Systems Integration are inviting food processing businesses to ‘recalibrate’ their profitability with the launch of ‘integreater’ at Foodex this month (March).

Hitachi Continuous Inkjet Printers are to be distributed by Allen Coding Systems.

Following an extensive European search, frozen food supplier Findus Sweden has chosen Ixia to handle its trays and packs.

Vion Food Group has installed a Tipper Tie Alpina 550-litre Swopper bowl-cutter, the largest in the Alpina range, from UK distributor Bryant. The cutter is located at the firm's Hull plant, where it will be used for the production of sausage emulsions. The Alpina cutters have a combination of eight knife speeds, four bowl speeds and precisely matched bowl and cutter chamber geometry. The Swopper cutter series comes in five different sizes, ranging from 80 to 550 litres, and is available with a range of options, including varying degrees of automation and processing controls.

The UK arm of European packaging supplier Van Der Windt has launched a new technique that allows customers to brand their products using specialist Laserprint technology.

French safety specialist SERV Trayvou Interverrouillage (STI) has launched a key exchange box, the NX1000, said to guarantee safe machine maintenance.

Hand protection expert Marigold Industrial has created what is believed to be the first-ever Chemical Permeation Chart for disposable gloves.

Cryogenic freezing is the best freezing option for food manufacturers, according to recent independent research in reviewing cryogenic against mechanical freezers.

Food manufacturers are being invited to a conference this autumn, which will look at tackling shortfalls in engineering, maintenance and equipment training within the industry.

Intralogistics firm STILL has launched the next generation of vertical order pickers, the EK-X, on to the market.

Refrigerated retail display manufacturer Manor Concepts has launched two new remote, refrigerated multi-deck cabinets onto the market for shops where space is at a premium.

Pentic Price Ticketing has introduced a completely new ticketing concept to the market. The company's new reversible ticket, which it has previously sold in a blank white format, is now available with a black chalkboard effect on the reverse.

German measuring technology specialist Ebro has improved its dual thermometer TLC 720 which it said will help anyone who wants quick and flexible temperature measurement.

Pantheon Catering Equipment has launched a new, dual slicer range that it says can cope with virtually all kitchen and deli needs.

Catering butcher Nigel Frederick has taken 10 refrigerated vans on contract hire from specialist vehicle and coldstore firm Petit Forestier.

Retailers selling chilled goods and facing high energy costs may be interested in a new product that is claiming to offer 35-40% energy savings.

Caithness Beef and Lamb, based in Wick, Caithness, has installed a Hubbard-Zanotti Multi Compressor Pack at its new 1,300m2 abattoir and meat processing facility.

Cryogenic company Air Products has teamed up with mixer and mixer-grinder specialist Weiler to develop fully integrated food mixing, grinding and cooling equipment.

Processors looking to update their facilities with ceramic or seamless flooring can choose either option with Kemtile.

AEW Delford has appointed Joe Maudlin as the new sales director of end-of-line systems. Maudlin is a manufacturing orientated sales professional with over 20 years' experience of working in the UK food industry, much of it with the Marel Group.

Forklift truck company Yale has launched the VG cushion tyre series, which is available in lifting capacities from 2,200kg to 3,500kg. The VG series is a cushion tyre truck generally used in internal applications where space to manoeuvre is at a premium.

Vehicle tracker Quartix has claimed it has become the first major telematics specialist to provide pay-as-you-go vehicle tracking with Google maps.

US firm Industrial Insulation Systems (IIS) has launched a patent-pending forklift door system called the Flex-Panel.

Cronitect, a high-performance stainless steel for rolling bearings, is the latest product from The Schaeffler Group. I

Energy management company Next Control Systems said it could save the UK refrigerated storage industry millions of pounds.

QuadraChem Laboratories (QCL) has introduced a wireless temperature monitoring system, developed for the remote monitoring of temperatures in cold stores, incubators and freezers. The t-Scan 200 logs temperature data and, in the event of refrigeration failure, can sound an alarm to alert key personnel, reducing the risk of product loss.

Anti-bacterial coating TouchClean could help in the fight against swine flu in food preparation areas and factories by preventing an outbreak or putting a stop to the virus returning.

Turkey producer Bernard Matthews has selected Isotrak's Active Transport Management System (ATMS) to monitor and improve the performance of its delivery fleet.

