Too many engineers are using the wrong criteria to select chain and ending up with a product that is doomed to premature wear, or even failure, as a result, says Renold Chain as it launches a solution to the problem. According to Renold, many engineers are using breaking load as an absolute measure of performance when there is a huge variation in working life for different chains with identical breaking loads. It has produced a downloadable web-based programme to hep selection.

As any employer in the food and drink industry will tell you, recruiting staff is never easy. But according to the latest figures from Improve, the sector skills council for the food and drink industry, it is becoming increasingly difficult, not only to recruit, but to hold on to workers.

Strategic trust is the linchpin behind a high performing supply chain, according to The Relationship-Driven Supply Chain: Creating a Culture of Collaboration throughout the Chain.

In conjunction with the British Retail Consortium, the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) has compiled Food Grade Compressed Air: A Code of Practice to advise manufacturers on the equipment needed to meet food industry requirements.

Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) has published a new review to help product developers and technical managers understand how dietary fibre influences the glycaemic index (GI) of foods.

Modern Food Microbiology (seventh edition) is targeted at students and scientists alike, providing a wealth of practical information about the most essential factors and principles that affect microorganisms in foods.

Easiweigh has introduced a new high-speed linear counter for fresh and frozen produce.

Innovative confectionery packaging specialists Kliklok-Woodman is cashing in on a global gobstopper of demand from manufacturers.

Pack-Vac leak detection kit maker Witt Gas Techniques has adapted its low-cost 'bubble' system to handle vacuum packaged food products for the first time.

Cool thinking was required at two major food employers this summer as temperatures soared into the tropics.

A change of pack design at Twinings tea saw three new carton closers installed by Sewtec Automation of West Yorkshire.

Packaging machinery supplier T Freemantle is one of two companies to land a deal with seafood firm Young's Bluecrest.

Liquid processing specialist Alfa Laval is stirring up the beverage market with a new range of Clara 200 centrifugal separators.

Air Control Industries has opened a new demonstration and testing facility at its Chard HQ (right) for drinks manufacturers running canning lines.

Confectionery manufacturers that have been chewing over the problem of how to supply seasonal markets with different sweeties or diversify their range from a single plant may have hit the black jack pot with two new machines from Baker Perkins.

A new generation of programmable cookers from Double D Food Engineering is giving recipe developers another string to their bow.

Cooling specialist Star Refrigeration has completed a plant relocation and refurbishment project for chilled food producer, Northern Foods.

An energy conscious milk pasteuriser, which claims to cut bills by 12% while also improving food safety, has been launched by Tetra Pak Processing UK.

Avoiding hazards associated with the use of organic and natural ingredients proved a hard nut to crack for snack bar manufacturer Healthbars Unlimited.

A multi-purpose thermometer with interchangeable plug-in probes (above) has been launched by Electronic Temperature Instruments.

Having successfully hammered away at the purée market, Hosokawa Micron is now aiming its Rietz RA angle disintegrator at baby food manufacturers.

The Kerrygold Company has improved packing times by 20% on its fast-growing grated cheese lines and reduced giveaways with the help of an Ishida R Series multihead weigher.

With the responsibility for fire safety shifting to the employer, it is now more important than ever for manufacturers to ensure their systems are as foolproof as possible.

A new safety system involving pagers has been launched to help alert the hard of hearing in the case of a fire.

Anyone building a new development in the food manufacturing industry needs to think very carefully about fire protection, but when dealing with oils and fats the need for safety is even more pressing.

A new insulated panel system has been launched by Hemsec Manufacturing in response to the need for greater fire protection in food, hygiene and temperature-controlled environments.

It may not arrive with a bang, having been delayed since April, but October's Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order (RRO) is a radical shake up of the law, that shifts responsibility for fire safety to the employer and is certain to set the alarm bells ringing for many food and drink firms.

A heavy-duty pallet handling system, which provides buffer storage between production and cold store, has been installed by European Conveyor Systems at McCain Foods' factory near Peterborough.

Two state-of-the-art bottle handling systems have been installed at Arla Foods' new 150M litre dairy in Lockerbie.

Conveyors are an integral part of most food factories, providing an interface between the process and the product as they move material from one stage to the next. But because they self-evidently fit in between all those different stages of production - from raw materials handling, through processing, to packaging - their importance can often be undervalued.

Jody Scheckter, the owner of organic farming and processing business Laverstoke Park, at Overton in Hampshire is not one to mince his words. "I hate processed food," he says. "It's worse than conventional crime."

If you're feeling a bit unloved or understaffed at work, spend the afternoon with the head of technical services at the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and I can guarantee you'll gain some perspective.

We've all been told it at some point: 'People don't know the meaning of hard work these days.' But in Jake Karia's case you can't help but think he's got a point. As he says, he didn't get where he is today (the md of a successful family-run ready meals company) without a bit of elbow grease.

You don't have to be Hercule Poirot to work out why the Belgium food market is missing from British exporters' most-wanted list.

