< PreviousNew lemon flavour for Mellow Gold ice creamSuncream Dairies’ popular Mellow Gold range of icecream has been extended with the launch of a new lemonflavour.Made to a traditional recipe with all natural colours andflavours, Mellow Gold Lemon ice cream is ideal forscooping or as a standalone dessert. Its fresh, authenticlemon flavour will also enhance hot desserts such ascrepes and provide a delicate contrast to rich desserts likechocolate tarts.Rebecca Manfredi, Suncream’s managing director, says,“Mellow Gold ice cream is a well-established productwhich has been a firm favourite with our customers formore than forty years. The new lemon flavour furtherincreases the range available and we’re confident that the combination of a luxury taste with great value prices willmake it a winner both in the scooping cabinet and on dessert menus.”10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSweet potato crispfirm announces firstScotland-widelistingHectares Sweet Potato Crisps has todayannounced their first nationwidesupermarket listing with Tesco. Establishedin March 2014, the brand’s three products –Lightly Salted, Piri Piri and Sea Salt & Black Pepper – in smaller 35g individual packets and larger100g sharing bags will now be available in thirty Tesco Extra stores across Scotland.Hectares is the brainchild of Glasgow-based entrepreneur Kevin Harvie, who quit a successful jobin accountancy to pursue a career in crisps. Within his first few months of trading, Kevin secured aUK-wide listing with BP M&S Simply Food, Wholefoods and hundreds of independent farm shopsand delis.Kevin says, “Launching into Tesco is a huge landmark for Hectares. Combining my love for sweetpotatoes and crisps was an obvious business venture for me –although something that still took myfamily and colleagues by surprise! To see the demand for the Hectares range grow so quickly isincredibly exciting.”Sacla’ launches new antipastirangePesto brand Sacla’ is launchinga new range of antipasti. Theantipasti range includes fourvariants – artichokes, oven roastedtomatoes, roasted peppers andsun-dried tomatoes.The new range brings innovationto the antipasti category thanks tothe careful blending of herb infusedItalian oils with each variant. Theartichokes sit in a lemon androsemary oil, the sun-driedtomatoes are in a herb infused oiland the oven roasted tomatoes arecovered by a piquant chilli oil. TheItalian oils can be drained and usedin dressings and as marinades.Sacla’ Antipasti will appeal to cooks who enjoy the conviviality ofantipasti as a start to a meal as well as those looking to experiment withadded ingredients. Clare Blampied, Sacla’ UK Managing Director, says,“We’re delighted to be launching this extended range and strongly believethat by widening the appeal of the variants we can grow penetration andbreathe new life into the category.”TOP develops naturalsports drink based onfresh wheyTOP bv has developed RE:Balance, anatural sports drink based on fresh whey, aspart of the Dutch IPC project Food, Sports andHealth.Convenience, natural and minimallyprocessed are the main features. Besides freshwhey, it also includes fresh black currant andbeet juice. Therefore it is not only rich in proteinbut it also contains fibre and micronutrients,including potassium and magnesium, which arerelevant for muscle recovery after exercise.In cooperation with InnoSportNL, theorganisation that initiates the development ofinnovative products and services for athletes,top athletes at the Dutch SportcentrumPapendal will test the sports drink soon. Theathletes are hereby prompted for the taste, theusage and the overall impression of the new sports drink. Based on thisfeedback TOP will finalise the drink for production and market launch, andhopes to find production and sales partners to introduce this product tothe market.More Tesco stores forYork ice cream makerDirectors and staff at York’s dairy ice creamproducer are celebrating after increasing its Tescolisting from nine to 57 stores. Fans of Yorvale’spremium ice cream will now be able to buy 500mltubs of Vanilla, Caramel Honeycomb and Strawberrydairy ice creams from selected Tesco storesthroughout Yorkshire.The strawberry ice cream contains 55% fruit whilethe vanilla ice cream is made entirely from naturalvanilla. The caramel honeycomb contains chocolatecovered honeycomb nuggets and ripples of toffeesauce made to a bespoke recipe using doublecream.Simon Wingfield, Tesco’s Regional Buyer, says,“Yorvale is one of Yorkshire’s fantastic localsuppliers that we have supported since we beganour local sourcing initiative and opened Tesco’sRegional Buying Office in York in October 2007.Yorvale represent the very best of what’s availableon our doorstep and we’re delighted that it’s nowavailable in more stores.”10_Layout 1 18/12/2014 15:03 Page 1Your guide to the pharmaceutical world PharmaBUSINESS INTERNATIONALThe completePharma packageGet