< PreviousSOFTWARE AND HARDWARE30 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netAs retailers and customers now demandabsolute product integrity, software solutionshave now become an essential item formanufacturers and distributors alike. Certainlythe type of information now required bycompanies is such that it could only berecorded with the introduction of software.The challenge now is to make sure thesoftware fits in with the requirements of allaspects of the supply chain. As Datel report,retailers now often provide challengingtimescales for traceability – in some cases justfour hours are given to locate the information.A recent survey of 250 companies in the UKfood and drink industry suggested that 26% ofthose surveyed wouldn’t be able to identifyproduct recall items within that timescale,while 11% would need at least a day and 10%wouldn’t be able to carry out thoserequirements at all. That would inevitablymean that they would have little chance ofwinning contracts from blue chip companieswhose traceability requirements often go farabove and beyond the recommendations offood safety bodies and governments.Happily, numerous companies now offervaluable solutions that can either be purchasedoff the shelf or, increasingly, devised in bespokeforms to meet manufacturers’ individual needs.Verify Traceability, for example, offer the eQTrace suite of business management softwarewhich aims to reduce operating costs and wastein the business while ensuring full compliancewith EU food safety legislation. The softwarelinks with an existing accounts package toprovide a complete paperless food businessmanagement system, managing inventory at abatch level and also managing all of theHACCP, traceability, sales and productionprocesses in a paperless fashion.One example of how this can work inpractice comes from meat producerO’Herlihys. The support for handheld devicesand remote order fulfilment, within the eQTrace system, has allowed the company toeliminate paper-based order completioncompletely, and therefore improve businesscash flow because invoices are generateinstantly at the customer site and invoicematching issues are eliminated. The systemalso controls all the order intake andprocessing throughout the factory andtransactions are automatically sent to theSAGE accounts system – creating a completebusiness management solution.Increasingly now companies are making useTotal recallThe advent of software asstandard in manufacturingand distribution hasimproved accuracy,productivity andtraceability, while reducingwaste. Balloon One hashelped Community Foodsachieve these aimsAs the production process becomes more sophisticated, those companiesthat can make software work for them most effectively have a vitalcompetitive advantage30-33:Layout 1 13/12/12 13:18 Page 1Food & Drink International 31www.fdiforum.netQuality, Traceability and HACCP Managementacross theComplete Supply Chainwww.VerifyTraceability.comof cloud and SaaS systems for their ERPrequirements. There are obviousadvantages, too – making use of cloudcomputing will mean you reduce the cost ofrunning a fully-fledged IT system withinthe company, and should make it easier forall those who have to access the materialcontained within to do so. There is alsoplenty of opportunity to expand the systemwhen required – a major benefit when itcomes to a fast-moving industry such asfood and drink which is often subject toseasonal variations.Indeed, cloud ERP is now socommonplace that companies are generallynow offering the service as standard. Thesoftware can be tailored to your needs,though it’s worth remembering that it willhave to be future-proofed and a particularlyspecific system will sometimes have to becompletely reconstructed from scratch ifthere’s a sizeable change to the company’soutput. As software specialists such asLakeview point out, a vanilla systemmodified to a manufacturer’s specific needsand future proofed for upgrades is mucheasier to build upon later – and will savethe business money in the long term.An example of how Lakeview’s systemworks in practice can be seen at NaturalBalance Foods who introduced a LakeviewERP system that incorporates fulltraceability from individual product toflavour variants. The company has sevenwarehouses and, previously, an order washandled seven times by individual staff.With the Lakeview system this has been cutand manual intervention is only requiredtwice throughout the process. The newERP system is a responsive solution whichenables full stock replenishment, includingre-ordering fresh produce on a just in timebasis. As with many of the latest softwareBosch Packaging Technology offer aMobile Measuring System that cancapture OEE-relevant data32 30-33:Layout 1 13/12/12 13:18 Page 232 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSOFTWARE AND HARDWAREsolutions, the Lakeview system is availableas an iPad app and web client to allowremote access – a major benefit when theinformation needs to be accessed by severalcompanies in the supply chain.In addition to providing the traceabilitythat customers now demand, the newsoftware is also of great benefit tocompanies aiming to discover howefficiently their production process isworking. Measuring Overall EquipmentEffectiveness can be of particular benefit fora company as it ensures the equipment canbe optimised and potential flashpoints canbe easily located and avoided. BoschPackaging Technology offer a MobileMeasuring System that can capture OEE-relevant data. It provides the required dataon output, speed, downtimes and wasteacross an entire line and identifies potentialfor improvement to increase equipmenteffectiveness