< PreviousNestlé launch Ruby chocolate KITKATNestlé Japan has become the first tocommercialise the naturally pink “Ruby”variety of chocolate, with the launch of anew pink KITKAT in Japan and Korea.The chocolate used in the product,which will be offered as a Valentine’s Daygift at KITKAT speciality stores, wasdeveloped by Swiss chocolatemanufacturer Barry Callebaut.Barry Callebaut CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique said: “Nestlé was very quick inspotting the trend and in introducing a Ruby chocolate version of KITKAT, which will enticecustomers across Asia and beyond.”The Japanese version of the KITKAT brand is rapidly gaining popularity (or is that notoriety?)around the globe for its peculiar, often luxuriant flavours and innovation. Famous flavoursinclude sake, wasabi and cough syrup.Chef Yasumasa Takagi added: “I am extremely proud to be part of this landmark moment inthe history of chocolate, with which I have worked intimately for over thirty years.”on the shelf10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSupermarket listingfor UK’s firstcarbonated coconutwaterIndie drinks outfit, C7 Brands, is bringing theUK’s first carbonated coconut water toconsumers after securing a listing withSainsbury’s.With the brand already growing rapidly inIreland, Scandinavia and Spain, Coco Fuzion100 has added Sainsbury’s to its swellingportfolio of listings – which also includes TKMaxx, Bestway Batleys and WH Smith.Coconut water is the fastest growingcategory in the US and UK ready-to-drinkmarket, and global sales are set to double from$2.7 billion to $5.4 billion by 2020. And thecategory is ripe for innovation.Coco Fuzion 100’s 250ml cans of carbonatedcoconut water are available in Mango, Lime,Raspberry and original flavour.Each can contains naturally occurring, highly-hydrating electrolytes, and has no added sugaror preservatives.The company has also recently securedrugby legend Chris Robshaw and boxing starChris Eubank JR as brand ambassadors.Nitrite-free bacon hitsshelves in UK firstIrish food company Finnebrogue hasintroduced nitrite-free bacon to British shelvesunder the Naked Bacon brand.It is the UK’s only bacon to be completely freefrom nitrites, preservatives, E numbers and allallergens, the company said.The World Health Organisation (WHO) hassaid bacon cured with nitrites is as dangerous asasbestos and smoking, as nitrites producecarcinogenic nitrosamines when ingested.Finnebrogue said its latest launch is the “biggest revolution to the British breakfast for ageneration”.Finnebrogue worked with a Spanish chemist to develop a new way of flavouring traditionalBritish bacon without nitrites – something that has never been done before.The natural flavour is produced from natural Mediterranean fruit and spice extracts, followingten years of research and development.Chairman Denis Lynn said: “Our Naked Bacon is not only safer than any other bacon on themarket, it also tops the charts in blind taste tests.”Jar rangegets anultra-extensionRPC Kutenholz hasextended its market-leading Thermic Ultrarange of jars with theaddition of a newstandard size. Aimed at the retailsector, the 500mlpolypropylene jar with80mm neck features anoxygen barrier thatprovides effective ambientproduct protection,making it ideal for a widerange of foods.The eye-catching ribbedround design creates high impact on-shelf while offering consumerconvenience benefits such as ease of use, lightweight and re-closability.Tesco cashes in on vegan trendwith new plant-based rangeTesco has further legitimised theflourishing vegan food sectorwith the launch of a range ofnew vegan ready meals.With celebrities andinfluencers taking to vegandiets in droves, andcampaigns such as‘Veganuary’ and ‘Meat FreeMonday’ gaining popularity,the once market niche hasbecome an industry darling.Looking to capitalise ontheir growth, Tesco haspartnered with chef Derek Sarno tocreate ‘Wicked Kitchen’.Prepared exclusively for Tesco, the new range – including crispycarrot ‘pastrami’, wicked-meated barbecued ‘shrooms andSourdough Pizza – launches this week in 600 stores across the UK.In the last year alone Tesco has directly seen the effect of thoselifestyle choices with demand for chilled vegetarian ready meals andmeat substitutes soaring by 25%.© Tesco04-11_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:32 Page 7Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netappointmentsLorien appoints new BDM toengineer growthBurton-basedengineeringdesign andprojectmanagementfirm LorienEngineeringSolutions hasappointed aBusinessDevelopmentManager tofurther grow itsreputation in thelife sciences, advanced manufacturing and drinks sectors. Anthony Hennessy has held international sales and marketing rolesin Israel, Africa and others, and has experience selling into theprocessing and energy markets, working for companies such as MGTLiquid & Process Systems. In his new role, he will work alongside the firm’s team of engineers toestablish and strengthen relationships with existing and prospectivecustomers in several of the firm’s key sectors. He joins Lorien, which is a division of GP Strategies Corporation,during a period of growth; 2017 was another high performing yearwhile the firm’s Poland office goes from strength to strength. Operations Director Bill Treddenick said: “Anthony brings with him awealth of experience in international sales and business development,and he has a