Processing equipment & systems, automation, control

Dispatches: ISM/ProSweets 2015

Bull’s heads and traffic light men: Intersnack unveils 2015 NPD

12-Feb-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Intersnack Germany has added bull-shaped hollow snacks and traffic light men chips to add a playful twist to snacking, says its marketing head.

Kellogg may shut cereal plant after lengthy union battles

11-Feb-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Kellogg Company says it will ‘have no choice’ but to close at least one US cereal plant if union members refuse to reconsider a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) issued on employment terms.

Air-dried veg chips ‘most innovative’ snack at ISM

09-Feb-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Zweifel Pomy-Chips’ potato chips mixed with air-dried beetroot slices were voted the ‘most innovative’ snack at ISM and the company hopes to drive exports dramatically with the product.

Bühler: Ditch oil for hot air to slash snack fat

05-Feb-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Ditching oil for hot air in snack production can create extremely low-fat products that could counter childhood obesity concerns, says Bühler.

Vacuum flour transfer can improve dough, says OAL Group

20-Jan-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Bakers must consider carefully how flour is moved from silos to mixers because this stage is critical to dough consistency and overall baking quality, says an OAL Group engineer.

Napasol pasteurization line for hazelnut cooperative

14-Jan-2015 By Joseph James Whitworth

Hazelnut Growers of Oregon is starting up its Napasol pasteurization line this week to eliminate potential foodborne pathogens.

General Mills closures continue: Two Pillsbury plants to shut

09-Jan-2015 By Kacey Culliney

General Mills will continue its cost-saving program across the US and Canada with further plant closures, announcing the shutdown of two Pillsbury production sites.

Kellogg files patent for versatile micro-bran

05-Jan-2015 By Kacey Culliney

Kellogg has developed a process that micro-grinds bran to create a more versatile and palatable powder.

Premier Foods’s skull-crush worker wins payout

05-Jan-2015 By Nicholas Robinson

A Premier Foods engineer has received a significant amount in compensation after he was left with life-changing injuries following a devastating accident at its Moreton cake factory.

Bread volume method approved by AACCI

17-Dec-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

A method for finding bread volume has been approved by the American Association of Cereal Chemists – International (AACCI).

ARCHIVE ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Naturally opposed? Balancing new technologies with consumer perceptions

10-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

New technologies are vital to the future growth of the food and nutrition industry, but their future success depends on much more than the science behind them.

Nairns Oatcakes installs second Loma system

05-Dec-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Nairns Oatcakes has installed a second combined checkweigher and metal detector from Loma Systems.

Glebe Farm Foods eyes Europe for gluten-free oat expansion

05-Dec-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Gluten-free oat specialist Glebe Farm Foods is investing £5-10m ($8-15m) in a second oat mill to keep up with UK demand and assist expansion into European markets.

Heinz opens infant cereal plant in China

03-Dec-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Heinz has opened a major production plant in southern China for its infant cereal and snacks business, keeping a paramount focus on safety and quality.

Patent Watch

Grupo Bimbo files patent for reduced-fat pork rinds

26-Nov-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Grupo Bimbo has developed an alternative processing method that reduces the fat content of pork rind snacks.

Energy saving oven system set to save plant bakers thousands

25-Nov-2014 By Anne Bruce

Plant bakers will be able to save thousands in energy costs with an oven system that optimizes air flow and incorporates heat recovery, claims developer Campden BRI.

US belt manufacturer hires UK sales manager to expand bakery and snacks sector

20-Nov-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Cambridge Engineered Solutions, a US metal conveyor belt manufacturer, has hired its first sales manager to support the company’s business growth in the UK and Ireland.

General Mills to shut and sell US cereal plant

18-Nov-2014 By Kacey Culliney

General Mills will shut down and sell its first cereal manufacturing plant under the $40m cost-cutting program announced earlier this year.

The perfect chip? Pulsed Electric Field tech optimizes processing, claims developer

18-Nov-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Perforating potato cells can soften the raw material, reducing fry times, lowering fat uptake and creating a more uniform end chip product, says the CEO of a firm specialized in Pulsed Electric Field (PEF) technology.

Gulfood Manufacturing 2014 special edition

BEMA: ‘This is the place to be and we want to grow in this market’

13-Nov-2014 By Jenny Eagle

The Middle East is like ‘The Wild West’, expanding at an incredible rate, according to BEMA, (Baking Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds).

Gulfood Manufacturing 2014 special edition

Mecatherm wins Al Rashed bakery partnership

13-Nov-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Mecatherm has installed two production lines for Al Rashed bakery, which supplies products to McDonald's, Burger King and Hardees, as well as having its own retail brand, Yaumi.

Dispatches: Pack Expo 2014

How will Nutrition Facts panel changes hit snacks?

12-Nov-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Snack makers and suppliers will be under pressure to make fast changes across all packs once the FDA finalizes its ruling on the nutrition facts panel, but can suppliers keep up?

Live from Gulfood Manufacturing 2014

Tomra modifies its camera tech and software for sorting dates in MENA

11-Nov-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Tomra has developed its camera technology and software to modify its Genius 640 3-way sorter with two rejector streams for dates in MENA because ‘the industry wants different sizes, below and above a certain size so they all look the same in a package’.

