< PreviousSouth Wine Company expands packaging range Wine specialist South Wine Company(SWC) is expanding its range of packagingand is now making its “Odyssey”-brandquality wines available on the Russianmarket in aseptic carton packs. The company has opted for thepackaging and filling technology from SIGCombibloc: four of its own home-grownsemi-dry wines are now offered in thecombiblocSlimline1,000 ml carton pack.The South Wine Company’s wines have previously been available in glass bottles only.“We decided to make our wines, which come exclusively from our own grape-growing areas onthe Taman Peninsula, available in carton packs from SIG Combibloc,” said Vyacheslav Merkulov,deputy Managing Director of the South Wine Company. “We are convinced that this packagingpreserves the high quality of our wines and perfectly suits the convenience requirements of modernconsumers.” At Krasnodar, immediately adjacent to the vineyards, the company therefore installed a CFA 310filling machine from SIG Combibloc to fill the combiblocSlimlinecarton packs.10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netBottles preserve taste sensation SOGO, one of Poland’s largest apple juiceproducers has selected a barrier bottlemanufactured by RPC Promens ConsumerCorby for its not-from-concentrate drinks.The 250ml blow moulded polypropylenebottle incorporates a layer of EVOH which, aswell as extending the ambient shelf life of thehot-filled drinks, also helps to preserve theflavours and aromas. In addition, thelightweight and unbreakable nature of thebottle has enabled the company to developonline sales. SOGO believes its juices, incorporating fruit from its carefully tended orchards, creates a full tastesensation that requires special packaging.“The fullness of the flavour emphasises the quality of our juice, so it is essential that this ismaintained throughout the life of the product,” said Marek Gogola, Head of Marketing and Sales.“We are delighted with the performance of the RPC bottle which is playing a key role in reflecting thepremium image of our brand.”New ultra-premium vodkais well worth a shotReady to shake up the vodka market, Wild Knight®Ultra-Premium English Vodka is single-distilled by handin small batches, using the finest English barley grownin Norfolk and water drawn from the ancient chalkaquifers that run under Eastern England.Described by some as ‘liquid silk’, Wild KnightEnglish Vodka is a smooth, soft and slightly sweetvodka with a long finish that can be enjoyed with foodor over ice. It’s also just as delicious sipped at roomtemperature.Developed by husband and wife team, Matt andSteph Brown, whose love affair with vodka began at afamily wedding in Mongolia, Wild Knight English Vodkawill only ever be served in its pure form“With Wild Knight we’re hoping to rekindle thenation’s love affair with vodka in the same way that ginhas been reinvented in recent years,” said Matt Brown.“We want people to enjoy our vodka in its purest formand recognise the qualities and flavours that can come from an ultra-premiumvodka, in the same way they would savour a good whiskey. It’s time forEnglish vodka to make its mark and we hope to be at the very forefront of thatrevolution.”New cup is a cool solution RPC Bebo Plastik hasdeveloped a multilayer on-the-gocup for a new ready-to-drink icedcoffee from one of the fastestgrowing coffee shop brands inthe world.Frappe Chill is the latestoffering from Café Coffee Day,which was established inBangalore, India in 1996 and nowhas outlets worldwide.The new drink is the company’stake on the original frothy Greekbeverage with a unique flavour and animpeccable iced coffee blend. Tomaximise ambient shelf life and maintainquality, the thermoformed cup ismanufactured in multilayer polypropylene with an EVOH layer thatprevents oxygen ingress. The cup is retortable and the product is hot-filled and then retorted for30 minutes at 118°C.The travel-friendly design offers convenience and ease of use for theconsumer, including an integrated telescopic straw in the lid that can beexpanded and contracted as required.New low calorie drinksrange first to hit the UKmarketThe Berry Company is set for a big year aheadwith ambitious plans for a 2016 brand overhaul andan exciting suite of new wellbeing products in foodand drink. The Berry Company will begin by re-launching its existing juice and tea range with 40%reduced sugar and calories, in line with a refreshingnew pack design.The drinks industry is currently facing growingdemand for reduced sugar products. The new recipefrom The Berry Company contains 40% less sugarand only 27Kcal per 100ml, offering consumers alighter option without compromising on