"We have bought a medium-sized Champion pie blocker. It is from John Hunt," says Peter. "Before this, we had little Champion pie-blockers but we now have a medium one for bigger pies. It makes the job a lot easier.

Catering butcher R Manners & Sons, based in Ponteland, Newcastle-on-Tyne, has found that the installation of an Ishida Fresh Food Weigher (FFW) has helped growth and expansion.

Promotional bag distributor Crazy Bags has launched a laminate bag, described as tough and durable, for exhibitions and shoppers this autumn.

How you display your products can play a crucial part in your sales performance and Vollrath has come up with a clever range of products that may help.

A bird handling firm and a chemical expert have teamed up to produce a crate that will reduce bacterial contamination in poultry flocks. In what is reckoned to be a world first, a trial of protected chicken crates by antimicrobial protection solution provider BioCote and bird handler Anglia Autoflow has shown that silver antimicrobial protection can help reduce the risk of cross-contamination of harmful Campylobacter among poultry flocks. As a result a new range of poultry transportation crates with antimicrobial protection has been launched.

What is your product and what does it do?

Packaging company Faerch Plast has launched a new range of high-quality trays and containers for the meat and poultry industry.

Designer and manufacturer of high performance 'Phantom' metal detector systems Fortress Technology has been awarded SAFEcontractor accreditation.

Mitsubushi has launched a new materials handling machinery website, which it said promises to make finding a forklift truck practically as easy as online shopping.

Israeli traceability solution provider ImageID is starting to increase its presence in the European meat industry, announcing deals with German and Dutch firms.

Trailer Vision, a firm specialising in vehicle camera systems, has extended its camera product range with the addition of the Digital Wireless Camera System, designed for commercial vehicles.

Industry Washing Machines (IWM) will be focusing on environmental issues and efficiency at this year's PPMA Show (29 September - 1 October). Included is the latest Edi13 ALTA utensil washer, which automatically qualifies for the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme, allowing 100% capital cost to be offset against corporation tax in the first year. Also on show will be the Crusader T400 Twin Tank tray washer, which offers a two-stage cleaning process: continuous jetting with hot water and detergent, followed by continuous jetting with hot water only. A cold rinse and a range of blow-off and heat-drying options are also available.

MTJ's publisher William Reed Business Media has launched a new show alongside Foodex next year at the NEC, called the Food and Drink Logistics Show (FDLS). The FDLS will play host to a comprehensive programme of live events, offering real added-value to visitors. The events will range from topical debates to top-level networking and FDLS is said to be the perfect platform to help food and drink companies develop their businesses. Show manager Daren Rose-Neale said: "Taking place at the NEC alongside our already established shows, FDLS offers a unique opportunity for key logistics and supply chain buyers from across the whole food and drink sectors to visit this show."FDLS will take place from 21-24 March, running alongside other William Reed events such as the Food & Drink Expo and Foodex. "This new show will create a brand new industry-specific platform for companies involved with supply chain solutions, third-party logistics, palletised transport, warehousing, IT and much much more," added Rose-Neale.

Gas equipment supplier Witt has said its KM 2/3M gas mixers are now available as 'three-in-one' versions, producing a fully automated system that proportionally controls the gas flow on packaging lines. These new versions from Witt have been specifically designed for users of flow packs in the packaging industry and continuously and automatically monitor and adjust the oxygen percentage in flow packs directly on the packaging line. They offer up to three specific gas controls and mixing systems in one unit and can reduce gas consumption by up to 30%, said the company. The user can also integrate a KD100 gas flushing controller and the recently launched 'MAPY' gas analyser into the KM 2/3M Gas Mixer to produce a 'three-in-one' system in one location, taking up less space and reducing the amount of cabling needed on the packaging line. The KD100 gas flushing system allows modified atmospheres that keep food fresh in packaging or in warehouses to be produced more cost-effectively and uses a new zirconia sensor with a measuring range of 0-25% with +/- 0.2% repeatability.

Oven-maker Rational reckons it can take all the guesswork out of roasting meats for butchers and reduce shrinkage with the SelfCooking Center.

Italian manufacturer of specialist foodservice equipment Sirman has appointed Foodservice Equipment Marketing (FEM) as its main distributor in the UK and Ireland.

Interbake, a bakery and catering equipment provider, which supplies butchers with ovens and meat processing machinery, has announced it has purchased Independent Bakery Equipment.

