< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.neton the shelfCaffè Nero enters supermarket sector Caffè Nero is trialling the multiplesector for the first time in its twentyyear history after launching its HouseBlend Classico in online supermarketOcado. Caffè Nero‘s is now available fromonline supermarket Ocado. It meansconsumers can now enjoy the samedistinctive, full-bodied signature blendof fresh coffee served at Caffè Nerostores in their own home. All Caffè Nero coffee – for Ocado and its 800 stores in the UK and abroad - is crafted byhand and in the traditional Italian way, at its roastery in Battersea, London. Only five peoplein the family-run business know the secret Caffè Nero Classico blend. Gerry Ford, founder of Caffè Nero, said: “It is a pleasure to finally enable customers toorder our coffee for home delivery from one of the UK’s major on-line retailers.”The launch coincides with a number of new initiatives, including the first-ever combined mobile payment and loyalty app in the coffee sector andan overhaul of its food offering to improve taste delivery and choice on the nutrition front. Battle Oats launchworld’s first plant-based protein cookieBattle Oats, the Yorkshire-based nutrition brand,is complementing its free-from range of oat barswith the launch of a new protein cookie.The company claim its new product is the firstprotein cookie on the market which uses plant-based protein and is both gluten free and vegan.Initially launching with two flavours – chocolatechip and double chocolate – each cookie contains10g of protein and 8g of fibre as well as being nonGMO.Initially, the cookies will be available via thecompany’s website and through selectedwholesalers and distributors. The company is alsoplanning to add three additional flavours to itsprotein cookie range over the next six months.“Generally, people love cookies and when theysee that ours are non-GMO and high in protein andfibre, then their ‘treat’ actually becomes part of ahealthy lifestyle. We believe that our product couldbe the world’s healthiest cookie,” said Kevin Smith,co-founder of Battle Oats.Zeo brand refresh sees new no addedsugar range Zeo has celebrated a major brand re-launch to mark the introduction of anew, no added sugar range and a year-long celebrity partnership withpresenter and model Caroline Flack. To catapult the success of Zeo’s re-launch, a new senior management teamhas been put in place. The addition oftwo former Cawston Press seniorplayers, namely John Mulvey as Head ofMarketing and Tom Robinson as Head of Sales, signals Zeo’s ambition to be the leading noadded sugar, all natural soft drink brand. The redesign has been curated by Si Scott, the multiple award-winning illustrator whosework has been featured in numerous publications. There will also be an integrated marketing campaign complete with above the line andsponsorship at major wellness events such as Be:Fit and Balance Festivals. The range now includes four fruit & botanical flavours: Orange & Mango; Cloudy Lemon;Peach & Grapefruit, and Cranberry & Raspberry. Smoothie brand launches Europe’sfirst cold-pressed baby foodUK smoothie brandSavsé is launchingEurope’s first evercold-pressed babyfood, offering parentsa healthy, 100% organicbaby food.Available for babiesaged 4 months and over, My First Savsé offers a solution for parentslooking to successfully wean their children onto fruit and vegetables withthe convenience of homemade quality at home and on-the-go.CEO and founder Guka Tavberidze said: “The demand amongst parentsfor fresh, non-boiled food is increasing, with awareness of the benefits ofcold-pressed products more prevalent than ever.“At Savsé we cold-press our baby food to retain the essential goodnessof the fruit and vegetables, providing your child with the very best in themost convenient form possible.”As opposed to heat pasteurisation, Savsé use non-thermal high pressureprocessing to ensure that all vital ingredients are locked into each pouch,deactivating bacteria without compromising on taste or quality.Stockists include: Harrods, Ocado, Whole Foods, Planet Organic,Amazon Fresh, Sourced Market, As Nature Intended and Morrisons.Low sugar start-up launchesnew snack barsAdonis Smart Foods, the low sugar snackstart-up, has introduced two snack bars toappeal to the health-conscious snackconsumer.The bars aim to satisfy consumers’sweet cravings and help minimise sugarspikes caused by refined and naturalfruit sugars. The main ingredients includenuts, seeds, fibres and superfoodsand comprise