< PreviousFirst-ever ruby chocolate drink powder unveiled Van Houten, the cocoa pioneer brand of chocolate manufacturer, Barry Callebaut, has created the first ruby chocolate drink powder. Made from 100% sustainably sourced cocoa beans, the new product will be offered to the hospitality sector, specifically baristas and coffee bars. The innovation follows the unveiling of ruby, the fourth type of chocolate, by Barre Callebaut back in 2017. Since its launch, ruby has developed into an ‘it’ chocolate, sought after by many consumers. “We are proud to be the first to offer a ruby chocolate drink powder,” said Freek van der Knaap, Vice-President Vending & Beverages EMEA. “This chocolate drink has all the flavour and colour of ruby chocolate and the powder dissolves very easily in any type of milk, in hot or cold applications. Ruby chocolate drink powder will help us to unlock the beverage category for Horeca customers.” on the shelf 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Changing the world is delicious – low carbon footprint of Pulled Oats® inspires to climate actions Gold&Green Foods has revolutionised plant-based food by creating the Finnish innovation Pulled Oats® in 2016. Made with a unique combination of oats and legumes, Pulled Oats® is not only highly nutritious but also good for the planet. Based on the new carbon footprint study conducted with CarbonCloud, Pulled Oats® Nude has a significantly lower carbon footprint compared to meat. Gold&Green Foods has begun to measure the climate impact of products together with CarbonCloud, starting with their best seller product Pulled Oats® Nude. The carbon footprint for Pulled Oats® Nude is 2.4 kg CO2e/kg, and the calculation includes all stages from agricultural input to the first customer in Finland. All substantial and relevant steps and processes that cause greenhouse gas emissions are represented in the model. The calculation has been verified by CarbonCloud. “Our ambition is to make sustainable decisions tasty and convenient,” said Laura Toppinen, Communications Manager of Gold&Green Foods. Tyson Foods debuts plant-based products in Asia Tyson Foods is launching a range of plant- based products in Asia for the first time. Sold under the First Pride brand, the products will initially launch in Malaysia and will roll them out to other markets in the region in the coming months. The initial launch will introduce frozen Bites, Nuggets and Strips made with plants to consumers in Malaysia. The innovations are halal certified and made with regionally sourced ingredients including bamboo fibre, soy protein and wheat protein. While the alternative proteins category in Asia is still growing, APAC retail sales of meat substitutes reached $16.3 billion in 2020 and are expected to exceed $20 billion by 2025, according to Euromonitor. Asahi UK enters hard seltzer category Asahi UK is entering the flourishing hard seltzer category with a fresh new Viper Hard Seltzer. The latest addition to the Asahi UK portfolio is available in two flavour variants – Lime, and, Cranberry, in 330ml single can and bottle formats. With no artificial sweeteners, colours or preservatives, Viper Hard Seltzer is brewed in Pilsen with water pumped from 100m below sea level and experiences a six-day brewing process to create a hard seltzer with a crystal-clear appearance. Emerging from the US, hard seltzers are currently worth approximately £10.4 million in the UK and are forecast to grow by 34% by 2024. Sam Rhodes, Marketing Director Asahi UK, comments: “Entering the vibrant Hard Seltzer category is a really exciting move for us, and we’re proud to introduce a Hard Seltzer that not only offers quality, demonstrated through the brewing process, but it also allows us to continue to offer products to our customers that are in line with consumer trends.” HUN launches UK’s first alcohol-free canned wine Award-winning, millennial canned wine brand, HUN, is set to expand its core product range with the launch of the UK’s first alcohol-free wine in a can. HUN Alcohol Free (AF) (0.5% ABV, 200ml) is a vegan sparkling white wine made from single origin South African Chenin Blanc grapes, presented in striking gold cans. HUN AF is designed to be the ‘wine between wines’ with drinkers able to enjoy 100% of the wine’s original aromas and flavour thanks to an innovative de- alcoholisation process. The result is a complex medium-bodied white blend with a pale straw colour that is rich with citrus and slight apricot aromas, supported by very subtle oak and hints of vanilla. Commenting on the launch, HUN co- founder, Mark Wollard said: “Less alcohol content shouldn’t mean less flavour, so we worked closely with the producer to ensure the de-alcoholisation process retained 100% of the wine’s original aromas and flavour.” © Tyson Foods 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 08:11 Page 7Haribo invests £22m in additional capacity, greater efficiencies & reduced costs Haribo is investing £22 million to enhance technology across its purpose-built facility in Castleford, West Yorkshire. The business will use the strategic investment to deliver additional capacity, greater efficiencies and reduced costs as