< Previous10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT While Japan’s food exports rise, hitting a long overdue government target, the country is looking to maintain momentum. Breaking records F rom green tea and sake to miso, wagyu, and sushi, the popularity of Japanese food and number of Japanese restaurants is skyrocketing across the globe - as are the country’s food exports. Following efforts to increase familiarity with and inform the world of Japan’s cuisine, its variety, flavours, and health benefits, in 2021 the value of agricultural and seafood exports from the country passed ¥1.2 trillion, ascending 25% from the prior year and achieving a significant government target of ¥1 trillion for the first time. The target, set in 2006, was originally intended to be met by 2013. 2021 marked a ninth consecutive record year for exports, and according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, exports exceeded ¥1 trillion by the end of November, with December then breaking records for a single month. China reclaimed its spot as the primary export destination for Japan for the first time in several years, in part thanks to its consumers investing in high-end products, with a 35% increase in exports to ¥222.4 billion, while in second place Hong Kong saw a 6% elevation in shipments to ¥219 billion, and the US, in third place, witnessed a 41% surge to ¥168 billion. Stand out items included Breaking records 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:40 Page 1Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/bodiaphoto scallops, a popular ingredient in China, with exports doubling on 2020, while whisky and sake were also in high demand amongst alcoholic drinks, growing by 70% and 66%. Beef, fruits, vegetables, and marine products also pushed up exports. There was a downturn, however, in some goods, such as poultry, with this connected to the suspension of overseas shipments due to avian flu. Building on the successful year, the Japanese government is aiming to bolster exports to ¥2 trillion by 2025 and ¥5 trillion by 2030. As recovery from the pandemic continues, demand for eating at restaurants in key markets has been pinpointed as a major factor helping to boost exports. The rise of social media and more adventurous consumers is additionally influencing the popularity of Japanese cuisine, revealed to be the third most popular cuisine in the world in studies from 2019 and 2022, as is the growing number of health conscious consumers, with a perception of Japanese food as healthy thanks to traditional products like green tea, soy, seaweed, raw fish, matcha and fermented foods like miso. Further good news for Japan’s agricultural exports has come with a plethora of countries easing remaining restrictions on imports from Fukushima after an accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011, which led to a drop in desire for the area’s agricultural and marine products, shipping restrictions and reputational damage. Restrictions have in particular continued to affect a number of fish species, wild mushrooms, and foraged Japanese vegetables, but stringent pre-shipping monitoring of contamination and scientific proof of the safety of Fukushima’s food products has built 12 Á 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:40 Page 212 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/Maksym Yemelyanov consumer confidence. 55 countries and regions around the world had at one point imposed restrictions on food imports from Japan, with many now abolishing or easing them. The US lifted all restrictions last year (September), with a decade of sampling food products from Japan leading to the resolution that imports posed a low risk to consumers. A month later the EU eased restrictions, as did Taiwan in February 2022, and the UK is soon due to follow suit, with a meeting last month (May) between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in London, seeing them enjoy food products from the Fukushima region, including Japanese popcorn. The easing of restrictions has seen exports increase, with 332 tons of agricultural products exported from April to December in 2021. This is the highest figure since the prefecture started keeping records in 2005, as noted by Kizuna, the Japanese government’s magazine. To keep this momentum, Japan’s government has launched foreign language food radiation brochures to win the confidence of foreign markets still holding food and drink import bans. Just four countries now have full or partial bans including China, South Korea, Macau, and Hong Kong, with other countries requiring certificates of origin or pre-export radionuclide testing. Meanwhile Japan is strengthening relationships and seeking out opportunities to boost trade, with for example the launch of the Japan Food Export Platform to help bump up exports of Japanese foodstuffs and promote Japanese cuisine. This platform was recently launched in Thailand and Japan is planning to set up similar initiatives in further countries and territories, having already rolled out platforms in Los Angeles and New York. Expanding its relationship with the US, in March the US and Japan reached an agreement to amend the beef 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:40 Page 3Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT safeguard under the US-Japan Trade Agreement. It will allow US exporters to meet Japan’s growing demand for high- quality beef and reduce the probability that Japan will impose higher tariffs in the future. Exports of US beef to Japan totalled almost $2.4 billion in 2021. “This is a win-win for American ranchers and Japanese consumers,” said US ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel. The development for the meat comes after the UK gained access to Japan for exports of poultry in 2021. Securing another “win-win,” in February (2022), at the third anniversary of the entry into force of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the EU and Japan agreed to protect an additional 28 geographical indications (GIs) for each side, such as Pimentón de la Vera spice, Pecorino Sardo cheese, Yoshikawa Eggplant and Nissato green onion. It builds on an extension last year, which led to the additional protection of 56 GIs from the EU and from Japan. This second amendment was agreed in under a year, the quickest extension of a list of GIs under such an agreement, and shows the commitment of the parties to continue a close cooperation to the benefit of both. The agreement protects the listed agri-food names against imitation and usurpation, to bring mutual trade benefits and introduce consumers to guaranteed, authentic products from two regions. On a grander scale, however, transforming global trade, Japan is part of a new Asia-Pacific free trade agreement that entered into force at the start of 2022, creating the world’s largest trading bloc by economic size. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) involves 15 East Asian and Pacific nations, includes significant tariff reductions, and is expected to amplify exports, providing Japan’s food exports with an even brighter future. 10-13.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:40 Page 414 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT C ontrolling the temperature of foodstuffs is a critical part of its entering our diet. On an industrial scale, temperature control plays an even larger role. In order to preserve the freshness of just- picked produce, food manufacturers utilise chilled storage. ‘From farm to fork’ is a darling in the food adverting industry and a call to arms for farmers, but to realise the notion, cold storage is a must. Companies looking to compete in the marketplace and win over consumers looking for affordable and healthy vegetables are doing so with promises of freshness. The freezer aisle has long been the realm of high fat and preservative laden foods or bland and almost unrecognisable veggies. Over the last decade there’s been a renaissance in ice, with producers boasting more nutritious fruit and vegetables than their fresher counterparts. The reason is that produce sheds its nutrients from the point of picking. The quicker it can be caught in stasis, the more goodness is retained. The ongoing food waste crisis has also seen consumers look on their freezer with fondness, swapping out fresh items on their shopping list for frozen. Lockdowns also led to a dramatic increase in the amount of frozen goods being purchased as consumers looked for convenience and to ensure they maintained a stock of © stock.adobe.com/Parilov temperature In controlling temperature, food manufacturers preserve and maintain a food product’s sensory profile and longevity. Even miniscule changes in temperature can result in spoilage, requiring constant vigilance and control. The right 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:41 Page 1Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT thermometer.co.uk THERMADATA ® áXٳIXn JJ0«³ Temperature monitoring solutions for your HACCP plan Manufactured in the UK, we offer a wide range of specialist thermometers for the catering industry from daily hand-held monitoring to Bluetooth ® wireless technology & remote Wi-Fi logging food in the home. So that covers the farm and the fork, but what about the bit in the middle? Maintaining a chilled environment is by no means cheap. As it’s uneconomical to chill a room, leave it ambient during downtime, and chill again when it’s in use, these environments will often remain at a steady and reliable temperature. Manufacturers must also ensure that their facilities don’t have any breaches where erroneous air could escape. Breaches can also have the detrimental effect of letting warm air in. This can be of particular concern in warmer climates. A build-up of warm air will not only cause the air control system to work overtime (at cost to the manufacturer) but also run the risk of spoiling temperature sensitive foods. The tainting of a product may not appear obvious in-house but can rapidly degrade a product or batch during transit or in-store. This can lead to product recall or reputational damage. Consumers have more power and influence over food manufacturers than ever before. If met with a compromised product, consumers aren’t shy about taking to social media to voice their opinions. If produced and subsequently sold in a temperature controlled environment, it serves to follow that a product would © stock.adobe.com/adisa 16 Á 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:41 Page 216 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT Rotronic AwTherm Rotronic Instruments (UK) Ltd Crompton Fields, Crompton Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9EE. Tel: +44 (0)1293 571000 Email: instruments@rotronic.co.uk Web: www.rotronic.co.uk Company profile: Rotronic is a global company manufacturing instruments for the precise measurement of water activity, humidity, moisture, temperature, CO2 and differential pressure. Rotronic devices are specified throughout the food and other industries. Experienced engineers can provide measurement solutions for any application. Rotronic has UKAS / ISO 17025 accreditation for Temperature, Humidity and Dew Point laboratory calibration. Product profile: Rotronic manufactures water activity analysers to determine the free moisture within food products - a good indicator of product stability and shelf life. Controlling the moisture present improves product quality. Analysers provide measurements in typically less than five minutes. The wide product range includes the AwTherm analyser with full temperature sample control; the HygroLab laboratory analyser for up to four probes, handhelds for making spot-checks and a PC-based solution which is ideal when visiting suppliers’ sites. The sensors can be calibrated to confirm performance. Full technical product information is available on the website. likewise be transported in a temperature controlled vehicle. As with the rest of the logistics sector, the cold chain is responsible for significant carbon emissions. Extra fuel expenditure is also spent on maintaining a cold environment, accounting for greater emissions than ambient deliveries. The logistics industry is adapting to meet the need to stem emissions and contribute to a greener supply chain. That’s resulted in greener fuels – such as biodiesel and green hydrogen – and battery powered vehicles. Preserving the cold chain is an art unto itself. The first part of the journey occurs in-house, typically a production line in an enclosed warehouse or other facility. Though there