Event organisers of Foodex have said that the show has been gaining increasing support across the food and drinks industry since the rebrand in January.

The KTEC Group, distributor of labelling and bar-code systems, has now added consumable ink cost comparison sheets for its low-volume LX, medium-volume VP and high-volume CX digital desktop colour label printers.

Shop refurbishment expert A-Cold Distributors has announced it is to change its operational trading name to Specialist Interior Contracts.

A new portable sink for washing utensils, food preparation and cleaning hands has been launched onto the market.

Uropa is to distribute LEC under-counter fridges and freezers for the storage of food. The company's new models are available in white or stainless steel finish to suit the surroundings and are sturdily built with hygienic, easily cleaned and impact-resistant white plastic interior walls.

Applied Principles, a supplier of paperless quality management systems, has launched a new system for butchers and other small manufacturers and retailers.

Avery Weigh-Tronix has launched the first UK wireless, trade-approved Forklift Scale System which can be fitted onto any standard forklift.

Global freezing and chilling equipment firm Starfrost has appointed Edward Turner (pictured) as its new UK sales manager.

Already gearing up for the PPMA show, from 29 September to 1 October, this autumn, Interfood Technology has announced it will be concentrating on displaying its clipping side of the business.

Titan Containers has acquired the Container Exchange's business activities together with the vast majority of its containers.

For butchers who use Combi steamers from oven supplier Rational for baked-off goods, comes a series of seminars arranged by the company to show how to get the most out of the machine.

The new THS/ MS21 metal detector, from Constant Instruments is claimed to have sensitivity up to 30% higher than its earlier models, enabling it to detect contaminant particles at high speed.

In what is believed to be a first in the refrigerated van market, Yorkshire company The Cold Consortium has devised a meat rail system and meat hoist, which fit inside a panel van.

The new HTS Twin Lane machine from packaging machinery maker Redpak is based on the concept of joining two P325 flow-wrappers together.

Machinery manufacturer Interfood Technology has launched a new high-speed slicer from Weber onto the UK market, which can be used for sausages and ham.

Bizerba has launched the GLM-i fully automatic C-Wrap labelling solution for automatic label application on a range of packs sizes and shapes.

Independent retailers looking to cut costs and improve efficiency can get a competitive edge with the IX scale, said manufacturer Avery Berkel.

A leading supplier of point-of-sale material to butchers and delis has said its clients have seen their sales rise due to new marketing packages.

With the growing popularity of sous vide cooking among professional chefs, Grant Instruments has bolstered its sous vide cooking range with the introduction of a universal stirred heater. This can be clamped on to virtually any vertical-sided cooking vessel (up to 50 litres) transforming it instantly into a sous vide cooking bath.

Food business operators need to make reporting incidents a top priority, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said, after publishing its third Annual Report of Incidents.

Marel Food Systems has secured long-term financing for the company, worth €171m.

The company said it has repaid in full a class of bonds listed on the OMX Nasdaq Iceland, where a new class of bonds with maturity in November 2011 has been issued in the amount of ISK3.6bn, equivalent to €21m.

A Dalehead Foods facility in Bury St Edmunds has installed a new Schröder IMAX 620 injector from Interfood Technology to increase bacon accuracy and consistency.

Weighing and labelling company Bizerba has announced it has acquired a controlling interest in software firm Niche Computer Systems following a 10-year partnership.

Leading UK business-to-business publisher William Reed Business Media has reinforced its commitment to online publishing with the acquisition of Decision News Media, an internet publishing company dedicated to reporting breaking news for the global B2B industries

Food business operators need to make reporting incidents a top priority, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) has said after publishing its third Annual Report of Incidents.

Container firm ArticStore has undergone a fleet renewal programme since its acquisition by Titan in 2008. This has transformed its ageing fleet into one of the most modern in the UK and Ireland hire market, said the company.

Robotics consultant to the food industry CenFRA celebrated its first birthday at its facilities in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, with an open day for industry members.

Hubbard Products has opened a new transport refrigeration service centre in Chorley to cater for customers in the north west. The company is also expanding its commercial, transport and special projects refrigeration operation with the establishment of a West Midlands sales and administration facility.

Preparations for the PPMA Show, from 29 September to 1 October at the NEC Birmingham, are in full swing, with the launch of a new website.