Live from Gulfood Manufacturing 2014

Philibert Savours to upgrade its commercial department

09-Nov-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Philibert Savours will upgrade its commercial department, announcing a head of global sales in January.

Live from Gulfood Manufacturing 2014

Cargill Foods launches commercial operation for METNA

09-Nov-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Cargill Foods has launched a commercial operation for METNA (Middle East, Turkey & North Africa) to operate under one business sector.

Not the only culprit? Celiacs react to non-gluten wheat proteins

07-Nov-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Past celiac research has focused on gluten wheat proteins as the cause of reactions, but researchers say there may be other non-gluten proteins in wheat also to blame.

Dispatches questions child safety of arsenic levels in rice crackers and Rice Krispies

07-Nov-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A Channel 4 investigation into inorganic arsenic levels in rice has questioned the safety of products aimed at children like rice cakes and Kellogg's Rice Krispies - although all companies implicated say their levels fall within current recommendations.

DISPATCHES: PACK EXPO 2014

Bakers are behind the food safety curve, claims tech expert

05-Nov-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Food safety is important for bakers but use of technology is behind the curve and more could be done, says a technical expert.

Bakery fined $42k after worker death

03-Nov-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Alpha Baking Co. has been fined $42,000 after an employee was killed at the Chicago plant.

Dispatches: AACCI annual meeting 2014

Grain science fundamental for equipment suppliers too, says Baker Perkins

30-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Equipment suppliers must learn about the nutrition and functionality of grains because manufacturers are increasingly looking for NPD assistance, says Baker Perkins.

Steamed v baked bread: Processing change impacts glycemic response

29-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The way in which breads are processed could play a role in determining its GI, according to new research that shows steaming rather than baking bread alters glycemic responses.

Gulfood Manufacturing 2014

Philibert Savours to expand in Brazil

28-Oct-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Philibert Savours, a French food processing firm, is expanding in Brazil and wants to create an Advisory Service for products such as sourdough.

Dispatches: AACCI annual meeting 2014

Kellogg NPD scientist: Protein has plenty of challenges

27-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Cereal and plant proteins hold huge potential for breakfast cereal and snack bar fortification but taste and texture remain challenging, say Kellogg’s lead product development scientist.

Exclusive talk with HealthBread project leader

HealthBread plans association to commercialize concepts

24-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The EU HealthBread project wants to form an association by the end of the year to drive commercialization of its healthy bread technologies and concepts across Europe.

UK firm seeks partner to upscale baking quality marque

23-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The Worshipful Company of Bakers is looking for a partner to develop and drive forward its bakery quality stamp in the UK.

Olive oil may be best option for frying foods, say researchers

23-Oct-2014 By Nathan Gray

Olive oil withstands the heat of the fryer or pan better than several seed oils and also yields healthier foods, say researchers.

FOODesign launches its vegetable chip batch fryers internationally

21-Oct-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Food processing equipment manufacturer FOODesign, a tna company, has launched its hot oil batch-pro 12, a series of cookers and fryers outside of the US.

Dispatches: AACCI annual meeting 2014

Sustainable baking now a ‘cradle to grave’ concept

17-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Consumers expect manufacturers to take responsibility for baked goods far beyond the production gate, says a sustainability expert.

FAO World Food Day 2014: Family Farming

ABA chief: Farming infrastructure critically important for wheat

16-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Farming infrastructure in the wheat sector is critically important for bakers but there are a number issues threatening it, says the president and CEO of the American Bakers Association.

Defatting oats for higher beta-glucan content: Study

16-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Defatting oats creates more concentrated levels of dietary fiber, particularly beta-glucan, research suggests.

Dispatches: AACCI annual meeting 2014

Gluten-free NPD knowledge needs to catch up, says Ingredion

15-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Knowledge on gluten-free product development must improve because the bar on quality is higher than ever, says a technical specialist at Ingredion.

Dispatches: AACCI annual meeting 2014

Kellogg: Acrylamide reduction is a heavily patented world

13-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Bakery and snack makers looking to mitigate acrylamide have many options, but they’ll have to navigate through a heavily patented world of ideas, says a fellow at Kellogg Company.

A glut of gluten approvals for Romer Labs

08-Oct-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Romer Labs gluten G12 rapid tests have received AOAC approval to ensure that food producers meet the necessary standards and requirements.

PATENT WATCH

Is that a pizza or a pretzel? Frito-Lay files patent for chunky 3D snacks

02-Oct-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Frito-Lay has developed a method to adhere large, three-dimensional food flakes such as meat and vegetables to regular snacks, to emulate pizza, nachos and tostadas.

United Biscuits to roll out waste cooking oil for lorries

30-Sep-2014 By Jenny Eagle

United Biscuits (UB) has developed a sustainability initiative by using waste cooking oil to power 12 of its lorries and plans to roll out the project further across the business.

Glanbia to kick-start gluten-free oat production

26-Sep-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Glanbia Nutritionals will start milling gluten-free oats in November at its Irish food grade mill - verifying the entire process with a closed-loop supply chain.