Europe: Two events to stimulate action on food security, says FAO

EXPO Milano 2015, with its food security-oriented theme, and an international nutrition conference coming up in Rome in November 2014, will be "emblematic efforts that help shape the sustainable future we want, said director-general José Graziano da Silva of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO UN). "We need to act now, forcefully, to reach a world in...

Europe: Herma expands in 2013 despite weak economic recovery

The Herma Group says it has continued to expand in 2013 fiscal year, achieving growth in sales in its business with self-adhesive materials, labels and labelling machines. The total revenues of €261.2 million (US$355.2 million) represent a year-on-year increase of 6.4 % (from €245.6 million ). “Having recorded the highest annual sales in company history to date in 2012, sustaining this...

Americas: Menasha Packaging plant expands graphic display capabilities with new machine

Menasha Packaging’s Yukon plant in Pennsylvania, US has a new large-format Automatan litho labeler that reportedly boost throughput by 50%. The system accommodates blanks that are about 40% larger than the facility’s previous litho labeler, while still being able to handle smaller format sheets if needed. The new litho labeler is phase one of Yukon Plant’s efforts to ramp up its...

Asia Pacific: POIG releases indicators for responsible palm oil production

The Palm Oil Innovation Group (POIG) on May 23, 2014 released a set of indicators that allow for the independent verification of performance against the POIG Charter, which was released in November 2013. The POIG Charter builds on the Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil’s (RSPO) certification standard with additional requirements that ensure all palm oil operations by POIG grower members...

Asia Pacific: R&R Ice Cream buys Australia’s Peters Food Group for undisclosed amount

Funds advised by Pacific Equity Partners (PEP) announced on May 27, 2014 the sale of Peters Food Group Limited to R&R Ice Cream, backed by funds advised by PAI Partners (PAI). The terms of the deal are not disclosed. Under the agreement, R&R will acquire Peters, with its portfolio of household name ice creams including Drumstick, Connoisseur, Peters Original and Maxibon. PEP...

Americas: Protein found to create beer foam, say researchers

The secret to optimal foam in the head of a freshly poured brew, according to Cornell food science research, is the right amount and kind of barley lipid transfer protein called LTP1. Bitter compounds found in hops, like iso-alpha acids, are important to brewers, says Cornell’s Karl J. Siebert, principal investigator and author of Recent Discoveries in Beer Foam, which...

Asia Pacific: Sugar found to be implicated in cardiovascular disease risk, say researchers

University of Otago researchers have uncovered evidence that sugar has a direct effect on risk factors for heart disease, including blood pressure, independent of weight gain. Research Fellow with Otago’s Department of Human Nutrition Dr Lisa Te Morenga, Professor Jim Mann and colleagues have conducted a review and meta-analysis of all international studies that compared the effects of higher versus...

Asia Pacific: Dairy company Devondale Murray Goulburn invests A$19M in facility to boost exports to Asia

Devondale Murray Goulburn’s A$19 million (US$17.5 million) investment at its facility in Koroit, Australia will increase its capacity to produce nutritional products destined for consumers in Asia. The investment forms part of a larger A$127 million (US$117.2 million) capital investment, announced by the company’s MD Gary Helou in May 2014. The Koroit site – which is the largest dairy manufacturing facility...

Europe: China’s Bright Food to buy Israeli company Tnuva from Apax Partners

Private equity firm Apax Partners has sold its 56% stake in Tnuva, Israel's largest food company, to Bright Food (Group), a food and agriculture companies in China. Tnuva was established over 85 years ago as an agricultural cooperative society and today it is the largest food company in Israel. Tnuva’s operations include production, distribution and marketing of food products such as...

Europe: MAXStick Products, Martel Instruments announce new liner-free label printer

MAXStick Products has released LLP1800 MAXStick linerless label printer equipped with the company’s platen roller and crafted by Martel Instruments, a global manufacturer of custom printer solutions. The printer offers an “easy open” label roll feature and customizable features such as Wi-Fi support, Bluetooth capabilities, numerous international character sets, barcodes and several different modes of operation. The new printer is designed...