Horsemeat: learning the lessons of an avoidable crisis
WRBM
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Soft drinks producers have been accused of being "blatantly misleading," in the way they market their products to children and their parents.
Food manufacturers that change their name must reapply for a new EU food hygiene legislation approval number from the end of next January, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned.
Ovenpride Wholesale, a Barnet-based bread company, has been fined £1 after a man died of injuries following a fall from a faulty stepladder.
Help! We need your support to select a charismatic winner for the 2011 Food Manufacture Food Personality of the Year award.
Several UK research organisations have answered a call made only three days ago for scientific support to help food manufacturers meet their commitments on salt reduction under the Public Health Responsibility Deal.
Uncertainty surrounds the jobs of 230 workers at Omagh Meats in Northern Ireland following industrial action at the plant, warns Unite the union.
The volume of kosher certified products in Europe continues to grow but will probably never match North American levels, according to UK certification body, the Kashrut Division of the London Beth Din (KLBD).
Arla Foods has launched a range of Indian dairy products following a three-year research and development programme, involving investment of £1.5m.
Unite the union says that British Sugar is likely to see its first strikes in 30 years from early October.
The British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) has joined the opposition to calls for a fat tax to curb the UK’s growing obesity crisis.
Fish processing business Superior Seafoods has closed with the loss of about 60 jobs, according to the Grimsby Fish Merchants Association.
Diageo is continuing to investigate after a leak of 10,000 litres of nitric acid at its Cameronbridge distillery in Fife, Scotland on August 16.
Scotland’s largest independent dairy company, Graham’s The Family Dairy has appointed Shaun Dorrian to the role of operations director.
The new owners of premium chocolatier Browne’s have outlined plans to put the company onto a “rapid growth” trajectory.
The prospect of a fat tax has lurched back into view following a damning Lancet editorial claiming the food industry is failing to tackle the UK’s obesity “pandemic”.
Independent baker Peter’s Bakery is spearheading a campaign to have the corned beef pasty recognised as a Welsh national dish.
The management team at Diageo had “found its mettle” one analyst concluded after the spirits giant reported its annual results yesterday (August 24).
Restricting TV advertising of unhealthy cereals to children has reduced sales in the sector worth £318.3m/year, according to a new report from research firm Key Note.
Much higher processing costs will result if trawlermen are forced to land what they catch as part of radical reforms to the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), according to the pan-fishing industry body Seafish.
Emmi-owned yoghurt brand Onken is altering packaging on some of its yoghurt products that were mislabelled as gluten-free in the UK.
News that 350 people are to lose their jobs at Uniq’s Minsterley creamery is linked to Greencore’s £113m bid for the chilled foods firm and underlines the need for a ‘Cadbury’s Law’ to protect workers’ interests, argues Unite the Union.
Longbenton Foods’ Benton Lane site in Newcastle proved impossible to sell as a going concern due to its mammoth size and outdated layout, its administrator has told FoodManufacture.co.uk.
Damian Killen, factory manager at the Heinz (UK) baby food plant at Kendal in the Lake District, explains to FoodManufacture.co.uk what the company’s Global Performance System has meant for staff.
Despite failing to secure funding on Dragons’ Den, Mexican food firm md Marcela Flores-Newburn has secured investment for her company from a Northamptonshire business consortium.
Chilled foods firm Uniq has announced that production of ‘everyday’ desserts will end at Minsterley in the first half of 2012 with the loss of around 350 jobs.
Premier Foods has appointed Ian Deste as group sales director, to replace outgoing incumbent Ian York who leaves the business at the end of this year.
The rising price of commodities will push the value of the diet foods sector up by 27% over the next five years, according to a new Key Note report.
Milk Link will adopt a new business structure from September that will see two core business units created, while the company has also made two senior appointments.
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.
UK flavours company Aromco has been acquired for £15m in cash by multinational flavour and fragrance firm Frutarom.
The new Weigh-Batcher from Ishida doubles work-rates for difficult-to-handle fresh meat and poultry products and cuts costs while maintaining good product-in-tray presentation for retail outlets, claims the manufacturer.
A pioneering scheme to turn waste plastics into diesel could save food processing companies thousands of pounds.
