< PreviousSpecialist agri bank forms to back British A new specialist agricultural bank is set to launch later this year, offering financial services specifically designed for British farmers and backed by key agri-business firms. Established through the collaboration of experienced bankers, farmers, and technology experts, Oxbury will provide farmers and growers with a bespoke range of competitive lending and savings products. These will help producers to manage their input costs and grow their businesses at a crucial time for UK agriculture. Critically, services will be offered through the bank’s founding distributor partners: Hutchinsons, Frontier Agriculture, Mole Valley Farmers and KW, part of AB Agri. Nick Evans, Managing Director and co-founder of Oxbury, said it is “founded by the industry for the industry and is designed to work in partnership with long-established agri-businesses that farmers know and trust.” Oxbury is set to launch midway through 2020. on line 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Record food & drink acquisitions despite economic uncertainties Despite economic and political uncertainty, 2019 has again broken records for the number of food and drink transactions around the world. There was 789 registered food and drink transactions registered on Zenith Global’s mergers and acquisitions database – an average of 15 each week. This is 12 more than in 2018 and 41% higher than 5 years ago. The number has increased every year since a dip in 2013. The top 15 sectors were the same as in 2018, with the exception of CBD replacing confectionery. The combination of plant-based (15) with dairy-free (14) and meat-free (11) totalled 40. Bottled water and water coolers added up to 23. Vertical farming was a newcomer with 8. The biggest increases were for CBD (+19) and beer (+15). Many of the main categories saw declines, led by services (-19), confectionery (-18) and wine (-9). Antarctic Foods relies on Key Technology’s digital sorters Selling frozen vegetables to baby food processors and others throughout Europe, Antarctic Foods has grown 25% annually over the last few years. As they expand, they’ve turned to Key Technology. In 2017, they installed Key’s most advanced digital sorter, VERYX ® , to remove foreign material and defects from product prior to blanching. In 2019, they added another VERYX immediately prior to packaging. Now, with two VERYX sorters on one production line, Antarctic is maximising efficiency and elevating food safety. Herwig Dejonghe, Director General at Antarctic, said: “Because we sell our frozen vegetables as ingredients to other food processors, many of our customers also use digital sorters, so they know the technology. Having two VERYX sorters on one line differentiates us.” VERYX is ideal for processors, such as Antarctic, that handle multiple seasonal products. The sorter’s unique recipe-driven operation allows it to be changed over to handle a new product in seconds with only a couple of taps on the touchscreen. Qimarox Prorunners are multi- purpose More companies are taking advantage of the opportunity to give their Prorunner mk5 a second life. If they adapt or expand their production or packaging lines, this vertical conveyor from Qimarox can be given a new function after a minor modification. Due to the modular design with only standard components, it fits effortlessly into any layout. Unpredictability and uncertainty is increasing in the consumer product market. At the same time, the number of product introductions is growing, and product ranges are growing. As a result, manufacturers of consumer products are increasingly being forced to adapt or expand existing production and packaging lines. The Prorunner mk5 has a standard, modular design that is entirely made up of standard components. As a result, the configuration of this vertical transport system can be adapted in a short time by reusing crucial components for the drive. You can adjust the infeed and/or outfeed height by placing a piece in between or removing it. Australia’s wine sector rallies amid continuing fire crisis Australia’s wine sector is rallying together to provide support, advice and action for those affected by the ongoing bushfires. The crisis has waged since the fires first began in July 2019 and continues to destroy homes and land across the country’s south. According to the CEO of Wine Australia, vineyards and wineries across some regions of South Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland have suffered “devastating damage which would take years to recover”. Wine Australia has, along with Australian Grape & Wine, the Australian Wine Research Institute and viticultural experts backed by the Federal Government and state and regional wine agencies, are coordinating a response to offer support and advice in the short term and a longer-term action plan. © Shutterstock/seagames50 images © Shutterstock/pichetw © Shutterstock/Daniel Trindade51 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:33 Page 7Belu names Natalie Campbell as new CEO Ethical water brand, Belu, has announced that Natalie Campbell will be replacing Karen Lynch as CEO. Belu is a social enterprise serving the UK hotel, restaurant and catering sectors to fulfil their water requirements with the lowest carbon footprint possible. Ms Campbell is an