flavour. Khaled Yafi, CEO and Founder of The BerryCompany, commented: “Not only are we filling agap in our portfolio for low calorie drinks we arealso in the process of extending our portfolio intothe breakfast and ‘on-the-go’ snacking categories. “We are also looking to tackle the growingdemand for exciting flavours within the ambientdrinks category by offering everyday, activeconsumers a choice of products that suit theirlifestyle. Our love for exotic superberries remains atthe heart of our brand but we will continue toexperiment into new and exciting brand extensions.Watch this space.”10-11_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:04 Page 1Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netBudweiser to launch twist-offs in the UK Budweiser has become the first major beer brand in theUK to introduce twist-off bottle caps. Available across onand off trade, the innovation will increase ease of serve foron trade customers, and address issues of conveniencefor shoppers – by eliminating the need for bottle openerswhen enjoying a Budweiser. The launch is supported by extensive brand research,which found a strong consumer appetite for the servingbenefits Budweiser Twist-Offs provide, which was a keydriver to bringing the innovation to the UK.Aina Fuller, Senior Brand Manager UK&I at Budweiser,said: “This is so much more than a packaging innovationfor Budweiser – never again will consumers have to search high and low for a bottle opener, or battleto open bottles with their teeth. We’re proud to continue to lead the category in the UK by being thefirst major beer brand to bring twist-off caps to British consumers, ensuring they now never have tomiss a minute of the action – like a goal in an exciting football match.The new packs will run across all SKUs and be available in total trade from April 4th - stockists willremain the same.New soft drink hitting the UK set to tackle ‘waron sugar’Whilst there are increasing reports of thesugar tax threatening many businesses,there is also growing pressure on retailers toprovide sugar free soft drinks and healthyalternatives.Hey Like Wow is a new soft drinksconcept that combines sugar free hydrationwith natural flavourings without relying on artificial colours, sweeteners or preservatives. The newrange is set to shake up the UK’s current soft drinks industry which is worth £15.7 billion. One of the founders of Hey Like Wow said: “The war on sugar is one of the key issues faced byfood and drink manufacturers and retailers. As consumers, we were frustrated by the soft drinksbrands which promote themselves as healthy, yet in reality were anything but. It was clear to us thatradical innovation was needed.“We have brought together some of the most dynamic players in the drinks manufacturing andcap technology industries to develop a range of products that look and taste great, but which havegenuine health properties.“These products really meet a market and consumer need.”Bio Polymer ‘mix’bottle is a EuropeanfirstRPC Promens Consumer Nordics hasdeveloped a one litre milk bottle made entirelyfrom a non-oil based bio polymer producedfrom sugar cane.Uniquely, an additional feature that is nowbeing developed and which is believed to be afirst in the European market, will see thepolymer mixed with a special mineral filler. Thisreduces the amount of polymer required foreach bottle without impacting on its strengthand performance, which will further enhance its positive environmental profile.In its first commercial application, the new Modul bottle has been selected byleading Swedish dairy company Skånemejerier for its range of non-homogenisedmilk.“Sustainability is a vital consideration throughout all our operations includingour packaging, where we always seek to choose a solution with minimal impacton the environment,” comments Armina Nilsson, sustainability manager atSkånemejerier. “The new bottle from RPC Promens is ideal for our milk,” confirms ThoreBengtsson, the company’s strategic purchaser. “We have an excellent workingrelationship with the company and their ability to handle the tight deadlines forthis project was particularly beneficial.”STO takes you to the Pole withAmundsen VodkaStock Polska has extended its top premiumproduct range with the introduction ofAmundsen Expedition, created to honour one ofthe greatest expeditions of the 20th century thatsaw a team of explorers reach the South Pole in1911.For this project, Stock Polska again reliedupon the expertise of the Austria-headquarteredStölzle Glass Group in order to manufacture astylish vintage vodka bottle. The result is aunique light blue bottle made from feedercoloured glass. It features mould embossmentall