< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netLOADING BAYS & DOORSusually exchanged forelectronic keys that canonly be used once andhave to be authorisedbefore they work. Thedoors can generally onlybe opened when boththe driver and thesupervisor have insertedtheir keys, and they usuallyalso control the traffic lightsystems and warning signals toensure warehouse staff arealerted and stay away from danger.In all cases, it requires a full formal procedure to take placebefore the doors can be opened and the loading takes place.Although this seems at odds with the requirement for a fast-moving supply chain, there are notable advantages in terms ofensuring as little downtime as possible, and to ensure that all thetraceability requirements are met without the potential formislaying or failing to register specific items.The introduction of these new systems also goes hand in handwith the requirement to cope with the developments in thevehicles themselves. Warehouse managers are increasinglynoticing the use of double-deck trailers which have put newpressures on the loading bays. In those loading areas where sealsare providing the insulation around docked vehicles between theinternal and external environments, the original dock pad sealscan suffer damage beyond repair by activity for which they hadnot originally been fitted, as the height of the fans used to inflatethe seals was based on single-decker usage. It’s unsurprising,then, that companies are now taking the opportunity to removeold seals as well the repositioning of the fans to the top corner ofthe bays, high enough to avoid coming into contact with double-deck trailers.A fast-moving warehouse environment would initially seem torequire as simple an operation as possible, but the potential forexcessive downtime when it comes to breaches of safety andsecurity – as well as ensuring it is a suitable environment inwhich people can effectively work – means that it’s vital thattime and effort is spent to ensure loading can be carried out tothe highest standards.Inflatable Dock Pad Seals cater for retailers’increased use of double-deck trailers. Accuratevisualand audiblecommunication systemsare therefore highly valuable,such as the introduction ofinternal and external trafficlights that can let driversknow when it’s safe toenter the bay andleave the bay.COURTESY THORWORLD INDUSTRIESUnion’s Eigercontinuesto climbUnion Industries, the leading manufacturer ofindustrial rapid roll doors, has completed a secondinstallation at CDS Hackner GmbH in Germany. The company, which designs,manufactures, installs andmaintains its own range of fastacting doors, has installed afurther two heavy duty EigerDoors as part of an extensionand refurbishment project at thecompany’s site in Crailsheim. Union installed its first EigerDoor at CDS Hackner GmbH’smeat processing and sausagemanufacturing facility followingIntercool 2008. Due to the highhygiene requirements of thesite, the Eiger Door was finishedto a full non-standard stainlesssteel specification.One new installation replaced an existing problematic slidinginsulated door between a chilled loading dock and a cold storearea. The other door, which is 3m wide x 5m high – CDSHackner’s largest Eiger Doors – was installed on an opening to thesite’s new cold store extension. Both Eiger Doors, fitted by Union Industries’ UK engineers, areoperated by radio control, which opens the doors independently totheir full height. They also have pull cords for use by pedestrianswith hand pallet trucks, which open each door to approximately3m high to save energy. After opening at approximately 1.6 metres per second, Eiger Doorcloses automatically after a short dwell time, which allows forcontinuous traffic flow without compromising the freezer temperature.Warm air ingress into the freezer is drastically reduced so the normalbuild-up of ice and frost around the doorway is prevented, meaningCDS Hackner GMbH benefits from energy saving. Alan Hirst, Sales Director at Union Industries says, “The EigerDoor has completely changed the freezer door market and agrowing number of companies are benefiting from its uniquedesign and reliable operations.”For more information, call +44 (0)113 244 8393 or visitwww.unionindustries.co.uk.18-20:Layout 1 14/12/12 12:17 Page 3Register NOW at www.easyFairs.com/PIUKDelivering tomorrow’s packaging innovations for today’s buyersVISITORS AT 201298% found the exhibition to be worthwhile or very worthwhile79% identified new suppliers Registration is open for the UK’s leading event for primary and secondary packaging. Visit www.easyFairs.com/PIUKOfficial Media PartnerSupported by21:Layout 1 13/12/12 09:44 Page 1PACKAGING SPOTLIGHTPackaging has certainly got smarter in recent years as ithas attempted to meet what at first glance appear to becompletely contradictory aims. In the first instance,consumers are turned off by what they see as excessivepackaging so more lightweight solutions are required. Onthe other hand, though, product integrity has taken onincreased importance so the items need to be securelypacked and labelling regulations have been toughened upmeaning much more information is required.Happily the industry seems to be well on