End of line packaging Beverages www.fdiforum.netAPRIL 2021 £3.50 STERLING On the shelf The future in focus The future in focus INTERNATIONAL Food&Drink Food&Drink 01.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:23 Page 1Diverse bagging with the smallest footprint! The NEW GEA SmartPacker D-Zip Vertical Packer Smart in Every Way • Up to 15% reduction in zip material • • • • * gea.com/uk Contact us as info@gea.com * Food & Drink_GEA Half page LS_March 21.indd 116/03/2021 17:32:00 :(67(51 0(&+$1,&$/ +$1'/,1* 8. /7' (QGRI/LQH 3DFNLQJ 6\VWHPV D^/ W>^ 02.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:23 Page 1Contents April 2021 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 export12 Having left the EU, the UK continues to work on building new relationships as food and drink exports to the continent decline in a tough period. Ingredients spotlight16 Constantly evolving, the ingredients sector is taking on consumer demand for not only new taste experiences, but healthier, functional ingredients and more plant-based alternatives. End of line packaging19 As one of the final stages before food and drink products leave the factory, end of line packaging is crucial. However, an incomplete strategy or solution, and ignoring the importance of automation, can be adding extra cost and downtime. Gears and drives28 For use in the food and drink industry, gears and drives must meet a plethora of requirements while serving their vital role in keeping production moving efficiently. Transport and logistics 31 Transport is a go-to location for cutting costs, but how much further can the industry be stretched? 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: Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@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: SHUTTERST OCK/MARIL YN BARBONE • TOP: SHUTTERST OCK/ALENA HAUR YLIK • MIDDLE: BEYOND MEA T • BOTT OM: SHUTTERST OCK/I VIEWFIND ER Beverages34 The growing trend for healthier, more mindful beverages has radically transformed the drinks aisle. Food and Drink International explores the major trends and how manufacturers are responding. Mixing and blending38 It’s critical for food and drink manufacturers to find the right mixing solution to suit their needs. Otherwise, they could risk inefficiency, a poor product mix, and unnecessary expenses. Health, safety and hygiene43 As the world slowly comes out of lockdown, it would be easy to forget the lessons of the past and make old mistakes afresh. When it comes to health and safety, this cannot be accepted. Events46 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world Classified 49 Food and Drink Diary 50 03.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:29 Page 1i2r enjoys strong connection with iconic pie brand Leading aluminium foil tray manufacturers, i2r Packaging Solutions, supply the UK’s number one hot pie brand, Pukka Pies. i2r’s strong connection with Pukka is down to being innovative and anticipating new trends - a trait particularly important in the burgeoning convenience food sector, where the demand for quick and easy meal options continues to surge. Focusing on new product development, i2r’s association with the pie brand has evolved since 2015 and they currently supply both plain and coloured aluminium trays for Pukka’s grocery range. The trays, which support a variety of recipes, are produced in a number of colour variations, all of which are fully recyclable. Pukka’s pies are stocked in fish & chip shops across the county, as well as more than 4,000 grocery outlets nationwide. Pukka’s Gary McCall said: “Their excellent service, product quality and help with NPD in particular, are all key attributes in making our supply chain as efficient as possible.” Aliaxis launches PROFIBUS® actuated valves Demonstrating its continued commitment to product development, Aliaxis has introduced the new PROFIBUS Actuated Valve range, as part of its portfolio of solutions for the industrial and waste water treatment markets. Designed for use with the solution provider’s SuperFlo ABS, FIP PVC, Durapipe Polypropylene and Corzan CPVC industrial pipework systems, the intelligent PROFIBUS Actuated Valves provide users with greater control and enhanced visibility of the wider system’s performance. Paired with a central programme logic controller (PLC), PROFIBUS allows for up to 250 valves to be controlled via the leading network. This will enable users to operate a network of valves remotely, either individually or in unison, to create patterns and commands for valve operation. The PROFIBUS valve can also feedback to the central PLC on various operating parameters. Supplied pre-wired and pre-programmed, ready for PLC connectivity, the PROFIBUS Actuated Valves from Aliaxis provide an ‘out of the box’, plug-and-play solution. 4 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Verner Wheelock offers variety of course delivery options COVID-19 taught us that you need to be able to adapt – and that’s exactly what food industry training experts Verner Wheelock have done. Since April last year, they have delivered their range of HACCP, food safety, auditing and specialist courses remotely, with very positive feedback from delegates. Their training centre also reopened in September, following a thorough COVID-19 risk assessment. Covid-safe measures are in operation and delegate numbers are restricted to allow for social distancing. “We want everyone to know that we can accommodate their training needs, whatever their situation,” said Marketing Manager, Rachel Coote. “Whether that’s face-to-face, remote delivery or a combination of the two.” In-house courses can also be delivered remotely, with staff joining the