Good foresight on rising health trends and heavy investment in
premium brands have helped cereal and snack producer Kellogg to a
steady sales and earnings rise for 2004, with North America leading
the way, reports Chris Mercer.
A reputation for quality and efficiency across Europe and Asia have
helped Swiss baker Hiestand to predict it will beat its own
earnings targets for 2004. But the company's biggest challenge is
deciding where to go next, writes...
The wine industry's principle barrel and closure manufacturer has
sold its natural cork activities, but signed a contract to
outsource them as it needs. Kim Hunter Gordon reports.
Convenience, which dominated growth in global product categories
form 2003 to 2004, will drive new product development in the next
12 months. Drinkable yoghurts, sugar substitutes and pre-prepared
foods all enjoyed year on year double-digit...
Biosphere Industries' new starch-based moisture resistant packaging
material - PPM100 - is the latest natural raw material to achieve
approval from the Biodegradable Products Institute (BPI).
New research suggests that biodegradable polylactide (PLA) bottles
can be easily segregated from PET bottles in the waste stream, a
point that strengthens the environmental claims of the material.
CASPIAN (Consumers Against Supermarket Privacy Invasion and
Numbering)has launched a worldwide boycott of Tesco in response to
the retailer'sescalating use of RFID on consumer products.
Emmi Logistique, the distribution division of leading Swiss dairy
company Emmi, has entered into a long-term agreement to distribute
Unilever's ice cream products across Switzerland and the
Netherlands, Tom Armitage reports.
Finnish packaging giant Huhtamaki is providing Andros with a range
of packaging solutions for its latest children's fruit-based snack
line, that includes a new bottling technology.
International packaging firm Cascades is to open a new sales office
in western Russia, giving it a chance to capitalise on the growing
popularity of paper, board and recycling within the food industry,
reports Chris Mercer.
Canadian packaging provider Winpak has acquired the Map Fresh
barrier tray division of Clear Lam Packaging - a strategic purchase
that aims to boost Winpak's existing proprietary technology
capabilities for manufacturing high-barrier...
A report by the British Chamber of Commerce highlights the fact
that despite the UK manufacturing sector had its strongest
quarterly exports results for eight years at the end of 2004,
businesses are still not making the most of the...
With recent reports backing up growing evidence that companies' IT
spend budgets are continuing to expand in an effort to incorporate
RFID tagging, the latest word from global retailers is that
implementation will take longer...
A new report from Forrester claims that companies are planning to
increase IT spending by 3.9 per cent in 2005, a conclusion that
supports ABI Research's recent assertion that firms are set to
scale up and integrate RFID into...
A graphic database system to revolutionise the management and
communication of port operations in order to save time and reduce
costs could help food manufacturers and suppliers save millions,
writes Anthony Fletcher.
German firm Palatinit has applied for regulatory approval to launch
its slow energy release carbohydrate, isomaltulose, on the European
market, writes Lindsey Partos.
Ampac Packaging has acquired Flexicon, a leading manufacturer of
high-performance, flexible packaging materials for the food
industry, for an undisclosed amount.
An effective means of ensuring freight security could soon be on
the market following the successful testing of GE and CIMC's new
Tamper Evident Secure Container (TESC).
Lubrication Engineers (LE) has launched a new range of H1 food
grade 'white' greases, all of which contain an exclusive and
proprietary additive that is designed to enhance water resistance,
tackiness and cohesion.
Supply-chain management provider Precision Location Systems (PLS)
has launched its second-generation iLocate system, which builds on
the company's patented Sub-Meter real-time location technology.
EU25 fish production fell by 17 per cent between 1995 and 2002
while world production rose by 17 per cent over the same period,
according to recent EC figures.
An estimated 2 million people are now in desperate need of food aid
as the impact of the tsunami on Asian food production becomes
apparent, says the UN.
Supply chain solutions provider FKI Logistex is featuring a live,
integrated equipment loop at the ongoing ProMat 2005 exhibit in
Chicago USA, with particular emphasis on RFID.
Poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride has announced that it will earn
more than it thought in the first fiscal quarter of 2005 because of
cheaper feed costs.
Heat-sealing solutions supplier Proseal has developed a new method
to speed up and simplify tool changes across its range of tray
sealers, a move designed to save manufacturers time and money.
A new line of ovens from Dutch equipment specialists Rademaker Den
Boer promises to save bakers time and money by using the most
up-to-date technology available to embrace the growing trend
towards modular systems, writes Chris Mercer.
Norwegian group Orkla has boosted its ownership in metals maker
Elkem to over 50 per cent and launched a takeover bid for the rest,
writes Anthony Fletcher.
Despite "next big thing" hype on one side and "killer nanobot"
alarmism on the other, nanomaterials are beginning to establish a
commercial presence in the US market - and packaging could become a
key sector, writes...
Agro Oven, a poultry meat producer based in Ukraine's
Dnepropetrovsk region, won the country's first small-business
contest, beating 13 other finalists.
Stretch wrapping machinery manufacturer Arpac is launching its new
ergonomically designed Infrapak Sidewinder 2005 stretch wrapper at
the Promat 2005 Show, which runs from 10 to 13 January in Chicago.
Unfavourable beef operating margins have prompted Tyson Foods to
suspend operations at four beef plants in the US. The affected
plants have been hurt by a combination of tight cattle supplies,
lacklustre domestic beef demand and the...
Common shares of $6.2 billion aluminium rolled products firm
Novelis have begun trading today under the stock symbol NVL on the
Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX), writes Anthony Fletcher.
World demand for packaging machinery is projected to rise over 4
per cent a year through 2008 to over $31 billion, according to a
recently published report by Freedonia.
Pallet and container pooling solutions provider CHEP is forging
ahead with new developments in the company's Radio Frequency
Identification (RFID) programme.
Food scientists continue the challenge to come up with food
ingredients suitable for consumers unable to eat wheat, rye or
barley-based foods because of a reaction to the gluten protein
found in these grains.
A self-heating pouch that would enable consumers to drink hot soup
on the go could soon be on European shelves, according to a
packaging industry report.
Irrigation with wastewater from the canning industry is not harmful
to the quality of agricultural soil and may even, in some cases,
improve it, according to a new PhD thesis from the Public
University of Navarre in Spain.
Danisco has launched a series of products aimed at helping the
baking industry cope with the move towards whole grain products
that is expected in the US in 2005.
A newly-invented automatic waste transportation and sorting system
has been developed in Finland that operates economically and
ecologically on virtually any kind of premises.