Europe's food and drink industry got its begging bowl out last month. It took it to Brussels in a bid to double the amount of EU taxpayers' money spent on food and drink research and development (R&D).

There are some great people out there, working in progressive companies and doing some truly amazing things in food and drink manufacture. But they don't always get the recognition they deserve. And that's precisely why the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards were set up: to provide a stage upon which to celebrate the achievements of these unsung heroes of the industry.

Soaring energy costs are a source of woe across all sectors of industry. But for those in food and drink, the problems have been exacerbated by a noose around their necks from powerful supermarket customers squeezing their pips for further price reductions. At best it has meant severe indigestion; at worst, potential strangulation.

Kevin Smithson, operations director (designate), Jordans

As you measure the real costs to serve your customers and can see the true trading margins created, you will be faced with some interesting dilemmas. Should you simply live with current disparities in net margin? Should you increase minimum order sizes to reduce unit costs? Should you de-list the smallest, direct customers?

Vandemoortele, the Belgian-based manufacturer of frozen bakery products, has appointed frozen logistics specialist Christian Salvesen, to handle its frozen requirements in the UK.

Companies using the GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN) - a global yellow pages supported by retailers such as Tesco and Asda, which allows companies to exchange standardised data on a real-time basis - has grown from 200 to over 5,000 worldwide in the last 12 months, claims GS1, the not-for-profit organisation that runs it.

Food packaging could be one of the main beneficiaries of advances in nanotechnology, says a cross-sector industry network - but funding for a major development project needs to be found first.

With the announcement of the 2006 Starpack winners looming - among them a category recognising efforts to reduce household waste - several finalists seem to be positively flaunting their contribution to landfill.

Typically, continuous improvement (CI) starts in manufacturing where the greatest value is added. However, there comes a time when we should start to apply CI principles to other areas of the business.

Cuts in manufacturers' capital expenditure budgets are preventing them from benefiting from significant efficiency savings through better operational control of their process lines, according to a leading supplier of instrumentation and systems.

Soup, sauce and other food manufacturers, including Heinz, Nestlé and Unilever, are said to be showing increasing interest in a novel alternative to traditional retorting processes, which is claimed to reduce sterilisation time while enhancing product quality.

The gut health arena is booming, with more than 640 new products marketed on a digestive health platform in 2005, reports marketing insight website Innova.

Long chain fatty acids found in oily fish are recognised as the most beneficial form of omega-3, but it has been well publicised that consumers aren't eating enough. To solve the problem, scientists have been looking at new ways of increasing the uptake of EPA and DHA long chain fatty acids.

As this is my last column for Food Manufacture before I move on to pastures new, I thought it would be a good opportunity to look back over the last three years to see how we have progressed regulatory-wise.

Young's Bluecrest is launching a series of new chilled ranges that are the result of around £1M investment in product development and research. The firm believes they represent a step-change for the category - both in terms of product quality and because longer shelf-life is a major plus for retailers in stock management terms.

Waitrose has welcomed the arrival of Highland Game's range of Scottish Wild Venison on to its shelves. "High in protein, low in cholesterol, full of iron and B vitamins - the perfect ingredient for a healthy modern diet," says assistant marketing manager of Dundee-based Highland Game Claire Goody.

Ice cream is on the menu at Gü Chocolate Puds where an Italian style gelato boasts a smooth texture and refreshing taste. The product comes in three flavours: Bourbon & Tahitian Vanilla Ice Cream; Double Choc Ice Cream; and Choc & Raspberry Ice Cream. Gü Ice Cream is available from Waitrose, Ocado and Sainsbury priced at £3.99 for a 500ml cube.

The Authentic Food Company is continuing its love affair with all things Mediterranean, extending its range to include fritters.

The term 'food miles' is a phrase often bandied about by the food industry, but is it an issue that's taken seriously?

Children are notoriously fussy when it comes to food, so trying to include fruit in their diets has proved challenging for even the most doting of parents.

Superberry is the latest variant in the For Goodness Shakes range of soft drinks.

Snack manufacturer Natural Balance Foods has joined forces with ingredients firm National Starch Food Innovation to launch a range of nutritious Trek bars co-branded with Hi-maize resistant starch.

Horror stories of low quality ingredients including chicken skin and mechanically recovered meat have hounded chicken nuggets for years, but many kids still crave them.

Manufacturers are competing hard to stand out among rivals as the sports drinks and nutrition market becomes more mature.

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A trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of omega-3 on the learning and concentration of children is being held up by a shortage of funds as the Foods Standards Agency reviews existing evidence.

The government is to fund two research projects to improve the energy efficiency of food refrigeration and distribution as new research by the Carbon Trust shows that poor energy efficiency will cost Britain's food and drink sector £26M this summer alone.

Maximum limits for Fusarium mycotoxins, the poisonous compounds produced by fungi on grain under certain growing conditions, come into force this month with serious implications for cereal processors who could have trouble destroying them.

