< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFabulous Bakin’ Boys rebrands to TheFabulous BakersFabulous Bakin’ Boys, themuffin and flapjack producerowned by Daelmans Group, hasrebranded to The Fabulous Bakersahead of a major marketing push,which will focus on its all naturalingredients.The bakery company is seeking to shake up the UK bakery category by completely reformulatingand reinventing its product offering, using only natural, honest ingredients with no artificial colours,flavours or preservatives. Completely new popcorn bars and oaty cereal bars have been added toThe Fabulous Bakers range, which includes muffins, minis, cakes and flapjacks.Richard Cooper, chief executive of The Fabulous Bakers, says, “The Fabulous Bakers smallteam has worked incredibly hard to change everything about our offering, and are pioneering adifferent, more back to basics way of making great baked goods. The team are really excited to be the first mainstream branded bakery to use only natural,honest kitchen-cupboard ingredients with no artificial nonsense.”Big Bear chooses IMLimpact from RPCOakhamA Protective Shoulder container from RPCContainers Oakham has been selected for therelaunch of Spar’s 2.5l popcorn tubs.The high-quality decorative options presentedby RPC Oakham’s in-mould labelling capabilitieswere among the wow factors for manufacturerBig Bear Confectionery. In addition to helpingensure a standout presence on shelf, the whitetubs – injection-moulded in PP – also come withtamper evidence as standard. A fitted handle isattached to the strengthening collar for added consumer convenience.Mark Seddon, general sales manager of RPC Oakham, says, “We are continuing to see agrowth in the use of IML for confectionery because of the advantages it presents – eliminating theneed for a secondary decoration process and reducing both scrappage rates and work-in-process.It also delivers a more eye-catching design than a simple printed label.”Berries stay fresh inSuperLockRPC Superfos’ SuperLock pot has provided theideal solution to enable a new berry and fruit purée tostay fresher for longer.Swedish company Finnerödja’s new product BaraBär – meaning Simply Berries –comprises berries,stewed apples and nothing else. The company’sslogan is ‘Directly from the woods and the fields’ andthe new product is packed directly into the SuperLockpot for convenience and long shelf life.Frida Engström, Finnerödja’s market and salesrepresentative, says, “We had a unique, new productto sell, so the packaging solution had to match thisprofile. The easy opening and reclosure is ideal forpeople, who quickly want to boost a yogurt or twist asmoothie with healthy berry purée.”The injection moulded polypropylene SuperLockpack with barrier protection has won severalinternational prizes, thanks to its extremely low oxygentransmission rates which mean most convenienceproducts can stay on shelf under ambienttemperatures for up to two years.Pidy launch new retail products Pastry manufacturer Pidyare launching six brand newretail products, whichinclude light profiteroles, a22cm ready to fill sweetpastry case, twelve minicocktail shells, twelve minivol au vents, nine neutralpastry cases and nine sweetpastry cases.For the past twoyears, Pidy havebeen working closelywith Hider Food Imports whodistribute their product range. Their universally designed packaging hasresulted in enlisting prestigious accounts with Selfridges and Harrods alongwith Booths and Co-operative. Over the next three years Pidy hope to make the brand synonymous forthe discerning consumer who is looking for quality, variety and a solution foreasy to prepare canapés, meals and desserts.Pidy’s Robert Whittle says, “We are launching our best six selling retaillines alongside bespoke British recipes to entice the UK consumer andencourage them to create delicious patisserie. We see this launch as amajor contribution to the bakery and home creation sector.” Majorpresencefor RPC atIpack-ImaExtended shelf-life,effective productprotection andoptimum branddisplay are some ofthe many benefits ofthe variety of packs on display from companies from the RPC Group atIpack-Ima. RPC Superfos, RPC Containers Corby and RPC Packaging Gentwill showcase a wide range of packaging solutions. Highlights from RPC Superfos include its recently launchedEasySnacking pot, which meets the growing trend for eating on-the-go.The lid contains a spoon, which is extremely easy to get hold of.EasySnacking is available in two sizes, with the bigger version includingroom for a topping in the lid.A variety of packs incorporating a high-tech oxygen barrier for extendedambient shelf life will also be on display. For foodservice products, RPCSuperfos offers its SuperLift and SuperFlex containers, while SuperLockprovides an ideal solution for the retail sector. Also on show will beSuperLight, a thin wall pack that is particularly suitable for dairy products. 