturing facility in the Forest of Dean, which will create at least 20 new jobs.
Chancellor George Osborne’s surprise u-turn on plans to charge VAT on some hot pasties, pies and sausage rolls has received widespread press coverage. Here’s how the national media – newspapers, TV and radio – have reported the news.
Britain’s biggest high street baker Greggs is celebrating today after chancellor George Osborne listened to industry advice and dropped plans to impose VAT on some hot pasties, pies and sausage rolls.
Four “mega trends” are driving growth in food and drink and where functional food is concerned, it’s the science that sways it, according to analysts.
Food giant Nestlé should diversify the products and markets served by its Girvan factory in Scotland to help safeguard jobs, according to the GMB union.
British drinks giant Diageo has acquired Brazil’s leading premium cachaca brand, Ypioca, as part of its continuing strategy to expand in the BRIC nations (Brazil, Russia, India and China).
Higher apple prices and lower quality could result from the cold wet weather in early May, which made bees unable to pollinate crops and make honey.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) investigated 1,714 food incidents last year – nearly 210 cases up on the 1,505 studied in 2010.
Young’s Seafood is meeting representatives from Norfolk District Council and its economic development team today (May 28) to reveal its plans for the future of the Cromer site.
Further clarification of the European Commission’s new rules covering desinewed meat is needed urgently, warns a leading food law expert.
Helping the rising number of microbusinesses grow into viable long-term firms will help to boost the food manufacturing sector and the wider economy, according to the Institute for Manufacturing, Education and Consultancy Services (IfM ECS).
Shadow environment secretary Mary Creagh has condemned protestors’ attempts to vandalise crops at Rothamsted Research centre, where a trial of genetically modified (GM) wheat is being held.
Food and farming minister Jim Paice has pledged to fight new EU rules ordering changes to the labelling of desinewed meat (DSM) products, which come into force tomorrow (May 26).
Meat processing giant Vion said the economic slump and “unprecedented” UK livestock prices had contributed to a crash in profits.
Young’s Seafood has announced that it will cease production at the Cromer Crab Company site in Cromer, Norfolk with the loss of 109 jobs between June and August this year.
Premier Foods’ facilities at Histon, Knighton and Middleton are the most likely candidates for disposal, according to City analyst Panmure Gordon.
Dairy Crest has reported results for the year ended March 31 much in line with City analysts’ expectations, with an adjusted profit before tax of £87.4M on revenues up 2% at £1,632M.
A damning report on dodgy supermarket pricing tactics that conned shoppers into thinking they were getting a better deal than they were has prompted apologies from the UK’s biggest retailers.
Britain’s meat processors will be at a distinct commercial disadvantage compared with some of their EU counterparts when new rules governing changes to the labelling of disinewed meat (DSM) products come into effect this month.
Food and drink manufacturers could benefit from the National Farmers Union's (NFU's) new campaign to boost sales of British produce.
Half-year results from convenience food manufacturer Greencore published this week (May 22) have attracted a warm reception from city analysts.
Disposals are essential if Premier Foods is to service net debt, which is likely to remain at £1.2bn this year, warns financial specialist Panmure Gordon.
The proportion of own-label food and drink new product development (NPD) exceeded branded for the first time in the UK last year, according to market research firm Mintel.
UK food and drink manufacturers are on course to double the number of apprenticeships in the industry by the end of this year, said the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
Environment secretary Caroline Spelman has challenged governments, business and environmental groups around the world to reach a consensus on measures to ensure a more sustainable global food supply chain when world leaders meet at the Rio+20 Summit in a few weeks time.
Anglo Irish convenience food manufacturer Greencore sees “huge potential for expansion” in the US chilled food market, according to its chief financial officer Alan Williams.
Dairy co-operatives Milk Link and Arla group plan to merge to create a business with a turnover of more than £2bn, which processes over 3bn litres of milk a year.
David Saint is the newly-elected president of the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA).
As UK food and drink manufacturers search for ways to reduce packaging and carbon footprints, a new drinks launch in Thailand could point the way ahead.
Global biscuit manufacturers are responding to consumers’ contradictory demands by launching new products targeting both health and indulgence, according to market research firm, Innova Market Insights.
Kraft has pledged to recruit 54 food manufacturing apprentices this year with more to follow next year.
Vandalism of a genetically modified (GM) wheat trial yesterday morning (May 20) at Rothamsted Research centre, Herefordshire will not affect the progress of the experiment that could improve yields and cut costs, a spokesman told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
Exports to China and new product launches have helped UK pork products producer Cranswick boost sales despite the recession.
