Processing equipment

Th Clements approached Tong Engineering to install its new sprout line

Vegetable processor installs sprout sorting line

By Gwen Ridler

Lincolnshire-based fresh vegetable processor TH Clements & Son has partnered with Tong Engineering to install a Brussels sprouts grading and sorting facility at its site in Boston.

Kraft Heinz has invested more than £20m in an initiative dubbed Project Darwin

Kraft Heinz invests £20m in Wigan site

By Rod Addy

Kraft Heinz has invested more than £20m in an initiative dubbed Project Darwin to enhance its canned baked bean, soup, spaghetti and Snap Pots factory at Kitt Green, near Wigan, which it claims is Europe’s biggest food plant.

Lorien has helped Britvic install new lines in Leeds and Rugby

Britvic installs bottling lines

By Gwen Ridler

Britvic has installed new bottling lines at its Leeds and Rugby manufacturing sites with the help of business consultancy and facilities designer Lorien Engineering, as part of a £240m investment programme.

Petrow has invested £850k in new machinery at its plant in Suffolk

Petrow Food Group invests £850k in machinery

By Gwen Ridler

Cereal and bakery ingredients supplier Petrow Food Group has invested £850,000 in new machinery to boost efficiency and food safety at its site in Haverhill, Suffolk.

Machines and humans can work hand in hand, claimed Terry Fennell, chief executive at training awarding body FDQ

Robots can work ‘hand in hand’ with humans

By Gwen Ridler

Increased automation should not threaten factory jobs and staff could work “hand in hand” with robots to deliver efficiencies while retaining a handmade approach, according to experts at last month’s Foodex trade show.

The UK's progress in automation has been hampered by the desire to keep old machines running. Mike Wilson pictured

Foodex

Clinging to old machines holds back UK automation

By Gwen Ridler

The UK food industry’s desire to keep old machines running for as long as possible has hampered its progress on automation compared to European neighbours, an expert panel at last month’s Foodex claimed.

Waste reduction in focus at trade show

Anuga FoodTec preview

Waste reduction focus at Anuga

By Rick Pendrous

Waste reduction within the food and drink sector, through ‘upcycling’ strategies and innovative methods for the recovery of materials from by-products, will be the main focus of the Anuga FoodTec show, which takes place this week (20–23 March) in Cologne,...

Bakers Basco manages and licenses four million bread baskets and associated wheeled dollies

Poultry firm pays £18k for equipment misuse

By Michelle Perrett

Al-Ummah Halal Poultry of Barnsley has agreed to pay £18,000 in costs and damages to Bakers Basco, after using its bakery equipment without permission.

Greater collaboration between suppliers and retailers is needed, claimed Kirby

More collaboration with retailers needed, claims analyst

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink manufacturers and suppliers need to create open, trusted and collaborative relationships with retailers to guarantee success in the fast moving consumer goods market, according to a consumer trends analyst.

OAL has won £900,000 of funding for its robotic ingredient handling project

Robotic ingredients handling project wins £900k funding

By Gwen Ridler

Robotics and automation provider OAL has won £900,000 of funding for its robotic ingredients handling project, in partnership with the University of Lincoln and condiments manufacturer English Provender Company (EPC).

Automation could lead to a loss of 3.6M jobs in the UK by 2030, claimed Centre for Cities

Automation could put ‘3.6M UK jobs at risk’

By Gwen Ridler

Automation could threaten up to 3.6M jobs in Britain by 2030, with warehousing forecast to be one of the worst-hit sectors, according to analyst Centre for Cities.

Food processors, including Arla’s UK dairies as pictured, use large amounts of water for processing and cleaning

Water management is key as manufacturing costs rise

By Rick Pendrous

Many food and drink manufacturers are missing out on large potential cost savings by not managing their water use and disposal more effectively, according to environmental services group Veolia, which provides a range of waste, water and energy management...

Wingland Foods’s operations manager Darryn Denny won a place in F1 racing car

Wingland Foods operations manager wins F1 racing car competition

By Mike Stones

Wingland Foods’s operations manager Darryn Denny will find himself behind the steering wheel of a Formula One racing car, after winning our exclusive competition, staged at the recent Processing & Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) Show.

The pace of food manufacturing change has quickened over the past 90 years

90 year birthday special

Food industry’s 90 years of innovation

By Colin Dennis

Food and drink manufacture has undergone major advances, designed to meet changing consumer tastes and modern production standards.