over the body, aimed at resembling icebricks. It was an exciting challenge to StolzleCzestochowa, the Polish production site of theGlass Group, to prove its technical expertise inglass production, mainly in the field of mouldmaintenance which was continuously required toensure a perfect bottle shape. Stölzle Glass Group is a specialist in producinghigh-end glass containers for its Prestige Spiritsand Perfumery & Cosmetic division. Maspex: 80 years ofTymbark – 15 years ofpartnership with SIGCombiblocThe Maspex Wadowice Group, one of thebiggest food manufacturers in Central and EasternEurope, has reason to celebrate this year: theGroup’s popular Tymbark brand is 80 years old. In the fruit juices and nectars segment, Tymbarkbrand products reign supreme at the top of thepopularity scale among consumers in Poland – andin many other European countries as well. KrzysztofPawi?ski, chairman of the board of the MaspexWadowice Group: “Our Tymbark brand is a strongpillar of our global corporate success. To achievethis market position and continue to grow in thefuture, we’ve invested heavily in our distributionchannels and branding, and ensured that ourmanufacturing facilities are technically state-of-the-art. With the experienced team from SIGCombibloc, we have a reliable partner at our side”. Tymbark juices and nectars have been availablein aseptic carton packs from SIG Combibloc since2001. To fill the beverages, Maspex now has a totalof 10 SIG Combibloc filling machines in operationat three production plants. 10-11_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:04 Page 212 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netO-I launches lighterglass standards forindependent brewersHaving redeveloped its Harlow plant as asustainable glass powerhouse for the beerindustry, O-I has turned its attention to creatingthe range of products which will supportindependent brewers as they capitalise on thecontinued growth in bottled beers.The first new shape is a 330ml champagnestyle beer bottle which takes a standard 26mmcrown. This stablemate to O-I’s 500ml and750ml champagne style bottles offers theperfect pack for premium craft light beers. Itssecond latest offering is a high shouldered330ml bottle with long, straight sides to extendthe range. The company has also developed lighterweight versions of some existing popularstandards. Its new long-necked 330ml beerstandard reduces glass weight from 218g to200g without any change to the key externaldimensions of the container (height, diameter,label panel).A lighter version of O-I’s 500ml standardreduces its weight from 300g to 280g, matchingindustry leaders, such as Adnams.Ishida delivers high production flexibility and qualityfor German manufacturerIn collaboration with its customer, the project team atIshida Germany has devised a new high-performancepacking line comprising fully automatic multiheadweighers and inspection systems for leading Germanoat flakes and muesli producer Peter Kölln GmbH & Co.KGaA.In order to cope with high demand for its products,Peter Kölln required a packing solution that was able toprocess a wide range of pack formats and be equallysuitable for muesli and extruded cereals, which the company markets under the name ‘Fleks’. The Ishida solution – comprising two CCW-RS multihead weighers, an IX-GA-4075 X-ray inspectionsystem and a DACS-G checkweigher – is able to handle a variety of different types of muesli and Fleksin different pack formats, with fill weights ranging from 325g to 1kg. The line is capable of speeds ofup to 140 packs per minute with accuracy to within 0.5% of the target weight. Peter Kölln’s technical project planner, Denise Stoldt said, “The Ishida X-ray inspection systemworks a lot more accurately than a competitor model that we also use in our production department.”LINPAC strengthens EPS foam market positionwith £1.2m investmentA £1.2 million investment in machinery will enablefresh food packaging manufacturer, LINPAC, to producea further 200 million expanded polystyrene (EPS) trayseach year at its St Helens, UK manufacturing site.The investment will see existing extruders andthermoformers upgraded to further enhance the quality,environmental benefits and cost effectiveness of packsfor LINPAC customers.St Helens is the company’s principle manufacturingsite of EPS based products for the national andEuropean foodservice markets, producing a range of fast food boxes, trays and pizza discs.Mick Wood, LINPAC UK Operations Manager, said: “We are working towards a major upgrade to ourmanufacturing capabilities. This will ensure that we can offer our customers both market leading qualityand increased capacity to service their