< Previous30 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netBEVERAGESCroxsons teams up with UKVA tofurther support UK wine industryWith involvement in the wine industry spanning almost 145 years, leading glasspackaging company Croxsons has become a Gold Patron of the UKVA (UnitedKingdom Vineyards Association).Croxsons’ Tim Croxson said: “Being the sole glass bottle manufacturer to beaccepted as a Gold Patron of the UKVA is in itself a great honour and we aredelighted to be associated with such a key industry organisation. We are dedicatedto supporting our customers and their industries and look forward to what thefuture holds.” The company pride themselves on their customer relationships - ‘A Family ofPackaging’, a statement recently included in their revamped logo. A good exampleof this is Croxsons’ ongoing association with Lyme Bay Winery, the majority of whose glass range is filled into bottles sourced by Croxsons.Whilst the range includes some standard varieties with BVS closures, it also has some rarities that Croxsons have provided through a tailoredsolution.For more information, visit www.croxsons.com.become ever more health conscious,however, people have started to takenote of research and studies linkingbeverages – particularly the soft drinksindustry – to obesity and heart disease.This has been a bitter pill for theindustry to swallow, and no amount ofpublicity spin attempts by internationalsuppliers and collective associationshas been enough to change it. Forbetter or worse, the world is educatedand well-aware of the health risks ofsugary drinks. It’s already come to thepoint where the UK has issued theirown sugar tax, which will impact thebeverages industry more than manyothers. This follows the obesityepidemic sweeping the country and issomething that might inevitably berolled out across America in time aswell.Manufacturers responded as bestthey could, with Coca Cola changingalmost all promotion to push the salesof their Coke Zero brand, which woulddodge the tax by removing all thesugar it could. Many others followedsuit, and light, diet or sugar-freeversions which used artificialsweeteners were rolled out en masse.Problem solved, or so it seemed.Not quite so. A recent studypublished in the American HeartAssociation journal Stroke, found that ifa person were to have a diet soda-based drink once a day, it wouldincrease the risk of dementia and strokethree times over, compared to someonewho had one a week. Although thestudy is not absolute, and even theresearchers themselves admit they wereunable to determine if thosepredisposed to dementia perhaps drankmore diet soda because they wished tobecome healthy, it is still a problematicsituation for the industry. Diet drinkswere the answer to sweeping reformsand movements which seemed aimedat impacting full-fat versions ofproducts, and this link won’t help inthat regard. On the other hand, acynical view might be that much of thiswon’t matter in the long run anyway,because history has shown that whilepeople will continue to lambast drinksindustries, they will purchase theirproducts nonetheless. On the manufacturing side, much haschanged as well – and ingredients andtheir preparation are drawing moreinterest than ever before. Hygiene has,as ever, been important, but rising costsdue to wages (and particularly theNational Living Wage in the UK), havedriven the need for efficiency higherthan ever before. As the industry has been a consistentone for many decades it’s easy to seethat most companies are now able tohandle the hygienic necessities of theprocess – with adaptations such ashygienic hoses and pumps. But that’snot to say that there hasn’t beeninnovation in other areas; as companiesvie for competitive edge over oneanother. In efforts to increase efficiencymany pump process machines now28-32_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:23 Page 3Food & Drink International 31www.fdiforum.netBEVERAGES+44 (0) 1444 239970sales@atwell-labellers.co.ukwww.labeller.co.ukYou produce itOur machines will label itLabels & Bespoke Machinessupplied by AtwellRadnor Hills introduce new packformats The new pack formatsfrom Radnor Hills aredesigned to address thehealthy snacking trendsfor adults and children. Allof their new options arecompletely preservativefree and contain noadded sugar. Consumers from all lifestages are movingtowards smaller packformats. Ease of use playsa key role to help swaypreference amongst consumers. Radnor Hill’s new tetra prisma range offer juicy waterand pure fruit juice options in 125ml, 200ml and 250ml cartons. Research shows thatconsumers prefer the prismatic shape to the standard tetra block as it is easier to holdand carry, and has more appeal overall. This new packaging format has a unique ergonomic shape which follows the curvedpalms of your hands and creates a secure and comfortable grip. The UK’s leading school compliant drinks brand, Radnor Fruits and Fruella are nowavailable in these formats offering consumers something a little different. For