Own-label chilled food manufacturer Bakkavör is producing a new range of Indian meals for Tesco.
The government has condemned the vandalism of a genetically modified (GM) wheat trial yesterday morning (May 20) at Rothamsted Research centre, Herefordshire.
Morrisons’ revamped in-store bakeries are to offer customers a wider product range and a “more artisian experience”, according to the firm.
About 100 jobs will be created by a new seafood processing business in Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire.
High street baker Greggs has fought off stiff competition from Pret A Manger, Subway and O'Briens to win the title ‘Specialist Sandwich Chain of the Year’.
An intelligent food label that tells consumers how long they have to eat a product after it has been opened could solve one of grocery’s great conundrums.
The UK has signed a landmark deal, worth at least £50M, to export pork to mainland China – the world’s biggest market for pig meat.
Cult beer Newcastle Brown Ale has fought off stiff global competition to win a place in the list of the US’s top 10 favourite beers.
A number of jobs will be lost from Rachel’s Dairy’s workforce of 150 at its Aberystwyth facility, confirmed its owner Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy (LNCD).
Consumer group Which? has called for ‘traffic light’ labelling to be used as an industry standard to improve nutritional information for consumers.
The plans by Dutch-owned bakery ingredients group CSM to sell parts of its European and American bakery supplies business puts far more jobs at risk than the 400 previously reported, a union official has told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
What’s your view of the prospects for UK food and drink manufacturing? Is your glass half full or half empty?
A video promoting careers in the food and drink manufacturing industry has attracted more than 10,000 hits on YouTube.
Food manufacturers have rejected claims that migrant workers suffer abuse in the food manufacturing sector.
Spring rain dampened Greggs’ financial results, with like-for-like sales down 1.8% in the 19 weeks to May 12 2012.
Whitehall plans for a single front-of-pack nutritional labelling scheme could be torpedoed by the devolved governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Own-label, fresh prepared foods firm Bakkavör is to launch an ethnic foods range “very soon”, according to the management statement accompanying its results for the quarter ended March 31.
Vitafoods celebrates its 15th birthday next week. It’ll be my 11th consecutive May visit to Geneva for the jamboree and promises to be one of the most intriguing chapters with the (partial and belated) resolution of years of ambiguity regarding health claims in Europe.
Far Eastern firms’ appetite for UK food brands seems to be sharpening, with Birds Eye, which is owned by Iglo Foods, apparently the latest acquisition target.
Food manufacturing training and educational courses in the north east of England will be improved significantly by the addition of Hartlepool College of Further Education to the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSA), says its director, Justine Fosh.
Meat Processor Scotch Premier Meat plans to cut 30 jobs as part of cost-cutting measures at its facility at Inverurie, Scotland, which, the firm claims, will help it promote a high-quality image.
Marks & Spencer (M&S) is targeting the recession-conscious shopper by launching a budget range of everyday food products.
Wimbledon, Leeds United and Chelsea footballer, Vinnie Jones has become the latest addition to the list of celebrity milk promoters, which includes: Gordon Ramsay, Elle Macpherson, and Kelly Osbourne.
Food and drink manufacturers have helped to save an estimated 195,000t of waste from landfill and smashed a target set by the IGD think tank.
The government is failing to deliver food and farming policies that promote healthly eating or safeguard food supplies, warns an influential group of MPs.
The Scottish government’s plans to set a minimum price for alcohol of 50p per unit will avoid 60 deaths in its first year of operation and 300 after 10 years, according to Sheffield University’s Alcohol Research Group.
The recovery of troubled food giant Premier Foods is ‘mission possible’, concludes city analyst Shore Capital after meeting the firm last week (Friday May 11).
The UK pours 360,000t of milk down the drain each year, wasting the 100,000t of carbon dioxide produced by making it. Stopping this waste would be equivalent to taking 20,000 cars a year off the road, according to a study by Scottish scientists.
Chilled food manufacturer RF Brookes – owned by the 2 Sisters Food Group – plans to cut 193 jobs at its factory in South Wigston, Leicestershire.
Sugar packager and distributor Napier Brown will create 20 new jobs at its facility in Normanton, West Yorkshire in a move welcomed by shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper.
Premier Foods, the 2 Sisters Food Group and E.coli 0104 all feature in our heroes and villains gallery of the top food manufacturing stories of the year so far, published on FoodManufacture.co.uk.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has officially opened a £15M joint-venture recycling facility that will create 30 jobs and ensure the firm achieves its end-of-year target for recycled plastic.