Cereal bar company Wholebake says that it is set to expand into new markets following a management buyout.
Stephen Gamble, the md of the defunct supermarket supplier Steve's Cakes has re-emerged at the helm of the new company Gamble Foods.
Weetabix head of procurement Anthony Bowdidge believes that e-sourcing can benefit suppliers as well as buying firms, despite the former sometimes seeing auctions as a threat.
Wanted: An inspirational and charismatic winner for the 2011 Food Manufacture Personality of the Year award. We want you to help us find the individual who has done the most to raise the profile of UK food and drink manufacturing during the past year.
Storck has started making redundancies as it prepares to close its Bendicks manufacturing operation in Winchester.
Vion Food Scotland has been fined £100,000 following the death of a worker who was crushed by a badly loaded forklift truck.
A new Jamie Oliver branded sustainable frozen fish range from Young’s Seafood is the first in a series of big new ranges from the supplier.
Reports that Iglo Group private equity owner Permira is planning an imminent £1.5bn sale of the business are false, according to an industry source.
Pioneering Oxford technology firm Spice Application Systems (SAS) has grown overall sales by 20% so far this year, but admits the UK market is lagging behind Europe in uptake terms.
Birds Eye has slammed a "ridiculous" UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruling that two of its frozen foods adverts made forbidden comparative nutrition claims.
Help for food manufacturers battling soaring sugar prices could arrive in mid October when the European Commission (EC) will unveil plans to reform the European Union (EU) sugar regime, according to industry sources.
Cadbury has spent £4.5m installing new equipment to manufacture chocolate drinks in-house at its Chirk factory near Wrexham, while the company says its Somerdale site will be sold within months.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is inviting industry bodies to submit information on insect consumption in the UK.
Staff at Burton’s Foods in Blackpool will vote on a revised pay deal for the second time after initially rejecting the company's offer, FoodManufacture.co.uk understands.
Rumours have resurfaced suggesting that United Biscuits' (UB's) private equity owners may consider splitting-up the business to hasten a sale.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating reports of bitter tasting pine nuts imported from China after consumers complained of unpleasant, metallic notes sometimes lasting up to two weeks after consumption.
Industry must learn crucial communication lessons from past “techno disasters” such as GM and asbestos to ensure greater consumer acceptance of new technologies such as nanotechnology, according to scientific think tank Matter.
The founder of Dragons' Den-backed start-up Worthenshaws is claiming significant turnover growth since appearing on the show, but is relieved she has outsourced manufacturing “to the experts”.
Refrigeration specialist Excalibur has developed a patented heat recovery system that allows refrigeration systems to operate more effectively and deliver water at 55˚C.
Social media tools, such as Twitter, Facebook and blogs, are more of an opportunity than a threat for UK food and beverage manufacturers, according to leading social media consultant, Matthew Yeomans.
A leading M&A lawyer has described Kraft’s plan to divide its global operations as a “hugely significant” move that could lead other multinational food businesses to demerge operations.
The food supply chain was not compromised during recent riots and disorder across England, trade associations say.
Premier Foods group sales director Ian York will leave the company at the end of the year to pursue "other business interests", a spokesman has confirmed to FoodManufacture.co.uk.
Improved productivity, reduced cardboard consumption and the elimination of waste have followed the installation of Witness simulation software at Kraft’s Cadbury plant in Bournville, according to the company.
A pay dispute at Burton’s Foods site in Blackpool has reached stalemate, after staff rejected a pay offer recommended by union bosses.
Premier Foods shares rose slightly this morning after an announcement that new ceo Michael Clarke will start work next week, as one City analyst warned that the firm's shares are currently "un-investable".
Despite fears of sovereign downgrades and tumbling share prices, UK food and drink manufacturers increased their output by 0.5% in June 2011, but many are suffering pain from rising input prices.
Tesco has expressed "surprise and dismay" at an Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruling that it must pay £10.43m for allegedly colluding with other retailers and suppliers to fix cheese prices in 2002 to 2003.
Baker Greggs says it is monitoring the London riots to co-ordinate activity across its retail and supply chain and minimise the risk to consumers and staff from angry mobs.
