All news articles for July 2018

Dr Adam Charlton (right): ‘We are targeting the potential of apple pomace to provide texture for food’

NEWS IN BRIEF

Apple pomace project aims to tackle child obesity

By Noli Dinkovski

An innovative way of tackling child obesity by replacing high-calorie ingredients with apple pomace has won financial backing from the Welsh Government and Innovate UK.

Roy Ballam, BNF: ‘A lack of reliable information on healthy eating is a huge cause for concern’

Conflicting nutrition advice confuses consumers

By Noli Dinkovski

Conflicting media messages and guidance over food choices is making it difficult for UK consumers to find reliable information on healthy eating, a survey has found.

Most modules in the basic Supply Chain Mapper package are designed to be free to use for up to three years

Qadex rebels against supply chain software costs

By Rod Addy

Supply chain software costs are preventing smaller foods firms from developing robust traceability systems, so a free software tool is being launched to encourage an honest, level playing field.

GMB members at Britvic Norwich are planning six weeks of strikes

Britvic’s Norwich factory faces weeks of strikes

By Gwen Ridler

GMB union members at Britvic’s Norwich factory are planning a string of strikes in a bid to bring the company to the negotiation table over the redundancy package offered to them.

McMahon: ‘We aim to provide a formula as naturally close to breastmilk as possible’

McMahon: ‘conspiracy of silence’ over baby feeding

By Noli Dinkovski

Correct feeding from birth should be subject to a full government inquiry as part of its drive to tackle child obesity, the boss of the UK’s only producer of infant feed formula has claimed.

Popchips has been acquired by KP Snacks

KP acquires second snack business in three months

By Gwen Ridler

Intersnack subsidiary KP Snacks has acquired UK-based Popchips Ltd for an undisclosed sum, less than three months after purchasing crisps and popcorn maker Tyrrells Potato Crisps from confectionery giant Hershey.

Can biofortification help UK’s nutrient deficiency?

OPINION

Can biofortification help UK’s nutrient deficiency?

By JUDY BUTTRISS

Biofortification is a way of enhancing the level of a micronutrient in a crop pre-harvest through conventional (selective) plant breeding, use of micronutrient-rich fertilisers or sprays, or genetic modification.

Darby is profiled in Food Manufacture’s July issue

Premier Foods’ boss survives shareholder revolt

By Rod Addy

Premier Foods’ chief executive officer (CEO) Gavin Darby has survived a shareholder revolt led by stakeholders Oasis Management Company designed to oust him from his position.

Emerging food trends from the far east were on show at Hyper Japan

Emerging food trends from Japan – photo gallery

By Gwen Ridler

Yuzu citrus fruit and green tea infused noodles were two of the latest flavour trends coming out of Japan, on show at Harro Foods’ Japan Food Show at the weekend, featured in this photo gallery.

Premier Foods reported another quarter of growth ahead of a shareholder vote to decide Gavin Darby's future

Mr Kipling and Batchelors help boost Premier Foods

By Rod Addy

Premier Foods’ Mr Kipling cakes and Batchelors Super Noodles ranges helped fuel sales growth in the first financial quarter of 2018, although it reported the strongest percentage growth in own-label products.

Last year’s overall winner was SK Chilled Foods

Food Manufacture Excellence Awards: new features

By Rod Addy

Key partners of food and drink manufacturers in various fields can encourage their customers to submit an entry to the free-to-enter Food Manufacture Excellence Awards (FMEAs) to win recognition of their collaborative efforts.

Campaign for Local Abattoirs: ‘We have reached a critical level, with several blackspots around the country where smaller abattoirs simply do not exist’

ABATTOIR FOCUS

Are small abattoirs for the chop?

By Chloe Ryan

Amid growing demand for high-quality catering meat, there are concerns that the decline in small abattoirs is leaving parts of the UK uncovered.

The industry is lacking guidance on safe levels of mineral oils in food-grade boards

Uncertainty on mineral oils in recycled packaging

By Paul Gander

As a new range of food-grade boards targets the challenge of mineral oil content in recycled fibre, and its potential migration into food, many in the wider supply chain have been left perplexed by the lack of clear guidance from regulatory bodies on...

