< Previous10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT An infrastructure of laws and regulations exist to govern the import of food, livestock and animal feed to safeguard public health and environmental welfare. This is doubly true of foods considered to be high risk. Understanding what constitutes these risks and the guidance around their entry into the UK is prudent for importers dealing with counties outside of the European Union. Importers looking to bring food and drink products into the UK must currently comply with European law. Any products that don’t meet these standards will be barred entry. In order to circumvent this outcome, importers are advised to be transparent and cooperate with current laws and that means goods need to be checked through designated points of entry (or DPEs for short). Here documentary checks take place to assess the consignment, verifying what’s on paper is what’s in the container or truck. Physical checks may also need to be undertaken before a consignment is allowed through the DPE. As the law stands, importers must notify DPEs at least one working day in advance of a consignment’s physical arrival. If an importer is attempting to bring foods into the country containing known contaminates, they must be brought through a DPE which is able to check produce. Far from a one-size-fits-all approach, DPEs all have their own specialities so while some deal solely with animal feed, others focus on produce, while there are some which are more specialised, dealing with dried fruits from specific geographic locations. Foods are considered to be high risk if they contain contaminates such as mycotoxins, aflatoxins, pesticides, salmonella and heavy metals. Mycotoxins are produced by fungus and are only released when they become solubilised in water. The danger to human health comes when they are inhaled and solubilise in body fluids. Foods that are highest in mycotoxins – and are thusly checked in DPEs – include barley, wheat, rye, peanuts and hard cheeses, among others. Considering the UK imported £3.9 billion worth of cereals in 2017, the importance of these stringent regulations and thorough checks is obvious. 12 Á There’s a strict set of laws governing the import of food, feed and livestock into the UK, a process that’s currently regulated by EU law. But leaving the bloc without a deal would leave British importers needing to quickly adopt a different system. 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:38 Page 1Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © Shutterstock / Martin Charles Hatch 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:38 Page 212 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Aflatoxins, on the other hand, is a mould acknowledged as a human carcinogen and most commonly found in peanuts and corn. The species of mould that combine to form this contaminate are found in soils where conditions are just right – this includes when decaying food, plants, hay and grains pile together to decompose in areas with high moisture and temperatures. For that reason, they’re most prevalent across Asia and Africa, meaning corn and peanuts imported from these areas often have to be checked. That’s not to say that every consignment needs to be sent to the lab as there are limits on the level of aflatoxins that can be imported into Europe. Consignments thought to exceed these levels, however, will be held while laboratory tests can be undertaken. The other prevalent contaminate is the presence of pesticides, residue from which can be found on fresh fruit and vegetables and pose a risk to human health. Foods most commonly contaminated include lettuce, spinach, strawberries, apples and blueberries, among others. Of course, products thought to be contaminated with any of the above examples cannot be judged by eye and so lab checks are required. A small sample of the consignment is sent to the lab where it is tested for the suspected contaminate. The speed of results can depend on a number of factors including sample size – as larger or multiple consignments will need a larger sample – and what specifically is being tested for. A sample being tested for the presence of aflatoxins alone will be much quicker than a sample being checked for multiple contaminates. Further, testing for salmonella, say, takes longer as the bacteria needs to grow in a petri dish. To ensure that there are no chokeholds and tailbacks at ports and DPEs during these checks, consignments controlled at the border can be allowed to move inland pending the results of laboratory tests. But arrangements must be put in place to ensure any consignment remains under continuous control of authorities and, thus, cannot be tampered with pending lab checks. Until these results are known, a consignment is required to be stored at a UK External Temperature Storage Facility. The process outlined above and the laws and regulations that govern it will no longer be valid if the UK leaves the EU without a deal on 31 October 2019. