Inside food & drink manufacturing
Mapping exactly where Efficient Consumer Response (ECR) starts and finishes as a discipline has never been easy. But experts say that task is being made that much more challenging by the pace of change in the UK economy and society, and in the wider world.
March saw the launch of the grandiose-sounding Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD) and the end of the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC).
With an image problem and an ageing workforce, how can the food and drink sector resolve its impending skills crisis?
Retailers are using their own checks to supplement third-party hygiene audits, sometimes as a way of exercising power, says Freddie Dawson.
An innovative, low-cost, washable polyester glove liner has been developed, which is set to cut the rising costs of the throwaway cotton glove liners used in food manufacture.
The British pig industry has provided an ambitious roadmap to help producers reduce their environmental impact without compromising performance.
The speed at which bad news can spread on social media means that it is essential for firms to have plans in place to deal with product recalls in a quick and open manner, claim industry experts.
Meat processor Scotbeef has chosen a high-efficiency cooling system from Star Refrigeration to provide accurate temperature control for a new post slaughter chill area, beef quarters chill room and boning room at its Stirling factory.
Some of the supply chain problems to do with underspecified or lightweighted pack combinations have been exacerbated by technical staff’s greater job mobility, says food research and testing specialist Campden BRI.
Two new palletising robots, three palletising grippers and an easy-to-use programming software have been introduced by ABB Robotics to make palletising simpler, faster and more efficient.
A new work placement scheme is looking to address the lack of high-quality health and safety (H&S) professionals in the food and drink sector.
Work is underway to foster closer collaboration over salt, fat and sugar reduction as deadlines loom, according to Clair Baynton, head of the Department of Health’s (DoH’s) Nutrition Science and Delivery branch.
Ingredients suppliers have welcomed positive Article 13.1 health claim opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for their products.
In March, edible oils and fats manufacturer AAK UK announced that its entire range of bakery fats and many other standard product lines contain sustainable palm oil that has been certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Sugar reduction is just the start. Confectionery can now claim to deliver benefits ranging from gut health to a good night’s sleep.
Multivac’s new T 100 model is designed for semi-automatic packaging of very small batches.
Mühlenchemie has developed flour improvers that can produce bakeable flours from substandard lots of wheat.
Makers of pies and pastries have slammed the media for unfairly demonising their products as 'unhealthy', and have vowed to launch a counter-offensive in a bid to transform public perception.
Does the Responsibility Deal match the challenges ahead? Strong and enduring partnerships, including enhanced engagement of smaller businesses, will be key to maintained momentum with salt and trans fat reduction.
DIY instructions always sound so easy. First, assemble item A to item B. Then screw together with item C but do not tighten as item D is yet to be inserted in the gap (see picture 1) – use screws (a) supplied.
UK food exporters face tough challenges in the next year as markets that previously offered promise become more self-sufficient, Charles Woolley, md of poultry, red meat and vegetables supplier Rectory Food Group, has warned.
Cloning is unlikely to form part of Ireland's armoury of technological weaponry as the country seeks to expand its meat and livestock exports over the next decade, says Padraig Brennan, a senior analyst for Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board
New legislation coming into force next year, which requires companies to automatically enrol employees in pension schemes, could prove unfairly burdensome on small food companies that have a high staff turnover, pension experts have warned.
Northern Irish firm O’Doherty’s Fine Meats has launched a premium corned beef product based on a 600-year-old recipe.
Hydrocolloid producer Ashland Aqualon Functional Ingredients showcased its cellulosic food solutions in China last month.
Arla’s new yogurt targets teenagers’ “desire for convenient snack products”.
New Zealand’s wine producers are planning to scale back production over the next eight years to 2019 in an attempt to reduce annual surpluses and restore the premium they have traditionally enjoyed over other countries’ wines.
Fresh pineapple harvests will be hit by bad weather later this year, with businesses forced to resort to canned versions of the fruit and other stocks, fresh produce processor Nature’s Way Foods has warned.
I recently visited Danisco’s Health & Nutrition Research Centre in Finland and I was seriously impressed with its scientists, facilities and research initiatives.
The same benefits of shelf standout, cost efficiency in the supply chain and energy efficiency in processing still apply to retort pouches, says one supplier, but the UK market is showing signs of saturation.
Process optimisation at Premier Foods has achieved significant efficiency improvements, according to project participants.
Imagine a superior chilled ready meal that doesn’t require extensive high-risk and low-risk production areas and has a shelf-life of 30 rather than the usual 14 days. Korma in the sky? Absolutely not.