10_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:25 Page 1Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netDon’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!New CEOappointmentfor LINPACLINPAC, leading supplier tothe fresh food packagingmarket, has announced theappointment of Daniel Dayan asCEO.Daniel is a mechanicalengineer with many years ofexperience in the chemical andbuilding materials industries,and latterly spent eight years asCEO of Fiberweb, a €700 millionglobal manufacturer of industrialtextiles.Daniel says, “I am delightedto be joining LINPAC – a leaderand innovator in fresh foodpackaging around the world. It is an exciting time to be offered thisopportunity with major investments in sophisticated barrier films, expansionin Australia and elsewhere underway, as well as many other excitingprojects to deliver enhanced product and service solutions for ourcustomers.“My initial focus is to continue our record HSHE performance of recentyears and to further enhance the long-term strategy of the business todeliver growth, improved competitiveness and attractive financial returns forour investors.”Vikan increasessales teamVikan is further strengtheningtheir UK sales team with theappointment of two key staff.Ally Scott, Vikan’s new AreaSales Manager for Scotland,Ireland and Northern England,brings a wealth of experience tohis new role. He says, “I amthrilled to be joining a companywith such an enviable globalreputation for consistentlydelivering quality, innovativeproducts combined with fabulousservice.” His ambition is to growVikan’s current business bybuilding strong relationships withkey suppliers and increasingbrand awareness .With extensive knowledge of her nine years in the retail cleaning andfacilities management sectors, Hayley Roberts joins the Vikan team as KeyAccount Manager. She will be responsible for overseeing one of the UK’smajor supermarket chains now using Vikan’s range of ultramicrofibre toolsand equipment.UK Sales Manager Andy Freer says, “These new appointments willenable us to take the UK business to the next stage of its development.”To advertise your services onthe news pages contact us on01472 31030211_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:27 Page 112 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTWhen it comes to internationalcuisine, Britain has an oftenundeserved reputation ofbland and tasteless food, especiallycompared to the famed culinary delightsof France, Italy and Spain. Recent figuresreleased by the Food and DrinkFederation, however, show that there’snever been a better time to be a Britishfood and drink manufacturer, with exportsacross the world growing significantly. In 2014, the total exports of food anddrink goods, excluding alcohol, was up2.6% - now at a value of £12.8 billion.This figure represents an increasingdemand for British goods, and shows thatwhen it comes to UK products, oldstereotypes matter little. The lion’s share of British exports stilltravel to the EU, with a total value of£9.3 billion travelling across theEurozone. Its biggest customers areIreland, France and the Netherlandsrespectively – though Germany comesclose after. Outside of the Eurozone,exports of food and non-alcoholic drinksvalue at just £3.4 billion, though manymanufacturers have started to set theirsights further abroad, particularly in theUAE and Asian markets. Salmon scored as Britain’s highestexport good, with £636 million worth ofthe fish sold across the globe - £500million of which came from Scottishwaters. The US remains the top exportdestination for salmon, buying almost£215 million. Closer to home Francerecorded a 55% jump in their demand forBritish Salmon, importing £110 millionworth. A newer market for the fish,China, also showed a 40% increase indemand, with £65 million being exportedto that part of Asia. Scottish Food Secretary RichardLochhead says, “Scotland is blessed withan outstanding natural larder, and theselatest figures highlight the increasingglobal appetite for the premium andsustainable salmon and seafood producedin our pristine waters.” Also bucking the trend was Britishchocolate and cheese, which brought in£590 and £469 million respectively.Chocolate exports have traditionally beena strong point for Britain, and they roseonly 0.61%, but cheese on the other handsaw a 6% increase in the 2014 year,markedly above the 2.6% average. British beef was another success storyfor the market, showing a 6% increaseitself. This came as a surprise followingfalling export of other meats such aschicken, which saw a 1% decrease indemand. It’s