training from wherever they happen to be – on site or at home. All delegates still receive a hard copy of the course notes. Coca-Cola Great Britain launches accelerator to help high street recovery Coca-Cola Great Britain has launched an accelerator programme designed to help cafes, pubs and restaurants recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. A handful of entrepreneurs from across the UK will get exclusive access to senior experts at Coca-Cola GB, Coca-Cola European Partners, Costa Coffee and innocent, to gain a rare look under the bonnet of these brands and discuss how their own business can respond to the challenge presented by three national lockdowns. They will have dedicated 1-1 consultations with pioneering behavioural scientists Influence at Work – authors of the world’s bestselling suite of books on the psychology of ethical influence and how it can be applied to help businesses build stronger relationships and engagement with their customers. With further businesses offered access to exclusive content, video tutorials and insights from the programme, the launch of the business accelerator is the latest in a series of initiatives launched by Coca-Cola to support its smaller customers in the hospitality sector over the past year. 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:31 Page 1Perfect solutions for reliable food production With intelligent and robust sensors, ifm offers solutions for the most demanding production environments found in the food industry. The intelligent MVQ valve sensor continuously monitors valve position and has diagnostic outputs for valve seat and stroke time errors. This prevents unpredictable, costly producti- on downtime whilst maintaining product quality. The O6 Wet Line optical sensor and full-metal inductive sensors performance is uncompromised in high humidity environments. They are also resistant to high pressure water and chemical washdown. In combination with matching ecolink connectors, a guaranteed watertight connection, up to IP69K, makes sudden sensor failures due to moisture ingress a thing of the past! All of these sensors transmit their process and diagnostic data, digitally and without any conversion losses via IO-Link: avoiding any unwanted surprises. ifm – close to you! Everything, without surprises ifm.com/uk ifm.com/uk Go ifmonline Go ifmonline years W AR RANTY on ifm pro du ct s 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:31 Page 2Meatless Farm launches dedicated ingredient subsidiary & plant protein facility Meatless Farm, a British plant-based meat alternative brand, has launched a dedicated plant protein ingredients subsidiary to provide its global supply of TPP (textured plant protein) and expand into broader external supply operations. Lovingly Made Ingredients will operate out of a new flagship plant protein facility in Calgary, Canada where it will be the first of its kind on this scale and one of the company’s biggest investments to date. Meatless Farm has invested an initial $12 million USD (£8.53m) in its manufacturing infrastructure with the 30,000 sq ft plant, which will have the capacity to produce up to 14,500 tonnes of plant protein ingredients by 2023. The scale of the facility and investment in innovation also enables the expansion into producing customised plant proteins for selected external partners, across meat- alternatives, bakery, snacks, cereals and more. The facility will utilise cutting edge manufacturing processes to enable a significant reduction in water and energy use – a key challenge in plant-based protein production – and aims to be net zero on carbon emissions throughout the supply chain within the first year. It will become an important step in the business’ Farm to Fork program which will prioritise a secured and sustainable supply chain. The vision for this program is to work directly with farmer collectives to source peas and guarantee quality, freshness and full traceability. The significant investment in the facility follows rapid expansion for the Yorkshire- based company, which was established in 2016 by founder Morten Toft Bech with the ambition of helping consumers cut down on their meat consumption and changing our global food system. It is now one of the fastest growing brands in the plant-based market, operating in 24 countries with multiple product lines stocked in six major supermarkets in the UK. 6 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Driving e-grocery sales by taking a total system approach to food packaging Andrea Questa, e-Grocery Solutions Manager EMEA at Sealed Air, explores the critical role of taking a total system approach to primary and secondary food packaging in developing a successful e-commerce strategy. Taking a fresh look The pandemic has increased the appeal of buying groceries digitally. However, although consumers crave convenience, this does not mean they are prepared to make compromises in other areas such as food quality and freshness. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. A total system approach to food packaging can help e-food businesses to satisfy growing market demands. The right combination of high performance primary and secondary packaging will protect food quality and integrity, and maintain the correct temperature inside the package. Primary and secondary packaging in unison Both primary and secondary packaging should maximise sustainability and reduce waste, improve the unpackaging experience, communicate information, and optimise space so more food is shipped per square metre. Achieving success in each of these areas can be even more complex when selling fresh and frozen foods such as meat and fish, and hot meals. Furthermore, there’s the consideration that some packaging insulation materials are non-recyclable or difficult to recycle. This doesn’t bode well with consumers increasingly focused on sustainability. Striking the balance To help food processors and e-grocery retailers address the complexities of creating a holistic e-commerce food packaging solution, Sealed Air has put the importance of trust at the centre of its unique ‘Fresh No Crush’ total packaging system. At every stage of the packaging strategy, we address the issues that really matter. For example, can shoppers trust the primary packaging to seal- in the freshness of meat and protect it against contamination? These demands are balanced against the requirements of the secondary packaging. How do you trust that the void fill will work alongside the primary packaging to avoid crushing and damaging the food? This unique approach helps food processors and retailers to overcome the challenges of trying to piece together different types of packaging, which don’t necessary work in collaboration. AR Packaging confident of unique and unrivalled UK offer Following brand consolidation and a recent acquisition, AR Packaging is in an ideal position to provide UK food, healthcare and beauty brands with a unified source for world-class, fit-for-purpose packaging solutions. Its UK operation consists of three sites producing flexible barrier materials, carton-based containers and printed folding cartons, manufactured by newly acquired Firstan, recently re-branded as AR Packaging Cambridge. Ideally placed for expansion into selected market sectors, AR Packaging Rotherham currently specialises in containers for the ice cream sector and is one of the largest producers of squeezer lolly tubes. Its sister site, AR Packaging Highbridge, produces a wide range of flexible packaging solutions. The addition of AR Packaging Cambridge further extends AR Packaging’s abilities to provide a fully integrated offering to UK customers. Becoming part of the group’s food packaging division, the business is one of the UK’s leading pharmaceutical, healthcare and cosmetics packaging manufacturers. 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 10:47 Page 304-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:31 Page 48 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Morrisons acquires Cornish seafood business Morrisons has acquired Falfish, a family-owned wholesaler of sustainably sourced seafood based in Cornwall. Falfish has been a trusted supplier of fresh fish and shellfish to Morrisons for over 16 years and approximately 50% of Falfish’s c. £40 million turnover is with Bradford-headquartered Morrisons. “For customers, the acquisition will mean further improvements to the range, quality and availability of fresh fish and shellfish at our Market Street counters and represents another significant investment in fresh food and foodmaking when others are retreating from counters,” Morrisons said in a statement. Following the deal over 80% of Morrisons fish and shellfish – both in its 497 stores and its online business – will come from Morrisons wholly owned seafood operations. Falfish operates from two sites in Redruth and Falmouth docks on the south Cornish coast and is owned by the founder Ian Greet and his son Mark who is the Managing Director. The business has long-term relationships with the owners and skippers of over 70 partner boats in the South West who land their total catch direct to Falfish. Falfish’s buyers also buy direct from the three key South West fish markets in Newlyn, Plymouth and Brixham. As the company also owns its own trawler, Morrisons says that it believes it will become the first British supermarket ever to own a fishing boat. Andrew Thornber, Morrisons Manufacturing Director said: “Bringing Falfish into Morrisons further strengthens our position as Britain’s biggest foodmaker. “Our manufacturing operations employ c. 9,000 people at 19 sites throughout Britain, providing around 25 per cent of everything that Morrisons sells. “The acquisition of Falfish means that over 80 per cent of our fish and shellfish will now come from our own operations.” Aleph Farms and BRF to bring cultivated meat to Brazil Aleph Farms, the Israeli firebrand pioneering cultivated meat, and Brazilian meat and food company, BRF, have partnered to bring cultivated meat to Brazil. Under Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Aleph and BRF will co-develop and produce cultivated meat using Aleph’s patented production platforms (BioFarm). BRF will also distribute Aleph- backed cultivated beef products in Brazil. “This new partnership advances Aleph Farms’ strategy to integrate into the existing ecosystem as part of our go-to-market plans,” said Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms. “Leveraging the expertise and infrastructure of leading food and meat companies will drive a faster scale-up of cultivated meat and eventually lead to a broader positive impact. As one of the largest beef producers in the world, Brazil is a strategic market for us.” BRF is one of the largest meat producers in the world, with over 30 brands in its portfolio. © Shutterstock/Helen Hotson Oatly to open major plant- based dairy factory in UK Oatly has partnered with food and drink capital investment expert, Integrated Food Projects, to create its first UK factory. Located in Peterborough and creating over 200 jobs, the factory is set to launch in Q1 2023. The delivery of the factory will form part of a new end-to-end integrated supply chain in the UK, which IFP is helping to develop. As a purpose-led project, it’s critical that Oatly’s ethos is supported throughout the supply chain – reducing road miles, the carbon footprint and ultimately, it’s impact on the environment. The new factory will be able to produce 300 million litres of oat drink per year at launch, with the capacity to grow to 450 million litres – making it one of the largest plant-based dairy factories in the world. This means plant-based dairy will be more accessible for people to switch to, helping them to reduce their climate impact. 