Horsemeat: learning the lessons of an avoidable crisis
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Appearing on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den helped Yorkshire cake entrepreneur Allison Whitmarsh secure the backing she needs to build cake factories across the UK.
Genetic modification (GM) could be used to produce flatulence-free sprouts, according to Rothamsted Research centre in Hertfordshire.
Transport bosses at retailer Argos have denied claims from Unite the union that they are being “mean-spirited” in scrapping two bottles of Christmas wine for staff in a dispute about work–life balance.
Informed sources say potential buyers for R&R Ice Cream put their first-round bids on the table this week – with the firm founded by US Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney rumoured to be in the running.
FoodManufacture.co.uk, together with its sister magazine Food Manufacture , will be back on January 2 2013, with more breaking news and views from the fast-moving world of food and drink manufacturing and two exciting events.
2 Sisters’ dispute with workers at its West Midlands sites is now over and the strike planned for today (December 21) has been cancelled.
Premier Foods has renewed its long-standing license to manufacture Cadbury-branded cake products until at least June 2017 as part of its plan to boost growth...
UK food and drink manufacturing is set to benefit from a new competition, which is putting up £2M of government funding to promote automation research in the sector.
Food manufacturers have welcomed government plans to halve the notice period before firms can make large scale redundancies as a “step in the right direction”.
The working year is almost done, time to pause from ‘the business’ and embrace the festive season…go on, give it a big hug. Happy holidays!
Supermarket ready meals are healthier than the recipes of some TV chefs, according to researchers at Newcastle University.
2 Sisters has made a solid start to its new financial year, according to the group’s ceo Ranjit Boparan.
The strike planned for yesterday (December 19) at 2 Sisters’ West Midlands sites has been cancelled in a bid to enable workers to reach an agreement with management.
The English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) has appointed Jonathan Eckley as its new marketing executive for its export team.
Separating food science from food fiction is the aim of a free live webinar to be staged on Thursday, January 24, 2013. If the general media’s coverage of food science and technology topics makes you mad, if you long for a more balanced debate about controversial topics such as genetically modified food, this webinar is for you.
The UK market for robots will grow by 3.4% from 2011 to 2016 as a result of increased investment in automation by food and drink manufacturers, according to market analyst IMS Research.
Cambridgeshire students have designed a ‘tear and share’ seasonal sausage that may appear on Waitrose shelves next year.
The launch of a robotics packaging solution to individually wrap mini cakes and muffins helped the Fabulous Bakin’ Boys become the Great British Bounce Back Champion.
There were 393 product recalls last year, 82 (20%) of which were food and drug related, according to the website www.recalluk.com . But this figure is not a true representation as a large proportion of recalls occur before product distribution.
The acquisition of Premier Foods’ East Anglian canning business has helped to boost the sales figures growth of food and drink manufacturer Princes by 28%, according to figures filed at Companies House last week (December 12).
Sainsbury has announced that Jean Tomlin will join its board as a non-executive director from January 1 2013, following the retirement of Anna Ford effective from December 31 2012.
European Commission plans to cut fish quotas next year will jeopardise the sustainability of stocks and “make things worse”, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The Chinese instructions on a dough mixing machine contributed to a worker seriously injuring his hand at an Edinburgh food firm.
The European Commission (EC) wants to impose pension changes that would cost UK businesses £350bn (€440bn) and 180,000 jobs, according to research commissioned by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
Health experts have urged food manufacturers to fortify more food with Vitamin D as the 19th century disease rickets returns to the UK.
A Yorkshire baker is appearing on BBC TV’s Dragons’ Den on December 23 in a bid to secure the backing she needs to make her premium cakes a national brand.
Grocery think-tank IGD has appointed Mars Chocolate UK president Fiona Dawson as its new president, effective from January 1 2013.
New research shows that the British Lion scheme has “effectively eradicated salmonella in UK eggs” and highlights the importance of buying eggs produced from birds that comply with EU rules, claims the British Egg Industry Council (BEIC).
The transport firm Eddie Stobart and Tesco drivers have reached a deal to end their four-month dispute.
The first of three 24-hour strikes starting today (December 14) at the 2 Sisters Food Group in the West Midlands, will not affect production, insists a spokesman for the food manufacturer.
Dutch food manufacturing giant Vion has agreed a management buyout of its UK pork operations, safeguarding about 4,000 jobs.
Britain is facing a “dessert deficit” to rival the economic deficit, claimed Owen Paterson MP, secretary of state at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Morrisons has appointed Trevor Strain as its new finance director, following Richard Pennycook’s decision to stand down from the role in June 2013.
