< PreviousEtihad Airlines offer premium lookinginflight meals with PA’s help With the launch of the new A380, Etihad Airlinesneeded to investigate new packaging concepts fortheir inflight airline meals. Packaging Automaton(PA) guided them through the process of switchingto heat sealing resulting in a high class premiumlooking inflight meal. Several trials took place in PA’ssealing and test facility to check thecompatibility of the tray and liddingmaterials as well as suitability foraircraft ovens. Special castellatedprofiles were supplied to provide aventing system in the pack to allow the air to escapeand not balloon when cooking. PA also worked with thelidding film supplier to specify a film that would facilitateeasy opening once the meal was cooked enabling theconsumer to quickly and easily open the meal without risk of spillage. Etihad installed a number of high speed tray sealing machines giving a combined outputof approximately 150 packs per minute.For more information, visit www.pal.co.uk.40 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netREADY MEALSwww.multi-fill.comsales@multi-fill.comPhone +1 801.280.1570Fax +1 801.280.4341Building B, 4343 West 7800 SouthWest Jordan, Utah 84088 USARepresented in the UK and Ireland by:F. Jahn & Co. Ltd.Tel: 020 8977 8822Web: www.f-jahn.co.ukE-Mail: sales@f-jahn.co.ukwww.multi-fill.comsales@multi-fill.comPhone +1 801.280.1570Fax +1 801.280.43419620 South Hawley Park RdWest Jordan, Utah 84081 USARepresented in the UK and Ireland by:F. Jahn & Co. Ltd.Tel: 020 8977 8822Web: www.f-jahn.co.ukE-Mail: sales@f-jahn.co.ukchips and peas orthodoxy of yesteryear.As people travel more they are beingexposed to new flavours and this is onefactor that is driving productdiversification within the industry.Another is healthy living.Cultural foods such as sushi andChinese meals are becomingincreasingly popular, especially amongthe younger generation, who are oftenmore sensitive to the tastes andflavours of different countries. While thesandwich market still remains strong,it’s beginning to lose shelf space toready meals from Japan, China andIndia. This shift is welcomed by manycustomers, but creates problems forboth retailers and manufacturers.How does one offer such a widearray of foods, cultures and flavours onlimited shelf-space? How does onemanage the demand of goods that are,by their nature, very perishable? Withmany seeing ready meals as a lunchoption when busy at work, it can behard to estimate how many of anygiven ready meal will sell, especiallywhen they are so interchangeable.42 Á© Shutterstock/Vladimir Nenezic39-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 14:23 Page 2T. Freemantle Ltd is the UK Market Leading manufacturer of Cartoning and Sleeving equipment. The equipment is simple, robust and reliable and proven to be easy to operate, simple to maintain with a fast unskilled size change. From simple manually operated machinery through to fully automaƟc high speed systems, we have a machine to suit almost every cartoning and sleeving applicaƟon. We have the full range of equipment on show at our UK demonstraƟon facility and invite you to try the machines out for yourself. The UK Market LeaderSpecialists in Sleeving Experts in Cartoning Call us on 01724 276908 Email the sales team at sales@tfreemantle.com 39-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 14:23 Page 342 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netREADY MEALS“We can help you label every stepof the way, manually, semi andfully automatically”Proudly supplying British madepackaging equipment and labellingmachines for over 50 yearssince 1964Norpak Ltd, 3 Mitre Court, Cutler Heights Lane, Bradford, W. Yorks, BD4 9JYTel: 01274 681022 Enquiries to info@norpakltd.comwww.norpakltd.comorganisation required to manage itbecomes more difficult the higher thescale of ready meal variety goes.In terms of ready meal packaging, weare beginning to see a subtle shift fromthe use of rigid, inflexible containers toWhile staple foods like beans and soupmight be bought week in, week out, bythe same person, that same person canpick and mix ready meals with impunity.The answer, as ever, is twofold.Increased investment in refrigerateddisplay cabinets and temperaturecontrol can extend shelf life, while afocus on the supply chain can ensurefresh ready meals are delivered eachday in smaller numbers, minimising riskof spoilage. Both of these approaches,however, simply shift the onus onto adifferent department, perpetuating theproblem. Ultimately, it is a benignproblem, however. The question of toomany customers with too much freechoice still leads to profit, but the© Shutterstock/Viacheslav Nikolaenko45 Á39-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 14:23 Page 4© 2018 Sealed Air Corp. All rights reserved.THE CLEAR WAY TO BUILD YOUR BUSINESS.You know product performance shapes your brand and generates repeated sales. But did you know that over 60% of consumers that experience packaging-opening issues will switch to another offer in the future? Cryovac® Sealappeal® was made with your brand image in mind. Its superior seal puts safety first. Its ultra-transparent