Ingredients spotlight A refreshing approach A refreshing approach INTERNATIONAL FoodDrink FoodDrink 01.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 13:06 Page 102.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 13:06 Page 1Contents April 2020 This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5 million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Before you recycle your magazine, please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free gifts and samples. FoodandDrinkInternational @fdiforumwww.fdiforum.net company/fdiforum News 4 • General news • On line - production news • On the shelf - new products and initiatives Import and export10 There are few, if any, industrial sectors that have not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic since the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was first identified in December 2019. In less than quarter of a year, the virus has impacted production activities, cut off supply chains and led to widespread travel restrictions, all of which has conspired to profoundly impact the import and export of food and drink. Transport and logistics14 Growing demand for transparency in the food industry and a desire to improve operational efficiency in logistics has boosted adoption of advanced digital technologies. End of line packaging18 End of line packaging is arguably the most important part of the process, and one that many companies have to get right on the first try. • Smurfit Kappa Q&A Gears, drives and controls28 Manufacturers of gears, drives and controls are seeing increasing demand for more intelligent, connected, components. Mixing and blending 32 With so many mixing and blending options available on the market, it’s vital to process optimisation that food and drink makers find the right solution to suit their needs. Group Editor: Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor: Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor’s PA: Angela Sharman (a.sharman@blmgroup.co.uk) Assistant Editor: Dominic Cuthbert (d.cuthbert@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalist: Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales Director: Teri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales Manager: Sam Trott (s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales: Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) Ruth Feather (r.feather@blmgroup.co.uk) Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310302 Accounts & Subscriptions: John Downes (j.downes@blmgroup.co.uk) Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson (studio@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305, Email: fdi@blmgroup.co.uk Part of the Business Link Magazine Group: Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE England All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. MAIN: SHUTTERSTOCK/VASILIYBUDARIN • TOP: INTERFOOD TECHNOLOGY • MIDDLE: SHUTTERSTOCK/RIMMA BONDARENKO • BOTTOM: SICK Ingredients spotlight36 Food has always been more than the sum of its part but there is an increasing emphasis on the ingredients themselves, especially where their functionality is concerned. Beverages40 The beverages industry is one beset on all sides, yet no amount of negative press seems likely – or able – to topple their hold on the global market. Your guide to postponed food shows45 The continuing coronavirus pandemic is having a profound effect on the global economy as countries take unprecedented measures to contain the spread of the virus. Chief among these is limiting public gatherings – which has led to a high proportion of food and drink trade events, shows and exhibitions being postponed. In this round-up, we look at some of the biggest shows that have rescheduled and provide their new dates. Events 46 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world Classified 49 Food & Drink Diary 50 03.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 13:09 Page 1PepsiCo acquires energy drink maker Rockstar for $3.85bn PepsiCo is massively expanding its presence in the energy drinks category with the $3.85 billion acquisition of Rockstar Energy Beverages. Founded in 2001, Rockstar produces a wide variety of energy drinks marketed towards consumers with active lifestyles, from athletes to rock stars. Although PepsiCo has had a distribution agreement with Rockstar in place in North America since 2009, it is now bringing it into the fold. Rockstar joins the beverage giant’s growing energy drinks portfolio which also includes Mountain Dew’s Kickstart, GameFuel and AMP. “As we work to be more consumer-centric and capitalise on rising demand in the functional beverage space, this highly strategic acquisition will enable us to leverage PepsiCo’s capabilities to both accelerate Rockstar’s performance and unlock our ability to expand in the category with existing brands such as Mountain Dew,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Ramon Laguarta. “Over time, we expect to capture our fair share of this fast-growing, highly profitable category and create meaningful new partnerships in the energy space.” 