needs. This will give us an increased competitive edge in animportant market for LINPAC.”Once complete, St Helens will have four extrusion lines and 10 thermoformers in operation,supported by three reclaim units.SICK deTec4 Prime Takes Safety tothe Next LevelA tough addition to SICK’s flagshipsafety light curtain family, the deTec4Prime is an extra-rugged, high-performance light curtain that is easy toinstall and use. It is also suitable for harshenvironments and exceptionally widemachines. With the SICK deTec4 Prime, it is easierthan ever to achieve hazardous andaccess point safety protection up toPLe/SIL3. The deTec4 Prime is expectedto find applications in automatedconsumer goods handling and packaging,for example on large pieces of equipmentsuch as multi-robot carton assembly andmulti-station white goods assembly lines.With integrated laser alignment for simple installation, the SICK deTec4Prime provides full end-to-end protection with no blind zones and a widescanning range up to 21m. It complements the highly successful deTec4Core safety light curtain which has set new protection performancestandards since its launch in 2013. Configuration and range adjustment is automatic, requiring no additionalset-up.wenglor presents the world’ssmallest transit time sensor Where checking for presenceand position monitoring in tightspaces are concerned, the world’ssmallest transit time sensor, theWinTec P1KY001 (equipped withwenglor’s interference-free WinTectechnology), is distinguished byits minimal housing size (22 x 32 x12 mm). Despite its size, the transit timesensor includes numerouscapabilities which permit use incomplex automation applications. For example, the high-performance triple-dot laser diode can detect black and glossy objects with unsurpassedprecision at a switching frequency of 1,000 Hz. Predestined for temperaturesranging from -40 to +50 degrees Celsius, the P1KY001 is in demand inextremely adverse environments such as cold storage facilities. Its large 1,000 mm working range, two switching outputs and the 270°potentiometer assure extraordinary performance on the one hand, as well asuser-friendly, intuitive operation on the other. “The P1KY001 can be used in all applications where quick and accurateobject detection is required in extremely tight spaces,” said wenglor ProductManager, Christopher Lang. 12_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:05 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netDon’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!Bennett Opie appoints newProduction ManagerFine food producer and distributorBennett Opie has appointed HelenWraight as Production Manager.Helen brings over fifteen years’production experience and herappointment is perfectly timed tosupport the firm’s plans to doublesales over the next five years.Helen’s previous roles includetime at Katsouris Fresh Foods andGreencore so will be ideally placedto steer the busy production facility.She is also currently studying MScFood Safety & Quality Management.Helen Wraight, pictured, said:“This role will enable me to draw onmy experience from previous roles.Going forward, I think this will be aninteresting yet challenging role and Ilook forward to being an integralpart of the team to help drive business growth.”Over the next five years Bennett Opie plans to double sales from £25million to £50 million and in 2015 invested in a new 4645 metre squaredwarehouse facility at Sittingbourne in Kent.Two new managers for foodmanufacturer Phoenix Group High-care foodmanufacturerPhoenix Group hasstrengthened itssenior leadershipteam with theappointment of twonew managers.TheNottinghamshire-based companyhas hired RichardCrowdy as Salesand CommercialManager and Sue Wassell as Site Operations Manager.Crowdy previously worked for a large contract packaging company inNewcastle where he dealt with clients including SCA, Unilever andTwinnings.In his new role, he is responsible for managing relationships with newand existing clients. He also negotiates some of the deals for the buying ofthe seed, and the selling of the expeller (the shell and flesh of the seed thatgets left over after oil has been extracted).Wassell has more than 13 years’ experience in the food manufacturingindustry. She previously worked at United Biscuits, Bakkavor and Nestle UKbefore later moving into the pharmaceuticals sector.She takes up the role as site operations manager at Phoenix, responsiblefor managing customer’s expectations, site priorities and KPIs (keyperformance indicators) for the company.To advertise your services onthe news pages contact us on01472 31030213_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:06 Page 114 