The two Icelandic food entrepreneurs who founded the own-label food manufacturing business Bakkavör could acquire up to a quarter of the group’s shares, following financial restructuring talks.
The nation is sleepwalking towards a logistics nightmare that could gridlock the capital and other sports venues during the Olympic Games, warns a logistics expert.
Premier Foods and other dried soup manufacturers face price increases of more than 13% in the cost of meat powders, after an EU rule ordering poultry and pork desinewed meat (DSM) to be relabelled as mechanically separated meat (MSM) comes into force on May 26.
Online food sales are a “very big opportunity” for Marks & Spencer (M&S) but realising that potential may be several years off, warns financial specialists Shore Capital.
The food industry is facing a “demographic time bomb” with an ageing workforce and not enough talent to fill the skills gap, according to industry experts.
Full order books are predicted for small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to a survey from the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and forecasts from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).
Crisp makers are hitting back at their unhealthy image with new varieties of crisp substituting traditional oils such as sunflower oil with alternatives that are much lower in saturated fats.
The UK’s third largest supermarket Sainsbury claims to be the country’s fastest growing online food retailer in a statement published with its financial results for the year to March 17.
The success of plans to appoint a groceries code adjudicator ― set out in the Queen’s speech today (May 9) ― will depend upon the adjudicator's ability to listen to third-party referrals and levy penalties, say food and drink manufacturers.
The "first-ever" automated system capable of loading bagged produce into receptacles for transportation aims to help eliminate unnecessary wastage of fruit in factories.
Sales of soft drinks rose by 5.1% last year to reach more than £14.5bn, according to the 2012 UK Soft Drinks Report.
Irish retro confectionery maker Zed Candy is to close its Letterkenny facility in County Donegal and transfer production of its Oatfield Sweets brand to Kettering in Northamptonshire.
Food manufacturers and retailers will find it increasingly difficult to source GM-free ingredients at reasonable prices if Europe continues to reject the controversial technology.
Dr Andrew Wadge, the Food Standards Agency’s chief scientist, explains why new technologies, such as lactic acid antibacterial washes during chicken processing operations, should be used to reduce the 403,000 cases of campylobacter food poisoning in the UK each year – many resulting from contaminated chickens bought by people from supermarkets.
Food manufacturer Jane McEvoy – fired by Lord Alan Sugar from his TV show The Apprentice last month – has bounced back by launching a range of organic, allergen-free, fresh baby and toddler soups.
Food and drink manufacturers have urged the government to outline plans for an effective groceries code adjudicator in the Queen’s Speech, which sets out government policy, due tomorrow (May 8).
Eight top food trends will dominate European shoppers’ buying habits by the year 2020, predicts Spanish research organisation Azti-Tecnalia.
Campaigners want to see businesses take a more active role in negotiations to reform the Common Fisheries Policy and tackle controversial issues such as ‘discards’.
First Milk is hoping to capitalise on the Olympic wave following its acquisition of the sports nutrition firm CNP Professional.
Daysdrove abattoir – a Shropshire meat-processor – has closed with the loss of 13 jobs.
Premier Foods is remaining tight-lipped about press reports that private equity firms are competing to buy the firm’s spreads business, which includes Sun-Pat and Hartley’s Jam.
With the government demanding a doubling in container-to-container glass recycling over the next five years, brand owners and retailers are under pressure to fund more consumer communication and collection schemes at local level.
Scientists will have a better understanding of how the body can take advantage of functional nutrients found in different food structures, following the results of a new collaborative research project.
Is food manufacturing doing as well as anecdotal comments suggest?
"Red meat is not only unhealthy but can be positively lethal," according to new research.This was the opening sentence of an article in The Times in March. It was reporting on the latest meat-eating health scare, which was generated by a paper published in the US Archives of Internal Medicine.
New Covent Garden soup owner the Hain Celestial Group is to grow soup sales in the UK, Ireland and the US after its acquisition of Irish chilled soup specialist Cully & Sully.
Princes, the UK canned food and soft drinks firm, plans to grow European revenues to about £406M (€500M) over the next five years after completing the acquisition of a tomato processing factory from its partner Italian tomato processor, AR Industrie Alimentari SpA (ARIA).
Weetabix offers the Shanghai-based Bright Food company heritage and access to European markets with the potential for growth in Asia, according to analysts.
Tate & Lyle Sugar (TLS) Silvertown refinery could be doomed and lose over 700 jobs because it cannot obtain sufficient raw cane sugar at a price that would make its future viable, claim informed sources.
The dairy industry’s biggest lobbying body, Dairy UK is to issue a tough code of practice for unpasteurised milk processors ahead of a major review of ‘green top’ sales.