award-winning social entrepreneur, HarperCollins author and co-founder of A Very Good Company (AVGC), a global social innovation agency, that has worked with brands like Virgin Media, Marks and Spencer, W Hotels, The Guardian and Channel 4. As a Non-Executive Director, she chaired the Nominet Trust and NCVYS. She was also on the board of UnLtd, the Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs for 10 years. She is currently a Civil Service Commissioner, board member of the Big Lottery Fund, OPDC and LEAP, the Mayor of London’s economic action partnership. She said: “It is a career highlight to be joining Belu at such an exciting time for the business and the social enterprise movement more broadly.” Don’t forget you can now read Food & Drink Digital Editions now available on iPad & iPhone www.fdiforum.net Ideal for those who spend time away from the office n t h e g o ! Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net Appointments for Unicorn as ingredients company targets global expansion Unicorn Ingredients has bolstered its logistics, commercial and technical functions with five new appointments to its UK HQ and its China office as global expansion continues. Quinton Germishuizen joins as Shipping Manager, in a role which includes managing the shipping department and team and negotiating rates with clearing forwarding agents and shipping lines. Unicorn has also recruited Jake Yerrell, previously Sales Manager for hospitality supplier Dennys Brands, as its new Commercial Manager. Also joining the UK team is Sonia Dell’Oste. As the new Technical Administrator her role includes managing some of the company’s laboratories testing regime, auditing suppliers and processors and carrying out supplier approval procedure for customers. In Unicorn’s China office, Yin Shuang Jie (also known as Alina) joins the Quality Assurance team from trading company Zhongjucheng (Beijing) Culture Corporation. Zhao Xuan also joins in a support role in Unicorn Ingredients’ China office, as part of the quality assurance team as co-worker with Alina. To advertise your services on the news pages contact us on 01472 310302 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:33 Page 812 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Driving demand China’s growing middle classes and the ongoing African swine fever crisis has seen demand for lamb increase, much to the benefit of producers in New Zealand. But, as we explore, the Oceania country has got its sights set on the future of food production. 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:43 Page 1Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © Shutterstock /N.Minton With the US and China still at loggerheads, New Zealand has overtaken the former to become the biggest exporter of food to the latter. Though it is renowned for its red meat and fresh produce, its biggest food export to Asia was milk powder. Annually, New Zealand exports 700,000 tonnes of whole milk and 155,000 tonnes of skim milk powder to China as its economy grows and living standards increase. Domestic demand has far outstripped production, with subdued growth in China’s domestic dairy production leaving it heavily reliant on imports, helping New Zealand’s dairy exports reached $19.5 billion this year. When it comes to red meat, New Zealand has surpassed Brazil as the foremost supplier, exporting over 230,000 tonnes in the first half of 2019 alone. Global pork supply continues to be affected by African swine fever (ASF) which, according to the World Organisation for Animal Health, will lead to the deaths of a quarter of the global pig population. China is by far the biggest producer and consumer of pork, accounting for over half of all global consumption. Its domestic production has taken a huge blow with over one hundred million pigs – or half its swine herd – lost to the disease since it broke out in August 2018. With pigs affected across Asia, there simply isn’t enough to meet demand, forcing China to turn to other sources of animal protein and creating a massive demand for beef and lamb. New Zealand has seized on the opportunity and its exports of red meat have risen over the last year. In May 2019, for example, it exported more than 21,500 tonnes of beef to China. This hunger for beef and lamb isn’t without 14 Á 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:43 Page 214 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net precedence. Both have continued to gain popularity in China as wealthier consumers look to diversify their diets and be able to afford imported sheep meat and beef. China has historically favoured red meat offal, but now fresh/frozen beef exports have overtaken red meat offal for the first time indicating a shift in consumption and shopping habits. This can also be seen in where most lamb is consumed, with the US Meat Export Federation estimating that around sixty-five per cent of all sheep meat in China is consumed outside the home. Back in 2017, New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Cooperation to supply chilled lamb to china. Now, with the pork deficit driving demand for lamb, and China’s domestic lamb consumption forecast to grow fourteen per cent between 2017 and 2027, New Zealand is well positioned to benefit in the years to come. It isn’t only New Zealand’s red meat industry that is