It's a cliché to say that people always fear change. But it doesn't have to be that way. The best parts of our lives often follow periods of transition.

Frozen food science and technology provides a comprehensive source of information on freezing and frozen storage of food.

Lessons in successfully developing, marketing and launching a new product are shared in Case Studies in Food Product Development.

A publication is available to accompany the The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health's (CIEH's) new Level 3 Award in Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) for food manufacturing.

Now fully revised for its second edition, Ingredients handbook - food colours continues to provide information on the physical, general, and physiological properties of a range of natural and synthetic colours, as well as detailed information on their applications.

Flexco in the US has released its improved aluminium multi-rivet driving tool to assist in the splicing of conveyor belts in working environments where heavy splicing equipment has to be moved on a regular basis. The MSRT Installation Tool complements the Flexco SR Fastening System with a focus on providing a lightweight, portable application tool.

There are 150 different species of insect that are commonly found in foodstuffs after they have been harvested. The culprits range from flour beetles and tarantula spiders to moths and mice. But the most common of all is the rice weevil (pictured).

The installation of the Fuel+ system from Maxsys at the Newcastle plant of Findus has reduced the natural gas consumed by its three boilers by 6.6%. The saving will allow the company to recoup the outlay on its investment within 12 months.

Power support company, Merlin Power Management, has enabled Randall Parker Foods, a producer of high quality meat products, to continue production after a major fire at the company's site in Andover, Hampshire.

Two of Europe's food equipment companies have joined forces to bring manufacturers new options in cold-fill sauce production. Pursuit Dynamics and Air Products have collaborated to launch the revolutionary PDX Sonic and the Freshline Continuous Sauce Chiller as an integrated production-line unit.

A company involved in extracting the juice from apples and other fruit has recently installed a specialist flooring system from Sika at its processing plant in Somerset.

The Lazur is an advanced water disinfection system combining ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultrasound in a single unit. Recently introduced by water treatment specialist Hydroscape, the system gives up to 1,000 times greater eradication of micro-organisms than a conventional treatment system.

Advanced Hygienic Cladding's maintenance-free rigid PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plastic wall cladding systems, plus a variety of internal doors, have been installed throughout the production areas of speciality chocolate manufacturer, Delvaux Chocolates.

Tricool has supplied custom-built heating and cooling systems for Baker Perkins' confectionery depositors that are at the heart of the confectionery-making process for many of the nation's sweet manufacturers.

A new self-contained circular vibratory screener and fluid-bed dryer from Kason removes oversize and undersize material, and dries on-size material. The pre-packaged system scalps and de-dusts over 1t of bulk material an hour using a double-deck, 762mm diameter circular vibratory screener, and then dries the material in a 1m diameter circular vibratory fluid-bed processing system.

Invest in robotics and protect the long-term sustainability and profitability of the UK food and drinks industry. That was the message from guest speakers at the launch of CenFRA, the Centre for Food Robotics & Automation.

European Safety Systems (E2S), Europe's leading manufacturer of sounders and beacons, has developed Spectra to extend its industrial range of visual signalling devices. The B350 and B450 traffic lights are designed to provide status and safety warning in factories and plants.

Butcher's-style meat and ham slicers have to be sharp, quick, clean and, above all, safe to operate.

Interfood Technology has introduced the new Food Robotics slicers from Weber to help processors automate food handling.

No manual adjustment is needed to produce consistently uniform corn tortillas and chips with the Paragon automatic weight control sheeter from Australia's Heat and Controls.

Loders Croklaan, supplier of oils and fats is saving 10% in steam consumption and achieving a 15% increase in production following the installation of GEM steam traps across its plant in Wormerveer, Holland.

Chilli-flavoured pastry and garlic pizza bases could soon be on the supermarket shelves thanks to new infused fat technology from Springthyme Oils. Springthyme currently produces intensely-flavoured infused oils.

An innovative and environment-friendly storage solution to storing solid edible oils has been launched by The Kerfoot Group. The company has harnessed technology used in the chemical industry to produce specialist bulk storage containers with an in-built heating mechanism.

German food company Raps launched a range of low-fat sausage products some years ago. Now this range has been complemented by a 3% fat sausage. Raps' Low Fat Max 3 Compound enables the production of sausages with a full-bodied typical sausage flavour but with only a 3% fat content. Consumers will hardly recognise any difference compared to a conventionally produced sausage, the company claims.

The centre of gravity in the economic world is shifting dramatically as the urbanisation of countries such as India and China continues apace and demand for consumer goods and food protein among their huge populations soars.

Roberts Bakeries has integrated five purpose-built high speed print and apply labelling machines into its Cheshire factory, allowing individual loaves fed from various lines to be identified centrally for loading.