Do you enjoy reading our headlines? Then, why not help to write them by joining the Food Manufacture Group editorial team?
A well-placed dairy industry source has attacked Arla for publishing what he describes as ‘greenwash’ in its 2011 report detailing progress on environmental targets.
The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) today fined dairy processors and retailers almost £50m for retail price-fixing in the early noughties.
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 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.
Leeds food manufacturer Symington’s has bought Unilever brands Chicken Tonight and Ragu for an undisclosed price, in a deal that will boost its turnover by around 25%.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is investigating how a letter to its Scottish Food Advisory Committee (SFAC) chair and board member informing him of his suspension was leaked to the press.
Strong growth in global meat consumption and the opportunity to convert manufacturers from natural to collagen casings are two factors underpinning Devro’s strong interim results, said City analysts.
Ambitious reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) will not come into force intact, while changes that are made will be difficult to implement, one expert has warned.
Suffolk veg packer and farming business Frederick Hiam is banking on significantly lower energy bills after installing a £1.5m solar power electricity generation system at its site near Brandon.
Soft drink firm Nichols is still on the acquisitions trail after revealing what one analyst hailed as "bloody good" interim results for the half year to June 30.
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.
Northern Irish supermarket supplier Millar Savoury Foods is being wound up after administrators failed to find a buyer.
Allied Bakeries operations director, Nick Law, tells FoodManufacture.co.uk what makes a good manager. In an age of skills shortages, Law tells Mike Stones that the company looks for leaders, who drive staff to achieve more at a higher level collectively than as a "group of individuals".
Southall food manufaturer Quality Foods has been fined more than £16,000 for numerous food hygeine offences after council inspectors found glass in a samosa, ingredients buckets covered in slime and machines covered in caked-on food and grease.
Union the Unite is seeking assurances about UK jobs and production at Kraft and Cadbury’s, following the announcement that Kraft is set to split its business into two independent companies.
One City analyst has described Premier Foods claim that its poor performance in the first half (H1) of this year was due to a “successful pricing exercise” as “amazing”.
Unilever refused to comment on City speculation that its food businesses may be up for sale as it announced better-than-expected half-year results yesterday.
Trade union Unite says it has resolved a pay dispute with Allied Bakeries at the firm’s West Bromwich site and averted strike action.
Gosforth firm Continuous Retorts (CRL) has received a £250,000 investment from a major investment fund, for what the latter describes as potentially “game changing” food processing technology.
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.
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.
The Department of Health (DH) has defended its approach to alcohol, after public health groups alleged that the drinks industry has an undue influence on government policy.
An appeal to cut VAT for ice cream has been turned down by the UK government.
Stable Micro Systems has released upgraded software for its Powder Flow Analyser to offer a wider selection of tests and background information.
I was greatly saddened recently to hear of the death of Dr Eli Goldratt, with whom I had the pleasure of learning from for six years in the early 1990s. Those who know the name and have read 'The Goal' will know Eli left us an understanding of bottlenecks and constraints and a great book written in a unique style.
Britain now boasts more than 800 breweries; a higher total than at any time since the Second World War, according to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA).
Symington’s expects to increase turnover to £118m by the end of this year and is bringing Campbell’s condensed soups back onto the UK market.
Princes says it is “actively considering” options regarding the disposal of former Premier Foods canned pies business Fray Bentos.
Version 6 of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety could lead to more unannounced audits being forced on manufacturers, according to a third-party certification body.
As the country gears up for British Sausage Week 2011 (October 30 – November 6), the most hotly contested sausage competition is now underway.
Food and farming minister Jim Paice has urged UK manufacturers to take advantage of the pound’s low exchange rate to raise their exports.
Environmental health officers (EHOs) have come out strongly against plans being considered by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to move from a local to a centralised system of managing food safety inspection of food business operations.
As the flames of the recession die down, will businesses rise from the ashes with opportunities for employment?
The deep and complicated world of packaging and labelling regulations has been laid out in a new publication.
Glendale Foods has gone live with Solarsoft's Tropos enterprise resource planning (ERP) software in a bid to streamline processes, improve stock control and increase operational efficiency.
