Processing equipment & systems, automation, control

Food industry flour exposure found to be the main cause of occupational asthma in France

09-Sep-2014 By Nathan Gray

Exposure of food industry workers to flour has been found to be main cause of occupational asthma in France, according to new research.

Pro Mach buys Benchmark Automation to tap bakery growth

08-Sep-2014 By Rachel Arthur

Pro Mach has acquired Benchmark Automation in a move to strengthen its offer to the bakery market, as it predicts ‘significant growth’ for the sector.

Frito-Lay president: 'We’re laser-focused on productivity’

04-Sep-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Improved supply chain productivity using automation and better go-to-market delivery systems has driven core operating profit up 6% CAGR, says the president of Frito-Lay North America.

No great change to acrylamide and furan levels, says FSA safety report

03-Sep-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) detects ‘no significant change or discernible trends’ across many food categories for process contaminants acrylamide and furan.

Green Endeavor CEO: I’m an eco-industrialist; upscaling ‘green’ is simple

29-Aug-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Bakers can take simple steps to go green by switching to eco-friendly cleaning products and it's surprising it hasn't happened already, says the CEO of Green Endeavor.

Actioning environmental pledges: Strategic engagement with suppliers critical, says procurement expert

20-Aug-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Strategic partnerships with ingredients suppliers, not simple vendor contracts, will prove critical to the success of environmental programs like carbon emission reductions and sustainable sourcing, says a procurement expert.

Allied Bakeries plant closure plan could hit 170 jobs

06-Aug-2014 By Rod Addy

The closure of Allied Bakeries’ Orpington plant in Kent threatens up to 170 jobs and local MP Jo Johnson has demanded answers from Allied’s parent company Associated British Foods (ABF).

Cassava bread could tackle food security in Africa

04-Aug-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Africa has kick-started projects to improve the nutritional quality and production of cassava to enable better use of the woody shrub in bread.

The bigger picture: Dietary fibre measurement method adopted globally

01-Aug-2014 By Lynda Searby

A test method pioneered by Irish diagnostic technology company Megazyme International has become the global method of choice for ensuring dietary fibre content is not 'double counted' on nutritional labels.

Optimizing bakery production: Modified genetic algorithm most ‘promising method’

01-Aug-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Using a modified genetic algorithm (MGA) to design scheduling plans in an industrial bakery can save costs and resources, scientists say.

ADM to pay $430,000 settlement for violations

01-Aug-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $430,000 to settle allegations that it violated the Clean Water Act (CWA) at five large oil storage facilities.

Fabcon Food Systems upgrades crisp packaging machines in South Africa

24-Jul-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Fabcon Food Systems (FFS) has developed a range of packaging machines with NPS (National Packaging Systems) in South Africa, which can replace old bag makers on Wright Machinery with the same footprint, at higher speeds.

Grain Millers working on fully-sprouted oats

23-Jul-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Grain Millers is developing fully-sprouted oats but says industry needs to clarify the definition of ‘sprouted’ to differentiate between fully and partially-sprouted grains.

AIB International introduces HACCP online course

23-Jul-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

AIB International has developed a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) online course to provide practical and relevant instruction.

PATENT WATCH

Frito-Lay snack patent: It’s baked, but tastes fried

22-Jul-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Frito-Lay has been granted a US patent for its manufacturing process to bake snacks that maintain the taste and texture of a fried product using a hydration step.

Nearly 2/3 UK bread contain pesticide residues, report claims

17-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A report from lobby group Pesticide Action Network (PAN UK) claims nearly two thirds of UK bread tested between 2000 and 2013 contained pesticide residues, but DEFRA says there is no threat to human health.

Half of new product sales in gluten-free are from snacks, but are we close to saturation point?

17-Jul-2014 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of gluten-free products surged 47% in 2013, with a significant chunk of the growth coming from snacks, according to flour milling giant Ardent Mills.

Bread measurement boosted by Stable Micro Systems

11-Jul-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Stable Micro Systems has added calculations to its non-contact laser-based volume measurement instrument to respond to industry needs.

2 Sisters’ Avana Bakeries sale offers staff hope

11-Jul-2014 By Rod Addy

The sale of 2 Sisters’ Avana Bakeries site has offered hope to workers who faced losing their jobs because of its previously announced closure, although concerns remain about its future.

ESA on acrylamide safety concerns: 'We’ll be seeking clarity and clear categorization'

08-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Snack Association (ESA) says it welcomes EFSA’s recent draft opinion on acrylamide in food, but will push for greater clarity on safe levels and product categorization in the final document due in September.

Dispatches from IFT 2014

Food allergies remain 'major' public health issue

23-Jun-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Peanuts, wheat and egg are among several allergens that continue to be a global public health issue, and so industry must act with caution when developing allergen-free products, warns a scientific expert.

Mars chemical cleaning firm to launch bakery division

23-Jun-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Surfacing Processing Ltd (SPL), a UK chemical cleaning company whose clients include Mars and Cadbury, is launching a bakery division after developing a non-stick engineered coating for bakeware.