4 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Impossible Foods tops up funding pot with $500m Impossible Foods, the California-based plant- based meat mavericks, has topped up its funding pot with an additional $500 million. Led by new investor Mirae Asset Global Investments, the Series F equity funding round brings the start-up’s total funding to almost $1.3 billion since 2011. The round also saw participations from existing investors including Khosla Ventures, Horizons Ventures, and Temasek. New and existing investors included pop star Katy Perry, The Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson, and tennis star Serena Williams. The funds will be used in part to invest in fundamental research and innovation, the company said, as well as accelerating its manufacturing scale-up and expanding its retail presence and availability in key international markets. Moreover, the company will use the funds to accelerate the commercialisation of its next-gen products including Impossible Sausage Made From Plants and Impossible Pork Made From Plants. STANLEY security protects servers with biometric access control Leading security providers, STANLEY Security, has installed a biometric access control system at beverage company Finlays’ Pontefract site to protect its server rooms. Finlays already had a PAC access control system in place for exterior doors, and number code locks were fitted to their server room doors, but Finlays wanted to improve the level of security for the latter. STANLEY Security installed ievo biometric fingerprint readers to four server room doors at Finlays. The system features advanced image reading sensors that take a detailed scan of a finger from the surface and subsurface levels of the skin, to capture a highly accurate digital image whilst protecting against fake and spoof fingerprints. Providing a user presents a finger that matches a stored user template, then access will be granted. Finlays is pleased with the new biometric access control system as it provides the company with the security required but also convenience. Bel acquires start-up as it diversifies into plant-based dairy The Bel Group, the dairy multinational behind brands including Babybel and The Laughing Cow, is acquiring French start-up All in Foods as it looks to diversify into plant-based foods. The acquisition is part of the Group’s strategy to expand beyond cheese products as it looks to become a major player in the health snack sector. The deal grants it access to All in Foods’ vegan dairy brand, Nature & Moi, and positions it to take advantage of growing consumer appetites for high- quality plant-based dairy analogues. Under the deal, Bel will acquire a majority 80% stake in the start-up, while the founding Jouault family will own the remaining 20% interest. The acquisition follows hot on the heels of Safilait, a Moroccan dairy producer, and MOM, the maker of the Materne, GoGo squeeZ and Montblanc brands. Combined, the acquisitions allow Bel to diversify in three complementary food segments: dairy, fruit and plant-based products. Following the acquisition of All in Foods, Bel said it will offer wholly plant- based alternatives, as well as products that combined both dairy and plant- based raw materials. “The Bel Group has enhanced its entry into the plant-based era and confirms its strong ambitions,” said Chairman and CEO Antoine Fievet. He added: “We believe in the excellence and potential that All in Foods has to offer, to meet the challenge for more sustainable food.” © Impossible Foods © Shutterstock/Alexander Prokopenko © Shutterstock/Sheila Fitzgerald 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 14:48 Page 1news Food & Drink International 5 www.fdiforum.net Food retailers assuage consumer fears amid coronavirus panic-buying A group of British food retailers have attempted to assuage consumer fears around coronavirus and stem the tide of panic-buying. In a joint letter penned by major retailers including Tesco, Asda, Iceland, Aldi and Ocado, among others, consumers have been urged to “be considerate in the way they shop” as panic-buying continues to leave empty shelves in stores. In the letter, retailers said they are “working closely with the Government and our suppliers to keep moving quickly through the system and making more deliveries to our stores to ensure our shelves are stocked”. Speaking on behalf of the retailers, Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, who coordinated the letter, said: “Retailers are working incredibly hard to keep shops well stocked and deliveries running as smoothly as possible. “In the face of unprecedented demand as a result of coronavirus, food retailers have come together to ask their customers to support each other to make sure everyone can get access to the products they need.” WRAP expands Food Waste Reduction Roadmap focus to farms The Waste and Resources Action Proggramme (WRAP) has expanded the UK’s Food Waste Reduction Roadmap to focus on farms. The newly published guidance provides growers with advice on how best to measure food surplus and waste on farms to identify the causes and help inform where action is needed. The ‘Food Waste Reduction Roadmap Grower Guidance’ was developed in collaboration with leading trade bodies and industry organisations. It includes two practical ‘how-to’ guides and dedicated tools for in-field measurement. WRAP, the body which developed the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap with IGD, designed