Many businesses using modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on their food lines could do much more to make this part of the operation more efficient, according to an international supplier of MAP quality control systems.
Retailer demands for suppliers to use X-ray inspection remain important in driving uptake of the technology, but they are increasingly being superseded by a positive business case on the part of the manufacturers themselves, say suppliers.
Food and drink manufacturers should visit a free online database to find innovative packaging to save money and reduce their environmental impact, according to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
A development tool, which allows packaging designers to create artwork on three-dimensional (3D) digital models of their chosen container, is now also available on mobile devices.
The UK’s largest coffee roaster has been installed at UK coffee roasting company Lincoln & York’s North Lincolnshire HQ, according to the firm, which is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its opening.
A food packaging firm has been ordered to pay more than £33,000 after one of its workers suffered a severed finger and other hand injuries while trying to unblock a poorly guarded machine.
Adams Foods has pumped £3M into a new customer innovation centre in response to customer demand for innovation in hard cheese, the company’s marketing director Alastair Jackson has said.
Princes food and drink group has completed a £40M redevelopment project at its Bradford-based soft drinks factory to increase capacity and improve its production capabilities, after work began in Autumn 2012.
Wyke Farms has invested £800,000 in shelf-ready packaging technology as part of its ‘100% Green’ initiative, and plans further eco-friendly projects, according to ceo Richard Clothier.
Coding specialist Interactive Coding Equipment (ICE) is offering kit which it claims will help food companies prepare for the new EU Food information for Consumers regulation (FIR), which comes into force on December 13.
Vertical form-fill-seal (VFFS) for light product, whether crisps or salad, is one of those areas where line speed, handling and quality control have to be balanced against each other. In particular, how do you integrate metal detection without reducing...
Coca-Cola Enterprises’ (CCE’s) planned £13M bottle production line at its Wakefield facility could help Yorkshire attract global investment and boost the UK economy, according to prime minister David Cameron.
From Yorkie bars to Coke Zero, the food industry has shown itself to be sceptical about the role of gender-orientated packaging – particularly where it targets men. But a new industry survey supports the idea that for some brand-owners this can be a critical...
AG Barr’s relocation of carton production from its Tredegar site in Wales to Milton Keynes could result in a net loss of 40 jobs as it closes the Tredegar factory.
More jobs are already being created by increasing demand for robots in the food industry, according to packing equipment manufacturer Pacepacker Services.
The Irish Dairy Board (IDB) has invested €30M (£24.6M) in a new butter production and packaging facility for its Kerrygold brand, creating 50 jobs in Mitchelstown, County Cork.
Burton’s Biscuit Company, maker of brands such as Maryland Cookies and Jammie Dodgers, has announced a £14.75M investment in its manufacturing operation to support business growth.
Cupcakes to flapjacks firm Fabulous Bakin’ Boys (FBB) fell into administration after overspending on equipment and taking its eye off brand investment, according to new md Richard Cooper.
Food manufacturers could treble their productivity with no new resources by applying lean manufacturing tools, according to Professor Peter Hines, partner at lean consultancy SA Partners.
Food industry automation projects stall not because of lack of finance, but because of the ‘fear factor’ that firms won’t have engineers with the know-how to install or maintain systems.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) will have invested £227M in its operations in Great Britain in the past four years, once it has injected a further £52M into the business this year.
Innovation in quality control and the ability to tailor equipment for a variety of food packing applications will be the key themes of Ishida Europe’s Foodex stand.
Electric flexible tray sealers designed to seal film, foil or board lids to plastic, foil or board trays, will be shown by Packaging Automation (PA). Speeds ranging from 15 to 150 packs a minute mean that equipment can cater for the needs of the start-up...
Gluten-free food manufacturer Genius Foods has grown its product category by 25%, created 400 jobs and secured two “milestone” contracts, following its acquisition of two Finsbury Food Group production facilities last year.
Newly-established supplier to the vending industry, Gloucestershire-based Maxpax, is investing in a second TFS 400 Thermoformer from Ulma Packaging. The machine will vacuum wrap paper cups to meet the growing demand for its Incup range of drinks for Knorr...
Universal Flexible Packaging (UFP) has installed three new Ishida DACS-W checkweighers at its Leicester factory. It now has five Ishida multihead weighers and 12 checkweighers.
The Ainsley Harriott brand has expanded its product range, made by Symington’s, with what is claimed to be the first-ever soup stored at ambient temperature and packaged in a tub. This novel approach from Clondalkin Group company Chadwicks means the products...
This month’s Packaging Innovations show, which takes place at Birmingham’s Nationals Exhibition Centre (February 26 and 27), promises to introduce visitors to some exciting new developments in food and drink packaging. The show will include more than...
With the growing amount of data being generated for - and on - packaging lines, particularly around printers, readers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), cameras and other peripherals, food and drink companies are realising the value of a direct link...
Aimia Foods aims to grow sales by almost 50% and staff numbers by a third within five years, as it invests millions of pounds in production, according to md Rob Unsworth.
Gloucester-based tea packager Infusion GB is printing directly on to enveloped tea bags for the first time, following its investment in three Domino G220i thermal ink jet printers.
The installation of Ishida’s latest snacks packing solution - 18-head multi-head weighers and Atlas bagmakers with advanced Ishida integrated Total Packaging Systems (iTPS) software - at Kolak Snack Foods in London, is helping to nearly triple output...
Dairy cooperative First Milk faced bitter sweet developments this week, with news of green investment in its Haverfordwest creamery in Pembrokeshire soured by confirmation it would close its Wrexham cheese packing plant.
HSBC has pumped millions of pounds into Somerset cheese manufacturer Lye Cross Farm, which it claims will boost production by 1,000t a year to 4,500t to meet growing demand.
A film showing ‘A day in the life of a fish box’ – from port to plate – has proved a surprise hit on YouTube, according to its producers, the British Plastics Federation (BPF).
When Crewe-based FayreField Foods established its custom-built cheese cutting and packaging plant, it called on vacuum pump manufacturer Busch to supply two R 5 0630 oil-lubricated rotary vane vacuum pumps, which stand alone in a purpose-built enclosed...
Yorkshire-based egg producer Chippindale Foods has invested £4.2M in a new 55,000m2 production facility in Flaxby, North Yorkshire, to boost output, following growing demand for its products.
Greencore Prepared Meals claims to have revolutionised chilled ready meals with the development of retorted meals with peelable film. The firm makes retorted chilled meals for customers such as Weight Watchers and retailer own-label.
France's biggest producer of bean sprouts Heng Sieng has automated its packing operation with the installation of two Ishida multihead weighers that combine gentle and hygienic handling with fast and accurate weighing.