Unilever has relaunched Pot Rice, 15 years after it was last seen in UK stores

Unilever relaunches Pot Rice range

By Gwen Ridler

Unilever’s noodle brand Pot Noodle has relaunched its Pot Rice range of instant rice snacks in response to “consumer demand”, supported by a £1m marketing campaign.

Warmley-based Hare Brewery is owned by Bath Ales, which was bought by St Austell Brewery in 2016

Hare Brewery recovers after chemical spill

By Rod Addy

Brewing has resumed at Bath Ale’s Hare Brewery after emergency services attended a chemical spill there that forced the evacuation of 25 staff, three of which were treated for breathing difficulties.

SCALA’s survey reveals third-party logistics firms are weak on innovation

News in brief

Third-party logistics firms lax on innovation

By Gwen Ridler

Third-party logistics companies are the weakest drivers of developments in supply chain and customer service, according to a survey conducted by logistics and supply chain consultancy SCALA.

Lloyd: ‘We conduct hourly performance reviews - carried out by the guys operating the processes’

ME AND MY TEAM

Putting people first at Accolade Park

By Richard Lloyd

Richard Lloyd, Accolade Park’s general manager, European operations and supply chain, explains the philosophy of involving people at all levels in decision-making.

South west food and drink exports reached £175m from January to March 2018, up £10m over the same period last year

South-west food exports boom

By Rod Addy

Cornwall’s food and agriculture exports grew in the first quarter of the year, the fourth year in a row that this had happened, according to the Treasury.

Collaboration in the supply chain can help protect the environment from damage by logistics

Collaboration key to solving environmental issues

By Gwen Ridler

Collaboration throughout the entire supply chain is the only way to lessen the environmental impact of the logistics industry, claimed Coca-Cola European Partner’s (CCEP’s) associate director of warehousing Clare Bottle.

The HMRC should do more to educate small firms on the intricacies of pay laws, according to Ananda Foods and Image on Food

HMRC ‘demonises’ small firms who underpay staff

By Gwen Ridler

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) should do more to educate small and medium-sized businesses on staff payment regulations, instead of “demonising them” for underpayment.

Darby: ‘Every quarter is different, but we feel confident about revenue growth in the future’

PROFILE

Premier comeback?

By Aidan Fortune

Premier Foods may have seen its best results in five years but all is not rosy ahead of its agm. In an interview conducted before the shareholder revolt, Premier Foods chief executive Gavin Darby discusses the turnaround, future plans and how flamingoes...

The Government’s Brexit white paper was published on Thursday (12 July)

Brexit free-trade paper met with mixed response

By Gwen Ridler

The UK Government’s white paper, proposing a free-trade area for goods to create frictionless trade post-Brexit, has been met with mixed responses from across the food and drink industry.

An EFRA Committee visited 2 Sisters' Site D

EFRA Committee ‘satisfied’ with 2 Sisters’ progress

By Aidan Fortune

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRA) Committee has expressed “satisfaction” that 2 Sisters Food Group has delivered on all of the food safety commitments set out by Ranjit Singh Boparan.

A wearable robotic exoskeleton for factory use has been developed by Comau

News in brief

Robotic exoskeleton developed for factory use

By Gwen Ridler

A new wearable robotic exoskeleton designed to support factory workers engaged in manual activities has been debuted by automated systems developer Comau.

Food industry news roundup

Food industry news roundup – photo gallery

By Gwen Ridler

A new supply deal for a Yorkshire poultry-processor and US growth for Young’s Seafood feature in our roundup of bulletins in the food and drink industry, in this photo gallery.

Pasty maker Crantock Bakery has axed 109 jobs after falling into administration

Insolvent pasty company axes 109 jobs

By Gwen Ridler

More than 100 jobs are to be axed at Cornwall-based Crantock Bakery Ltd, after the manufacturer fell into administration this week.

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