< PreviousLet us do thetalking…….www.fdiforum.net the voice of the Food and Drink industryINTERNATIONALFood&DrinkFood&Drink10:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:47 Page 1The latesttechnology infilling solutionsA new high tech filling ma-chine is the latest developmentfrom Schubert. The impressiveline provides everything you re-quire to fill product into bottles, tubes, cans and bags using volume, weight and count technology. Traditional inflexible filling technology has been replaced by flexible TLM machines, incorpo-rating simple mechanical design, intelligent control system and exchangeable tools. Moving fromone processing station to the next, the line goes from cleaning, filling, closing, labelling and finallypacking. Once the product is held, it is not released until it is packed into the shipping box andplaced on to the shipping tray or palette.The containers are bulk fed or sorted from shipping cartons, inspected by Schubert vision systems and placed on to the transmodules by pick-and-placerobots. For cleaning purposes the containers are tilted with their openings downward to pass various cleaning nozzles.The sophisticated tube filling line will be presented at this year’s PPMA exhibition.Skanem wins big in EuropeanFinat AwardsSkanem won eight prizes at the recent Finatawards. The big winner was Skanem Poznan withtwo group awards and four category awards, whilethere were also prizes for Skanem Skurup andSkanem Durham.Skanem Poznan’s group awards were in thePrinting Processes and Non-adhesive Applicationscategories – the former for their label for SoplicaSzlachetna Wódka 500ml, commended as “a well-produced label offering the expectation of a prod-uct of quality and sophistication in the bottle.” Thelatter was for their label for Eveline Cosmetics.Skanem Poznan won category awards for thosetwo products plus also in the Marketing and End-users category for Cinderella Hair and Body Washand the Marketing and End-users category forPlatinum Max Expert XD SW-30.Skanem Skurup AB won in the Marketing andEnd-users (Household Products) category for itsBio Bact Tomat label and Skanem Durham SAwon in Printing Processes (Flexography ) for itsComma Profile work.www.fdiforum.net11newsFast and precise water activity measurementsWater activity in perishable foods has a significantinfluence on their shelf life and storability. Rotronic of-fers a complete range of water activity products, char-acterised by their high efficiency, exchangeability andease of calibration.For example, the Station probe can be directly con-nected to a PC running HW4-P-QUICK-Vx softwareenabling water activity measurement capability. TheHC2-AW-USB is the perfect device for a multi stationapplication, as multiple probes can be attached to a sin-gle PC. The HygroLab C1 is for water activity measurementswith up to four probes is ideal for measurement of wateractivity in cheese, meat, tobacco, animal feed and build-ing materials. Equipped with an Ethernet or USB portfor network capability, the benchtop device delivers reliable measured values within five minutes. The portable, mobile version for measurement of water activity is the handheld HygroPalm23-AW-A. Like the laboratory device, this instrument can also be used together with measuring probesand insertion probes.Riggs Autopack’sModel 1000 ismarket leaderRiggs Autopack’s Model 1000range of depositors and filling ma-chines is the mainstay of their longand successful history. Riggs Autopack manufacturehigh quality depositors, filling ma-chines, transfer pumps and con-veyor filling lines, for the foodproduction industry. Over theyears, Riggs Autopack’s equipmenthas improved a large number offood manufacturers’ productionprocesses.The Model 1000 range is available as a semi-automatic stand-alone unit forsmall to medium scale food production, or as an automatic conveyor fillingsystem for larger batch runs. Manufactured using high quality 316 stainlesssteel on product contact parts, these machines provide damage free andhighly accurate volumetric depositing of hot or cold liquid, semi-liquid andsuspended solid products, and fill most container types or size.With quick changeover times and easy set-up, the Model 1000 depositingand filling machines are robust, reliable, hygienic and quick to clean, easy touse and simple to maintain.Romer Labs and ifp launchEnzymefastRomer Labs and Germany’s ifp Institut für Pro-duktqualität have launched a new product line for en-zymatic food analysis. The new product lineEnzymeFast transfers traditional enzymatic methodsto a microtitre plate kit format – a significant benefitin routine food analysis.Enzymatic food analysis is a basic method used forthe measurement of compounds such as sugars, acids,alcohols and other metabolites in foods and beverages.The high specificity of enzyme reactions allows for theanalysis of food components in complex matrices. En-zymatic methods are particularly important for foodproduction and quality assurance. Results give infor-mation on the nutrients, authenticity and hygienicstatus of foods.The EnzymeFast microtitre plate test kits