LAC Conveyors has launched its first range of plastic modular conveyors, constructed from food-grade plastic. Designed to provide food manufacturers with a cost-effective alternative to stainless steel conveyors, the versatile range of durable polythene systems could also save production time.

Hosokawa Micron has commissioned its latest contract processing suite. Registered to the British Retail Consortium's Global Standard Food 2005 for the receipt, milling, size reduction and packing of dry powders for the food industry, the new suite is part of a dedicated contract processing facility at the Runcorn headquarters of the company.

Digmesa, the Swiss manufacturer of electronic control systems for liquids is using Victrex PEEK (polyetheretherketone) polymer in its latest precision flowmeter for demanding food processing applications.

The need to increase steam capacity at its dairy processing facility has led Devon-based cheese maker Quickes Traditional to replace its existing boiler and instal a dual-fuel RBC steam boiler from Fulton Boiler Works.

Dinnissen Process Technology of The Netherlands and K-Tron Process Group of Switzerland have introduced a new dosing and mixing concept for the high-quality food industry.

Dovecote Park, one of the UK's leading suppliers and processors of British beef for Waitrose, uses a combination of pallet and dolly to move product around its production lines without the need for pump trucks.

Brighton based, Higgidy Pies, supplier of premium hand-made pies, has taken delivery of a 7.5t refrigerated box van from refrigerated vehicle rental company Petit Forestier.

SEW-Eurodrive has introduced a new modular system for its DR motor series that it claims will set the new standard in drive engineering and provide solutions for the foreseeable future. The new generation is fully compatible with all other units and can be used with current motors of the DT/DV series.

One in three UK shoppers blames the industry for rising food and drink retail prices, according to exclusive research commissioned by Food Manufacture.

Cases of food fraud will rocket if the number of public analysts (PAs), which have the responsibility of applying food fraud testing methods, dwindles, the Association of Public Analysts has warned (APA).

Greencore Group is tightening up on its purchasing function in an effort to combat rising raw material costs.

The first ultra-low fat frozen food products containing 'anti-freeze' ice structuring proteins (ISPs) will be launched in Europe in 2009, Unilever has predicted.

It could take the European Commission (EC) "weeks if not months" to screen and consolidate the thousands of health claims submitted by Member States under the new EU claims Regulation before scientists can even start scrutinising them for efficacy, legal experts have warned.

The Courtauld Commitment has been slammed by can packaging firm Impress. This follows the issuing of the Sustainable Development Commission's Green, Healthy and Fair report, claiming the Commitment was unambitious and lacked urgency.

Beware costly cock-ups caused by manually entering 'use-by' dates in the run-up to February 29, manufacturers have been warned.

Health claims for a range of foods were to be challenged in BBC 2's Horizon TV programme scheduled for broadcast on February 26.

The number of VAT-registered UK food and drink manufacturers in the UK fell by 10% from 7,015 in 2001 to just 6,310 in 2005, according to the Food and Drink Federation. Overall, the industry has a turnover of £70bn and employs 470,000 staff or 13% of the manufacturing workforce.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health has slammed calls to revive an exemption for small firms from hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP) food safety procedures.

The European Food Safety Authority will publish an opinion on the safety of the food colours involved in the recent University of Southampton trial on March 5.

Research from Mintel suggests that shoppers are increasingly looking for recycling information on packs. More than half of consumers surveyed by Mintel also felt the print on labels was too small.

Tesco is challenging the use of third-party audits of suppliers as it seeks to protect its brand from potentially damaging food scares and product recalls.

UK supermarkets could face a fresh grilling from Brussels over supplier relations, just weeks after being hauled over the coals by the UK competition authorities.

Manufacturers need to go beyond good food safety procedures to properly manage the potential risk of damage to their brands, according to cleaning specialist JohnsonDiversey.

The failure of companies sourcing products from contract manufacturers and ingredients suppliers to carry out proper audits is resulting in large numbers of product recalls, claimed market analyst Retail Systems Research (RSR).

