Processing equipment

Cherries packed on 'most sophisticated' line

Cherries packed on 'most sophisticated' line

By Rick Pendrous

Ackio, a specialist fruit packer of blueberries, cherries, cranberries and cherry tomatoes, now operates what it claims is the most sophisticated cherry packing line in Europe.

Horticultural firm, William Sinclair Horticulture Ltd, was fined for safety failings

Safety failings cost horticultural firm £30k

By Gwen Ridler

A horticultural firm was ordered to pay more than £30,000 by Bolton Magistrates court last week (June 27) for safety failings at two of its sites, after investigations by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

General Mills is the first tenant at Culina’s Port Salford distribution hub

General Mills UK moves into Port Salford distribution hub

By Rick Pendrous

General Mills UK – owner of well-known brands, including Old El Paso, Green Giant, Betty Crocker and Nature Valley – last month became the first tenant of a modern distribution hub at Port Salford that is expected to save 600,000 road haulage miles a...

Sensors on Glenfiddich stills prevent frothy spills

Sensors on Glenfiddich stills prevent frothy spills

By Rick Pendrous

William Grant & Sons Distillers, producer of the Glenfiddich single malt brand, has installed the latest instrumentation from Siemens at its Dufftown Distillery in the Highlands of Scotland.

‘When companies don’t comply, it’s usually a matter of ignorance’, said Elizabeth Shepherd

Regulations focus to avoid food industry non-compliance penalties

By Paul Gander

Government agencies are hoping that a redrafted version of the 2007 Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations, incorporating subsequent amendments, will focus industry attention on the requirements and avoid the sometimes hefty...

Premier Foods backed the event to help STEM skills take off

Premier Foods in bid to help STEM skills take-off

By Gwen Ridler

Premier Foods showcased food manufacturing to Lincolnshire school children at an event designed to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects this week.

AVT has further developed its Machine Sentry condition monitoring system

Condition-based maintenance keeps kit rolling

By Rick Pendrous

The Machine Sentry condition monitoring (CM) system for rotating equipment from AVT Reliability has been further developed to enhance its condition-based maintenance (CBM) capability.

Safeline wins Innovation Award

Safeline wins Innovation Award

By Rick Pendrous

Mettler-Toledo Safeline, supplier of metal detection systems, has been awarded a second Queen’s Award for Enterprise, this time in the Innovation category, for developing its family of Profile metal detection products.

Robotic pot swap loader for mixed food trays

Robotic pot swap loader for mixed food trays

By Rick Pendrous

The manual process of putting together mixed chilled product trays has now been automated by Fanuc in collaboration with Pacepacker Services, using a robotic pot swap tray loading system.

Radical design for steam boiler

Radical design for steam boiler

Fulton claims its SRT Series vertical steam boiler, exhibited at the recent Foodex show at the National Exhibition Centre, near Birmingham, features...

Expertise is needed to correctly interpret CM data that is collected

Condition monitoring needs hands-on diagnostic expertise

By Rick Pendrous

An overreliance on collecting condition monitoring (CM) data could be hampering maintenance teams in their quest to improve plant operational efficiency, industrial service provider Eriks UK has warned.

Food and drink sector is leading the UK manufacturing recovery

Food and drink manufacturers boost UK output

By Gwen Ridler

Rising output reported by food and drink manufacturers has boosted the UK manufacturing sector, despite lacklustre export demand, according to a new Confederation of British Industry (CBI) report.

Haydens Bakery was ordered to pay more than £45k for safety failings

Haydens Bakery fined £40,000 for safety failings

By Michael Stones

Wiltshire bakery firm Haydens Bakery, part of the Real Good Food Company, has been fined £40,000 for safety failings, after one of its workers was injured by a bowl mixer.

Food industry fires over the past six months are reviewed in this photogallery

Seven food manufacturing fires – in pictures

By Gwen Ridler

Fires, some linked to suspected arson, have continued to devastate food factories and other premises connected to the sector over the past six months. Here’s a quick photo tour of the affected businesses.

Musculoskeletal disorders and skin conditions becoming an increasing concern

Food firms challenged by musculoskeletal disorders

By Alyson Magee

Occupational health is becoming an increasing focus for the food and drink manufacturing sector with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and respiratory and skin conditions of particular concern. Taking health and safety figures overall, the sector also...

Biometric security can change the level of access dependent on an operators fingerprints.

Combination unit features biometric security

By Rick Pendrous

A biometric fingerprint access device has been added to Loma Systems’s range of CW3 combination metal detector and checkweigher units in response to customer demand for greater security of inspection equipment.

World’s largest homogenizer

World's largest homogeniser

By Rick Pendrous

What is claimed to be the world’s largest capacity food processing homogeniser has gone into operation with its first customer.

Sausage casing manufacturer Kalle sold to investors for £390M

£390M sale of sausage casing manufacturer

By Gwen Ridler

Sausage casings manufacturer Kalle has been sold to private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice (CD&R), with a sale price understood to be for £350M to £390M.

Moo Free co-founder Mike Jessop

Moo Free gets Queen’s Award for exports

By Gwen Ridler

Milk-free chocolate manufacturer Moo Free has won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, following the tripling of its production capacity to supply the US and Chinese markets.

Improved motor drives have boosted food plant efficiency

Modern drives boost food plant efficiency

By Robert Brooks

Over the past two decades, there have been dramatic changes in the functionality and capabilities of motor drives. Their increased performance has transformed machine design.

Weetabix has launched a new apprenticeship programme in its continuous improvement journey

Weetabix launches new apprenticeship programme

By Rick Pendrous

Weetabix Food Company, the cereals and snacks maker with operations at Burton Latimer and Corby in Northamptonshire, has announced a new engineering and manufacturing apprenticeship programme at Tresham College of further and higher education in Kettering.

Sorter picker

Meat sector embraces Industry 4.0

By Rick Pendrous

Software, image processing and automation systems for tomorrow's production environments will be displayed by the CSB group at IFFA, the international meat industry trade fair, which takes place in Frankfurt from May 7 to 12.

Ice pigging technology increases product recovery during chnageovers

Ice pigging reduces changeover waste

By Rick Pendrous

A novel hygienic ice pigging machine, expected to provide users with big savings on raw materials wasted during changeovers between piped products, has been launched for use in the food processing sector.

A containerised CHP installation, which is typically used in food factories (courtesy of Clarke Energy)

CHP finds favour in chilled operations

By Rick Pendrous

Manufacturers with a requirement to chill food should be looking at using combined heat and power (CHP) units to meet their needs now that the technology has improved and the economics are more favourable, a provider of ‘build, own and operate’ systems...

Advances in robotic technology are changing the way food is manufactured

‘Robotic chef’ launched at Lincoln University

By Rick Pendrous

The way food is manufactured is set to change dramatically following the launch of a modular robotics and automation manufacturing cell at the University of Lincoln, according to those behind the new development.

Robots can be reprogrammed for different applications

From automation to optimisation

By Paul Gander

Automation offers the opportunity to integrate control with background data, as Paul Gander discovers

Moy Park's headquarters at Dungannon

Moy Park invests £4M at Northern Ireland plant

By Michael Stones

Moy Park has announced a £4M investment in upgrading equipment for processing its ready to eat cooked chicken lines at its site in Craigavon, Northern Ireland.

Follow us

Related News

Product Innovations

Promotional Features