Carbon Dioxide

The UK Government has secured CO2 supplies until January 2022

UK Government secures CO2 supply deal

By Gwen Ridler

Supplies of carbon dioxide (CO2) for the UK have been secured until the new year, thanks to a deal agreed between Government and supplier CF Fertilisers.

Nitrogen could be used as a replacement for carbon dioxide in the factory

Is nitrogen the answer to the CO2 crisis?

By Gwen Ridler

Nitrogen could be the solution to the recent shortage of carbon dioxide (CO2) experienced in the UK, according to the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS).

FDF members have cut their carbon dioxide emissions by 51%, according to the organisations Ambition 2025 report

FDF members beat sustainability targets

By Gwen Ridler

Food and Drink Federation (FDF) members have significantly improved on their sustainability targets – including those for cutting carbon dioxide and water use – set out in its Ambition 2025 plan, according to the organisation, as it launched a new online...

The Ncn’ean distillery plans to use locally-sourced wood in its new boiler

Distillery installs wood chip boiler

By Rick Pendrous

The newly opened Ncn’ean distillery on the Morvern peninsula in Scotland has committed itself to environmentally friendly production by choosing locally-sourced wood as the primary power source for its new 850kW woodchip boiler system.

Blazes at Abergavenny Fine Foods and Ardagh Glass (pictured) were battled by firefighters in the past week

Fire crews battle blaze at cheese factory

By Gwen Ridler

A blaze at a cheese factory in south Wales was battled by fire crews yesterday morning (August 15), while firefighters tackled a burning food packaging manufacturer at the weekend.

Household food waste has increased to 7.3Mt

Household food waste rises, despite falls elsewhere

By Rick Pendrous

Household food waste reduction targets under the Courtauld Commitment 3 (CC3) – a voluntary agreement aimed at improving resource efficiency and reducing waste within the UK grocery sector – have been missed, despite £100M of business savings being delivered...

The tax on sugary drinks is not enought to curb obesity in the UK: Susan Jebb

Sugar tax ‘not enough’ to solve obesity crisis

By Gwen Ridler

The UK soft drinks levy could prevent thousands of people becoming overweight, but it alone is not enough to solve Britain’s obesity crisis, a study by health journal The Lancet Public Health has claimed.

Fire crews tackled the blaze at Dogsthorpe Flour Mill

Firefighters tackle flour mill fire

By Gwen Ridler

A fire at a food manufacturing site in Peterborough was battled by fire fighters in the early hours of Monday morning (July 25).

M&S’s environmental achievements were recognised in the FTA awards

Marks & Spencer wins award for environmental impact

By Michelle Perrett

Marks and Spencer (M&S) has been rewarded for leading the way with reducing environmental impact and carbon emissions at this year’s Freight Transport Association (FTA) Multimodal Awards.

HFC refrigerant costs are set to rise, warned Chris Sturman

F-Gas rules drive up HFC refrigeration costs

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink manufacturers need to act quickly to reduce fluorinated greenhouse gas (F-Gas) usage in refrigeration systems in the wake of rising costs and ever-tighter regulation, a leading food logistics expert has claimed.

The challenging dairy sector has hit Wyke Farms

Wyke Farms grows turnover but profits fall

By Laurence Gibbons

Wyke Farms has reported a rise in turnover but a pre-tax loss for its full-year results that was characterised by a near 50% fall in the value of EU dairy commodities.

The climate change deal was 'a major step forward', said Richard Clothier, md of Wyke Farms

Food manufacturers hail climate change deal

By Michael Stones

Food manufacturers have welcomed the recent deal on climate change agreed in Paris, with Wyke Farms md Richard Clothier describing it as “a major step forward”.

A UB vehicle fuelled by waste oil coupled with a longer trailer, providing an 82.5% overall carbon dioxide saving

UB extends waste oil fuelled trucks

By Rick Pendrous

United Biscuits (UB), the manufacturer of biscuits, cakes and snacks, has extended an industry leading initiative that makes use of waste cooking oil to power its delivery vehicles.

Refrigerants that cause damage to the environment are being phased out

Ammonia refrigeration set to expand

By Rick Pendrous

Ammonia refrigeration systems are set to become more widely used by food processors as other refrigerants, which damage the earth’s ozone layer or causes global warming, are phased out.