Food Manufacture was first published in May 1927, in the same month that Charles Lindbergh became the first man to complete a solo non-stop tans-Atlantic flight

90 Year Birthday special

Voice of the foodsector is born

By Rick Pendrous

Food Manufacture was launched in May 1927 as a forum for those working in food and drink manufacture. Ninety years on, it is a role it still plays.

Training courses should be offered to children of all ages to help plug the manufacturing industry’s growing skills gap

Training courses for kids, urged by engineering firm

By Gwen Ridler

Teaching children of all ages practical engineering skills through ‘pre-apprenticeship’ schemes will help plug the skills gap in the manufacturing industry, according to engineering firm Adi Group.

Multi-head weighers for free-flowing products

manufacturing product file

Multi-head weighers for free-flowing products

By Rick Pendrous

A series of mid-range multi-head weighers for the high performance weighing of free-flowing and semi-sticky products for dry, fresh and frozen foods, has been launched by Ishida.

Fairfield Farm Crisps has signed a deal with equipment provider Fabcon Food Systems to expand production

Fairfield Farm Crisps invests to expand production

By Gwen Ridler

Snack manufacturer Fairfield Farm Crisps has signed a deal with equipment provider Fabcon Food Systems for an undisclosed amount to expand the production capabilities at its factory in Essex.

New spiral freezer prevents belt slip

Manufacturing product file

New spiral freezer prevents belt slip

By Rick Pendrous

A quick-freeze spiral freezer from Alco for the continuous cooling and freezing of a wide range of products, including meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits, is now available in the UK from supplier Interfood.

An automated system checks codes on Dawnfresh’s fish packaging line

Dawnfresh eliminates label and date code errors at plant

By Rick Pendrous

Scottish fish processor Dawnfresh has invested in automation to ensure compliance with retailers’ codes of practice. The system installed controls the packaging line, preventing product recalls related to label and date code errors as well as delivering...

Food and drink companies should exploit the Industrial Internet of Things

Food firms urged to exploit intelligent supply chains

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink manufacturers need to be “nimble enough to evolve on the fly” in embracing the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) if they want to avoid losing business, a software expert has claimed.

Food industry automation is generating demand for new skills

Automation in food is ‘no threat to jobs’

By Noli Dinkovski

A drive towards automation in the food industry should not be seen as a threat to workers’ jobs, as it is likely to lead to the creation of a variety of skilled roles, a consultant in the field has claimed.

Campden BRI technology director Richard Akkermans said new technology would boost food safety

Food Safety Conference

Latest food safety tech ‘keeps food fresher’

By Matt Atherton

The latest technology in food manufacturing will help to keep food as fresh as possible, while not compromising on safety, says Campden BRI technology director Richard Akkermans.

Fourpure installs skid-mounted brewery system

manufacturing product file

Fourpure installs skid-mounted brewery system

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink processing equipment supplier GEA is to install its first UK Craft-Star skid-mounted brewing system at the craft brewer Fourpure Brewing Co in Bermondsey, London as part of a £2M project that will see production capacity increase by 400%...

Get ready for cooling directive change

Refrigeration spotlight

Get ready for cooling directive change

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink manufacturers have been urged by temperature control systems specialist ICS Cool Energy to upgrade their process cooling systems in the run-up to planned changes to the Ecodesign Directive, which will come into effect on January 1 2018.

Cold store rental provider gains new ISO standards

Refrigeration spotlight

Cold store rental provider gains new ISO standards

By Rick Pendrous

Blue Cube Portable Cold Stores, a supplier of rental temperature controlled storage for food, has achieved accreditation to the ISO 9001 quality management system and ISO 14001 environmental management standards.

Falling costs and ease of use should boost robots in UK food manufacture

Time is now ripe for robot investment

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink manufacturers in the UK have been urged to invest in robots and automation in their operations as labour costs continue to rise, robots become easier to use and their cost falls.

Respond to Food Manufacture's Supply chain and logistics survey 2017 now for your chance to win £100 of Amazon vouchers

Survey to highlight supply chain priorities

By Matt Atherton

The Food Manufacture Group is conducting an online survey to gauge the industry’s views on the ever-changing food and drink supply chain and logistics sector. Enter now for your chance to win £100 worth of Amazon vouchers.

Plans for a £14M cheese factory will create 30 new jobs

New creamery will create up to 30 jobs

By Gwen Ridler

Plans to build a £14M cheese factory in Bangor, north Wales, which will create up to 30 jobs have been recommended for approval by councillors.

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