Training & education

ISO standard for cooking pasta

01 April, 2009 | Supplied by: Intertek SAI Global

ISO 7304-2:2008 — Alimentary pasta produced from durum wheat semolina — Estimation of cooking quality by sensory analysis — Part 2: Routine method, describes a test method for laboratories to determine a minimum of cooking time for pasta.

Beverage filler servicing

01 April, 2009 | Supplied by: HBM Packaging Technologies

HBM Packaging Technologies has appointed LWA Engineering as its contract service provider for the SBC range of filling machinery. SBC beverage filling machines are widely used in the wine industry throughout Australia and New Zealand with a local installed base of 30+ machines.

Melamine testing results

01 April, 2009 | Supplied by: New Zealand Food Safety

The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) has updated its table of foods tested for melamine presence. Most of the products tested show no presence of melamine; however, one Chinese import, a milk-based drink called ‘Wahaha AD milk drink’ in 100 mL bottles, contained 3.3 ppm of melamine.

NZFSA certification standard goes global

26 March, 2009

The United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business has released an international electronic certification standard built on work by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) and the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. The electronic certification will provide government-to-government assurances about the safety of imported and exported food, replacing the paper certificates traditionally issued to help clear products at borders.

APMA scholarship available — apply now

25 March, 2009

The Australian Packaging Machinery Association offers a scholarship each year to enable a packaging engineer to complete the AIP's Diploma in Packaging Technology.

2009 European Bioplastics Conference in Berlin

19 March, 2009

Bioplastics industry professionals throughout Europe will converge on Germany in November for the 4th European Bioplastics Conference, taking place on 10 November 2009 at the Ritz Carlton hotel in Berlin.

Automation and efficiency drawing crowds at Anuga

13 March, 2009

More than 1200 companies from around the world are exhibiting at Anuga FoodTec, the world's premier event for the food processing and packaging industries, currently being held in Cologne, Germany.

Winners of the 7th European FoodTec Award

25 February, 2009

Anuga FoodTec is the largest exhibition and trade fair for food processors and manufacturers in the world. At this year's event in March, five companies will receive awards for products with added new functions or the use of a new concept, resulting in significant process improvements or for existing products with further development that has achieved a significant improvement in function or process.

Flexicon opens in Sydney

23 February, 2009

Increasing business has lead Flexicon to expand its operations in Australia with a sales office in Sydney.

Don't touch US peanuts

18 February, 2009 by Janette Woodhouse, editor

To what extent did failings in regulatory oversight contribute to the salmonella outbreak that has led to the largest recall in the US and the deaths of nine people?

Lower-income shoppers and private labels

11 February, 2009

Tough economic times are impacting shoppers in the US where lower-income shoppers are the fastest growing income group.

UK rethinks its food strategy

06 February, 2009

Over the next few decades, the global food system will come under renewed pressure from the combined effects of seven fundamental factors: population growth, the nutrition transition, energy, land, water, labour and climate change. The UK has been rethinking its food strategy.