People have been promoting the health benefits of dark chocolate and cocoa for years. But new research goes a step further, elevating cocoa beans to the status of a super fruit, rivalling blueberries, cranberries and pomegranates.
A new qualification will hasten the take-up of lean manufacturing techniques, which some experts believe will be vital to the survival of the UK's food and drink sector.
January marked the end of the two-year transition period for flavouring regulation EC 1334/2008, which means firms are expected to have completed any changes necessary to comply with the new law.
Kosher certifying authority London Beth Din (KLBD) has reported a “tremendous rise” in demand for Kosher certification of food from manufacturers supplying the non-Jewish consumer market.
Adnams Brewery plans to purchase its first two commercial vehicles that will run on biomethane generated from the anaerobic digestion (AD) plant it built at its Suffolk factory in 2010.
Marks & Spencer (M&S) expects its suppliers to meet the high corporate social responsibility standards it is setting for itself as it continues on its journey to become a more sustainable business, according to its Plan A director, Richard Gillies.
Somerset food manufacturer Framptons says that a planned new building will allow it to harness continued business growth, as it predicts a 2011 turnover of £30m up from £25m last year.
The new PepsiCo plant bottle appears to tick all the “green” boxes for a disposable drinks bottle but the innovation should not be taken too seriously until it arrives on shelves.
Twinings has denied USDAW claims that its new Polish plant is experiencing teething problems, as the union maintains pressure on the firm to repay a controversial grant that helped establish the site.
Startup Ilkley Brewery has moved to a new site which will allow it increase production to 20,000 pints a week as part of its nationwide expansion plans.
Nichols chief executive Brendan Hynes has revealed to FoodManufacture.co.uk that the Meryseyside-based drinks giant is on the acquisition trail, after it reported a 23% rise in pre-tax profit to £15.1m for 2010.
HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) has driven a Cornish drinks producer to lower the alcoholic strength of its ‘nettle beer’ and stung it with a stiff duty bill, after it decided that the drink should be classified as a wine.
Fruitapeel md Terry Haigh says his firm could potentially create up to 15 more new jobs at its newly acquired fresh juice extraction facility in Wales.
Premier Foods plans to close its distribution centre in Chandler’s Ford, Hampshire as it rationalises its south coast operations, while the firm has also rebuffed rumours of a management change.
A US oil tycoon is genuinely interested in acquiring the famous Malvern Water premises from Coca-Cola and restarting production, according to the president of a Herefordshire spa association.
Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, has recently taken delivery of a new fleet of Hyster forklifts at its Paisley bottling operation, which produces up to 13M cases a year.
The concept of late customisation looks to be expanding out of the confines of research departments and into mainstream manufacturing operations. It’s a way of cost-effectively making a variety of products that use a common ingredient by adding flavour...
Dry blended foods producer the Hügli Group has invested around £2m to double the size of its UK production facility and process more savoury products such as soups and sauces.
Diageo anticipates big growth from developing countries in the medium-term, and is planning further acquisitions in these markets given difficult trading conditions in mature markets such as Europe and North America.
Molson Coors’ Burton-on-Trent brewery has completely upgraded its control systems and standardised the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems it uses.
Bosses at GlaxoSmithKline’s (GSK’s) Ribena and Lucozade plant in Coleford, Gloucester, expect to be able to offer staff pay rises in 2011, but insist the pay freeze for 2010 is justified given the tough economic climate.
Auditors have warned that a famous Liverpool brewery faces material uncertainty over finances that may threaten its survival, but its owners remain “optimistic” they can turn things around.
The founder of a successful UK cherry juice firm is exploring possible product launches on a functional foods platform, FoodManufacture.co.uk can reveal.
The co-founder of Scottish brewery Brewdog has sent an open letter to Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) complaining that existing tax arrangements have stopped his firm from investing in the UK economy.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) achieved a 20% uplift in volumes and avoided £1.7M in capital expenditure and off-site storage costs by installing Witness simulation software from Lanner at its Northampton distribution hub.
By Paul Gander Soft drinks, water and milk could be the next categories to benefit from in-store dispense systems (ISDSs) after Asda innovated with an award-winning system for detergent products.
Liberal Democrat peer Lord Clement-Jones has called on the Department of Health to explain how spending £322,000 of taxpayers' money on a study addressing consumer concerns over aspartame represents value for money at a time when budgets are so stretched.
Maintenance specialist Brammer has clinched a major contract to supply a full range of manufacturing, repair and overhaul (MRO) products to brewing and distilling giant Diageo.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has called on the big guns in the food industry to use their brands more effectively to engage consumers on sustainability issues.
Manufacturers of sports nutrition products such as whey-based beverages are missing out on a potentially huge mainstream market, according to UK ingredients firm Volac.
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Subway are the latest food industry victims to fall foul of VAT rules after failing tribunal appeals and must now decide whether to take their battles further.
Diageo says its new £40m distillery in Speyside, Scotland has been built in response to “growing international demand” for brands such as Johnnie Walker and Buchanan’s.
A temporary ceasefire has been called at CCE’s Edmonton bottling plant, with trade union Unite calling off strike action ahead of talks to resolve an ongoing pay dispute.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has confirmed that up to 120 staff at seven UK sites could face redundancy following a European-wide restructuring, but said “130 GB vacancies and new roles would be made available”, so that net, net, there would be an increase...
Production at Coca-Cola Enterprises’ Edmonton (CCE’s) factory will be disrupted again tomorrow and Thursday as members of the Unite union continue to protest at the firm’s “stingy” offer of a 2% pay rise.
Fairfax Hall and Sam Galsworthy from distiller Sipsmith are two archetypal Englishmen with one overrising ambition: to revive London's longstanding artisanl gin-making tradition. Ben Bouckley reports.
After feeling the benefits of drinking Japanese Matcha green tea for himself, entrepreneur and fitness fan Gavin Edley decided to bring the drink to the UK, via his Vitalife brand.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) has called on the coalition to improve the UK’s poor recycling infrastructure by making local authority processes consistent.
A novel technology that uses air instead of gallons of water and cleaning agents to clean process pipe work is being installed at a UK whisky manufacturer this week and will shortly be tested by a UK dairy manufacturer.
