All news articles for April 2013

Allen: consumers want to buy more British produce

UK Cheddar mark ‘dupes consumers’

By Gary Scattergood

UK Cheddar manufacturers are being hampered by rules that “give the impression” foreign cheese is actually produced in Britain, claims the boss of Dairy Crest.

Quasar Automation to launch cutting and portioning system

Servo-driven tray bake portioning

Automation specialist Quasar Automation will be launching the Soni-Cut tray bake cutting and portioning system at the Total Processing and Packaging Exhibition.

Loma Systems and Lock Inspection to show their metal

Two companies show their metal

Two of industry's detection specialists: Loma Systems which focuses on the food sector and Lock Inspection, on pharmaceuticals, will debut their new collaboration at the Total show.

New lightweight robotic arm provides easy automation

Universal Robot makes light of automation

R A Rodriguez will be showing the Universal Robot, a lightweight robotic arm that provides easy automation, at The Total Processing and Packaging Exhibition. It will demonstrate how complementary technology can now add intelligence and even greater scope...

Videojet to present new small character printers

Think small when it comes to print

Videojet will present its new 50 series (1550/1650) small character inkjet printers as part of its 1000 series range, at The Total Processing and Packaging Exhibition. The 1650 and 1550 are designed to minimise planned and unplanned downtime and maximise...

New system to boost productivity

Faster, more efficient changeovers

Improving the speed and efficiency of product changeovers on multi-product lines is what Sick UK's new RapCo system, launched at Total 2013, is all about. It is claimed to offer a reliable, automated solution to protect product quality while boosting...

Renting automation kit could enable small firms to cut packaging costs

Rental service could be small firms' route to automation

By Paul Gander

For firms seeking to reduce labour costs and improve efficiency, packaging automation is a logical step. But with many smaller companies strapped for cash and starved of loans, could equipment rental prove to be the rational route to avoid capital expenditure?

Hands believes his firm's new plant will create a new market for reprocessing used drinks cartons in the UK

UK base cuts cost of carton recycling

By Paul Gander

Combined with the latest 12.5% hike in landfill tax, the availability of UK beverage carton recycling capacity for the first time in seven years from July will doubtless spur more local authorities to launch kerbside collections.

New technology to make damage to delicate products a thing of the past

Technology to slice the softest, stickiest product

Ultrasonic technology uses the high frequency oscillation of the Sonotrode (cutting blade) to pass through product quickly and cleanly. This process can portion soft, sticky and delicate products that are prone to damage by traditional cutting systems....

Poultry processor invests in new production line

New lines get ready for more sales

Increasing demand for ready meals inspired one of Ireland's largest poultry processors to invest in new production lines, which were installed by Marel Townsend Further Processing.

Flexicon launches new boxes with dust-tight seal

Boxes sealed with a dust-tight tip

Flexicon's new Tip-Tite Sanitary Box Tipper forms a dust-tight seal between the container and the equipment, tips the container, and discharges bulk material at controlled rates.

New temperature control range launched

The tighter way to control recipe temperature

ICS Temperature Control has launched a thermoregulator and temperature controller range with an ingress protection (IP) rating of IP65. Featuring the latest touchscreen technology, the C7 Advanced Controller offers recipe control, temperature, flow and...

Ishida kit improves lozenge manufacturer's throughput by 20%

No chips on lozenges' shoulders

The introduction of Ishida kit at a world-famous throat lozenge manufacturer has reduced product breakage during packing, as well as increasing throughput by 20% and minimising giveaway.

Colour vision systems can confirm a match between product flavour or colour and packaging

Visionary thinking

By Paul Gander

The list of positive reasons for choosing vision-based product inspection is lengthening. Paul Gander looks at recent and future developments

Unilever is calling for collaboration to cut vehicle numbers on the road

Unilever to cut emissions with dual-fuel trial

By Gary Scattergood

Manufacturing giant Unilever is to begin trialling dual-fuel technology for its fleet of vehicles in a bid to slash carbon emissions and cut costs, while also pressing for more collaboration between food firms to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.