one step ahead of your competitors withPharma Business International – your completeguide to this fast-moving, innovative andhighly specialised industry!From the publishers ofFood & Drink International,Pharma Business International is basedaround incisive and authoritative information and opinion from the major players in the industry – you'll wonder how you coped without it!Published online at www.pbiforum.net Distributed at numerous industry exhibitionsFind out more! Call +44 (0)1472 310302 or visit www.pbiforum.net11_Layout 1 19/12/2014 09:04 Page 112 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTThe heart ofEuropeThose who attend LogiMAT in Stuttgart this February will beaware of the huge potential that exists in Germany for food anddrink companies. The show is devoted to distribution and materialshandling and it’s clear that its position at the heart of Europe hasemphasised its value.Germany has established itself as a distribution hub on the largestpossible scale and a vital player in internationaltrade. Indeed, the World Bank’s 2014Logistics Performance Index ranksGermany first out of 160PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/JENS GOEPFERTCommitments toautomation, recyclingand logistics ensureGermany remains oneof the industry’s mostimportant locationsThose who attend LogiMAT in Stuttgart will see why Germanyremains one of the major logistics hubs in the worldThe heart ofEurope12-15_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:28 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTnet importer of food and beverage productsand almost always the most importantEuropean market for foreign producers.Processed foods and agriculturalcommodities to the value of around €71.5billion were imported in 2013.As Germany Trade & Invest points out,thanks to the enduring popularity ofGerman-made products abroad, theindustry is expected to continue its steepgrowth curve in the coming years. Theorganisation also suggest that, despite thefact that they currently account for lessthan 20% of total export value, there isplenty of potential for growth in easternand central Europe. In addition to this,German discounters Aldi and Lidl are nowamong the pre-eminent retailers innumerous countries around Europe,providing an obvious showcase for Germanproducts.Many German companies aim to ensureit remains a major logistics centre.Companies such as Jungheinrich are theleaders in their field and one majorinnovation in recent years has been theintroduction of the German Technologycountries, as well as confirming thatGermany was the best performer over theperiod 2007-14.In 2013, exports of processed foods andagricultural commodities from Germanygenerated €64.2 billion in sales. More than30% of all processed foods made inGermany are exported, 79% to other EUmember states. This rising share of exportsunderpins Germany’s competitive locationfactors and its geographical positionallowing it to effectively serve not onlynational but also international markets. Inaddition, the country is a14 Á12-15_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:28 Page 214 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTCentre for Load Unit & Cargo Security,known as DUO LAB, which aims to offercompanies the opportunity to reach andestablish the highest levels of safety atevery aspect of the logistics processes.DUO LAB’s value to the industry hasbeen emphasised as it has now beenofficially accredited by the Germanaccreditation body DAkkS. This means thetechnology centre now operates accordingto national and international auditingstandards and is authorised to issuerecognised certificates.Dr Christian Rohm, CEO of DUOPLAST AG, says, “After a year ofintensive documentation and audits, wecan now hold the certificate of DAkkS inour hands. This makes us one of the veryfew laboratories in the field of transportsimulation, handling and temperature testswith this seal of quality. For our customers,the accreditation means maximum safety,as the work of our technology centre ismonitored by the state, and the test resultsare recognised by internationalauthorities.”Christoph Graefe, director of thetechnology centre, says, “The accreditationensures that we operate independently andprovide objective results. This is a sign ofquality that guarantees validated testresults.”It used to be that Germany’s economicstability was one of its major selling pointsbut in recent years prospects have appearedless impressive. Nevertheless it’sunsurprising that many internationalcompanies have looked towards the nationas an obvious place to invest. Certainlyhigh productivity rates and steady labourcosts have helped to make Germany anattractive investment location. Germany occupies first place in theworld as a manufacturing and exportcountry for both beverage technology andpackaging machinery. Around a hundredcompanies account for an export share ofaround 85%. China is still