Calderdale Magistrates Court has closed down a Yorkshire-based food canning factory that council environmental health officers said was “putting people’s health at risk”. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) When officers from Calderdale Council visited the chickpea canning factory, run by United National Foods, they found evidence of a rat infestation, poorly maintained machinery and dirty equipment. They also said fish food appeared to have been placed through... read more →
Unilever has recalled an estimated 10 million cans of its Slim-Fast ready-to-drink (RTD) products in North America on fears they could be infected with a bug that causes diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting. (foodproductiondaily.com) The food giant said all flavours of the canned slimming beverage could be tainted with the micro-organism Bacillus cereus, as it issued nationwide voluntary recalls across both the United States and Canada. “The probability of serious... read more →
A combination of super-chilling and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) can extend the shelf life of Atlantic salmon fillets by a further 11 days, according to a study from Chilean scientists. (foodproductiondaily.com) The researchers said the aim of the study, which was published in the journal Food Control, was to evaluate the effect the use of natural additives, superchilling, and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) would have on shelf life of salmon, as... read more →
All meat served at the 2012 London Olympics will be UK farm-assured after organisers vowed to hold the most sustainable Games in history. The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) will procure UK Red Tractor Assured food wherever seasonally possible; meat at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games will be fully traceable and will have been produced to strict standards from farm to venue. Eblex and Bpex are both delighted that cattle,... read more →
Kit Kat’s decision to go Fairtrade will bring the critical mass that is needed to tip the balance of trade in favour of disadvantaged cocoa farmers, claims the Fairtrade foundation. (foodanddrinkeurope.com). Nestlé UK today said that Kit Kat, its leading confectionery brand, will be certified Fairtrade in the UK and Ireland, with the four-finger version of the brand set to be the first one to carry the Fairtrade mark in the region from January next year. The... read more →
Consumers will demand greater transparency and ethical responsibility from food and beverage makers in the year ahead, according to a trend forecast for 2010 from market research organization Mintel. (foodanddrinkeurope.com) The organization’s predictions are optimistic for the coming year, largely dealing with how consumers will react as the economy recovers. Its seven top trends for 2010 reflect a broad change in mindset, with ‘resilience’, ‘re-evaluating’... read more →
A joint venture between Banham Poultry and Vion could create the “most advanced” chicken plant in Europe, reports sister publication Food Manufacture. (foodproductiondaily.com) If the project goes ahead, the planned site will be able to process up to two million birds weekly and employ up to 900 staff. On behalf of the two companies, civil engineering consultancy Plandescil has written to Mid Suffolk County Council to seek a formal scoping opinion on... read more →
Future innovations and new product development (NPD) will be hindered because of the increased costs of research and development for funding clinical trials to satisfy new regulatory requirements, according to a new report from Rabobank. (foodmanufacture.co.uk) One of the biggest challenges faced by manufacturers, said Rabobank, will be the marketing of extracts added to foods, which claim to have a particular function, such as calcium for bones, omega-3... read more →
