Packaging machinery manufacturer Multivac has expanded its platen refurbishment facility at its Swindon headquarters.

Cleaning solutions company Vikan has launched a range of purple tools for the food and drink industry. 
This is the eighth colour added to Vikan’s offer, and the firm believes the colour-coded range can provide a practical and effective solution to minimise cross-contamination 
between different production areas in 
a plant.


Processed meat company 
Snowbird Foods, part of the Vion Food Group, has a new Ishida 
multi-head weigher, allowing it to 
fill smaller packs.

Electronic Temperature Instruments (ETI) is launching a wireless temperature probe capable of transmitting information to any Bluetooth-enabled device from a distance of up to 20 metres.

Packaging companies will discuss solutions to reduce waste along 
the food value chain at the next Interpack trade fair, due to take place in Düsseldorf from 8 to 14 May 2014. 
The SAVE FOOD initiative, a co-operation between the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and Messe Düsseldorf, gathers packaging 
designers and food industry leaders together to come up with solutions 
to reduce food loss. Proposals will 
be presented at Interpack’s Innovationparc Packaging.

Nicholl Food Packaging has been appointed UK and Ireland distributor for Plastopil, a packaging manufacturer specialising in polymer-based barrier films.


Linpac Packaging is offering new internship opportunities for undergraduates or recent graduates looking to kick-start their careers.


Mettler Toledo has produced a new checkweighing software compendium to help processors streamline processes and increase profits.


Ishida Europe claims that its Ishida screw feeder weigher has helped a French processor improve production by as much as 30%.


Marel has launched a new meat slicer on to the UK meat market. The I-Slice 1068VA automatically slices flat muscle, such as flank, skirt and other cuts, which have traditionally been done by hand.

Packaging solutions company Sealpac UK has appointed a new sales manager for the north. Vanessa Simonsen has worked in the packaging industry for over 16 years and spent the last eight working closely with food manufacturers and retailers.

Food logistics expert Edge Worldwide Logistics (EWL) has launched a new website to help customers track their global freight orders.


Linpac Packaging has launched 
Rfresh MB, a new range of sustainable trays for meat and fish products. 
The rPET trays contain up to 95% recyclate and offer excellent barrier performance ideally suited to poultry and fish products, the company claims.

J & N Food Equipment has launched an affordable automatic sausage-linker, which it claims is capable of producing around linked sausages per minute.

Parkers Food Machinery has celebrated its 10th anniversary by announcing it is now the main UK agent for Deko slicers.

Food Equipment Marketing (FEM) is now supplying Alto-Shaam Carving Stations, which are ideal for butchers looking to branch out into ready-to-order roast meat sandwiches.

Multivac has introduced a new software that connects the printers of different packaging lines to one network.

Food industry recruitment company Stafforce Personnel has announced the acquisition of the Centre for Food, Robotics and Automation (CenFRA).

An Irish company has signed a deal to help Americans trace their hamburgers back through the production chain.

Janitorial and personal protection equipment (PPE) supplier Needlers has appointed a new business development manager for the north of England.

Packaging manufacturer Sharpak has announced that its c-LOW low carbon material is now available across its meat and sausage tray range.


TruNet Packaging Services and the Danish international food industry supplier DAT-Schaub have increased their joint activities in the UK and Ireland. 


Weber has launched twin log slicing of bacon primals on its 904 range of slicers and portioners, which are supplied by Interfood Technology.


The ‘Spider’ robot is a servo-driven gantry robot built with three or four axes, which have the ability to palletise boxes, crates, buckets, bags or other packed goods from one or multiple lines. Operated by interpolated controls, the heavy-duty linear axes move quickly and accurately, resembling a spider. Endoline claims the machine can reach speeds of up to 10 cycles per minute. 

Mettler Toledo has developed a new range of scales that are suitable for a variety of manual weighing tasks.
The company says its ICS range has been designed to make operation, maintenance and traceability simple and secure, which it claims results in “faster, more transparent processing”, as well as compliance with food industry standards.

Ishida Europe has launched a new range of checkweighers, which it claims takes checkweighing “to a new level of effectiveness”.

PakSense has developed a new temperature monitoring label, which can help processors and retailers monitor the temperature of meat in transit

FFP Packaging Solutions and MacFarlane have joined forces to develop a secure, reclosable lidding system, which has recently been introduced to Tesco’s snack range of pasties, snack rolls, sausages and savoury eggs.

AutoCoding Systems claims that its auto-coding management system can help processors ensure that they are supplying products with the right packaging, the right label and the right date code.

Dutch software provider Schouw Informatisering has developed a food-specific add-on for Microsoft’s new enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution for multinational companies.


Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) has introduced a new range of smoker ovens to meet the year-round demand for barbecued food.


Kemtile of Warrington has appointed Gary Doran as a contracts manager. Doran has been in the industrial flooring market for many years and has a wealth of experience in this very demanding hygienic flooring environment, said the firm.

Food packaging manufacturer Faerch Plast has said it has reduced the weight of its CPET (crystalline polyethylene) containers by an average of 11% since 2008. According to the company, this puts it on target to meet its environmental objective of "achieving a general weight reduction of produced items of 30%" by 2013.

Investment in a new Martin four-colour casemaker means corrugated specialist TRM's dedication to retail ready packaging is firmly sealed.

Novel datalogging technology is helping Igloo Thermo-Logistics, a refrigerated transport company, to assure customers in the food and industry that their products are being stored and transported in perfect environmental conditions.

Trunet has launched the Total CONTROL Net, said to combine the control of a casing with the power of netting for the first time to produce a calibre-stable netted product.

Briggs Equipment has secured a major contract renewal with sausage roll producer Pork Farms, reducing costs by up to £18,000, it said.

Cargill has launched range of meat ripening cultures, said to have the added benefit of delivering enhanced and distinct flavours for dried fermented meats in less time.

Zip-Pak has announced that US meat processor Plumrose's 24-ounce Hearty Country Style Thick-Sliced Bacon packages are the first to incorporate the packaging firm's Zip-Pak Slider, Advantage.

French meat products supplier André Bazin has installed a packing line from Ishida Europe, which is capable of packing products into trays and bags while reducing manual handling and delivering fast accurate weighing.

Ilapak has launched an upgraded version of its Delta LD flow-wrapper, specifically designed to meet the packaging requirements and tough hygienic standards of the poultry processing sector.

SCA Retail & Food claimed it has helped clients achieve environmental targets by reducing their corrugated fibreboard usage and ultimately waste by up to 70%. The firm's SCA's 'ONE Solution', an intermediate bulk container comprised of heavy-duty corrugated fibreboard and a pallet base, is targeted specifically at replacing palletised loads of small cases, typically 40 to 48 boxes on a pallet. Apart from a reduction in corrugated packaging per pallet load, 'ONE Solution' eliminates the need for ancillaries, such as stretch-wrap, said the firm.

Allen Coding Systems, part of ITW Group's Global Coding & Marking Division, has appointed Eric Chan as its new international sales and marketing manager for Asia. Chan, who is based in Singapore, began his career in the textile industry and has gained extensive sales management experience across Asia, the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent.

S+S Inspection's Varicon range of metal detection equipment can be used for both goods in and end-of-line applications to detect magnetic and non-magnetic metallic contamination, whether or not it is enclosed within the packed product. At the heart of the system is an advanced detection coil technology using multi-frequency, two-channel techniques to achieve the best sensitivity to all types of metals and the smallest possible metal-free zone for easy integration with existing production lines.

Dealing in temperature and climate control products for the transportation industry, Thermo King said that its new T-Series range of refrigeration units can deliver clients' products at the correct temperature in top condition.