Calls for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to devise a code of practice governing relations between primary producers and processors have received a mixed reception from industry.

A study investigating added value opportunities for products has been commissioned by government-funded body English Farming and Food Partnerships (EFFP), created to encourage collaboration between farmers and farmer-controlled businesses.

Conservative Party leader David Cameron used his speech at the National Farmers' Union annual conference to attack moves to divert crops from food to fuel production without properly analysing the impact on the food industry or the environment.

In 2007, Tesco added more retail space than Asda, Sainsbury and Morrison combined, according to Verdict Research. However, its 0.8% rise in UK market share was its smallest gain since 2002.

Cadbury has launched a range of 'eco-eggs' with reduced packaging. Cadbury Treasure Eggs are sold as wrapped foil eggs with no box, which represents reductions of 75% in plastic and 65% in cardboard. The company has also pledged to cut packaging in its existing egg range, which means a total reduction of 247t of plastic and 115t of cardboard.

Foodvest, the parent company of Young's Seafood, The Seafood Company and Findus, is to fund a research project at Canada's Dalhousie University looking at how to reduce the seafood industry's environmental impact.

According to a Nielsen Global Food Packaging Survey, almost 50% of consumers would give up convenience packaging to benefit the environment. However, only 27% would give up packaging that served to preserve product hygiene.

The frozen food market suffered a blow this month as McCain removed the last of its Anytime snack range from retail shelves.

UK ice cream consumption lags behind that of other countries, according to the latest Food Manufacture market report. UK consumers ate 424Ml in 2007, or 11l per person, compared with US consumption at 19.1l, Australia at 20.3l and New Zealand at 27l per person.

Crawley-based pasta and soups firm Pasta Reale has removed the 'for sale' sign it hung up over its business, pledging to go it alone.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has enlisted a team of external consultants to help it slash at least £40M in costs from its food business this year as the trading environment becomes more challenging.

A Lancashire-based company is in the embryonic stages of developing the very first infused hard fats - a move that would enable bakers to develop unusual new premium products.

As Fairtrade Fortnight, which runs from February 25 to March 9, began, Tesco was urging firms to back an initiative to improve the conditions of workers in the global supply chain.

Breweries, soft drinks, confectionery and dairy businesses, and firms handling fruit and vegetables are among those set to benefit from current biohydrogen projects aimed at tackling food waste.

Lightbody Cakes has teamed up with BBC Children's TV programme Beat the Boss, challenging a team of children and a team of adults to compete with each other in designing a children's birthday cake.

The Food Standards Agency's (FSA's) commendably brief draft saturated fat and energy intake programme recognises there aren't many options for cutting fat and sugar in the nation's diet, other than the obvious.

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When time is of the essence, manufacturers may find that a lean product development (LPD) strategy can save the day.

Morrison is introducing its first ever range of everyday children's food to help parents get smarter about controlling the portion size of their youngsters' meals and snacks.

Nut allergy sufferers are very restricted in what they can eat safely when it comes to breakfast cereals. Most muesli-type cereals are out of the question and, depending on where the cereal has been produced, many other cereals are also ruled off limits if they have been made in a factory which also handles nuts.

Ethnic bread producer Honeytop Speciality Foods has been working with Marks & Spencer (M&S) to re-launch a range of premium naan breads for its bakery sector.

Specialist pasta meals supplier Pasta King, has introduced quinoa (pronounced keen wah) as a main ingredient in a new sauce to get more vitamins into school kids' diets without them noticing.

A new fruit snack concept is being introduced by Baker Perkins in conjunction with its strategic partners.

Magnum ice creams have been miniaturised in a bid to increase consumption levels.

New superflower drink Hib! is hoping to make an impact on adult consumers.

Most chefs are, by the very nature of their role, good managers, especially when they are in their comfort zone, namely a kitchen.

