Packaging
Flavour analysis breakthrough
Symrise has developed a new tool for flavour analysis which it says will enable it to produce more authentic profiles quickly and efficiently, as well as more true to life natural flavours. Until now, Symrise has used much more time-consuming methods for analyzing the complex flavour profile of a finished dish, but it says its […]
Batter than the rest
Clean label ingredients manufacturer Ulrick & Short has unveiled a new wheat-based flour for ‘enhancing the textural qualities’ of tempura batters. The clean label flour, Solartex, has been designed to provide food producers with a chemical and additive free coating system, which produces a beautiful light golden batter at no additional cost, says the company. […]
Boxing clever
Cereal boxes are being phased out in favour of plastic bags as part of a new scheme being pioneered by Sainsbury’s. According to the supermarket giant, its decision to start selling own brand cereals in recyclable plastic bags resembling crisp packets will reduce packaging by up to a third. It has already started the transformation […]
Wonky fruit and veg ban lifted
Crooked cucumbers and knobbly potatoes are to return to shop shelves following an EU decision to scrap its 20-year ban on misshapen fruit and vegetables. Under the new rules, which became effective on 1 July, 26 types of fruit and vegetables will no longer have specific marketing standards relating to classification, size, shape, development, variety […]
Red meat should carry a warning says WWF
Packs of red meat should carry warning labels advising shoppers to eat no more than three portions a week, amid claims that livestock production is killing the planet. The proposals come from the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which also wants Britons to switch to milk substitutes as part of a move away from dairy farming. […]
Recycling first for Rachel’s
Organic dairy brand Rachel’s says it is the first ever yogurt producer to use recycled plastic in its yogurt pots. Until recently, the plastic inner pot was made of polystyrene but it is now made of 60 per cent recycled PET, known as r-PET. “Using recycled plastic saves energy and so reduces the carbon footprint […]
Harrison Europac reveals new name
Harrison Europac, a supplier of plastics trays and containers to the food industry, has announced that it is now operating as Faerch Plast Ltd. Harrison Europac has operated as a joint venture with majority shareholder Faerch Plast A/S for 20 years. Last year the Danish-based company purchased the remaining 20 per cent stake in Harrison […]
Coca Cola brews new ingredient
Green tea-flavoured Coca-Cola hit Japanese stores earlier this month. The drink, which contains catechins, leaves a slight green tea aftertaste and is aimed at health-conscious women in their 20s and 30s, according to the company. Coca Cola is the leader in Japan’s cola market but faces strong competition from non-carbonated bottled drinks such as tea, […]
Kellogg’s launches weight loss protein shake
Kellogg’s has entered the weight management arena with its first-ever protein shake under its Special K brand. The product, which contains protein and fibre, is designed, says the company, to help women ‘stay on track with their weight management goals’. Each bottle contains 180 or 190 calories depending on the flavour, 10 grams of protein, […]
Reusable shopping bags ‘pose food safety risk’
Reusable food shopping bags and packages can contain a high level of bacteria, yeast, mould and coliform counts which pose a significant food safety risk, according to a new study from Sporometrics, an environmental microbiology lab based in Canada. Swab tests of reusable bags last November revealed a bacteria count of 1,800 colony-forming units, while […]
New Coca-Cola bottle made from plant-based plastic
The Coca-Cola Company has unveiled a new plastic bottle made partially from plants. The PlantBottle is fully recyclable, has a lower reliance on a non-renewable resource, and reduces carbon emissions, compared with petroleum-based PET plastic bottles. “It is a significant development in sustainable packaging innovation, says Muhtar Kent, chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company.“It […]
Food container demand set to soar
US demand for food containers is set to rise by 2.5 per cent a year to reach more than 300billion units – valued at $25billion -within four years, according to a new study from research firm The Freedonia Group. The report Food Containers: Rigid & Flexible predicts that the growth in demand will be fuelled […]
£10m boost for food waste facilities
The recent budget announcement of an additional £10 million funding for the development of reprocessing facilities for food waste has been welcomed by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). The funding will, it says, enable new composting and anaerobic digestion facilities to be built – processing over 300,000 additional tonnes of food waste every year. […]
‘Chemical threat persists in food and beverage packaging’
Fourteen of the largest public packaged food and beverage companies still use the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in their packaging despite studies linking the synthetic sex hormone to developmental problems, heart disease, and diabetes, according to the authors of Seeking Safer Packaging, a new report by investors Green Century Capital Management and As You […]