Omega-3s have really fired up the imagination of the food industry over the past year, with new product introductions ranging from milk and yoghurts to pomegranate drinks and, in Canada, wholegrain pasta and pizza.

This is the recipe that I won gold with at the Scot Hot competition 2005 in the Gressingham Duck Challenge. I really enjoy cooking this dish and it is an invigorating dish for the spring and summer months because all the ingredients are at their best at this time of year. The bright colours and fresh flavours make it an excellent summer dish. It is currently not on our menu at the Enverdale but it still remains one of my favourite recipes.

Parmalat has been getting fruity with Coenzyme Q10. The Italian firm has used the antioxidant in a range of beauty-enhancing foods, which it claims are particularly active against free radicals and help to regenerate the body's wellbeing. Coenzyme Q10 is often found in skincare creams, which promote its anti-ageing effects.

Never one to miss out on a trend, global giant Coca-Cola has launched the Beauty Morning After drink in Japan. The product contains biotin, hyluronic acid and ceramide, and the amino acid cysteine, which helps to detoxify the skin. Milk peptide is another ingredient in the mix, which promises to lower blood pressure levels and reduce anxiety.

Wolf down a packet of sweets and still come up smelling of roses. This is the tempting offering from Japan's Kanebo Foods, which has developed a range of candies and gums that leave a vanilla or rose scent on the skin after consumption.

If he really wanted to stay young, it seems Peter Pan should have ditched Neverland for the Netherlands. The country is home to the Beauty Juicer - a cocktail of pure grapefruit, guave, lemon, and lychee juice; with ginger, minerals, aloe vera, collagen and added vitamins.

Meiji Dairies of Japan has developed the Beautiful Tomorrow Drink, a fermented milk for the healthy bacterial flora in the intestines. It contains LB81 lactic acid bacteria, collagen and ceramide.

Portugese dairy manufacturer Lactogal has launched Europe's first shot-sized drinking yoghurt to help health conscious consumers manage their weight.

Improved texture and mouthfeel as well as increased moisture content can be achieved in a range of cheeses, claims DSM Food Specialties, following the results of studies into the use of its Delvo-Add 100-F culture.

ABF Ingredients becomes the first US domestic manufacturer of milk protein isolates this month [September 2006] as it brings new capacity on stream at its Protient Norfolk, Nebraska plant.

Tate & Lyle has launched an ingredient designed to help manufacturers produce low-fat dairy desserts with reduced or no-added-sugars.

Breakfast. It's the most important meal of the day, so we're told. The trouble is, with today's hectic lifestyles, many of us are skipping it, preferring to grab something on the run. Enter the cereal bar, which although not marketed as such, is increasingly taking the place of a good old fashioned breakfast of toast or a bowl of cereal eaten at home.

Consumers these days are very health conscious. At least that's what we're always being told and that certainly is the impression given by the sheer volume of 'healthy' new product launches in the market.

Not many markets are enjoying the growth demonstrated by juices and smoothies of late, which is probably why the sector continues to see such frenzied new product development (NPD) activity. TNS figures to January 29, 2006 show the £829M market for juices and smoothies is growing at double the rate (7.6%) of total food and drink.

Forget about the hare - until recently liquid milk couldn't even keep up with the tortoise when it came to new product development. While cheese has spawned numerous varieties and yoghurts have gone pre-, pro- and symbiotic, milk was happy to stay on the sidelines. That is, until the introduction of value-added milks forced the white stuff kicking and screaming into the twenty-first century.

Ask the average consumer whether he knows his dairy peptides from his bifidobacteria, and you'll probably draw a blank stare. Ask him if he's heard of omega-3 and chances are, you'll get a more favourable response.

The students might have enjoyed a nice long break from the London South Bank University this summer, but that doesn't mean work at its London Food Centre (LFC) ground to a halt. Far from it in fact; for while the food courses and training are integral to the centre, they are not its sole offering. There are actually four main branches to the centre: training and skills; consultancy and advice; research; and hub activities.

Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) has drawn up a new case study to show manufacturers how to implement hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) analysis in grain storage.

As many food products rely on additives for stability, it is vital that they are packaged in a material that protects the food and is not affected by the additives.

A panel of international experts has contributed to Advanced technologies for meat processing.

The Sea Fish Industry Authority, Seafish, has published a guide for the seafood industry to assist seafood importers with the legal requirements they face.

New from Tetra Pak Processing is the Tetra Tebel OST control panel for the manufacture of cheese.

The Habasit Belting Division of Habasit Rossi has introduced a conveyor belt with a blue Habilene coating for the food market. Part of the polyolefine-coated Cleanline range, it is designed to improve the release properties of sticky foodstuffs.

ProMinent Fluid Controls has launched the Delta precision diaphragm dosing pump, which features an innovative pump drive system to give outstanding flexibility in dosing and control.

Schoeller Arca Systems announces the new Combo Aseptic, a development of its Combo folding intermediate bulk container (IBC), for distributing products that require aseptic filling and discharging.

Festo has launched two new series of intelligent analogue input/output (I/O) modules to provide food machinery machine builders with unprecedented placement and control flexibility. The new series includes two types of I/O module, one for temperature sensing, the other for signal detection.

European Process Plant is to distribute the Esteve range of silos, pneumatic conveying and control equipment.

Automatic weighing equipment manufacturer Easiweigh, part of the GSH Group, is launching two new weighing systems - a new entry-level system for low volume producers and a high-speed linear weigher.

Sabalpack, the Italian producer of all-stainless vertical form-fill-seal packaging systems, has appointed Selo-Bollans as its representative for the UK and Ireland.

The Pronova-Joker bag filling and sealing equipment from Supreme Plastics has been enhanced to handle an even wider range of packaging, with new features for food applications.

Thermo Electron Corporation will be showing its extensive range of high performance metal detection, check weighing and X-ray inspection equipment for use by food and beverage manufacturers.

Sieve specialist Russell Finex will be showing its new Blow Thru Sieve for the first time in the UK. The separator has been designed and certified for use in pneumatic conveying lines. By combining screening and transportation in one machine, the sieve eliminates double handling and increases efficiency, enabling processors to screen material as they load or unload tankers or silos.

Silverson is launching two new product lines - the Flashmix powder/liquid mixing system and the L5 range of laboratory mixers. The Flashmix FM30 uses a modified Silverson in-line mixer coupled with a powder injector and low-level powder feed hopper or flexible hose for incorporating powders in their original containers.

The Food Machinery Company will launch its Kulp range of volumetric depositors and labelling machines. The VD range of volumetric depositors covers deposits from 20ml up to five litres, and can handle viscous products and particulates. The machines offer both single and multi-head depositors.

Packaging Automation is expecting considerable interest in its new Fastfill100 filling and sealing machine.

The introduction of an Aisle-Master electric articulated forklift has enabled Irish gourmet chocolate manufacturer Lily O'Brien's to increase storage capacity at its plant by 30%.

United Biscuits is using EnerSys's Hawker Motive Power batteries and chargers for its forklift truck fleet at its Midlands distribution centre in Ashby de la Zouch.

Imagine working on the ledge of a three-storey building every day. With a maximum lift height of 9.5m, allowing operators to reach to 11.3m, that is the height at which the new SP 3400 series of high-level order pickers from Crown can operate.

Link 51 racking and shelving is helping 3663 First for Foodservice, one of the UK's leading foodservice wholesale distributors, to maximise storage at its newest food distribution facility in Lichfield.

Campbells Shortbread, the oldest bakery in Scotland, has a new state-of-the-art Hyster Fortens H1.6FT-A fork lift truck (FLT) supplied by Barloworld Handling.

When Tesco needed a method of loading and unloading its fleet of new high-capacity double-deck trailers, used to transfer goods between distribution depots, the solution came from Easilift Loading Systems.

