Unilever’s activities in the developing and emerging markets and the US have proved key to growth in Q1, but private label presents a challenge to brands.
Reducing the risk of operator injuries and accidental product spillage, bulk material handling firm Fresco Systems Australasia has rolled out a mobile hopper loader to their range of conveyors.
The first fully-licensed mobile livestock slaughter unit in California will improve animal welfare by eliminating long journeys to slaughter houses and improve meat quality, claims its operator Central Coast Agricultural Cooperative.
More than 1.1m tonnes of waste will be saved from disposal in landfill sites over the next three years thanks to a new initiative from recycling specialists in Wales, Waste and Resources Action Programme, Cymru.
Zetar announced this week that it has sold its loss-making subsidiary, The Baked Snacks Company to Tilbury Property, a firm controlled by the snack company's CEO Mobeen Mehdi.
In response to global shortages of acetonitrile and rising costs for this common solvent, diagnostic solution firm Romer Labs has rolled-out an alternative, methanol-based HPLC method to analyse mycotoxins.
Food firms looking to trim costs in the recession must be sure to complete due diligence in their ingredient sourcing and not compromise the long-term image of their brands by reduced quality, warns a food chain consultant.
High-pressure processing (HPP) technology developed by Australian researchers to extend shelf life of chilled perishable products without the use of preservatives, is the star turn of a new fruit-juice manufacturing plant hailed “the first of its kind”,...
Poland’s food processing industry will show little or no sign of the turmoil that impacted the global economy last year, according to a new report from international research consultants RNCOS.
Food and beverage companies should look to Asia to bolster their business in times of economic crisis, while differentiating their products closer to home, according to a Frost and Sullivan analyst.
Snacks are becoming healthier and more upmarket as Americans increasingly turn away from the idea of three square meals a day, according to a new trend-mapping report from Packaged Facts.
International food and beverage brand-owners could jeopardise their share value and reputation by dragging their feet when it comes to implementing alternatives to bisphenol A (BPA), according to a recent US survey.
On a summer’s day in 1906 Theodore Roosevelt pushed through new food safety regulation. The Food and Drugs Act passed that day over 100 years ago was the last time the US food safety system was modernized.
The outbreak of swine flu may have peaked but countries should not lower their guard against the virus which has claimed more than 100 lives and affected nearly 1000 people in 20 countries, warns the World Health Organisation.
Salt levels in UK cereal formulations have improved in recent years, but more work is required to slice the sugar out of recipes, finds a new report from consumer watchdog Which?
The upcoming European Bakery conference on 12 May in Utrecht, The Netherlands, aims to provide a working platform for suppliers, bakers and clients to discuss issues facing business in today's challenging economic climate.
Researchers from Sweden have developed an evaluation model for food process systems to improve production flow and minimize waste that is based on a Japanese philosophy.
The wheat futures market, used by wheat farmers and processors to manage price risk, could lose its relevance unless efforts are made by the Chicago Board of Trade to bridge the wide gap between futures and cash prices, finds a new study.
A new website has been launched that aims to become the first port of call on issues surrounding food waste and inform food processors and other interested parties about the latest sustainability initiatives.
A food pressure group in the UK is urging consumers to place stickers on plant produced bread in a move to highlight the unlabelled processing aids used in breads formulated by the 'big bakers'.
Nestle has indicated that the recession need not be all about cutting costs and keeping prices down, unveiling initiatives to tackle longer-term economic and social challenges, and create shareholder- and public-value.
Boosting the heart healthy claims of breakfast cereal Cheerios, US researchers suggest this oat ingredient based product could reduce cholesterol levels by as much as 10 per cent in a month.
The extra £10m funding for processing UK food waste announced in the recent UK budget will allow more than 300,000 additional tonnes of food waste to be processed every year, says the recycling action group Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).
Despite some progress, American consumption of whole grains is still way below government recommended daily amounts, according to new research from The NPD Group.
Weight and packaging material are the key factors influencing the environmental impact of ambient food packaging systems, according to new research from German carton manufacturer SIG Combibloc.
As yet another TV show concludes that supplements are unnecessary, is the ignorance of the mainstream media few putting the health of the many at risk? Isn’t it time to change the record?
As the crusade against saturated fats gains pace, UK snack and biscuit manufacturer United Biscuits has achieved gains in product formulations for a range of its popular biscuit brands.
UK consumer group strengthens calls for sandwich makers in the UK to display nutritional information at point of sale after identifying high levels of fat, salt and sugar in a range of sandwich formulations.
Greater clarity on which supply chains areas to prioritise for action on waste could help food and drink manufacturers as well as grocery retailers identify opportunities to make cost and environmental savings, claims a UK government funded agency.
Two new checkweighing scales have both been durably constructed for demanding production environments and heavy sanitary washdowns, claims their US-based manufacturer, Rice Lake Weighing Systems.
A modularly designed automated potato sorter that uses cameras to recognize colour, size and shape can maximize a food processor’s long-term return on investment, says Key Technology.
Further signs that snack makers are delving deeper into green packaging initiatives with US behemoth PepsiCo attesting that by 2010 its SunChips brand will boast a 100 per cent compostable bag made from plant-based materials.
Matching IT infrastructure needs with rapid expansion in the business, UK baker Warburtons teamed up with data management firm NetApp to develop storage and backup for SAP implementation.
European food manufacturers can now use the ELISA Systems range of food allergen tests kits alongside the regular range of microbiological tests from Oxoid, according to the diagnostics company.
A partnership between UK manufacturer of hotplate baking equipment Sugden and US firm Forpak brings 'Grouper' stacking equipment to the market for reducing human contamination and labour costs.
What does health taste like? As a kid, I was encouraged to hold my nose and swallow down broad beans and cod-liver oil. If they tasted bad, it was only ‘cos they were good for me.
Endocrine disruptors such as phthalates used in food packaging could be linked to childhood obesity, according to two studies from the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.
Efforts by snack manufacturers to improve their sustainability credentials continue with UK firm United Biscuits reporting "great progress" in its six-pronged sustainability blueprint launched last year.
A pledge to cut its US greenhouse gas emissions 20 per cent per dollar sales between 2006 and 2012 has been made by Ecolab, a provider of cleaning, food safety and health protection products.
Using antioxidant assays like ORAC and DPPH to predict a food’s antioxidant activity is not accurate, suggests research that has implications for claims on complex foods.
Countering the image of a corporate world knocked by the financial crisis, a US think-tank names the 'world's most ethical companies', among them breakfast cereal firm Kellogg.
Educating consumers about new technology that enables the production of minimally processed foods is critical to ensuring that they will pay extra for such products, according to findings published in the Journal of Food Science Education.
Purac has developed a new calcium lactate product which it claims can reduce acrylamide in snacks by up to 80 per cent without affecting crispiness and taste.