on the rise, with the horticulture sector set to overtake forestry to become the nation’s third most valuable primary industry. A recent ‘Situation Outlook for Primary Industries’ report from the Ministry for Primary Industries shows that revenue for the sector is set to reach $47.9 billion in the year to June 2020. Total export revenue from horticulture is expected to rise 5.9 per cent to $6.4 billion driven by kiwifruit, apples and pears, continuing the sector’s strong export growth over the last decade. Here strong demand from Asia – China especially – has pushed the average export price of apples to a record $39.50 per carton and there’s set to be a greater increase in exports of apples and pears as more trees mature this year. Mike Chapman, Chief Executive of HortNZ, the organisation representing the country’s commercial fruit and vegetable growers, said that the industry’s continued growth is down to growers producing a “high quality, fresh, premium product that consumers want to buy”. However, for this upwards trajectory to continue, he said it was vital that government policy was on side. “For example, that the proposed freshwater reforms supporting new fruit growing because of its positive impact on freshwater quality and enabling vegetable growers to rotate their crops.” Ensuring growth and increasing exports will depend on reliable water sources and mitigating and preparing for more extreme and adverse weather conditions. Growers in New Zealand aren’t only at risk from droughts, but also floods. The key is in a multi- pronged approach and, last year, the country launched a three-year agritech initiative to validate new technologies in nutrient analysis, delivery and efficiency © Shutterstock /Ponderful Pictures 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:43 Page 3Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT uptake and environmental mitigation. The aim was for New Zealand to scale up its food production to meet growing global demand sustainably in the long-term. “Global food systems will need to transform at an unprecedented speed and scale,” said Peter Wren-Hilton, Chief Executive of AgritechNZ, adding that innovation and technology will be critical to meet the greater demand on food production. “We also have to take into account sustainability and climate change; healthy diets, meat alternatives and nutrition; market efficiency; and shaping a national strategy for the future of food,” he said. “Increasing scrutiny of environmental impact on farms has raised the need for remediation and analytics to meet increasing and stricter regulatory requirements.” New Zealand is taking advantages of market issues in the here and now to boost its export of red meat, but the country is also looking ahead and exploring ways of utilising innovation and technology to boost its food production to meet growing global demand for food and produce. Environment Secretary allays fears of sub-par US imports The prospect of a trade deal with the US has led to fears of the UK opening the floodgates to chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-treated beef. But now Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers has revealed that neither of these products will be allowed into the UK under any trade deal with the US. Speaking to the BBC’s Countryfile programme, Ms Villiers told presenter Tom Heap that the current EU ban on such imports will be carried over into UK legislation following Brexit. “We will not be importing chlorinated-chicken. We will not be importing hormone-treated beef,” she said. “Both of those are illegal under EU law, which we are importing into our domestic system. There are legal barriers to their import and those are going to stay in place.” She added that the Government would “defend our national interests and our values, including our high standards of animal welfare”. Record exports for Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture industry Exports for Ireland’s food, drink and horticulture industry reached a record €13 billion in 2019, according to a report from Bord Bia. To date, this is the highest export level in the Irish food board’s twenty-five-year history. Since 2010, food, drink and horticulture exports have grown by 67%. “A diversified approach to increasing our reach within the global marketplace has yielded record levels of growth with a strong performance recorded across most sectors and categories,” said Michael Creed, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. “That said, we face into a global trading environment in 2020 which continues to be marked by volatility and political uncertainty. My department will continue to work with Bord Bia to support Ireland’s largest indigenous industry as it faces into both the opportunities and challenges of 2020, a year which could be instrumental in defining the next decade for the sector.” © Shutterstock /HENADZI PECHAN © Shutterstock /Zhax 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:43 Page 416 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS Though perhaps not renowned for being the most riveting aspect of the food industry, loading bays and doors are vital in the process of protecting, moving and loading goods. The loading bay is one of the busiest areas in food and drink facilities and thus must work seamlessly, be perfectly