Thornton's has launched a range of mini cakes to attract new users to the cake sector. Manufactured by Finsbury Food Group, the cakes are designed for sharing. "Consumers would even be happy to take a Thornton's cake as a gift to a dinner party - the acid test for brands!" says Finsbury's commercial controller Jo Fraser.

Premium adult soft drinks firm Bottlegreen Drinks is introducing three new flavours to its portfolio. New to its cordials range will be Pomegranate & Elderflower and Cox's Apple & Plum.  Also new is the Cranberry & Orange Pressé. The company has developed the products to coincide with a packaging re-launch.

Pizza base manufacturer La Pizza has launched a range of deep pan pizza bases with added bran and omega-3. The firm claims the base contains over twice the fibre of a regular white pizza.

The Corporate Manslaughter Act, which came into force on April 6, will have a big impact on manufacturers. Any workplace fatality is now likely to be investigated by the Health & Safety Executive and the police to identify any management failings. If any gross breach of the employer’s duty is discovered, the employer could be charged with corporate manslaughter.

Scheff Foods has announced plans for a £1.5M Black Country food factory, bringing up to 30 new jobs to the area.

Glasgow-based seafood processor Dawnfresh Seafoods has bought the trout and salmon processing and marketing co-operative Scot Trout for an undisclosed sum.

Bakers are setting up a steering committee to drive a comprehensive training strategy by establishing an academy for the baking sector.

Only 13% of male and 16% of female European adolescents eat at least 200g of vegetables and at least two pieces of fruit each day, according to a study by the European Food Information Council. The Helena Study reported that a disturbing 50% of adolescents had fat intakes that were higher than 35% of their total energy intake.

European competition authorities have approved Marel Food Systems’ acquisition of the Stork Food Systems division of Stork.

The Food Standards Agency has launched a searchable database to help local authority officers enforce controls on food being commercially imported into the UK from non-EU countries.

A new round of the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme was launched last month.

The turnover of regional food and drink distribution service Tastes of Anglia Table has exceeded £1M.

Everyone who has made the transition from university or college to the world of work for the first time knows what it's like.

Silicones are used in a variety of food contact situations and vary from low molecular weight oils and fluids to rubbers and resins.

Food additives are highly influential in the food choices consumers make.

Food products that are inadequately protected in storage can become contaminated with pesticide residues or excretions, body parts and toxic metabolites from pest organisms. This may then cause health problems for the consumer, with consequences for the manufacturer.

Yorkshire and Humber Seafood Group has developed the new White fish processor code of practice.

Pioneering refrigeration technology from J & E Hall is being used at Gressingham Foods in Suffolk to help the company keep pace with increased demand for fresh duck products.

Witt Gas Techniques, has launched LabOx, a new non-invasive oxygen measurement analyser for use with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Forklift truck manufacturer Jungheinrich has launched its ultra-stable, cost efficient, hydrostatic internal combustion engine-powered 4 series counterbalanced lift truck in the UK.

Compressed air systems specialist Thorite has installed a new compressor plant at Grampian Country Foods' Sandycroft factory, which has achieved major cost savings through its innovative heat recovery system.

Formax slicing equipment has got more powerful and productive than ever with the PowerMax4000 and SNS systems.

Burton's Foods, Britain's second largest biscuit manufacturer, has chosen a Schubert automated packaging system for Jammie Dodgers at its bakery in Wales.

The latest Clean-Air oil-free compressors from ABAC UK are much quieter, more robust and more efficient than previous models.

Stable Micro Systems has developed a new test method for the baking industry. The Volscan profiler is a laser-based instrument that allows manufacturers to measure automatically the volume of a baked product. Higher volume tends to be associated with a more aerated crumb and superior texture.

Charm Sciences has appointed Calibre Control International of Warrington to distribute and market Charm's full range of food safety diagnostic tests in the UK.

Food-grade lubricants manufacturer Rocol has made important changes to the packaging of its food-grade lubricant aerosol cans to make its products even easier to identify and apply.

Macphie has launched a new generation of non-hydrogenated dairy cream alternatives, including non-hydrogenated versions of its existing brands.

BakeMark UK has launched its new Caravan Brill Overwrap Cream Cheese Icing - a product that combines all the merits of Caravan Brill's successful Cream Cheese icing with the over-wrapped stability of its Caravan Brill Wrap Ice.

An idea to add novelty to a Danish pastry has been successfully trialled by Food Design - manufacturer of premium multi-functional fudge and toffee inclusions.