Air conditioning and chilling experts from Italy and the UK have launched a new type of ultra-efficient chiller, aimed right across the European market.

Dawsonrentals is asking companies using old sea containers for storage if they realise how energy-consuming it can be to use ageing containers.

As part of its handling programme, Marel Food Systems has released a new retraction conveyor called the SpeedSort, said to be capable of rejecting trim or sorting products at very high speeds.

Marel Food Systems has secured long-term financing to the tune of €171m, which the company hopes will stabalise its future.

Applied Biosystems has expanded its portfolio of food safety testing solutions, with new kits and software to improve the detection of salmonella and listeria monocytogenes in food.

Specialist industrial cleaning company Polar Intelligent Cleaning Solutions has launched a rapid, effective cleaning service for food production machines, equipment and cold stores in the UK.

US-based VIPColor Technologies has opened a European training centre for its VP485e on-demand digital label printer

Scottish butcher Hebbie Fowlie of Fowlie Butchers in Aberdeenshire has invested in two new WS wrapping systems from Avery Berkel, with the aim of automating many of the manual packing operations of the business.

A knife which protects users when cutting food packaging material has been launched. The GR8 Pro safety knife from Moving Edge is said to reduce risks compared to an open-bladed knife. It can be used for most food-related packaging, including cutting cardboard, shrink-wrap and plastic strapping.

An organic meat delivery business said it has boosted customer service levels since changing its next-day parcel delivery service to an online system.

Packaging machinery producer Redpack has announced it sustained its sales up to the end of last year, with new contracts worth £250,000. The Norfolk-based firm that makes flow wrapping machines said it goes into 2009 with a strong order book, and despite the recession, is optimistic about the year ahead.

Organisers of the Pro2pac event in London in March have said that initial indications show visitor numbers were up, despite the difficult economic conditions.

An Essex bacon processor has invested in the latest data logging technology to keep track of ambient temperatures surrounding meat delivered and processed at its factory.

Spring 2009 sees the launch of a new TC closed deck plastic pallet from Shropshire pallet-maker Craemer.

RWM Food Group has said it is so happy with its steam cooker from Union Food Machinery (UFM) that it has ordered another one.

Machinery company AEW Delford Systems has extended its new concept in food processing and packing for production lines, called Winning Lines.

Avery Weigh-Tronix claims to have launched the food industry's easiest-to-clean floor scale range, with the development of the UK's first hinge-topped product.

Weighing and measuring company Mettler Toledo is to conduct a series of webinars towards the end of April on food safety and weighing hazards.

Brogdale Farm Shop in Kent has invested in a new butcher’s shop on the site of the Brogdale National Fruit Collection, with an L-shaped counter from Creative Retail Solutions’ (CRS) Criocabin range and a new display fitting called
the I-liner.

For butchers and farm shops that sell sandwiches, cans of soft drinks and dairy products, comes the SCU1375 merchandiser from Valera, a full-height glass door merchandiser, capable of holding 400x330cl cans on six shelves.

For those who need fast, flexible temperature measurements, Ebro Electronic, the measuring instrument specialist from Germany, has improved the popular dual thermometer TLC 730 even further to meet customer demand for a larger measuring range (-50°C to +350°C) and has also added an alarm function.

Cutting equipment expert Urschel showed several machinery items at Anuga FoodTec this year, including the company’s new Diversa-Cut Sprint Dicer, designed to cut up meat.

Mobile scale company Ravas showed off its latest technology in scale forks at Pro2Pac. iForks is said to be the first completely wireless scale fork for forklift trucks.

American coding company Black Dot Technology, exhibiting at Pro2pac this year, said it was looking to make its mark in the UK and that meat and poultry firms were taking an interest.

For the first time at Anuga, Seydelmann displayed its AU 200 S automatic grinder, which can process both fresh and frozen meat.

Vemag, distributed in the UK by Reiser, displayed its new minced meat line at this year’s Anuga FoodTec.

Printing firm Primera Technology showed a range of printing solutions at Pro2pac for labelling packaging, both in large-scale and small-scale formats.

Staffordshire-based firm Nicholl Food Packaging offered a range of foil trays at Pro2pac, described as the ”ultimate lightweighted tray without cutting corners”. The trays are designed for ready-to-cook meat, joints and chickens.

Multisorb Technologies took part in the UK Trade & Investment stand at Anuga this year, with information on its preservation products for meat shelf-life.