A US ‘activist’ investor who has stamped his authority on Heinz, Cadbury and Kraft has taken a £242M (€300M) stake in Danone, vowing to improve its profitability.
Food and drink manufacturers have smashed their targets for the number of apprenticeships across the industry.
More than half of shoppers change their meal plans according to which products are on promotion at supermarkets, claims new research published by the grocery think-tank IGD’s ShopperVista team.
Tesco Ireland was told to pay rival retailer Aldi (Ireland) £120,705 (€150,000) damages plus legal costs last week (December 7) to settle a row over an allegedly misleading price campaign.
The environment secretary Owen Paterson has praised the environmental record of food and drink manufacturers.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) chair Jeff Rooker is to leave his post in July 2013, at the end of his four-year contract.
Sweet wines, high-class beers and ‘next level’ ciders are the top three adult drink trends predicted by US food and drink consultancy Technomic.
Chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut is to become the globe’s largest cocoa processor with the acquisition of the Cocoa Ingredients Division of Petra Foods, based in Singapore for $950M.
The Scottish government has launched a five-year plan to strengthen its £1bn food and drink export trade with China.
West Midlands police is investigating an alleged assault on a 2 Sisters worker who was leaving one of the food group’s sites after finishing a shift, claims Unite the union.
The row about genetically modified (GM) food re-ignited this week after a government minister said there were “real environmental benefits” associated with the technology.
Cake, flapjack and muffin maker, the Fabulous Bakin’ Boys are reaping the benefits of a £3M investment in robotic technology, which is enabling the firm to grow new markets, cut costs and boost efficiency.
A Portsmouth baker was fined £5,000 and banned from operating a food business in the UK after environmental health officers found a robin flying around his mice-infested premises.
Explosive experts detonated a suspect package at a Morrisons’ store in Maidstone yesterday (December 10).
Chilled foods look set to benefit from a revolutionary new approach to shelf-life extension, thanks to collaborative UK research.
High street baker Greggs has announced Ken McMeikan will stand down as chief executive to take up the same role at grocery and fresh food supplier Brakes.
Irn-Bru maker AG Barr has announced revenue up by 9% for the 18 weeks to December 1, as the firm prepares for a “highly competitive” Christmas market.
A row has broken out over the supply of Cromer crab to a Waitrose store in Norfolk.
Food manufacturers that are serious about improving public health should sign up to the hybrid nutrition labelling scheme proposed by the government and backed by retailers, say public health experts.
2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG) says its West Midlands workers’ vote to strike is putting the creation of 500 new jobs at risk.
The European Commission (EC) should help retailers to sell non-perishable goods after the 'best before' date to reduce food waste.
The probiotics industry in Europe has launched scientific and legal bids to counter an EU-wide ban on using the word 'probiotic' on packaging and marketing materials.
Government and big business needs to show they have "broken the back" of food waste recycling before foisting it on householders.
Christmas is a boom time for Stilton maker Billy Kevan, dairy manager at Colston Basset Dairy in Nottinghamshire.
The European Commission (EC) is considering the creation of an adjudicator to police supermarket abuse of power within the EU using the UK as a potential model, according to a member of the Cabinet of the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Affairs, speaking in London yesterday.
Bakkavör and Coca-Cola Enterprises are among 30 food manufacturers set to benefit from the government’s £11M plan to make the UK a leader in efficient food technology.
A dairy co-operative in Gwynedd is to spend £10M on a new cheesemaking facility after securing a £50M contract.
Food manufacturers and producers welcomed chancellor George Osborne’s autumn statement yesterday (December 5) highlighting changes to the tax system as benefiting the food and drink manufacturing industry.
One of the UK’s largest own-label cake and pastry manufacturers has been snapped up by a private equity firm in £23.5M management buy-in deal (MBI).
Injured British troops will enjoy home-grown, farm-reared turkey this Christmas, courtesy of donations from producers throughout the country.
Chocolate manufacturer Barry Callebaut is to close its Chester plant in a move that could lead to 25 job losses.
KP snacks – the maker of Hula Hoops, KP Nuts and McCoy’s – has been bought from United Biscuits by German firm Intersnack for an undisclosed sum.
News that the Groceries Code Adjudicator will have power to fine supermarkets if they break the Groceries Code of Practice has been welcomed by the food manufacturers, farmers and poverty campaigners.