designed for productive operations and hold all the equipment and accessories required for this. As an accident-prone area, establishing a safe loading bay is essential. Equipment such as air and hydraulic dock levellers, to allow vehicles and decks to be safely accessed and create a better seal to insulate doors, and accessories including traffic lights, movement detectors, wheel guides, vehicle restraints, key safes and bumpers all enable the safe movement of vehicles. Bumpers for instance will protect a loading bay from impact when a vehicle is reversed in the dock and protect external brickwork or cladding. Restraints meanwhile have improved to operate automatically, wrapping around trailers’ rear impact guards to stop vehicles pulling away and preventing trailer creep. Light communication technology is too improving in the loading bay. Sensors, triggered by activity detected in trailers, are directing blue light to be beamed on to loading dock levellers to help stop collisions with forklifts and workers. Advancing health and safety in the loading bay further are ergonomic loading dock systems, aiming to reduce the high number of chronic injuries resulting from the crossing between loading dock floors and trailers, like those stemming from whole body vibration. These dock levellers also help reduce damage to equipment. Dock software is also making loading bays safer, and more tightly controllable, by highlighting the status of each dock from when drivers arrive and obviates radio communication that can distract workers. Supervisors can monitor the status of a dock remotely to see if something is not functioning correctly, without a chain of communication. One might additionally look at useful metrics in dock software such as the amount of time trucks spend at the dock - aka how long loading or unloading takes - to assess how to enhance operations and equipment use to save time in the future, or perhaps see if more or less docks are actually required. This monitoring is expanding to allow environmental variables to be observed out and inside a dock. Overall, loading dock equipment from doors to restraints and buffers are now working together, linked to a master control panel, rather than being operated separately. For instance, vehicle detection buffers can activate other equipment like traffic lights. Dock control systems are being used to make certain that equipment is operated in a specific programmable sequence - a restraint might have to be fully engaged before a door can open, locking out activity until everything is precisely in place, and a door must open fully before a dock leveller can be used. This prevents any out of order usage and subsequent accidents. While often not at the forefront of the mind when thinking about food facilities, selecting the right doors, such The barrier to safety A gateway requiring careful consideration, loading bays and doors are critical to securing facilities, goods and in maintaining their environment. 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:50 Page 1Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS © Shutterstock /Petinov Sergey Mihilovich as those that are well insulated, have weather tight seals and open smoothly, can expedite higher levels of productivity and reduce running costs. In the loading bay, doors are particularly important as the barrier to the next step in the supply chain. They must be secure, hygienically designed, able to protect facilities against the elements and retain a building’s heat. Automatic high-speed doors have become a key choice in the food industry and its loading bays, where doors are in constant use, to help operations run more efficiently. Boosting productivity by smoothing workflow and increasing throughput, automatic high speed doors reduce the staff required to open and close doors and allow for quicker product flow where slower doors or those that are awkward to use hinder operations and the movement of goods, potentially causing bottlenecks that slow production and create safety risks, as well as offer more opportunity for pests to enter facilities. The doors’ speed also better keeps out the elements, and they can be bolstered with intelligent systems, for example opening heights can be programmed for different vehicles. When a loading bay cannot properly accommodate for the size truck that is arriving to unload or load, if a door is too low, access can Stertil loading bays specified for prestigious Baytree project Stertil Dock & Door Products is widely acknowledged as a leading manufacturer of loading bay equipment and fast-action doors. The company’s range is relied upon by thousands of users in many industries including logistics, manufacturing, food & drink, transportation, pharmaceuticals and many others. In recognition of the company’s extensive technical expertise, Stertil Dock & Door Products was invited to submit detailed proposals for the Baytree project in Dunstable, Bedfordshire. A total of 26 loading bays have been installed featuring a range of Stertil products including dock levellers, dock bumpers, dock shelters, dock doors and level access doors. Each loading bay incorporates the Stertil WE 574 collapsible frame dock shelter measuring 3400mm wide by 3600mm high. Comprising rugged head and side curtains, W Series dock shelters can be tailored