Breaking News on Prepared Food and Meat Processing

Pronova Biocare pushes up purity levels

Omega-3 supplier Pronova Biocare has followed rival Croda's lead in claiming that it now offers oils that exceed industry and regulatorypurity standards.

Scientists identify phthalates as a gender bender

Normal exposure to phthalates, a chemical group used in plastics packaging to make products flexible and pliable, may harm the genital development of unborn baby boys, according to a study by US-based scientists.

Industry briefs: Tyson accused of mistreating chickens

Tyson Foods has launched an investigation into whether some of its workers are regularly slaughtering chickens inhumanely, after claims by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) about practices at the company's Heflin, Alabama, poultry plant.

Agent QC: A secret sensor on the job

Finding out if the truck delivering your frozen fish fails to keep your goods at the proper temperature could become easier with Agent QC's undercover transport tracking system, reports AhmedElAmin.

Antibiotic use promotes resistant strains of Campylobacter

The poultry industry's use of antibiotics promotes antibiotic resistance among the foodborne bacteria that infect humans, including the bacterium Campylobacter, according to a study by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Nanotechnology sales increase to €687.5m in 2004

Worldwide sales of nanotechnology products to the food and beverage packaging sector jumped to US$860m (€687.5m) in 2004 from US$150m (€120m) in 2002, according to a new study by consultant Helmut Kaiser.

China turns blind eye to foot and mouth allegations

Officials continue to remain tight-lipped over reports of a foot and mouth (FMD) outbreak outside Beijing - as the country takes precautions to avoid another bird flu pandemic, Tom Armitage reports.

Poultry campylobacter source found in lungs

The source of the bacterium Campylobacter on poultry farmsand in processing plants probably lies in the birds' lungs, according to research by two scientists, reports Ahmed ElAmin.

Monday comment

Time for a fair trade

The UK government must introduce a compulsory new supermarket code ofconduct if it is to make up for past mistakes and save the food industryfrom a spiral into anti-competitive practices.

KHS machine processes shrink packed food

KHS Kisters of Germany has launched a machine to make, process and pack shrink packed goods for the beverage, food and non-food industries.

Upcoming EU ban fuels interest in probiotic feed market

With the upcoming EU ban on the use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal feed, companies such as Medipharm and Chr. Hansen are rushing to provide farmers with natural alternatives.

Industry product announcements

US-based Klöckner Pentaplast will unwrap its new line of Pentafood anti-fog vinyl films at the upcoming Expo Pack in Mexico City.

Stanelco to target US with tray sealing technology

A former UK manufacturing company has found another use for its radio frequency technology - sealing plastic tray packages of perishable food for supermarkets, retailers and grocers.

Advocacy group blasts US animal tagging proposals

A proposal by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement a mandatory system for tagging and tracking animals in four years has been attacked by a food safety group as "another Bush-administration bow to the cattle producers".

Manual feeder from Ishida offers product consistency

An innovative fresh food weigher that combines multihead weighing with a linear design allows processors to manually feed products in order to ensure product consistency.

Nanoscale technology: the future of food safety

Nanotechnology has the potential to dramatically improve the quality of food production at a time when consumer concerns over safety are increasingly influencing key business decisions, writes Anthony Fletcher.

ConAgra launches search for new chairman

ConAgra Foods is on the search for a chairman and CEO after the incumbent Bruce Rohde announced he was stepping down.

NZ prepares for foot and mouth 'hoax' aftermath

The New Zealand government has swiftly dismissed reports of a foot and mouth outbreak, labelling it a "hoax", Tom Armitage reports.

McDonald's China takes on KFC with drive-through concept

US fast food giant McDonald's announced yesterday that it will open its first drive-through outlet in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, as part of an attempt to increase the company's profitability in the region and outpace rival KFC, Tom Armitage reports.

More foods contaminated with Para Red

Three more products added to the growing list of foods contaminated with the banned red colour Para Red in the UK.

New labelling regime driving up product recalls

Tough new labelling regulations concerning allergens may be driving up the number of product recalls by UK's food producers, warns food safety consultancy RSSL.

Increasing meat demand drives packaging growth

Demand for meat, poultry and seafood packaging is projected to increase four per cent annually to $6.9 billion in 2009, according to a new report.

Urban Russians demand more fresh meat

Meat processing firm Kampomos has launched the first of its new high margin product range in Russia, aimed at growing demand for freshness and diversity among more affluent city-livers while also easing pressure from high costs, reports Angela Drujinina.

Canadian beef industry loses patience over border dispute

Canadian frustration over the failure to reopen the US border to Canadian beef imports has fuelled demands to accelerate the expansion of its own meat processing capacity, writes Anthony Fletcher.

BSE restrictions drag down Tyson's performance

Higher prices and lower grain costs largely offset down volumes in Tyson Foods' meat lines, but ongoing BSE restrictions have helped drag down the company's bottom line.

US heavyweights to discuss agroterrorism threat

The US will host its first international symposium on the burgeoning threat of agroterrorism to discuss ways of reducing the US food supply chain's vulnerability to terrorist tampering, Tom Armitage reports.