No plans to extend bisphenol A ban, says European Commission

The European Commission has no current plans to further restrict or ban bisphenol A (BPA) in other food contact materials following its decision last week to outlaw use of the...

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

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...

News in brief

Nampak sell-offs at ‘advanced stage’

Nampak is at an “advanced stage” of selling off its European cartons and healthcare operations, the company confirmed to FoodProductionDaily.com.

BASF and Ineos unveil global styrenics joint venture

BASF and Ineos have unveiled proposals to form a global styrenics company with projected annual sales of €5bn in a bid to compete with operators in the Middle East and...

Comment

EU food safety left rudderless by Commission move on BPA

The hand on the tiller that is food safety in Europe has been left somewhat unsteady by the recent regulatory actions taken by the European Commission on BPA and food...

Mycotoxin levels in UK cereals pose no significant concerns

The “vast majority” of cereals and cereal-based foods in the UK contain mycotoxin levels below regulatory limits, according to a survey from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

EU to ban bisphenol A in baby bottles

The European Union is to introduce a ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate baby bottles next year over fears the chemical could be hazardous to the health of young...

Labs effective at measuring metals in seafood, finds EC study

A study which indicates the competence of global laboratories to measure heavy metals in seafood should enhance consumer confidence but there are concerns over arsenic estimates, according to a report...

FrieslandCampina to close two cheese plants

Dutch dairy giant FrieslandCampina has announced its plans to close two of its cheese plants in the Netherlands, Varsseveld and Leerbroek, and will invest €47m to improve efficiency at five...

Dispatches from Emballage in Paris

Prototype system promises significant energy savings in packaging process

Sustainability and energy saving are two of the major trends driving current development in packaging and processing technology.

Packaging innovation centred on convenience, analysts

Beverage packaging design will revert away from a recent shift towards cost effectiveness, and back to longer-term trends such as added value and convenience, as countries begin to emerge from...

Dispatches from Emballage in Paris

Prospects brighter, says French food packaging industry

French food packaging manufacturers are more optimistic about business prospects over the next two years than at any time since the recession of 2007/2008, according to a survey conducted last...

Krones launches new valves series for beverage plants

Krones has launched a new range of self-designed valves that can be used in all sanitary applications in the beverage industry.

News in brief

Silgan buys plastic closure manufacturer IPEC

Silgan Holdings announced this week that it has acquired IPEC, a plastic closure manufacturer that serves primarily the North American dairy and juice markets.

FDA warns distributor over contaminated flour

The Indiana Department of Health blocked distribution of flour from an Indianapolis firm, which subsequently destroyed flour and noodles after the US FDA found the facility to be ‘contaminated with...

Dispatches from Emballage in Paris

PET expands its share of the wine packaging market

PET is unlikely to replace glass as the material of choice for French wine producers but at Emballage in Paris this week plastic packaging firms said demand from the wine...

Cube gives flexibility in continuous cooking for cheese, sauces and baby food, says Goldpeg

A more compact version of Goldpeg’s cooking and cooling system offers a range of temperatures and “flexible” functions in processed cheese and other food production.

Commission urged to ban BPA in all food packaging

EU advocacy group, Health and Environment Alliance (HEAL), is calling for a ban on BPA in all food packaging, following the news that the European Commission has launched discussions on...

Mixed plastic bottle recycling firm reopens after blaze

Europe’s largest plastic bottle recycling facility is set to officially reopen its doors today following a fire at the UK based site last year.

Label launched for newly protected Bavarian hops

The Association of German Hop Growers (AGHG) has launched a label for brewers to display their use of hops from the famous Hallertau hop-planting region in Bavaria.

Scientists call for mycotoxin screening in infant food

Complementary food for infants in developing countries, especially where corn is a staple food, should be protected against the mycotoxin fumonisin, according to an international team of scientists.

Exclusive

European Commission wants ban on bisphenol A in baby bottles

The European Commission said it wants to introduce a region-wide ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles and has launched discussions with member states over the...

