All news articles for February 2019

Red Tractor's Jim Moseley reiterated the benefits of a modular assurance scheme

Red Tractor cracks down on standards

By Gwen Ridler

Assurance scheme Red Tractor removed more than 200 members in 2017 for not meeting standards, according to chief executive Jim Moseley.

Moving popcorn production to Pontefract could cost the jobs of 90 staff

KP Snacks factory move puts 90 jobs at risk

By Gwen Ridler

KP Snacks has announced plans to close its Largo Foods UK popcorn factory in Barnsley and relocate production to Pontefract, West Yorkshire, putting 90 jobs at risk.

Veolia has defended delays in the Government's Resources and Waste Strategy

Veolia stands by strategy on waste delay

By Paul Gander

Waste management firm Veolia has defended expected delays in the implementation of the Government’s new Resources and Waste Strategy (RWS) for England, despite the pressure on users of plastics packaging, in particular, to demonstrate sustainability to...

Consumers are favouring a less is more approach, cutting back on the amount of meat on their plate

In-depth: meat trends

Meat industry under fire

By Aidan Fortune

The meat sector is under threat from a number of quarters – but there is hope. Premiumisation, better standards and more efficient processing operations are all expected to fuel market growth.

Blakemore: '3D printing will also infiltrate the food industry in a more pervasive way'

CITY FOOD LECTURE

Compass boss: how food tech will transform future

By Rod Addy

Augmented reality, 3D printing and artificial intelligence (AI) can help deliver a sustainable food system and the food industry needs to react to the challenges they pose, according to Compass boss Dominic Blakemore.

Birdseye's Lowestoft factory featured on last night's show

Birds Eye factory showcased in BBC TV series

By Gwen Ridler

Birds Eye’s Lowestoft factory appeared in last night’s episode of the BBC Two show Inside the Factory, giving viewers a glimpse into production at the site.

Manufacturers could be leaving money on the table by not tapping into funds generated by the Apprenticeship Levy

Manufacturers missing out on £2.5bn of funding

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink manufacturers are missing out on £2.5bn of support for training schemes due to a lack of understanding of the Government’s Apprenticeship Levy, according to an expert in skills.

Cranswick was ranked Tier 1 in this year's Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare

Cranswick tops animal welfare list

By Gwen Ridler

Meat processor Cranswick has topped the charts for animal welfare for the third consecutive year in the global Business Benchmark on Farm Animal Welfare (BBFAW), while confectionery and snacks giant Mars lags behind.

ABF predicted growth in most of its divisions besides sugar

Sugar to halt ABF half-year progress

By Aidan Fortune

A predicted drop in revenue in its sugar division is expected to be the only black mark on Associated British Foods’ (ABF) interim results.

Vegan diets and climate change will be key drivers for innovation in food and drink manufacturing

Big food brands slow to innovate

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink brands are failing to cater to changing consumer preferences for plant-based products and less packaging, according to an environmental pressure group.

Health and safety shouldn’t be gambled on, especially with the threat of huge fines should it fail

FEATURE

Avoid rolling the dice on health and safety

By Alyson Magee

With safety-first equipment and IT systems able to reduce the risk of workplace incidents and help manufacturers avoid severe penalties, can companies really afford not to invest in them?

Organic food sales grew in 2018

Organic food sales on the rise

By Gwen Ridler

Sales of organic food in the UK grew 5.3% in 2018 to £2.33bn, boosted by consumer interest in free-from options and healthy eating, according to a report by certification body the Soil Association.

Dairy Crest is to be bought by Canadian business Saputo in a deal worth £975m

Dairy Crest to be bought in £975m deal

By Aidan Fortune

Manufacturer of Cathedral City and Country Life Dairy Crest has agreed to be bought by Canadian business Saputo in a deal worth £975m.

Year 11 Students from St Albans visited Premier's head office

Premier Foods inspires staff of tomorrow

By Gwen Ridler

Premier Foods has partnered with two schools in St Albans to provide local students studying food technology with an insight into the world of work in the food manufacturing industry.

The FDF repeated calls to Government to avoid a no-deal Brexit

Tariffs impact every part of the food chain

By Gwen Ridler

Imposing tariffs on food post-Brexit could start a chain reaction that would be felt by every member of the food and drink industry, according to the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Rising talent in the meat industry was celebrated at the Institute of Meat/Worshipful Company of Butchers prize-giving ceremony

Meat industry celebrated at prize-giving ceremony

By Aidan Fortune

The Institute of Meat (IoM) and Worshipful Company of Butchers (WCB) have recognised the achievements of apprentices, employers and training providers at their annual prize-giving event.