Improved performance and reliability, increased health and safety, and lower costs are the benefits McVitie's is claimed to have seen since it took delivery of a new fleet of 18 Still forklift and warehouse trucks at its Manchester chocolate plant.

Robert A Willet is chief executive officer for US consumer electronics and entertainment software retailer, Best Buy International, in Minneapolis. Willet just loves Tesco.

Insect control specialist Insect-O-Cutor has seen growing demand for its non-pesticidal method for tackling crawling pests.

The relationship between the metal silver and food hygiene goes back a long way - in Roman times, wine was stored in silver urns to prevent spoilage. Now Liquid Plastics has incorporated the metal's anti-spoilage qualities into a hygienic coating.

Silverson is planning to launch a completely new range of in-line mixers which will feature hygienic aspects offered by the company's special order UHLS ultra-hygienic in-line mixers as standard.

The introduction of a flame-retardent and dust-resistant screen from Galebreaker has allowed Walkers Snack Foods to begin food production in one part of a new facility while construction work continued in the remainder of the factory.

Even though we're more than six months down the road, the shear quantity of new food hygiene legislation that came into force at the start of 2006 is enough to leave many people working with food unclear about their new obligations. Unfortunately, it's not only those in the industry who feel that way. Many of those responsible for enforcing the law are in the same situation.

It's tipped as the wonder food of the 21st century. A cheap bean that can feed the world, take the pressure off the planet for expensively reared meat, and even lower blood cholesterol. Soya pushes all the right buttons, economically, nutritionally, and - with the exception of some high profile and universally condemned forest stripping in south America - environmentally.

It's got a fifth of the world's population, an economy growing at more than 10% a year and a burgeoning middle class with cash to spend. If you're serious about developing your business in growth markets, China is a market you cannot ignore, says consultant Rohit Talwar. But be prepared for a culture shock. Head for Beijing without some serious preparation, he says, and you could get your fingers badly burned.

The secret to a good brew (and we're not talking tea here) is hygiene and consistency, says Shirley Reynolds, head brewer at Springhead Brewery in Newark. "Cleanliness is next to good beer," says Reynolds, who, along with assistant brewer Tom Rouse, is responsible for Springhead's portfolio of 15 beers. "It's a continuous process. But it's worth it when you get a beer that is right every time," she says.

Sit down with most consumers for five minutes and explain why they would be better off sprinkling xylitol instead of sugar on their cereal, and they're converted, says Edward Baylis. "The problem is, you never get five minutes - in a supermarket, you get a couple of seconds to convince people to try a new product, and changing buying behaviour is difficult, because we are creatures of habit."

Soup mixes, noodle flavourings and instant coffee all have one thing in common. They're subject to harsh yet cost-effective drying processes. Manufacturers of dried foods often find it tough to balance quality with cost control. But dehydrating techniques have developed considerably - and a new Norwegian process, in particular, is proving a cheaper way to produce better products.

Miniscoff is a manufacturer of children's organic, prepared meals for the foodservice and retail sectors. Angus and Shoo Oliphant first came up with the concept of Miniscoff in 2000 while they were both working in London.

Philip Callaghan, operations director, Bells of Lazonby

I came across a food manufacturer which queried an invoice it received from the third-party logistics provider (3PL) that ran its warehouse and transport. The invoice actually contained a gross error in it and was quickly corrected.

Manufacturers could at last have a business justification for adopting radio frequency identification (RFID), following the launch of a new managed supply chain data exchange information system from BT Auto-ID Services.

The aluminium foil sector is following steel packaging in highlighting the suitability of metal containers for microwaveable foods, but no one is doubting the barriers it faces from consumer and industry scepticism.

For the first time, this month's Processing & Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) show will include materials and tooling suppliers as well as machinery.

Blame for food safety scares is usually laid squarely at the feet of the popular press, which too often misrepresents complex research for a good headline. But the recent furore over latex allergens in food appears to be more of an industry inside job.