proven track record in identifying opportunities anddriving sales.” Direct Food Ingredientswelcomes five new facesDirect FoodIngredients hasconsolidated itsteam with theappointment offive newemployees.AndrewAitchison, EmmaWoolley, MandyMurphy and SofiaChinea-Rodriguezwill work at thecompany’s Cheshire-based HQ, while Olmer Hercules joins the team atthe US office.Managing Director Steve Loake said: “As demand grows, it’simportant that we have the very best personnel in place to continueto ensure we deliver unrivalled customer service to our varied clientbase, here in the UK and internationally.”Sales executive Andrew brings with him several years’ experience inthe food industry. Emma will work within the quality department as anadministrator; her expertise in the pet nutrition market will help togrow this area of the business. Mandy takes up the role of customer service administrator, andsales support administrator Sofia will assist the sales department andhelp with customer requests. Olmer will provide administration support to the company’sdedicated US base.Don’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!Sofia Chinea-Rodriguez andAndrew Aitchison04-11_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:33 Page 812 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTBritain’srising starBritain’srising starScotland’s star is rising,with record food andbeverage exports and arugged can-do attitude inthe face of Brexit. Scotland’s star is rising,with record food andbeverage exports and arugged can-do attitude inthe face of Brexit. 12-15_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:35 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTTo say that food and drink are intrinsic to the Scottishidentity is something of an understatement. The Scots arefiercely loyal to their home-grown produce, and proud of theircultural heritage. AG Barr announcing its intention to slash thesugar in Irn-Bru – Scotland’s “other national drink” after whisky– spawned a national controversy, with some ardent fans panic-buying the fizzy beverage by the bucket load. Clearly this devotion coupled with a strong food heritage andsome of the world’s most loved ingredients have positioned thefood and beverage sector as the country’s best performing inrecent years. Some estimates value the sector as being worth£14.4 billion annually, employing 119,000 directly, and growing attwice the rate as the UK average. Last year saw Scotland rackup record exports across its flagship products – namely salmonand whisky, both of which enjoyed enviable positions oninternational menus. The trend has continued, with the manufacture of food andbeverages remaining the largest industry for internationalexports in Scotland. The latest count puts sales as increasing by£275 million to £5.5 billion. Despite the cultural affinity for Irn-Bru, whisky is undoubtedly the country’s foremost beverage,and the continued international thirst speaks for itself – exportswere worth £4 billion in 2016, according to newly releasedfigures from not-for-profit Scotland Food & Drink. All round,2016 was a profitable year for Scotland’s food sector, with foodand drinks exports up £275 million – or 5.3 per cent. “It is encouraging to see that international exports continueto increase for Scottish businesses,” says Economy SecretaryKeith Brown. “Our food and drink sector is performingparticularly well and as we implement our Trade & Investment© Shutterstock/Nataliya Hora14 Á© Shutterstock/CKP100112-15_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:35 Page 214 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTStrategy and the outcome of theEnterprise & Skills Review we must nowtake the lessons that have been learnedgrowing food and drink exports andencourage other sectors to follow theirlead. It is encouraging to see increasinginternational interest in our professionaland scientific services.”One of the country’s most prominentsuccess stories of late regards its mosticonic national dish – haggis. The tailend of last year saw the first shipmentsof fresh haggis to Canada in 49 yearsand Singapore in 21 years. Canada hadpreviously banned the import of redmeat from Europe, but removed theembargo in 2015. This allowed haggismaker Macsween potential entry intothe lucrative Canadian food sector –exports to which are worth £95 milliona year – but not without a recipechange. Lungs are a key component intraditional haggis recipes, butBrazil beef exports up buckinglast year’s meat scandal Despite the lingeringconcerns about lastyear’s rotten meatcontroversy in Brazil,the country iscontinuing toexperience risingdemand for its beefexports. Indeed, in December2017, Brazil’s beefexports rose 26% interms of value and by20% in volumecompared to the sameperiod a year before. Inmonetary terms, beefexports generated$573 million.According to data from the Brazilian Beef Exporters Association, the strong rise in volumeand value is down to international meat demand quashing concerns about the meat’s safety. Hong Kong remains the nation’s biggest buyer of beef, importing $148 million in December.© Shutterstock/Dragosh Co12-15_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:35 Page 3Record levels for Ireland’sfood and drink exportsIreland has enjoyedanother record year withits food, drink andhorticulture exportsreaching €12.6 billion forthe first time.The announcement wasmade by The Minister forAgriculture, Food and theMarine, Michael Creed atthe launch of Bord Bia’sExport Performance andProspects 2017-2018report.Speaking at the launch,Creed said: “Last yearmarked the 8th successive year of growth for total Irish agri-food exports, to reach a recordof €13.5 billion.