Tesco's fall from grace since former group chief executive Sir Terry Leahy hung up his halo and passed control over to Philip Clarke, is a sign of the turbulent times we live in. In its final results for 2011/12, published in April, Tesco reported a 1% fall in its UK profits to £2.1bn – the first fall in 20 years.
Unite the union is seeking assurances about the job security of 100 of its members who work at the Northamptonshire-based cereal manufacturer, Weetabix after the Chinese firm, Bright Food acquired a 60% stake in the firm.
Science in Sport (SiS), the £5M turnover sports nutrition business acquired by life sciences company Provexis in June last year for £8M, is predicted to grow by an impressive 20% a year by tapping into soaring demand for specialist sports nutrition products, according to its chief executive Stephen Moon.
China’s Bright Food has agreed a deal to acquire a majority shareholding of the iconic UK company Weetabix for £1.2bn.
An influential group of MPs working on the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hear evidence next week (May 15) about the EC’s requirement for a UK ban on the production of desinewed meat from cattle, sheep and goats.
Many athletes at this year's London Olympics could be at risk of disqualification because of their use of popular dietary supplements.
In depth interviews with Derby’s uncrowned ‘Curry Queen’ Perween Warsi and John Jospeh, operations director of Burts Crisps, both feature in the May issue of FoodManufacture.co.uk’s sister title Food Manufacture out today (May 2).
Vimto producer Nichols has made “a strong start” to the year and is well placed to deliver “strong medium-term growth through new UK product launches” and exports, say city analysts.
A new electronic nose designed to detect ripeness could save millions of pounds each year in preventing the wastage of fruit and vegetables, according to researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
A Weetabix takeover would be poorly timed, say analysts and sources close to the company, who claim an acquisition by China's Bright Group is unlikely.
AxFlow has announced the launch of its very first own brand of pump: the Realax peristaltic pump.
Lock Inspection Systems has cut product wastage on United Biscuits' (UB's) multi-bag crisp packing lines by retrofitting 62 throat metal detectors.
Nobody wants to eat a bruised apple, so the key to success for a tray-less apple pack is to handle them with the utmost care and that's a challenging task on a flow wrapping machine.
Packaging Automation (PA) is claiming a "world first" and major technology breakthrough in its all-electric heat sealing range.
Retail trials using Sirane's Sira-Flex Resolve have reported four additional days' shelf-life with potatoes and significant results with other fruit and vegetables.
Food giant Nestlé is starting to see environmental benefits from its new Nescafé refill packs just months after their launch.
Margins are tight for ready meal makers, leaving packaging system suppliers with the unenviable task of providing functional, versatile and sustainable solutions at the right price.
Beverage brands eager to have their cake and eat it are increasing their use of full-length, limited- edition shrink sleeves alongside established branding on more traditional, labelled bottles.
Seward's Stomacher 400 Circulator is used in the food industry to prepare samples for listeria testing.The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also used it for testing in last year's listeriosis scare in the US, which involved cantaloupe melons. The outbreak caused 25 lives to be lost and severe illness for several hundred people. Tests using the Circulator eliminated soil and fruit as possible sources of contamination.
Mitsubishi Electric's new L series programmable logic controller (PLC) increases the functionality traditionally associated with mid-range PLCs. Bridging the gap between the FX compact PLC and the iQ platform high-performance PAC, it combines much of the power of a Q series central processing unit (CPU), with the ease of expansion and user-centric design inspired by the FX.
GEA Refrigeration Netherlands – a member company of GEA Refrigeration Technologies – won the Dutch Refrigeration Prize in February 2012 for its combination of a refrigerating plant and a heat pump called the Energy Enhancer.
When Swedish muesli producer Frebaco wanted to optimise its mixing process it asked Cabinplant to develop a dosing machine to handle nine to 10 different ingredients and transport the finished batch from the ground floor to the fourth floor.
ExxonMobil Lubricants and Petroleum Specialties Company is promising energy savings of up to 3.6% for gear oil applications of its NSF H1 registered Mobil SHC Cibus Series oils.
Supplier of thermal transfer, hot foil, ink jet and laser coding and marking equipment, Allen Coding Systems has launched a new range of Nano laser coders. The Nano F fibre laser coder and Nano D Yag laser coder are compact, versatile units designed for industrial coding applications on a wide range of hard-to-mark materials such as confectionery films.
JBT FoodTech has developed an integrated in-line dry-fry system to process coated products with up to 50% less oil pick-up.
Hygiene Audit Systems has launched an online food safety monitoring system that enables users to store and view records across the globe, 24 hours a day.