thought that the beefindustry’s success might come from Chinaonce more, where there was a 51%increase in demand for British meat, butmore specifically a 169% increase indemand for British beef. These figures highlight the potential ofnon-EU markets for Britain, who haveshown rapid and incredible demand forBritish food in previous years. A largepart of this came as a result of the 2011decision for the Chinese food safetyagency to allow the import of salmon andpork from the UK. In terms of import,China remains the UK’s 11th largesttrading partner, and what remains aninhibitive factor for the industry is howlarge the country is, and also how lawsdiffer between individual provinces inChina. This complexity often works tomuscle out smaller manufacturers, whoare less willing to take the risks ofinvesting in legal teams capable ofworking out what they need to do to tradewith the country. Larger manufacturershave less problems, and are takingadvantage of the market as it stands. Adding the alcohol beverages industryon top, total food and drink exports fromBritain came in at £18.8 billion, and thetrend of non-EU markets growing moreTheBritishtasteWith consumer tastes expanding, there has never been a bettertime for British exporters of food and drink.12-14_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:46 Page 1www.fdiforum.netthan EU ones continued. What came as a surprise, howeverwas that the whiskey market shrank by 7.4% to £4 billion,despite whiskey normally being one of the strongest exportsof the country. For those looking to export further afield, the market is apromising one right now. The two major factors thatmanufacturers need to take into account will be marketresearch and product research. Market research is going tobe necessary for a number of reasons, not only to considerwhich markets import or consumer the largestquantities of a particular product, butalso which are experiencingcurrent growth, or are notbeing saturated bycompetitors. It’s alsoimportant to keep inmind the demographic ofthe selected location,from cultural to religious,and even the age of14 ÁPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MATTHEW BECHELLIFood & Drink International 13British beef has seena 169% increase indemand in ChinaPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BONCHAN12-14_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:46 Page 214 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTpotential new customers. One mistake alot of businesses looking to export runinto, is that they look at regions whichhave historically had high demand for aparticular product, and try to break intothat market. Markets with a long basis ofdemand for a product often have powerfulmarket leaders already in place,developing or rapidly growing countriesoften make more tempting targets. Product research is often the secondstep in exporting, and this often comesinto consideration when deciding how acompany will market and sell theirproduct in the new location. In manycases, this focuses on packaging – fromthe design and colours used, totranslations of labels, and the necessity forfollowing any labelling laws or guidelinesthe country might have. It’s also worthconsidering the size of the packaging andproduct itself, as a packet of crisps forinstance might differ in size in the UScompared to the UAE. Another aspect of product research isgoing to be pricing. What are the peoplein this new market willing to pay? Whatare they currently paying for alternatives,and what margins to retailers in thosecountry’s accept? It’s quite unlikely for anew exporter to be able to target an entirecountry at once, so you might have tobuild bridges with a few wholesalers orretailers initially. Once these two aspects are considered,all that is really left is attracting theinterest of retailers in these new markets,and traditionally this used to be the mostdaunting task. Now however, there areregular food and drink trade shows takingplace around the globe, allowingprospective exporters to offer their goodsfor sample to an audience of buyers. Forthose seeking to target the UAE, there isthe Gulfood Expo, THAIFEX in Thailandor NutrEvent in France. All of theseshows offer the opportunity formanufacturers to promote their product,and many countries now operate largepavilions or exhibition stands, where thecost of attending can be split betweenthose working together to promote theUK. With how much easier it has become toexport food and drink around the globe, itshould come as no surprise that Britainhas grown in the last year. Now all thatremains is for more manufacturers in theindustry to push the envelope and securetheir places in emerging markets. Salmon remains the biggestexport from Britain, totalling