DSM has announced the launch of its 'Let's cake together' concept. This 'toolkit' combines three clean label ingredients from DSM: CakeZyme, Etenia and the taste potentiator Delite.

Bellies bulging over waistbands have become a common sight on our streets. With intakes of saturated fat in UK diets around 20% higher than official government recommendations, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched its saturated fat and energy intake programme. This focuses on how industry, supported by FSA consumer awareness activity, can help reduce the population's intake of saturated fat from 13.3% to below 11% of food energy. As major users of saturated fat, bakers and confectioners are bravely attempting to meet the FSA's demands, but there is much debate about the best way forward.

Many waste water streams, even after primary treatment, contain small suspended solids that make the stream turbid.

Ingredients specialist Beacon Foods is fully committed to reducing its carbon footprint and at the same time saving money. The producer of roasted and char-grilled vegetables and fruit, relishes, chutneys and compotes has invested in new equipment to improve its operations.

Eriks UK has helped Coors brewery in Burton to save a potential £60,000 a year in energy costs.

Micromac Filtration, the independent industrial effluent treatment specialist, has upgraded the effluent treatment system at Launceston-based Kensey Foods.

Everyone has been banging on ad nauseam about how landfill tax will affect the behaviour of businesses, but there are good reasons to think that the next couple of years will finally see one of the food industry's most viable waste-handling alternatives take off in a big way. According to those in the industry, waste-to-energy projects will soon be cropping up all over the place.

There is something quintessentially British about chutney. It conjures up images of the British Raj's penchant for introducing exciting and mysterious new delicacies from the Indian subcontinent to the old country.

When it comes to retail/supplier relationships, it's easy to focus on the activities of the major supermarkets. They have a high profile and are always perceived to be at the cutting edge of technological development. But there's a whole other tranche of business with unique challenges and opportunities: independent retailers.

Carbon emissions will assume an even higher profile once the Climate Change Bill becomes law and the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) is introduced.

On January 30 2008, the European Commission published a draft new regulation on the provision of information to consumers. The draft attempts to address consumers' desire for more information on food labels and the food industry's wish for clear and simple rules. The aim of the new regulation is to simplify, consolidate and update existing food labelling legislation. As a result, it retains many of the current labelling requirements, including provisions relating to product name, ingredients, best before/use by date etc, while proposing a number of new requirements.

Children in Scotland are eating too much sugar, the Foods Standards Agency reported recently - yet another sign that something has to be done to improve the UK's eating habits.

It's approaching 5pm and looks of weary resignation are exchanged between staff at the bakery in HM Prison Lindholme. A prisoner has just scaled the roof of another building, prompting an immediate 'lockdown'. Hopes of a swift exit for staff and visitors alike rapidly dwindle as it emerges that traffic both in and out of the prison is temporarily on hold until the incident is dealt with.

David Fitt, distillery manager, St George's Distillery

More and more companies are taking advantage of IT systems to match supply to demand - some with better results than others.

Promotional sales are some of the biggest sources of conflict between retailers and their suppliers in the UK today. But it is an area where better advanced planning and scheduling and the use of IT systems could actually help.

Software gone bad? I'm talking about implementations that don't deliver the expected benefits, or have gone astray over time. The result is an unhappy client, frustrated users, and an embarrassed software supplier. I don't sell or recommend systems, so I can say this.

A premium carton can deliver improved margins without leaving a hole in your packaging budget, says supplier A&R Carton. "We can find other savings, while putting more exclusive surfaces on the carton for an improved look and feel," explains marketing and development director Lars Aberg.

US multi-layer films firm Ampac Flexibles has launched a range of nine-layer films for vertical form-fill-seal applications in foodservice.

An upsurge in environment-related pack designs, and a consequent fivefold increase in entries in this area, has led the organisers of the Starpack packaging awards to split the category in two for 2008.

The due diligence bar for checking glass-in-glass contamination could and should be lifted, say equipment suppliers, despite the potentially significant capital costs for filling operations.

Glossy publicity campaigns can generate big business, but manufacturers often make the costly mistake of going ahead without consulting their production team.

Electronic systems for collection and storage of food safety assurance information look set to become the norm as certification standards owners such as US-based Safe Quality Food (SQF) and the British Retail Consortium (BRC) move to online data access in an attempt to reduce the costs of audits and speed access to information.

Contrary to general perception, cooling using liquid nitrogen achieves a similar quality with meat products to that when carbon dioxide (CO2) is used, claims a new study from gas supplier Air Products.

OK, so you may be tired of hearing about the food colours debate, but it would be wrong of me not to pass comment, I feel.