“Bord Bia’s report provides valuable insights into the sectors and markets behind the verywelcome 13% increase in the value of food and drinks exports to €12.6 billion.“Industry, in line with my Department’s market prioritisation strategy, is continuing todiversify, with exports to international markets reaching €4 billion for the first time.“Trade with the UK, which remains our most valuable market, has grown in overall terms,despite the difficulty presented by Brexit and a weaker sterling.”Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTregulations in Canada state that theoffal cannot be used in any foodproducts intended for humanconsumption. With that in mind,Macsween created a new recipespecifically aimed at the Canadianmarket and was able to successfullyintroduce the product for the first timein almost five decades. Managing Director James Macsweensaid at the time: “This is a hugemilestone for Macsween to beexpanding internationally and leadingthe way in an increasingly competitivemarket.”As with the rest of the UK, Brexit isone of the biggest hurdles on thehorizon for Scotland. However, havingsecured export deals in North Americaand Malaysia, and with more for thefuture, Scotland looks set to weatherthe storm and come out stronger theother side. © Shutterstock/Gayvoronskaya_Yana© Shutterstock/Antony McAulaySouth Korea sees $25bnof US foodLast year, South Korea imported $25 billion worth of food from the US as the domestichunger for overseas products increased. Imports from the US totalled $5.43 billion, followed by China with $4.19 billion. Australiacame next with $2.57 billion, with Vietnam at $1.18 billion and Russia at $941 million, accordingto the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety’s data for 2017.Beef was the most imported food at $2.46 billion, pork followed at $1.63 billion. Foodmaterial for processing reached $1.56 billion, with numbers for soybeans and wheat reaching$612.2 million and $549.7 million, respectively.The US was, unsurprisingly, the biggest source for beef and pork imports, while China wasthe most common country of origin for cooking utensils and rice, the data showed. SouthKorea imported sizable amounts of frozen shrimp from Vietnam and Alaska pollock and cornfrom Russia.© Shutterstock/ESB Professional12-15_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:35 Page 416 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCONTAINERS & PALLETSWhen it comes to pallets andcontainers, the industry has a fewdifficult targets to meet. Strength andsecurity are absolutely key with theneed to keep products in goodcondition and those who deal withthem safe top priorities. Howeverconvenience and efficiency is also amajor driver of innovation. Increasinglythe pallets themselves are often ondisplay in stores so have to allowconsumers the ability to access theproducts, while lightweight constructionalso ensures they are easier to transportand use less energy.The quality of containers and palletsis increasingly important to anorganisation. Indeed, with the rise andrise of no-frills retailers in the past fewyears, in many cases the pallets are nowno longer used for transportation alongthe supply chain but also to display theproducts at the end of it.This brings with it increasedresponsibility. In fact, under theProvision and Use of Work EquipmentRegulations a pallet is classed as workequipment and therefore an employer isRising to thechallenge New technology andautomation is placingincreased demands onpallets and containers– while a changingretail market alsodemands more. Rising to thechallenge 16-19_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:37 Page 1Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netCONTAINERS & PALLETSA wee dram goes further than you thinkthanks to Goplasticpallets.comIt’s one of the world’s favourite food exports and it’s important to keep the whiskyflowing at all times. That’s why international premium spirits company The EdringtonGroup approached Goplasticpallets.com when it needed help with its logistics in 2012 –and the solution is still working five years later.The success of Edrington’s installation is further proof why people should: ‘Leave thewood. Go plastic’ - which is the theme of Goplasticpallets.com’s new marketing campaign.Chris Hendry, Procurement Manager at Edrington, said: “The pallets and solution wewere supplied by Goplasticpallets have been fantastic and offer so many improvementsover wood, durability being just one of the benefits. We’re over the moon with theirperformance.”Goplasticpallets.com recommended a switch from wooden to plastic pallets for adurable and cost-effective solution capable of withstanding the tough manufacturingenvironment, which involves a high level of automation – essential since each pallet can carry £60,000 worth of spirits. For further information, visit www.goplasticpallets.com.under “strict liability” to keep it ingood working order and repair. Thismeans that if an accident involving afaulty pallet occurs, the employer isliable for what could be thousands ofpounds paid out in personal injuryclaims brought by employees ormembers of the public.For some