the Pecan, GojiBerry & Cocoa Bar and TheCoconut, Vanilla & Acai Berry Bar– which recently won Gold at theFree Fromm Food Awards 2017.Adonis products are gluten free,soy free, vegan and paleo and they only contain 2g of naturaloccurring sugars – rather than dates, raisins or other fruits – to keepthe sugar content low.Confirmed stockists include As Nature Intended, Partridges and afast growing number of health food stores.Founder Ingo Braeulich said: “Our products provide the slowerenergy release that doesn’t compromise on taste or nutritional value.”04-11_Layout 1 26/05/2017 14:08 Page 7on lineFood & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netNestlé Waters invests $6m in Closed Loop FundNestlé Waters North America isinvesting $6 million, joining the ranks ofsome of the world’s largest companies aspart of Closed Loop Fund – a $100million social impact investment fundcommitted to finding a national solutionto the critical recycling gap in the US.The fund also includes Coca-Cola,Pepsico and Unilever, among manyothers.The US Environmental ProtectionAgency (EPA) estimates that 75% of thewaste stream in the US is recyclable, but only 30% actually gets recycled.Aside from the environmental impacts, municipalities and businesses in the US spent over$5 billion in 2015 disposing of waste in landfills. Much of this waste, such as PET plastic, is indemand among manufacturers as raw material for everything from textiles to packaging.To date, Closed Loop Fund has diverted more than 100,000 tons of recyclable content, and the 11 projects currently funded are poised to divert 4million tons by 2025.Ishida delivers totalsolution for crisp packing Ishida has installed a complete potato crisppacking line for Czech manufacturer Petr Hobža atits factory in Strančice, Czech Republic.The fully integrated line comprises a 16-headIshida CCW-RS-216B multihead weigher and twoAstro bagmakers, TSC-RS seal testers and DACS-Gcheckweighers incorporating Ishida’s unique IDCSdata capture and production monitoring software.The 16 head multihead weigher is operating intwin mode, with eight weigh and booster hoppersfeeding each of the two Astro bagmakers.Handling two bag sizes of 60g and 175g, the line isachieving speeds of 180 and 110 packs per minuterespectively, delivering pinpoint accuracy to within0.1g of the target weight, with overall efficiencylevels close to 100%.While ensuring effective quality controlmonitoring for the integrity of each sealed bag, theIshida seal tester also provides valuable feedbackfor the overall production of the potato crisps. Ishida was always the first choice supplier forPetr Hobža.Bunting supplies In Line Magnets to babyfood companyBunting Magnetics Europe –one of the world’s leadingsuppliers of magneticseparators and metal detectors– has supplied a record 28Pneumatic In-Line Magnets(PIMs) to a major global babyfood products company in Germany. The magnetic separators are installed into food processing lines to attract and removeany magnetically susceptible materials.PIMs are specifically designed for installation in pneumatic conveying systems. The 28supplied for the baby food application in Germany are fitted with extremely powerfulneodymium iron boron rare earth magnets. These produce the highest magnetic field andcapture even small shards of metal and work-hardened stainless steel.For use in horizontal pneumatic conveying lines, the fabricated tube and access door aredesigned to operate with pressures up to 15psi. Compression couplings speed in-lineinstallation and there is an optional portable cart available for easy handling.The PIM is one of a range of magnetic separators commonly used to remove metal frombaby food and other foodstuffs.Soup goes digital as Campbell invests$10m in online meal marketplaceCampbell Soup Company has invested$10 million in e-commerce mealmarketplace Chef’d in a bid to bolster itsown e-commerce capabilities.The investment, part of a strategicpartnership, comprises part of the Series Bround of funding for Chef’d.Campbell will now become its largeststrategic investor and will receive a seat onthe company’s board of directors.Under the terms of the partnership,Chef’d will help with infrastructure anddistribution of meal solutions through theCampbell’s Kitchen site.Additionally, Campbell will benefit fromChef’d’s insights on e-commerce businessmodels, access to data analytics and insights on shopper behaviours.The two companies will also test various capabilities over the three-year agreement around product innovation and fulfilment.