employhighly purified and specific enzymes in a convenientand high-throughput format that allows rapid andeconomic testing. EnzymeFast products have been de-veloped by ifp and will be distributed exclusivelythrough Romer Labs’ global sales network.11:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:48 Page 112www.fdiforum.netLINPAC Packaging helping to keep cakesfresh!LINPAC Packag-ing has developed anew range of bakerycontainers in part-nership with its cus-tomers to keep cakesfresher for longer.The company waschallenged with devel-oping a product which re-duced the moisture lost andincreased the shelf-life of sponges andpastries without using food preservatives. Current cake and bun containersallow high levels of moisture to escape, meaning products turn stale withindays.LINPAC Packaging is hoping to tempt bakers with its round and rectangu-lar hinged cake containers, developed with the needs of their customers inmind.Megan Ashcroft, European Bakery Marketing Manager at LINPAC Pack-aging, says, “The quality and presentation of bakery items, and ensuring theyreach our customer and their customer in excellent condition, is paramount.Nobody enjoys a dry, stale tasting cake and the technology which has goneinto our containers will prevent that from happening for several more days.”newsCool versatility from KMS adhesivesKMS Adhesives haveintroduced Optimise H92Lowmelt adhesive to theirproduct range. OptimiseH92 is a high performancefood grade adhesive thatcan be applied at an en-ergy saving temperature30% lower than conven-tional hotmelts.The lower temperaturereduces costs, improvesprofitability, stops the ad-hesive from burning anddegrading in the storagetank and prevents charringand blockages in the appli-cation nozzle. You use lessOptimise H92 to get astronger bond than yellowor white EVA-based hot-melts and, because of its better performance and much cleaner running,there is less adhesive related downtime. Optimise H92 is highly versatile. It can be used for closing large cor-rugated boxes, wrap around boxes, light trays, bag closing and closingsmall boxes on high speed packaging machines. Optimise H92 has a use-able temperature range from -40°C deep freeze applications up to +70°C.Aptar introduces the new DOLCE closure with less weight and the double tamper evidence system: for a greener environment and increased product integrity.POTENTIAL FOOD CATEGORIESJellies and Jam Honey Sauces and ToppingsDelivering solutions, shaping the future.Developing more environmentally friendly products has become a key driver inthe food industry. As we help our customers to stay ahead of the ever-changingdemands from consumers around the globe, we have combined the light-weighting of our products with additional functional benefits.infofood.gbl@aptar.com or call us directly +49 8551 975 328www.aptar.com12:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:50 Page 1Food centre finds newfreezer fits the billIce cream research, development and train-ing on a continuous production scale is nowpossible at Food Centre Wales following theinstallation of a Tetra Hoyer Frigus SF 300 C2freezer.The Centre, near Llandysul, provides tech-nical support for the Welsh food industry.The Centre’s dairy facilities have includedbatch freezers for ice cream but these werelimited to around eighteen litres per batch. Forclients to work or train on the development of continuous production, a new freezer was required.Food Technologist Mark Horsman says, “We already had continuous pasteurising and ho-mogenising equipment, shared with a cheese and yoghurt making line. The SF 300 C2 is smallenough for a research and development facility but large enough to enable larger commercial manufacturers to carry out product development and training.We can now undertake a wider range of projects and help ice cream businesses, whether new or established, throughout Wales and further afield.” Ssshhhh... delivery in progressIn an aim to decrease dis-ruption from delivery noise,Toyota Material Handlinghas developed a new twist ona well-known product anddesigned it to be as quiet aspossible. The new BT Lifter Silenthand pallet truck with highquality rubber steering, Pow-erthane bogie wheels, framesfitted with shock absorbingmaterial to reduce vibrationnoise and adjustable rubberstuds, operates at no morethan 60dBA – the volume of a conversation and 20% quieter than a stan-dard hand pallet truck.Mark Peters, Hand Pallet Truck Product Manager at Toyota MaterialHandling UK says, “The BT Lifter Silent is an impressive piece of materialhandling equipment, designed specifically to solve the problems of noisy outof hour deliveries or for deliveries that take place in built up or residentialareas. Working closely with the Freight Transport Association and NoiseAbatement Society, we have been able to demonstrate the BT Lifter Silentand its capabilities for silent deliveries.”www.fdiforum.net13newsSmurfit Kappa Group reveals latest products andinnovations online Smurfit Kappa, the world’s leading full serv-ice paper-based packaging company, haslaunched a brand new, multi-language, globalwebsite – a major development in its interna-tional customer communications strategy. In launching the website, Tony Smurfit,Group Chief Operating Officer explains “thiswebsite is part of a continuing commitment bySmurfit Kappa Group to be at world class levelin everything it does.” Designed to be a robust communicationsplatform to take Smurfit Kappa into the nextdecade, it is available in 16 languages and features a clear and intuitive interface.Further reflecting the Group’s sector leading environmental and sustainability credentials, smur-fitkappa.com features pages on innovation, sustainability and technical information on products,services and special usages.With operations spread throughout Europe and Latin America, customers can use Smurfit Kappa’spackaging expertise to improve their packaging and marketing, wherever they are in the world.Nedpack supplies vertical conveyor forinnovative overheadconveyor systemGerman company Dürselen has devel-oped an innovative overhead conveyorsystem for the printing industry. Togetherwith the Prorunner mk5, this system gar-nered a lot of public interest at Drupa, thetrade fair for the printing industry.Dürselen produces machines for theprinting industry, in particular for drillingholes in paper and packaging brochures inboxes. The new system is intended for thetransport of stacks of brochures from themachine in which they are bound to themachine that packages them. Because these machines do not neces-sarily have to be located in the same place,Dürselen has developed an innovativeoverhead conveyor system. The stacks ofbrochures are transported from one machine to the other via special prod-uct carriers suspended from the ceiling. Thanks to this system, internal trans-port doesn’t waste precious floor space.Meat producers “steak out”automationMeat producers are under increasing pressure tostreamline their supply chains, according to a newWhite Paper from Swisslog. As market growth is put-ting tighter demands on operations, meat producersare turning to streamlined pallet solutions, high-den-sity storage and fully automated picking to ensuretimely deliveries and avoid labour issues.Andy Blair, Swisslog’s UK Food & Beverage In-dustry Manager, says “It’s a noticeable trend acrossthe sector. Meat product manufacturers and distribu-tors need to provide increasingly efficient storage andthroughput to fulfil customer requirements. Whetherit is pallet handling, light goods or rapid picking, thepressures brought on by increasing costs and high cus-tomer expectations, in addition to the usual challengesassociated with fresh produce, is driving innovationsfrom farm to shelf.”Swisslog’s White Paper outlines the improvedmethods of productivity at meat processing ware-houses as well as offering some indication on wherethe industry is headed. It can be downloaded atwww.swisslog.com.13:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:51 Page 12000 conveyors for GCSUPM have been nominated preferred sup-pliers of belt conveyors to the GCS Group,which includes moulding companies UCP,Zeller and Massmould, who together haveover two thousand conveyors for automationof product transfer with integration to themoulding machines.UPM custom engineer each belt conveyor,following onsite meetings with GCS person-nel, resulting in dimensioned drawings using3D mechanical solid modelling design soft-ware, creating 3D digital prototypes using visualisations and simulations.UPM invested circa £50,000 in the new software which includes assembly stress analysis al-lowing UPM to input driving loads; friction characteristics and dynamic components to run sim-ulation tests to see how a product would work under real production conditions, followed byintensive pre-production testing at UPM to ensure delivery to the respective site.GCS has a strong foundation of six divisions, serving a range of closing and dispensing systems for standard and custom wide mouth closures for dry pow-dered beverages, with additional areas of expertise including push-pull sports caps for soft drinks.Advanced Dynamics De-lights fine food firmThriving Divine Deli has ex-perienced a boost in productionafter installing bottle labellingequipment from Advanced Dy-namics Ltd. The company, which producesa range of dips, balsamics, oliveoil and cake decorations, pur-chased a Pack Leader ELF-50table top labelling unit for its pro-duction site in Rochdale to copewith increased demand.The company required com-pact labelling equipment thatcould handle different-sized jarsof food decorations. After weighing up the different labelling machine options in the market,the company chose the ELF-50 table-top applicator.Divine Deli managing director Andy Shepherd says, “Advanced Dynam-ics supplied us with a product no-one else had. Not only did we need a reli-able labeller, but one that did not require hooking up on a full line. TheELF-50 fitted the bill perfectly and has increased our capacity. It is also pro-viding labels that are more professional looking.”newsLab M make the move to new headquartersLab M’s move into new global headquarters, inJune, follows a