All news articles for July 2016

Abergavenny Fine Foods' md Melanie Bowman has brought the company back from the ashes

Cheese firm rebuilds factory destroyed in fire

By Matt Atherton

Abergavenny Fine Foods opened its new factory on July 7, a year after fire destroyed the company’s goat’s cheese production at Blaenavon, south east Wales.

Kettleby Foods: The bakers’ union has accused Samworth of ‘intimidation’ at the site

Samworth union row intensifies after ‘bullying’ letter

By Noli Dinkovski

Samworth Brothers’ long-running dispute with a bakers’ union is set to intensify after the manufacturer was accused of circulating a “bullying” letter to its workers, in a bid to sign away their collective bargaining rights.

Fire crews tackled the blaze at Dogsthorpe Flour Mill

Firefighters tackle flour mill fire

By Gwen Ridler

A fire at a food manufacturing site in Peterborough was battled by fire fighters in the early hours of Monday morning (July 25).

McDonald's is to create 5,000 new UK jobs by the end of next year

McDonald’s to create 5,000 jobs by 2017

By Matt Atherton

McDonald’s plans to create over 5,000 new jobs in the UK by the end of next year, despite consumer confidence falling to a 21-year low, according to a new survey.

Paramount Packaging Systems has reported increasing demand

Form-fill-seal kit offers users 'enhanced integrity'

By Rick Pendrous

Paramount Packaging Systems (PPS) the distributor of Fuji Machinery Company’s horizontal and vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) equipment in the UK and Ireland has reported increasing demand for its Alpha VII flow-wrapping equipment with food processors,...

Versaperm's new permeability meter shows users how their packaging is performing

Permeability of packs is checked

By Rick Pendrous

The latest VI vapour permeability meters from Versaperm can show users just how well their packaging is performing.

Tesco has unveiled new pots for its food-to-go products

New pots for food-to-go at Tesco

By Rick Pendrous

Food packaging suppliers Faerch Plast and Colpac recently joined forces to develop a new pack design in conjunction with fresh prepared foods manufacturer Bakkavor for a new Tesco food-to-go range.

Beavertown brewery installed an ICS Cool Energy temperature system

Brewer chills out with high quality beers

By Rick Pendrous

Beavertown Brewery, a fast-growing London craft brewery, is making use of high-performance temperature control systems from ICS Cool Energy to meet its cooling requirements.

Industrial Refrigeration Services launched a specialist energy surveillance service

Cooling system energy check service launched

By Rick Pendrous

A specialist energy surveillance service has been launched by Industrial Refrigeration Services (IRS) to help large food manufacturers plan for a greener future with a reduced carbon footprint and energy cost savings.

Gilsons bakery installs new sprial freezers from Starfrost

Gilsons bakery installs spiral freezers

By Rick Pendrous

UK bakery Gilsons, based at Kettering in Northamptonshire, has invested in two spiral systems from freezing and chilling equipment manufacturer Starfrost to help it introduce new products and boost capacity on two bread lines.

Movigear units on bottling line at Radnor Hills

Radnor Hills raises its bottling line output

By Rick Pendrous

Drinks maker Radnor Hills has increased capacity from 175M to 300M bottles a year, thanks to the installation of a new bottling line that makes use of an energy efficient drive system.

Faccenda using Rotobatcher for manual styling of fresh chicken cutups in trays

Faccenda reduces chicken giveaway

By Rick Pendrous

Chicken processor Faccenda Foods has installed a flexible and space-efficient system for the accurate weighing and packing of chicken legs and drumsticks.

First fluid-repellent, antibacterial metal surface developed

Fluid-repellant anti-bacterial surfaces developed

By Rick Pendrous

Using inspiration from nature, a team of European researchers has harnessed new photonics technology to develop what they claim is the first fluid-repellent, antibacterial, metal surface, which is likely to find a use soon in food processing applications.

Hilton supplies major multiples, including Tesco in the UK

Hilton Food Group performs 'in line with expectations'

By Rick Pendrous

Hilton Food Group is forecast by city analyst Shore Capital to make a pre-tax profit for 2016 of £34.6M, following a trading update for the 28 weeks ended July 17 2016 released by the company last month.

Hungry House and Levi Roots were the most successful food investments

Hungry House: Dragons’ Den top food firm – so far

By Michelle Perrett

The most successful food business backed by investors from the hit TV show Dragons’ Den is Hungry House, the takeaway online delivery service, according to research by business data site Company Check.