the largestbuying country, particularly for beveragepackaging machinery, followed by the USA,and industry experts expect this market togrow by 5-7% over the next year.The prospects also look good for thedomestic German sector. The GermanFood Processing and Packaging MachineryAssociation expects about 3% more saleswhen the total for 2014 is calculated andaround 5% more in 2015. The productionvalue of food processing and packagingmachinery rose by 7% to €12.4 billion in2013 and, in total, beverage technologyaccounts for a production volume of morethan €5 billion, as components andespecially stretch blow-moulding machinesfor PET packaging are statisticallyaccounted for elsewhere.Success seems to be continuing despitesome worries over the economy. InOctober, incoming orders in themechanical engineering industry inGermany were up 7% on the previous year.The German Engineering Associationfigures show that domestic businessincreased by 1% and international businesswas up 9% year-on-year. Chief economistDr Ralph Wiechers says, “The Germaneconomy is evidently more robust than wasexpected a few weeks ago. As such, ourfigures are an encouraging sign, but weshould not let ourselves becomeoverconfident on this basis. A stabilisationis not the same thing as an upturn.”One development benefiting from bothGermany’s position and its reputation for ahigh quality production environment is thenew whey and lactose production facility inNordhackstedt, 22km south of the Danishborder, that is a joint venture betweenDenmark’s Arla Foods Ingredients andGerman dairy co-operative DeutschesThe new whey and lactoseproduction facility inNordhackstedt is a jointventure between Denmark’sArla Foods Ingredients andGerman dairy co-operativeDeutsches Milchkontor12-15_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:29 Page 3Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTMilchkontor.The factory, which cost more than €50million to build, is operated by ArNoCo,an organisation created by the twocompanies specifically to produce highquality ingredients for the food and drinkindustry. The new facility, which startedfull production in September, is adjacentto an existing 60,000 tonnes-a-year cheesefactory owned by DMK which producesMozzarella and semi-hard cheeses such asGouda.ArNoCo are using the whey by-productfrom DMK’s cheese-making operations toproduce whey protein concentrate ready tobe converted into value-added ingredientsfor the bakery, dairy and nutrition sectors.The new site also aims to produce 25,000tonnes of lactose annually, which will beprocessed and sold as Arla FoodsIngredients’ premium quality Dry Blendlactose for infant formula.Hans Jørgen Lauridsen, ArNoCo’sProject Director, says, “This new jointventure will enhance Arla FoodsIngredients’ position as one of the world’sleading suppliers of the highest qualitywhey protein and lactose ingredients. Themarket for these products is growing fasterthan the ingredients industry can supplythem, so the establishment of ArNoCo inco-operation with DMK is a significantdevelopment.”Another area where Germany also seemsto be leading the rest of Europe is in itsrecycling rates. Virtually no waste nowgoes to landfill and they top many chartsin terms of their recycling rates – forexample, 85% of aluminium closures arerecycled in Germany, compared to 65% inItaly and 45% in the UK.Much of this enthusiasm for recycling inGermany has come about thanks to theregulations that exist in the country. TheDoesnpfand, for example, demands thatretailers and suppliers are obliged torecover unwanted packaging. ManyGerman companies have, however, decidedto consider obligations such as this as anopportunity rather than an inconvenience,and have therefore decided to revamp theirpackaging to make it more sustainable sothey don’t have to go to the trouble oforganising collections of the moretraditional cans and bottles – therebyencouraging more innovation.Another way in which Germanproducers are able to create innovationthrough legislation is in the drinks sector.German beer has for many generationsadhered to the Reinheitsgebot, the beerpurity order, which required that onlybarley, hops and water be used to makebeer. These days that can’t be enforced onall beer in Germany as it would obviouslyserve as a restraint on trade, and thereforeimports into the country can be brewedusing numerous ingredients, but Germanbeer companies still like to adhere to itsregulations to give the country’s beer itsunique selling point. Those who attendedthe recent BrauBeviale show will be awarethat the country continues to lead the wayin beer, and organisation such as theInstitute of Biotechnology at the TechnicalUniversity of Berlin are among thoseorganisations continuing to innovate. Infact despite Germany’s obvious reputationas a traditional beer-drinking nation, itdoes appear that they are faster than manyother nations at looking towards newopportunities.Although