Norway is now operating the first salmon slaughter line in the world to use automatic bleeding based on machine vision and robot technology. The innovation makes for more rational operation, says the system’s pilot operator.

Creating and maintaining a safe, hygienic food plant is a constant challenge that requires eternal vigilance - one slip up can, potentially, sound the death knell for the business. There is no ‘once and for all’ solution, as the very ingredients themselves frequently carry the bacteria and contamination into the plants. Following are two sets of research you may find interesting.

Spinach sales fell but expenditures for total leafy greens remained unchanged, following a US government warning to avoid bagged spinach because of possible E. coli O157:H7 contamination in 2006.

Food manufacturers are facing tougher challenges than ever before. In order to meet record-keeping and lot-tracking requirements, they must be able to rapidly identify and track every single ingredient in their products, from receipt through processing, packaging and shipping to the exact customer location.

Stainless steel’s unique characteristics make it highly suited to use in the food industry and users can increase corrosion resistance, cleanability and longevity by handling it appropriately. Purge welding to avoid heat tint is one example where users can ensure they get it right from the outset.

Kraft Foods is addressing the problem of increased traffic by finding alternatives to trucking and making its distribution network more efficient. Since 2005, innovative sustainability projects have saved the company more than 80 million km in its global transportation and distribution network.

Chadwicks has created a variety of lids for Bacchus’s ready-to-drink liqueur shot party pack, Shotbox.

With a specially engineered solution, Avery Dennison has helped Moet Hennessy to solve one of the most difficult challenges in wine labelling. The result is an attractive and functional neck label that secures the foil cap wrappings on the company’s champagne brand, Moet & Chandon, and all its premium champagnes.

Murray Goulburn Co-operative has used Tetra Pak’s aseptic technology to create a long-life specialist milk line for Australia’s cafe industry.

Hellers has upgraded its sausage line with a system manufactured by Mercer Stainless, making the transfer of meat trim and bagged smallgoods to the packing stations more efficient and hygienic.

A food X-ray machine is in use at the I Spy Pies processing plant at Maroochydore. The machine is installed on the pie line to ensure the company’s pies are free of physical contaminants.

Westland Dairy has engaged Mercer Stainless to build a new bulk storage silo for raw milk. The silo has a working capacity of 300 m³.

A Sydney-based milk and beverage contract packaging company has boosted its plant operational efficiency from 75% to more than 90%, and has doubled its overall output, in months.

Wiley has completed a state-of-the-art hide processing facility for Swift Australia.

Goodman Fielder’s plant at Mascot in New South Wales has made a gain from a modest investment, by upgrading its labelling equipment on the bottle labelling line. The outlay has delivered an annual saving with a payback in around six months, achieved with the additional equipment.