to fit and effectively seal almost every type and size of vehicle – a perfect combination of versatility, reliability and effectiveness. For more information, visit www.stertil-dockproducts.co.uk. 18 Á 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:50 Page 2Prevent airborne contamination with KLIMATE High Speed Doors KLIMATE High Speed Doors proved the best choice to prevent airborne contamination for a leading manufacturer based in Cheshire. The site required replacement doors to help to control the warehouse environment where high quality welding is carried out. The area had to be kept free from contamination and the major ingress of airborne contaminants within a facility is through doorways, the less time doors are open, the less opportunity there is for contaminants to enter. Roger McNeal, Technical Sales Manager for KLIMATE, explains: “The ultimate solution is a fast, UK manufactured, high-quality and long- lasting door that is resilient, reliable and quick enough to reduce open times. “The key features of the KLIMATE door is the speed the doors open and close. Not only do the doors provide valuable energy savings by maintaining room temperature, but contamination is greatly reduced.” For more information, visit www.klimate.co.uk. 18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOADING BAYS AND DOORS GOODS. COVERED With over 40 years’ experience, Rubb is a global provider of high quality storage solutions. Rubb structures are custom-designed to meet your storage needs, complete with cold storage options. 5HORFDWLQJDQGH[WHQGLQJLVVLPSOHDQGFRVWHƬHFWLYHLQDEXV\HYHUFKDQJLQJHQYLURQPHQW To learn more about Rubb’s alternative storage solutions, visit our website or contact the team today. info@rubb.co.uk | +44 (0)191 482 2211 | www.rubbuk.com Building Systems excellence in engineering be restricted, or if too high, thermal management will be impacted and likelihood of contamination from external sources increased. High speed doors, with their shorter opening times, are also designed to reduce pollution and contamination, whether that be noise, odour, dust or dirt, and better maintain a steady temperature, which is particularly important in the food industry where control over temperature and environment is essential to avoid spoilage and meet regulations, especially where perishables are concerned and the cold chain is involved. Heat loss or gain is minimised with fast and controlled openings, and the energy costs associated with this are reduced. High speed doors then, which work with a variety of sensors, can keep spaces cleaner and ensure products maintain their quality while improving building efficiency. Averting the entrance of cold air when doors are in use, dock or leveller seals are utilised for when vehicles 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:50 Page 3Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net are at bays. Airlocks, popular in the food industry, are also useful for retaining heat, cool and in biosecurity. The general idea of mitigating heat loss has come into heightened focus as businesses look to be greener and combat growing energy costs. Inflatable dock shelters have risen in popularity, providing one of the most effective seals when trying to boost thermal insulation to preserve a facility’s environment, avoid harmful draughts and keep food fresh. Boasting a longer life on the door, curtains inflate only once a trailer is in position to form a secure, virtually airtight seal, helpful in heightening contamination prevention. Much like doors themselves, door maintenance is often overlooked. An incident with a door can impact the entirety of operations, stop the entry of materials or loading of completed goods, creating a bottleneck of products in a facility that may not have room to store them. Thus proactive, regular door maintenance and inspections are vital and can significantly expand a door’s lifespan. Frequent maintenance where small problems can be corrected quickly inhibits costly and lengthy repair jobs down the line and reduces chance of downtime, when a loading bay may be rendered useless until its associated door is fixed. Poorly maintained and broken doors awaiting repair increase security risks from a malfunction to a break in and can leave a facility exposed to the elements and bio-security hazards. Choosing the right materials for doors is also crucial. Hygiene regulations, such as the Food Safety Modernization Act, mean food producers must use buildings that meet specific high standards, and this extends to doors used. In the case of this act, which has impacted docks, the entry of air and water into a building must be minimised, requiring tight seals. Generally, doors must be seamless and impermeable to prevent build-up of bacteria in gaps and surface cracks that are difficult to clean. When cleaning, as much consideration should be put into doors as surfaces - they must be cleaned regularly and thoroughly. It is therefore key that they be smooth, nonporous and waterproof, easy to disinfect, but strong enough to withstand constant cleaning, which often involves hot water and chemical solvents, as well as potential heavy impacts, perhaps from a forklift. Doors that are HACCP certified are sure to be of the highest standard. © Shutterstock /1933bkk 16-21.qxp_Layout 1 28/01/2020 11:50 Page 4Next >