and productivity. Production-limiting factors such as downtime, outputlosses and material waste can bedetermined and acted upon swiftly.Taking a strategic view of the company ispossible when they makes effective use ofsoftware – and that can allow changes to beintroduced swiftly and simply. Foodand drink businesses that succeed doso by ensuring they continue to offerhigh quality products that meetchanging consumer demands andchanges to recipes – whether simply tooffer a new variation or in light of newrequirements in the ingredients used – canbe introduced with the minimum of fuss.For example, the Recipe Formulation andTraceability solutions from companies suchas Stevens Group don’t just help incompliance with the latest AIB, SQF,EFSIS and BRC guidelines, but also enablemanagement teams to take control of theshop floor operations either integrated withERP/MRP and accounting software, orsimply operating standalone.As far as shopfloor staff are concerned,those companies that have introducedrecipe formulation systems can rely on thesoftware to calculate the amounts ofindividual ingredients needed anddownload the order to the relevant station,providing an effortless formulation process.The system will then prompt the operatorthroughout as the correct amount of eachingredient is added, and won’t allow theoperator to continue if the incorrectingredient is selected or the wrong amountadded. Human error is therefore eliminatedthroughout the process. Detailedinstructions relating to productcharacteristics are also flagged up to ensureadequate HACCP requirements are met.The latest software solutions can beoffered in a bespoke format to make itincredibly easy for a business to find onethat meets their needs – and increasinglyimportantly, one that can be continuallyupdated and revamped to cope withchanges to regulations and product lines.Software systems are now the norm in foodand drink companies so it’s those that makethe best use of them that can enjoy thegreatest success.Solutions such as those offered by Stevens Groupdon’t just help in compliance with the latestguidelines, but also enable management teams totake a wider view of operationsFood anddrink businesses thatsucceed do so by ensuringthey continue to offer highquality products that meetchanging consumerdemands and changesto recipes30-33:Layout 1 13/12/12 13:18 Page 3Food & Drink International 33www.fdiforum.netSOFTWARE AND HARDWAREERP SOFTWAREIs traceability aheadache you’d liketo eliminate?Food and drink manufacturers across the UK arestruggling to comply with retailers’ challengingtimescales for traceability – just four hours inmany cases. A recent survey of nearly 250 senior decision makers in theindustry showed that almost half find traceability a problem...* 26% of respondents cannot identify product recall itemswithin four hours* 11% would take over a day to supply the details * 10% are unable to identify product recall items at all The full report is available free of charge by emailingenquiries@datelgroup.com.How quickly could you provide full batch and lot backwardsand forwards traceability details on the products you supply, oractivate a product recall? Your commercial relationships andreputation will be irretrievably compromised if you can’t complywith a traceability request, while a badly managed recall couldcost your business millions. Ease the burden of complianceDatel helps food and drink companies to implement ITsolutions that automate the processes involved in meeting theirstatutory and commercial obligations around traceability. Datelinvite you to find out why they have been chosen by leading foodand drink companies such as Nichols, Jupiter Marketing, EuroFoodbrand Exports, Ruskim Seafoods and Xpress Fish. Visit Datel atwww.foodanddrinksoftware.com or call them on 0845 521 1875.Verify Traceability Limited28 Britton Street, Clerkenwell, London, EC1M 5UE England Tel: intl+ 44 845 643 6768Email: info@VerifyTraceability.comwww.VerifyTraceability.comCompany Profile:Verify Traceability help foodcompanies to reduce their operatingcosts and reduce risk relating tocompliance and legislation, particularlyin relation to traceability and HACCPissues.The eQ Trace suite of businessmanagement software is targeted at therequirements of modern foodcompanies and can dramatically reduceoperating costs and waste in the business while ensuring full compliancewith EU food safety legislation.Product Profile:eQ Trace is a modular suite of software products that can link withyour existing accounts package to provide a complete paperless foodbusiness management system.It manages inventory at a batch (lot code) level and also manages allof the HACCP, Traceability, Sales and Production processes in apaperless fashion.A typical return on investment is less that 6 months for customers.BRC Audits are simplified and expensive paper processes are removedfrom your business.Verify work in partnership with their customers to help them getsystems operational and provide on-site user training and on-goingtechnical support.Lakeview Computers LimitedBlake House, Schooner Court,Admirals Park,Crossways Business Park,Dartford, Kent DA2 6QQTel: 0845 388 3329Email: Dawn@lakeview.co.ukwww.lakeview.co.ukContact: Dawn AldwincklePosition: Sales & MarketingCompany Profile:Lakeview provide ERP software solutions to the food and beverageindustry within the UK. Over five thousand users rely on Lakeview’ssector specific solutions to delivery clarity, visibility and efficiency to theirdaily business operations. They stand by their motto of ‘Bespoke as standard’ – change yoursoftware, not the way you work.Product