the German economy perhapsisn’t as vibrant as may have been the casea few years back, its reputation foradvanced manufacturing and as a majorlogistics hub will ensure that Germanycontinues to make a huge impact on thefood and drink industry for many years tocome.The German Technology Centre forLoad Unit & Cargo Security, knownas DUO LAB, aims to offercompanies the opportunity toestablish the highest levels of safetyat every aspect of the logisticsprocesses12-15_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:29 Page 416 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDEVELOPING TALENTFood and drink companies can makegreat investment in new technology butthe most obvious way in which they canget ahead of the competition is viainvesting in talent who can bringenthusiasm and innovation. The challengeis to identify and develop talentedemployees – which the industry is doingso via a host of apprenticeships,placements and educational programmes.It can’t thrive via this method alone,and great strides are also being taken bycompanies to ensure their existingemployees keep up to date with the latestlegislation and the changes that newtechnology can bring to productionmethods – at all stages of the supplychain.That’s particularly topical given theintroduction of the new EU Regulation onthe Provision of Food Information toConsumers. This includes new legislationfor food businesses to provide allergyinformation on food sold unpackaged, infor example catering outlets, deli counters,bakeries and sandwich bars, and cameinto force in December.There will also be changes to existinglegislation on labelling allergenicingredients in prepacked foods, and one ofthe key challenges for industry staff andcustomers is knowing what questions toask and what food chain information toinsist upon. All those who work in thefood industry need to be trained andsupervised to handle food safely, asrequired by their job role.Organisations such as the Royal Societyfor Public Heath can assist in this regard,and to this end, they have developed aqualification aimed at all those involved inthe production, preparation and serving offood to support higher standards inidentifying and controlling food allergyrisks.The Level 2 Award in Identifying andControlling Food Allergy Risks enablestrainers to increase awareness of why foodallergens need to be controlled as well asprovide strategies for control such asreducing cross-contamination andimproving communication throughout theentire farm to fork process. The vitalimportance of communication withcustomers is also emphasised as a meansto improve customer experience, avoidlitigation and most importantly tosafeguard the wellbeing of the public.Training schemes such as these are ofvital importance if the industry is going toaddress the skills shortage that hasbecome particularly acute. As AndyMacpherson, Industry Sector Manager attechnology specialists Festo, says, “It isnot just the food industry that is feelingthe squeeze but most engineering sectors– but the scale of the challenge within thissector demands that action is taken. Inthe food industry alone, we need another140,000 engineers by 2020. These are bigfigures and big challenges.“At the heart of the problem is thenegative perception that many youngsters,and indeed some of their teachers, have ofthe food industry. Engineering has taken abig hit over the decades as it has shrunkin the face of tough competition fromlow-cost economies. At the moment, ifyou were interested in pursuing a careerin engineering you would probably look ataerospace, automotive, Formula One oreven oil and gas over the food industry,but from a wide spread of technologiesyou get everything in the food industry.”As Andy points out, much work isgoing on to try and increase the numberof new recruits to the sector. The Foodand Drink Federation are heavily involvedin a strategy to make the industry moreattractive for youngsters when they finisheducation. Competition is fierce to attractthe brightest and the best to the food anddrink sector and this year a recordnumber of pupils will go behind theThe talenttrekFood and drink companies can get one step ahead of their rivals via asteady stream of new talentNylacast’s Engineering TrainingAcademy is utilised by young studentscoming into engineering and helping toupscale the skills and knowledge of thecurrent workforce16-19_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:30 Page 1Food & Drink International 17scenes of some of the UK’s best-known food anddrink companies as part of the Department forBusiness, Innovation and Skills’ See InsideManufacturing programme. By highlighting thecase studies of industry role models andproviding examples of food and drinkmanufacturing careers during visits, they arehopeful of attracting the next generation ofindustry workers.Universities are playing their part as well. AtSheffield Hallam University, the MEng