period of sustained growth andheralds a new phase in the company’s programmeof expansion and development.Fitted out to exacting specifications, the newHQ houses all R&D, manufacturing, technicalsupport and commercial operations. Located atQuest Park, Greater Manchester, UK, it is closeto major national and international communica-tions hubs.Lab M’s Chairman Colin Goodwille says: “Cus-tomers know us for quality products, performanceand support, and the new premises will help usextend our portfolio, now and well into the fu-ture.” Lab M decided to purchase rather than lease new premises. The building has been fitted out toprovide a comprehensive clean manufacturing suite, state-of-the-art R&D and QC laboratories,and separate wet and dry production areas, all supported by an IT infrastructure. Marigold Industrial launches new Food GloveFlyerA brand new FoodGlove Flyer providingan essential resourcefor those working inthe food industry whoneed to ensure theyare choosing the rightgloves for the job hasbeen launched by handand arm protectionspecialists Marigold Industrial.The new, simple to use glove selection guide includes information on overtwenty of Marigold Industrial’s gloves and sleeves, specifically suited for thefood sector – from farming and fishing through to meat processing and foodpreparation and serving, In addition, it also includes performance informa-tion for each glove against the four food substance families – Aqueous,Acidic, Alcoholic and Fatty – giving clear guidance on which glove can beused with specific substances.For a free copy of the new Food Glove Flyer, email ukenquiries@marigold-industrial.com.Bobby’s Foods have their cakeand eat itBobby’s Foods are feeding the nation with the helpof Bendi articulated fork trucks. Paul Berrow, Bendi Regional Sales Director, says,“The problem Bobby’s Foods were faced with is syn-onymous with many successful companies. The needto increase storage space to cope with added demandor the need to house additional production machin-ery can often lead to companies moving premises orhaving extensions built. After a number of meetingsBobby’s Foods were convinced that the Bendi couldcater for all of their existing needs and that of any fu-ture growth.”Due to Bendi’s patented articulated system, thetrucks are designed to operate safely and efficientlyboth outside on uneven surfaces or inside in ware-houses, factories and production areas. The innova-tive design and 220° rotation means that aisles assmall as 1600mm and lift heights of over 12m can beachieved without the need for expensive guidance sys-tems or “super flat” floors.14www.fdiforum.net14:Layout 1 22/6/12 12:44 Page 1SYMRISEwww.fdiforum.net15A berry-tale ofpowerful ingredientsMuch has been written and said lately aboutsuperfruits and superberries, in particular about theirhigh levels of antioxidants. Aronia Melanocarpa, alsoknown as black chokeberry, is particularlyimpressive.The chokeberry was traditionally beenused by the Potawatomi Native Americansto cure colds. They are nowadays used forjuice, jam, wine, jelly and liqueur. Theberries are also used in soft drinks and asfood colouring. The pharmaceuticalindustry has discovered the benefitsof aronia too, and uses it in syrupsand dietary supplements. Its long tradition of use for healthpurposes already suggests thatchokeberries contain many valuableingredients. The deep dark-blue colour is avalid indicator for a highly potent main group ofbiologically active constituents, namely anthocyanins.Aronia melanocarpa actually contains some of the highestamounts of anthocyanins and procyanidins of red and blue berries.Anthocyanins are said to protect the body against free radicals andother unstable molecules and to have immune-boosting properties.Chokeberries also contain valuable vitamins, for example vitaminsB1, B2, B6, and vitamin C and minerals, like potassium, zinc,calcium and magnesium.Symrise has developed a series of botanical extracts and hasconsolidated them under its Actiplants®brand. The Aroniamelanocarpa extract can be found in Actiplants®Aronia andActiplants®Immune Aronia. Actiplants®Aronia is a purebotanical extract, which contains a large amount of anthocyanins.Their beneficial effects have been widely described in the scientificliterature. Actiplants®Immune Aronia offers additional value bycombining Actiplants®Aronia with vitamin C, a water-solublevitamin proven by the EFSA to support the immune system.Dr Sonja Frank, Manager Scientific Marketing Consumer Healthat Symrise, says, “A lot of technical knowledge and experience isrequired to offer reliably standardised botanical products. We areusing our knowledge to meet the demands of our customers andconsumers for products with added health value and to createexactly the products they want. For this purpose, we offer a widerange of botanical extracts and are constantly searching to find newadditions for our Actiplants®range in the future. This will help tobroaden our position as a producer of functional ingredients.”For more information, visit www.symrise.com.Free seminar on food and beverage analysisMetrohm UK and