Profile:Business systems managing receipt of orders, invoicing and placingpurchase orders have been around for years. More recently, inrecognising the diverse pressures and demands of different industries,technologies have developed to provide more tailored, sector-specificsolutions. With traditional, stand-alone accounting systems, suppliers maystruggle with stock and pricing by using an Excel spreadsheet as aworkaround. Lakeview LV can manage this automatically an in addition,offer valuable campaign and promotional management, providing theessential control to ensure you remain profitable. Lakeview works on making the day-to-day activities easier, enablingyou to deal with exceptions and develop your business.30-33:Layout 1 13/12/12 13:18 Page 4MACHINERY MAINTENANCE AND SAFETYInadequate maintenance of machineryand sloppy working practices make adangerous combination so it’s important tonot only install cutting edge equipment,but to make sure your workforce knowshow to look after it too.Those involved in the production of rawingredients, particularly those in theagricultural machinery sector, have beenwarned recently about how they mustinnovate in order to meet increasing fooddemand.The need to change business models isdue to global demand for food, which isexpected to increase by 70% by 2050. Therole of the machinery manufacturer andequipment dealer is changing, andmachinery is becoming an integral part ofthe all-encompassing solution to increaseproductivity. Diversity among producers also meansthere is no one size fits all solution, and noone business model for manufacturing andselling agricultural machinery. Increasingproductivity is complicated as the farmingindustry is in different stages ofdevelopment in different parts of theworld. For example, Asia and Africa,with their small farm structure,are at a relatively earlystage in adoptingmodernmachinery. Incomparison,mature markets,such as the US, Europe and Australia, areshowing consolidation amongst farmers,resulting in growth in the large farmsegment.This has a knock-on effect tomaintenance. Larger operations and moreregulation means more sophisticatedmachinery and the need to have trainedengineers ready to maintain and repair.But much can be done by themanufacturers themselves to make themachinery easier to maintain from the verybeginning.A new range of square-bodied ISO aircompression cylinders with self-adjustingair cushioning has recently been launched.This offers machine builders andoperatives the benefits of adjustable aircushioning but without the difficulties andcosts traditionally associated withsetup. This cushioning systemautomaticallycompensatesand adjusts for set speed and mass andensures the cylinder is moving in a safeand controlled manner. This makes iteasier to comply with safety standards andthe Machinery Directive.Safety firstAccidents are fast becoming an anomalyin food production facilities. Of courseaccidents will always happen, but firms aremoving to rapidly meet legislation as it isimplemented. A York-based confectioneryfactory, for example, has recently beenrecognised for reducing the frequency ofaccidents involving its workers by over athird.Self correcting components suchas these new square-bodied ISOcylinders with self-adjusting strokecushioning mean less breakdownsand therefore less maintenancePHOTO: FESTOMaintaining successWith so much capital invested in machinery it’sbecoming increasingly important to run them in thecorrect manner while maintaining safe practice34-36:Layout 1 13/12/12 10:16 Page 1Food & Drink International 35www.fdiforum.netMACHINERY MAINTENANCE AND SAFETY36 Hygiene and ways toimprove automation withindrink production will bediscussed at this year’sdrinktec 2013PHOTO: DRINKTECSafety-sensitiveproducts need to stayin prime condition for along time and meetrigorous standardsNestlé Confectionery was namedwinner of the National Food and DrinkHealth and Safety Awards recently. ItsSafety, Health and Environmentdepartment picked up the accolade forits Design Stage Risk Assessmentsscheme. This is a system which tacklesthe risk of injury and ill health causedby equipment and processes in the foodindustry.By spotting hazards before machineryand processes are designed, engineered,and installed in the factory, thecompany has made its work safer fromthe start, reducing the frequency ofaccidents by 38% since 2009. Thisshows a new approach to safety, makingearly decisions as to how machinery isbe introduced to the workingenvironment.Nicola Callaghan, Nestlé York’sfactory safety, health and environmentmanager, spearheaded the scheme toeradicate these issues and collected theaward on behalf of her team. She says,34-36:Layout 1 13/12/12 10:16 Page 2“The project has had a huge impact onreducing the frequency of accidents toour workers. From 2009 untilSeptember just gone, we saw our ratedrop by 38% – down from 81.5accidents per million hours worked, to50.8 – a really big achievement for us.And we believe we can still do better.“It’s been great to get input from ourworkers – they operate the systems andhave the knowledge, experience and ideas.In turn, that’s helped to improve theirmorale. The cost of putting the scheme inplace has been minimal and we’re seeingsavings as efficiency is up, but injury andill-health-related lost time is down. But thebest thing is knowing the workforce issafer.”The idea of building machinery withsafety in mind can be extended to hygieneand microbiological standards too. Safety-sensitive products need to stay inprime condition for a long time and meetrigorous standards and with thesestandards only expected to rise further inthe future it’s important to consider thesechanges now. As Richard Clemens, Managing Directorof the Food and Packaging MachineryManufacturers Association, says,“Designing and building machinery andplant in line with the requirements ofhygienic design is an absolute must in oursector.