Production at Cadbury's factory in Claremont, Tasmania, stopped at 9.30 pm last Tuesday and on Wednesday staff were put on cleaning and general maintenance duties while IT staff tried to unblock their computer system and access their files. [ + ]

Supply chain security is vital to the food manufacturing process, with traceability and audit compliance a priority; however, smaller manufacturers often find it costly to comply. Many 'traceability' technologies are geared to larger manufacturers and this causes obstacles and barriers for smaller players in the industry. [ + ]

For every burrito or bowl purchased at a Zambrero restaurant, a meal is donated to someone in need. So far over 15 million meals have been donated through the Plate 4 Plate initiative. [ + ]

Fast food from chicken and sandwich chains is slightly healthier than that from burger and pizza chains which, in turn, is somewhat better nutritionally than that from cafe chains. [ + ]

Lupin has been added to the list of allergens that must be declared on food labels. The Food Standards Code now requires lupin to be declared on labels whenever it is present as an ingredient or as a component of food additives or processing aids. This requirement must be met by 25 May next year. [ + ]

The meat substitutes market is reported to be growing at 8.7% annually in the US and 4.9% in the UK. As part of this trend, even major meat companies are investing in start-ups and companies making plant-based and vegan meat substitutes. [ + ]

Stable in dairy products, baked goods and beverages, a new natural yellow/orange/red colour is broadening the pallet of natural colours available to food developers. [ + ]

General and specialty food, catering equipment, hospitality equipment, bakery, drinks, coffee, tea, dairy, meat and seafood, retail and technology, fit-out and design, packaging, natural, organic and free-from, and on-premise liquor will all be showcased at Fine Food Australia. [ + ]

The time, effort and cost of engaging and training new employees is increasing — what can employers do? [ + ]

In the third quarter of this year, Sonoco expects to conclude its deal to acquire flexible and forming plastic packaging films manufacturer Clear Lam Packaging for US$170 million. [ + ]

The Australian HACCP Conference Awards provide the food industry with a chance to recognise and reward the achievements of those who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our food supply. [ + ]

They can't use smartphones or Wi-Fi, but bacteria have evolved some seriously complex strategies to communicate with one another. And the resulting interactions are a delicate balance of cooperation and, in some cases, competition. Biologists have uncovered a new way that bacteria lay siege to neighbouring cells by hijacking two factors involved in protein synthesis. [ + ]

The ACCC is proposing to grant bulk wheat Port Code exemptions to Riordan Grain Services and Semaphore Container Services at the Port of Geelong and Port Adelaide. [ + ]

Specialty foods and beverages could provide a path to profit. In the US, specialty food industry sales hit $127 billion in 2016 with strong growth recorded by traditional and non-traditional specialty food retailers, foodservice operators and distributors. [ + ]

As foodpro 2017 nears, it’s clear that innovations from across the industry will feature heavily across the show floor. In what will be the largest show yet, many of the technologies to be showcased at foodpro will create serious change for the food manufacturing industry. [ + ]