Plans to establish a new professional qualification standard that would enable people to progress their careers in the food sector will still go ahead, despite the project's failure to receive backing under the first round of bidding for the government's new Growth Innovation Fund (GIF), announced last month.
Conveyor and transmission belt manufacturer Chiorino UK has launched a new belt that ensures absolute hygiene
The closure of a taxation loophole means that companies that are struggling with their cash flow risk going bankrupt if they try to delay paying year-end tax bills while disbursing dividends, accountants have warned.
Manufacturers have committed to doing more to attract bright young people into the food sector and avert the impending skills crisis threatening its future.
Despite manufacturers' best efforts to become greener, fully biodegradeable plastic bottles and zero carbon emissions from factories are unlikely to ever become a reality, according to the head of corporate social responsibility and sustainability at Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE).
Italian chocolate maker Ferrero is planning to open production facilities in the UK as part of its plans to double sales here to £400m by 2015.
Testo has added an extension to its Saveris data monitoring system, which makes it suitable for use during the transport of food products.
Beko Technologies says its upgraded Clearpoint filter range will cut energy costs by 10%.
"We are going to see a tremendous amount of growth in the ready-to-serve marketplace," says Walter Sommers, president of Ruprecht, a Chicago-based ready meal manufacturer. "And the cooking equipment we've recently purchased will allow us to participate in that growth."
Forget the ancient tradition of eastern spices, it's flavours from the west that are inspiring the UK's consumers.
Energy efficiency expert, Optima Control Solutions (OCS) is seeing a significant growth in demand for its cost-effective, high-quality drive control systems that help maximise plant performance.
Npower has launched an improved version of the Encompass monitoring and targeting software, following the success of the original product released in 2007.
Pastry maker Tamar Foods has saved 23% on its heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) energy costs following the installation of variable-speed drives (VSDs) at its Cornwall site.
Many companies already feel they've taken action to cut sky-high energy bills. But where might investment make further savings?
The government must intervene to ensure fairer contracts for milk suppliers, MPs said, as three major reports on rock-bottom pricing and missed opportunities showed the UK dairy industry has reached "crunch time".
Pressure is mounting on the government to legislate to force manufacturers to reduce levels of salt in food.
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.
Advances have been achieved in mapping the proteome of the organism responsible for the recent E.coli outbreak in France and Germany, thanks to a collaboration between analytical equipment specialist Thermo Fisher Scientific and the UK's Health Protection Agency (HPA).
Walsall-based pork scratching manufacturer Graham Simmons & Sons of Walsall still uses soda crystal to remove grease and keep its premises safe by avoiding slips in a tried and tested process that is over 100 years old.
S+S Inspection has redesigned its Raycon X-ray inspection system for more effective detection of a wide variety of metallic and non-metallic contamination.
Janitorial and personal protection equipment (PPE) supplier Needlers has landed a two-year contract with convenience foods firm Greencore. Needlers will provide 900 lines to all 12 of Greencore's UK manufacturing sites, making daily deliveries across the country.
Bunting Magnetics has strengthened its line-up of metal detection equipment with the addition of the Meatline 05 0 metal detector. The detector is designed for integration in vacuum fillers to examine liquid and pasty type of food products. It is claimed to detect and separate any type of metal, encapsulated or free.
Despite growing sophistication in the supply chain, recent food scares indicate continued weaknesses.
The pages of magazines are littered with over-eager brands all boasting amazingly optimistic growth plans, which stretch the bounds of credibility. Seabrook Crisps might easily be mistaken for one of them if it weren't for the fact that, in Seabrook's case, it all appears to be coming true.
The UK is the third largest dairy producer in Europe but it pays farmers the third worst price for its milk. No wonder producers are more inclined to bottle out than bottle it.
With accusations of misleading advertising from consumer groups Which? in the UK and Foodwatch in Germany, and bad publicity about the way its Nutella hazelnut spread has been marketed in the US, Ferrero md for UK and Ireland, Christian Walter is remarkably upbeat.
As part of the Vion Group, Snowbird Foods is brimming over with new concepts for a host of meat products, from sausages to meatballs. We grill the man behind production
The government's Review of Waste Policy, published in June, "was heavy on ambition but light on action", according to waste management group Shanks.