the new resources to help growers apply the principles of Target-Measure-Act to their operations at this key stage in the food supply chain. “Reducing food surplus and waste is a huge opportunity for the [farm] sector,” said WRAP Director Peter Maddox. The resources were developed following calls from agricultural businesses for practical guidance tailored to the needs of growers and are free to download and use from the WRAP website. Consistency key in addressing salt levels in bacon Interfood Technology is highlighting the importance of accurate brine treatment systems for bacon as the industry continues to come to terms with an increased focus on reducing salt content. “In an era when controlling the amount of salt in bacon products has never been more important, technology has a vital role to play,” said James Radcliffe, Divisional Manager of Interfood’s Curing to Clipping Division. “Automating the brine preparation and injection process from start to finish provides the all- important consistency to ensure that the salt content required is achieved and maintained. This will only become more of a focus as the trend towards lower salt levels intensifies: as the proportion of brine added to bacon lowers, so the margins of error become tighter. The difference between bacon/ham and pork is very fine at low levels and easy to get wrong.” Interfood is the UK and Eire representative for the Henneken range of brine & marinade preparation systems and injectors. Partnerships see JUST scale-up plant-based egg product JUST is scaling up the manufacture and distribution of its plant-based JUST Egg product via several new partnerships across Europe, East Asia and North and Latin America. The San Fran company said the partnerships provide it with “millions of additional points of potential distribution” and production facilities on multiple continents as it looks to scale up to meet increasing demand for its top-selling product. JUST Egg is made from mung beans which contain a protein that scrambles like egg, making it an ideal replacement for chicken eggs for making scrambles and omelettes. In its native America, JUST has sold the equivalent of thirty million eggs since the product launched in late 2017. The company is now massively scaling up as demand increases for the vegan egg replacement. To accomplish this, the company has partnered with South Korean food company, SPC Saplip; one of Southeast Asia’s largest food companies, Betagro Group; the world’s largest bakery company, Grupo Bimbo; one of Latin America’s largest edible oil and fat producers, Alianza Team; and the local delivery platform, Delivery Hero. This infrastructure builds on an existing manufacturing and distribution partnership with Eurovo Group, a leading European egg producer with large-scale operations in multiple countries; and a sales and distribution deal with Germany’s largest poultry producer, PHW Group. Additionally, JUST has added Jacob R. Robbins, CEO of Emeterra, to its Board. Robbins formerly served as Managing Director of the largest single area of Coca-Cola’s global supply chain, spanning over 120 active countries. The company also added Dana Hollinger, an accomplished insurance industry executive and attorney, as a Board Observer and advisor. “Our ability to scale to meet the demand is our main focus in 2020. It’s humbling to see some of the world’s most influential food companies join us to meet the challenge,” said Josh Tetrick, co-founder and CEO of JUST. “Their partnership, along with having Jacob and Dana join us, is our now- public recipe to take another big step toward living out the mission of our company.” © Shutterstock/oticki © Shutterstock/TheaDesign 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 14:48 Page 2Bumble Bee Foods nets Good Catch maker to enter plant-based seafood market Seafood producer, Bumble Bee Foods, is aiming to utilise the know-how of Gathered Foods Corporation to expand its portfolio and break into the burgeoning plant-based seafood sector. As one of North America’s biggest branded seafood companies, the joint venture partnership makes Bumble Bee Foods the first and only major seafood company to partner with a plant-based seafood brand. Gathered Foods Corporation is the maker of Good Catch brand of plant-based seafood products. In January, the company raised $32 million in Series B funding with proceeds from Greenleaf Foods and 301 INC, the venture arm of General Mills, as more major food makers muscle on vegan products. The partnership sees Bumble Bee Foods diversifying its portfolio after it filed for bankruptcy in November 2019 and was forced to sell off its assets for $925 million. 