course tofinding the way to please all parties – and certainly it’sgreener than ever. In fact, a new survey commissioned byeasyFairs suggests that environmental issues have becomeso mainstream, consumers now automatically assumepackaging will be environmentally friendly.That’s good news for the industry as itillustrates the good work that has been carriedout in recent years to emphasise environmentalcredentials – but it also puts responsibility inthe hand of manufacturers to ensure that isactually the case.Those who attend easyFairs PackagingInnovations in February will certainly enjoy theopportunity of witnessing a sector that isdevoting a huge amount of energy to researchand development – and indeed the fact theshow has grown every year for the past eightyears is testament to the enthusiasm thatabounds in the sector.A further example is the huge investmentthat is being made in the sector. This includesthe recent opening of a new Robopac plant inSan Marino by the Aetna Group – which ismaking use of the latest innovative production methods toensure their stretch and shrink wrapping capabilitiescontinue to improve. Meanwhile, Webtech have invested£4.5 million over the past eighteen months, bringing withit the addition of 20,000 sq ft of factory space and theinstallation of a new ten colour Windmoller & Holscherprinting press. Consolidation in the sector is also prevalentwith Webtech’s recent purchase of Primopost giving thecompany multi-site capability to continue its supply tomajor customers.When it comes to environmental issues, the reduction ofpackaging waste has been a top priority for manufacturers,25 22 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netInnovate to ACCUMULATEResearch and development has brought with it a huge range of new packagingideas that are saving costs and energyThe recent opening of a new Robopac plant inSan Marino by the Aetna Group illustrates theirinvestment to ensure their stretch and shrinkwrapping capabilities continue to improve22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:08 Page 1The packaging sector continues to innovate -Ardagh Group has won the coveted MetalPackaging Manufacturers Association ‘Bestin Metal’ Award for its eye-catching JeanPaul Gaultier-designed trio of Coca-Colacontour bottles22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:08 Page 2The award winning Primopost, is one of the UK's leading suppliers of printed and plain flexible packaging solutions for the food and non-food industries. Our packaging is used to promote and protect products in the biscuit, bakery and confectionery aisles, as well as the freezer and Chiller cabinets. Primopost use the latest in high-tech print processes to deliver eye catching print quality. At ASP Flexibles serving our clients is paramount and we do this continually by adapting to bespoke value driven packaging solutions. We deal with small, medium and large enterprises and we specialise in the food and non food markets, utilising the full benefits of packaging materials. ASP delivers shelf life extension technologies to the Fresh Produce sector. Tel: (0044 ) 01942 717 340 www.aspfflexibles.com tcashmore@aspflexibles.com In the fiercely competitive world of carton print and manufacturing, few companies have rivalled the sustained success and the growth of Marchmont. From Customer Services to our advanced stock control and despatch systems, our high levels of investment in plant training and quality management has kept us at the forefront of our ever evolving industry. Tel: 00353 1 4130200 www.marchmont.com sales@marchmont.com Tel: (0044) 28 6632 5757 www.webtechni.com admin@webtechni.com Tel: (0044) 01 298 79 113 www.primopost.com enquiries@primopost.com Webtech is the leading name in the Drinks Industry as the specialist provider of Reel-Fed Labels. Our business growth strategy focuses on customer excellence, product innovation and World-class manufacturing. Webtech has a reputation for delivering the highest standard of quality and service to our beverage industry partners across Europe. 22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:08 Page 3Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTindustry work together todeliver a common set of aims. FDFmembers have consistently championedWRAP’s work on preventing waste andwere at the forefront of the programme ofsite reviews.”Indeed much of the success in reducingwaste in recent years has been due tochanges in the make-up and style ofpackaging now available. For example, thereis now increased availability of smallerpacks of foodstuffs, which means customersdon’t have to purchase products they aren’tgoing to eat.Nearly half of all packs are now re-closable, with the WRAP Retailer Surveyfinding that the number of re-sealablecheese packs has increased to 35% in 2012,26 Sustainable innovations includeSmurfit Kappa’s Eco Tray, acorrugated tray that offers a greenalternative to traditionalpolystyrene and plastic traysand the latest results released byWRAP show that food and drinkcompanies have delivered significantprogress over the second year ofPhase 2 of WRAP’s CourtauldCommitment. These results showthere has been a decrease of 8.8%in supply chain product andpackaging waste against a 5%target compared to 2009. Theresults also highlight that overthe same two year period,there has been an 8.2%reduction in the carbon impact ofpackaging against a 10% target. Andrew Kuyk, Director ofSustainability at the UK’s Foodand Drink Federation, says,“These results are good news,particularly at a time when thereare a whole host of globalpressures on business to deliverresource efficiency savings anddecouple environmental impacts from theeconomic growth we so urgently need.Courtauld 2 is also an integral part ofFDF’s Five-fold Environmental Ambition,which celebrates its fifth anniversary thisyear and has led the way in setting clearand measurable targets for our sector.