Mettler-Toledo Safeline has launched new test samples to help manufacturers ensure their metal detection and X-ray inspection systems comply with stringent global food safety legislation.
The sixth edition of the British Retail Consortium's (BRC's) global standard for food safety (BRC6) kicked in in January this year. Food manufacturers now have to pay much more attention to their factory cleaning regimes and equipment if they want BRC accreditation.
New technology for aseptic white milk shortens processing time by up to 90% and cuts operating costs by up to 50%.
Meat ingredients specialist BHJ UK Protein Foods has introduced its first highly functional, natural pork protein for use in injected cooked and cured pork products.
Stevia holds great potential for reformulation in dairy, according to Cargill.
Bakery ingredients supplier AAK has invested in new product development to help firms meet market pressures for cost-effective clean-label products that don't adversely affect the quality, texture and taste of food.
Bioscience firm Chr Hansen has launched a series of new YoFlex and probiotic Nu-trish yogurt cultures with texturing properties that perform in low-fat milk.
Interfood Technology has launched a new flavour delivery system to provide a consistent, flexible, efficient and waste-free approach to flavouring protein-based food.
New evidence has emerged from Sheffield Hallam University that Seagreens seaweed can be used as an acceptable alternative to salt in bread and to contribute to weight loss and management.
Meadow Cheese has launched an egg-free glaze. The firm's customers have faced egg shortages followed by rocketing prices following the EU's introduction of new legislation in January to ban conventional caging for hens. The savoury glaze can be applied to pies, sausage rolls and other savoury pastries for a professional finish and appearance.
"Let them eat brioche," famously uttered Marie Antoinette. "And if you can't get hold of any eggs to make one, use an enzyme and protein-based alternative," she added, but the history books failed to preserve. The French would do well to heed this forgotten pearl of wisdom lest they be forced to turn to breakfast cereal, with reports that they are unable to find enough eggs to make their celebrated treat.
Increased demand for halal products has driven proteins supplier BHJ UK into that market after securing official certification for its Scanpro Beef 95 functional protein ingredient.
"If you don't buck your ideas up and work harder at school, son, you'll end up in that god-awful food factory down the road." It's a phrase I've heard in various guises over the years and expresses the views held by many parents about the food manufacturing sector.
Eleven years have passed since I last visited Derby to interview Perween Warsi, the founder and chief executive of ethnic chilled ready meals producer S&A Foods. Much has changed in the world since then, but one thing has remained constant and that's her passion for food.
The 2012 Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards, which celebrate the very best food and drink processors in the business, will be launched this month.
We have a three-year plan to take sales to north of £25M. In 2007 we were at £2M, last year we were at £12M and this year we are at £15M.
The problems small food firms face in getting loans from "risk averse" banks is threatening their ability to expand, according to experts.
More than 60 food and drink manufacturers, retailers and distributors were included in The Sunday Times Rich List, which spotlights the 1,000 wealthiest men and women in Britain.
The UK’s second biggest turkey producer Cranberry Foods has been acquired by leading poultry producer Faccenda, for an undisclosed sum, to form one of the country’s largest food manufacturers.
Rising costs and sharp competition have been blamed for forcing Scottish meat processor Caithness Beef and Lamb into administration.
Sir,Your story on the use of microwave pasteurisation at S&R Foods (Food Manufacture, May 2011) said products placed near the walls of retorts tend to be overcooked to ensure those nearer the centre are cooked. This is simply not the case with retorts, even if the technology between equipment is different.
Sir,As a 60+ executive, who spent his life serving retailers in the fast- moving consumer goods sector, including the food industry, I felt it imperative to respond to the editor's view in the March issue of Food Manufacture on the imbalance between the retailers and their suppliers. A level playing field is indeed what is required.
Scotland's Tamdhu whisky distillery, which was mothballed in 2010 by its then owner the Edrington Group, is to be relaunched in 2013.
The growing diversity of allergen-free products made competition for this year's FreeFrom Food Awards fiercer than ever, according to Michelle Berriedale-Johnson, chair of the judges and editor of the FoodsMatter website.
The BPEX Foodservice Pork Product of the Year competition 2012 aimed at catering butchers and suppliers, manufacturers and chefs is now open for entries.
Ethnic ready meals producer S&A Foods is considering expanding its business overseas with potential manufacturing facilities In Europe on the agenda.
People of South East Asian origin living in the UK are at much greater risk of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. However, they are likely to be missed by public health obesity campaigns because these tend to focus on individuals' body mass index (BMI), according to a leading public health policy academic.
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