Opening a bottle and pouring liquid into a glass isn’t exactly an arduous task but a US company hopes to release a powdered variety to make consuming alcohol that little bit easier - and more portable. [ + ]

Invisible silica-coated DNA 'tags' can be used to authenticate olive oil. [ + ]

A Flexicon PF6 tabletop filling machine has enabled a bespoke medical company to reduce its lead times for large batches from one day to 60 minutes while still ensuring quality.

Kez's Kitchen Managing Director Michael Carp says food brands need to understand their customers, know the value of branding, be innovative in their product development and deliver on promises more than ever to remain competitive. [ + ]

Swedish company Agricam has developed an automatic monitoring system for dairy cows using thermal imaging cameras. [ + ]

When the horsemeat scandal broke in the UK, Primerdesign was contacted by a large meat product manufacturer looking to obtain peace of mind that its supply chain and products were not affected by the adulteration which had occurred.

If you want to sell your product successfully, you have to make it stand out.

Maltra Foods needed an automatic, centralised printing system for its seven production lines, to ensure detailed information and delivery accuracy for customers on its continually expanding SKUs. The company wanted a cost-effective, easily expandable solution that removed paperwork, increased productivity and accuracy, and enabled it to deliver on the best possible customer service - now and into the future.

Sandra Jones from the University of Wollongong looks at seven tricks that many food processers use to make their products have greater shelf appeal. [ + ]

Bickford’s commissioned HMPS to design and build the HMPS1000 Bag-in-Box packer for a bag-in-box cocktail range. The machine erects, loads and seals BIB packs ranging in size from one to 10 litres. [ + ]

Regulatory bodies and consumer groups are taking a closer look at links between energy drinks and health issues - especially for younger consumers. [ + ]

Trans fat, derived from the partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, is present in many processed foods and bakery items. But in the US the FDA is currently reviewing evidence that trans fats are not generally recognised as safe (GRAS) for any use in food.

In October 2012, Cormack Packaging commenced a systematic replacement of its manufacturing plant process cooling water systems. The new system was calculated to generate sufficient energy savings to obtain a Clean Technology Investment Program grant.

Thomas Foods International's Murray Bridge facility in South Australia has the capacity to process 5000 head of cattle and 52,500 head of lamb and mutton each week. The company recently installed a gut washer from CST Wastewater Solutions.

The Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) recently held its first international packaging training course and workshop for 2014 in Indonesia. [ + ]