Enhancing the presentation of your product can be achieved with attractive packaging but the old adage that the proof is in the eating is increasingly being explored by food processors and their marketing teams. With today’s media a substantial emphasis is given to taste and the appearance of food. By the addition of some special ingredients, not only the taste but the appeal of the product can be shaped.

The Optima Group is an internationally active, mid-sized family company headquartered in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. It offers industry oriented packaging and filling machines for the foods, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, air and water filters, cosmetics and non-wovens sectors.

UK-based salads producer Flavour Fresh, has recently taken delivery of an additional 11 station Marco YCM (Yield Control Module) system.

The Shaka in-container sterilisation process is claimed to produce better ambient preserved foods. It can reduce sterilisation cycle times by some 90% and energy consumption by up to 50%, compared to some conventional batch retort sterilisation processes. Other costs should be comparable with conventional batch processes.

Energy-efficient conveyors requiring less than half the drives of conventional pallet conveyor systems will transport and accumulate bins used in production at Coca-Cola Amatil’s new preform and closure manufacturing facility at Eastern Creek in Sydney.

Bacteria, yeasts and moulds lurking in food processing plants, waiting to pounce and contaminate foods and beverages, may be identified and found more easily using an FTIR spectroscopy method being developed by Norweigan researchers.

Handling goods in the pharmaceutical industry is subject to a large number of requirements. The industry is characterised by national and international regulations resulting in high standards in the areas of quality as well as process and product safety. These not only affect the entire production process but are also employed in pharma logistics. This means that for storage and transport processes, companies not only have to observe various environment requirements, as in the case of production under clean room conditions or handling of hazardous goods, but also labour law regulations.

UK-based Lea Green Foods is using innovative peristaltic pump technology to dose oil into vegetable trays with both precision and cleanliness.

The Flavour and Fragrance Association of Australia and New Zealand is probably the best place to find out more about the latest definitions and classifications of flavours and what claims can be made on labels.

A new economic indicator, the AFGC CHEP Retail Index, provides unique insight into the performance of the Australian retail market.

Nowadays, wireless sensors are a viable solution for a broad spectrum of projects. Being wireless they offer installation cost savings and flexibility and can be integrated with standard control systems.

Recently, a virulent strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli caused around 50 deaths and sickened more than 4000 across Europe, the majority in Germany. The source of the infections is believed to have been organic fenugreek sprouts grown from contaminated seeds. As a result of this deadly outbreak, new regulations, improved surveillance and disease prevention strategies, particularly pertaining to produce, will likely emerge throughout the world.

Swedish and Danish European Sensory Network researchers have taken a close look to see if non-verbal facial reactions can provide additional information to measuring responses in classical sensory tests.

Trained in molecular biology, Dr Powell, Professor of Food Safety at Kansas State University, found that food safety was a discipline where he could meld his interests in science, society and policy - more formally known as risk analysis. Publisher of Mad Cows and Mother’s Milk, electronic newsletters (bites.ksu.edu and barfblog.com) and host of donteatpoop.com, he is also one of the international line-up of dynamic keynote speakers at the upcoming 18th HACCP conference which is being held from 12-16 September 2011 at the RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, Queensland.

In dry bulk storage, quality and value drive today’s silo selection process. With advances in fabrication technology, engineering design, coating processes and field construction techniques, some storage products utilised in the past have become outdated, while other products have pushed to the front of the line in product development and field performance.