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:31 Page 5Data-driven beef contract launches in UK, setting secure price 24 months ahead Beef producers can finally plan ahead with confidence, following the launch of the world’s first smart, data-driven beef contract which sets a secure price 24 months ahead. In a development which is set to transform the British beef industry, Breedr has launched the UK’s first ever long-term minimum-priced contract based on lifetime animal data. With price certainty giving producers confidence to invest, and the data used to improve efficiencies throughout the supply chain, this will not only reduce the industry’s environmental footprint but also improve the consistency and quality of the end product. In addition, the team has launched a new risk-free way to buy and sell livestock, based on lifetime animal data and weights. The Breedr live trading platform means producers can buy and sell through the free app with certainty, with a price guarantee in case of any differential in the weight of weaned calves and stores between farms. Sellers are also ensured payment within 72 hours of collection, and trades will be commission free until later this year. “As beef producers ourselves, we know how tricky it is to plan ahead with confidence – one batch of bad calves can ruin a farm, as can a downturn in the beef market,” says Ian Wheal, founder of Breedr. “But by making better use of data we can buy and sell with transparency, predict growth rates, and know that we’re supplying the processor with what they want – ensuring a secure end market and price.” The contract is worth more than £130 million to British beef producers over the next seven years, offering a 24-month minimum price for any cattle with lifetime data, with producers also receiving a proportion of any uplift in price above that. Rearers can opt to be paid on a per kg growth basis, eliminating the need for capital outlay on youngstock, while advanced payments are available to smooth cash flow. Food & Drink International 9 www.fdiforum.net news © Shutterstock/Dmitry Naumov Packaging Innovations and Empack postponed to February 2022 Packaging Innovations and Empack has been postponed from June to 16 & 17 February 2022 in a decision made in consultation with the community. The live exhibition and seminars will be held at the NEC Birmingham. As well as networking opportunities and a world-leading exhibition, the packaging community will benefit from the insights of some of the industry’s leading experts on a wide range of trends and issues impacting the industry, from sustainability to the e-commerce revolution and beyond. To enable that content fix in the meantime, however, Packaging Innovations and Empack have launched a new digital sector-specific publication, ‘Packaging In Focus’, which brings together voices from the different corners of the packaging market. Renan Joel, Divisional Director for Easyfairs UK & Global’s packaging events, says: “We have been working closely with our exhibitors and key stakeholders to secure the best possible option to run the event and provide the industry with an opportunity to meet and do business this summer, and as such we have worked tirelessly to put in place numerous safety measures to ensure we can deliver a safe event to the highest possible standards. However, with the Government’s most recent announcement that large-scale indoor events will not be permitted until 21 June at the earliest, it has become impossible to run the June 2021 edition. “We understand how important it still is for us as humans to connect and continue to foster key relationships face to face. We are confident that, in 2022, we will be able to bring the community back together in a more powerful way than ever! In the lead up to the show, Packaging Innovations and Empack will build a community around not only the live event but also a year-long experience of relevant and insightful content and collaboration by the industry and for the industry!” © Shutterstock/Ceri Breeze DataLase releases new laser coding and marking solution for metal decoration Global coding and marking specialists, DataLase, has launched a UV offset (UVO) litho metal decoration coating, designed for use on offset litho presses equipped with UV curing units. Suitable for use on treated tin plate, the functional coating can be used to help address the challenges faced by production and manufacturing companies with product coding requirements, such as printing QR codes and expiry dates onto primary packaging applications. It can be used for food & drink, home, pharmaceutical, medical and industrial packaging. DataLase’s CSMO, Paul Dustain, said: “The new DataLase UVO litho metal decoration offering is an important functional coating, providing multiple benefits for production environments in various markets, particularly in improving security, traceability and anti-counterfeiting. “In addition, it also offers brands additional marketing and engagement opportunities, enabling connected packaging. DataLase will continue to push forward with increased technological advancement in order to further develop our market leading Photonic Printing Solutions.” 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 30/03/2021 09:31 Page 6Next >