< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTWith globaleconomy beginningto recover, and manynew markets experiencingrapid growth, it’s never been abetter time for companies who arelooking towards exporting into newcountries. Food and drink productsremain a premier import and exportmaterial, and their profitability in manymarkets in the Middle East, as well asAfrica, Asia and the US is continuingto rise.Making the decision to export yourproducts to another country is difficultenough, with research into which newmarkets a company wants to target, aswell as understanding the consumertrends in that country. There’s alsolegal matters to take into account, fromingredients used, to what informationBreakinginto themarketOne of the biggest barriers for food and drink export is breakinginto the target market, and fighting those established brands. STEFANO TINTI / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM10-12_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:45 Page 1Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORT needs to bedisplayed onpackaging – all the waythrough to any tax involved in exportingthere in the first place. One of the biggest problems faced bycompanies seeking to export, however, isfinding a way into what is already anestablished market. There’s no newcivilisations popping up that have noestablished markets, and it’s idealistic tobelieve a new product, which might havebeen popular in the UK for the last fiftyyears, will suddenly hit it off in a differentcountry. To attract customers in a new market,there needs to be key research undertaken -not only into what consumers want in thatcountry, but also what other products arealready on the market, and what they areactively doing to keep their share.In many cases there are a different set ofgroups to consider, wholesalers, retailers andconsumers. Many of these will come hand-in-hand, for instance if a company is able toaccess consumers, perhaps through anadvertising campaign on local television.These same consumers might ask for theproduct at their local retail outlets, leadingthose businesses to consider stocking theproduct. In many cases, however, it is not sosimple. Even if a company advertises onlocal media platforms, they might find thatthe entrenched competitors are doing thesame, and have been doing so for sometime. Considering the culture and ideals ofthe people there might be different from acompany’s home country, it’s also worthkeeping in mind that research into thatculture, or how advertisements are run inthe country can be worthwhile. There are no shortages of marketingcampaigns that have flopped in differentcountries due to mistranslated names, ormisunderstood cultural differences. In manycases these are not even small companieswho don’t havenecessary funds. This includesAmerican brewery Coors, for whom amistranslation to Spanish saw their sloganadvertising its properties as a laxative, ratherthan an alcohol. Even Schweppes, for whoma poor translation to Italian, saw theirproduct labelled on packaging as SchweppesToilet, rather than Tonic, Water.There are also concerns to be had withculture, and how it might affect demand fora product. In the food and drink industrythis can be a common factor with meats andhow they are prepared, with the mostobvious example being the preparation ofSHUTTERSTOCK.COM / SCOTTCHAN12 Á10-12_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:45 Page 2Halal meat. There are of course moresubtle examples such as a toothpastemanufacturer who promoted theirwhitening cleaner, to a country whoselocals chew nuts to blacken their teeth, asthis is considered attractive. For those who are confident in aproduct’s potential in a market, the task isfocused more towards attracting theattention of buyers in that country, mostoften wholesalers, or supermarkets. Themost common ways to target these peopleare trade fairs, market visits, trademissions or advertisements.Trade fairs are perhaps the mostcommon method used by businesses today,with many large events taking placeinternationally. Interested buyers in thecountry are likely to visit the event inefforts to find the “next big thing” fortheir market, and can sample products atthe show. There is also a chance to selldirectly to these people, should they showinterest in a stand. An added benefit ofthese events is that many organisations,such as the UKTI, operate shared stands,where companies can display themselves toinvestors, without needing to spend hugeamounts on display space. The downside to trade fairs, however, isoften that there are hundreds, if notthousands, of other competitors at theshow, and it can often be difficult toattract the attention of the correct people.Even assuming investors are activelysearching for new products, they are notgoing to be able to sample over a thousanddifferent foodstuffs in a day. Market visitstherefore