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, importing foods, livestock and animal feed into the UK will still be allowed to take place, and high risk foods will still be required to go through DPEs. But the process of notifying UK authorities of these imports will change. © Shutterstock / CAT SCAPE 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:38 Page 3Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT A no-deal scenario – still the default outcome if MPs can’t agree on the country’s course of action and no more extensions are granted – would mean that UK importers no longer have access to the EU’s Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES). Instead, importers will be required to use a new UK system called the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS). Although importers can still use the TRACES system, IPAFFS can be registered for now, so it might be a good idea to hedge your bets. This outcome will also likely lead to an increase in the number of checks at UK borders. But perhaps most worryingly is that if the UK does leave in October without a deal there will be no implementation period. Better government knuckle down and work in everybody’s interests, including the importers that keep food and feed flowing into the country. Japan warms up to US beef imports The United States and Japan have struck a deal on new stipulations to take the place of the latter’s longstanding restrictions on US beef imports, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The new terms and conditions are expected to expand US sales of beef and beef products in Japan by up to $200 million annually, USFA estimates. The result comes after Sonny Perdue, US Secretary of Agriculture, met with officials in Japan to discuss the importance of science-based trade rules between the two nations. It follows more than a decade of trade restrictions on beef productions between the US and Japan. “This is great news for American ranchers and exporters who now have full access to the Japanese market for their high-quality, safe, wholesome, and delicious US beef,” said Mr Perdue. “We are hopeful that Japan’s decision will help lead other markets around the world toward science-based policies.” © Shutterstock / Brent Hofacker The global food import bill is likely to decline in 2019, but the poorest and most vulnerable countries will not be the prime beneficiaries, according to a new UN report. The latest ‘Food Outlook’ from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) projects worldwide food imports to drop 2.5% in 2019 to $1.472 trillion. The lower costs would be enjoyed mostly by developed countries, while the import bill for sub-Saharan Africa is expected to rise. And while lower unit costs of food imports suggests that more food could be purchased for the same amount of money, that gain is cancelled out in almost all the Low-Income Food-Deficit Countries, whose currencies are weakening against the US dollar (the primary unit in international trade transactions). Coffee, tea, cocoa and spices account for almost half the predicted decline, while the bills for sugar and cereals - despite declining international prices for the latter - would be broadly unchanged. Global food import bill to decline © Shutterstock / Africa Studio 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:38 Page 414 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING T he world has a problem with plastic. In 2017 global plastic production reached almost 350 million tonnes, a significant increase on the previous year, data from PlasticsEurope Market Research Group and Conversio Market & Strategy GmbH reveals. The research also identified packaging as the market sector with the single biggest demand for plastic, dwarfing the second largest user – building & construction – by some twenty per cent. Of course, this refers to plastic packaging en masse, but food and drink takes the lion’s share with arguably the biggest offender being the food-to-go sector. Driven by convenience, competitive prices and consumer choice, the sector has continued to expand over the years with research and training charity IGD predicting the market will be worth as much as £23.5 billion by 2022. A survey undertaken by environmental charity Hubbub found that Britain’s penchant for lunch-on- the-go is resulting in almost eleven billion tonnes of packaging waste a year. Polling 1,200 workers, the survey found that the average lunch spend included four items, with seventy-six per cent of shoppers adding a main item – such as a boxed sandwich – to their basket. The last decade, in particular, has seen a massive upsurge in the popularity and availability of food-to-go. The survey identified two main drivers behind this with more than a quarter of those polled claiming they were too busy to make their own lunch, while twenty per cent said there are now more places to eat out, with almost the same amount saying that eating out is more tempting than it used to be. Good news for Britain’s evolving food culture, certainly, but bad news for the environment with much of the waste generated from our growing eating out habit going unrecycled. The reason being that much of this waste is mixed material and often contaminated with food residue. It’s an issue that packaging manufacturers are having to contend with, taking things back to the drawing board, designing new solutions that are fit for purpose but aligned with the environmental agenda. There’s been several recyclable solutions brought to market with the aim of tackling this tide, and now British packaging manufacturer Colpac has