Founded on sophisticated production intelligence software, a new breed of information-enabled energy management systems is taking on the carbon footprint challenge - while simultaneously improving production performance and the bottom line.

The food producer Kraft has converted its decaffeination pumps in Bremen, Germany, to variable-speed operation.

Peanut processor Nutco is Canada’s biggest supplier of organic peanut butter to the US and also supplies peanut butter in bulk to confectioners and bakers. The company specialises in packaging most of its production for sale under private labels.

Lupin seeds can be used to produce low-fat sausage products, allowing processors to replace animal raw ingredients with vegetable materials.

Owens-Illinois has released results of new consumer research that shows Australian consumers would seriously consider buying their milk in glass bottles if it was back on the shelves. The research commissioned by O-I and conducted by Ipsos Australia showed 50% of all white milk buyers and 51% of flavoured milk buyers found the concept of milk packaged in glass bottles appealing. The study also revealed 42% of white milk buyers and 28% of flavoured milk buyers believed milk would taste better in glass versus other packaging types.

The meat alternatives market is offering opportunities for canny food processors to expand their product ranges and appeal to a broader group of consumers.

US coffee manufacturer Apfells Fine Coffees has been able to boost productivity, improve set-up times and reduce its environmental impact with the installation of the tna robag vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) baggers. The systems, which bag coffee, cocoa and a range of other powders, have been integrated into Apfells’ existing production process to deliver high performance at low maintenance.

Multimodal PP from Borouge provides temperature resistance and balanced seal-peel properties to provide a venting feature for multilayer blown film intended for microwaveable food packaging.

Ocme, from Parma, Italy, has successfully installed OCME Altair and OCME Orion packaging machinery for the William Grant distillery in Scotland.

The IlaPak Vegatronic VT2000 OF is a vertical form fill and seal (VFFS) machine with an open-frame design which allows for ease of set up, maintenance and cleaning. The open-frame concept provides a high standard of hygiene, sanitation facilities, accessibility and ease of unrestricted monitoring of operations. It is suitable for a range of different bag styles.

Food processing and other organic waste streams are often very high in energy potential and produced in significant quantities. Trade waste is an expense and green credentials are gaining importance in the eyes of the consumer.

The almond industry is undergoing rapid expansion as a result of widespread plantings in recent years, with an increase in harvest volumes of around 25-30% a year - a level of growth which is expected to continue for at least the next five years.

Consumers are willing to pay a premium for fresh poultry but how can they be certain that a product has not been previously frozen or partially frozen and then thawed?

To date, supermarkets have only been able to keep products on their meat counters for a few days. But now researchers have developed an antimicrobial active packaging film that destroys the microorganisms on the product surface, thereby increasing the shelf life not only of fresh meat, but also of fish, cheese and other cold cuts.

Key gene and chemical interactions that allow E. coli O157:H7 bacteria to colonise the gut of cattle have been identified.