All news articles for March 2015

Cryogenic freezing gets on with MAP

Cryogenic freezing gets on with MAP

Food processors can now extend shelf-life and boost the quality of fresh produce, thanks to a new procedure which combines the best of cryogenic freezing with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP).

Sampling preparation for FSA's campylobacter study

Sampling preparation for FSA's campylobacter study

Stomacher paddle blenders and accessories from supplier Seward have been used in the preparation of samples for microbiological analysis as part of the Food Standards Agency’s (FSA’s) latest UK-wide study into the levels of campylobacter contamination...

Screening for salmonella in chocolate

Screening for salmonella in chocolate

While high volume screening for salmonella is normally part of the quality control proccess in chocolate production, the discovery of salmonella in a batch of chocolate, which prompted a recent recall, is a reminder of the continuing risk of this pathogen.

Meat fraud detection referenced

Meat fraud detection referenced

Six new meat mixture reference materials have been developed by scientists at LGC, formerly Laboratory of the Government Chemist, to help protect consumers from food fraud. The meat mixtures will enable food testing laboratories to assess the quality...

Weetabix reduces its motor failures

Weetabix reduces its motor failures

Weetabix has saved thousands of pounds in maintenance costs by eliminating motor failures at its factory in Corby, following the installation of Marlin stainless steel AC motors from Lafert. These replaced conventional motors on its breakfast cereal extruders.

ERP raises the game for German meat processor

ERP raises the game for German meat processor

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) software from CSB-System is providing control of the value-added supply chain at German meat processor Wolf. It ensures effective planning and product management as well as traceability of all products.

New service for pumps launched

New service for pumps launched

AVT Reliability, a new company created by the merger of AV Technology and Aespump, which brings together established experts in plant reliability and maintenance and pump management, was launched at the Maintec show held at The National Exhibition Centre...

Morrisons could see a further 20 senior management roles cut

Morrisons to cut 20 bosses in ‘Tesco-style shakeup’

By Nicholas Robinson

Morrisons ceo David Potts is to axe up to 20 more bosses in a bid to clear out the old team and counter the firm’s multi-million pound losses by running it more like Tesco, a leading analyst has said.

Campylobacter is found on the surface of almost all raw chicken

Bernard Matthews set to blast campylobacter

By Rod Addy

The campylobacter crisis is set to heat up, with warmer spring and summer weather likely to push up poultry contamination levels, Jeremy Hall, technical director of Bernard Matthews, has warned.

Grants of up to £50,000 will be given to food and drink firms to grow

Truss’s £50k grants to create 3,000 food jobs

By Nicholas Robinson

Cash injections of up to £50,000 will be given to small food and drink firms, following the creation of six new Food Enterprise Zones by the environment secretary Elizabeth Truss.

Raymond would like the British government to support the dairy sector in the UK more

Dairy crisis

Desperate dairy sector needs government support

By Laurence Gibbons

The UK’s ‘desperate’ dairy sector needs more support from the British government, according to National Farmers Union (NFU) president Meurig Raymond.

An accident was 'almost inevitable' due to lack of safety procedures, said the HSE

Ice cream firm prosecuted for safety failings

By Michael Stones

An ice cream manufacturer has been ordered to pay more than £18,000, after one of its workers had a finger severed while cleaning a fruit feeder machine.

In the can: Heinz's merger with the Kraft Foods Group. But the deal has sparked UK job fears

Heinz Kraft merger

UK job fears after Heinz and Kraft merger

By Michael Stones

The merger of food giants Heinz and Kraft Foods Group has sparked fears about UK jobs, according to Unite the Union.

Premier Foods boss Gavin Darby will be going back to school to boost students' employment prospects

Manufacturing bosses in schools skills plan

By Michael Stones

Top food and drink manufacturing bosses Gavin Darby, Premier Foods, Leendert den Hollander, Coca-Cola Enterprises and Ranjit Singh Boparan, 2 Sisters Food Group, will be joining other food industry bosses in a back-to-schools plan to sharpen students’...

