Processing equipment & systems, automation, control

Leclerc Foods to build $50m snack factory

17-Feb-2014 By Jenni Spinner

Snack maker Leclerc Foods USA has snapped up a building in Arizona and plans to invest $50m to expand its operations.

Nestlé injects $60m into Mexican cereal expansion

28-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Nestlé will invest $60m to upgrade and expand cereal operations in Mexico, doubling capacity at the plant.

The circle of snacks: Chip waste to biogas is viable, says Naturally Homegrown Foods

28-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Potato chip waste converted into biogas to fuel production is a viable, eco-friendly waste reduction plan that other snack makers should consider, says the president of Naturally Homegrown Foods.

Health crunch: Nestlé files patent for sweet potato cereal inclusions

27-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Nestlé has developed a method to manufacture crunchy, extruded purple sweet potato puffs to use in breakfast cereal and cereal bars.

ARO Pistachios hit by FDA warning letter

27-Jan-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

ARO Pistachios Inc. has been hit with a warning letter from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Processing with ancient grains? Consider fermentation

23-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The quality of baked goods made with ancient grains and pseudo-cereals can be improved with better fermentation technologies, say researchers.

Spiroflow reduces dust in bakery production line

22-Jan-2014 By Rachel Arthur

Spiroflow’s remodelled T2 bulk bag discharger, which stops dust from settling on the machine and food items in the bakery and snack sector, will make its debut at FoodEx in March.

Nestlé defends 'lunchbox friendly' claims after nut allergen rebuke

17-Jan-2014 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Nestlé has defended itself and its allergy charity consort against criticism of the marketing of its ''lunchbox friendly'' muesli bars to schools despite them being unsuitable for nut allergy sufferers.

The Premium Snack Company: Consumers need education on freeze-dried concept

15-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The success of The Premium Snack Company’s freeze-dried veggie snack line depends on consumer understanding of the production process, says its sales and marketing director.

Scientists to design deep-fat fryer for outer space

‘I believe I can fry’

10-Jan-2014 By Jenny Eagle

A team of scientists plan to design a deep-fat fryer for outer space with the help of the European Space Agency (ESA).

Axium snack factory damaged by blaze

08-Jan-2014 By Jenni Spinner

Production at snack maker Axium Foods has hit a snag after a weekend blaze struck its factory, damaging equipment but causing no injuries.

Reduces air bubbles in foam-sensitive creamy sauces

Air Products targets bakery sector with refrigerant

08-Jan-2014 By Jenny Eagle

Air Products has launched a ‘top injection’ of its liquid nitrogen refrigerant, Freshline LIN-IS, for sensitive products like dough.

Terrell’s Potato Chip hit with $115,500 fine for repeated safety violations

06-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Mid-sized snack player Terrell’s Potato Chip Company faces $115,500 in fines for new and recurring ‘serious’ safety hazards at its New York production plant.

Frito-Lay granted US patent for reduced oil potato chip process

02-Jan-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Frito-Lay has been granted a US patent for its low pressure processing method to make reduced oil potato chips.

Bread firm fined after worker’s hand trapped in dough cutting machine

19-Dec-2013 By Joseph James Whitworth

A Welsh bread manufacturer has been fined after an employee’s hand was trapped by moving blades on a dough-cutting machine.

Crop physiologist: Drought resistant peanuts needed

16-Dec-2013 By Kacey Culliney

The University of Florida will further research to develop drought resistant peanuts – a big need for industry in light of extreme weather conditions, its lead crop physiologist says.

David Cameron heralds cooking tech firm on Twitter

12-Dec-2013 By Jenny Eagle

British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has tweeted congratulations to a firm which has had success with its cooking technology and will expand to the US.

Food flavoring equipment offers even, efficient seasoning

10-Dec-2013 By Jenni Spinner

TNA has launched a closed-loop oiler designed for accurate, even application of oil on a range of foods.

General Mills files US patent for no-bake granola method

09-Dec-2013 By Kacey Culliney

General Mills has developed a no-bake method for granola that ensures the desired toasted appearance and flavor while reducing costs, energy and production time.

Ishida Europe MD: Snacks will be growth tool for Africa

02-Dec-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Ishida Europe plans to expand into Africa next year and snacks will spearhead the move, its managing director says.

Only in Waterford: Blaa bread granted EU protection

28-Nov-2013 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Traditional Irish blaa bread joins the likes of the Cornish pasty as it is granted Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) by the European Union.

PDX Reactor targets US after scooping $1.6m grant

27-Nov-2013 By Jenny Eagle

Olympus Automation has won a £1m ($1.6m) grant from the UK’s Technology Strategy Board (TSB) for its PDX technology, just weeks after a former Baker Perkins chief joined the company.

Kellogg’s green electricity part of bigger sustainable goals

22-Nov-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Kellogg is forging ahead with sustainability goals by offsetting half of the electricity use at its waffle plant in California using fuel cell technology, its chief sustainability officer says.

IP69K rating is a Fortress for metal detector

18-Nov-2013 By Joseph James Whitworth

Fortress Technology has received IP69K rating for its Stealth mode of metal detector, stressing the importance of robust washdowns in food safety.

Scientists fine tune "valuable tool" for inorganic arsenic detection

06-Nov-2013 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Scientists have optmized a method to detect inorganic arsenic (iAs) at low levels in cereal-based food like bread, breakfast cereals and corn snacks, an issue which is not currently regulated by any fixed quantities in Europe, they say.

Frying temperatures key for flaxseed wheat chips: Study

30-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Wheat chips can be fortified with flaxseed but frying temperatures must be high to counteract textural and taste impacts, research shows.

Baker Perkins tackles challenges of a cookie boom

29-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Interchangeable frozen dough machines for the cookie sector enable manufacturers to cater to booming demands for fresh-baked cookies, Baker Perkins says.

Car specialist SAS Automation in gear to be a 'major player' in baking, it says

25-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Automotive specialist SAS Automation dived into the bakery sector three years ago and says it plans to be a major player in de-panning within the next two.

SPECIAL EDITION: ENERGY-SAVING BAKING

Baking NASA-style: Are reflective coatings the future for oven efficiency?

24-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Nano emissive coatings designed to protect the NASA shuttle are being used in industrial baking ovens to slash energy use, and patent-owner AMF Bakery Systems says the results are impressive.

SPECIAL EDITION: ENERGY-SAVING BAKING

Air Management Technologies: ‘Our goal is to have a zero-energy bakery’

24-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

US-based Air Management Technologies was among the winners for IBIE’s B.E.S.T. in baking awards that acknowledges efforts in sustainability. In this exclusive video, its president says the ultimate goal is to slash energy altogether.

SPECIAL EDITION: ENERGY-SAVING BAKING

Innovative energy efficiency: Bakers aren’t fully on board yet…

24-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Next generation energy-saving technologies do exist for bakers but not everyone is jumping on board, says the American Bakers Association (ABA).

SPECIAL EDITION: ENERGY-SAVING BAKING

Retail wants green baking - and it wants it now, says BEMA

24-Oct-2013 By Kacey Culliney

The pressure from the world of retail for bakers to go green and reduce environmental impact has never been tougher and is a “cultural change” for industry, the president of BEMA says.