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTTechnology, poverty and politics dividethe two sovereign states of Korea. Despitetheir proximity on either side of ademilitarised buffer zone, when it comesto food, they couldn’t be further apart. Due to the nuclear tests undertaken byNorth Korea’s Supreme Leader, KimJong-un, the United Nations SecurityCouncil has expanded internationalsanctions against the country. The US,meanwhile, has further warned that if thecountry conducts further nuclear tests, itcould face new sanctions, including aneffort to cut access to hard currencyearned by its workers abroad. NorthKorea is already suffering a significantfood shortage and the county’s statemedia has recently warned that the tightersanctions could instigate greater economicKeeping up withKoreaWith strong food and beverage import/export links with Australia,and an explosion of opportunity in China, South Korea is markingwaves in foreign markets. SHEILA FITZGERALD / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM14-17_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:43 Page 1Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTstruggles and contribute to another faminesimilar to the one that occurred in thenineties - believed to have killed overthree million people. Key members ofNorth Korea’s bureaucracy have allegedlyreached out to defectors for help whichsome claim is the effect of the sanctions inaction. The cost of rice and othereveryday items has risen dramatically inrecent months, though it is unknownwhether or not this directly correlateswith the sanctions. South Korea, however, is recalibratingits position and shifting its focus towardspremium food exports. Bordered by Chinato the northwest, Russia to the northeastand separated less than 1,000 km fromJapan by the Korea Strait means it’s in anideal location. Kim Jae-soo, CEO of KoreaAgro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp (thestate-run food export promotion agency)has said that the country should focusmore on exporting value-added, processedfood products to Japan, China andelsewhere to better nurture its agricultureand fisheries industries. To meet this aim,Korea should offer larger incentives toChinese trading firms and retailers tomotivate them to deal in Korean products. Speaking in an interview with TheKorea Times (a daily English-languagenewspaper), Kim Jae-soo said: “It isdifficult to export fresh agricultural andfisheries products to China and othercountries in a sustainable manner due tofrequent output changes based on weatherand other conditions. So Korea shouldmake more effort to process fresh itemsand produce value-added food products.This is how we can bolster outboundshipments and earn more hard currency.”In order to boost food exports to China,Kim said that the country should create amarket structure wherein Chinese tradersand retailers can generate profits fromKorean agricultural and food items. KoreaAgro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp hassaid it will play its part in helping toincrease Korea’s food exports to $8.1billion this year (a figure up from $6.11billion the previous year). Due to thedecline of industrial exports in 2016, Kimhas said that it has become crucial for thecounty to sell more fresh goods andprocessed food items in foreign markets.16 ÁSymrise opens tradinghub in Iran In a move that willcreate a trading hubbetween East and Westand help to open themarket to customersacross the Persian Gulf,Symrise has openedSymrise Parsian inTehran, Iran. Symrise will set upsales offices andapplication-specificlaboratories at the siteand will developcustom-tailoredproducts for the marketin the Persian Gulfregion. These will bemade for local andinternational customersin the food andbeverage industry, aswell as formanufacturers of perfumes, body care, and household caregoods.“Having our own site in the region underlines our dedication toIranian customers and this attractive market. We are thus a stepahead of many other international companies,” said Dr. Heinz-Jürgen Bertram, CEO of Symrise AG. Iran’s location betweenEurope, Russia and the Persian Gulf States makes this country animportant trading hub. This opens a variety of tradingopportunities for the future – also with Asia.Despite the many sanctions that were implemented at thebeginning of the Iraq war and maintained throughout, Symrisehas sustained strong relations with customers and surroundingPersian Gulf States.14-17_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:44 Page 216 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTTo help bolster overseas logisticsinfrastructure, several new warehouseshave been opened in a number of