it’s easy to take palletquality for granted when they’re aneveryday piece of equipment used inwarehouse or factory operations. Butpallets are designed and madespecifically for moving massive weights,which mean accidents can and dohappen if a company cuts corners byusing inferior pallets.In many ways, the containersand pallets market is battling with twodifferent and seemingly contradictoryrequirements. It’s certainly the casethat, as the supply chain moves faster,pallets need to benefit from simpleconstruction that can allow them to bestacked and picked up in a fairly simplefashion, and from a decent capacitythat ensures as few are required aspossible. Yet at the same time securityis paramount and the load has to besecured incredibly firmly, with the© Shutterstock/gualtiero boffi© Shutterstock/Baloncici18 Á16-19_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:38 Page 2 !"#$ % 18 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCONTAINERS & PALLETSintroduction of anti-slip intermediate layers,wrapping in plastic or bystrapping which, you wouldexpect, provide additionalcomplexity.Generally plastic pallets – with theiradvantages of precision dimensions andincreased hygiene – are becoming more and morepopular throughout the supply chain, making hugeinroads into sectors which previously relied entirely onwooden pallets. Their durability has also beenillustrated with companies looking to returnable transitpackaging as opposed to single trip packaging. Thebenefits of this kind of packaging include reducedproduct damage, security and easier handling, whilethere are also obvious environmental benefits fromusing packaging on several occasions – after a hygienicwash down. Another benefit of plastic containers andpallets is also their recyclability. An ever-increasingconcern given the stringent requirements andexpectations placed on food and drink companies –and those who work alongside them. With the requirements regarding environmentalefficiency and health and safety in mind, it’s becomingincreasingly the case that companies are making use ofpallet networks, meaning they can be assured that thepallets are of the highest quality, and providingKite Packaging launch packroom equipmentKite Packaging haslaunched a new range ofpackroom equipment,featuring essential, high-quality solutions.The range is designed for awide range of industries tohelp meet regulations, improveefficiency and make better useof valuable operational space,such as warehouses andpacking areas.The range includescupboards, workstations & benches, pallet stillages and trucks & trolleys, all of which are high quality.CupboardsWith clear, recognisable identification symbols, the range includes cupboards that can be free-standing, mounted onto walls or mobile.Steel Pallet StillagesThe heavy-duty range meets a large range of operational requirements for different products thatrequire storing and easy access.Trucks & TrolleysWith a variety of shelf configurations available, Kite’s trucks and trolleys will help to improveoperational performance through increasing efficiency and output.Workstations & BenchesDesigned to save time and increase efficiency, Kite’s new workstations and benches are available ina range of different specifications, ensuring that individual requirements are met.16-19_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:38 Page 3Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netCONTAINERS & PALLETSFlexLink is part of Coesia, a group of innovation- based industrial solutions companies operating globally headquartered in Bologna, Italy.www.coesia.comflexlink.comThe collaborative robot from FlexLink allows you to create a palletising pattern in as little as 20 minutes, using an Android tablet. Just enter the SKU details into the bespoke software to remotely create a sequence. No prior programming experience needed. Visit FlexLink’s YouTube channel to see a video of our collaborative robot, or call FlexLink on 01908 327200 to arrange a demonstration of the palletising options for your products.Easy palletising – a collaborative robot solutionexceptional flexibility without extensive capitalexpenditure.Consolidation in the sector now means that making useof larger networks such as these will likely offer greaterflexibility. The obvious counter argument is that acompany which oversees all its own deliveries in-houseshould be better prepared for this, but it’s highly likelythat adding a new drop or route into a networkcomprising just ten journeys might represent significantpotential for disruption.With traceability and energy efficiency now dominatingthinking across the supply chain, making use of higherquality containers and pallets – whether purchasedoutright or rented from one of the many high qualitysuppliers – is bound to ensure an exceptional return oninvestment.It’s not all about the content and material used in themanufacturing process however. As manufacturers andwarehouses make strides towards higher levels ofautomation, there is a necessity for containers and palletcompanies to offer flexibility in design – in order to meetthe needs of the automating machinery. It may seem asimple task at first; adding some specific grooves orridges that a robotised system can grip onto. But thebespoke nature of the additions could mean vast delaysor alterations being made to a manufacturer’s line. © Shutterstock/3DMI16-19_Layout 1 01/02/2018 10:38 Page 4Next >