Anton Paar will be hosting a seminar on Wednesday11th July, at the Seafood Centre, Grimsby, covering all topics relating tofood and beverage analysis. The food industry is subject to particularly strict regulations on thequality and safety of its products. To ensure these strict quality and safetystandards, reliable instruments and methods are needed. The seminar in-cludes a series of presentations, instrument demonstrations and applica-tion solutions using ion analysis techniques such as titration, Karl Fischertitration and ion chromatography.Find out about the latest innovations including the new Ti TouchTitrators, network with other companies within the industry and see reallife examples of applications. As a leading manufacturer of instruments forchemical analysis, Metrohm offers not just the most advanced equipment,but rather complete solutions for the particular tasks at hand. Register for free by completing the online registration atwww.metrohm.co.uk.newsOne piece transit packaging protectsglass down to a teaSmurfit Kappa has produced a highly protective, one-piece cardboardpackaging solution for online retailer The Tea Experience to package theirglass teapots and fragile gift packs.Smurfit Kappa produced four designs, each negating the need for be-spoke packaging for individual items and minimising the amount of pack-aging they needed to stock. Each sustainable, all-in-one solution featuresdie-cut internal flaps, negating the need for bubble wrap. A pair of inter-nal fittings suspend the glass teapots and tea blooms away from the outerwalls, creating crumple zones for protection when sending through thepostal system.The boards are FSC and PEFC certified in line with Smurfit Kappa’ssector-leading environmental credentials.Ann Davis, owner of The Tea Experience, says, “With the help ofSmurfit Kappa we were able to have smart, practical packaging that ac-commodates our glass tea wares perfectly.”15:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:53 Page 1www.ckf.co.uk 16www.fdiforum.netCKFThe SituationKraft recognised that an increase inefficiencies could be achieved through anautomated robot distribution system forits Roses and Heroes products.Investment would also benefit thecompany’s ongoing commitment to theKraft Foods Sustainability Programme -reducing material usage by replacingcardboard boxes with reusable tote binsand cutting daily vehicle movementsthrough management of fixed schedules.Cadbury Roses and Heroes areproduced and packaged at the Bournvillefacility. The wrapped chocolates havetraditionally been managed through thefactory in cardboard boxes. With tentypes of chocolates in Roses and six inHeroes, there are defined process lines atvarious locations within the plant. Thepalletised, stacked boxes, identifiable bybarcode, were transported across thefactory to two packing plants.The palletised boxes would be movedadjacent to the packing plant. A series ofin-feed hoppers were topped up from thepallets by operators, to feed theautomated packing. A number ofoperators would remove the boxes fromthe pallet stacks, open and tip the boxesinto the hoppers, the empty boxes wouldthen be crushed and removed.The SolutionKraft commissioned CKF Systems ofGloucester as its project partner to designan automated re-circulating distributionsystem that met productionrequirements, removed cardboard wasteand provided safeguards to theassortment integrity. Experts inautomation and robotic technologies,CKF had recently developed andcompleted a robot palletising solution forKraft Sheffield.Responsible for the complete turnkeyproject, CKF designed, installed andcommissioned the system, located inthree production areas and over twofloors. It comprises an automated roboticsystem with high-level delivery andreturn and vision-controlled distributionthat automatically feeds the two packingplants. The wrapped units are handled inplastic tote bins, allowing vision systemsto identify product type using recognitiontechnology.Four ABB 4-axis IRB 660 robots,complete with bespoke vacuum toolingare arranged in a balanced cell format.Recipe driven, the cell format allows theflexibility to meet the demands of all thepacking derivatives and recipes. Each ofthe four cells has six pallet-feedconveyors to receive product and todischarge re-palletised empty tote bins.Pallet management is also handled withinrobot cells, designed for handling totebins and pallets.Product is selected, confirmed by oneof two HD vision camera stations andloaded into the appropriate robot cell in-feed. This arrangement also determinesthe stack height of individual pallets andthe orientation of the tote bins on thepallet. On demand from the packingplants, the robot de-palletises the totebins with a vacuum head and places themonto the delivery system.Delivery is achieved through anextensive conveyor system. The systemincorporates spiral elevators and de-elevators, reject stations, intelligentaccumulation, automated tote bin tippingand manual feed operations for each plant.Key to the success of the system is itsproduct recognition facility, utilising atotal of seven HD