“E-commerce will transform the food industry in similar ways to howit transformed entertainment and apparel. It is a game changer forconsumers, food makers and retailers alike,” said Denise Morrison,President and CEO at Campbell Soup Company.Removing residue from bulkmixers – enhanced dry cleaningWhen mixing bulk solids, residuescan pose the threat of crosscontamination or introducing productimpurities so what are the options formixer cleaning if these threats are tobe avoided. Rinsing mixer and screw with waterand cleaning agents brings unwantedmoisture into the system which cancause creation of lumps in the product,wet spots behind O-rings or gasketsand generate vast quantities ofcontaminated water or other cleaningfluids that have to be dealt with.Stewart Bryan, Hosokawa Micron,said: “Let us firstly look at the optionsto reduce the cleaning effort requiredby reviewing the process design, thevessel used, material transfer steps and any liquid additions. “Secondly look at the mixer design, what are the features that will aiddry cleaning regimes for minimising cross contamination’.“Often it is difficult to review the process without bias and you may findspeaking with a powder processing specialist such as Hosokawa can help.”© shutterstock/Keith Homan© shutterstock/Andrey Armyagov04-11_Layout 1 26/05/2017 14:08 Page 812 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTGermany has established itself as a distribution hubon the largest possible scale and a vital player ininternational trade. Indeed, the World Bank’s 2014Logistics Performance Index ranks Germany first out of160 countries, as well as confirming that Germany wasthe best performer over the period 2007-14. Whiletensions between the UK and Germany may be runninghigh due to Brexit, that hasn’t stopped many food anddrink manufacturers taking advantage of the market. Exports of processed foods and agriculturalcommodities from Germany generated €64.2 billion insales. More than 30% of all processed foods made inGermany are exported, 79% to other EU memberstates. This rising share of exports underpinsGermany’s competitive location factors and itsgeographical position allowing it to effectively servenot only national but also international markets. Inaddition, the country is a net importer of food andbeverage products and almost always the mostimportant European market for foreign producers. As Germany Trade & Invest points out, thanks to theenduring popularity of German-made products abroad,The heartlandsof EuropeCommitments to automation, recycling and logistics ensure Germany remains oneof the industry’s most important locations and a valuable export destination. 12-15_Layout 1 26/05/2017 11:59 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTthe industry is expected to continue its steep growth curvein the coming years. The organisation also suggest that,despite the fact that they currently account for less than20% of total export value, there is plenty of potential forgrowth in eastern and central Europe. In addition to this,German discounters Aldi and Lidl are now among the pre-eminent retailers in numerous countries around Europe,providing an obvious showcase for German products.It used to be that Germany’s economic stability was oneof its major selling points but in recent years prospectshave appeared less impressive. Nevertheless it’sunsurprising that many international companies havelooked towards the nation as an obvious place to invest.Certainly high productivity rates and steady labour costshave helped to make Germany an attractive investmentlocation. Germany occupies first place in the world as amanufacturing and export country for both beveragetechnology and packaging machinery. Around a hundredcompanies account for an export share of around 85%.China is still the largest buying country, particularly forbeverage packaging machinery, followed by the USA, andindustry experts expect this market to grow by 5-7% overthe next year.