All news articles for April 2004

3-D weighing technology

3-D weighing technology

As with many other food sectors, the meat processing industry loses
a considerable amount of money from wastage throughout the supply
chain. Danish firm Scanvaegt has come with a solution to help
manufacturers cut costs by limiting...

Soy protein plant under way

Soy protein plant under way

A joint venture project to build a 500,000-tone soybean vegetable
protein has got under way in Xinxiang City, Henan province. The
venture includes three Chinese companies and is thought to be one
of the largest of its kind in the...

Controlling meat production

Controlling meat production

UK-based sausage manufacturer J&J Tranfield has installed an
ERP system in order to streamline its business operations and
improve quality control. Meat processors are under increasing
pressure to ensure complete control of the...

Improved conveying

Improved conveying

Two newly-launched conveyor belt concepts demonstrate how
efficiency and ease of maintenance are key drivers in food
production. Intralox has resorted to using one belt instead of
rollers, while CSi has adopted ultrasound technology.

Laima turns to Uzbekistan

Laima turns to Uzbekistan

Icelandic-Lativian confectionery producer Laima has confirmed that
it is about to start caramel production in Uzbekistan in an attempt
to fend off increased competition once enlargement has taken place.

Organic producers questioned

Organic producers questioned

Production inspections carried out on organic manufacturers in
Finland last year revealed that some were using conventionally
produced sugar in their products. More worryingly, many companies
have not installed adequate tracing systems.

Making packaging sexy

Making packaging sexy

Avery Dennison Roll Materials Europe has unveiled Fasson
Iridescent, a multi-layered film that the company claims gives
designers a creative means of achieving dazzling multi-colour shelf
impact, without the use of additional inks...

What future for the cork?

What future for the cork?

Sabaté has this week unveiled the successful results of a trial of
a new natural closure which it claims should remove the risk of
wine taint caused by compounds in cork - good news for the vast
majority of wine drinkers who still...

Organic meat on the menu

Organic meat on the menu

A new report suggests that competition in the European organic meat
industry is increasing, as the market begins to suffer from
overcapacity. This follows another report that linked the
popularity of organic meat in North America...

WBD continues dairy investment

WBD continues dairy investment

Wimm-Bill-Dann (WBD), the leading dairy and fruit juice producer in
Russia, has announced the completion of its latest stage of its
production and moderisation program at Baltic dairy factory OJSC.
The group, which has been investing...

CSM in price fixing probe

CSM in price fixing probe

Offices of bakery ingredients and sweeteners giant CSM were raided
yesterday by the Dutch competition watchdog NMa on suspicions of
price fixing in the firms sugar division CSM Suiker. In a parallel
raid, the NMa hit leading Dutch...

A weighty issue

A weighty issue

Food manufacturers are under pressure to be able to trace every
product at every stage of the supply chain. Equipment supplier
Mettler Toledo explains the role of weighing and measuring
technology in helping firms to meet stringent...

Is organic meat the future?

Is organic meat the future?

Public concern over BSE outbreaks is set to boost sales of organic
meat products in North America, according to a new report. But
North Americans have not historically been as influenced by food
scares as their European counterparts.

Czech snacks

Czech snacks

The Czech Republic witnesses a cross section of new product
launches from the Mintel database this week. The products are from
both the dairy and confectionery sectors and are all aimed at the
higher end snack segment.

Corking idea from Sabaté

Corking idea from Sabaté

French closures company Sabaté has developed a new wine cork that
has been treated with a TCA-extraction process. The technology is
designed to solve the problem of corkage, while avoiding the need
to use unpopular closures such as...

US fears over beef supply

US fears over beef supply

A Californian consumer group in the US has called for beef sold in
the state to carry country-of-origin labels, and claims that
supermarket giant Safeway has been selling unlabelled beef from
Canada, where a feeding practice linked...

Folate eases the mind

Folate eases the mind

Evidence continues to mount suggesting a link between various
stages of depression and low blood levels of the B vitamin folate,
according to research funded by the Agricultural Research Service
in the US.