Cargill has come up with a jelly-ice-on-a-stick concept to woo consumers this summer.

With the Food Standards Agency setting salt and fat reduction targets and rumours circulating that sugar is next on the hit list, it's hardly surprising that manufacturers are racing to make their products healthier.

Richmond has launched a new Jumbo sausage for its frozen range in time for the BBQ season.

A holiday is a time to rest, reflect and recharge, but more importantly to experience and learn from other cultures.

It's easy to become dehydrated when hard at work on the treadmill or pumping weights, so Aimia Foods has launched a range of Slazenger S1 hypotonic sports drinks in order to rehydrate the body as quickly as possible. The drink helps the body to replace salts and fluids lost during activity faster than isotonic sports drinks, claims the firm.

Baraka Foods is hoping to make a killing this summer with its latest offering - Barbecue Ribs with a Jim Beam Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce, from culinary alcohol supplier Thomas Lowndes & Co.

It takes more than a quick sales demo to convince chefs to invest in a new product range, claims McCain Foodservice business development chef Donnie Munro.

Ladies looking for a sophisticated spread to sex up their sandwiches may be interested in Heinz's new mayonnaise range.

Acne-ridden teens may well be drawn to nutraceuticals company Works With Water's range of flavoured spring waters with clinically proven health benefits.

Chilling headlines about global food supply have been hitting the press. "Soaring price of food leads to riots" (Telegraph); "Rice traders hit by panic" (FT); "Egyptians riot over bread prices" (Telegraph), and so on. Other reports concern shortages of corn, beef, fish and milk.

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly has indicated that she is against the use of longer, heavier goods vehicles on Britain's roads. She was responding to a parliamentary question last month, asking when a much delayed report on the subject would be published.

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Berkshire-based sauces, pickles and dressings manufacturer English Provender Company (EPC) is reviewing its production operations, since the acquisition of competitor Alembic Products in Chester last year.

Marks & Spencer (M&S) Food may struggle as consumers feel the pinch, City analysts have warned.

Manufacturers are increasingly concerned about how health claims will be scrutinised under the EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, given the regulators' tight timetable.

Processors and retailers risk alienating shoppers from locally and regionally produced food and drink because of lack of availability and high prices, according to exclusive research for Food Manufacture.

Seafood processors are misleading consumers and risking prosecution by ignoring Food Standards Agency (FSA) guidance on fresh food labelling, the Trading Standards Institute has warned.

The first UK implementation of pulsed light technology to tackle spoilage in food will launch at an undisclosed factory next month.

Frustrated nutritionists from leading food manufacturers and caterers have set up a new group to urge the School Food Trust (SFT) to "take a more pragmatic approach" to meals provision.

The first application of radio frequency ID tagging (RFID) in the cheese industry has been trialled at Melton Mowbray-based Long Clawson Dairy.

The infection Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff), mainly associated with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and colitis in hospitals among elderly patients, could become an issue for the food industry, according to a leading scientist.

Food manufacturers need to build better relationships with students, trainers have claimed.

Entries are now being sought for the 2008 Food Manufacture Excellence Awards.

European biofuel targets should be scrapped unless second generation sources of biofuel that don't take land away from food production can meet demand, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Britain's pig producers and processors face a bleak future unless better prices can be obtained, claimed a new report.

Scotland's food policy must deal with some serious infrastructural constraints, if it is to have a healthy future, the industry has warned.

Scottish fine food and game producer Braehead Foods is celebrating its successful growth with a move into a purpose-built 2,700 metres squared factory, giving it production facilities six times those of its existing factory.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reassured manufacturers that it will not use 'shock and awe' tactics in its forthcoming campaign to educate consumers about the perils of excess saturated fat consumption.

Consumers are increasingly turned off by cakes and biscuits making low sugar and low fat claims, preferring instead those boasting intrinsic health benefits, according to new research from Mintel.

The lack of clarity on front-of-pack nutrition labelling in the new EU food information Regulation could be an indirect barrier to trade and a headache for manufacturers, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has claimed.

It is still cheaper to set up shop in Poland and ship products across Europe than build a new factory in the UK, according to Associated British Foods (ABF), which has just opened a new plant in Poland to make ethnic foods under the Blue Dragon brand. ABF, which recently closed two factories in Wales in order to transfer production to its Polish site, said the reduced operational costs more than offset the transport costs of shipping products back to the UK.

Waitrose is working on a smaller format of upmarket stores, which has been given the provisional title Waitrose Marketplace.