FoodEngineering course has been developed byGraduate Excellence, a partnership between theFood and Drink Federation, the National SkillsAcademy for Food & Drink and the Universityitself. Students who take this course benefit from18 ÁCMB Engineeringapprentices recently wonfirst place at the NationalWorldSkills UKcompetition, whichchallenges them to puttheir knowledge andexperience to the test. PHOTO: WORLDSKILLSwww.fdiforum.net16-19_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:30 Page 218 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDEVELOPING TALENTguaranteed competitively-paid workplacements and have exclusive access tojobs that are only on offer to coursegraduates. The links between academiaand the industry are being strengthenedall the time and other initiatives, such asthose pioneered by the University ofHull’s Logistics Institute, are ensuringstudents get better employmentopportunities and businesses get to locateand interest potential new talent.Many companies are addressing theskills shortage in an even more proactivefashion. Nylacast, for example, haveinvested in a new purpose builtEngineering Training Academy – which isnot only utilised by young studentscoming into engineering, but also helpingto upscale the skills and knowledge of thecurrent workforce. This is a valuable wayto reward the loyalty of long serving anddedicated employees with structuredtraining programs and opportunities tofurther their knowledge and gainqualifications.Ian Mallabone, Group HR & TrainingManager, says, “As a business werecognised the need to actively combat theskills shortage within engineering, this ledto the establishment of a robust, rigidapprenticeship programme in 2011. Withour most valuable asset being our peoplewe also took the decision to invest in andcreate our own dedicated engineeringtraining academy. In addition tofacilitating our apprenticeship programmethe academy also allows us to nurturetalent and realise potential within ourown workforce and company by tailoringand delivering specific training programsacross all areas of Nylacast.”CMB Engineering, meanwhile, areenjoying international success with theirAcademy of Canmaking and Seaming.A record number of pupils have gone behind thescenes of food and drink companies, such asCargill in Manchester, to see inside manufacturingand take part in specific challenges. PHOTO: FOOD & DRINK FEDERATIONPHOTO: WORLDSKILLSThree of their apprentices recently wonfirst place at the National WorldSkills UKcompetition, which challenges them to puttheir knowledge and experience to the testagainst other industry apprentices.The contestants had to design,manufacture, assemble and test a complexpiece of machinery to demonstrate theirengineering expertise. The group’swinning design was an advanced remotecontrolled forklift engineered to lift up to50kg of weight which adhered to thedesign specifications of being lightweightand sustainable as well as time and costeffective. Now qualified for the UK squad,the team will compete again in May facedwith even more complex challenges for achance to compete in the WorldSkillsfinals in Brazil in 2015. Like otherapprentices, the aspiring engineers hopeto progress to full time roles within thecompany whilst also completing theirstudies, working towards an engineeringdegree.George Moffat was on the winningteam last year and mentored this year’steam. He says, “I am sure myparticipation in this process has alsoserved as a good source of inspiration forthis year’s apprentices. From starting asan apprentice, I have gained valuableknowledge and experience which I use inmy current role as a DevelopmentEngineer, where I get to travel around theworld to service various machines fromCMB’s product range”. Competitions and initiatives such asthis, bringing together academia andbusinesses to create relevant and effectiveeducational programmes, are raisingstandards in the industry and ensuring asteady stream of talent enters the industry.16-19_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:30 Page 3In safe handsAre you prepared for the new EU food allergens legislation? RSPH has developed a qualification which supports higher standards in identifying and controlling food allergy risks, in line with these new changes.For more information contact foodallergy@rsph.org.uk or visit www.rsph.org.uk/foodallergyIf you are involved in the preparation and serving of food, our new Level 2 Award in Identifying Food Allergy Risks will enable you to:The new EU Regulation on the Provision of Food Information to Consumers (1169/2011 EC) includes new legislation for food businesses to provide allergy information.s Increase awareness of why food allergens need to be controlleds Provide strategies for controls Improve communication from farm to forkPlay your part in protecting the wellbeing of the public.Developed with the support and help of:16-19_Layout 1 18/12/2014 12:30 Page 4Next >