Find out what to look out for at this year's Pro2Pac show next month

Pro2Pac 2019 show preview

By Gwen Ridler

Head to ExCeL London in March for two shows, Pro2Pac and IFE 2019, dedicated to exploring future trend and innovation opportunities across the food and drink industry.

Jason Gulliver (L) and Gareth Dughan share their experiences at KP snacks

Meet the apprentice: KP Snacks

By Gwen Ridler

Recognising a shortage of skilled engineers coming through externally, KP Snacks has developed an apprenticeship scheme to progress its own people. Manager Gareth Dughan explains the approach, while apprentice Jason Gulliver shows how it is working for...

Batters: 'I absolutely don’t want it written in blood, I want it written in ink.'

Deeds not words: NFU boss demands commitment from Gove

By Gwen Ridler

National Farmers Union (NFU) president Minette Batters has called on secretary of state Michael Gove to commit to securing the high standards of British food production after the UK leaves the EU next month.

The Asda and Sainsbury's merger is believed to be dead in the water following the Competition and Markets Authority's findings

Asda Sainsbury’s merger dealt ‘mortal blow’

By Aidan Fortune

The Competition and Markets Authority’s (CMA’s) provisional findings on the proposed Asda and Sainsbury’s merger have been described as a “mortal blow to the deal” by economists.

Gove is speaking to colleagues in Government about delaying consultations involving departments other than DEFRA

More called for as Gove delays food consultations

By Rod Addy

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has welcomed the extension of deadlines pledged by environment secretary Michael Gove on some food industry consultations amid Brexit chaos, but believes others may also have to be delayed.

Hyman: ‘With current economic trends, the sector is stronger than it’s ever been’

OPINION

Frozen food’s growth fuelled by consumer trends: BFFF boss

By John Hyman

The UK frozen food sector is currently the fastest growing retail category, but what’s behind its success? British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) chief executive John Hyman explores the forces expected to drive the sector up to 2025 and beyond.

Food Standards Scotland has issued a Public Information Statement on the dangers of STEC in food

FSS issues STEC food safety advice

By Aidan Fortune

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has issued a Public Information Statement to make clear its position regarding the presence of a group of harmful E.coli bacteria called STEC in food.

An extension of SK Chilled Foods' South Bank site means the business is hiring more staff

SK Chilled Foods in recruitment drive

By Aidan Fortune

Chilled food manufacturer SK Chilled Foods is to create 30 new roles at its South Bank and Riverside sites in Middlesbrough.

Bolton: 'Our focus will remain on being category leaders and serving our customers, suppliers, staff and stakeholders'

Addo Food Group names new boss

By Rod Addy

Addo Food Group has promoted Deborah Bolton from joint chief operating officer to chief executive officer (CEO), replacing Chris Peters, effective immediately.

Moorland has grown its exports by 400% this financial year

Moorland Spirit Co eyes international growth

By Gwen Ridler

Northumberland-based distillery Moorland Spirit Co is set to increase its international sales further, after quadrupling its export revenues in this financial year.

Crisp Sensation has launched ZeroFry which allows the production of crumb-coated snacks without deep-frying

Crisp Sensation launches new coating system

By Aidan Fortune

Food coatings business Crisp Sensation has unveiled a new coating system that enables manufacturers to produce crispy, crumb-coated snacks without the need for pre- or deep-frying.

The use of robots in farms could spell the future of food production in the UK

Adoption of robotics defines future of food production

By Gwen Ridler

The future of food production in the UK will be defined by the adoption of robotics and innovative new technology to help address the “productivity challenge” faced by producers, according to a new report for the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Smith: ‘The sector is heavily dependent on its people to drive productivity’

Opinion

Apprenticeships help to secure trade’s future

By Alasdair Smith

Alasdair Smith, chief executive of Scottish Bakers, highlights the role in training and apprenticeships have in securing the future of the food and drink industry.

Tereos operations director Bill Harrower runs down his roll at the manufacturer's Normanton site

Me and my team

Hitting the sweet spot at Tereos

By Bill Harrower

Operations director for Tereos UK & Ireland Bill Harrower covers investment and health and safety initiatives at the firm’s Normanton plant, plus the impact of Brexit.

Perversi shared the ethos of the company and plans for the future

Reinvention and innovation at Barry Callebaut

By Gwen Ridler

Reinventing and leading in trends, driven by the launch of ruby chocolate, are the driving force of chocolate maker Barry Callebaut, according to its head of innovation.

Concerns have been expressed over the destination of animals slaughtered without stunning that have been deemed unfit for religious consumption

Fears over destination of non-stunned animals

By Aidan Fortune

Animal welfare groups have expressed concern over the potential of meat from non-stunned animals being sold to consumers unaware of how it was slaughtered.

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