6 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Danone to take majority stake in Harrogate Water Danone, the multinational that owns evian and Volvic, is set to acquire a majority stake in Harrogate Water, the family-owned business behind the historic Harrogate Spring Water brand. The share purchase agreement will see the French corporation take a majority stake via a UK subsidiary, Danone Water. The current shareholders in Harrogate Water – the Cain family – will remain as minority shareholders and continue to contribute to the company’s growth. The acquisition will allow Danone Waters to further develop its position in the UK and support future growth for Harrogate Water’s portfolio. It will provide new opportunities for both businesses to deliver growth across complementary channels, combining the respective know-how of Harrogate Water in foodservice and Out of Home channels and Danone Water in retail channels. This move also reflects the shared ambition of both companies to encourage healthier and more sustainable drinking choices. Kecol introduces range of new solutions Kecol Pumping Systems, the UK leader in the design and manufacture of piston pumps and pumping systems, has introduced several new solutions. The Kecol Articulated systems enables the emptying of four drums mounted on a pallet, without removing the drums for the pallet, thus removing manual handling issues. The system compliments the other ranges of equipment such as the Kecol Megaprime and Maxiprime, which are used to empty single vessels from 200L drums to 1200L IBCs and can be adapted for square vessels. Kecol has also introduced a batch weighing system to its range of viscous pumping equipment. The system allows an operator to enter the required weight of a batch of material, press the start, and the pump will automatically stop when the target weight is reached. The batch weighing system can be linked to any Kecol pump or priming system and it’s Kecol, so it will handle viscous materials. Cell-to-seafood developer raises funds for market launch, production facility BlueNalu, the innovative San Diego company producing sea food from fish cells, will build a pilot production facility and gear up for market launch after completing a $20 million Series A financing. The financing round was co-led by Stray Dog Capital, CPT Capital, New Crop Capital and Clear Current Capital – all of whom participated in the company’s seed round. Investors in this latest round include Nutreco, a global leader in animal nutrition and aquafeed who BlueNalu partnered with in January, and Griffith Foods, a global product development partner to the food industry, and Sumitomo Corporation of Americas, among others. With the proceeds, BlueNalu will develop a good manufacturing practices pilot production facility in San Diego and expand its team. It will also enable the company to complement strategic alliances for global operations and distribution and prepare for its market launch. © Shutterstock/Tonhom1009 James Cain, CEO of Harrogate Water & James Pearson, MD of Danone Waters UK & Ireland PFM’s packaging machinery supports Ireland’s big cheese PFM Packaging Machinery’s range of equipment has played a major part in helping a cheese manufacturer in Ireland to diversify and expand into new markets. Due to the growing demand for its block, grated and sliced products, Bandon Vale Cheese, now part of Bandon Co- operative, has recently ordered another complete packaging system from PFM, a new line which further cements the bond between the two companies stretching back over two decades. PFM’s Vetta bagging machine meets demands for pack versatility and variety by providing over 20 different bag styles from a single machine in addition to traditional pillow packs, with speeds of up to 80 bags a minute dependent upon pack style and product. These include block bottom stand-up pouches, PFM’s Steelo four corner seal stand-up bags, Amcor’s Flexcan pouch design and also reclosable bags, using adhesive, zipper profile or a hook to loop closure system. MAP facilities can also be fitted for extended shelf life. 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 14:48 Page 3news Food & Drink International 7 www.fdiforum.net Spiroflow’s CTE bulk bag filler – the ideal solution for powdered milk & dairy products As milk and dairy products are dried for supply chain convenience, powder aeration typically results in poor densification during bulk bag filling, creating instability of bags in storage. In recognising this, bulk materials handling specialists, Spiroflow, has developed its Cone Table Elite (CTE) bulk bag filler solution. Unlike other fillers, the CTE bulk bag filler features the company’s patented cone table densification system which densifies material in the bag, increasing bag stability and bulk bag filling throughput to an unmatched rate of 30-40+ bags/hr. The hang-weighing CTE system, which delivers best-in-class weighing accuracy of +/- 1-2lbs, consists of a truncated pyramid welded on a frame with two integral electro-mechanical vibrators. When the bulk bag is properly stretched and the material is deaerated with a flattened angle of repose, the result is a very safe and stable bag that can be safely double or triple stacked within the filler itself. Loma Systems’ IQ4 Vertical Fall Metal Detector increases inspection efficiency The IQ4 Vertical Fall Metal Detector from Loma Systems is ideal for detecting metal contaminants early in the production process before the product moves down the line, thereby minimising the potential cost of wastage and protecting equipment. Using this technology, it is quicker and more efficient to inspect free-falling loose format product for contaminants than by other means, and can be undertaken without any interruption to production processes. With the detector, the inspection results for free-fall materials are excellent with metal detection levels of down to 0.8 mm diameter stainless steel. The IQ4 Vertical Fall Metal Detector is packed full of features and perfect for inspecting bulk powders and granules, from cereals and grains, to fruit, vegetables and nuts. The IQ4 Series is designed to meet SQF, IFS, BRC and other strict Retailer Codes of Practice and confirms support for higher compliance as well as providing a platform to ensure compatibility with future enhancements. 