cameras, capable ofidentifying both colour and shape, toensure the right product is routed to thedesignated hopper.HD cameras are located at the entry toeach packing plant distribution system,this defines / distributes the correct unitto the correct hopper lane. Across bothplants there are a total of 35 lanes withintelligent accumulation, giving sufficientbuffer capacity prior to the automatictipping machines. Developed specificallyfor the project by CKF, the tippingmachines deliver units into the feedhoppers upon demand. The returning empty tote bins from thepacking plants are combined and a finalvision system inspection ensures these areclean and suitable for re-palletising.System control is via Rockwell PLCwith Ethernet communication and safetycontrolled via a Guard Logix PLC. TheHD camera software and robot softwaresolutions were specifically developed forthe demands of this application.The four enclosed robot cells aredefended with in-floor induction loops,light guards and secure gate access. AnHMI interface is located in three controlsuites. Specifically developed softwareprovides a flexible and easy to useoperator interface for automaticoperation with manual override options. The Benefits“Given the volumes of these twopacking plants we have improvedoperational efficiency with additionalpositives brought about by the reductionin material movements, vehicle activityand cardboard usage. The automation hasenhanced our environmental programmeand decreased the plant’s carbonfootprint,” says David Moreton, BD&EProjects Manager of Kraft Foods UK.“CKF’s expertise in this type of systemprovided the solution that in turn wasinstalled and commissioned to a planwhich ran smoothly and safely alongsideour ongoing production. We now have asystem that is faster, more robust,requires minimal maintenance and meetsall business investment expectations.”Thinking outside thebox at Kraft FoodsThe CKF-designed camerarecognition system ensuresaccurate product delivery to thepre-defined point of packingAn ABB 4-axis-IRB 660 robot with special purposevacuum gripper re palletising empty toteswww.ckf.co.uk 16:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:54 Page 1Yeo Valley adds new soured cream to British-inspired rangeOrganic company YeoValley has extended itscream range with the versa-tile new Soured Cream, cre-ated to give consumers alight alternative for baking orto accompany savourydishes. Along with thislaunch, Yeo Valley has unveiled some of their classic cream products in striking Union Jack packaging, de-signed to reflect their ongoing support for British family farms and to celebrate all things British this sum-mer. Products in the cream range include Double Cream, Single Cream, Soured Cream and Half Fat CrèmeFraiche. Also launching in June will be a new look for the brand’s compote range. Yeo Valley has refreshed itspackaging for all three compotes with vibrant, hand-illustrated designs. Tim Mead, Managing Director of Yeo Valley says, “Our aim has been to reflect our great tasting dairy,and also demonstrate our ethos as an independent, family farming business from the West Country, help-ing to support other family farms.”High Pressure Processing takes a step forwardInterfood Technology is the distributor inthe UK and Ireland for the Hiperbaric HPPmachines and now Tesco is stocking a rangeof Coldpress juices in 500 of its stores. Milton Keynes based Deli24 was the firstmainland UK operation to offer HPP andthe first facility to produce the Coldpressjuices on its Wave 6000 machine. The range being supplied to Tesco in-cludes four distinct apple flavours, alongwith Valencia Orange, available in 250mland 750ml sizes. Coldpress is able to pro-duce specific apple flavours and distinguishclearly between them, highlighting one of the benefits of HPP technology. HPP allows products to be treated in their final packaging in a high pressure chamber which is floodedwith cold water and pressurised for a short period. The pressure lethally damages the cellular structure ofspoilage organisms and harmful pathogens, extending shelf life .on the shelfMarshmallow Fluff frenzy grows in UK The craze for America’s popular Marsh-mallow Fluff has well and truly arrived, afterEmpire Foodbrokers, official distributors ofthe product in the UK, reported it has dou-bled its listings within the retail confec-tionery sector. Empire Foodbrokers has secured 340 newlistings across Sainsbury’s stores and 270new listings with Morrisons, increasing itsoverall store listings for the marshmallowcrème product by 50%. The roll-out will seeboth supermarkets stock the Vanilla varietyof Marshmallow Fluff. Chandresh Patel, managing director atEmpire Foodbrokers, says, “MarshmallowFluff is a fantastic product as it is extremelyunique, there’s nothing else like it on themarket. There has been a huge increase indemand for US products here in the UK andMarshmallow Fluff caters for this trend perfectly. Marshmallow Fluff offers con-sumers something different when it comes to sugar confectionery and we lookforward to attracting more consumers to the brand with our increased