A leading French food scientist has identified the drive to achieve
smaller, more integrated machinery as a key trend in food
production, and says that most advances can be found in the
packaging sector.
Unipro Bakery, a subsidiary of CSM, has merged its Dutch logistical
operations for frozen products with Douwe Egberts and Masterfoods
in order to make significant environmental and cost savings.
FKI Logistex a global leader in integrated material handling
solutions, has launched an all-electric, free-roaming, and fully
automatable aisle-changing crane.
Natural Foods Group Hain Celestial has introduced two new
functional cereals designed to contribute to the development and
maintenance of a healthy body, namely bone health and the immune
system.
The rules of the game in the Chinese food market are not as
elsewhere, according to one of the world's leading authorities on
the region's agribusiness. Payment rests on building relationships,
and market positioning is...
Germany-based packaging equipment provider LEMO Maschinenbau has
launched the CAPmat-Slider, a bag-maker that allows packagers to
reduce changeover downtime by up to 25 per cent.
This week's round-up of people on the move includes a new CFO for
Fronterra, a new MD for analysis institute RSSL and the appointment
of a chief executive for newly-formed Innovia Films.
Findings from a new study on trans fats in UK food products drives
consumer group to call on food makers to cut these artery-clogging
fats out of processed food formulations, while industry declares it
is 'fully committed'...
NDC Infrared Engineering has launched an updated version of its
at-line analyser Infralab 710, designed to achieve accurate
measurement of multi-component food parameters.
A public complaint and a rap on the knuckles from the UK
Advertising Standards Authority has left the Kellogg company
red-faced over its recent Frosties cereal advert, and again thrust
children's advertising into the health spotlight....
Russia has banned all imports of meat from Brazil following an
outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease late last month. But Russian
importers of Brazilian pork have complained that the ban will hurt
them the hardest - and that it is being...
European packaging giant Tetra Pak has opened a new liquid food
packaging plant in Beijing, the latest step in its bid to profit
from the rising Chinese interest in dairy products.
Eastman Chemical Company claims that its new 'microvoided'
copolyester shrink-label resin, Embrace High Yield, can increase
label yields up to 40 per cent compared to other high shrink
resins.
A new canola oil created by Dow AgroSciences and sourced from a
seed with a low saturated fat content could be the latest
alternative for biscuit and confectionery manufacturers looking to
eliminate trans fatty acids from their products.
A new infrared scanner capable of telling bakers exactly when their
dough will be perfect for making bread, cakes and other baked goods
has been developed by the UK's largest independent food and drink
research group, writes...
Ishida Europe has devised a fully automated solution for packing
fresh produce, meat and fish into trays that it claims maximises
production efficiency, provides comprehensive quality control and
offers a reduction in waste.
Microsoft Business Solutions is working with a small US food
manufacturer on an RFID scheme designed to help small and midmarket
segment businesses meet RFID mandates and drive efficiencies in
internal operations.
The big news within the radio frequency identification (RFID)
sector is the fact that labelling giant Avery Dennison has decided
to form a new business unit to manufacture and sell low-cost RFID
inlays and tags.
A film being developed to improve the permeability of gases for use
in space stations could also provide a breakthrough for food
packaging, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Siemens is to expand its RFID systems offering into the UHF range
in order to lower customer warehousing costs, improve supply chain
visibility and enhance tracking and tracing applications.
In line with other packaged food companies such as Unilever and
General Mills, ConAgra Foods has posted lower quarterly profit due
largely to higher raw material costs.
Engineers from the US have demonstrated that stirring a mix of
granular ingredients faster or longer in food manufacturing won't
always give you a smooth blend, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Ergonomic and dynamic picking systems have been installed at two
cutting edge distribution centres in the UK with the aim of
achieving significant supply chain cost savings.
Chocolate makers could see savings from new research that sets out
to tackle the common problem of fat bloom, an unsightly white
powdery film that forms on the outside of chocolate, writes
Lindsey Partos.
Our periodic round-up of personnel moves within the food production
and packaging industry includes the high-profile appointment of a
new chairman at Unilever and the creation of a new division at
Supreme Plastics.
A new report suggests that while the benefits of sourcing in China
outweigh the additional logistics costs, western companies must
still be prepared to deal with significant procurement and sourcing
issues if they are to prosper.
Berger Wild, the largest processor of European game, has installed
new Ishida weighing technology at its factory in Fischhaus, Germany
that will allow the company to produce 500g convenience packs for
the retail market.
Flexible packaging specialist Exopack has developed a patented
two-handle plastic bag for the Cargill Salt Business Unit of
Cargill, one of the world's largest marketers of salt products.
More bad news for packaging firms - BASF has announced further
price rises for the plastic polystyrene. Costs are set to be
increased in Europe by €100 euros per metric ton.
Risk analysis is on the table at an upcoming European Codex session
next week in Bratislava, with the EU 25 offering its support to a
proposal for new principles on the issue, while calling for
flexibility in an effort to accommodate...
Although the market for bakery mixes in Central and Eastern Europe
remains small, it is growing as consumers strive to bake at home
and save time. The latest look at the launches for this category
shows that variety is the driving...
Danisco's newcomer to the food enzyme market earns recognition from
the industry as the 'most innovative ingredient' at the food
ingredients exhibition in Brazil earlier this month.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has been rewarded for its innovation
in the field of edible oils and fats for its development of the
NovaLipid line of zero and low trans fat oils.
Software provider Parity has launched three new supply chain
solutions for the food industry designed to achieve complete
traceability, better data management and easy access to real-time
data.
For the fifth year running, Unilever has topped the Dow Jones
Sustainability Index (DJSI) in the food production category, an
assessment that could prove lucrative.
International food companies starting to look for alternative
ingredients to cut trans fatty acids out of their formulations may
turn to sunflower oil, but a drawdown in stocks for the year have
pushed up the raw material price.
A new study by researchers at Loma Linda University in California
has found that snacking doesn't have to be bad for you, especially
if your preference is for almonds.
Scientists warn that mounting global pressure on food production
could lead to greater water consumption and increased environmental
degradation, and that it is consumers - not producers - who now
drive global food production, writes...
Looking at the range of processed meat products being launched onto
the Eastern European market at the present time bears witness to
the increasingly ambitious recipes that the region's food producers
are now trying to entice...