Retail giant Tesco announced today (December 5) a review of its US enterprise Fresh & Easy and the departure of the business’ boss, Tim Mason, after years of disappointing financial results.
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has launched a five-point guide to sustainable ingredient sourcing to help manufacturers manage risks throughout the supply chain.
Food and drink manufacturers in the Yorkshire and Humber region will benefit from a £1.4M project to improve the take-up of automation, organised by the Centre for Food Robotics and Automation.
Mondelēz International - the new name for the snacking arm of Kraft Foods - is preparing to start biscuit production for the first time at its site in Sheffield.
Closing the yawning food and drink industry skills gap by attracting the next generation of industry scientists, engineers and technicians is the top priority of the new director of the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD) and the sector skills council Improve.
Manufacturers will be expected to meet tougher salt reduction targets, according to the co-chair of the Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD) Food Network. This is despite health campaigners' fears that the government was going cold on setting lower targets beyond those set for 2012.
Sponsored by: The National Skills Academy
Winner: Coca-Cola Enterprises
Sponsored by Zurich Winner: Greencore Grocery
Sponsored by: Air Products Winner: Young's Seafood
Winner: R&R Ice Cream
Winner: Iglo Foods Group
Sponsored by: NFT DistributionWinner: Greencore Northampton
Winner: Britvic Soft Drinks
Winner: Border Biscuits
Sponsored by: Lauras International Winner: Allied Bakeries
Sponsored by Fowler WelchWinner: Burts Chips
Sponsored by: FoodexThe best small food or drink firm, with fewer than 100 staff and turning over less than £10M a year.Winner: Moguntia Food Ingredients
Multivac demonstrated its latest food packaging kit at last month's Emballage trade show in France. One of the highlights on its stand was an integrated packaging system for making folded packs of sliced ham or cheese.
A fully automated flow-wrapping line is helping Tangerine Confectionery, one of the UK's leading sugar confectionery suppliers, to dramatically increase productivity and efficiency.
Wafer biscuit and chocolate bar manufacturer OP Chocolate expects to recoup its investment in a new thermal transfer printer in just 12 months, since installing the equipment at its Merthyr Tydfil plant last summer.
For the first time it will be possible for recyclers to sort black crystalline polyethylene terephthalate (CPET) food packs in mixed plastic waste streams, thanks to a novel development from a Danish packaging manufacturer.
Demand for aluminium foil, including foil for packaging, showed a modest recovery of over 1% in the first nine months of the year, compared with a volume drop of more than 5% during 2011.
The current growth in energy-from-waste (EfW) incineration plants around the UK needs to be restrained by central government, the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has said, to allow for a more resource-efficient 'circular' economy.
Pumps that were designed and built by Landia have completed a decade of uninterrupted service at one of Europe's highest welfare egg producers without breaking down once.
Viking Pump distributor Michael Smith Engineers offers four Viking positive displacement pumps: external and internal gear, rotary lobe and rotary vane, so a wide span of flow rates and discharge pressures are covered.
The installation of Bürkert's stainless steel Airline Quick valve island solution has improved operating integrity and cut costs on a dessert and yogurt line at Friesland- Campina's plant in Germany.
Samson Controls has increased the functionality of its Type 3291 valve and Type 3730-6 positioner.
Artisan smokehouse Capreolus Fine Foods installed a new maturing room for its cured, air-dried and smoked meats with the aim of avoiding product contamination issues relating to the drying and maturation of its products.
Mettler-Toledo says its new Safeline X-ray system gives the same high level of foreign body detection sensitivity as a traditional X-ray system but using only a fifth of the energy.
The installation of an ABB standard drive on one of its dough mixers has helped Fox's Biscuits of Batley, West Yorkshire to improve quality and reduce wastage.
Automated packing systems specialist Brillopak has introduced a versatile new robotic palletiser for the food industry that is designed to place a variety of container formats onto pallets, including crates, cases and trays.
Sponsored by: Kuwait Petroleum International Lubricants UK
Sponsored by: Oghma Partners
Last month top food manufacturing firms fought to be crowned the best in the business. Rick Pendrous names the industry's new kings and queens
Modern technologycould provide cheaper ways to brew beer, reports Laurence Gibbons
Work is now well underway on soft drinks manufacturer AG Barr's new £41M manufacturing and logistics facility being built by Gazeley at its Magna Park site in Milton Keynes.
Manufacturers in the food and drink sector could be in for a bumpy year ahead, as uncertainty rises about the economy and how consumers will respond.