at£636 millionPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/NORDLING12-14_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:46 Page 3Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGThe demand for fresher food hasplaced an incredible strain on thesupply chain industry, withmanufacturers rushing to meet the stringenttime frames of larger retailers. In many casesthere are just a few days allowed between thecompletion of a product and its delivery tothe retailer – so it should come as no surprisethat distribution centres and warehouses arefeeling the pressure.With such irregular schedules to follow anda wide variety of products to shift, the manualelement of the workforce remains asimportant as ever. While factories are movingtowards almost full levels of automation,within the warehouses it is still individualstaff shifting goods about. Be it throughforklifts, trolleys, conveyor belts or othermaterials handling equipment, the focus is onspeed, efficiency and ultimately, safety. The three factors are more varied thanthey first seem, and in some cases canconflict with one another. Speed andefficiency are often mistaken for the same17 ÁPHOTO: HYSTERSpeedvsefficiencyEfficiency and speed are the keywords of materials handling, andeach needs to be kept in mind when monitoring your distributioncentre. 15-19_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:50 Page 1WWW.HYSTER.EUHYSTER, the Hyster logo and STRONG PARTNERS, TOUGH TRUCKS.TM are registered trademarks, service marks or registered marks in the United States and certain other jurisdictions.TOUGH OUTSIDE.INTELLIGENT INSIDE.P1.6-2.2 PALLET TRUCKUltra-robust and super reliableExclusive Hyster Intelligent Lift™ and cornering control optionsLow maintenance. Outstanding service back-upCONTACT YOUR DEALER OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO DISCOVER THE NEW HYSTER P1.6-2.2 PALLET TRUCK15-19_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:50 Page 2Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGOur complete truck range atyour serviceYou can call us for further information on 01844 215501or email marketing-uk@unicarrierseurope.comwww.unicarrierseurope.comthing, and while it’s forgivable for aworker to attempt to fulfil an order byusing a little extra haste, there can be risksinvolved, not only to personal safety, butalso the efficiency of the entire warehouse. Forklifts, for instance, are a staple of thematerials handling industry, with almostevery warehouse or distribution centre inthe country operating a few at least. Whatcan cause confusion, however, is the widearray of forklifts available on the market,and what roles they might best be suitabletowards. Industrial reach forklifts are bestsuited to taller racking systems, verycommon within the food and drinkindustry due to the sheer quantity of stockthat is kept in a warehouse, oftennecessitating that operators stack theirproducts tall as well as wide. If yourwarehouse has unusually thin aisles,possibly because of even higher levels ofstock, then a 3-wheel forklift can offermore manoeuvrability, allowing it tooperate in these thinner aisles. What a company needs can depend ona hundred different factors, from thewidth of the aisles, the height of thestacking, weight of palletised goods, oreven how far back on a rack they arestacked. Almost all forklifts will come withhealth and safety precautions such asshielded roofs as standard, but there mightalso need to be considerations in terms ofuser accessibility, or even ergonomics. While many may scoff at the idea thatergonomic design should warrant a moreexpensive forklift system, one shouldremember that in an average day anoperator might move their arm over athousand times an hour, and their headtwice that number. Dragging that out overan eight hour day is going to cause seriousstrain and fatigue on workers, and whilethis might not lead to injury, it willcertainly have an impact on efficiencylevels, as workers begin to pause to loosenmuscles or take quick rests.The potential for smoother running inwarehouses is assisted greatly by a newbreed of pallet trucks with intelligencebuilt in. The new Hyster P1.6-2.2pedestrian powered pallet truck series, forexample, has been intelligently designedthroughout to deliver reliability,durability, and a low cost of operation.In response to market feedback, onefeature of the Series is the new HysterIntelligent Lift option, where with onebutton press the pallet is lifted tomaximum fork height, while transporting.Kate Pointeau, Hyster Brand Manager,says, “The best operators can pick a palletup in one fluid and seamless movement,so we designed a software solution tomimic this driving style. It really is anintelligent design.” In addition, the optional