more information, visit www.radnorhills.co.uk.Bellingham + Stanley launch two newRFM refractometers for factory useXylem’s Bellingham +Stanley brand haslaunched two newrefractometers suitedfor the use in thefactory. Commonly, theRFM-M Seriesinstruments feature a4” colour display androbust, tactilealphanumeric keypadthat allows users toconfigure the instrument conveniently whilst offering extra protection in harshenvironments. Particularly, the RFM700-M Series refractometers offer the same automatictemperature compensated readings as well as a comprehensive display of othermeasurement parameters such as temperature and reading quality. RFM700-Mrefractometers are ideal for use in beverage packing halls and within confectionerymanufacturing.Additional features for the RFM300-M models include Peltier temperature control,RFID user clearance and audit trails with electronic signatures that facilitate use incontrolled environments. Importantly, the top level RFM340-M refractometer boasts a3-decimal place Brix resolution (6 d.p. RI) that takes it to the next level when controllingcritical blend ratios of edible oils, carbonated soft drinks and fruit juices.For more information, visit www.bellinghamandstanley.com.include metering of additives themselves,essentially measuring and administeringflavourings, acids, vitamins or colouringdirectly to the beverage – in line with therecipe. When it comes to hygiene, hoses,vales and pumps are all potential flashpoints, with hoses transmitting fluid fromone part of the process to the next beingpotentially the worst offenders. Those in theindustry ought to pay specific attention tothis, and invest in hygienic hoses specialisedtowards mitigating risk of contamination. Packaging within the beverages industryhas been a contradictory matter fordifferent industries. Wines and spirits haveremained rather traditional, with the shapesof their bottles changing relatively little, butfor new contenders and those looking tomix things up. The soft drinks industry, onthe other hand, has seen much morevariance in their packaging – with severalwell-known brands such as Fanta changingthe shape, texture and appearance of theirbottled drinks. The focus appears to movetowards ergonomic design, but also visual32 Á© shutterstock/Doin28-32_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:23 Page 432 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netBEVERAGESNew SN pouch systemlaunched atInterpack 2017The latestgeneration pouchfiller, type SF400.The new machinewas presented to thepublic for the firsttime at the Interpackshow, the leadinginternational tradefair for thepackaging industry,in May 2017.With a maximumoutput of 250pouches per minuteand a concept for500 bags perminute, SN has againset a benchmark inthe industry. During the development of this new and highly flexible machineconcept, SN German Pouch-Pack Technology has successfullycombined several proven systems. Pre-made pouches are filledthrough the spout and then closed. Pre-made pouches are freelyavailable in the market but can also be manufactured on a special SNpouch making machine. Both machines can be combined with eachother and so the customer has a complete production line thatcombines the benefits of a FS machine with the cost advantages ofa form-fill seal machine.For more information, visit www.penn-packaging.co.uk.appeal, to differentiate themselvesfrom what is becoming anincreasingly competitive market. Packaging can achieve morethan just catching the eye,however, and recent developmentsinto counterfeit-proof packagingare gaining traction. Currently, thecounterfeit industry for drinks isone of the largest in the world, andin the EU alone, it is estimated thatthe wine and spirits industry lost1.3 billion to bootleg products.Awareness campaigns offer little tostymie this, as consumers tend totrust whatever they find on theshelf, but easily recognisable visualaids have seen more success. Tamper-proof seals, caps and closures are onesuch example, and this is an industrywhere food and drink andpharmaceutical might be able to workhand-in-hand, each being major victimsof counterfeit products. Striking a balance between the twohas become more viable of late, due inpart to reduced costs as technologyAs can be seen, the challenges facedby the industry are both within andwithout, which for any other sector,might mean difficult times ahead orinevitable failure. Few can afford to earnthe ire of their consumers in such a way,after all. The beverages industry remainsstrong, however, and seems likely tocontinue as such – while those whosuccessfully court healthier optionscontinue to leap from success to success. © shutterstock/Pavel L Photo and Videoimproves, but also from the fact thatcomplex and complicated packaging canprove as both a deterrent tocounterfeiters – the packaging been toohard to recreate – but can also improvesales by being striking and unique in itsown way. As ever, counterfeiters willregularly focus on easy avenues forprofits, which might mean simple labels,regular bottle shape and easily-maskeddesign. 