Chinesecities, making it easier and cheaper forKorean firms to sell their food itemsthere. Part of this strategy includes targetingthe growing number of increasinglywealthy Chinese consumers, many ofwhom identify Korean products as beingsafer and more sanitary options andalternatives. And Korean food is gaining awider appeal among young Chineseconsumers. Even Korean cooking classesare proving popular. This growing interestin is part of a wider cultural fascination,termed ‘Korean wave’ or ‘hallyu’. Itsorigins date back to 2003, where a hugelypopular soap opera called Jewel in thePalace (Deajanggeum) first aired and wasreinforced by K-Pop singers and moviestars. For Chinese fans of the show, thishas opened the floodgates to a newcuisine and culture to become immersedin, something that Korean food producersare able to use to their advantage. Exports of South Korean agriculturalproducts to China have been steadilyrising in recent years, buoyed (in part) bythe ongoing success of the Korean wave.In a historical first, Korean rice can beseen on Chinese shelves from April 2016specifically targeting upper classcustomers. Around 100 tonnes of Koreanrice has already been shipped to Chinathis year, and is expected to reach as muchas 2,000 tonnes by the end of the year. South Korea’s Minister of Agriculture,Food and Rural Affairs, Lee Dong-Phil,undertook a three day visit to Chinawhere he met his Chinese counterpartand other government officials andsuccessfully persuaded the sale of‘samgyetang’- a chicken soup withginseng. The minister also attendedpromotional events for Korean rice,kimchi (Korea’s national dish - atraditional fermented side disk) and otherfoods which could appeal to Chineseconsumers. Korea has been trying to getChina to import samgyetang as far back as2006, but China has refused due to itsquarantine and sanitary rules. Now, localmakers will be able to ship their productsPureCircle to make India aregional export hub for stevia PureCircle, a producer of stevia ingredients for the global food and beverageindustry, is to invest in India’s stevia manufacture over the next five years.The company plans to partner with thousands of Indian farmers to plant 5,000hectares of stevia and eventually build a processing facility in India.India is the last major market to approve stevia lead extract as a sweetener,opening the doors for PureCircle investment. The agronomy program provides farmers with a contract that states a fixedpriced for the stevia they produce and teaches them how to grow the plantsustainably. Indian farmers that grow PureCircle stevia on one hectare of land canexpect to yield an income of about 400,000 Rupees per year. Early agricultural trialsare already underway in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand andMadhya Pradesh.Jason Hecker, PureCircle’s President of Group Sales and Marketing, said: “Webelieve this plant can not only help farmers in the region earn extra income, but also help to naturally reduce calories for Indian consumers whilemaintaining the sweet tastes they want.”PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ANETA_GU14-17_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:44 Page 3Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netIMPORT & EXPORTas early as June of this year. To furtherdrive exports, the Ministry has signed abusiness agreement with South Korea’sLotte Mart, which runs 75 stores on themainland, and Chinese retailers to furtherpromote Korean agricultural and fooditems. Shipments of samgyetang areexpected to reach around 500 tonnes(worth $3 million) this year, with thevolume likely to be more than doublednext year. Lee says: “We have long been waitingfor the day when we can finally exportsamgyetang to China. In addition to thechicken soup, Korea must enhance thequality of other food products to bolsteroutbound shipments. The governmentwill do everything it can to supportfarmers and food companies.” He adds: “The government willencourage more food companies to dobusiness in China. We will offercomprehensive consulting services inmarketing, customs, quarantine andlogistics. We will open more warehousesin China to make it convenient and lesscostly for food exporters to sell theirproduce there. We will also organise aseries of sales promotion activity incooperation with private firms.”The Japanese market is also a lucrativeand vital part for the future of Korea’sfood export; Kim Jae-soo has stressed theimportance of boosting food shipments toJapan, saying: “Our food exports to Japanhave decline over the past few years. Butwe cannot give up on the Japanesemarket. We should target the growingnumber of senior citizens in Japan whoare conscious