remain an option for thosewishing to take a more proactive approach.These often involve a team of experiencedsalespeople, or representatives from acompany visiting a country in efforts tosecure deals personally. This is certainly a high-risk, high-rewardscenario. Allowing the company to selldirectly to the individuals that are bestsuited to purchase their products on a one-to-one basis. Often this method dependson the skills of the people that sent to visitthe market in the first place, and theresearch put into place in finding andarranging meetings with the customers.Once again there is support available tocompanies considering this route, often bythe UKTI ITA, who will be able to put acompany in touch with embassies in theregion who might have more detailedinformation. In some cases theorganisations might even offer to fund acompany’s trip. Trade missions are similar in nature tomarket visits, but are normally undertaken– and sometimes funded – by organisationssuch as the UKTI or other associated tradebodies. These will often involve a numberof different companies being taken to visitand meet with associated buyers in thetarget country, with a view to creating newbusiness ties between the two nations. Again, success or failure will depend notonly on the skills and negotiation prowessof those a company sends to acquire suchdeals, but also on the research and effortthat has been put into the product, tomake it conform with what would bedesirable in that country. The most important thing to keep inmind is that when a company is looking toexport to a new country, they have to treatthe process like they are creating a brandnew start-up product, including conductingextensive market research, and lookinginto a dedicated marketing strategy. Thiscould ensure they become a well-knownand respected name. For companies who are able to balancethese factors, the future of the food anddrink export market is looking brightindeed. ADRIANO CASTELLI / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM12 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORT10-12_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:45 Page 3Exportmaster Systems Limited, Unit 26, 22 Carlton Road, South Croydon, CR2 0BS(T) 020 8681 2321 (F) 020 8667 1816 (E) info@exportmaster.co.uk (W) www.exportmaster.co.ukExportmaster Systems LimitedUnit 26, 22 Carlton Road, South Croydon, CR2 0BS13_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:46 Page 114 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCLEAN AIR SOLUTIONSNo longer can a producer justify stoppingproduction for an extensive period becauseworking conditions have deteriorated, norcan many afford the potentially large finesbreaches that legislation can bring about.One of the biggest potential flashpoints inthe food and drink sector comes from poorair quality in production facilities, oftenbrought about by excessive dust or strongodours.It’s now a given that all production areasneed to be able to withstand rigorouscleaning regimes to maintain excellenthygiene standards, and to reduce cost andshutdown time for maintenance. Ensuringair quality is one obvious way in which thiscan be achieved. In the food and drinkindustry, a further issue is the potential forexplosions caused by the build-up of veryfine powders.Indeed, as dust in a factory environmentcan prove so hazardous, manufacturers musthave systems and equipment in place thatadhere to the EU’s ATEX Directive1999/92/E. These regulations require thatemployers classify places where explosiveatmospheres are likely to occur – such as inthe form of combustible dust generated byprocesses such as flour milling and sugargrinding – and must implement protectivemeasures and select appropriate equipmentfor use in those environments.There are also best practice guidelines forthe use of compressed air, which cover thedirect and indirect contact of air withproducts. The aim here is to ensure theThe deterioration of working conditions and the potential forcontamination means clean air solutions are vitalPure simpleSHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DAVID SPATES14-17_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:47 Page 1Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netCLEAN AIR SOLUTIONSpurity of the air throughout themanufacturing process, so the compressedair doesn’t cause any contamination in theproducts, and it builds on the BRC GlobalStandards for Food Safety.It’s clear food factories must have effectiveventilation, whether through mechanicalprocedures or the opportunity to bring airin, to provide fresh air for food operativeswhile not contaminating food products.There are obvious flashpoints when it comesto simply opening the door with thepotential for foreign bodies to get into theproduction process, but some naturalventilation should be made available. Thereshould also be the possibility