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 14:48 Page 4Food accelerator launches to pair food industry start-ups with veterans A new accelerator has been launched by an industry- academia partnership to help food start-ups speed up their growth and reach the international market. The accelerator has been launched by state-owned non- profit VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in partnership with the University of Helsinki and Finnish dairy company, Valio. Part of European network of six accelerators, EIT FAN, which aim to promote a sustainable food system, the accelerator seeks to bring food production start-ups and veterans together as early as possible. Cooperation between three partners ensures that the new accelerator will cover all areas of a sustainable food Start-up teams can take advantage of VTT’s in-depth expertise in, for example, plant proteins or fibre, but equally in the management of the entire food system or related services. The University of Helsinki supplements the repertoire with, among other things, agricultural and nutrition research and Valio with knowledge of food product commercialisation and dairy product knowhow. on line 8 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net UK announces plastic packaging tax The introduction of a tax on plastic packaging containing less than 30% recycled content has been announced in the UK Budget 2020. “From April 2022, we will charge manufacturers and importers £200 per tonne on packaging made of less than 30% recycled plastic,” said Chancellor Rishi Sunak. “That will increase the use of recycled plastic in packaging by 40% – equal to carbon savings of nearly 200,000 tonnes.” The tax was first announced back in the Budget 2018 and, according to Mr Sunak, will tackle rising plastic levels in the natural environment as well as incentivise the use of recycled plastics. Key’s new integrated sorting system transforms green bean processing Key Technology introduces a unique new concept for sorting green beans prior to snipping. This innovative solution removes foreign material and separates easy-to-snip green beans from hard-to-snip green beans to improve snipping efficiency. Specifically designed for this new insertion point, Key’s integrated sorting system for pre- snipped green beans improves case recovery to reduce the processor’s cost per tonne, while also producing more consistent product quality with less equipment in the downstream process. “We applied our expertise in green bean processing and came up with a new idea – a different way to process green beans,” said Mark Roedl, Area Sales Manager at Key. “This integrated sorting system is installed upstream of where digital sorters have always been on these lines, and it’s a game changer. Early adopters are achieving impressive results that warrant the investment.” The integrated system combines Key’s Iso-Flo® shakers, a Rotary Size Grader (RSG) and a VERYX® digital sorter to separate incoming product into streams. Olam Cocoa rolls out child labour monitoring in Cameroon Olam Cocoa is rolling out professionalised child labour monitoring and remediation in Cameroon, a first-of-its- kinds programme in the cocoa industry. The move is part of the agribusiness’ commitment to tackle child labour and help more children attend school across its entire direct supply chain. The company is working in partnership with the Fair Labor Association (FLA) and local cocoa farming cooperatives to digitally register its nearly 7,000 farmer suppliers in Cameroon and their households. Together, they will also introduce rigorous traceability and reporting systems, educate local communities about child labour, and set up dedicated child labour monitoring and remediation systems (CLMRS). To facilitate this process, Olam Cocoa is introducing a new app to its Olam and Farmers Information System (OFIS) technology. After providing training to community leads and equipping them with a smartphone, they can begin collecting social data. This means that it is possible to identify children who are at high risk and take action much more quickly. Major food companies sign European Plastics Pack Nestlé, Unilever and FrieslandCampina are among the major food companies that have reinforced their sustainability commitments by signing the European Plastics Pact. Initiated by France and the Netherlands, the pact focuses on accelerating the transition towards a circular plastics economy and severing the sole dependence on virgin plastics. It brings together leading companies, NGOs and governments, who are committing to realise common goals by 2025 and go beyond the current legislation. Signatories of the pact commit to reducing virgin plastic products and packaging by at least 20%; raising collection and recycling capacity in Europe for plastic packaging by at least 25% and boosting the use of recycled