it continues to produce 30,000 tonnes of product from this site each year. Furthermore, the focus on reformulation of products within the portfolio will be strengthened, reducing sugar and creating treats that deliver greater choice to retailers and shoppers. “As we continue to face tough challenges following the ongoing impact of COVID-19, we are showing our resilience and commitment to world-class production in an increasingly competitive market,” said Managing Director of Haribo UK, Jon Hughes. “Investing £22 million into our already world-class manufacturing facility will give us greater opportunity to produce the variety of sweets that we know bring childlike happiness to our customers.” The investment will be rolled out throughout 2021. on line Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net Müller’s Mühle invests €14.5m in new refining tech for legume flours Müller’s Mühle, a major supplier of legume and rice flours, has invested €14.5 million in new refining technology for legume flours. With the help of a modern air separation plant, the company can now produce functional flours with a protein content of up to 65%, enabling protein enrichment and nutritional optimisation of many foods. They are particularly suitable as a basis for plant-based alternatives such as meat, egg and milk substitutes, as well as for snacks, baked goods and pasta. Müller’s Mühle uses different legume species as raw materials and processes them gently to preserve their valuable nutrients. The flours are marketed under the “SMART Pulses Pro” brand. At source, they are naturally free of allergens and are also clean label. With their high-quality nutritional and functional properties, the ingredients enable the development of innovative product concepts in the plant-based segment. Heinz tomato sauce manufacturing to return to UK Kraft Heinz is planning to make a £140 million investment in Kitt Green, Europe’s largest food manufacturing facility located near Wigan, in the North-West of the UK. This would be the biggest Kraft Heinz investment in over two decades in an existing manufacturing site outside of the US and could create up to 50 new full-time positions. The investment will be focused on further modernising the manufacturing capabilities of the site over the next four years, focused around three key pillars; bringing Heinz sauce manufacturing back to the UK to build additional European capacity, further upgrading machinery and driving the plant to deliver its ESG commitments. The Kitt Green plan is a strong vote of confidence in post-Brexit Britain, aligning with the UK Government’s levelling up agenda and is a demonstration of Kraft Heinz’s commitment to the UK and its food manufacturing capabilities. Kitt Green currently produces 1.3 billion cans of food per year, of which 94% is consumed in the UK. Iconic Kraft Heinz brands including Heinz Beanz, Soups and Pasta will continue to be produced at the Kitt Green site for the UK market. Plans to bring sauce manufacturing for products such as Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Mayonnaise and Salad Cream are designed to meet the demand from a new generation of UK consumers. The investment will also fund updated manufacturing equipment and technology, the first of its kind across the Kraft Heinz network. Kitt Green will become much more of a modern facility producing premium products of higher quality with its new machinery. With this, the site will minimise the use of non-renewable sources, producing items that are fully recyclable and ultimately helping to considerably reduce the site’s CO2 footprint, aligning with its ESG commitments. To enable employees to operate this machinery, Kitt Green will be providing upskilling opportunities whilst envisaging the creation of up to 50 new full-time positions. Food & beverage industry urged to adopt water best practice The reputational and financial risks of the mismanagement of water and wastewater systems is the subject of a new report. The report, ‘Process water and wastewater treatment in the food industry’, points to the vast volumes of water used in food and beverage production and urges companies to do more to offset risk. The food and beverage industry uses vast volumes of water, and treatment of process water and wastewater is essential to every production plant. These are complex and costly processes, with every site required to meet specific local health & safety and environmental discharge regulations. “There are significant reputational and financial consequences of putting people, products or the environment at risk through poorly managed systems and processes,” says Dale Kavanagh, Industrial Sales and Business Development Manager, from Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG). “Yet there are practical steps companies can take to tighten their procedures and make their processes more efficient.” © Shutterstock/Max Maier 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 08:11 Page 812 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net R-BIOPHARM Q&A What are the benefits of following Official Methods? Official Methods ensure mutual recognition between laboratories. They are reliable