“There are clear requirements forthe implementation of hygienic design.These include an engineering designthat is as simple as possible, access toall surfaces, no unnecessary surfaces,no hidden ‘dead’ spaces or roughness,and all liquids should be able to run offfreely. Of continued importance is the useof materials that have outstanding processand cleaning characteristics as regardssurface structure and temperature andchemicals resistance – from the smallestseal through to the largest tank.“Protection of the consumer is of coursethe main focus. But the hygienic design ofprocess, filling and packaging systems alsooffers benefits in terms of efficiency: easy-to-clean surfaces and components will saveon water, cleaning agents and energy. Thetotal time spent on cleaning is shorter, andthat means longer production times andincreased efficiency of the systemstechnology.”36 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMACHINERY MAINTENANCE AND SAFETYMachinery and safety go hand in hand,but automation is meaning less timewasted by operatives generally.Protectionof the consumer is ofcourse the main focus. But thehygienic design of process,filling and packaging systemsalso offers benefits in termsof efficiencyPHOTO. WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BRANISLAVPUDAR34-36:Layout 1 13/12/12 10:16 Page 3The preference for companies to relyon synthetic and more chemically-basedcolouring to make their products moreattractive and viable seems to be a thingof the past. Ever since the mid-nineties,the importance of healthily-grown foodhas meant the rise of organic and GM-free food and along with it a preferencefrom consumers for natural colourings. To use synthetic alternatives now is toproduce a lacklustre product in manyretailers’ eyes. Ranges of food,particularly geared towards children oftenboast of ‘no artificial colours orpreservatives’ puttingincreased onus on therest of the industry tofall in line. Similarly,with the rise ofhealthy alternativesfor the ‘food to go’market it means this isFood & Drink International 37www.fdiforum.netCOLOURING39 ColourtheworldColourtheworldBeetroot and other fruit andvegetable colours are now envogue in the food colouring sector,mixing and blending of naturalcolours means bespoke colouringsfree of chemicals are easy to attainColouring of food has long beena controversial aspect ofproduction, but an increasingamount of natural solutions arenegating any negativeconnotations. This meansnatural options are seeing anincreased uptake and innovativeaspects creeping in.PHOTO: WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/GARSYAextended to items like snack bars andother convenience items.To be unable to use manufactured andsynthetic ingredients, however, is not tobe left bereft of choice. Instead thereexists possibly infinite choices thanks toage-old natural dyes and colours, mixedwith modern blending techniquesensuring a bespoke hue is easy to attain -proving you approach a specialist in thisfield.The use of vegetable extracts iscommon among them using rich colourssuch as beetroot for orange or redproducts or spinach for green products.Mixing these with elements such asspices like paprika, carotene and othernatural ingredients can produce customshades to be used safely in products withno ill effects. To be unableto use manufactured andsynthetic ingredients is not to be left bereft ofchoice37-41:Layout 1 14/12/12 12:19 Page 137-41:Layout 1 14/12/12 12:19 Page 2Food & Drink International 39www.fdiforum.netCOLOURINGRecent calls have been made to banseveral food colourings, most notably theingredient that gives cola its caramelcolour. 4-methylimidazole has alreadybeen reduced in both Pepsi and Coke inthe US but no such restrictions have beenmade in other countries. The additive hasbeen linked to cancer thanks to lab tests onanimals where it has been known to cause tumours.The call to ban the substance from use in fizzy drinks hascome with a message of corporate responsibility, particularwith regard for protecting the health of the public. Coca-Colathemselves have denied it is unsafe, stating that only thestate of California has imposed labelling regulations.Different huesFood colouring has always been used to make food look41 more attractive. The first bite, they say, iswith the eye. Product uniformity is alsoimportant as it is in packaging. Anydiscrepancies between colours will have animmediate effect on consumer decisions.How a product looks on a shelf alongsideboth your own products and rivals too isimportant. The idea of perception cannot beforgotten.Studies have even been carried out to test peoples’reactions to colour, support has been found across unlikelycountries like China and India, with consumers suggesting theylinked trusted and natural colours with quality and food safety.This idea of association is perhaps most interesting within foodand drink. Consumer preferences mean the difference betweenConsumers will often onlystay loyal to a brand they canremain used to, which meansfrequent changes in colour,both of the food itself and thepackaging will discourageregular purchasesPHOTO: WWW.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DANIELE CAROTENUTOHow aproduct looks on ashelf alongside both yourown products and rivalstoo is important. The idea of perceptioncannot beforgotten.37-41:Layout 1 14/12/12 12:20 Page 3Next >