distribu-tion.”www.fdiforum.net17Richmond goes “allnatural”Richmond is set to revolutionise the cookedham market with the launch of RichmondHam, made with 100% natural ingredients.This pioneering innovation is the only cookedham in Britain that is made with all naturalingredients and is available now at Asda andTesco, with listings in Waitrose to follow thissummer.Richmond Ham has been marinated in nat-ural ingredients to a unique Irish recipe, andslow cooked to give it a distinctive cured taste.Available in two varieties, cooked andcrumbed, it will go on sale at £1.79 for fourslices – a price point in line with everydayham.April Redmond, Chief Marketing Officer,Kerry Foods, says, “Not only does our newham offer an alternative to existing cookedham, but it also contains 100% natural ingre-dients which is game-changing for the hammarket. We have worked long and hard to en-sure the new range delivers the unmistakableRichmond taste families know and love”.Absinthe makes the heartgrow fonderViscose Closures of Crawley have suppliedaluminium ROPP long caps to BBH Spirits foruse on their newly launched absinthe. La Fée Absinthe Blanche is a clear absinthedistilled using 100% natural ingredients, It wasjointly developed by Marie-Claude Delahaye,absinthe historian and curator of The FrenchAbsinthe Museum, and George Rowley, Man-aging Director of La Fée.Bottled stylishly in a silver blue livery, Vis-cose Closures have provided a matching 30mmx 44mm ROPP cap with liner. The caps areprinted in a special metallic blue pantone,printed side and top in black, with a high glosslacquer finish.George Rowley says, “We used Viscose Clo-sures to supply caps for our ground-breaking LaFée Absinthe Parisienne, and we are delightedwith these new caps which match the label de-sign excellently.”17:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:55 Page 118www.fdiforum.netNew Flojet beverage dispensepumps deliver quick cleancapabilityNew Flojet LF Plus Beverage Dispense pumpsfrom Xylem are low flow industrial motor driven di-aphragm pumps with a new design that weighs justtwenty ounces and reduces diaphragm cleaning timeby up to 40%.With proven reciprocating diaphragm technol-ogy, Flojet LF Plus pumps are ideal for moving liq-uids such as syrups, juice concentrates, teas, wines,draft beers and liquors in a range of temperatures, even those with acidic content. The new FlojetLF Plus beverage dispense pumps come with a 1.0 GPM (3.8 LPM) flow rate, deliver virtually silentoperation and are ideal for applications where space is tight. The durable pumps draw so littlepower they can operate on battery power for use nearly anywhere, or for back-up during a power outage.Each of the new Flojet LF Plus pumps has 360° quick connect swivel ports, flexible mounting feet, an inline fuse and a manual on/off switch that savestime and reduces operating costs.New Sick MultiPac sees clearly despite shinyor curved surfacesDetecting clear-shiny, dark-glossyor multi-reflective surfaces are achallenge in automated packagingand logistics operations, but theMultiPac optical sensor by Sick UKoffers a solution.The Sick W27-3 MultiPac elimi-nates the possibility of false or mis-leading signals and thereforeachieves highly consistent detectionin multi-product handling applica-tions even when detecting shiny,clear or curved surfaces.Phil Dyas, Sick UK’s industrialsensor product specialist, says, “Ithas always been difficult to achievereliable sensing for automatic handling of parts and packaging with shinysurfaces or complex curves and indentations. Sick has developed the W27-3 MultiPac as a single unit sensor that can cope consistently in applicationswhere other sensors would provide fluctuating or unreliable signals.“The MultiPac promises to improve handling efficiency and productivityin packaging, bottling or logistics operations where highly efficient checkingand control is required, for example detecting PET-foil six packs, shrink-wrapped transparent bottles or shrink-wrapped pallets.”French dairy producers plump for LinxA leading French dairy producer has turnedto Linx Printing Technologies for major up-grades to its production facilities.Laiterie Saint Malo has bought ten Linx7300 continuous ink jet printers to apply use-by dates, times and names onto its Malo brandof fromage frais.“We wanted to back up our traceability pol-icy, and having put it out to competition, weput our faith in Linx products again when weupdated our printers” says Loïc Le Ludec, headof fresh product maintenance for Laiterie SaintMalo.Laiterie Saint Malo needed a printer whichcould operate in a humid environment, coding onto embossed aluminium.Ten Linx 7300 printers were installed on two circulating lines – eight thousand pots of fromagefrais per line are now marked hourly for twelve hours a day.The ink adheres to the embossed aluminium caps despite the humid conditions and possiblehandling by consumers.on lineCovinor confirms its faith in Linx printersCovinor, the leading Frenchsauces and dressings manufac-turer, has underlined its faith inmachines from Linx PrintingTechnologies by installing sixLinx 7300 Solvers on its produc-tion lines.The Covinor production lineswere previously equipped withLinx 6200 models. Marking of abest-before date and batch num-ber takes place with round theclock production on glass, PETand aluminium containers. Theprinters are integrated in thepacking conveyors.M Verdiere, Covinor’s Head ofMaintenance, says, “We hadthree requirements – to reduce the production costs connected with theprinting stages, to have equipment which meets RoHS standards and to haveno worries about the reliability of the printers. After analysing offers, weopted, confidently and clearly, for the Linx 7300 Solver.