film looks great on ovenable foods and fresh cuts. And its easy peel keeps consumers and retailers happy. All designed so you can deliver on your promise.Looking to elevate your brand? Visit sealedair.com/food-care/cryovac-sealappeal-en39-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 14:23 Page 544 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netREADY MEALSRiggs Autopack – serving theready meal industry Riggs Autopack is a Britishmanufacturer of high qualityvolumetric depositors and fillingmachines, transfer pumps andautomatic conveyor filling lines. Their Model 1000 and Model 1001range of depositors and fillingmachines are one of the mostprecise and hygienic on the marketwith exceptional performance,reliability and build quality. Theyeffectively dispense hot or coldliquid, semi-liquid and suspendedsolid food products, and accuratelyfill most types or size of container.They are available as a semi-automatic unit with foot pedaloperation for artisan producers andother small-scale manufacturersutilising short batch runs, or fullyautomatic for medium to large scale food producers using conveyor ready meal lines. The company takes great pride in supplying its depositors and filling equipment to ahuge variety of food manufacturers around the globe. Clients range from small start-up companies and artisan producers, through to multi-national food groups such asBakkavor, Kerry, Greencore and Samworth Brothers. For more information, visit www.riggsautopack.co.uk.39-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 14:23 Page 6Food & Drink International 45www.fdiforum.netREADY MEALSOpening eco-friendlyindustrial CO2refrigerationsolutions Up until now,those seeking refrigerationsolutions for smaller industrial applications up to a capacity of 300kWfaced something of a conundrum. The new European F-GasRegulation is moving end-users away from HFCs which are harmful tothe environment. At the same time, the use of industrial ammoniasystems is unsuitable in certain applications due to its capital costsand toxicity potential. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has no effect on the Ozone layer and has aglobal warming potential (GWP) of one –thousands of times lowerthan synthetic refrigerants. The continued use of HFC systems isconsequently becoming both less feasible and more expensive overtime. For industrial processes under 300KW there is no pre-engineered, industrial CO2 refrigeration packaged alternative – untilnow.Star Refrigerationhas responded to thisgap in the market bydeveloping the ‘Envi’range of industrialCO2 packagedsolutions to provide ahigh performance,resilient and long-termsolution for smallerscale industrialapplications fortemperaturecontrolled storage,food and drinkmanufacturing, inline freezing and chilling. Star recently provided an Envifreeze solution for Uin Foods, aleading UK pizza manufacturer. The application required an efficientrefrigeration and freezing solution, delivering 200kW at -40˚C. The Envifreeze package consisted of a two-stage transcritical CO2system for lower temperatures linked to a Helix Spiral Freezer. Thiscombination has provided Uin Foods with an energy efficient solutionthat delivers greater flexibility within its processing line. The hot pizzasbases are frozen quickly without the need for precooling, enabling UinFoods to increase operational hours and extend run times. For more information, visit www.star-ref.co.uk,email star@star-ref.co.uk, or call +44(0) 141 638 7916.© Shutterstock/Fineart1flexible solutions such as re-sealable pouches andbags. These types of packaging represent cost-effective, space-saving solutions that are also betterfor the environment. This is key since the biggestbuyers of ready meals, as mentioned before, areyounger generations and professionals – who alsoregister the highest in terms of environmentalawareness and support for environmental measures. Packaging faces other problems, of course, mostnoticeably of minimising potential contaminants in theready meals. Vacuum packaging is popular, especiallywhen it can keep food products fresher for longer, butpouches have also taken centre stage, along withmicrowaveable trays for curry-based ready meals,especially those with multiple compartments.Flexibility is key, as well as ease of use for the end-user,since ready meals are designed to be conveniencefoods. Many of these very packaging approaches willbe explored at the upcoming PPMA Show thisSeptember, and the industry is one that continues togrow alongside the ready meals sector.The ready meals industry itself is expected tocontinue strong, and with countries like Chinaexperiencing a middle-class boom, it’s possible thatready meals of our own cultures will extend there, justas theirs have done here. The middle-east is also apotential buyer to watch, especially Dubai, but severalother countries are showing a strong year-on-yeargrowth that might make them potential ready mealhotspots in years to come. 39-45.