Breaking News on Confectionery & Biscuit Processing

Specialisation key to future success, says new owner of Novelis’ UK confectionery printing ops

02-Mar-2011 - Specialisation will be the key to success, said Discovery Foils CEO, following the company’s purchase of Novelis’ UK confectionery foil packaging unit.

News in brief

Ambassador's reception rumours confirmed: Ferrero plots UK expansion

01-Mar-2011 - Family owned Italian chocolate manufacturer Ferrero has revealed to FoodManufacture.co.uk that it is considering investing in UK production sites as it bids to double current UK chocolate sales by 2015.

Special Edition: Food Factory Careers

Apprenticeships and 'fit for purpose' careers system key to bridging skills gaps

28-Feb-2011 - The UK food and drink industry is facing a “notable skills gap” – a trend that if not reversed will hit the sector’s ability to compete on a national and global scale, said the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Strong growth in aluminium packaging but economic headwinds loom - Germany

28-Feb-2011 - Germany experienced a “significant increase“ in turnover for aluminium packaging across food, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals in 2010 as the sector continued its post-recession revival, said the national trade body.

Special Edition: Food Factory Careers

Profile of a plant manager

25-Feb-2011 - Production manager Sven-Arne Löfving is soon to retire after spending almost 30 years in the food production industry. In the third part of FoodProductionDaily's special edition on food factory careers, he talks about what it takes to run a successful processing plant.

Special Edition: Food Factory Careers

Sustainability skills can give you an edge in the job market

24-Feb-2011 - Specific sustainability jobs may be rare in the food industry but gaining environmental expertise can give professionals an edge in an increasingly competitive job market.

Special Edition: Food Factory Careers

Nestlé reveals strategy to plug engineering skills gap

23-Feb-2011 - A lack of engineering graduates has created a challenge for the food manufacturing sector in terms of vacancy filling or expansion projects and we spoke to the head of HR at Nestlé to hear about the food giant’s strategies to remedy the deficit.

Food packaging demand spurs M-real plans to boost folding boxboard capacity

10-Feb-2011 - Safety and sustainability concerns from the food packaging sector are driving increased demand for virgin fibre folding boxboard, said M-real as it announced plans to increase it capacity for the material by 70,000 tons per annum (t/a).

£1m Storck contract promises growth for plastics firm

09-Feb-2011 - UK plastics firm Fairgrieve Moulding has beat off international competition to land a £1m contract with German confectioner Storck, after receiving £20,000 in regional funding.

US chocolatier develops virtual factory world

07-Feb-2011 - US confectioner Tcho is developing a virtual factory world which will allow customers and employees to interact online with the company’s chocolate processing facility.

Retail pressure spurs confectioners and bakers to invest in robots, says Tek Pak

04-Feb-2011 - Downward price pressure from the leading retailers is spurring investment by bakery and confectionery manufacturers in robotic packaging systems, said Tek Pak as it releases a new pick and place system designed to give throughput a veritable shot in the arm.

Step change in metal detection sensitivity on free-falling products - company

28-Jan-2011 - A significant boost in detection capabilities, flexibility and the assurance of food quality and safety compliance are benefits claimed by Mettler Toledo Safeline for its new metal detection system for free-falling products in vertically packed lines.

New power system cuts carbon and costs for Tangerine

17-Jan-2011 - As part of its wider initiative to make its manufacturing more energy efficient, UK sweet maker Tangerine said it is installing a combined heat and power (CHP) system that will incur savings of around £200,000 and 630 tonnes of carbon each year.

BRC reveals key changes to Global Standard for Packaging

11-Jan-2011 - Additional safeguards to reduce the risk of chemicals migrating from inks in packaging to food products are included in a new edition of the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Global Standard for Packaging.

Full results of FoodProductionDaily.com survey of manufacturing challenges

23-Dec-2010 - The full results of the inaugural FoodProductionDaily.com poll of food and drink processing industry concerns.

Pan-European study reveals packaging trends

20-Dec-2010 - Lightweighting, recyclability and the development of eco-packaging have been revealed as the key issues for consumers, according to an analysis of packaging trends across seven major European countries by the French trade commission.

Packaging material price hikes continue to challenge, finds FoodProductionDaily survey

20-Dec-2010 - The results of the inaugural FoodProductionDaily.com survey gauging the outlook for the food and drink processing industry reveal that commodity and packaging material price increases, the bugbear of the past few months, are proving a challenge for 80 per cent of the survey participants.

Amcor to close fire-hit plant in Scotland

17-Dec-2010 - Amcor has announced it is to close a flexible packaging plant in Scotland with the loss of 77 jobs following a serious fire at the factory earlier this year.

Novelis looking to sell printed confectionery business

16-Dec-2010 - Packaging supplier Novelis is looking to sell its printed confectionery business following the company’s plans to cease operations of its UK-based foil rolling and packaging lines by the end of April 2011.

Packaging lobbyist warns that green policy divisions in Europe could damage trade

08-Dec-2010 - European policy makers need to be aware that taking conflicting approaches on sustainability could affect the free flow of packaged goods, according to the managing director of Europen.

Virtual engagement to aid food and drink packaging innovation, claims MWV

02-Dec-2010 - Leading packaging materials and machinery supplier MWV claims its open innovation portal will generate new ideas related to sustainability, materials science and substrate development for food and drink packaging.

Cereal and pasta makers will gain from seal integrity of biopolymer, Innovia

30-Nov-2010 - A new biopolymer range provides better seal integrity for the larger pack sizes of dry products such as muesli and pasta, claimed Innovia Films at the launch of the new NatureFlex film at the French industry event Emballage last week.

Stretchable paper could revolutionise thermoformed packaging

29-Nov-2010 - A new stretchable paper may signal the beginning of the end for thermoform plastic trays, Billerud told FoodProductionDaily.com at the Emballage show in Paris last week.

Consolidation and partnerships key for end of line and palletizing sector

26-Nov-2010 - The palletizing and automated end-of-line sector is likely to experience greater consolidation and increased strategic alliances as industry players seek to deliver greater efficiencies, says Newtec boss Didier Pradeilles.