plastics in packaging to an average of at least 30%. Nestle UK and Ireland have been a founding member of the world’s first plastic pact since its launch by WRAP in 2018. It was one of 42 UK businesses to sign up with the aim of transforming the plastic packaging system in the UK. © Shutterstock/Sasha_Brazhnik © Shutterstock/Kanittha Boon © Shutterstock/Marina Onokhina 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 14:48 Page 5Arla enters plant-based market with oat drinks, new brand Danish dairy cooperative, Arla, has launched a new brand for plant-based products as it enters the burgeoning market Initially, JÖRD will offer three oat-based drinks – Oat, Barley & Hemp – to consumers in Denmark, the UK and Sweden. Arla said that the drinks are made with organic Nordic ingredients and contain up to 50% more oat than current market leaders. Moving forward, Arla said the brand will become an umbrella for an entire selection of plant-based food products. Arla said that “milk will always be at the heart” of the business but added that plant-based products are “adjacent” to its existing product portfolio. Moreover, the company aims to become a “significant player” within the plant-based market within the coming years. Thames Water launches special edition beer for charity Thames Water is releasing a special edition beer partly inspired by its river namesake to help raise funds for water projects in Africa. The water services company has teamed up by London- based craft brewery, Moncada Brewery, to launch HOPS?O. The London pale ale is one of 250 small batch beers released as part of the Brewgooder Global Gathering campaign to raise money for water projects in Africa. All profits will help support more than 130 projects in Malawi, including well rehabilitations, new boreholes and sanitation systems. The packaging design for each collaborative beer has been inspired by the theme ‘water’ and designed by each individual brewery using Brewgooder’s two distinct colours – orange to represent beer and blue to represent water. The ‘HOPS 2 O’ design takes inspiration from the River Thames and will be available in pubs across London, in selected pubs further afield, including Brewdog, from Moncada’s Tap Room Bar in Dollis Hill and specialist bottle shops. on the shelf Kellogg’s prioritise gut health with new prebiotic cereal Kellogg’s is continuing to bolster its gut-health portfolio with the launch of a new prebiotic cereal to improve gut health and overall wellbeing in the UK. The new All-Bran Prebiotic Oaty Clusters cereal comes in two flavours – Original and Almond & Pumpkin Seeds. Both flavours include natural prebiotic chicory root fibre and wheat bran fibre, both of which feed good bacteria in the gut, nourishing the gut microbiota. The launch follows research which found that nine out of ten people in the UK don’t get enough fibre and are short of the recommended 30g per day. Catriona Campbell-Voegt, Nutritionist and Kellogg’s Wellbeing Lead in the UK, said: “It’s clear that having a healthy gut can have a massive impact on our overall wellbeing. 70% of our immune cells are found in our gut, and its directly linked with our brain, so how we fuel it is so important.” Scottish distillery launch ‘climate positive’ gin made from peas The world’s first “climate positive” gin made from peas has been unveiled by Scottish distillery, Arbikie. The gin is titled ‘Nàdar’ meaning ‘nature’ in Gaelic and has a carbon footprint of - 1.54 kg CO2e per 700ml bottle. Arbikie, the field to bottle distillery based on Scotland’s East Coast, says that the new gin avoids more carbon dioxide emission than it creates. It was produced following five years of research which combined the company’s master distiller, Kirsty Black’s PhD studentship between Abertay University and The James Hutton Institute. Most gins are made from spirit distilled from cereals such as wheat, barley or maize. Growing peas means no synthetic nitrogen fertiliser is needed, and so its negative environmental impact on waterways, air and soils is avoided. Peas also benefit the ecosystem as a whole, improving soil quality and offsetting synthetic nitrogen fertiliser requirements of other crops, which follow peas in the crop rotation. Food & Drink International 9 www.fdiforum.net First stout & IPA join Iron Maiden’s Trooper range British heavy metal titans, Iron Maiden, have once again teamed up with Robinsons Brewery to launch the latest additions to its Trooper range. The band originally teamed up with Robinsons Brewery back in 2012 for the inaugural Trooper beer sporting its undead mascot, Eddie. Since then, the range has sold over 25 million pints around the globe. New product launches have sustained the range over the years and now it’s joined by the seventh and eights brews. Fear of the Dark is a 4.5% ABV English Stout, while Trooper IPA is a 4.3% ABV India Pale Ale – the range’s first stout and IPA respectively. Both will initially be available via the Robinsons Brewery website before orders open via Amazon. These latest additions have once again been developed by Iron Maiden frontman and real ale enthusiast Bruce Dickinson and Robinson’s Head Brewer Martyn Weeks. © Shutterstock/Oleksandra Naumenko 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 24/03/2020 14:48 Page 6Next >