Naturalness, functional value, enjoyment and convenience are still the prime drivers regulating consumer beverage purchase behaviour. But in the beverage processing plants operators are also focusing on minimising their environmental footprints and maximising their efficiency. [ + ]

Instead of paddock to plate, your hamburger could soon be making a journey from the test tube. Two scientists outlined their research into meat substitutes grown in the lab at the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science) annual meeting on 19 February, revealing new possibilities for more sustainable meat production to feed the world’s growing population. [ + ]

A strategic alliance partner of GS1 Australia, insignia has helped CUB ensure logistics labelling is accurate at CUB’s Yatala brewery in Queensland. [ + ]

BIG (Bottling Investment Group), the production firm of The Coca-Cola Company, has gained a foothold in Malaysia with a greenfield facility serving as a showcase for bottlers in the entire region. The plant was designed to meet the needs of Coca-Cola’s move into the liquid-food beverage market. The plant has a number of sustainability features and innovations including the twin-flow filler in monobloc design from Krones, with separate pre-dosing of pulp and subsequent filling of juice on a PET hotfill line. [ + ]

McCormick’s packaging engineers in France took their consumers’ needs into consideration when they were designing a new spice package with a wider neck and wider access. The engineers chose the Wetherchem FlapMate closure as the traditional single-method sift cap on the package wouldn’t truly satisfy all of their customers. [ + ]

CompAir’s Quantima compressor system has helped Australia’s largest milk processor, Murray Goulburn (MGC), reduce costs and carbon emissions. [ + ]

When the local council changed the criteria for discharge to local sewage treatment works, a New South Wales juice producer turned to Ovivo Australia to supply, construct and commission a new waste water treatment plant (WWTP) at its factory. [ + ]

Choosing a Dematic robotic layer picker has helped Nestlé Australia improve safety, quality and productivity - and won Nestlé industry recognition for its system. [ + ]

Sustainable packaging, non-GMO verified authenticity and the social impact of food distribution models: these were three of the key themes of the fifth Sustainable Foods Summit. 180 executives met in San Francisco on 17-18 January for the carbon-neutral event to explore key sustainability issues in the food industry. [ + ]

In rapidly growing cities throughout Australasia and the Asia-Pacific, space is at a premium, clean water supply is precious and global warming is a major issue. In these cities, food and beverage companies face challenges to minimise their physical and environmental footprints and therefore must choose technology wisely. GWE has provided a solution to these challenges for a Bangkok confectionery company. [ + ]

The Melbourne Exhibition Centre will host two trade shows in one this April. From 17-19 April, the Safety in Action and Melbourne Materials handling trade shows will combine to showcase solutions for managers in the food technology industry such as plant, lab, storage and logistics managers. [ + ]

Innovia Films’ shrink-tightening BOPP substrate, Propafilm OS, has been selected by global confectionery manufacturer Ferrero to overwrap boxes of its Rondnoir chocolates. [ + ]

An upgraded conveyor system has helped Australia’s largest cold-chain logistics service provider stay on top of its game - at low cost. [ + ]

A pneumatic feeder built by Vibration Systems & Solutions (VSS) in July 1999 is about to celebrate its 13th birthday. Luckily, VSS isn’t at all superstitious - and with good reason. The feeder continues to give great performance delivering fruit and nuts to a multi-head packing machine, just as it has done since it was installed in 1999. [ + ]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was alerted to the presence of the fungicide carbendazim in imported Brazilian orange juice concentrate in late December last year. Levels of up to 35 parts per billion were found in the concentrate and, in response, the FDA began testing all imported concentrate in the US. Australia’s reaction to the concerns raises difficult questions about Australian standards, testing procedures and provenance labelling. [ + ]