BakeMark UK has redeveloped its Merjel cold process jellies to boast only natural colours and flavours, enabling its customers to meet growing demand for clean labels.

RTS Flexible Systems has joined forces with Excel Automation to roll out a space-saving solution for automated tin handling to help independent bakers.

European Process Plant has installed the first Gouet double action tunnel oven in Britain at Village Bakery's new £3M gluten-free bread bakery in Wrexham.

Never has the term 'living on the breadline' had more pointed meaning than it does in the plant baking industry right now.

Culinology is the word on everyone's lips at National Starch's new Food Creation Centre. But resist the urge to roll your eyes to heaven as yet another seemingly non-sensical marketing term attempts to weave its way into the modern language. National Starch is quick to explain that the term, which is borrowed from our American cousins, has been around for years and forms the basis of the US Research Chefs Association. Culinology refers to the blending of the culinary arts and food technology and National Starch hopes that it will help the company to improve its development offering to customers.

Penny chews, sherbet dip dabs and flying saucers - everyone remembers the childhood thrill of scanning the sweetshop shelf in search of their favourite treats. But the treasures of yesteryear may soon fall from grace when the Food Standards Agency (FSA) launches a consumer awareness campaign as part of its saturated fat and energy intake programme.

Before work on the Closed Loop Recycling (CLR) plant in East London's Dagenham Dock could start, the brownfield site had to be minutely examined for unexploded munitions. The whole area had been heavily bombed in World War Two.

New research shows that UK households throw away on average one third, by weight, of the food that they buy. Manufacturers and retailers are already busy tackling the issue of supply-chain waste. What, though, is the responsibility - and capability - of industry when it comes to consumer behaviour?

Tony Sharpe's current role as md of ingredients supplier Renshaw may seem a far cry from his early training as an accountant, but he clearly has a good head for figures.

Meat and fish processors have more than a few problems on their hands in the present tough economic climate. If it's not rising costs and low margins, it's consolidation, more expensive regulatory controls and problems with recruiting and retaining skilled labour.

Barloworld Handling has developed an independent mark of quality for pre-owned Hyster trucks. The Approved Used mark provides a guarantee that all used Hyster trucks from Barloworld have undergone stringent tests, service, and repairs, before delivery to the customer.

Toyota Material Handling has added two new low-level order picker models to its range of warehouse equipment. The BT Opus OSE180X and BT Opus OSE180XP are designed for first- and second-level order picking in high-intensity operations.

Hull is at the heart of the North of England's fishing industry, and at the heart of Hull is the state-of-the-art Hull Fish Auction. Since opening its doors in 2000, it has developed a reputation as the most quality-conscious fresh fish market in Western Europe.

An increasing number of forklift trucks operate in potentially explosive atmospheres. Explosion protection specialist Pyroban argues that factory operations managers need to understand the risks associated with forklift truck maintenance by engineers who do not have the proper training.

One of the fastest growing trends is the outsourcing of logistics to so-called third-party logistics (3PL) operators. The reason is that companies are moving from transactional-based strategies to relationship-based alliances such as partnerships.

Changing consumer habits, environmental pressures and traceability requirements are making efficient logistics ever more important.

Pallet logistics systems supplier CSi has completed a £3.7M project to design and install an automated sortation and palletising system for Walkers' snacks factory in Coventry.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) specialist Lakeview has significantly extended the functionality of its established Service Management module, with the development of call progression capability and enhanced reporting and analysis tools.

Sterling Commerce, an AT&T subsidiary, has announced the availability of Sterling Supply Chain Visibility On Demand.

ABB has released the newest version of its IndustrialIT ECS Enterprise Connectivity Solutions. It includes enhancements for quicker integration of systems, improved performance, and simplified user interface. ECS also provides a streamlined, single-point interface for vertical integration between plant and enterprise business systems for improved productivity, flexibility, quality control and reduced order-to-cash cycle.

Ross enterprise resource planning (ERP) software from CDC Software has helped KK Fine Foods achieve an 82% increase in net profit before tax and achieve a 73% increase in revenue in 2007.

Own-label ethnic ready meals producer S&A Foods believes closer collaboration will provide the best way of improving the service it offers to its key retail customer, Asda this year.

Food companies may not be in the habit of crossing gypsy palms with silver, but manufacturers depend heavily on accurate demand forecasting for the success of their businesses. Getting it right enables companies to pull off the tricky balancing act of minimising inventory and waste without impacting on their service levels.

You can't help but be wowed when you enter Premier Foods' £600,000 development kitchen. Development chef Justyn Dow flips a switch and the clear glass windows running alongside the kitchen light up to create a screen, which has the dual function of displaying Premier's enviable portfolio of brands, while shielding developers so that they can carry out their work in privacy.