Alan Mutch said he knows of no-one else using this technology in this application

Modified atmosphere pack leak testing inline

By Paul Gander

Ineffective inline testing for leaks in modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) can have any number of negative impacts, making a new high-speed system based on infra-red (IR) spectrometry one of the launches at this month’s Processing & Packaging Machinery...

Eco-friendly R290 flake ice making machine launched

Eco-friendly R290 flake ice making machine launched

Hubbard Systems has launched the Scotsman MF 57, a modular flake ice machine that runs on an eco-friendly hydrocarbon refrigerant R290, in response to increasing pressure to reduce industry's environmental impact.

Bottling firms are demanding more from plastics permeability

Barrier properties for bottle use

By Paul Gander

Evidence from testing activity suggests that coating specialists are developing barriers with selective gas permeability in order to tailor in-bottle atmospheres to suit different beverages, rather as product-specific modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)...

Plan for energy efficiency

Plan for energy efficiency

An energy efficiency and productivity improvement plan, aimed at providing support for enhancing the performance of motor-driven applications using variable-speed drives (VSDs) and high efficiency electric motors, has been launched by ABB.

Use in-pack absorbers carefully to ensure baked goods don't dry out

Oxygen absorbers to extend shelf-life

By Paul Gander

In-pack oxygen absorber labels are able to provide valuable additional days of shelf-life for baked goods, in particular, where manufacturers are keen to eliminate preservatives from their recipes, says a UK supplier of flow-wrap systems.

German brewer invests in new kit

German brewer updates bottle filling equipment

German brewery Arcobräu Gräfliches Brauhaus, which has its headquarters in the Lower Bavarian village of Moos, has brought its bottling kit up to date with a new filler from Krones, plus a Checkmat bottle inspector and associated conveyors.

Reduce carbon footprint with battery

Battery chargers give flexibility

New modular high-frequency battery chargers from Enersys are said to deliver increased flexibility, efficiency and reliability with reduced downtime, costs and carbon footprint across a wide range of materials handling, automatic guided vehicle and motive...

The deal expands First Milk's agreement to supply milk for Nestlé's Kit Kat products

Dairy farmers to milk Nestlé Kit Kat deal

By Rod Addy

Nestlé has struck a deal with First Milk, expanding the dairy cooperative’s supply of fresh milk for its Kit Kat and Nescafé brands in the UK.

Cutting carbon dioxide emissions would require 'substantial investments', warned the report

Boost renewable energy sources: IPCC report

By Michael Stones

Carbon-intensive fuels should be ditched in preference for renewable energy sources, recommends a new report from the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Muntons says it can provide the carbon impact of each ot its ingredients

Ingredient firms will have to disclose carbon impact

By Gary Scattergood

Food ingredient suppliers that don’t have concrete examples of carbon disclosure projects won’t get through the door of major food and drink manufacturers in three to five years’ time.

New way for cheese producers to cut carbon footprint

Coagulant to cut carbon footprint

Chr Hansen says switching to its coagulant Chy-Max M means cheese producers can significantly cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Adnams chief executive Andy Wood is embracing sustainable practices

Fresh bid to raise energy efficiency

By Rick Pendrous

Food and drink manufacturers could raise their energy efficiency and cut their carbon dioxide emissions, thanks to a new pan-European research project.

Ferulic acid can be used in the production of vanillin

By-products projects could cut processing costs

By Rod Addy

Bakers and millers can get more cash from by-products through projects launched by the Home Grown Cereals Authority (HGCA), one of which holds big potential for users of natural vanilla flavouring.

2.3Mt of waste has been prevented by Courtauld

Food industry’s waste warning on Courtauld

By Gary Scattergood

The Courtauld Commitment 3 – which aims to further reduce the weight and carbon impact of household grocery and packaging waste – lacks ambition and the threat of a “government stick” to drive through the required changes, the food industry has been warned.

Plastics firms come together to make 100% bioo-based bottles

Joint agreement to make bioplastic beer bottles

Austrian plastics converter Alpla Werke Alwin Lehner and renewable chemicals firm Avantium have made a joint agreement to develop polyethylene furanoate (PEF) bioplastic bottles.

Unilever is calling for collaboration to cut vehicle numbers on the road

Unilever to cut emissions with dual-fuel trial

By Gary Scattergood

Manufacturing giant Unilever is to begin trialling dual-fuel technology for its fleet of vehicles in a bid to slash carbon emissions and cut costs, while also pressing for more collaboration between food firms to reduce the number of vehicles on the road.