PepsiCo to drive ‘better-for-you’ NPD with Mexico baking innovation center

18-Jun-2014 By Kacey Culliney

PepsiCo has inaugurated its first R&D facility in Mexico – a baking innovation center that will be dedicated to strengthening its better-for-you portfolio across brands like Quaker, Lay’s and Sabritas.

Coles ‘freshly baked’ claims false, rules Australia Federal Court

18-Jun-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Australian retail major Coles misled consumers with false claims that its bakery products were ‘freshly baked’ in store when they were par-baked, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled.

Leatherhead top trends: Holistic R&D, healthy marketing, food safety and the environment

13-Jun-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Healthier products remain a top consumer demand, interpreting and communicating health claims is an ongoing challenge, and food safety is top of mind amid eco-friendly advances, according to Leatherhead Food Research.

Patent watch

Nestlé files patent for bite-size sports snacks

10-Jun-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Nestlé has filed a patent for high-carb and high-protein bite-size dough snacks for athletes and health-conscious consumers looking to manage nutritional intake before and during exercise.

Developing western snacks with an ‘Arabic’ spin on them

tna sees Middle East as fastest growing market

28-May-2014 By Jenny Eagle

The Middle East is the fastest growing market, in terms of business growth for tna, according to Michael Green, managing director, tna Australia.

Dispatches from Interpack 2014

Prospering amid political crises: How one Egyptian firm invested its way out

26-May-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Egyptian bakery equipment firm Morcos has faced financial difficulties amid political unrest in its home market, but an investment strategy saw it prosper against the odds, its purchasing manager says.

60-second interview: The day job

What do you do? Sam Millar, director of technology, Campden BRI

26-May-2014 By Jenny Eagle

As part of FoodProductionDaily’s ongoing series of 60-second interviews with the movers and shakers of the food and beverage industry, we caught up with Sam Millar, director of technology, Campden BRI.

Dispatches from Interpack 2014

Digital donut fryer saves time and money, says WP Riehle

22-May-2014 By Kacey Culliney

WP Bakery Group subsidiary Riehle has upgraded its donut fryer, switching to digital for improved temperature control, its export manager says.

High throughput is top call for extruded snacks, says Clextral

20-May-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Extruded snack lines that enable high throughput to cut costs are in demand, says extrusion specialist Clextral.

Star Snacks Co. fined for exposing workers to carbon monoxide

15-May-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Star Snacks Co. has been fined $180,000 for wilfully exposing employees to carbon monoxide and dangerous noise levels.

Obesity buzzword now a part of the food processing language

‘Consumers seek healthier products but it’s difficult when you cook snacks in fat’

14-May-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Future food processing trends will focus on convenience, which in turn will see healthier options for snacks on-the-go in terms of the variety of flavour and texture, according to tna.

UK celiac diagnosis rises fourfold in 20 years: Industry needs to step up, says Coeliac UK

13-May-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The gluten-free industry must improve availability, quality and cost of products in light of a fourfold increase in UK celiac diagnosis over the past two decades, says the CEO of Coeliac UK.

DISPATCHES FROM INTERPACK 2014: EXECUTIVE BAKERY ROUNDTABLE

Bakery CEOs talk speedy innovation, political crises and global mega-trends

11-May-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Keeping up with consumer change, hunting out talent to align with trends and reacting strategically to global crises has to be top of the agenda, three bakery CEOs say.

tna to open Asia office

05-May-2014 By Jenny Eagle

tna is celebrating the acquisition of FOODesign, which celebrated its 20th anniversary last month, and has announced plans to open an office in Asia in June.

Man dies in fortune-cookie dough mixer

02-May-2014 By Jenni Spinner

An accident at an Asian foods processing facility has taken the life of a 26-year-old plant worker.

FBS Prestige CEO: Middle East has booming bakery demand

29-Apr-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Non-stick coating bakeware specialist FBS Prestige has seen phenomenal demand from the Middle East as the country’s bakery sector evolves, its CEO and chairman says.

Shelf appeal: Image analysis has greater focus than the untrained eye

25-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Image analysis could be a effective way to determine quality loss in storage compared to visual inspection, according to researchers.

Frito-Lay to drive deep-ridged success wider in 2014/15

22-Apr-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Frito-Lay will roll out deep-ridged potato chips in more than 10 countries this year, and has plans to expand the snack concept even further in 2015 as its international patent on the design pends.

SPECIAL EDITION: FLEXIBLE BAKERY & SNACK PRODUCTION

Artificial Intelligence: Baking with algorithms for 'infinite' flexibility

27-Mar-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Baking with algorithmic software can help minimize mistakes as busy bakers work to broaden portfolios, according to developer PreciBake.

BEMA: Flexibility and sanitation go hand-in-hand

26-Mar-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Flexible bakery lines and equipment must always consider sanitation because these issues have converged, says the head of the Bakery, Equipment, Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) Association.

Oat processing needs a re-think, says Campden BRI

21-Mar-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Heat treatment of oats remains very traditional and should shift to continuous technologies for improved nutrition and reduced contamination, says a Campden BRI processing expert.