The proposal for a Regulation on the provision of food information to consumers was enthusiastically announced last month by the European Commission, but is causing some concern within industry.

The case for fortifying foods with omega-3 is gathering momentum and could even become law if the fatty acid's behavioural benefits can be proven.

Although still based in Dundee, year-on-year growth of 20% has seen Scotherbs move to larger premises, which gives the herb experts an additional 30% production space and consolidates its workforce which had previously been spread between two sites.

The English Whisky Company has started operations, claiming to be the first and only registered whisky distilling company in England. It plans to produce a whisky to rival some of the finest whiskies on the market.

Catering supplier Brake Bros has upgraded the pasta cooking and cooling line at its Creative Foods division, switching from a batch to a continuous processing. The upgrade has increased throughput and flexibility, speeded clean-up for faster changeovers on short runs and improved pasta quality. It has also automated manual functions, which have streamlined process continuity.

Hain Celestial UK, a natural and organic food company which supplies sandwiches to Marks & Spencer, has been awarded the Recycling Performance of the Year at the Chartered Institute of Waste Management (CIWM) Awards for Environmental Excellence.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' (DEFRA's) new packaging recycling targets highlight the growing importance of overall carbon emissions, rather than simply material weight, when assessing the benefits of recovery and broader sustainability.

French technology supplier Claranor says that its Ventris pulsed light system can effectively decontaminate closures and materials for extended shelf-life (ESL) and even meet hygiene levels for aseptic filling.

The availability of alternative supplies of polylactide (PLA) and other biopolymer resins in China has long been known about, but this month sees the first attempt to 'package' this resource for current and future European users.

Amber glass can complement a product and its brand identity, and it is more readily available than flint glass - and can be more cost-effective, argues manufacturer Beatson Clark.

Warehouse and logistics provider Gazeley, a wholly owned subsidiary of Wal-Mart, has committed as part of its sustainability strategy to make more than one-third of all its new developments carbon positive by 2010.

With price volatility set to continue during 2008, meat producers and processors have been advised to make greater use of risk analysis and "hedging" to cope with surging feed costs and currency exchange rates.

Pounds are becoming kilos. You are probably thinking that I am about to re-launch the debate of imperial versus metric. I'm not. I'm talking about the latest currency used to express our supply chain performance.

Ruedi Bartholdi, director, Bartholdi

Uncertainty is the best word to describe what faces food manufacturers in the year ahead. As the Bank of England responds to a slowdown in the UK economy by cutting interest rates, the squeeze on cash is likely to hit both consumers and investors alike. In the current climate, firms that anticipate market changes before they occur will prosper, while those caught on the back foot will face a drubbing - if not worse.

Some board directors believe 'greening your business' costs money. The more enlightened, however, know that it makes good business sense. And that is exactly what the Food Environmental Efficiency day (FEED) held last month at the University of Nottingham and sponsored by Food Manufacture set out to prove.

When Arla Foods won two Food Manufacture Excellence Awards last November, including Food Manufacturer of the Year, the sheer scale of its logistical operations and its impressive reductions in packaging volumes were two elements singled out by the judges.

The food industry is full of closely guarded secrets. What makes Guinness so smooth? How does Coca-Cola sustain its fizz? Why are Pringles so god damn addictive? There's no doubt that clever packaging and marketing of products play their part, but without a few magic ingredients, these products would simply be 'me-toos'. On that basis, you'd think that processors would be keen to collaborate with ingredients firms on how to get the most out of their products, but in many cases this couldn't be further from the truth.

Time was when consumers would be satisfied with a bog standard daily loaf and not give it a second thought. Now they want healthy, tasty, specialist fare. Those providing that are driving growth.

Readers of a certain age may recall a 1970s advertising campaign for the Mars Milky Way chocolate bar, which extolled it as "the sweet you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite". It's hard to imagine that this praise of pointless indulgence would get the green light nowadays. Food in the 21st century has to justify its calories. If it is filling, it must also be nutritious. If it is a treat, it must be small, part of a balanced diet and as natural as possible.