are many options open to manufacturers for ensuring a consistently cold production line or storage facility, it’s counterproductive to invest in subpar technologies. Even tiny changes in temperature can lead to micro- thawing and the crystallisation of goods. Insulation is also crucial in maintaining a cooler temperature as the heat outside a facility will be constantly trying to work its way inside. Heat can work its way through even the smallest breaches in a manufacturer’s temperature defences, be that a wall, window or door. Of course, where cool air is present, there also exists the possibility of moisture build-up which can lead to all manner of issues such as damp or a build-up of ice. This not only presents a safety hazard for workers but can also severely limit the functionality and efficiency of processing equipment and lead to costly repairs. Ensuring a thorough washdown can help, as can investing in dehumidifying technologies. The transport and distribution of frozen goods presents a more challenging situation as it involves moving goods from one strictly controlled environment to another. To facilitate this changeover, manufacturers will likely have temperature controlled loading bays, ensuring a constant temperature from the production and packing lines. Curtain walls will help to maintain this consistency, creating a barrier to ensure that cold air stays inside its designated area whilst also allowing workers, forklift trucks and other vehicles to pass easily through. Loading bays themselves, however, are literal openings into the outside and so could quite easily scupper this carefully control environment. To compensate for this and maintain the cold integrity, manufacturers and logistics companies rely on hoods around the bay door opening. This means a truck or lorry can back into the bay and open its doors, creating a seal and ensuring that the exterior and interior temperatures don’t have a chance to meet and mingle. Frozen and chilled goods can then be loaded without fear of thawing. These same hoods will likely be in place at the retailers and distribution centres where food and beverage products will be dropped off for supply and sale, ensuring one continuous chilled 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:41 Page 3Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT environment. Bay doors form a key part of defending temperature controlled environments, as they could elsewise be a liability. They must balance adequate insulation whilst also boasting the rugged design and defence required to fend off the elements and possible forced entry. Though much of the precautions witnessed in the cold chain might seem obvious, there are other more subtle dangers that need to be considered. As we enter the summer months, it’s important that manufacturers understand how the performance of their temperature controlled systems can be affected and what they can do to counteract those effects. It’s a simple matter of fact that electrical equipment of all kinds generates heat, as sure as human beings themselves will produce heat. Just spend a summer afternoon in an office environment and it becomes painfully obvious. These high temperatures have been attributed to electrical and electronic components tripping or failing. Moreover, temperatures can even get so high inside a panel that fire risks become a clear and present risk, so fire hazards cannot be discounted or ignored in the constant quests for a chilled environment. © stock.adobe.com/hacohob 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:41 Page 418 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING © stock.adobe.com/TanyaJoy 18-23.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:44 Page 1Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING T he negative impact food and drink packaging can have on the environment has never been clearer. It is at the forefront of ever more conscientious consumers’ minds with each purchase, influencing decision-making, has seen a plethora of increasingly ambitious regulations and targets brought in by governments worldwide, and with a growing focus on the need to create circular economies, businesses in the sector are investing in more sustainable options, and innovating and establishing partnerships to uncover novel solutions. Packaging is a fast-developing aspect of the food industry, with businesses of all sizes making efforts to offer sustainable items that reduce the carbon footprint of a product, that can be disposed of in a more eco- friendly manner and that conserve natural resources. It is not an area without challenge, however. For example one must consider the effect switching packaging may have on the product, its shelf life, if the packaging can fit in with production and logistics processes, what extra costs may occur, whether it might lead to more food thrown away, adding to the food waste crisis, and the unfortunate issue of there not currently being enough supply of materials like food-grade recycled plastics to meet the needs of food packaging. But with regulation such as the UK’s plastic packaging tax coming into effect, heightening negative sentiment over packaging that doesn’t meet green expectations, demand for recyclability, outcry over greenwashing, and several firms’ 2025 sustainability targets on the horizon (from Nestle to PepsiCo), companies need to act now. This will ultimately help businesses stand out amongst the competition, avoid falling behind, and remain compliant with regulation. With stricter and rapidly expanding sustainability regulations, companies must be aware of these developments. Non- compliance could mean tax increases or penalties. Recently, sustainable packaging regulations have held a focus on plastic packaging over other substrates - perhaps unsurprising with around 400 million tons of plastic waste produced by the world every year, as reported by the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP), and following the concerning rise of single-use products. According to McKinsey & Company, 83% of the legal measures relating to sustainable Seeking sustainable solutions Demands for the food and drink industry to slash the environmental impact of its packaging show no signs of abating. 20 Á 18-23.qxp_Layout 1 27/05/2022 14:44 Page 2Next >