Breaking News on Food Processing & Packaging

News in brief

Ghana boosts cocoa processing output

02-Apr-2009 - Ghana's Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) has more than doubled its cocoa bean processing capacity to 64,500 tonnes a year, after completing a five-year rehabilitation and expansion programme.

Ben & Jerry's stunt highlights concern over clones in food chain

01-Apr-2009 - Ben & Jerry’s has fessed up to creating an online presence for a fictitious company selling cloned milk as a publicity stunt, as campaigners believe that the offspring of cloned animals have already entered the food chain.

Cost savings identified in carbon label move for shortbread

01-Apr-2009 - Mindful of its carbon footprint, Mey Selections is the first consumer goods company in Scotland to gain a carbon reduction label following data-mining efforts to pinpoint carbon emissions along the supply chain for its Scottish shortbread product.

New training facility aims to drive food sector innovation

31-Mar-2009 - A recently opened UK university based food packaging and processing training factory, supported by equipment manufacturers and organisations, is aimed at food sector employees.

New research shows how Salmonella survive

30-Mar-2009 - Scientists at the University of Liverpool have demonstrated how Salmonella’s ability to survive in amoeba is a huge advantage to its continued development as it may be more resistant to disinfectants and water treatment.

Bakery solutions urgent as UK consumers bin 7m bread slices a day

30-Mar-2009 - Pressure continues on the bakery industry to design solutions to combat food waste as figures reveal that UK consumers bin seven million slices of bread every day.

News in brief

Flavored newspaper ads to lure advertisers back to print?

27-Mar-2009 - Pennsylvania-based Flavor First has collaborated with newspaper ink company US Ink to produce flavored strips for food advertising in newspapers, so customers can taste the product advertised.

Low risk of MRSA contamination from food, says EFSA

27-Mar-2009 - There is no evidence that humans can become infected with meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) from eating contaminated food, or that this strain has caused food poisoning, claims the European assessor.

News in brief

WRAP offers free support for recycling in the supply chain

26-Mar-2009 - The UK's Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) announced this month that it has expanded its business development service to help small-medium (SME) recycling businesses across England to draw on local expertise through regionally placed business advisors.

Antibiotic bill would compromise food safety, say farmers

26-Mar-2009 - Legislation that aims to stop the nontherapeutic use of antibiotics in animals would impair the health of livestock and poultry as well as undermining the safety of the US food supply, claims the president of the largest US farm group.

Federal inefficiency fosters seafood fraud – GAO

25-Mar-2009 - Fraud is on the rise in the seafood supply chain due to in part the fact that the US federal agencies that oversee seafood do not collaborate, claims a newly released report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).

Fair trade certification for mint oils

25-Mar-2009 - The organic oil specialist, Earthoil, has achieved fair trade status for its Indian mint growing facility under an Institute for Marketecology (IMO) scheme in order to meet growing demand for ethical products.

News in brief

Canada demands South Korea accepts beef

23-Mar-2009 - South Korea must reopen its borders to Canadian beef or face a challenge from the WTO, says Canada Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.

Standards urged for green labelling

23-Mar-2009 - The UK government needs to put more resources into promoting better environmental labelling on products and push harder on setting the standards for labelling schemes, claims a all-party group of politicians.

News in brief

Easter bunny brings less confectionery

23-Mar-2009 - Signs that even the Easter bunny is cutting back, with research conducted by BIGresearch for the US National Retail Federation finding Americans will spend less this year on their Easter confectionery and gifts.

Weekly comment

Omega-3: Fishing for alternatives

23-Mar-2009 - Short of an earth-bound deity walking amongst us and miraculously multiplying our fish stocks, industry must invest more in alternative sources of omega-3 to meet nutritional needs.

Food sector again seeks UK exemption to EU hours curb

19-Mar-2009 - The UK food and drink sector has today reiterated its stance that an opt-out clause in the European Union curb on working hours is crucial for industry survival as EU economies contract.

The cost and carbon savings of solar installation for food firms

17-Mar-2009 - Food and supplement manufacturing firms in the US are set to benefit more than ever before by installing solar panel energy systems at their facilities, as the benefits of tax cuts and grant programs start to take effect.

Snack makers to seize green business opportunities

16-Mar-2009 - Baker and snack makers should grab the opportunity to leverage their business through green credentials as demand prevails, says the UK's Carbon Trust.

Weekly comment

Cargill vs Chavez: Clash of the rice titans

09-Mar-2009 - Clutched to the president’s chest like a medal of nationalisation, Cargill Venezuela cannot be sitting very comfortably this week as it awaits the fate of its rice plant.

Grocers pledge to cut UK food waste

09-Mar-2009 - Grocery retailers and manufacturers have pledged to work together to cut UK household food waste by 155,000t or 2.5 per cent of total waste before the end of next year.

News in brief

Chávez seizes Cargill rice plant

05-Mar-2009 - Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez has taken control of a rice plant owned by a subsidiary of Cargill, according to reports, on the grounds that it does not produce price-controlled basic rice.

New code proposed for retailer-supplier deals

05-Mar-2009 - The rules that govern agreements between retailers and suppliers could be strengthened under a new proposal by the UK’s Competition Commission (CC) to protect manufacturers and others from restrictive practices.

PepsiCo slashes costs along with carbon

03-Mar-2009 - PepsiCo’s energy efficiency initiatives have resulted in a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and slashed the firm’s costs by $90m last year alone.