Robotics and automation will help food processors offset higher raw material and energy costs, claims the Centre for Food Robotics and Automation (CenFRA), as it prepares to open its new site in Doncaster, Northern England this week.
A Brazilian company has started production of what it calls the
world's first internationally certified renewable polyethylene made
from sugarcane ethanol.
Here we go again. Industry-sponsored studies into the nutritional
benefits of food and drink products are biased. Don't believe
anything that has an industry sponsor.
Closures, restructuring. mergers and the offshoring of production
are continuing to change the profile of the EU's food manufacturing
sector, according to a report from an European Commission agency.
The amount of EU research and development funds currently going to
the food industry should be doubled, the bloc's manufacturer's
association said yesterday, in releasing a study that painted a
grim picture of the sector's...
UK-based Sanderson is offering automation software it claims will
allow smaller food companies to upgrade their systems without
having to fork out big bucks.
The EU's food industry is falling behind in comparison to its main
competitors, such as the US, and is especially weak on the use of
information communications technology, investment in researchand
development and innovation...
Novis, the publisher of BakeryAndSnacks, 22 other business news
websites and more than 50 specialist e-newsletters, is changing its
name to Decision News Media, to convey the editorial ethos that has
made the group's news services...
As part of its global restructuring, Owens-Illinois (O-I) will
close its plant in Dusseldorf, Germany, and reduce capacity at its
food container facility in Reims, France, the packaging giant
announced yesterday.
Superfos is at Interpack 2005 to demonstrate why it believes its
new SuperSeal concept can save packagers money on the processing
line and consumers time in the kitchen.
Packaging Automation has helped to develop a revolutionary new
laser sealing and inspection system for food packaging, which could
bring important benefits to both food manufacturers and consumers.
Lock Inspection Systems has developed the X-treme metal detector
liner, designed to withstand intensive washdown environments found
in meat and poultry processing.
Scientists warn that mounting global pressure on food production
could lead to greater water consumption and increased environmental
degradation, and that it is consumers - not producers - who now
drive global food production, writes...
Strahman Valves of the US has expanded its product line and
increased its presence in Europe with the acquisition of MG Process
Valves. Both companies market a range of valves for the food and
beverage processing industries.
Membrane separation systems dominate the European market for
industrial process water treatment equipment, and the technology
looks set to consolidate and spread to Eastern Europe.
Building on its impressive fishing legacy, Grimsby has become the
food processing capital of the UK. Anthony Fletcher asks
what it is about the area that appeals to manufacturers, and finds
out how the council is aiming to attract...
Increasing production efficiency to generate higher profits is the
aim of every plant manager. But now manufacturers have to think
about their legal obligations to reduce waste and conserve energy.
Can new fluid handling technology...
A sealing hot melt adhesive has been developed that can be applied
at only 90°C. Combine this with automated equipment and you have a
safer, more efficient plant, claims National Starch, one the
hundreds of companies eager to unveil...
Sony Corp has announced the development of a flame-resistant
plastic made mainly of corn-based polylactide which it has jointly
developed with Mitsubishi Plastics in Japan.
German technology group Azo has developed a new automated system called
Dosibox which it claims allows for the cost-effective dosing of
additives and other minor ingredients.
Food manufacturers on both sides of the Atlantic will soon be
obliged by law to keep detailed records of the supply chain. As a
result, more and more bottling and packaging lines are adopting IT
technology to meet market - and legislative...
In the wake of terrorist attacks in the US on September 11, 2001
Europe's manufacturing industries have taken a knock but figures
released this week reveal that the food industry is managing the
course, registering a 'light...
An automated product-inspection prototype promises to revolutionise
the baking industry. The technology, currently under development by
the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) working alongside local
bakery Flowers, uses continuous...
The packaging industry remains an unexplored frontier of
manufacturing and as a result continues to lose out as it fails to
tackle the operations and integration aspects of the industry, says
3M.
The Manchester Rusk Company, which specialises in the production of
high quality glazes, coatings, marinades, seasonings and sauces for
the food industry, is now operating from new purpose-built premises
in Manchester, UK - a move...
Intentia International is to supply Haribo, the world's leading
supplier and manufacturer of fruit gums, liquorices and candy foam
with a range of collaboration solutions for its European production
facilities.
Biscuit manufacturer Lu Polska, which is part of the French-based
Danone Group, is to close down its production plant in Jaroslaw,
Poland. The closure will result in the loss of 500 jobs.
Major food and drink manufacturers in the UK met with the
Environment Agency at a seminar hosted by the Food and Drink
Federation in Central London last week to discuss how the industry
had responded to tightened pollution regulations.
Packaging Automation is set to unveil a new filling and sealing
machine at this year's PPMA exhibition to be held in Birmingham,
UK, September 23 to 25.
Packaging Automation, the UK manufacturer of heat sealing machines,
is supplying one of the country's leading chilled food producers,
Uniq Prepared Foods, with equipment on a hire basis to meet
seasonal production requirements.
Yesterday at the UK's Federation of Bakers Conference, Food and
Drink Federation (FDF) president John Sunderland outlined in a
keynote speech what he saw as the major issues affecting the baking
industry.
British food manufacturers have pledged to cut the levels of salt
in breakfast cereals, soups and sauces over the next few years, a
positive response to growing concerns over salt content.
VNK, one of the Netherlands' leading producers of dried herbs, has
installed a Lock metal detection system on its production lines in
a bid to upgrade its quality and testing programme.
SIG Hamba Filltec, the Germany-based manufacturer of filling and
closing machines in open, partly or fully aseptic design, is
gearing up for a series of changes which will effect the day-to-day
running of its business.
The Food and Drink Federation in the UK has formed a new sub-group
which will focus on the fast-growing vegetarian and meat-free
industry. The group will promote innovation and quality, as well as
encouraging consumers to eat more...
In India some 36 proposals to establish business parks have been
given the go-ahead as the country rapidly forges ahead with plans
to develop its food processing industry
PackExpo International 2002, which runs from 3 to 7 November, will
be showcasing all the latest from the packaging industry, when it
opens its doors in Chicago, US.
FoodTrace, developed by the global FXA Group, has developed a
software tracking system that allows manufacturers to trace the
entire food production process, from the farm to the dinner table.
The UK food and drink industry has pledged to limit emissions of
greenhouse gases and use recycled packaging wherever possible.
Other targets included reducing the amount of water used in
production and to look at switching to cleaner...
Throughout Asia demand for machinery and equipment is still largely
satisfied by imports, reflecting a growing need for more Asian
manufacturers to become more active, according to a report in the
Malaysian Times.
With the advent of new technologies and management processes the
way that the bakery and snacks industry is run has changed beyond
all recognition in recent years. Nowhere have these processes and
technologies been further advanced...