launched a new easily recyclable and compostable heat seal sandwich pack. Despite competition from sushi and salad bowls, the humble packaged sandwich is still a market behemoth – in 2017 the market was valued at £5.5 billion – and a crucial hurdle to overcome in the battle on packaging waste. Colpac’s new solution grew out of its commitment to create food-to-go packaging that is both recyclable and compostable, whilst also minimising food waste. Part of the Zest eco- packaging range, the heat seal sandwich pack can extend the shelf life of sandwiches with short shelf-life ingredients beyond that of a same day truck-top pack. It also provides tamper evidence without labelling and is set to Solving the plastic problem As one of the worst offenders for single-use plastic packaging waste, the food-to-go sector is an environmental nightmare. Fortunately, innovation is yielding a number of sustainable alternatives to help lessen the burden. 14-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:48 Page 1The Zest™ Eco-Packaging product range is plastic free, allowing the entire pack to be recycled as paperboard or commercially composted meeting to standard EN13432. www.colpacpackaging.com/zest enquiries@colpacpackaging.com | +44 (0) 1525 712 261 Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING be one of the eco-friendliest heat seal sandwich packs on the market. With many conflicting messages on the different recycling streams of products – and the separation of materials confusing consumers – the Zest heat seal sandwich pack, including the window, is constructed from materials which allow the entire pack to be recycled as paperboard or composted. As demonstrated by the above example, it’s not a case of reinventing the wheel so to speak, but rather switching towards more sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics. The biggest viable alternative at present is paper and paperboard, a segment which is expected to continue to dominate the sustainable packaging market having held a 55.1 per cent share in 2018. It’s easy to see why it’s such a popular packaging material thanks to its relatively low cost, ease of recycling in domestic and commercial settings, its versatility, ease of transportation and compatibility with printers. Yet in the highly competitive food-to-go market, products have seconds to resonate with busy consumers and that means showing off the product they’ll be getting. A transparent plastic film window is part and parcel of a boxed wrap or sandwich meaning such packages are always mixed and difficult to recycle. Rather than removing this, manufacturers and supermarkets are instead creating packages where the cardboard can be more easily separated from the film. A simple solution such as a peelable tab can allow consumers to separate both components with relative ease, the better for the cardboard to be recycled. As well as benefiting the environment, adopting sustainable packaging makes sound business sense, embodying a circular supply chain business model. An eco-friendlier approach is a means of generating business value with a significant number of consumers now choosing to buy from brands they perceive as doing social or environmental good. It’s a hallmark of the millennial generation and of increased importance to up-and-coming consumers – the so-called Generation Z. So companies can’t afford to ignore this sea change; fortunately the food and drink sector has been taking notice with major brands such as McDonald’s setting targets to use one hundred per cent recycled materials in their packaging or adopting zero waste operations. Suffice it to say, a new industry norm is arising as much about the environment as profits. Yet there’s more to improving the environmental footprint of food and drink packaging than just changing its 16 Á © Shutterstock / Igor Marusichenko © Colpac 14-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:48 Page 216 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING dŚĞh<ΖƐůĞĂĚŝŶŐƉĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƚŽƚŚĞ ĨŽŽĚĂŶĚĚƌŝŶŬŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͕ŽīĞƌŝŶŐĂǁŝĚĞ ƌĂŶŐĞŽĨƉĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ͗ ŝƌ^ŚŽĐŬďŽƩůĞƉĂĐŬƐ WĂůůĞƚǁƌĂƉΘƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ ŽdžĞƐĨŽƌďŽƩůĞƐ >ĂďĞůƐ an employee-owned business materials. Indeed, shape is also an important factor to consider. It’s not difficult to see how more efficiently designed packages that fit better together on a pallet mean that more products can be shipped at one time, reducing the number of trips. Perhaps the canniest example is flat plastic bottles of wine. Significantly lighter than their traditional glass counterparts, these streamlined bottles can be packed together in greater numbers meaning significantly more can be shipped at one time. So the shape and materials of packaging can all be handicaps to a more environmentally-friendly supply chain. But recycling rates are still being impacted by consumers confused over labelling and semantics. Renewable and sustainable packaging, for example, aren’t interchangeable terms. The latter refers to materials like paperboard which can be continuously and easily recycled, while renewable packaging is made from materials such as sugarcane. Biodegradable packaging, meanwhile, © Shutterstock / SpeedKingz 14-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:48 Page 3Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING UK aftersales spares and service support provided. www.robopac.co.uk Robopac, Unit 7 – 8 Highfield Parc, Highfield Road, Oakley, Bedfordshire, MK43 7TA Tel: 01234 825050 Fax: 01234 827070 Email: sales°ÕJÀL«>V°V Turntable Wrapping Machines Rotating Arm Wrapping Machines Case Sealers & Erectors Self-Propelled Robot Wrapping Machines Horizontal Wrapping Machines refers to organic material that can be broken down into carbon dioxide and water etc. within a couple of months. All that seems simple compared to the myriad of different plastics used to make packaging with consumers often confused over which ones can be recycled as well as being able to easily identify which products are free of plastic at a glance. Research from compostable packaging company TIPA found that almost half of British shoppers would like to see clear and simple labelling on products in retail and grocery stores identifying plastic-free packaging. Flexible packaging, used for many single-use products which are mostly non-recyclable, is a particular bugbear for British consumers, with one in five consumers admitting to throwing flexible packaging in the recycling bin because they didn’t know it wasn’t eligible for recycling. It’s little wonder that as well as clear labelling, almost four in ten consumers think retailers should be made to have a plastic-free aisle in every store. Over a quarter think this should go further still and claim that every retail store should be completely plastic-free. But replacing plastic is by no means easy. New product development has yielded a number of worthy contenders with plastics produced from seemingly renewable sources such as sugarcane, cellulose and starches. But it’s a more complex issue than simply swapping petroleum produced plastics for those made from plant matter. For example, what good is plant-based packaging if vast swathes of endangered rainforest must be cleared to grow crops to produce it? Yet it’s clear that there is a massive shift taking place with government, industry and consumers all driving change. Boosting recyclability, switching to more sustainable materials and improving labelling will all help to improve the environmental impact of food and drink packaging and create a greener, more environmentally-friendly supply chain. © Shutterstock / New Africa 14-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:48 Page 418 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING UK’s first CBD snack bar is fastest selling snack product line launch in Planet Organic Start-up brand Nooro have launched the UK’s first CBD snack bar and it is flying off the shelves. CBD is a cannabinoid naturally found in the cannabis plant and our brain. It has a huge range of health benefits and can reduce stress, increase focus and give all round balanced happiness. It can be difficult to find the balance when your life is moving at 100 mph. So, Nooro have created a snack bar that fuels your mind, allowing you to re-discover your natural rhythm and flow. The raw, vegan, oat snack bar contains 25mg of organic CBD from UK growers which equates to your ‘daily dose’. “We wanted a compostable pack but had a very short turnaround. National Flexible are a new supplier to us but they turned the job around very quickly enabling us to meet the launch date and are now a trusted partner,” said Nooro founder John David. To find out more, visit www.nationalflexible.co.uk. Contain it in Measom Freer’s recyclable jars Measom Freer manufacture and stock jars in sizes ranging from 10ml to 150ml. The 10ml jar is available in thick walled fully recyclable SAN with colours to order and the 25, 50, 100 & 150ml are available in thick/ thin walled clear food grade fully recyclable polystyrene with SAN and colours to order, matching jar caps are also stocked. These prestige jars are designed to have an appealing shape which is easy to handle. They have a glass-like appearance with the advantage of being light in weight and shatter resistant. Ideal for confectionary, supplements, dried snacks and condiments, please ask for samples to test your products with. To find out more, visit www.measomfreer.co.uk. Mespack is committed to a sustainable future Commitment to the environment has always been part of Mespack’s values. Following a study of all its operations, the company has made dynamic changes to reduce its carbon footprint, including adapting equipment for use with new recyclable and/or biodegradable materials while simultaneously maintaining current efficiency levels. Machines feature an energy efficient design resulting in minimal waste reaching a guaranteed minimum efficiency level of 96% - reaching 98% in many cases. Collaborating with customers, manufacturers and suppliers, Mespack for the last 2 years has been working to adapt its installed base, as well as perform tests on machines in production with the aim to have all equipment performing at optimum levels with new sustainable materials, whilst upholding their quality and efficiency standard. Working with manufacturers of consumable materials; film and applications (caps, zippers), Mespack is entering a transition phase in which both materials (recyclable and