Police investigated Bakavvör's contamination

Illegal entry

Fraudulent claims of foreign bodies in food and drink are a hidden issue, says Rick Pendrous

Mitsubishi's new robots can reach behind their base in confined spaces

UK wakes up and smells the automation

By Rick Pendrous

UK food and drink manufacturers are finally waking up to the merits of automation, judging by the number of exhibits featuring robots at the forthcoming Total Processing & Packaging Exhibition. The event takes place at Birmingham's National Exhibition...

Firms united to become UK's exclusive garlic distributor

Firms join forces for UK black garlic

Last month Leathams partnered with the Black Garlic firm to become the UK's exclusive distribution partner for black garlic. This is gently aged white garlic that takes on a new colour, taste and texture.

Chia seeds bread mix to hit UK market

Bread mix sows the seeds of health

German baking ingredients manufacturer Ireks has launched a new bread mix for the UK bakery trade that contains the increasingly popular chia seeds.

Mintel names Heinz's new sauce 'most innovative' at IFE

Spicing up the sauce market wins awards

Heinz's moves to adapt its classic sauces for the cooking ingredients market earned it special attention at last month's IFE food and drink event.

New olive leaf extract 'clinically proven' to provide health benefits

Extract turns a new health leaf

Frutarom says its new olive leaf extract, Benolea, is "clinically proven" to provide the reported cardiovascular health-support benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Enzymes keep cake soft and fresh for longer

Layer bake

By Alyson Magee

Authentic taste, clean-labels and cost cutting must all be constituents of modern baking, reports Alyson Magee

EFSA found that adolescents were most likely to consume energy drinks

Energy drinks and health risks

By Gary Scattergood

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has published results into consumption of energy drinks  ̶  the findings of which will be a key component of the organisation's forthcoming ruling on the health risks associated with caffeine.

The right churn

By Gary Scattergood

Relentless pursuit of efficiency measures has enabled Mark Allen to transform Dairy Crest into a brand-focused plc, reports Gary Scattergood

Dee Scott, chief operating officer at Border Biscuits

Quality treats

By Gary Scattergood

Building a business on quality has won awards for Border Biscuits, reports Gary Scattergood

Clare Cheney, director general, Provision Trade Federation

Nobody does IT better - except the Dutch

By Clare Cheney

An article on government spending in The Times on April 24 cited eye-watering examples of overspending involving billions of taxpayers' money over the years on purchasing goods and services.

Nestlé Dolce Gusto was one of Nestlé's strong performers in the UK

UK coffee sales boost Nestlé's results

By Rick Pendrous

UK coffee sales have proved one of the few highlights for food giant Nestlé in its first quarter (Q1) results for 2013, which failed to meet analysts' expectations.

Tasty growth: In-home food market is predicted to rocket up by 20% in value by 2017

UK in-home food market could top £100bn by 2017

By Andrew Williams

The UK in-home food market is predicted to rocket in value by 20% by 2017, with a ‘best-case’ scenario seeing it break through the £100bn barrier that year, according to market research specialist Mintel.

Kiti Soinien will chart consumers' reaction to the horsemeat crisis in a free one-hour webinar.

Horsemeat webinar to chart shoppers’ reaction

By Mike Stones

Consumers’ reaction to the horsemeat scandal will be a key feature of a free one-hour webinar dedicated to learning the lessons of the horsemeat crisis to take place at 11am GMT on May 16.

McDonald's decision to source Freedom Food pork could be a watershed, the organisation claims

Freedom Food meat hits ‘McDonald’s watershed’

By Andrew Williams

The success of Freedom Food-accredited meat breaking into McDonald’s – following entries into discount retailers Aldi and Lidl – could prove a watershed for high animal welfare meat becoming a mainstream choice in retail and foodservice. 

Christine Tacon pledged to target kickbacks

Groceries Code Adjudicator to tackle illegal ‘kickbacks’

By Andrew Williams

The new Groceries Code Adjudicator, tasked with policing the multiple retailers, has pledged to clean up illegal “kickback” practices, whereby suppliers are forced to use third-party suppliers favoured by the supermarkets, rather than choosing their own.

Have your say on the prospects for food manufacturing in the Food Manufacture online survey

What does year ahead hold for UK food and drink manufacturers?

By Rick Pendrous

News that Tesco has reported the biggest profits fall in its history is just the latest sign that all is not well in the world of planet retail. Britain’s biggest retailer is also ditching plans to develop a number of big stores across the country. Against...

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