Plate freezing has been used in the meat, fresh produce and dairy industries for many decades, offering a range of benefits over alternative forms of freezing such as air blasting. One of Australia’s leading packaged meat exporters recently upgraded its refrigeration plant to include automated plate freezing technology. In doing so, it increased capacity by over 20% while reducing labour costs. [ + ]

A new standard covering the design of steel storage racking systems was released on 29 February 2012, after the previous standard remained unchanged for 18 years. The new standard is called AS4084-2012 Steel Storage Racking. Dr Murray Clarke, Structural Design Manager, Dematic, discusses some of the key changes in the standard. [ + ]

The PHBOTTLE Project is an international project that aims to produce a biodegradable packaging with antioxidant properties for juice which is made from watewater sugars generated during the production of the juice. [ + ]

Tania Seary, CEO of The Faculty, talks with WNIFT&M about procurement. [ + ]

Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a prototype system that uses advanced imaging technology and a robotic cutting arm to automatically debone chicken and other poultry products. [ + ]

Woolworths’ Bunbury meat packing plant selected Next Instruments’ MultiScan Series 3000 Food Analyser to conduct chemical lean analyses, which gives results in under three minutes. [ + ]

The development and deployment of shelf-friendly or retail-ready packaging solutions was discussed during the Coles, Woolworths and ECRA panel at the 2012 AIP National Conference. The ‘big two’ supermarket chains want to see shelf-friendly packaging as the norm and are working with ECRA to assist the industry in developing robust, sustainable solutions. [ + ]

“Improve productivity and efficiency or perish” was the crucial message in Terry O’Brien’s keynote address at the AIP’s National Conference at Surfers Paradise. As managing director of Simplot Australia, O’Brien is well qualified to discuss the ‘Implications for all stakeholders of the accelerating reduction in Australian food processing’. [ + ]

Rockwell Automation’s ControlLogix helped a large-scale New Zealand cheese manufacturer automate its cheese-slicing process. [ + ]

Ongoing maintenance issues with vinly and epoxy floor finishes led Coles to conduct a rigorous six-month trial to find a flooring solution. It selected Sikafloor-22N PurCem, a water-based polyurethane screed for its durability, slip resistance, heat resistance and resistance to food acids and fats. [ + ]

Packaging equipment company Ocme recently installed a centralised palletising plant and packing lines for wine cooperative Cavit S.C. in the Trentino region of northern Italy. [ + ]

When Wescobee Honey expanded its product lines, it needed a coder that could print on a variety of substrates and package sizes. Wescobee exports product to the Middle East and Asia, so the printer also needed to be able to code in multiple languages. The WA business turned to Matthews Intelligent Identification for a solution. [ + ]

Fat analysis has come a long way. As well as carrying out their primary function of CL testing to a far higher degree of accuracy, modern solutions offer previously unachievable levels of traceability, multi-functionally in the form of simultaneous contaminant inspection and checkweighing, as well as peerless reliability. To meet current trends in healthy eating, price competitiveness and tightened regulations, and to stay one step ahead of future developments, meat manufacturers can turn to DEXA to meet CL testing needs. [ + ]

As part of its commitment to the ‘five Rs’, Sealed Air Corporation has selected Cardia Bioplastics as its partner to develop its Fill-Air R5 inflatable packaging. Constructed of Cardia’s sustainable Biohybrid resin, the packaging meets Sealed Air’s environmental commitment to renewable and recycled content, and reduced, re-used and recyclable product - the five Rs. [ + ]

There’s a paradox at work in the sweet biscuit market. According to Innova Market Insights, the ‘treat’ image of sweet biscuits is driving the premium sector forward, while consumer focus on health has seen an increase in healthier products. [ + ]