and robust methods that have been fully validated through inter- laboratory studies. Methods have been proven to have good recoveries, repeatability, and reproducibility performance parameters they have been adopted by AOAC International as Official Methods or by CEN as European Standards. An Official Method must be fit-for- purpose meaning that the performance of the method must be such that a clear decision can be taken as to whether the analyte being tested is present above or below the regulatory limit with a known margin of confidence. The method must have sufficient specificity to offer certainty that the analyte being determined has been correctly identified, and that there are no interfering components which might lead to an over or under estimation of concentration. The Official Method must also have a limit of quantification below the regulatory limit by an adequate margin to minimise the uncertainty of measurement near the LOQ. The method must also have an established precision. Recovery is also important. There are 5 parameters that describe the performance of a method: • LOD • LOQ • Recovery • Repeatability • Reproducibility Four of the five can be determined in one laboratory by single lab validation, but reproducibility can only be established by conducting a full collaborative study with results obtained from a minimum of eight independent participants. There are several Official Methods in place which are of interest to the dairy industry. Some are concerning mycotoxins while others are focused on the analysis of vitamins. What Official Methods are in place for analysing mycotoxins in the dairy industry? There are excellent well-established methods of analysis for monitoring aflatoxin M1 in milk, dairy products and infant formula. Official methods recognised by AOAC International, CEN the European Standards Organisation and International Dairy Federation all use an immunoaffinity column for sample preparation. • AOAC 2000.08 – Aflatoxin M1 in liquid milk • EN ISO 14501:2007 – milk and milk powder The attraction of immunoaffinity clean-up that a sample can be directly passed through the column and the aflatoxin M1 is selectively removed. After washing the column, the toxin can be eluted and then determined by HPLC with fluorescence detection. Is aflatoxin M1 routinely found in the dairy industry? There have been a huge number of surveys carried out across the world to try to assess potential human dietary exposure to aflatoxin M1 and to understand the extent of compliance with regulatory limits. Data from more than a hundred scientific publications over a ten-year period reporting aflatoxin M1 survey data have been summarized in the figure illustrated here. Surveys conducted in different countries have been aggregated by geographical region into Africa, Asia, Europe and Americas and the results shown in terms of the percentages of Q&A R-Biopharm We spoke to R-Biopharm to learn more about the use of official methods to ensure quality analysis. 12-13.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:40 Page 1Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net R-BIOPHARM Q&A samples exceeding either the EU or USA regulatory limits for aflatoxin M1. It is interesting to note that aflatoxin M1 contamination is not limited to cow’s and buffalo milk. Goat and ewe milk have also been found to be contaminated. A diverse variety of dairy products have been found to contain aflatoxin M1 including yoghurt, whey and whey products, fermented milk products and cheeses as well as many different types of milk based traditional foods. There is also considerable interest in monitoring human breast milk for levels of aflatoxin M1 being indicative of the mother’s exposure to aflatoxin B1 from the diet. The same method of analysis can be applied for human breast milk as for cow’s milk, the data providing insights into overall exposure of babies to aflatoxin M1. Other than milk, what other matrices could aflatoxin M1 be present in? Although it is rather obvious that aflatoxin M1 contaminated milk used in cheese making will lead to the presence of aflatoxin M1 in the cheese, surveillance of aflatoxin M1 in cheese has largely been neglected. This is probably because cheese being a complex matrix with a high fat content is particularly challenging to analyse. Cheese is a diverse category of food, ranging from high moisture content cheese such as cottage cheese and ricotta to hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan, which have low moisture content. The recovery of trace levels of aflatoxin M1 from complex cheese matrices is challenging not only due to the high fat content but also due to the protein content, sugars, and water in the matrix. Due to the varying moisture content in different cheese, it is important to adjust for this to maintain the accuracy of the analytical method. What Official Methods are in place for analysing vitamins in the dairy industry? Many of the established Official Methods for vitamin analysis were established in the 1960’s and were designed to measure one vitamin at a time. These methods tend to be time- consuming and based on older microbiological methods that require numerous