The Food Manufacture Excellence Awards are all about celebrating the achievements of the very best in the business. If you think your company's got what it takes, then you should be in there too. But you'll need to hurry as the deadline is fast approaching.

There's nothing more satisfying than having a good moan. But, judging by the responses to this year's Food Manufacture survey, the nation's food and drink manufacturers have a lot to whinge about: faced with unprecedented rises in raw materials prices, oil prices heading for the stratosphere and customers frustratingly reluctant to accept price increases.

Sam Wrist, general operations manager, R&R Ice Cream

I bought a new calculator recently. I thought my old one was faulty: the numbers didn't add up! Let me explain. Over the past 10 years businesses have been moving manufacturing and sourcing away from their main markets. The shareholders were told that labour was cheaper elsewhere, so the company could reduce costs, prices and make more money. I kept going through my own maths but I couldn't come to the same result.

Frozen food transport and storage provider ACS&T Logistics has extended its national frozen consolidation service for foodservice operator 3663 with a second centre at its depot in Wolverhampton, which began operating last month. The facility offers case level consolidated distribution to each of 3663's 32 depots and allows suppliers using the facility to pay for delivery by the case, rather than by the pallet.

Road hauliers in the UK, which pay twice the diesel duty of competitors in other EU Member States, are pressurising the government to ease the crippling effects of spiralling fuel costs. They have called for a reduction in diesel duty to the EU average of 25p/litre, rather than imposing a 2p increase as planned in October.

Ishida Europe will be among those demonstrating new equipment at Birmingham's PPMA Show 2008 at the end of September.

Human food applications of the Starpack Award-winning Easylift can end are "in the pipeline", says Crown Foodcan, adding that cost premiums and canning line modifications have been kept to a minimum.

Public statements from directors of the UK's major retailers over recent weeks indicate a shift in policy over packaging choices, says the Packaging and Films Association (PAFA).

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has thrown the blame for any limitations on what is 'recyclable' back at UK local authorities and the huge variation in what materials are collected where.

Marel Food Systems is not an Icelandic company, stresses the group's president and chief executive Hordur Arnarson: it is a global company with manufacturing facilities around the world. "We don't define ourselves as an Icelandic Company," says Arnarson. "85-90% of our employees are outside Iceland; 99.5% of our customers are outside Iceland; the financing is largely outside Iceland."

Robert Wiseman Dairies (RWD) has installed an energy efficient cooling system at its new £80M milk production facility at Bridgwater in Somerset. The equipment was supplied by Star Refrigeration in a contract worth over £1.5M.

Unicorn ingredients, which specialises in seeds and pulses, believes it can save processors money by offering them a more reliable supply base.

Manufacturers contemplating the use of wholegrain in their products will be encouraged to hear that the government is expected to quantify its consumption guidance in the near future.

I lived for a while in a village which was split in half by a stream. On entering the village pub we were asked if we were local. We then had to clarify which side of the stream we were on and luckily I was from the acceptable side! I always think of this when the issue of 'local' as a product claim is raised because for those villagers which side of the stream you lived mattered!

In a bid to keep up with the demand for healthier products, Werther's Original has launched Sugar Free Butter Candies.

Tangerine Confectionery is re-launching Orchard Fruits as Taveners Proper Sweets Fruit Jellies.

A rising demand from operators in the hotel and restaurant sectors for a premium quality, added value chip with distinguishing features gave the Aviko development team a real challenge.

To drive down sodium levels in its brined range, the Big Prawn Company company has replaced is existing sodium ingredient with Low Sodium Sea Salt, which contains 60% less sodium than ordinary salt. "Our packs now carry the 'Low Sodium Sea Salt' logo," says md Bob Fleming.

High Tea will never be the same again now that Premier's mammoth cake brand Mr Kipling has launched a new product: Mr Kipling Cake Bites.

Consumers who love the unmistakable taste of beetroots, but can't be bothered with the formalities of plucking them from a glass jar may be interested in Baxters' latest innovation.

It is no secret that vegetarians tend to get a raw deal when it comes to eating out due to the limited options available to them.

This autumn's school lunch boxes could be laden with more fruity treats as the Glisten group has launched a new fruit snacking concept called Sun-Maid Fruit Fingers, in agreement with California-based Sun-Maid.

The sweet-toothed followers of Islam - the second largest religion in the UK - will soon be able to sample a taste of the good life now that the premium trend has caught on among halal confectioners.

Do you have a formal documented strategy for your new product development (NPD)? I often ask this question of senior management at the food businesses in which I consult. There is surprisingly often little affirmation in response irrespective of how large or successful the business might be. Ask these same businesses what their mission statement or corporate values are and they seem to be able to reel them off with greater ease.

Sir

The European Commission's decision to cull 26 of the 36 Regulations on fruit and vegetable standards comes not before time.

