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

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?

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.

Counterfeiting of medicines and some food product is rapidly increasing, which is resulting in not only billions of dollars lost through piracy but also creating health and safety risks. Researchers are therefore developing authenticity seals and security codes intended to make packaging uniquely identifiable.

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

Unibic has optimised production at its specialty biscuit, cake and pastry manufacturing plant with the aid of a customised compressed air audit and an energy-efficient compressed air system.

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.

According to a recent Eurobarometer survey, European consumers who are concerned about possible food-related risks tend to worry more about chemical contamination of food rather than bacterial contamination or health and nutrition issues.

Vegetable juice powder could provide a natural source of nitrate to serve as a curing agent for pork products without affecting the 'natural' and 'organic' labelling. If other natural antimicrobials are added to the mix, naturally cured pork products are possible.

The word "organic" on a label is no longer a guarantee of commercial success. As the organic market matures the question is now whether the market will be dominated by brand names or by private label brands.

Fire protection specialist Wormald has completed a comprehensive confined space training project for the Peanut Company of Australia (PCA), providing employees with the necessary training to safely enter confined spaces during the normal course of their work.

Watson-Marlow Masosine MR and SPS series positive displacement pumps have been installed at the factory of UK chocolate and confectionery specialist, Kinnerton. The first Masosine pump was introduced to replace a gear pump that was damaging product on an Easter egg production line, with a second model acquired recently to support a newly installed caramel production line.

A French manufacturer processing premium fish soup filled in glass jars is the recipient of the first industrial Shaka (diameter 1300 mm and with a useful length of 1400 mm) that combines shaking with heat to sterilise product more rapidly.