© shutterstock/Mapics14 Á12-15_Layout 1 26/05/2017 11:59 Page 214 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTThe prospects also look good for thedomestic German sector. The GermanFood Processing and PackagingMachinery Association expects about3% more sales when the total for 2014 iscalculated and around 5% more in 2015.The production value of foodprocessing and packaging machineryrose by 7% to €12.4 billion in 2013 and,in total, beverage technology accountsfor a production volume of more than€5 billion, as components and especiallystretch blow-moulding machines forPET packaging are statisticallyaccounted for elsewhere.Another area where Germany alsoseems to be leading the rest of Europe isin its recycling rates. Virtually no wastenow goes to landfill and they top manycharts in terms of their recycling rates –for example, 85% of aluminium closuresare recycled in Germany, compared to65% in Italy and 45% in the UK.Much of this enthusiasm for recyclingin Germany has come about thanks tothe regulations that exist in the country.The Doesnpfand, for example, demandsthat retailers and suppliers are obligedto recover unwanted packaging. ManyGerman companies have, however,decided to consider obligations such asthis as an opportunity rather than aninconvenience, and have thereforedecided to revamp their packaging tomake it more sustainable so they don’thave to go to the trouble of organisingcollections of the more traditional cansand bottles – thereby encouraging moreinnovation.Another way in which Germanproducers are able to create innovationthrough legislation is in the drinkssector. German beer has for manygenerations adhered to theReinheitsgebot, the beer purity order,which required that only barley, hopsand water be used to make beer. Thesedays that can’t be enforced on all beerin Germany as it would obviously serveas a restraint on trade, and therefore© shutterstock/Torsten LorenzAHDB boosts exports drive with new addition Dr Phil Hadley has been appointed to the newly created role of International Market Development Director atThe Agriculture & Horticulture Board (AHDB).He joined AHDB in 2004 as Regional Development Manager for the South West and has since worked inseveral roles within the organisation. He is currently Head of Global Supply Chain Development.In his new role, Mr Hadley will lead AHDB’s 24-strong exports, market access and overseas teams to deliverAHDB’s export marketing programmes.AHDB’s new Inspiring Success strategy, which runs until 2020, makes a clear commitment to facilitating anddeveloping exports markets. It already has a range of exports initiatives, levaraging a number of newopportunities and market access in emerging markets such as China, North Africa and Asia Pacific.Mr Hadley said: “This is an exciting time for UK exports and AHDB’s talents and expertise in terms ofinternational marketing and trade access will become increasingly important in the coming years.”imports into the country can be brewedusing numerous ingredients, butGerman beer companies still like toadhere to its regulations to give thecountry’s beer its unique selling point.Those who attended the BrauBevialeshow will be aware that the countrycontinues to lead the way in beer, andorganisation such as the Institute ofBiotechnology at the TechnicalUniversity of Berlin are among thoseorganisations continuing to innovate. Infact despite Germany’s obviousreputation as a traditional beer-drinkingnation, it does appear that they arefaster than many other nations atlooking towards new opportunities.Although the German economyperhaps isn’t as vibrant as may havebeen the case a few years back, itsreputation for advanced manufacturingand as a major logistics hub will ensurethat Germany continues to make a hugeimpact on the food and drink industryfor many years to come.12-15_Layout 1 26/05/2017 11:59 Page 3MAKE YOUR EXPORT RESULTS DO FULL JUSTICE TO YOUR EFFORTS ACHIEVE SO MUCH MORE WITH THE RIGHT SOFTWARE BEHIND YOUExportmaster’s range of three software products matches the needs and budget of every exporter from the smallest trader to the largest multinational. Whether you’re out to to real-world problems. Check out what Exportmaster has to offer your export operations. SOFTWARE THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE FOR THE SERIOUS EXPORTER!SOFTWARE FOR EXPORTERS Call: 020 8681 232112-15_Layout 1 26/05/2017 12:00 Page 4When it comes to operating a warehouse or distributioncentre, efficiency is key. The balance between minimisingcosts and maximising throughput, isolating and identifyingfactors that cause delays or problems becomesincreasingly important in recent years, as lean tradingconditions force people to streamline their operations. Any delays at the distribution part of the supply chain,especially if caused by not having the correct SCM in placecan be catastrophic, as it is distribution centres whichcommonly deal with directly with thefinal client – introducing that age-oldrisk of failing to satisfy and thus losinga key contract. The problem iscompounded when taking intoaccount the mixed nature of