Technology news from Fresh Produce Journal
Technology news stories with a direct relevance to the UK fresh produce business, including updates on production and harvesting systems, sorting and grading machinery, packaging, coldstorage and controlled atmosphere, digital management, robots and automation, vertical farming, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.
The Felix Project launches new platform for small, one-off food donations
Felix Connect service directly links food donors to community organisations across London, allowing “ad hoc or quirky donations” to be accepted too
‘Positive response’ from Defra on implementing Precision Breeding Act
Open letter signed by science and agri-food leaders urged new government to act quickly to make gene editing possible in England
Gander signs up to Wrap’s Courtauld Commitment 2030
Food waste reduction app signs Courtauld Commitment 2030 to have “bigger impact, faster” on sustainability of UK food sector
New raspberry harvesting bot works ‘at same speed and quality’ as humans
Fieldworker 1, from Fieldwork Robotics, uses AI technology to improve berry ripeness detection
Proseal scoops 2024 AgTech Breakthrough Award
UK fresh produce packaging solutions specialist wins FoodTech Equipment of the Year award for its Case De-Stacker
Farmers to receive free expert advice on nature-friendly practices
The Future Farm Resilience programme aims to provide business planning advice to assist UK farmers
UCT debuts blueberry harvesting tool
Device shows 7 per cent increase in productivity and 87 per cent reduction in fruit losses in manual harvesting
Fresh Direct secures tieup with third British vertical farming supplier
GrowUp Farms is the latest supplier to work with the footservice giant
New tech helps importer avoid the avocado hard sell
Well-timed investment in technology and a carefully planned procurement programme have combined to give UK importer Worldwide Fruit a considerable advantage
Vertical farming ‘greener than first thought’, study finds
Vertical farming could save land and reduce climate change impact of growing crops, researchers reveal
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M&S visits Hadlow glasshouse site to help boost tomato supply
Centre of Excellence in glasshouse growing opened in June and has caught the attention of retailers
Return to school boosts grocery sales
Kantar figures show parents are buying more lunchbox foods as the end of summer nears
New commercial food waste laws to come into force in March 2025
Companies that produce more than 5kg of food waste per week will be have to store wasted food in separate bins and arrange for its collection by licensed waste carriers
HSBC offers discounted loan fees to back farm sustainability
Sustainable Farming Pathway aims to make access to finance more affordable
Aldi announces £1.4bn investment in UK
The discounter plans to spend millions expanding its network and sales in Britain
Robots at the ready as supplier targets growth in stonefruit and pears
Agrintesa’s new facility aims to capitalise on recent major investments in premium varieties like Ondine-branded flat nectarines
Ribena uses AI to boost biodiversity on blackcurrant farms
Technology is being used to analyse the presence of threatened bird species
Cutting-edge tech catches the eye at Interpoma
The world’s only trade fair dedicated exclusively to the apple sector returns to South Tyrol in November 2024, with a sharp focus on new technology
Food security under threat from patchy digital access
British farmers’ productivity hampered by poor digital connectivity in rural areas, new NFU survey reveals
RapidAim to deliver real-time moth monitoring on crop farms
The tech aims to improve crop protection by enabling more targeted use of insecticides to combat moths