Firms in the food manufacturing industry remain in the dark over the implementation of new rules over the use of eggs from caged hens.
The European Union has announced that a blanket ban will be imposed on conventional laying cages next year.
However, according to Farming UK, many are confused as to exactly how the ban will work, with the head of the animal welfare section at the European Commission Andrea Gavinelli failing to clarify the issue.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Swedish government's plans for phasing out exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) in epoxy can linings, which could affect exports from the British food manufacturing industry, have been heavily criticised.
Dr John Rost, chairman of the North American Metal Packaging Alliance, said that the decision is based upon political pressure and not on the scientific facts surrounding BPA, according to Food Quality News.
"This is yet another disappointing development where science has been allowed to take a back seat to unfounded fears and political expedience," he told the news provider.
Read the rest of this entry »
Food manufacturing companies will not be hit with any new stringent legislation over what they put in their products, it has been announced.
The government has come under pressure from certain groups to impose sanctions on food manufacturers and their ingredients, but health secretary Andrew Lansley has dismissed the claims.
He believes that neither food manufacturers nor the public would benefit from "intrusive, restrictive and costly regulation", while individuals are not interested in being "nannied" about food choices.
Read the rest of this entry »
Food manufacturing firms, as well as those producing chemicals and inks, have enjoyed record levels of growth in January, it is revealed.
The manufacturing sector expanded by 1.4 per cent last month, while the economy as a whole shrank by 0.5 per cent, according to data from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (CIPS).
CIPS chief executive David Noble said that this was a "much needed kickstart" for firms in the sector.
Read the rest of this entry »
A series of strikes from farmers could harm firms in the UK baking industry.
Argentine farmers have taken industrial action against export quotas imposed by the country's government, which will mean that grain sales will be stopped for seven days.
While the harvest in the Latin American region has not actually started yet so is unlikely to affect exports, experts believe the volatility and threat of future action will push the cost of wheat and corn even higher, the BBC reports.
Read the rest of this entry »
The baking industry may struggle to obtain enough wheat to fill their silos in the next couple of years, it has been claimed.
According to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 2010-11 promises to bring a "hefty wheat deficit", Agrimoney.com reports.
Gordon Polson, a director at the Federation of Bakers in the UK, recently told the Daily Telegraph that the floods in Queensland would have a sever impact on wheat production.
Read the rest of this entry »
A US-based firm has designed an online tool that can calculate machining outcomes.
The programme by Locus CAE looks at tolerance consumption, enabling manufacturers to look at each tool's contribution to the budget.
In an interview with OnlineTmd.com, IQL vice-president Michael Mariani said that the tool added a crucial dimension to deciding the "error budget".
Read the rest of this entry »
Alvan Blanch has revealed how one African farmer is benefitting from installing some of its industrial machinery for the processing of cereals such as maize.
The manufacturer, which specialises in bulk materials handling equipment such as bucket elevators and belt conveyors, carries an article from African Farming and Food Processing magazine.
In it, it is revealed how a Nigerian entrepreneur, who supplies major confectionary and beverage companies, is utilising a new system to clean ten tonnes of grain per hour.
Read the rest of this entry »
Scientists from the University of Manchester claim to have made a breakthrough in biomass studies.
The team has identified two genes which will increase the growth rate in plants, extending them both outwards and upwards, which could potentially be used to boost the amount of plant biomass in trees.
The development could have a profound effect on the UK’s production of renewable energy and may help to position us as a global leader in the field.
Read the rest of this entry »