productsand food stored in any onewarehouse, the range of vehiclescoming to collect them, the times andcomplications – and that’s withouttaking into account staff fatigue,allocation or injury.It almost seems obvious then, thatcompanies are looking towardsmoving away from having a largeworkforce within a given distributioncentre. Automating the system, wherepossible, yields many more benefits,and without the same consequencesshould it become injured. Machinerycan be repaired quickly, while humanscannot. The arguments for moving towardsfully automated warehouses are manyand varied. One of the largest16 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTIONFindingthebalanceWhile automation may not be popular withunions, a balance between human andmachine can allow a warehouse to run atoptimal efficiency. © shutterstock/wang song© shutterstock/wellphoto16-19_Layout 1 26/05/2017 12:01 Page 1Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTIONWhy food retailers are reaping the benefits from ownedplastic palletsGoplasticpallets.com Managing Director, Jim Hardisty, explains how retailers can generate revenue from owning a poolof plastic pallets.Plastic pallets are not only hygienic, durable, consistent, and designed with the application in mind, but because theyoffer a high return on investment. Historically, large food retailers have relied on wooden rental pallets, but now, plastic pallets are beingrecognised more and more as a resilient choice with a longer “working life” – four times that ofwooden pallets.In fact, we’ve seen retailers starting to actively cultivate income from creating and using their ownpool of plastic pallets. The benefits of using plastic pallets over wooden rental pallets speak for themselves. Plastic palletsnot only offer supreme durability and consistency, but in owning a pool of plastic pallets, the retailer could utilise one type of palletthroughout the logistics chain and actually make money in the process. elements is obviously the goal ofreducing costs. The National LivingWage is one such example of risingwages, but the larger part iscommitments by certain politicalparties to move them even higher. Withthe market already being squeezed andsupermarkets cutting costs whereverthey can, it’s obvious why a largeworkforce might not be tenable in thefuture. Being able to remove employeesfrom the picture could save a companymillions in terms of wages, while alsocutting out other related costs involved,such as payroll, HR, and legal matters.It’s worth noting that automatedwarehouses don’t actually aim to live ina world where humans don’t exist.Systems need monitoring, repairing andthere will always be sections wherehuman control is necessary, not only forsafety, but also to make sure nothinggoes wrong. Even then, the costs ofhaving a few centralised control teamswould be far less than having teams atevery single distribution centre.Also by cutting out manpower thereis less risk for accidents or mistakes.While `to err may be human` is all welland good, it’s not something that willplacate major customers who haven’treceived their shipment on time, or whonow have lost or damaged stock.Automated systems reduce the chanceof human error. Of course they do notcompletely remove the potential foraccidents, such as a wooden palletsplintering – a fully automated systemalso cannot be injured by the resultantmess. Space is another benefit to anautomated system. Walkways andmezzanine floors can be unnecessary ifa distribution centre is set out properly.Aisles could theoretically be removedentirely if a warehouse was to use roof-mounted shuttles or cranes to movegoods about. But even if a companypreferred to use remote-operatedforklifts, there would be lessrequirements in terms of the width ofaisle – a remote forklift unit of coursenot needing to be as wide as a normalone, due to its lack of a driver cabin. 