about their health. Weshould develop and sell value-added,functional health foods to Japaneseconsumers.”Kim signed an agreement with RyouheiUkai, President of the Japan FoodHygiene Association, at this year’s FoodexJapan event, to boost cooperation on foodhygiene and quarantine. The Korea Agro-Fisheries and Food Trade Corp,meanwhile, has reached an agreementwith Japanese food retailers and industryassociates to have them buy more Koreanfood items.The Korea-Australia Free TradeAgreement (KAFTA), which entered intoforce in December 2014, has seen exportsto the country greatly benefit. Under theagreement, Australian exports gain animproved market access in goods, withtariff elimination on almost all Australia’scurrent exports by value by fullimplementation of the Agreement. SouthKorea, alongside other Asian marketsincluding Japan and China (the China-Australia Free Trade Agreement wasintroduced in December 2015), havebenefited especially when it comes to wineexports. Wine exports to South Koreaincreased by 51 per cent, while exports toJapan rose by 10 per cent. The biggestsuccess, however, was with China, whohas now overtaken the UK to become thesecond largest market by value forAustralian wine exports. Representatives from E-mart – SouthKorea’s leading retailer, and the firstKorean retailer to advance into China –recently visited Australia to brief foodmanufacturers on doing business in Koreaunder the KAFTA. It was the first timethat E-mart has participated in a buyermission of this kind, due largely to theimproved competitive position ofAustralian products under KAFTA.During this visit, which included a varietyof seminars, Australian companies weregiven the opportunity to showcase theirproducts and garner first hand feedbackon their suitability for the Korean market. By strengthening its existing trade linkswith China, as well as tapping into thegrowing popularity of its food and culture,South Korea is poised to increase its foodexports to China by 32 per cent from lastyear. Korean food is also gaining tractionin the US and Europe where kimchi inparticularly is winning over consumers forits health properties. With that in mind, itserves to reason that South Korea issetting itself up as a significant global foodexporter. With its relations with Chinagoing from strength to strength, alongsideits ties to Japan and Australia, Korea is onthe lips of consumers in more ways thanone. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/SEAN PAVONE14-17_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:44 Page 418 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTIONWhen it comes to operating awarehouse or distribution centre,efficiency is always going to be the mostimportant factor. With the balancebetween minimising costs and maximisingthroughput, isolating and identifyingfactors that cause delays or problemsbecomes increasingly important. In manycases however, it is the human elementthat impedes total efficiency. Employeesbecome fatigued, both physically andmentally, and must take regular breaks forfood or to visit the bathroom. They alsomake mistakes, either accidentally, orthrough negligence. And when anemployee is involved in an accident, it isobviously far more worrying than a pieceof machinery. So is it possible tocompletely remove the human elementfrom the warehousing industry? Andwould it really be a good idea?The arguments for moving towards fullyautomated warehouses are many andvaried. One of the largest elements isobviously the goal of reducing costs.Currently in the EU wages are fallingacross most countries, but this trend iscertainly not going to be a permanent one.Being able to remove employees from thepicture could save a company millions interms of wages, while also cutting outother related costs involved, such aspayroll, HR, and legal matters. It’s worthnoting that automated warehouses don’ttruly attempt to live in a world wherehumans don’t exist. There is likely to be ateam monitoring an automated warehousefrom another location, ensuring thateverything runs efficiently and runningthe warehouse. But even then, the costsof having a few centralised control teamswould be far less than having teams atevery single distribution centre. Also by cutting out manpower there isless risk for accidents or mistakes. While`to err may be human` is all well andgood, it’s not something that will placatemajor customers who haven’t receivedtheir shipment on time, or who now havelost or damaged stock. Automated systemsreduce the chance of human error. Ofcourse they do not completely remove thepotential for accidents, such as a woodenpallet splintering – a fully automatedsystem also cannot be injured by