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Food firms should treat energy as seriously as health and safety, says Rutter

Treat energy as seriously as health and safety

By Laurence Gibbons

Food and drink manufacturers should treat energy management as seriously as health and safety, according to the boss of energy efficiency specialist JRP Solutions.

Alan Lacey believes GM foods have a role to play

GM isn’t scary, says SOFHT chairman

By Nicholas Robinson

Genetically modified (GM) foods should not be scary and a balanced debate about the science must take place for the food industry to provide consumers with more choice.

Heading to street food markets could provide the food industry with immediate and authentic feedback

Street food tells manufacturers what’s on trend

By Michael Stones

Visiting street food markets will provide food manufacturers and retailers with instant and authentic feedback about new products and the latest food trends, claim stall holders at London’s newest street food market.

The new Young talent award will help to attract a new generation to food and drink manufacturing, said Paul Wilkinson

Food manufacturing Oscars celebrate young talent

By Michael Stones

The Young Talent of the Year award – a new category in the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards – will help to attract more young people into the sector, says Paul Wilkinson, chair of the judging panel.

More research is needed to combat obesity, said Jon Poole, IFST chief executive

Obesity webinar

Obesity crisis demands more food science research

By Michael Stones

More research is needed to counter Britain’s burgeoning obesity crisis, according to the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST), which helped the Food Manufacture Group stage an independent, free, one-hour video on the subject earlier this...

Obesity experts sum up webinar messages

obesity webinar

Obesity webinar speakers sum up key messages

By Michael Stones

Calls to base Britain’s obesity debate on a more scientific footing and the urgent need to reformulate food and drink products were just two of the key messages speakers took from the Food Manufacture Group’s obesity webinar last week.

Burton's Fish and Chips were popular in the 1980s

Lucrative opportunities in brands from the past: Burtons

By Nicholas Robinson

Reviving food brands from the past could prove even more lucrative if food businesses successfully tap into consumer nostalgia, according to Stuart Wilson, Burton’s Biscuit Company chief commercial officer.

The Food Manufacture Group's Food safety conference will take place on October 15 in Warwickshire

Food safety conference to help protect food firms

By Laurence Gibbons

Food and drink manufacturers can learn how to guard against hazards and discover the latest science and technology to help them at the Food Manufacture Group’s Food safety conference in October.

People are failing to recycle because they don't trust their rubbish will actually be recycled

Top three barriers preventing consumers recycling

By Laurence Gibbons

Bad habits, misconceptions and a lack of trust are the three main barriers preventing consumers from recycling, according to research by Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and the University of Exeter.

Cargill has called on the RSPO to renew its principals

RSPO needs to broaden its principles: Cargill

By Rod Addy

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has been called on to renew its principles on zero deforestation, land development and rights by Cargill Refined Oils Europe.

Mondelēz uses palm oil in a range of confectionery and biscuit products

EUROPEAN RSPO 2014

Mondelēz throws down sustainable palm oil gauntlet

By Rod Addy

Mondelēz is challenging palm oil suppliers to step up their game so it can move towards using physical supplies of purely sustainable palm oil for all its products.

The FSA lacks the resources to take on a national policing role, Brown claimed

FSA lacks resources to take on national food fraud policing role

By Rick Pendrous

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) lacks the resources to take on a national policing role for food fraud within a new food crime unit, as recommended by Professor Chris Elliot in his interim report following last year’s horsemeat scandal.

Dr Judith Bryans

Dairy UK opens its doors to the world

By Nicholas Robinson

Global dairy manufacturers can join Dairy UK as associate members for the first time, chief executive Dr Judith Bryans has told FoodManufacture.co.uk.

National Farmers Union president, Meurig Raymond

Manufacture foods to showcase quality: NFU

By Nicholas Robinson

Farmers stepping into food manufacturing to supplement their incomes should use the opportunity to showcase the qualities of the rural sector, such as better food security and freshness, the National Farmers Union (NFU) president has said.

Promar International senior consultant Matthew Incles warns businesses to balance NPD with adaptations

Manufacturers miss big breaks with small innovations

By Nicholas Robinson

Food and drinks manufacturers could be missing out on ground-breaking new product development opportunities by making too many small adaptations to existing products, a leading consultant has warned.

If big firms don't invest in small businesses they risk losing their income streams

Invest in small food firms or risk losing income

By Laurence Gibbons

Big food and drink manufacturers should invest in small firms to protect their income streams and benefit from injecting an innovative and entrepreneurial spirit into their businesses.

Timing your tweets right could boost sales of your products

Teatime tweets drive food manufacturers’ sales

By Michael Stones

Timing social media posts to reach customers at key times of the day – such as before teatime – is helping food manufacturers to boost sales and engage new customers, according a seminar at the Foodex trade event last week.

Food and drink industry issues tackled at Foodex – video highlights

Foodex 2014

Foodex 2014 – video highlights

By Laurence Gibbons

The consequences of the horsemeat crisis, filling the yawning skills gap, lean and green manufacturing and social media were just some of the topics tackled by the Food Manufacture Group at Foodex 2014, at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham...

