Food & Processing

A conveyor that runs perfectly in a Derbyshire parcel hub would struggle to pass a hygiene audit in a Nottinghamshire food processing plant. The principle is the same in both, moving product from one point to another without people carrying it, but the engineering brief could hardly be more different. That's the part that often gets lost when businesses first look at automation. It's tempting to treat conveyors as a commodity: pick a belt width, a length and a speed, and orde

From April 2026, the fees UK producers pay under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging stopped being a flat rate per tonne and started depending on how recyclable the packaging actually is. Packaging is now assessed under the Recyclability Assessment Methodology, given a red, amber or green rating, and charged accordingly. Red-rated packaging pays a premium over amber. Green-rated packaging gets a discount. Nearly all of the coverage of this has been written for comp

If you operate a food or beverage production line in the UK, HACCP compliance is not optional. Under the Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 and Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004, every food business is legally required to implement a food safety management system based on Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point principles. That obligation does not stop at your processes and procedures; it extends directly to the equipment running through your facility, including

Conveyor belt systems are widely used in the food manufacturing industry. Not only is it much more efficient than manual labour, but it also ends up being much less expensive in the long term. Food production must adhere to stringent laws, and the methods used to produce various foods vary substantially. What functions with raw meats may not be suitable for baked goods, and understanding what works best for your company’s needs is crucial to maximising profits and reducing do