“It is an excellent example of the resultsthat can be achieved through voluntaryagreements, where Government andThe make-upof the packagingitself is undergoingsubtle changes withenvironmental aspectsvery much inmind22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:08 Page 426 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTfrom 26% last year, and 73% of rice packsare now re-closable compared to 44%.Labelling has also improved as 96% of allproducts surveyed now also carry storageguidance, helping consumers keep foodfresher for longer. These are small changesto packaging and labelling but theircumulative impact can’t be overestimated.The make-up of the packaging itself,meanwhile, is undergoing subtle changeswith environmental aspects very much inmind. Transparent packaging supplierSeufert Transparente Verpackungen, forexample, has for many years offered 85%recycled R-PET plastic. The company workunder BRC/IoP accredited conditions,recycling PET film scraps so they arereturned into the extruding process.STV have also set up a new collaborationwith natureOffice whereby the carbonfootprint of each project is calculated usingan online platform, taking into account theproduction of the plastic film, printing,processing, finishing anddelivery. Not only cancompanies then decide howto offset these emissions,but customers can alsoaccess this information viathe web – a valuable way toillustrate a company’scommitment to energy efficiency.Packaging changes are also avoidingwaste during the long and complicatedsupply chain. For example, at the turn ofthe century, the UK milk industry wassuffering wastage of between 1.5% and 2%,with around 56 million litres of milk beinglost through cap leakage. However thesuccess of cap sealing systems from the likesof Enercon mean that wastage has nowbeen reduced with rejected leaking bottlesnow becoming a rarity. In addition,traditional packaging materials that areoften seen as damaging to the environment,such as polystyrene chips, can now bereplaced with a starch-basedmaterial that dissolves in water or‘green’ loose fill chips made from recycledplastic. Companies such as Kite Packagingare now offering such items as a matter ofcourse.Packaging materials to combat food wasteare also being developed, with somesupermarkets trialling corrugated board thatutilises an ethylene-absorbing agent to slowdown fruit and vegetable ripening to helpthem stay fresher for longer. AndyBarnetson, Director of Packaging at theConfederation of Paper Industries, hasgone as far as to suggest that the industrySomesupermarkets aretrialling corrugated board that utilises an ethylene-absorbing agent to slowdown fruit and vegetableripening to help them stayfresher forlonger22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:09 Page 5Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.netvisit us atIMHX 2013Stand20B60With the ever increasing pressures to reduce packaging but the requirement for more information or promotions, ÷QGLQJWKHEDODQFHFDQEHTXLWHGLI÷FXOW)L[D)RUPWKHPXOWLSDJHODEHOIURP'HQQ\%URVZLWKLWÚVDOPRVWXQOLPLWHGVSDFHIRURQSDFNFRPPXQLFDWLRQFRXOGSURYHWREH\RXULGHDOVROXWLRQ:K\QRWFRPHDQGYLVLWXVDWWKH3DFNDJLQJ,QQRYDWLRQVVKRZ6WDQG)×)HEUXDU\1(&%LUPLQJKDPZZZGHQQ\EURVFRP7(÷[DIRUP#GHQQ\EURVFRPfollow us on:could actually benefit from more packaging.He says, “Packaging helps to protect food in transit as well aspreserving its freshness on arrival at retailers. It also uses far lessenergy in the supply chain than the production and cookingprocesses. By preventing food from going off, it is saving farmore in resources than those used in the packaging itself. Thebest environmental solution can be more packaging rather thanless.” Others in the industry may disagree with such aFaerch Plast A/S has developed a blackCPET material that can be detected byNear InfraRed sensors. This enablesrecyclers to sort black CPET in the mixedplastics waste stream for the first time everPACKAGING SPOTLIGHT28 22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:09 Page 6suggestion but it does prove that the sector is continuallycoming up with new ideas in the quest for success.The trend does seem to be towards smaller packaging, butthis brings with it a major challenge in ensuring all therequired information can be included without being printed insuch a small format it becomes illegible or so prominent itcompletely overwhelms the design. This will become evenmore of an issue when the new European regulations on thelabelling of food products come into force