Automating arduous and mundane tasks such as palletising can free staff up to focus on more valuable jobs

FOODEX 2014

Food firms could treble productivity with lean tools

By Rod Addy

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.

Michael Rudge said food and drink manufacturers should reach out to youngsters more effectively

Foodex 2014

Foodex skills debate highlights the challenge

By Michael Stones

A more co-ordinated approach to attracting youngsters into food and drink manufacturing, and greater efforts by firms to promote the benefits of working in the sector were two of the key themes to emerge from the Big Video Debate on ‘Plugging the skills...

Watkins: 'Any audit is just a snapshot in time'

FOODEX 2014

Beware due diligence issues post-horsegate – lawyer

By Rod Addy

Due diligence has weaknesses and isn’t a perfect defence against food fraud, despite offering firms legal protection, Dominic Watkins, partner and head of food at law firm DWF has warned.

Lack of engineering know-how makes food firms scared about investing in automation, says one expert

FOODEX 2014

Fear factor, not cash, limits food factory automation

By Rod Addy

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.

A 'dinosaur attitude' could lead many food and drink businesses to fail

Food firms missing out because of ‘dinosaur attitude’

By Laurence Gibbons

A “dinosaur attitude” is causing food and drink manufacturers to miss out on the benefits of integrating sustainability into their businesses, according to the boss of malt manufacturer Muntons.

Taplin predicts more logistic partnerships will be formed by retailers

Distribution partnerships a growing trend

By Laurence Gibbons

Distribution partnerships where retailers and food manufacturers share truck space with competitors will become a growing trend, predicts Roly Taplin, vice president of agrifood at DHL Supply Chain.

McCain's apprentice Charlotte Linford meets George Eustice, food and farming minister last week during his visit to McCains' Peterborough factory

Food industry co-operation key benefit of apprenticeship week

By Michael Stones

Two key achievements of National Apprenticeship Week were to foster industry co-operation on the campaign to attract more youngsters and to focus the government’s attention on the sector, says the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Reaseheath Food Centre technical manager Katharina Vogt

Colleges must deliver practical skills for food industry

By Nicholas Robinson

It is vital to the future of food and drinks manufacturing that people in the sector are given the right skills to succeed from the beginning of their career to the end, according to the technical manager of a leading food training college.

Dominic Watkins warned firms that had already introduced label changes could face an early adopters' penalty

FIR Webinar

Firms face early adopters’ penalty for FIR label changes

By Michael Stones

Food and drink manufacturers who have taken early action to comply with the EU’s new food labelling legislation could face an early adopters’ penalty, if their label changes are superseded by new rules. 

Paul Wilkinson: braced for a tough year ahead

Business Leaders' forum

Tough year in prospect: Business Leaders’ Forum

By Michael Stones

This year will be prove challenging for food and drink manufacturers, predicted Paul Wilkinson, chair of the Food Manufacture Group’s Business Leaders’ Forum.

Food businesses are failing to cut as much energy as they could do, says Ritchie

Food and drink firms miss energy savings

By Laurence Gibbons

Food and drink manufacturers fail to properly use existing equipment to save energy in production and as a result are looking in the wrong places to cut costs.

The Business Leaders' Forum was sponsored by Paul Wilkinson - chairman of Thorntons

Business Leaders' Forum

Business Leaders’ Forum: sponsors’ spotlight

By Michael Stones

The chance to engage with clients and design products and services attuned to the needs of food and drink manufacturers were just two of the reasons sponsors gave for backing the Food Manufacture Group’s Business Leaders’ Forum.

The merits of a merger or acquisition should be judged on whether it adds value to the business, said Ben Mercer

Business Leaders' Forum

How to spot a good food industry merger or acquisition

By Michael Stones

“The key driver should be the future integration of the business to add value to the whole,” Ben Mercer, partner corporate with the law firm, told the Food Manufacture Group’s Business Leaders’ Forum in London last week.

Richard Clothier: the loss of trust between manufacturers and retailers had fuelled the growth of accreditation schemes and boosted costs

Business Leaders' Forum

Horsemeat crisis adds to food firms’ audit costs

By Michael Stones

Food manufacturers are facing greatly increased audit costs, as a direct consequence of the horsemeat crisis, Richard Clothier, md of Wyke Farms, told the Business Leaders’ Forum earlier this month.

Poole:

BUSINESS LEADERS’ FORUM

Demonising products ‘dangerous’, says IFST head

By Rod Addy

Demonising food products is dangerous and focusing on the importance of positive nutrients is vital, according to Jon Poole, ceo of the Institute of Food Science & Technology.

Leech:

BUSINESS LEADERS' FORUM

Exports need government support – FDF boss

By Rod Addy

The government could support food exports more, Melanie Leech, director general of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), claimed, shortly before Lord Livingstone pledged more trade backing.

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