EU unveils change of test method for marine biotoxins

The European Union has confirmed that biological testing for the detection of marine biotoxins will be replaced by a more reliable chemical method from next summer.

Report exposes high cost of poor information flow in the supply chain

New research suggests that stunted information flows in the supply chain are leading to significant missed sales opportunities and reduced productivity.

Flawed practices by US processors obstacles to food safety - report

A reluctance on the part of processors to reform practices, their ageing facilities and poorly designed equipment are ‘obstacles to processing food safely’, according to a report from the American...

New bottle washing programme gives 11 per cent process cost savings, Ecolab

A new modular programme – Bottleguard - can reduce the wear and tear on bottles, ensure water and energy savings, as well as helping to cut down on the costs...

Packaged food sector outlook stable in 2011 - Fitch

The US packaged food sector is expected to remain stable in 2011 despite a raft of difficulties including rising costs, keener competition and cash conscious consumers, according to a report...

News in brief

Amcor, Mocon make key appointments

Amcor has announced it has changed its chief financial officer (CFO) while Mocon confirmed it has a new food safety product manager.

Senate votes to proceed with food safety bill

The Senate voted to move forward on the Food Safety Modernization Act on Wednesday, voting 74-25 to limit debate and proceed with the bill.

European consumers deliver verdict on food risks

Chemical contamination tops European consumer fears over food related risks, closely followed by antibiotic and hormones in meat, animal cloning and pollutants, according to a new survey commissioned by the...

News in brief

Bosch conference explores coffee trends

This week Bosch held its third Coffee Symposium in Waiblingen Germany, bringing together more than 70 international customers, representatives and experts in the coffee industry.

News in brief

New manufacturing campus to boost Chinese presence, says SPX

SPX Corp launched construction yesterday of a US$40m ‘manufacturing campus’ as part of its strategy to expand in China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Wyatt technology to eliminate bacteriophage infections in dairy production

Wyatt Technology’s instruments have been chosen by two French Universities to try and identify lactococcus lactis, a bacterium widely used by the dairy industry to eliminate bacteriophage infections in production....

Reynolds completes Pactiv takeover for US$4.6bn

Reynolds Group has completed its acquisition of Pactiv Corp for US4$4.6bn and immediately installed a new CEO to run is food packaging operations.

'Natural' alternatives to fluorochemicals in packaging in pipeline

Penford Products Co has announced it is developing natural ingredients that could be used in the linings of some food packaging as a replacement for fluorochemicals.

Germany eyes processing and packaging investment in India

Germany could be the latest nation to invest in the Indian food processing and packaging industries after ministers from the nations met this week.

O-I predicts lengthy legal battle with Chavez over plant takeovers

O-I has forecast faces a long legal fight with the Venezuelan Government over its decision to take over its glass packaging operations in the country, with a major issue likely...

Rexam seeks to capitalise on emerging market growth

Meeting buoyant growth in the South American can market and boosting sluggish performance in beverage closures are two of the priorities Rexam highlighted today as part of its third quarter...

Heuft extends sidewall capacity of beverage crate inspection unit

Heuft claims its new case inspection unit, launched at Brau Beviale in Nuremburg last week, is the only machine on the market that enables an all-around inspection of all four...

Inline beer analyser claims to cut water and energy costs

A new version of the LiquiSonic input beer analyser by SensoTech claims to minimise water and energy processing costs.

Food-grade PP recycling moves closer, says WRAP

The ability to recycle food-grade polypropelyne (PP) is moving closer to reality, according to the UK government-funded Waste Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

Ampac launches sealant film with antimicrobial properties

Global packaging giant Ampac has launched a new sealant film with an antimicrobial additive to inhibit the growth of odors and mildew for food and beverage applications.

Bisphenol A levels in food too low to pose health problems

Food is the major source of exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) but that levels of the chemical in the human body are very low and quickly eliminated said an international...