28-32_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:23 Page 5Sumitomo (SHI) Demag – Globally renownedinjection machinery manufacturer - producing qualityplastic packaging components at high volume T:+44 (0)1296 739500 E:sales.uk@dpg.com W:http://uk.sumitomo-shi-demag.eu/Follow us:Food & Drink International 33www.fdiforum.netCAPS AND CLOSURESConvenience is kingwhen it comes to capsand closures, and thisethos has led to strongshifts in the market. In recent years, food and drinksmanufacturers have developed a varietyof innovative cap and closure solutions.The sports-drink industry has beenleading the way with a range ofsophisticated bottle-tops and zip-sealsthat ensure added freshness and allowconsumers to drink on the move. Asconsumers continue to demand fresherand more convenient products,companies across the sector canbenefit by incorporating these solutionsinto their existing product range. Consumer demand has been the maindriver of innovation in caps andclosures. Convenience is king, and thishas led to a major shift from the use ofmetal closures to the widespreadadoption of plastic solutions. Indeed,plastic closures are set to account for52% of the market by 2017. Theadvantages of using plastics tomanufacture caps and closures aretwofold. Plastic closures are much moreconvenient because, unlike metal ones,they do not usually require the use of asecondary implement (e.g. a bottle- ortin-opener) to operate. This means, ofcourse, that they are easier to use onthe move. Moreover, many can berepeatedly re-sealed. But the bigadvantage for manufacturers is thatwidely-used plastics and polymers suchas polypropylene and high-densitypolyethylene (HDPE) are moremalleable than metals and can thereforebe put a greater variety of purposes.They are also more lightweight andeasier to recycle, so manufacturers canpitch to the green market as well. One hugely innovative design that isrevolutionising the sports bottle marketis the Smartseal Flex spill-proof cap.The sophisticated cap incorporatesvalve technology which closes by itselfwhen the consumer stops drinking,Sealingthe deal 34 Á© shutterstock/cristi18088433-36_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:26 Page 134 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCAPS AND CLOSURESMeasom Freer still going strong80 years on When Gordon & Eve Freer started a business selling buttons in 1937, little did theyknow that 80 years later their thriving business would still be going strong. Now in its third generation, Measom Freer & Co Ltd still have the same ethos of goodcustomer care at their core, allowing them to build up their reputation as a manufacturerof quality plastic bottles, caps, containers and fasteners. They continue to adapt to ever challenging business conditions, adding to theirextensive catalogue of stock products available for next day delivery. Their continualinvestment in the latest technology and premises has allowed them to move with thetimes, always maintaining the attention to detail that customers expect. They can offer bespoke designed products tailor made to customers’ ownrequirements using their in-house CAD CAM 3D design & advanced CNC tool-makingfacilities with a printing service also available for their bottles and packaging products. For more information, visit www.measomfreer.co.uk.eliminating spills entirely. The product isostensibly leak-free and easilyadaptable to a wide range of bottles,making it one of the most attractiveproducts on today’s market. Caps and closures also help toprevent counterfeit or knock-offproducts, usually via use of some kindof seal or code that cannot berecreated once the vessel is opened.Counterfeiting in the drinks industry is amulti-million pound industry. But, thanksto new security measures, includinganti-refill and tamper evidence caps,many of which are designed usingcomplex injection moulding techniquesin the UK, drink companies are fightingback against the illicit bootleggers.In the UK, the alcoholic beveragemarket is one of the worst affected bycounterfeiting with the IntellectualProperty Office reporting that alcoholaccounts for 73% of all UK TradingStandard investigations – a rise of 51%from four years ago. The level ofcounterfeit alcohol sold in the UK isreported to have increased by almost400% between 2009 and 2012.The issue extends right acrossEurope, with the European UnionIntellectual Property Office (EUIPO)releasing a report in July 2016estimating that legitimate industrieslose approximately €1.3 billion ofrevenue annually due to the presence ofcounterfeit spirits and wine in the EUmarketplace.Due to their brand value, premiumspirit and wine brands are generally themost vulnerable. The counterfeitscommonly contain low-grade liquors,such as adulterated wine or whiskeythinned down with water. Seized bottlesof alcohol have also been found tocontain lethal ingredients, such aschemicals, which can be harmful whenconsumed. Efficient use of