One poultry factory employee was reported to have been paid just £5.03 an hour

Gangmaster loses licence for ‘skimming’ pay

By Noli Dinkovski

A Shropshire-based fresh produce recruitment agency has been stripped of its licence for systematically ‘skimming’ workers’ pay, resulting in employees receiving less than the national minimum wage.

Beer sales soared in the second-quarter

British beer sales kick-off with Euro 2016 football

By Matt Atherton

An extra 31M pints of beer were sold between April and June, mainly thanks to the month-long televised feast of European Championship football – despite England’s failure at the second round stage – reveal new figures from The British Beer & Pub Association...

Winners from last year's Food Manufacture Excellence Awards described the benefits of winning a manufacture Oscar

Manufacturing Oscar winners explain business boost

By Michelle Perrett

Winning a Food Manufacture Excellence Award (FMEA) won widespread industry recognition and boosted team morale, according to five of last year’s leading Oscar winners. There’s still time match their achievements by submitting your free online entry today.

Manufacturers with apprenticeship programmes are more productive

Act now to make most of the apprenticeship levy

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink manufacturers have been advised to start putting strategies in place now to make the most of the government’s apprenticeship levy, which comes into force in April 2017 and essentially transfers the cost of apprenticeships from the taxpayer...

Everyone an FMEA Oscar winner! Could you join this year's winning line up?

FMEAS 2016

2 Sisters and Premier Foods celebrate Oscar wins

By Michael Stones

Two of the UK’s largest food manufacturers – 2 Sisters Food Group and Premier Foods – have revealed how winning a Food Manufacture Excellence Award (FMEA) – the Oscars of the food and drink manufacturing sector – have boosted their businesses over the...

Raw and lightly cooked eggs deemed safe by a new report

Runny eggs safer than thought: new research

By Gwen Ridler

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) could change its advice on eating raw and runny eggs, after a report identified a big reduction in the risk of salmonella from UK hens’ eggs.

Tata Steel was ordered to pay more than £2M for safety failings

Hand slice accidents cost packaging firm over £2M

By Gwen Ridler

A firm that manufactures steel for food packaging has been ordered to pay more than £2M for safety failings, after two workers suffered injuries to their hands in two separate incidents.

Food-to-go offers key business opportunities

Food-to-go offers £16bn opportunity for firms

By Matt Atherton

The UK’s rapidly expanding food-to-go sector could provide key opportunities to grow sales from a market predicted to reach £16.1bn before the end of the year.

TV star Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has been warned about the hidden costs of recycling

Waste recycling warning for celebrity TV campaigner

By Michelle Perrett

A leading trade association has warned about the environmental burden of recycling, as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s hit TV show – Hugh’s War on Waste – is set to reignite demands for more package recycling.

Food recalls were caused by potentially deadly bacteria and undeclared allergens this month

Wraps recalled over potentially fatal bacteria

By Gwen Ridler

Lytham Foods has recalled a number of its Freshbite wraps after concerns over the company’s safety procedures to prevent harmful levels of bacteria in its products.

Kellogg's Manchester factory will feature on BBC Two's Inside The Factory: How Our Favourite Foods Are Made

Kellogg’s factory features in BBC documentary

By Matt Atherton

The inner-workings of Kellogg’s Manchester factory will be unveiled tomorrow (Tuesday July 26), as the company is the first to feature in BBC Two’s ‘Inside The Factory: How Our Favourite Foods Are Made’ second season.

Jobs are under threat at Turners Fine Foods

Turners Fine Foods’s 320 jobs under threat

By Matt Atherton

Food wholesaler Turners Fine Foods has reportedly been taken into administration, threatening more than 320 jobs, and prompting offers of ‘help’ from competitors Booker Wholesale and Brakes.

The probe into the fatal outbreak of E.coli is focusing on the wholesale sector, said PHE

Fatal E.coli outbreak probe focuses on wholesale

By Michelle Perrett

The investigation into the fatal E.coli outbreak linked to mixed salad leaves is focusing on wholesale and not retail, Public Health England (PHE) has confirmed. 

Andrea Leadsom: 'Thoroughly enjoying my own apprenticeship as secretary of state for DEFRA'

Brexit to highlight food industry skills: DEFRA boss

By Michael Stones

Brexit will make skills development in the food and drink manufacturing sector even more important, said new environment secretary Andrea Leadsom, at the launch of a new apprenticeship programme.

Mondelēz has made approached Burton to make a deal for its Cadbury biscuit licence

Mondelēz in bid to buy Cadbury biscuit licence

By Gwen Ridler

Confectionery giant Mondelēz has approached Burton’s Biscuit Company in a multi-million pound bid to acquire its licence to produce Cadbury biscuits, according to media reports.