An ingredients importer is claiming that an Australian medicinal bush spice that combines the tartness of lemon with the sweet flavour of basil will be the next big food trend.
Enzymotec is set to introduce a new krill oil called Kreal. The product is pure krill oil extracted from the Antarctic Krill. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, phospholipids and astaxanthin and is made using a multi-stage oil extraction process. This offers an optimal preparation process that preserves its natural qualities and ensures its freshness, according to Enzymotec.
Natural astaxanthin producer Algatechnologies has worked with Novel Creation to develop 'Maximum Red Alga', a liquid dietary supplement of natural astaxanthin using AstaPure 10% astaxanthin oleoresin as its main ingredient.
Tate & Lyle says its new salt reduction ingredient, Soda-Lo Salt Microspheres, enables manufacturers to reduce salt levels by up to 50% without sacrificing on a product's taste.
One of South East Asia's largest soy producers, Adani Wilmar, can now offer the European food industry 30Mt a day of non-genetically modified (non-GM) soya lecithin, following certification by Cert ID Europe. Three of the company's five plants are now Cert ID non-GM, kosher- and halal-certified, following a large investment by Adani Wilmar to provide international quality, non-GM soya lecithin.
BOGOFs - buy one, get one free - offers could become a thing of the past as the power in the food supply chain moves away from retailers to producers and consumers who now seek better value in what they buy rather than unnecessarily generating waste in the home, it has emerged.
When three working mothers, Donna Tresadern, Kay Shearing and Nikki Da Costa-Smith, struggled to find healthy, convenient and tasty food for children they decided to create their own frozen ready meals range.
Part of international farmer-owned cooperative Groupe Limagrain, Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI), has used its knowledge of different types of flour and their interactions with ingredients and processes to develop a clean-label improver to make crispier Danish Pastries called Danish Pastry Amel.
In recent weeks, the discussions have all been about food labelling in general and traffic lights in particular. Deja vu pervades.
Adverse weather conditions have seriously affected the harvest in le Puy-en-Velay region of central France, resulting in a reduced crop of Puy lentils.
Lynda Searby looks at the balance between sandwich freshness and availability in store
Naturex has launched a major new drive to highlight how its range of fruit ingredients could help manufacturers inject growth into the competitive market for premium quality indulgent products, such as cakes, biscuits, confectionery and desserts.
Kerry Foods has recorded a 14.8% increase in revenues in its ingredients and flavour division, largely driven by an impressive performance in the Asia-Pacific region.
Disney's Philippe Roucoule gives firms a licence to thrill, reports Gary Scattergood
It's all about the brands for Mondelēz International, reports Gary Scattergood
Dairy Crest has reported a "continuing difficult trading environment", particularly for its Dairies Division, for the first half of the financial year (H1). This has led analysts to call for an improvement in its performance in the second half to meet market expectations.
Britain's food industry was rocked by two announcements over the past month. Premier Foods broke the news that it was to close bakeries in Birmingham and Greenford, west London and restructure its distribution operations with the loss of 900 jobs. Meanwhile, Dutch meat processor Vion announced plans to quit the UK food sector, putting another 13,000 jobs at risk.
The news last month that Vion is to sell its UK food businesses, covering 38 sites and employing 13,000 people is a sure sign that the UK's meat supply chain is in crisis.
Worldfoods, frozen and chilled manufacturers, Cofresh has appointed David Page as a non-executive director.
A management buyout is the “most likely” result of Vion’s dramatic exit from the UK’s meat processing market, according to City analysts.
Branded food manufacturers are set to suffer further losses in market share as own-label products continue to grow in popularity, according to consumer market researcher, Kantar Worldpanel.
Cranswick has applied for a second licence to supply British pork to the US market.
Fox’s Biscuits has appointed Colin Smith as its new md, replacing Stewart Gilliand, who had been interim md since August.
Stabilising Tesco’s UK market share and achieving stable UK trading margins should be key goals for the retail giant, according to City analyst Shore Capital.
Around 1,200 workers at the 2 Sisters Food Group’s sites in the West Midlands are being balloted for industrial action in a dispute over pay and conditions and a culture of alleged bullying.
A new £500,000 lab opened last week at Reading Science Centre will help Mondelēz improve food quality including the bubbles in its chocolate product — claims the food manufacturing giant.
The government has granted a North Yorkshire egg processor £490,000 towards the construction of a £3M egg processing facility.
A family-run vegetable processor has ambitious plans to build a £2M vegetable processing plant that will lead to the creation of 25 jobs in Norfolk.
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