The laboratory services firm Bodycote Lawlabs is to develop an allergen certification scheme for the Anaphylaxis Campaign charity, with £50,000 from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

Retailers which pass off farmed salmon, bass and bream as the more expensive wild, sea-sourced varieties risk easier detection and prosecution following the development of tests that enable individual fillets to be distinguished from one another.

Greencore is pumping over £400,000 into a project designed to deliver a step-change in factory efficiency by shifting responsibility for performance management from senior executives down to the shopfloor.

The food charity FareShare will launch a waste collection and disposal service for the food and drink industry on July 25. The FareShare 1st scheme aims to simplify disposal using the "greenest" and most responsible routes, in a "fresh" approach. It will pass any suitable products on to the needy. Contact: enquiries@FareShare1st.co.uk

The chair of The Food Standards Agency (FSA), Dame Deidre Hutton, confirmed at the British Soft Drinks Association annual lunch that the FSA would not set targets for sugar reduction in soft drinks (as predicted in Food Manufacture June, p6): "There are no plans to set sugar targets for soft drinks ... I don't see sweeteners as a panacea." She wanted to improve consumer awareness, starting with young children: "Let's see if we can educate pallets and get them used to less sugar."

Grampian Country Foods blamed the closure of its pork processing site in Elmswell, Suffolk, which employed 380 staff, on rising costs and competition from imports. In May, British Pig Executive (BPEX) chief executive Mick Sloyan voiced concerns about the pork sector: "The latest BPEX report on imports into the UK and the behaviour of supermarkets in particular show the destructive impact of thoughtless price-based competition."

Confectionery and snack foods group Zetar has made its third takeover since joining the Alternative Investment Market in January 2005, with the acquisition of healthy snacks firm Humdinger of Kingston-upon-Hull for £13M.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking comments on draft guidelines for responding to contamination incidents.

Iceland Foods has won this year's retail product of the year award in the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) annual awards for its Iceland Party 12 Mini Jaffa Muffins, which also won best new dessert category.

Poland is now the top Eastern Europe location for foreign food company investments, according to a new study looking at the relative attractiveness of different European countries for business investment.

Compressed air equipment suppliers have moved quickly to allay fears about using oil-lubricated equipment in food factories.

Asda has dismissed as "frankly baloney" claims by the GMB union that it was compromising the quality and safety of products by failing to maintain temperature controls.

British beef exports will never regain their former high levels because of the huge loss of UK production capacity, the English Beef and Lamb Executive (EBLEX) has warned.

Prepared foods company Uniq is to sell its French spreads and Belgian salads businesses. The sell-off is part of a recovery programme that has already included UK price increases said to be worth £10M a year to the group.

If you want your children to enjoy a wide variety of healthy foods, you might be able to set the perfect example before they are even born, according to an expert in food and flavour preferences.

Snack equipment manufacturers will soon be able to redesign their machinery to cut salt content without altering the flavour of their products, thanks to £750,000 of government-supported research coming to an end in September.

Carlsberg's sales to the off-trade surged 30% year-on-year in June as punters stocked up on beer during the World Cup, said the company. Sales to the on-trade were five times higher than usual during match days, it added. "It's been absolutely massive for us."

The chocolate producer and retailer Thorntons has appointed John von Spreckelsen as non-executive chairman, with a remit to produce a strategic plan for the firm, which has failed in its earlier attempts to find a buyer. Von Spreckelsen had been chief executive of retailer Budgens for nine years and executive chairman of retailer Somerfield.

Frozen veg firm Pinguin UK has taken control of the 60,000-pallet former Celsius First cold storage depot at King's Lynn, three months after Celsius went into administration with the loss of 150 jobs. "Previously King's Lynn had several major customers, although we were the largest," said Pinguin UK marketing manager Stuart Robinson. "But it will just be handling our goods in future."

Scottish fish processor George Noble of Fraserburgh, with about 50 staff, is up for sale in the wake of difficult conditions driven by sharp rises in haddock prices. The md George Noble confirmed the sale of the family-owned business but declined to comment further.

At least one major US food corporation is taking part in trials this summer to evaluate the use of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags for monitoring product promotions.

Dairygold Food Ingredients (UK) has bought Dan Dairies of Leeds for an undisclosed sum, largely as a production base for its new Ezycheese liquid cheese ingredient alternative to grated cheese, launched in May.

In Food Manufacture's latest on-line poll a majority of readers ? 69% ? rejected self-regulation of health and safety and hygiene.

The publisher of Food Manufacture, William Reed, has expanded its coverage of ingredients and extended its reach on to the Continent, with the acquisition of the bi-monthly magazine Ingredients, Health & Nutrition, and Food Ingredients and Analysis International.

The latest government scheme to raise skills levels and training in companies is causing concern among food industry training providers, with some colleges fearing that the scheme would damage relationships between employers and training providers.

Ofcom is one step closer to making a ruling on the advertising of food to children, after the National Heart Forum (NHF) abandoned an attempted judicial review of the broadcasting regulator's actions.

Food and drink companies have been warned that they will have to stump up much more cash to support the sector's proposed Skills Academy if it is to gain government funding.