Need a toaster in the centre console in your SUV? What about a rotisserie driven by the power take-off? No? A slow cooker that sits beside the engine? Pasta maker, gas hob, deployable dining table and worktop? OK, how about a herb garden and spice rack in the rear windows? [ + ]

A new test allows accurate, rapid testing for Salmonella bacteria, one of the leading causes of foodborne illness across all regions of the world. [ + ]

When building its $30-million plant, yoghurt maker Chobani wanted to partner with automation and electrical experts who could respond to a production process based on a 'through process' as opposed to a 'batching process'. [ + ]

The average Australian ready meal contains 50% of the recommended adult daily salt intake, with some containing more than 100%. [ + ]

The more than 30 billion litres of wastewater generated by olive oil processors each year represents a huge challenge for the conventional wastewater treatment techniques. [ + ]

Where do Sydneysiders buy their food? This fascinating article looks at the Harris Farm Hedge and the Red Rooster line and other distributions found by mapping food store locations on Google Maps. [ + ]

The 3D vision sensor designed for industrial use — the TriSpector1000 from SICK. [ + ]

Winnow, a London-based company, has developed a 'smart-scale' technology to help companies measure, monitor and reduce their food waste. Users identify the food they are disposing of using a touch screen tablet and the scale records the weight of the food and calculates the environmental and monetary costs. [ + ]

Fresh produce almost needs to come with a food safety warning. [ + ]

Researchers have discovered a new method to design stable foams — their findings could make beer froth and ice-cream last longer (and even revolutionise construction materials such as concrete). [ + ]

In summer 2017, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) discovered that over 700,000 contaminated eggs from Dutch and Belgian farms were distributed to the UK. The final destination of each egg was unclear, so thousands of salads, sandwiches and other meals containing egg were recalled from supermarkets. [ + ]

Robotic technology will transform the forklift industry, causing a colossal transfer of value from human-provided driving services towards spending on autonomous industrial material handling machines, thus fuelling an industry revenue boom far exceeding recent growth trends. [ + ]

By 2018, the total value of Australia's organic industry is anticipated to exceed AU$2 billion. It was already worth $1.72 in 2014. Last year two-thirds of Australian households bought organic products. Why?

A new Coca-Cola Andina Group plant in Brazil has opted away from the traditional 'central' cooling system to go with a 'process-synchronised cooling solution'. [ + ]

Mechanical engineers are great at sorting the generation, distribution and use of energy; the processing of materials; the control and automation of manufacturing systems; the design and development of machines; and solutions to environmental problems. But in the food industry this is not enough.