Faced with more choice than ever when it comes to 'environmentally responsible' packaging, many smaller food companies say the decision-making tools are simply not available.

Too many manufacturers, particularly those in the fresh and chilled food sectors, are overstating their production efficiency levels - that is, if they measure them at all, claims the director of a specialist engineering consultancy which works with many UK food companies.

If you've seen your electricity bills go through the roof, read on, you can cut your demand. Minimising energy costs and using energy more efficiently is now permanently on the agenda for the food and beverage industry.

The birth of my first column for Food Manufacture follows a mere nine months (pardon the pun) working within the food industry, preceded by 12 years in food law enforcement.

Cranberries could be the new wonder ingredient for meat manfacturers, according to cranberry firm Ocean Spray ITG.

A new marination technique for snacks, which enables potatoes to be flavoured internally has been developed by flavour manufacturer Quest.

For those of you who, like me, have been glued to the recent BBC 4 series 'Cooking in the Danger Zone', you will no doubt have shared in the jaw dropping moments of the wilder side of the world's culinary delights.

This month sees the launch of McDougalls' Let's Cook range, which aims to encourage pre-teens and parents to cook together.

Despite consumer demand, confectionery manufacturers are failing to drive healthier alternatives because they think healthy eating is just a fad, claims confectioner Leaf UK.

After two years of development, Glastonbury-based cheesemaker Green's, a member of the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemakers' group, has created a hard goat's cheese.

Buxtons Foods has developed a range of Peter Rabbit Organics fruit purées for kids.

Rum and raisin may be a familiar favourite when it comes to ice cream, but Martlet Natural Food & Drink ventured into unknown territory when it used the flavour in honey.

New nut and seed coatings, which cater for both sweet and sour preferences, are set to propel Pecan Deluxe Candy into the limelight.

Tabasco and vodka give Brakes' new Spicy Bloody Mary Vodka Bites a kick. The buffet style snacks are a blend of tomato, mature cheddar cheese, and onion coated in a crispy crumb. They are suited to oven baking or deep frying, and the firm recommends serving them with a cooling yoghurt dip. Brakes is hoping to establish the products in pubs, bars and clubs.

The healthy snacking category has a new contender in the form of Whitworths Apple Crisps.

Representatives of manufacturers and standards and accreditation organisations will join retailers later this month for the first meeting of a technical committee set up by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).

Much has been said and written about the environmental impact of food miles. Despite the fact that research shows most consumers don't care, some UK farmers have used it as an opportunity to knock imports.

Bosses at Big Bear are back on the acquisition trail just weeks after snapping up Sugar Puffs and Harvest Cereal Bars, in a bid to create a £100M ambient branded food business suitable for a stock market flotation.

Production resumed at the

Greencore will face the Irish government in a Dublin court next month as it tries to win millions of euros in compensation for shutting down its sugar processing business as part of European Union sugar reforms.

The beef and lamb standards organisation Assured British Meat (ABM) said it hoped to have firm proposals for a move towards risk-based regulation rather than routine inspection for its members within a year.

Scottish manufacturer Aulds has started building a new dessert factory to replace the one destroyed by fire in September, pictured above. The factory will be on the same site as the original 5,570m2 facility at Inchinnan, near Glasgow Airport, but a number of efficiency and environmental improvements, such as rainwater harvesting, sunlight tubes and energy-conserving electrical systems, will feature in the design, along with improved fire prevention.

Small abattoirs, which have ridden out predictions of widespread closures, may yet be hit by moves to recover a £40M annual subsidy for meat inspection charges.

More than 30 staff at cooked meat products firm TQF could lose their jobs unless administrator PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) is able to sell the business as a going concern.

A government-funded study has revealed that the UK food chain is shockingly under-prepared for a major disaster.

The first products containing ingredients that can fool taste buds into thinking people are eating salty, sweet and rich foods should start hitting supermarket shelves later this year.

More than a quarter of known labour suppliers to food and drink processors and packers had failed to apply for a mandatory gangmasters' licence a week before the September 1 deadline.

