News
Zeppelin flying high
Zeppelin Systems UK – which recently acquired Reimelt-Henschel Group and its handling and mixing room technology range – has also invested in a new food technology centre in Rodermark, Germany. The bulk materials handling systems firm says the purpose-built facility is designed to ensure that it remains at the forefront of processing technology, enabling it […]
Robot sales up – but not for food firms
Last year may have been the best year ever for sales of industrial robots, according to the British Automation and Robot Association (BARA), but the food industry failed to play its part, with figures down 22 per cent since 2011. “In 2011, sales of industrial robots from major suppliers reached a record 1,336,” says Mike […]
Greek is the word for yogurt protein solution
Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a protein solution that it says will enable yogurt manufacturers to produce Greek-style yogurts on their existing plant, with dramatically reduced levels of wastage. Sales of Greek and Greek-style yoghurts are soaring globally, says Arla, but the specialist equipment usually needed to make them, and the low yields per kilogram of […]
Legal threat over horsemeat burger scandal
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is reportedly considering whether legal action should be taken against companies at the centre of the scandal over horsemeat found in beef burgers. The FSA has said it will consult with relevant local authorities before making a decision about possible further action. It also said it would try to […]
EFSA bid to make things clear
EFSA has announced the launch of an initiative designed to ‘enhance transparency in risk assessment’. The programme, to be developed in cooperation with EFSA’s partners and stakeholders, will consider how best and to what extent technical data used in risk assessments can be made available to the broader scientific community and interested parties. The project […]
Discovery Foods cleans up with new installation
Tortillas and wrap breads manufacturer Discovery Foods recently installed a standalone Panamatic 800 washing machine at its UK site in Milton Keynes. “As the wash programme is automatic, workers can be released for other duties while the system runs through its pre-programmed sequence. This is a significant step forward when compared with the time intensive […]
Vitafoods South America hoping to double debut size
Organisers of Vitafoods South America say they’re hoping that this year’s event will be double the size of last year’s debut show. The exhibition will feature around 200 leading global nutraceutical ingredients companies, including Copalis, Croda and Fortitech, as well as a raft of first-time exhibitors. This year’s show will comprise an exhibition and conference, […]
Warm reception for pioneering refrigeration technology
A world-first in refrigeration technology, which harnesses the latest generation of low global warming HFO refrigerants in a Waitrose branch in London, has won a national award for the supermarket and its project partners, Klima-Therm, Frascold and Geoclima. The project, at Waitrose Bromley, secured the retailer the End User of the Year Award in the […]
Interfood launches packing solutions division
Interfood Technology has announced that it’s extending its capabilities in meat and food processing with the formation of a division dedicated to packing solutions. Interfood says that as its business has developed, so too has the need to specialise in specific areas. In 2008, it set up a series of divisions offering specific capabilities and […]
Four-finger victory for Nestlé
Nestlé has been allowed to stop rivals producing products in the shape of its famous four-finger KitKat after a European-wide ruling from the board of appeal at the Community Trade Mark Office (CTMO). “Having lost out to Cadbury before Christmas over the right to use the colour purple on its packaging, Nestlé will be delighted […]
Aspartame ‘poses no toxicity concern’ says EFSA draft scientific opinion
EFSA’s draft scientific opinion following re-evalution of artificial sweetener aspartame reveals that ‘it poses no toxicity concern for consumers at current levels’. To carry out the full risk assessment, EFSA undertook an in-depth review of peer-reviewed scientific and other literature on aspartame and its breakdown products, including new human studies. Regulatory bodies around the world […]
Campden and IFST launch student food innovation awards
Campden BRI and the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST), is boasting a UK industry first with the launch of ‘Ecotrophelia Europe’ – a Europe-wide food innovation competition promoting innovation, creativity and sustainability to students pursuing a career in the food sector. Backed by the European Commission in charge of Industry and Entrepreneurship and […]
Market fuels thirst for dairy alternative drinks
While dairy alternative drinks accounted for a relatively limited share of total dairy launches in the 12 months to the end of October 2012, the market has seen considerable recent development. This is being fuelled by the West, where such drinks are moving out of the specialist heath food arena and into the mainstream, says […]
New technology seals the deal
New online seal inspection technology promises to revolutionise quality assurance for food and drink manufacturers, according to its supplier. Seal-Scope and Seal-Cam inspection systems integrate into most existing packaging machines, without any modification, according to RDM Test Equipment, with each generating a ‘seal fingerprint’ for every package which is compared to statistical data to determine […]