to effectivelyremove particulates, fumes, smoke, steamand vapours and microorganismsThose who deal with bulk ingredientshave a particular issue regarding the safecontrol of dust. Minimising dustcontamination when filling and shiftingmillions of tonnes of powdered ingredientsthrough a factory is challenging formanufacturers, but there is new equipmentnow available. For example, Spiroflow is playing animportant role safely and efficientlyconveying a yeast product through theprocessing stage for one of Ireland’s largestfood companies. Shifting the many tonnesof yeast extract produced every day requireda flexible dust-free system.The company installed a Flexible ScrewID1974 / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM16 Á14-17_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:47 Page 216 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCLEAN AIR SOLUTIONSConveyor and a Bulk Bag Filler at thecustomer’s plant to transport the powderedsubstance, which can be used in the dairyindustry and a variety of processed foods.Chris Brennan, Spiroflow’s projectengineering manager, says, “It was achallenging project due to the tightheadroom and conveyor path needed so wedesigned a customised system to meet thecustomer’s requirements. Flexible ScrewConveyors are ideal for fitting aroundexisting plant or awkward routes.”Spiroflow’s weighing and filling stationsare installed in food and process plantsworldwide, providing dust free and highlyaccurate filling of 1-2 tonne bulk bags. Theyincorporate an inflatable spout neck seal,bag inflation prior to filling to ‘pre-form’the bag and product compaction and de-aeration during the filling cycle to provide astable load for storage or transport.GEA, meanwhile, illustrated their GEANiro Air Disperser at Anuga FoodTec. TheDDD Air Disperser is designed usingGEA’s proprietary CFD simulation tools,for use in plants with capacities up to 30tons/hour producing products such as milkpowder, nutritional formulas and foodingredients. The Disperser provides bettercontrol of the drying process, producing amore uniform product and longerproduction runs between cleaning, therebyreducing downtime. Gaining an additionalthree to four hours uptime every day,where the plant would normally be out ofoperation for cleaning, improves the overallplant output by 15-20%.Elsewhere Dustcontrol, have provided asolution to Delselius bakery of Stockholm,who wanted to reduce dust from flour andkeep the air clean and healthy. They alsowanted the workplace to be easier to keepclean. Dustcontrol installed a DC Aircubeand a DC 3800c stationary package to fightdust and to maintain the health of thebakers.Jan Delselius says, ”It’s perfect, worksvery well. You notice a big difference in theair. The DC AirCube works on a timer.When you show up in the morning the airis clean and fresh, it is also easier to keepthe work place clean. We had a lot ofproblems with flour dust before, now is it atotally new situation. I think everyonenotices that, especially those with allergies.”As the production line moves faster thanever, one major challenge for manufacturersis ensuring excessive moisture is eliminated.There are many potential problems causedby excessive moisture and technology isrequired to carry out a number of tasks,such as drying fresh produce, like salads,potatoes and tomatoes, prior to the finalpackaging stage, or drying food cans andjars prior to labelling and packagingprocesses to avoid them slipping off.The use of specialist air movementsolutions from companies such as AirControl Industries can help in this regard.One recent solution they have offered hasbeen for TasteTech, the specialistmanufacturer of ‘controlled release’flavourings and ingredients for applicationsin bakery, confectionery and chewing gumproducts. Previously, after each productbatch is processed, the production vesselrequired scraping down followed by a coldrinse, a hot wash and then a cold rinse toensure all product residue had beenremoved. This was a time consumingactivity and was effecting the company’soverall manufacturing cycle.Two ACI 1.3 metre long air knives wereinstalled inside the cooling and dryingvessel to create a barrier of air between theproduct and vessel wall. This air barrierprevents product adhering to the side wall,SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/RTEM14-17_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:47 Page 3With ingredients and fine powdersused within food productionprocesses, the potential problemsthat can be caused by excessive dustand other impurities are numerous.Dust particles can oftencontaminate otherproducts and become amajor health and safetyhazard.ACI’s PersonnelCleaning Boothprovides a safe andhighly effective meansof removing andcollecting thesepowders from peopleand clothing. It is ideal forcleaning employees’ contaminatedwork clothes to avoid