HysterIntelligent Slow Down feature is designed toreduce the maximum speed once the angleof cornering has reached 30°. Kate Pointeausays, “Reduced speed on cornering providedby the Hyster Intelligent Slow Down featureimproves load stability and helps operatorsto move product quickly and confidently,particularly in congested areas and limitedspaces.”18 ÁPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BALONCICI15-19_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:50 Page 318 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGGO DIRECT……to the UK’s No.1 supplier of plastic pallets and boxesThe UK’s largest range Available from stock Free expert adviceInstant, competitive quotes Immediate nationwide delivery01323 744057 sales@goplasticpallets.comwww.goplasticpallets.comOne obstacle to efficiency can often belocating and accessing products within thewarehouse when they need to be shippedout. While most products of a particularbrand or batch will likely be stored witheach other, the individual size of thepackaging can vary greatly. Pallet-wrapping machines can help maximise onthis, by safely ensuring a wider range ofboxes can be stored together on a singlepallet. This also provides added safety tothe products if they need to be stored atheight, as there is no risk of individualpackages being knocked loose. Even when it comes to these machinesthough, there are a staggering number ofoptions available on the market, withvarying prices. Kite Packaging’s latestmodel, the Rotoplat 708, for example,works to improve efficiency by offeringhigher levels of flexibility than many otherpallet wrappers.The Rotoplat allows operators tocustomise a wide range of variables interms of the pallet wrapping, from tensionlevels on each wrap, to the number ofwraps per layer. For example, a pallet ofboxed biscuits stacked tall would needmore layers at the lower levels, due to theincreased weight, while the top few layersmight only need one or two layers to keepthose few boxes in place. Conventionalwrapping machines would requireoperators to apply the same number oflayers all over the pallet, not onlyincreasing costs in materials, but alsotaking longer on each pallet. Once again,the focus is on efficiency, by allowingusers to minimise wastage, both in termsof time and material. What becomes obvious is the need for astructured plan in regards to thewarehouse, or specialised supply chainmanagement software, to handle day-to-day operations. With the pallet wrapper, asupervisor would not want to be beholdenPHOTO: HYSTER15-19_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:50 Page 4Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGto each and every delivery for them to decide what variables to use.A SCM system in place could let the workers on the floor knowexactly what settings to use for each delivery, allowing them to getstarted immediately rather than wait for specific direction.Similarly, a good software system can prepare staff for upcomingarrivals or departures, and also arrange shifts and forklift allocationso that there are no clashes. A well-structured supply chain management system can also helpwhen it comes to the unexpected, and undesirable, situation ofdealing with product recalls and traceability. Though no companyexpects to have that happen to them, several high-profile cases insupermarkets have made it into mainstream media, and it’s veryimportant retailers have a quick resolution to the issue.Keeping track of all these variables obviously has an impact onthe speed of a warehouse, even though the overall efficiency of theoperation is higher. What is always important to remember however is that whilespeed and efficiency are the two major concerns for directors andmanagers, especially when it comes to choosing what products to use,the safety of the operators on the floor must always be kept in mind.Even the smallest accident in the workplace can have adevastating effect, not only on those involved, but also the entiresupply chain. Many workers will down tools to come to the aid ofanyone in danger, and the entire distribution centre might behalted while the accident is dealt with. The impact of this followson down the line, in terms of lorries arriving for stock that is notready for them, to deliveries to customers arriving late, or not at all. Incorporating health and safety into the forefront when selectingmaterials handling equipment will not immediately improve theefficiency of the operation in many cases. But it will reduce thechances of an incident which will completely halt all efficiency, andin the end, that can be more dramatic than any savings.PHOTO: CHAMELEONSEYE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM15-19_Layout 1 24/04/2015 11:50 Page 5Next >