Inside food & drink manufacturing
Many food manufacturers are surprisingly vulnerable in the event of a crisis because they lack appropriate insurance cover, according to a forensic accountant specialising in business interruption cases.
Canadian firm Functional Technologies is seeking partners to help commercialise a radical new approach to tackling acrylamide formation in baked goods based on a proprietary strain of yeast.
There has been a resurgence of interest in ohmic heating – a novel food sterilising technique that came to the fore in the 1980s – following refinements to the technology that have improved efficiency and reduced costs, according to Campden BRI.
More than 230 staff face redundancy at Northern Foods’ ready meals plant in Swansea because bosses have failed to reach “mutually agreeable” terms with Sainsbury, its biggest customer.
Food manufacturers sourcing egg products are predicting further price hikes and availability worries as European egg producers struggle to get to grips with changing welfare legislation.
Administrators handling Seatek, the last portion of the now-defunct British Seafood empire still up for sale, admit they have yet to receive a credible offer for the business.
The UK food industry has proved surprisingly reluctant to embrace vendor-managed inventory (VMI), despite its many proven benefits, according to the Food Storage and Distribution Federation (FSDF) and standards body GS1 UK.