We have been asked to point out that the picture on p37 in the August issue of Food Manufacture showed part of an aerobic digestion plant near Doncaster, designed, built and operated by Tanks and Vessels Industries, which claims to be one of the few UK firms accredited for such work.

Snack producer Sun Valley has opened a peanut-free factory in Bromborough to meet demand for guaranteed peanut-free products.

Redundancies are expected when Grampian Country Food closes its headquarters in Leeds and returns to Scotland - a move expected this month. It said that some of the work would be transferred to other parts of the group. It has about 80 staff in Leeds, some of whom are expected to move to Edinburgh.

The number of breeding pigs in the UK rose for the first time in four years in June, albeit by just 1%. Although small, the upturn signalled the end of a six-year fall.

Premier Foods plans to expand its 'meat-free' range by investing £11M in a chilled manufacturing facility at Methwold, Norfolk.

Staff at two former Milk Link dairies in Devon and Cornwall have been told there are no plans to transfer liquid milk production to Bridgwater, Somerset, when new owner Robert Wiseman Dairies opens a £46M plant there next year.

Early indications are that this year's UK wheat harvest will be better than expected, although flour and bread prices are still likely to rise because of higher energy costs, which could add at least 6p to a loaf.

Icelandic Group is transferring its frozen fish manufacturing operations from the UK to plants in Germany and France and concentrating activities here on fresh and chilled production.

The UK's first demonstration, advice and training centre for robotics and automation in the food industry is to be opened in Yorkshire.

Northern Foods is closing its Trafford Park Bakery in Manchester, with the loss of 690 jobs, as it restructures its chilled pastry operations in advance of their disposal.

The food test centre of the German Agricultural Society (DLG) is offering producers from around the world "attention-grabbing" quality assessments of organic products. Tests will assess sensory quality and suitable products will be awarded DLG gold, silver and bronze medals.

Concerns about consumers overdosing on certain ingredients through the growing popularity of food fortification will be aired at a Food Standards Agency (FSA) meeting on September 4. The meeting will discuss the FSA's response to a European Commission discussion document on setting maximum levels for vitamins and minerals and caps on the levels used in fortified foods.

The fresh meat sector will be the first to be scrutinised by the Food Fraud Task Force, which the Food Standards Agency (FSA) set up in May to tackle the trade in illegal food. Key areas to be addressed are the identification of animal by-products, inspections and audit arrangements. The task force will present an interim report at the FSA's October board meeting.

Meat seized during an investigation into a Northern Ireland coldstore has been condemned following a court ruling last month. The Food Standards Agency had applied to have the meat condemned as part of a multi-agency investigation into re-packaging and re-labelling at the Euro Freeze Ireland coldstore. Fermanagh Magistrates Court ruled that 254 pallets of meat should be condemned and ordered Euro Freeze to pay the costs.

Scottish & Newcastle said that in the six months to 30 June 2006 UK revenue was up 4.8% year-on-year at £852M and operating profit up 5.7% at £74M. Market share increased 0.5% in an overall beer and cider market that grew 2.8% - 2% of which S&N estimated was driven by the World Cup.

Principal Capital Management is to buy the Highland Toffee producer Millar McCowan, which went into administration on August 11, for an undisclosed sum.

Migrants from the next two countries due to join the EU, in 2007, would be unlikely to fill posts in the food and drink industry, said the chief executive of the sector's skills council Improve.

Over a quarter of all employees in the food and drink industry can only read and write to the level of a 10-year-old, revealed the sector skills council Improve.

Baker and takeaway retailer Greggs will install a full version at its new Clydesmill factory in Cambuslang, Glasgow of what is believed to be the first commercial fire protection system able to extinguish burning plastic bakery trays. The plant opens next year.

Proposed guidelines for labelling meat sandwiches look set to cause a major row - especially if they result in the recommendation that the fronts of packs reveal protein that is 'reformulated' and the percentage of meat content.