“Having met our requirements, we particularly appreciated being able totransfer settings from one machine to another via the USB port, so there isno risk of any marking errors.”Extended range underlinesNicholl’s solutions approachNicholl Food Packaging has further extended itsrange of aluminium foil trays for the fresh and con-venience food sector with the addition of five newsmoothwall variants.Smoothwall trays feature a smooth rim, which al-lows each tray to be hermetically heat sealed withstandard film on high speed machines. For extendedshelf life, gas flushing techniques can be incorporatedinto the filling and sealing phases of meal production. The trays offer a robust, heavy-duty construction,which enables sleeves and cartons to be light-weighted, reducing total pack costs. They combine aquality, attractive appearance with user-friendly ben-efits such as easy handling, leak-proof seals and shat-terproof when frozen, and they retain their strengthand rigidity even at high oven and grill temperatures.The five new trays are available in rectangular andround designs with different depths and a variety ofdesign enhancements including ribbed sides and em-bossed squares on the base.18:Layout 1 22/6/12 11:58 Page 1Eastern Europe is in thespotlight at the moment – andthere are plenty of opportunitiesIMPORT AND EXPORTwww.fdiforum.net19In recent weeks the eyes of manypeople have been on Eastern Europe asthe continent’s top footballers battle itout for glory – but the area has been onthe radar of the food and drink industryfor some time now. Russia has long beenconsidered one of the world’s emergingnations and as it becomes moreWesternised there are obviousadvantages for companies enjoyingbusiness success. The challenge is toenter the market in the first place.Russia provides valuable opportunitiesfor exporters and demand for foreignproducts remain high – in the first ninemonths of 2011, for example, exports toRussia increased by an impressive 43%,while imports to Russia from Germanyincreased 27.8% in the same period, and42.6% in the first quarter of the year.Opportunities are set to increase stillfurther in the next few years thanks to agrowing number of international eventsincluding the 2014 Winter Olympics and2018 World Cup.These import successes have beensomewhat hard-won, however. Such isthe huge size of the market, it’sparticularly tough for a company to get atrue picture of its Russian businesspartner and therefore assistance is highlyrecommended. Analysts advise companiesto agree securities with their Russiancustomers, ideally with an additionalprotection through trade credit insurance.However, the value placed onmultinational brands and the strongeconomy means that, if a company canfind success in Russia, it could prove tobe very lucrative indeed.The question is whether to create newproducts to better suit the tastes of thenew market or offer their existing brandas a unique selling point in itself – andthere are examples of both enjoyingsuccess in Russia. Burton’s WagonWheels, for example, are to be marketedin Russia with a distinctive British themeto their packaging and no change to therecipe, aiming to tap into a marketinterested in different cultures.Conversely, Lays Crisps have decided todiverge from the traditional Westernflavours such as cheese and onion andsalt and vinegar to flavours more familiarto its Russian consumers like mushroomsand sour cream, red caviar, and even crab– to great success.In terms of catering and retail, theinternational approach has proven to besuccessful for Starbucks who have simplyrolled out their existing formula with notweaks for the Russian market. MeanwhileBrinker International’s Chilli’s Grill & Barhas opened its first location in Moscowwith the intention of developing 25restaurants by 2017. Brinker Internationalclaim that the growth in casual dining inRussia mirrors the growth that was seenin the USA around fifteen or twenty yearsago. A similar deal comes with KrispyKreme Doughnut Corporation signing adevelopment agreement for Moscow withLLC Doughnuts Cafe, where as part ofthe new agreement, the franchisee isexpected to build forty Krispy Kremeshops over the next five years in the city.Elsewhere in Eastern Europe,international companies are enjoyingsuccess in all sectors. APPE, thepackaging division of LSB, has20 EasternpromiseEastern Europe is in thespotlight at the moment – andthere are plenty of opportunitiesEasternpromise19-20:Layout 1 22/6/12 12:00 Page 1Next >