at the end of 2014.These will require food packaging to include additionalinformation such as energy value and the amount of nutrientssuch as fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugar and salt.Distributors will also be required to ensure that each product isconsistently labelled. This could be a major issue for companiesthat wish to decrease the size of their packaging – but ideassuch as Denny Bros’ Fix-a-Form, which allows for multi-pagelabels to be affixed to a package, are an obvious solution to this.Another option is the introduction of QR codes topackaging. Bizerba are helping to pioneer the introduction ofunique QR codes on each individual piece of packaging,meaning customers can scan the item to receive full details ofthe ingredients and providence of the item they’ve justpurchased. At the moment, this is generally only used to locatea particular product batch, rather than each individual item,but new systems from companies like Bizerba should see thisbecome more commonplace in the future. As well as providinginformation for customers, one other side-effect of theintroduction of these codes is that it can stop labels beingcopied and reused by unscrupulous retailers passing off theirown products as brand names.There can’t be many sectors as innovative as packaging andnumerous companies are investing large sums in research anddevelopment to ensure products remain safe and secure,without making a huge environmental impact.28 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTAnother successfulyear for corrugatedpackagingKite Packaging, one of the UK’s leading packaging suppliers,is celebrating another successful year in the corrugatedpackaging industry as more and more customers look tothem for corrugated boxes and packaging.This is mostly due to thecompany’s innovative approachesto pricing, such as the newmixed pallet ordering system,and growing range which nowincludes over three hundredstyles of boxes available next day.A spokesperson for Kite, whorecently added BDCM cartonsand extra-large pallet box sized0201 boxes to its range, says,“We are thrilled with the increase in sales, despite the headwindsof supplier price-inflation and reduced economic activity in 2012.”Kite’s mixed pallet ordering system allows customers to benefitfrom bulk pricing on mixed sizes by pricing the order based on thetotal basket value rather than line-by-line. This is ideal forcustomers who use a wide range of different boxes but buyrelatively small quantities of each. Kite, who have seven sites around the UK, have also introduceda fantastic new tool on their website whichallows you to search their entire range ofthree hundred cartons by entering yourproduct dimensions and then lettingthe computer find the best fit. Kite say, “This tool will literallysave our customers hours! In 2013, wewill continue to offer competitiveprices while endeavouring to findinnovative new products to give us theedge over our competitors.”For more information, visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk.PHOTO COURTESY SEUFERT TRANSPARENTE VERPACKUNGEN GMBH22-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:09 Page 7Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTThe carbon footprint of each project iscalculated using an online platform fromnatureOffice, taking into accountproduction of the plastic film, printing,processing, finishing and even delivery.Clients can then choose their preferredenvironmental scheme to offset the CO2emissions. A unique reference number iscreated for each project, which can beprinted onto the client’s products andtracked via natureOffice’s website.STV Managing Director Thomas Pfaffexplains that this new option has beenprovided in response to customer demand.He says, “Brands must now not only havea commitment to carbon neutrality, butalso demonstrate it – consumers areincreasingly demanding that they do.”He believes that carbon neutral printingoffers brands considerable competitiveadvantage.STV’s products already have soundenvironmental credentials. UK SalesManager Patrick Cookland says, “Seuferthas for many years offered 85% recycledR-PET plastic. We work under BRC/IoP-accredited conditions, recycling PET filmscraps so they are returned into theextruding process. Our new cooperationwith natureOffice takes that to the nextlevel.”As Seufert is using low migration inksthroughout their offset printingproduction, the transparent boxes, sleevesand die cut parts are being used in nearlyall industry sectors, but particularly topresent confectionary, food, drinks andcosmetics in an innovative and creativeway.For more information on what Seufert canoffer, call them on 07872 552285 or visitwww.seufert.com.Carbon neutralprinting of clearpackagingLeading European transparent packaging supplier SeufertTransparente Verpackungen GmbH has teamed up with sustainabilityconsultant natureOffice to enable brands to expand and demonstratetheir commitment to the environment.STV Packaging UK Ltd | Patrick Cookland | +44 (0)787 255 2285 | p.cookland@seufert.comTRANSPARENT PACKAGINGwww.seufert.comPACKED WITHINSPIRATIONPackaging Innovations 27 – 28 February 2013NEC, Birminghamstand F5822-29:Layout 1 14/12/12 14:09 Page 8Next >