GEA's MultiDrum machine can recreate hand-crafted breaded chicken products at high volumes

Anuga FoodTec trends

Mass production moves closer to manual skills

By Rod Addy

Technology is moving closer to delivering hand-crafted effects on an industrial scale, with innovations such as Fritsch’s Multitwist twisting machine and GEA’s MultiDrum system, winners of International FoodTec Gold Awards at Anuga FoodTec 2015.

Sherlock offers substantial detection services

Anuga FoodTec trends

Sherlock food analyser boosts product quality

By Rod Addy

Food firms can now harness the fabled detection skills of Sherlock to boost product quality, thanks to innovation from Insort, which won a 2015 International FoodTec Gold Award at Anuga FoodTec.

Food industry people on the move

Food and drink industry people on the move

By Laurence Gibbons

Morrisons’s express check out of five board members leads our selection of the latest people on the move in the food and drink industry.

Iglo has pumped £3.7M into educating consumers on the role frozen food and freezing can play in tackling food waste

Iglo pumps £3.7M into frozen fight on food waste

By Laurence Gibbons

Frozen food firm Iglo Group and the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have launched a campaign to educate consumers about the benefits of freezing food in a bid to reduce food waste across Europe.

Morrisons' new boss could 'galvanise' the troubled retailer, said Shore Capital

Morrisons boss ‘could galvanise’ the retailer

By Michael Stones

Morrisons new boss David Potts “could galvanise” the troubled retailer, according to City analysts less than two weeks after he took over the role of chief executive from Dalton Philips.

Sales are down at Hilton due to a fall in meat prices

Fall in meat prices hit Hilton’s sales

By Laurence Gibbons

Hilton Food Group has announced a 2.3% fall in sales to £1.1bn, due to lower meat prices and “unfavourable” currency exchange rates in its full-year results for the 52 weeks to December 28 2014.

Arla faces disruption to milk deliveries this Easter

Arla Easter strike threat intensifies

By Michael Stones

Arla Foods’s milk deliveries to northern supermarkets could be disrupted over Easter, after the GMB and Unite the Union both warned a three-day strike was likely over the holiday.

Clark mapped out the key trends to follow at the Food Vision event

Food Vision 2015

Top social trends food firms must follow

By Laurence Gibbons

Four top trends – sobriety, risk management, nutritional supplements and everyday indulgence should guide food and drink manufacturers when planning innovation.

Boddy had admitted to selling horses for meat

£8,000 food fraud fine the first of its kind

By Rod Addy

Peter Boddy has been fined £8,000 at Southwark Crown Court after he admitted failing to comply with food traceability regulations, the first horsemeat food fraud sentence pronounced following the scandal.

Dairy Crest's £80M dairy deal is to be reviewed by the competition authority

Dairy Crest sale referred to competition authority

By Michael Stones

Dairy Crest’s plan to sell its dairies to Müller UK & Ireland is to be probed by the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), after the £80M deal was referred by the EU.

Panesar Foods makes more than 750 branded and own-label products

Panesar Foods invests £9M to create 30 jobs

By Rod Addy

Panesar Foods is investing almost £9M in the expansion of its West Bromwich sauce manufacturing business, creating at least 30 jobs and potentially boosting its turnover.

It was a good week for whisky drinkers, as the chancellor cut duty on their favourite tipple

Discount stores Aldi and Lidl create 1000 jobs

By Michael Stones

The hard discount store chains created a total of 1,000 jobs Last week, as Lidl and Aldi both unveiled two new distribution centres, with 500 jobs a piece. This week’s Good week, bad week also reports good news for whisky drinkers, Charlie Bigham and...

Morrisons ceo David Potts wants the top team to 'listen hard' to customers and store colleagues

Morrisons boss tells HQ team to work on shop floor

By Michael Stones

Morrisons’ boss David Potts has told his head office staff to work on the shop floor this Easter – in a bid to persuade them to “listen hard” to customers and store colleagues. 

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