Walk past the fresh pasta sauce fixture in any major retailer and you'll be struck by the lack of branded products.

Creaminess, stability and shelf-life are key elements to making high quality ice cream, but these are particularly challenging to achieve in low fat variants. Kerry Bio-Science claims its Sherex Enlite range of ingredients can help low fat ice cream to make the grade.

In a response to the increased cost of using butter in food production and the need to address the obesity crisis, manufacturers are looking for alternatives to replace butter and bakery fats.

Already successful in Asia, sugar-free Crush Candies may soon become a trend in Europe, claims Beneo-Palatinit. These hard boiled candies disintegrate in the mouth and release their flavour quickly and intensely through fine cracks.

In an agreement with Polish fruit ingredient supplier Frubella, J O Sims is to distribute the company's naturally infused fruits in the UK. The natural fruit sugars enable manufacturers to sweeten products, while making 'no added sugar' claims and the addition of fruit to a product can give it a healthier perception.

Naturally Georgous - a newly launched chocolate range from Naturally Chocolate - is the latest in a long line of products to promote satiety. The chocolate contains Lipid Nutrition's Pinnothin ingredient, which promises to help people feel fuller for longer. Food Manufacture's latest consumer survey looks into what consumers think of such products.

How did you get in to NPD?

Whether you're a chef who recognises a gap in the market for high quality traditional British pies or a producer of promotional videos who changes lifestyle to making hand-made cakes and biscuits, moving into food manufacture is fraught with problems.

Science is firmly back centre stage at contract research organisation Leatherhead Food International (LFI) following the appointment of its former research director Dr Paul Berryman as the new chief executive.

On Saturday January 26, fire broke out in a storage silo containing cereal flakes at the Weetabix factory at Burton Latimer, near Kettering. According to a BBC News report, an initial investigation found that dust from products made in the factory was inside an extractor on a hopper.

Linpac Allibert has produced a reusable cheese box or crate specially designed for handling and maturing 20kg blocks of cheese. The design is a joint venture with Joseph Heler Cheese, one of the UK's largest cheese manufacturers.

The need to separate, converge or sort products, such as biscuits and cakes requiring coating with chocolate, while they are moving on a process belt conveyor, can be a problem for food companies. It often requires a change of belt width to suit different makes of equipment.

A new palletised containment system could save the glass bottling industry millions of pounds in breakages by improving pallet stability during transit prior to filling.

Antrim-based Steve's Cakes has bought an Aisle-Master articulated forklift to take care of the handling and storage of pallets of raw materials as well as the finished product.

There is one question that everyone should be asking themselves, says Ian Rutherford, head of the SAP division at system integrator CSI. "If you come into work in the morning and find you've had a letter from the Food Standards Agency to say that you've got a problem with one of your products out in the market, would you comfortably walk over to your laptop and push a button or would you go into a blind panic?"

Infor's new version of its enterprise asset management (EAM) system, Infor EAM Enterprise Edition, includes built-in functionality specifically for manufacturing industries. It allows customers to maintain, manage and improve the performance of their capital asset infrastructure, including manufacturing equipment, fleets, and facilities.

Ian Macleod Distillers is one of Scotland's leading independent whisky providers. It produces and sells over 15M bottles of spirits a year.

Millitec Food Systems has designed a production planning and monitoring system called Inform specifically for sandwich maker Raynor Foods. Inform handles all aspects of production from order quantities and production speeds through to printing and applying labels. It gives Raynor the tools to improve the efficiency of its production and the ability to assess the impact of any changes.

CDC Factory claims to be the first packaged manufacturing operations management solution for food and beverage makers that integrates finite factory scheduling, manufacturing execution systems, performance management, quality, maintenance and data analysis.

An ultra-lightweight portable floor scale from Avery Weigh-Tronix claims to have the UK's highest strength-to-weight ratio.