exposingthemselves, co-workers, or their work environment to elevated dustlevels.The main advantage of the Personnel Cleaning Booth is thatworkers, without taking off PPE equipment, can remove most visibletraces of any dust or fibre within approximately twenty seconds.The Booth itself is a self-contained, free-standing unitincorporating the company’s blower-powered, internationally-provenJetBlack personnel de-dusting system. The JetBlack delivers a highvolume of filtered air at low pressure, sufficient to remove powdersand dust effectively and safely, even when directed at exposed skin.In operation, the integrated JetBlack is used by Booth occupants todislodge all dust and fibres which are then drawn down away frompersonnel – avoiding re-coating of clothing – through a grille floor bya vacuum effect created by and external blower. All removedmaterials can then either be gathered in a 123 litre collection drumor vented directly into an existing exhaust system.Walter Keiler, Safety Coordinator, Bosch + Siemens, says, “TheACI personnel de-dusting cubicle offers multiple benefits. It achieveseffective cleaning of personnel, prevents recontamination of thefactory via its exhaust system and helps with quality control of theproduct.” Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netCLEAN AIR SOLUTIONSthereby reducing cleaning operations. In conjunction with the twofans also supplied, which deliver and extract chilled air from anexisting heat exchanger, they help to reduce the temperature ofthe wax/fat encapsulated product down to 4°C.The air knives are supplied with air by an ACI/EV 5.5kW fan.The fan is housed outside the building in a weather-proof,acoustic enclosure and delivers air to the air knives via ductingand a heat exchanger. The result has helped ACI increase theirproduction levels and save time during the manufacturing cycles.The foodservice and hospitality sectors have obviousrequirements when it comes to air quality. In recent times, Lincathas launched Refresh, a range of ductless air recirculation units, inconjunction with sister company Britannia Kitchen Ventilation.These self-contained, free standing kitchen air recirculation unitsare designed to be used where ducting to the outside isimpractical.They work by extracting the cooking fumes from directly abovethe equipment, filtering that contaminated air through anadvanced four-stage filtration process before recirculating clean airback into the kitchen. They are ideal therefore where venting tothe atmosphere is impossible, difficult or costly. Refresh units aredesigned to be used with electric rather than gas equipmentbecause, on every occasion, these must be vented to the outsidewith safety interlocks.Ensuring the air in food production facilities remains clean andpure is of vital importance for manufacturers as a failure to do socan lead to problem for employees and customers like. Thepotential for contamination is huge, and the new breed of energyefficient products can help avert such problems.SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PICSFIVEPersonnel Cleaning Boothensures safe and effectivepowder removalFor more information, call +44 (0)1297 529242 orvisit www.jetblack-air.com/uk/cleaning-booth/14-17_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:47 Page 4TECHNOLOGYSAVES THE DAY!The End.magine a place where the impossible is possible. A place where new label and package printing technologies can solve even the most complex challenges.Come to Labelexpo Europe 2015 and be inspired. See the most advanced collection of machinery and materials ever assembled and discover innovative ways of taking your business to new heights. Better. Faster. More. The results are limited only by your imagination.4 DAYYS + 8 HALLS +600 EXHHIBITORRS +PACKPRINT WORKSHOP +SMARRT PAACKAGING LABB PACKKAGING DESIGN SSTUDDIO +PPRINT YOUR FUTURRE +LABEL ACADEMY MMASTEER CLLASSESBook your tickets today and print happily ever after:wwww.labelexxpo ~~euurope..comm18_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:49 Page 1Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netLABELLING, CODING & MARKINGLabelling and coding on a product’spackaging is an area that is influenced byGovernment and lobby groups, so the abilityto quickly adapt to any changes is key. Depending on the specific industry acompany operates in, there can be differentregulations governing what, and how much,one needs to include on their labels. Thesecan range from the ubiquitous weight,calorie and sell-by-date requirements,through to %RDA requirements on certainfood and drink products servicing the healthfood sector. Considering the large quantities offinished products that go through aClearlabellingWhat are the best ways to manage labelling andcoding on a busy factory floor?SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ALEXSKOPJE21 Á19-23_Layout 1 19/06/2015 14:50 Page 1Next >