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 14:23 Page 746 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netThe ‘war on plastic’ – not sofantastic?Plastic packaging has become a hot topic as concerns about waste and pollutionescalate. But is the vilification of plastic justified? Yorkshire Packaging’s entire shrink film range is 100% recyclable. What YPS cannotguarantee is that the consumer ultimately handling the film actually recycles it. Therehas to be a worldwide change in attitudes and behaviours to tackle these issues. With ‘waste’ a major buzzword too, another potential source of waste must beconsidered - food. Shrink wrapping protects many foods, ensures hygiene andextends shelf lives. Reducing food waste in this way means that shrink wrapping isnot the environmental evil it is perceived to be. There have been recent advances in Yorkshire Packaging’s film to greatly reduce itsenvironmental footprint. Whilst delivering the same yield, films are now down to thicknesses of just 9 micron – almost a 50% reduction.Furthermore, the latest addition to our range is B-NAT film, a sustainably sourced bio-based alternative, available immediately for trials.For more information, visit www.yps.co.uk.Though hardly the only offenderwhen it comes to plastic waste, thefood and beverage industry is amongthe worst culprits. The blame, though,should be shared with consumers,whose rampant hunger for conveniencehas led to mountains of single-useplastics being thrown out. The seismicshift taking place is upending the foodindustry, with companies, non-profitsand Government pooling their collectivewisdom and influence to usher in realchange in the supply chain. Perhapswe’ll look back on 2018 as the year foodpackaging truly went green.Of course, changes of this magnitudedon’t simply occur overnight and arethe event of incremental efforts. One ofthe principle steps is to bring togetherindustry under one common aim, thebetter to serve global interests andsafeguard the environment. Foodbusinesses have recently been called toarms to unite under the banner oftransforming the UK’s packagingsystem. The UK Plastics Pact, a first-of-its-kind initiative launched by the Waste& Resources Action Programme(WRAP), is bringing businesses fromacross the nation’s entire plastics valuechain together with governments andNGOs alike to tackle the scourge of48 ÁTheplasticpackagingproblem It should come as no surprisethat the surge of plastic weproduce is having a damagingeffect on the environment. Andyet, government and industryleaders were shocked to learnof the stranglehold that plastichas. This “Blue Planeteffect” –so named after the BBCdocumentary series showcasingthe extent of plastic chokingour oceans – has led to apositive shift, particularly for thefood and beverage industry. 46-50.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:18 Page 1SUSTAINABLE PACKAGINGFood & Drink International 47www.fdiforum.netRecycling must remain a priorityin single-use plastic debateMotivation for recycling must be bolstered as consumers turn their backon single-use plastics, according to Goplasticpallets.com.Managing Director Jim Hardisty said: “We supply recycled plastic items,giving them a new role as useful, safe and hygienic storage and packagingsolutions. Our recycled plastic pallets and boxes can be used long-term, sothis plastic won’t join the masses of single-use items that can’t be recycledand it won’t become an environmental hazard, and can be recycled againat the end of their use. This continuous approach or ‘loop’ and aresponsible attitude towards plastic use is crucial in steering plastics awayfrom landfill – or worse – the world’s oceans.”His sentiment was shared by the signatories of the UK Plastics Pact, aset of pledges signed by 40 manufacturers, retailers and tradeassociations. By 2025, they aim to withdraw single-use plastic packagingby way of better design and make 100% of plastic packaging reusable,recyclable or compostable. For further information, visit www.goplasticpallets.com. © Shutterstock/FooTToo46-50.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:18 Page 248 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSUSTAINABLE PACKAGINGPackaging produced by hydroelectricity & printed with solvent FREE inks. Call us on 01274 68 55 66 or email us at marketing@nationalflexible.netZERO Emissions PackagingCo-injection technology finds newmarket traction via single servecapsulesHigh barrier plastics have thepotential to re-vitalise maturemarkets such as ambient soup orcanned fruit by introducingconvenient, added value formatssuited to modern day living. Inaddition to metal and glassreplacement opportunities, novelapplications such as single servecapsules provide new growthavenues. Capsules are fuelling demand forbarrier thermoforming, as well as enable barrier co-injection, barrier IML and coatingsprojects to develop. The volume realised with co-injection accounted for a marginal shareof the market so far, but it is expected to gain meaningful presence in the next five years.The renewed interest is driven by the developments in capsules, commercialisation of theplastic can concept (such as Milacron’s KlearCan) as well as in extended shelf life chilleddairy segment.For more information, visit www.ami.international.plastic waste. With the ubiquity of plasticpackaging