caps and closures canhelp create a barrier against thisbehaviour, however, as Kevin Heap,packaging expert at Sumitomo (SHI)Demag UK explains; “One way tocounteract counterfeiting and productCaps and closures help to prevent counterfeitor knock-off products, usually via use of somekind of seal or code that cannot be recreatedonce the vessel is opened36 Á33-36_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:26 Page 2Food & Drink International 35www.fdiforum.netCAPS AND CLOSURES© shutterstock/ChonesSelig Group to showcase itsleading liners at InterpackSelig, a leadingworldwidemanufacturer oftamper evident capand closure liningmaterials, will returnto Interpack thisyear to demonstrateits leading inductionseal solutions of oneand two piecestructures, widelyused throughout thepharmaceutical,food and beverage,healthcare, cosmetics and agrochem industries.Four major products will take centre stage: the newly redesigned, easy-to open, market leading Lift’n’Peel™; Safe-Gard plus™ - a two-piece waxlaminated induction liner that offers unparalleled packaging protection inextreme heat environments; Lift ‘n’ Peel™ and Pharma Peel – the 1stconsumer preferred liner that offers tamper evidence and hermetic sealing. On top of that, visitors to Interpack will get an exclusive introduction tothe soon to be launched DELTAFUZE™ for fatty foods. Visitors can also pick up a copy of the 3rd edition of the PHT™, Selig’sessential technical guide on pressure, heat and time for anyone involvedwith induction cap sealing. For more information, visit www.seligsealing.com.33-36_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:26 Page 336 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCAPS AND CLOSURESMenshen drawon 40 years ofskill andexperience Combining skill, experience and a pioneering spirit, Menshenhas become one of the world’s leading manufacturers ofclosures, plastic lids and packaging systems for more than 40years. Priding itself on high standards, the company’s productsconform to the highest requirements and offer a high level ofsafety and functionality. As a long-standing global producer,Menshen provides a large range of plastic closures and spongeapplicators for tubes, pouches, and bottles. However, it alsoprovides tailored product solutions and carries out morecomplex customer requests precisely and on an individual basis.Menshen is renowned for expertise, individuality, dedication,and sustainability. As one of the leading manufacturers ofplastic closures and system packaging, it is aware of its globalresponsibility.Menshen offers ultramodern clean-room production of thehighest standard. Packaging for the food and drink industry inparticular must meet special standards. Odour and tasteneutrality must be ensured in the case of food packaging.Closures that come into direct contact with the mouth area ofconsumers must have a particularly pleasant composition anddesign.The clean-room production of food packaging at Menshencomplies with the German Lebensmittel- undBedarfsgegenständegesetz (‘food and consumer goods law’)and fulfils all BfR and FDA requirements.As a company with more than 40 years of tradition, Menshendevelops and manufactures all products and closures in its ownfacilities throughout the world. This enables us to offer quality,functionality, and individuality from a single source.For more information, visit www.menshen.com/en,email info@menshenusa.com,or call +44(0) 27 21 - 51 8-0tampering is through the innovative design of packaging thatcannot be easily copied. Until recently, this may have involvedputting shrink or foil sleeve around a bottle of wine. However,for premium brands, cap moulders are stepping up the antiand investing in dedicated cells to produce high qualityclosures made up of a number of complex parts.”A recent example involved developing a combinationaluminium and plastic tamper evident snap-on security closure.Comprising a non-refillable valve for high-risk markets, it alsoincludes an innovative tamper evidence mechanism thatprovides an irreversible opening event to leave permanentevidence of initial opening. The cap is produced in highvolumes and is modular by design, so that trade customerscan adapt it to different spirit brands. For the production ofthese caps, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag supplied five all-electricIntElect Smart 220ton and 450ton machines.Other methods of deterring counterfeits include concealingunique identifiers, such as a QR code or holograms, on theinside of cap labels. While these can assist with track andtracing, Kevin claims that they only really help to validate theorigin of a bottle. “To outsmart quick-witted counterfeiters,drink manufacturers may need to deploy several tacticssimultaneously to prevent brand value being diluted, includingtamper evident caps, barcoded labels and batch codes, andeven chemical markers.”While valuable in an effort to protect sales, such measureshave traditionally not been viable to smaller manufacturers ortraders, but