McCormick’s packaging engineers in France took their consumers’ needs into consideration when they were designing a new spice package with a wider neck and wider access. The engineers chose the Wetherchem FlapMate closure as the traditional single-method sift cap on the package wouldn’t truly satisfy all of their customers. [ + ]

CompAir’s Quantima compressor system has helped Australia’s largest milk processor, Murray Goulburn (MGC), reduce costs and carbon emissions. [ + ]

When the local council changed the criteria for discharge to local sewage treatment works, a New South Wales juice producer turned to Ovivo Australia to supply, construct and commission a new waste water treatment plant (WWTP) at its factory. [ + ]

Choosing a Dematic robotic layer picker has helped Nestlé Australia improve safety, quality and productivity - and won Nestlé industry recognition for its system. [ + ]

Innovia Films’ shrink-tightening BOPP substrate, Propafilm OS, has been selected by global confectionery manufacturer Ferrero to overwrap boxes of its Rondnoir chocolates. [ + ]

In rapidly growing cities throughout Australasia and the Asia-Pacific, space is at a premium, clean water supply is precious and global warming is a major issue. In these cities, food and beverage companies face challenges to minimise their physical and environmental footprints and therefore must choose technology wisely. GWE has provided a solution to these challenges for a Bangkok confectionery company. [ + ]

Sustainable packaging, non-GMO verified authenticity and the social impact of food distribution models: these were three of the key themes of the fifth Sustainable Foods Summit. 180 executives met in San Francisco on 17-18 January for the carbon-neutral event to explore key sustainability issues in the food industry. [ + ]

The Melbourne Exhibition Centre will host two trade shows in one this April. From 17-19 April, the Safety in Action and Melbourne Materials handling trade shows will combine to showcase solutions for managers in the food technology industry such as plant, lab, storage and logistics managers. [ + ]

An upgraded conveyor system has helped Australia’s largest cold-chain logistics service provider stay on top of its game - at low cost. [ + ]

A pneumatic feeder built by Vibration Systems & Solutions (VSS) in July 1999 is about to celebrate its 13th birthday. Luckily, VSS isn’t at all superstitious - and with good reason. The feeder continues to give great performance delivering fruit and nuts to a multi-head packing machine, just as it has done since it was installed in 1999. [ + ]

Ocean Spray Cranberries and Complete Phytochemical Solutions have joined forces on a project to develop a cranberry-specific PAC standard. [ + ]

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was alerted to the presence of the fungicide carbendazim in imported Brazilian orange juice concentrate in late December last year. Levels of up to 35 parts per billion were found in the concentrate and, in response, the FDA began testing all imported concentrate in the US. Australia’s reaction to the concerns raises difficult questions about Australian standards, testing procedures and provenance labelling. [ + ]

Modified probiotics, the beneficial bacteria touted for their role in digestive health, could one day decrease the risk of Listeria infection in people with susceptible immune systems, according to Purdue University research. [ + ]

Human tongues apparently recognise and have an affinity for fat, according to researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis. They have found that variations in a gene can make people more or less sensitive to the taste of fat. [ + ]

Patane Produce commissioned three 1.8-tonne Toyota 8FG18 forklifts at the end of 2011 to increase production and improve the reliability of its material handling fleet. [ + ]