waste, it’s no surprise thatmajor food and drink brands are amongthe forty-two businesses broughttogether which make up over eighty percent of the plastic packaging on productssold via UK supermarkets. As with other initiatives that havesprung up over the last few years, the UKPlastics Pact aims to reduce unnecessaryplastic waste through a mix of eliminationand innovation. The latter will see effortsto redesign existing packaging andexplore alternative delivery methods. Itsprinciple aim, though, is to ensure one-hundred per cent of plastic packaging isreusable, recyclable and/or compostable.And with a target delivery date of 2025,we really are experiencing a shift in thefood industry, one whose consequencesare already shaping the future. Even a cursory look at the rubbish onour streets or in our own domestic wastestreams will likely reveal food and drinkspackaging to be the most prevalent.Consumers have taken a much moreproactive role in the food products theypurchase, and the same savvy must beapplied the packaging themselves tobetter avoid unnecessary waste. A newvoluntary “trust mark” launched bycampaign group A Plastic Planet willallow consumers to see, at a glance,which food and beverage products areplastic-free. As of publishing, the first retailers toadopt the mark are Dutch supermarketchain Ekoplaza, the UK’s Iceland, and teabrand Teapigs. That major retailers areresponding to and engaging with theseinitiatives is an encouraging sign and willdoubtless inspire others to follow. Aswe’ve seen recently with brands using“BPA-free” as a selling point, so too willplastic-free packaging become a meansof appealing to consumers. Of all the plastic packaging waste in thefood and beverage supply chain, though,none are more pervasive than bottledwater. In 2016 alone, more than 480 billionplastic drink bottles were sold around theglobe, rising from 300 billion just adecade before. Experts estimate that in2020, more than half a trillion plastic“Together, we have a once-in-a-lifetimeopportunity to rethink and reshape the future ofplastic so that we retain its value, and curtail thedamage plastic waste wreaks on our planet.”Marcus Gover, WRAP CEO © Iceland46-50.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:18 Page 3A world first insustainable packaging National Flexible can now offer the world’s first zero-emissionflexible packaging printed with water-based inks. Part of NationalFlexibles supply base is powered entirely by hydroelectric energy.This, combined with a water-based ink system, means that NationalFlexible can now produce packaging requiring zero solvents andgenerating no emissions. The self-sustaining energy source at the print site saves onaverage 880,000 Kgs of CO2 emissions in a year. To put that in toperspective, this is the equivalent of 233 journeys around thecircumference of the earth, or the combined emissions from 586new ford fiestas (that is a lot!).Not only does this packaging boast sustainability, the water-based inks create a 47% saving on ink when compared with gravureprinting. As ink is approximately 40% of printing cost this printingsystem could mean the holy grail of sustainable packaging which iscost effective too.For more information, visit www.nationalflexible.co.uk.NEW• Sealable tray combininga cardboard base for rigidity witha technically sophisticated fi lm for an easier sealing• 85% minimum of our packaging stems from renewable virginor recycled resources• FSC certifi ed cardboardSERVIPACK®NEWFRESHIPACK®INNOVATIVE PACKAGING SOLUTIONSTEL 01304 840 581 - sales@sharpakaylesham.comFood & Drink International 49www.fdiforum.netSUSTAINABLE PACKAGINGbottles will be sold. In response, the European Federationof Bottled Waters (EFBW) is pledging to bolster thecollection of PET bottles as well as increase the use ofrecycled PET in an effort to create a more circulareconomy in Europe. There’s an inconsistency in recycling rates among EUMember States with some collecting more than ninety percent of PET bottles, whilst others collect less than twentyper cent. However, the EFBW pledge aims to usher in amore harmonious approach, ensuring that PET bottles geta second life and stop being just another single-use plastic.Part of the pledge focusses on greater collaboration withthe recycling industry as well as engaging with consumers.As with the aforementioned plastic-free trust mark,consumers are the key to any real impactful change. Some more militant quarters have called for the outrightban of single-use plastics such as plastic bottles, as well asplastics that can’t currently be recycled – such as blackplastic trays (which some retailers are beginning tovoluntarily phase out). It follows the introduction of banson plastic drinking straws seen here in the UK and parts ofthe United States. Though many might bemoan banning asa short-term answer to a long-term issue, it does forcemanufacturers and suppliers to get creative and developmore environmentally-friendly options. Despite these many pledges and initiatives, sciencegroup Sagentia claims that they will count for nought if the50 Á46-50.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:18 Page 4Next >