non-recyclable) coexist. For more information, visit www.springvaleltd.co.uk. Barrier packaging films for the circular economy Innovia Films is launching the first of its new range of transparent high barrier packaging films, Propafilm™ Strata SL. It has been designed to be a standalone mono filmic solution, or to be used in laminate constructions to be ‘recycle ready’, or recyclable in countries which have the infrastructure to recycle polypropylene films. Alasdair McEwen, Global Product Manager Packaging, Innovia Films, explains: “Our new in-house technology has enabled us to produce a totally new film with unique barrier properties. Strata SL has a very effective barrier to aroma, mineral oils and oxygen even at high relative humidity levels ensuring increased shelf life and reduced food waste. Our target markets for this packaging film are cereal bars, biscuits, snacks, dried fruit and nuts as well as tea and coffee. This new development is very timely in view of the industry move towards recyclability and a circular economy.” For more information, visit www.innoviafilms.com. 14-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:48 Page 5Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING Kite Packaging launches plastic-free packaging solutions Kite Packaging has launched new eco mailing bags produced from sugar cane, the greenest material on the market, making them an eco- friendly alternative to standard polythene mailing bags. The bags are 100% recyclable and use no fossil fuels, making them the ideal sustainable packaging solution for businesses who want to boost their green credentials. Providing the same performance as standard polythene mailing bags, these environmentally friendly mailing bags provide businesses with an eco-friendly alternative that does not compromise on quality, performance, appearance or feel. They are also carbon neutral, meaning they take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the growing process, therefore balancing out the carbon dioxide emitted during production and transit. Kite has also recently launched new book wrap mailers, all-round edge corner protection which is comprised of 100% recycled material. The company said the launches will help it reach its 2019 goal. For more information, visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk. Achieving plastic-free packaging H & J Chocolate are passionate about making the best products possible. They are coffee roasters, bakers and chocolate makers. They ethically source their beans, use no artificial flavours and definitely no palm oil. When they wanted a retail pack for their range of chocolate bars, they asked National Flexible for their help. “National Flexible are really knowledgeable on plastic-free packaging and they really helped us meet our brief,” said Alex Godfrey from H & J Chocolate. In March the European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to ban single use plastics by 2021 but H&J are in front of the wave. National Flexible offer a full range of environmental packaging films and also run an Academy to help people understand what it all means. For more information, visit www.nationalflexible.co.uk. Launch of the 100% compostable vacuum pouch After more than 18 months of research, trials and testing, the Vacuum Pouch Company has announced that its new 100% compostable vacuum pouches are now available. Ideal for cheese and boneless soft meat, the pouches are 70 microns in weight and are available on a pre-production run (of only 2,000) in pack quantities of 25 – max of 100 units per customer (first come first served). Managing Director Adam McCormack said: “The war on plastic is very much all around us at the moment and recycling, biodegrading and composting are all making inroads. For us to be able to offer these 100% compostable vacuum pouches to our customers is a real indication of our commitment to social responsibility without compromising our reputation for quality.” Eco Pouch will be manufactured at the company’s purpose-built UK factory and will be available from stock in three sizes 200 x 250mm, 250 x 350mm and 300 x 400. For more information, visit www.thevacuumpouch.co.uk. YPS ahead of the pack with on-pack recycling label Consumers today are increasingly frustrated that they don’t know which types of packaging can be recycled or how. The On-Pack Recycling Label (OPRL) scheme was designed to tackle these frustrations - it delivers a simple and consistent UK-wide recycling message for packaging. Unlike other recycling labels, the scheme is based on current local authority recycling services and reflects exactly what can be recycled and where. This enables more consumers to recycle more material correctly, more often. This is very important when you consider that research by WRAP’s Recycle Now programme found that a huge 54% of well-intentioned citizens dispose at least one item in the general rubbish that could have been recycled instead. As such, Yorkshire Packaging Systems (YPS) have confirmed that almost all of their range of polyolefin shrink films can be labelled as ‘Recycle With Carrier Bags At Larger Stores – Check Locally Kerbside’ under the current OPRL guidelines. For further information, visit www.yps.co.uk. 14-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2019 10:48 Page 6Next >