Increasing demand for cross-category continuous replenishment and flexibility and growing calls for sustainability are core challenges that manufacturers must face to add value to the supply chain, according to General Mills.
For the first time, plastics converter Faerch Plast UK has said it is forming frozen food trays from a high-impact strength grade of crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (CPET) for better performance at low temperatures.
The key to the future of thermoforming lies in base machine systems with the versatility to create different formats, from skin to shrink-style and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), according to Sealpac UK.
Dutch contract filler DIS has upgraded its wine-canning operation to provide greater choice in can sizes as well as better safeguards for the quality and shelf-life of the wines themselves.
With the launch of the tendering process for foodservice packaging suppliers, the London 2012 Olympics organisers are providing a welcome boost to 'widely recycled' and industrially compostable materials.
For the past two years, Cheshire-based family bakery Frank Roberts & Sons has been working on an automation project designed to ensure the plant baker continues to maximise its cost efficiency.
Coca-Cola Enterprises' (CCE's) Sidcup factory in Kent will next month commission a new £14.3m line for the production of canned products. It will raise the plant's capacity by a further 20m cases a year.
Fortification of gluten free bread products in the UK is likely to be limited and inconsistent, according to a study published in the Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics.
Larch extract taxifolin is nearing approval as a novel food ingredient in the EU following endorsement by the Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes (ACNFP) last month.
I recently presented a paper on reformulation at the World Sugar Research Organisation's international conference in Paris to global sugar barons. As a result, I tried to give a balanced, scientifically accurate review of the pros and cons of sugar. In fact, there were more pros than cons.
In 2009, we published a review on the health effects of probiotics. Although there are gaps in the evidence, a number of peer-reviewed trials have demonstrated strain-specific benefits in a variety of clinical situations, such as antibiotic-associated and C. Difficile diarrhoea, ulcerative colitis and possibly irritable bowel syndrome. In addition, health professionals increasingly recommend probiotics as a precautionary measure for those taking antibiotics.
Bart Spices says it is the first major herbs and spices supplier to bring Fairtrade-certified herbs to the UK consumer. Tesco began stocking the Bristol firm's new Fairtrade range last month.
Red Strawberry Fragaria is the newest natural colour to be launched by Chr Hansen. Designed for fermented milk and fruit preparations, it offers a more cost-effective and consistent way to colour yogurt with a lower concentration of the colour that is needed in the manufacturing process.
The high street boom in deli-style sandwiches is set to hit London schools, thanks to a new sandwich bar concept from Brakes Group.
Following a search for the 'UK's tastiest meat-free dish', Linda McCartney Foods is launching a new Mushroom & Ale Pie based on a vegan recipe that won 40% of public votes.
The retailer-driven trend for clean-label foods has hit finished meat products, according to a major ingredients distributor.
Snowbird Foods has launched an "all in one" breakfast sausage that includes bacon, mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
You would not imagine that there would be a link between the News of The World (NoTW, now deceased) and nutrition health claims.
Food and farming minister Jim Paice has urged UK manufacturers to take advantage of the pound's low exchange rate to raise their exports.
Who do you believe has done the most to raise the profile of UK food and drink manufacturing over the past year?
The food and drink supply chain is facing its toughest test in decades and must take shared vehicle and depot use seriously to survive global crises such as economic instability, according to logistics specialist Wincanton.
Food experts have called for more evidence before they can consider revising the advice they offer on the safety of unpasteurised or raw milk cheese.
Scottish bakery group Lees Foods said it had been hit by high commodity costs in a July 28 trading update.
Independent Yorkshire brewery Cropton is working on a new design for labels on its beer bottles, following a four-year legal “battle of the roses”.
Heinz says it has “dialled up” production volumes on two lines at its Aunt Bessie’s frozen potato factory in Westwick, Norfolk, which was devastated by a major fire in early May.
Vion Food Group is standing by its decision to close its poultry processing plant near Doncaster despite pressure from a local MP to reconsider.
Bakkavör says it needs to reorganise the workforce at its site in Spalding, Lincolnshire, after losing a tender for the supply of speciality salads.
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