‘Unique’ oxygen scavenging method cheaper, more efficient, says company

An innovative series of oxygen scavenging additives designed for use in a raft of plastic packaging materials are cheaper, more efficient and simpler to apply than conventional techniques, said NanoBioMatters.

PFCAs migrating from some packaging linings - study

Chemicals used in the linings of packaging such as fast-food wrappers and microwave popcorn bags are leaching into foods, adding to human chemical blood contamination, a new study has claimed.

Guala Closures plans to transform new aluminium facility

Guala Closures Group has acquired an aluminium facility in Italy from Metalprint that it plans to turn into “the world’s fastest and most modern painting and lithography centre by 2012.”

Polypropylene film used to create self-venting microwavable packaging

Temperature resistance and balanced seal-peel properties combine to provide a unique venting feature for multilayer blown film for microwaveable food packaging, said Borouge of its new multimodal polypropylene (PP) film.

TNA appoints new European general manager

Food packaging and processing equipment supplier, Tna has appointed design engineer, Tim Moulsdale, as its new European general manager.

Developing markets to fuel demand hike for food safety products

The worldwide growth in the food processing sector, fast-expanding emerging markets and increasingly strict regulatory regimes are all set to drive global demand for food safety products to US$13.6bn by...

EFSA publishes guidance on food safety data exchange

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has released a guidance document on data exchange as part of a wider project to harmonise data collection methods related to food and feed...

Test consensus urged to avoid divergent opinions on substances such as BPA

International consensus is needed on testing strategies to determine the endocrine activities of substances that may be hazardous to human health such as food and drink packaging component, BPA, claims...

New production process for oval plastic containers

Krones has globally launched a new production process to produce oval or asymmetrical plastic bottles that it claims can acheive outputs of 2,000 containers per hour.

Oystar Hassia launches new portion pack machine

Oystar Hassia has launched a new more compact machine that forms, fills and seals portion packs for the food service market.

FDA confirms Texas plant as source in US listeria outbreak

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has confirmed that the source of a deadly listeria outbreak is is a produce plant in San Antonio, Texas.

New non-alumnium foil packaging for food and drink products

A new transparent, non-aluminium foil barrier film line for stick pack and flow wrapped food and drink applications is being launched globally by Rollprint Packaging Products.

Forum explores options for minimising mineral oil migration risk

The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Germany has outlined strategies for minimising potential health risks from the migration into food of mineral oil from cardboard packs made from...

SPX posts better than expected revenue growth

SPX Corporation’s third quarter financial results show that revenue rose 10 per cent to $1.29bn, from $1.17bn in the previous year’s quarter - the first time that the global technology...

Ceresana predicts continued growth in European plastic closures market

The European market for plastic caps and closures is expected to grow steadily over the coming years as beverage manufacturers continue to make the switch from glass to plastic, according...

EFSA says networking is key to emerging risk monitoring

Expert opinion and networking will remain a key element to gathering and analysing data of emerging risks in food and feed, according to a new report by the European Food...

News in brief

EFSA seeks scientists for scientific review

 The European Food safety Authority has put out a call for scientists to take part in a working group to review the quality of EFSA’s science.

New dairy application for PET container blow moulding process

Longer shelf life and more attractive packaging are the benefits claimed for a lightweight foamed polyethylene terephthalate (PET) container blow moulding process applied for the first time to dairy products.

Gulf seafood is safe for consumption, says NOAA

The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has developed a method to test for chemical dispersants in seafood from the Gulf of Mexico – and has found the chemicals are at...

Compostable crisp bags look and sound conventional, claims Innovia

Metallised cellulose-based material has been customised to allow a North American snack food manufacturer bring out a range of crisps with packaging that is compostable in six weeks, according to...

New Tetra Pak heater cuts cost of direct UHT treatment

Tetra Pak has launched a new direct heating unit for UHT dairy production which it claims cuts both product loss and operating cost significantly.

Chavez completes takeover of O-I plants

Officials and military personnel from the Venezuelan Government have officially taken control of O-I operations in the country on the orders of President Hugo Chavez.