18 Á16-19_Layout 1 26/05/2017 12:01 Page 218 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTIONOne obstacle to efficiency can oftenbe locating and accessing productswithin the warehouse when they needto be shipped out. While most productsof a particular brand or batch will likelybe stored with each other, theindividual size of the packaging canvary greatly. Pallet-wrapping machinescan help maximise on this, by safelyensuring a wider range of boxes can bestored together on a single pallet. Thisalso provides added safety to theproducts if they need to be stored atheight, as there is no risk of individualpackages being knocked loose. Evenwhen it comes to these machinesthough, there is a staggering amount ofoptions available on the market, withvarying prices and options. Software, specifically Supply ChainManagement Software, can also help inthis regard, especially with accuratesummation of stock incoming andoutgoing, but also where it is storedand what employees will be available atthe time that it is required to be shifted.Although not automation in its ownright, software continues the sametheme of replacing a task usually dealtwith by people, on the knowledge thathuman memory is flawed and mightfalter. One concern that holds companiesback is that of flexibility. When creatinga new warehouse there is always thepossibility that sales fall, or the space isnot fully utilised in some way. In theevent 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 thesize of the workforce to save costs.With a fully automated system this justisn’t quite so simple. Excess equipmentcould be sold for some quick capital,but that just leaves the warehouseunable to pick back up if sales increase,while leaving half of the warehouseinoperable will only result in marginalsavings in terms of energy costs.Automated systems that are locked inplace are not as easy to move aroundas workers, and even if a company wasable to rent the space out to another –software systems and operatingprocedures would need to be adapted© shutterstock/terekhov igorStar’s oldest refrigeration plant still going strong almost40 years onStar Refrigeration’s oldest cooling plant might seem a relic from another era to the untrainedeye, but the proud owners will tell you a different story. A leading supplier of some of the finest seafood caught right on its doorstep, AssociatedSeafoods has been in business since 1913. Experiencing steady growth over the years, thecompany now owns a specialist group of seafood companies comprising Moray Seafoods,Lossie Seafoods and GlenIsla Shellfish. In 1979, Star Refrigeration provided the company with two refrigeration packages for theircold storage and production facilities located on the Moray Firth coast of Scotland, in Buckie. Built to last, each package consists of a single compressor, LPR, four way valve with patented reverse cycle defrost technology, an evaporatorand twin circuit condenser. “It’s a great system, it still hits -25 in the cold store,” said Roddy McDonald, Associated Seafoods Maintenance Manager in charge of routinechecks to the system. For more information, visit www.star-ref.co.uk.16-19_Layout 1 26/05/2017 12:01 Page 3Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netWAREHOUSING AND DISTRIBUTIONgoplasticpallets.com+44 (0)1323 744057Consistent, not once, but every timeTemperature controlled environmentsHygienic, smooth and easy to cleanRecyclable, again and againLEAVE THE WOOD. GO PLASTICWith over 270 different types of plasticpallets and boxes in stock, available forimmediate delivery, we have developed the product range to suit your needs.$3%3RRO3HUIRUDWHG%OXH5to the new products, causing furtherconfusion. Ultimately, many companies areforced to adapt some kind of balance,reaping the benefits of automatedsystems where they can, while alsokeeping a certain degree of manuallabour in place to work around it. Whilethere is no telling if in the future theindustry can adapt more effectivemeans of fully automating warehouses,for now the decision is a difficult anddemanding one for logistics anddistribution managers. Stertil fast-actiondoors provide sweetaccess solution One of the UK’s leading food andconfectionery manufacturers relies upon apair of Stertil FlexiEdge fast-action doors toprovide access to a fork truck driverstraining facility and a stores area within itsmanufacturing and distribution complex inYork.Stertil’s FlexiEdge range comprises 16models including internal and externaldoors, all-weather doors, cleanroom andfreezer/coldroom doors plus emergency exitdoors incorporating breakthrough curtains.Standard models are available in widths upto 11 metres and heights of 5.5 metres whilstbespoke and special sizes may be specified. The door curtain is fully flexible with asoft bottom edge which self-adjusts to sealon an uneven floor and eliminates anypossibility of causing injury to users. Inaddition, the incorporation of an infra-redphotocell, fitted 300mm above floor level,supported by a bottom edge wirelessdetector ensures instant halting of all doormovement in the event of sensing anobstruction. For more information, visitwww.stertil-dockproducts.co.uk.16-19_Layout 1 26/05/2017 12:01 Page 4Next >