Sir

Industry experts have raised concerns about the Food Standards Agency (FSA) adopting an 'open access' policy for publication of its research.

Confusion over defining alcohol units has prevented the Food Standards Agency (FSA) Board from calling for their inclusion within the food information regulation being prepared by the European Commission.

Researchers at Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA) have installed a pilot plant that is capable of transforming hundreds of kilos of food waste into bioethanol using a novel production process.

Under a fifth of food and drink processors have a training budget, but over 90% believe it improves products and services, according to sector skills council Improve.

Experts have warned manufacturers that they risk damaging their brands if they cut the quality of their products as a short-term measure to maintain margins as commodity costs soar.

Radical UV technology that gets under the skin of fruits and vegetables to extend their shelf-life is being tested by Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA).

Experts locked horns over genetic modification (GM) as they discussed how to deal with rising food prices and global demand for food at Westminster Food & Nutrition Forum's latest seminar.

Unilever plans to work more closely with ingredient and equipment suppliers through 'open innovation' as it prepares to release a volley of novel ice food products into Europe.

A growing body of research suggests that low glycaemic index (GI) foods can have significant benefits for cardiovascular health, weight control, memory and eye health, as well as reducing the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, according to a leading expert in the field.

Greencore is taking legal advice to find out how much, if anything, it is able to recover after bosses discovered an alleged fraud at the firm's mineral water subsidiary. A "deliberate concealment of costs" had led to a "material mis-statement" of profits over the last three years, said the company.

The Food and Drink Federation has joined forces with Business in the Community to develop a Healthy Eating Toolkit for employers looking to boost productivity by promoting healthy eating at work.

Pizza maker Paramount Foods has been forced to lay off 300 staff at factories in Deeside and Salford after losing a major contract with Asda.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched an online database of food safety experts.

Traditional pastry maker Ginsters will stipulate British Lion Quality egg products across its range.

Almost three quarters (72%) of respondents to Food Manufacture's latest online poll felt that the level of promotional activity in the sector was damaging the industry.

Unilever is combating potentially dangerous temperature rises in food before it is loaded into retailers' freezer cabinets by testing insulated blankets on roll cages containing the products.

Ready meals are worth £3.42bn in retail and foodservice contexts and have grown annually by 4.8% on average from 2002-2007, according to Food Manufacture's latest market report.

Heinz has sold over 5M packs of Snap Pots since they were introduced in 2007, making them one of the most successful product launches in recent years, bosses claimed.

Global data synchronisation (GDS) is gathering pace in the catering sector, with increasing numbers of firms supplying Country Range Group and 3663 now uploading product information into the GS1 UK data pool.

Suppliers could do more to cut product packaging, according to an overwhelming majority of consumers responding to an exclusive survey for Food Manufacture.

A 44-year-old factory worker was thrown 7.6m through the air in an accident at a ready meals factory that provoked the collapse of the company involved.

The food and drink sector is no longer paying lipservice to sustainable distribution, with even previously fierce rivals collaborating on innovations.

Leading agricultural charity the British Crop Protection Council (BCPC) has described the decision by EU agriculture ministers to accept the European Commission's proposal for new cut-off criteria in pesticide approvals as "very disappointing". The decision could affect the availability of UK fresh produce such as carrots, peas, parsnips and strawberries.

The secretary general of the Chilled Food Association (CFA) has been awarded an MBE for services to the food industry in the Queen's 2008 Birthday Honours List. Kaarin Goodburn has worked for the CFA since its launch in 1989.

The International Agri-Technology Centre has been awarded the UK Trade & Investment contract in partnership with Campden and Chorleywood Food Research Association to help agri-food firms identify and develop trade opportunities in overseas markets.

The Food Standards Agency has warned firms about an identity theft fraud, which it fears could lead to the sale of unsafe food.

Ice cream firm Hill Station has secured new funding to take the business forward following weeks of uncertainty. The company, which makes branded and own-label products for the major multiples, has significantly improved operational efficiency at its Cwmbran plant recently, following a review of its manufacturing processes and planning and purchasing strategies.

Manufacturers' failure to label 'hidden' lactose powder in foods means many lactose intolerant children are going undiagnosed, a health expert has warned.

PepsiCo has lashed out at the School Food Trust (SFT) for failing to provide clear nutritional guidance as the processor searches for a new route into the school food market.

Rising input costs and the credit crunch are taking their toll on the nation's food manufacturers, with just 46% of respondents to this year's Food Manufacture survey expecting their profit margins to improve over the next 12 months compared to 66% last year.

An explosion of technical innovation for processors is being fuelled by a new joint initiative.

Own-label processors are buckling under the major supermarkets' cut-throat business tactics over manufacturing solutions, according to industry experts.