improvements in technology have led to suchapplications being far more affordable. Because majormultinational companies are ordering the latest caps andclosures in huge bulk (nearly 300 billion units per year, in fact)prices are dropping, making it viable for smaller businesses toget on board. Furthermore, plastic caps and closures arecompatible with plastic bottles, cartons and metal and glasscontainers, so companies who usually package their productsusing the latter don’t have to shell out on new packagingmaterials or designs. Finally, there are fresh marketingopportunities that companies can exploit should they chooseto invest in the latest products. Zip-seal closures may appealto elderly consumers and parents with young children, forexample, as they can be opened and re-sealed at one’s leisure– ideal for people who are unable (or simply don’t want) toconsume a product in one go. Caps and closures are becoming safer, easier to use, andmost importantly for manufacturers, cheaper and more flexiblethan ever before. Additionally, while it may be premature, andperhaps even arrogant, to claim that the counterfeit drinkindustry’s days are numbered, this is certainly a step in theright direction. © shutterstock/HQuality33-36_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:26 Page 4INTERNATIONALFood&DrinkFood&DrinkWWW.FDIFORUM.NET MINIMUM COST…MAXIMUM IMPACT!Plan your campaign with Food & Drink International…...your competitors are!Marketing is the vital ingredient for the success and growth of anybusiness, and we show clients how to layer their marketing to achieveevent better results. Speak to one of our experienced account executives today for advice andpackages to suit all budgets. By joining some of the biggest names in the industry you can give yourbrand the best chance of being seen by your target market.Can you afford not to? Contact us below for details of our 2017 editorial schedule Call today on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email: s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk 37_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:28 Page 138 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSLICING, DICING AND CUTTING© shutterstock/Nataliya ArzamasovaCuttingwith care38-43_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:29 Page 1Food & Drink International 39www.fdiforum.netSLICING, DICING AND CUTTINGWhen it comes to slicing, dicing and cutting, thetrend towards more natural ingredients in recentyears seems to have been at odds with the movetowards more automation in the productionprocess. However the new breed of slicing andcutting equipment must be able to cope with someof the most delicate and intricate processespossible, ensuring unique textures remain.With automation now introduced across theproduction process, safety and hygiene is nowvastly improved, while pick-and-place robotics areopening up new possibilities in terms of sorting anddesigning portions and feeding them into packs.These reduce the need to handle the products andtherefore decrease the potential for contamination.The new breed of slicing machines offer a host ofinnovations such as speed loading, which offersefficient and automatic infeeding of portions.The slicing and cutting process has previouslyinvolved a large number of flashpoints wherebycontamination can occur – for example, during theloading of the slicer, during periods when theyneed to correct the weight and position of theproduct and during in-feeding into the packagingtray. Some companies have looked towards otheroptions to ensure a cleaner, more accurate andmore efficient cut. Developments in acoustictechnology have introduced ultrasound in theslicing process. This concept is based around highfrequency vibrations ensuring continuedacceleration and deceleration of the blade thatallows for a much cleaner cut in particularly stickyproducts – so jam, cream and caramel is slicedstraight through in one go without much of itremaining on the knife. As well as neater and moreuniform cuts, the other obvious advantage here isthe decrease in cleaning time required.Waterjet cutting is also becoming more commonas hygienic concepts become a top priority. This isproving particularly important in the frozen sectorwhere it’s not always possible to cut productsautomatically using conventional methods. Instead,intensive pump systems are used to power highpressure water cutters.The ultimate goal is to remove the humanelement at each point, to better reduce the chancefor contamination, but this may not always bepossible for some manufacturers. For those whoalready manufacture tens of thousands of productsand have established lines, it would be fine – butfor more artisan or hand-made goods, it is lessviable.Fortunately, many manufacturers offer slicingequipment in different forms, be that as an40 ÁThe slicing, dicing andcutting industry faces thechallenge of improvingefficiency while also cuttingdown on the chance forcontamination.38-43_Layout 1 26/04/2017 09:29 Page 2Next >