theresultant mess. Space is another benefit to anautomated system. Walkways andmezzanine floors can be unnecessary if adistribution centre is set out properly.Aisles could theoretically be removedentirely if a warehouse was to use roof-mounted shuttles or cranes to move goodsabout. But even if a company preferred touse remote-operated forklifts, there wouldbe less requirements in terms of the widthof aisle – a remote forklift unit of coursenot needing to be as wide as a normalone, due to its lack of a driver cabin. Conveyor belts and systems arecommonplace in automated warehousesystems like these, particularly forbringing goods to loading bays to bedelivered to any logistics crews arriving forstock. Conveyor belts again can help makeefficient use of space, as there are norequirements on where they must beplaced. If a company truly wished to doso, then the conveyor system could benear the ceiling, allowing for the groundlevel of the warehouse to be used forstorage. Temperature controlled warehouses canbenefit doubly from this, as the lack ofworkers travelling to and fro reduces theopening of doors and access points,causing loss of temperature. Anautomated conveyor system might morecommonly involve an automated shutterthat only allows the product through,before closing behind it – preventingescape of chilled air. However the most obvious reason forlooking towards automation in thewarehouse will always be productivity.Workers will always be ruled by thephysical limitations of the human body,while machines do not suffer the samefatigue. An automated system cancontinue running for 24 hours a day,without the need for changing teams,shifts and breaks. For food and drinkretailers who operate online stores anddelivery, this enables companies to havemore flexible cut-off times for deliveries,improving customer relations and perhapseven making them a more attractivechoice for consumers. So what is holding companies back?Costs remain an important factor, with aPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VERESHCHAGIN DMITRYRunning withmachinesRemoving the human element wherever possible may improve efficiency.But how viable is it to extend this philosophy to the entire warehouse? 18-21_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:47 Page 1Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING & DISTRIBUTIONOur complete truck range atyour serviceYou can call us for further information on 01844 215501or email marketing-uk@unicarrierseurope.comwww.unicarrierseurope.comfully automated warehouse systemrequires not only specialist machinery andsoftware, but also a lot of planning andpreparation. For existing warehouses itmight mean alteration, or removal of allexisting systems, which would lead to a lotof wastage. While for new builds, there isalready such high investment beingutilised for distribution centres thatadding another facet to the mix in what isalready a tough economic climate, simplyisn’t desirable. Return on investmenttends to be a little slower with fullyautomated systems, despite high labourcosts. On top of that there are also concernsabout the flexibility of automated systemsvs their more standard counterparts.When creating a new warehouse there isalways the possibility that sales fall, or thespace is not fully utilised in some way. Inthe event that a warehouse suddenly findsitself only operating at 50% capacity forinstance, it is a relatively simple affair tomove the racking around, designate thespace to a different sector, rent out thespace – or even just cut down on the sizeof the workforce to save costs. With afully automated system this just isn’t quiteso simple. Excess equipment could be soldfor some quick capital, but that just leavesthe warehouse unable to pick back up ifsales increase, while leaving half of thewarehouse inoperable will only result inmarginal savings in terms of energy costs.Automated systems that are locked inplace are not as easy to move around asworkers, and even if a company was ableto rent the space out to another –software systems and operating procedureswould need to be adapted to the newproducts, causing further confusion. Ultimately, many companies are forcedto adapt some kind of balance, reaping thebenefits of automated systems where theycan, while also keeping a certain degree ofmanual labour in place to work around it.While there is no telling if in the futurethe industry can adapt more effectivemeans of fully automating warehouses, fornow the decision is a difficult anddemanding one for logistics anddistribution managers. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BALONCICI18-21_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:47 Page 2Next >