determinations and up to several days to complete. • AOAC Official Method 960.46: Vitamin Assays for Cobalamin, Folic acid, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Riboflavin • EN 14131:2003: Foodstuffs – Determination of folate by microbiological assay • EN 14166:2002: Foodstuffs- microbiological determination of vitamin B6 Many laboratories are wanting to move away from these microbiological methods. Some challenges laboratories are typically facing are: • Pressure on time resource • Increase sample throughput • Increase overall turnaround The use of immunoaffinity columns present an opportunity to manage these increasing demands while still maintaining quality results. With the tight controls on vitamin labelling the industry is understandably concerned to adopt a unified approach to measurement and more so than other areas, there is a focus on the use of recognised Official Methods. In 2012, AOAC International adopted the ‘Determination of vitamin B12 in infant formula and adult nutritional’s using HPLC after purification on an immunoaffinity column’ as First Action Official Method 2011.09. In 2014, this method was adopted as a Final Action Official Method 2014.02. In 2016, AOAC International also adopted the ‘Biotin in infant formula and adult/pediatric nutritional formulas’ as Final Action Official Method 2016.02. To find out more, visit www.r-biopharm.com, email info@r-biopharm.de, or call +49(0) 61 51 – 81 02-0. 12-13.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:40 Page 214 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © Shutterstock /MOLPIX UK outlook UK outlook 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:42 Page 1Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT The UK has always had favourable exports of British goods, but with the implementation of Brexit and the threat of COVID-19, many have been concerned for the future of the country. There was much fear thrown around before now, especially in Brexit voting years ago, and it’s time to finally see what the impact has been. Complicated Brexit checks, legislation and rules surrounding COVID have caused a drop in trade between the UK and the EU, specifically to the tune of £2 billion in the first quarter of 2021. This is solely related to the food and drink industry and doesn’t represent drops in other sectors. The figure represents a whopping forty-seven per cent drop on exports in Q1 2020. Dominic Goudie, head of international trade at the FDF said, “The loss of £2 billion of exports to the EU is a disaster for our industry and is a very clear indication of the scale of losses that UK manufacturers face in the longer-term due to new trade barriers with the EU.” Some of the hardest hit products are dairy which fell ninety per cent, whiskey falling thirty-two per cent, chocolate down thirty-seven per cent and cheese reported to have dropped by almost sixty-six per cent. The same is reflected in our imports from the EU, but not to the same degree it should be noted. Imports of wine were down twenty per cent while fruit and vegetables dropped fifteen per cent, but in total UK imports from the EU only fell ten per cent compared to last year, meaning a huge loss for the UK in comparison to the forty-seven per cent less they are importing from us. All of this is obviously bad news, but it need not be a snapshot of the future. Much of the confusion is coming from complex rules and regulations surrounding checks on borders and hygiene. With time, it is hoped that Governments will be able to come to deals to ease these, hopefully making exports simpler. Given the recent upheaval of Brexit and COVID, all eyes are on the UK’s import and export game. Has it been as doom and gloom as many predicted, or is there some light at the end of the tunnel? 16 Á 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:42 Page 216 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Because trade from the UK to the EU is suffering, it is worth looking at the UK’s Non-EU partners and how trade is doing there. Due to loosening restrictions with regard to hygiene, exports to China are up twenty-five per cent in the first quarter, with meat such as pork being particularly attractive to the Chinese market. China is the UK’s second most profitable market, with five per cent of the UK’s exports going there. Singapore comes in third at three per cent, while our top Non-EU trade partner remains the Us with eleven per cent of goods exported. All together, these three countries account for £719 million of exports, which pales in comparison to the £2 billion lost to the EU but does show that the UK can trade further afield when needed. All of this paints a picture of over- reliance on the EU, which may not have UK agrees major free trade agreement with Australia The UK has secured a trade deal with Australia eliminating tariffs on all UK goods and boosting jobs and businesses across the country. This is the first major trade deal negotiated from scratch by the government since the UK left the European Union. The new Free Trade Agreement means iconic British products like cars, Scotch whisky, biscuits and ceramics will be cheaper to sell into Australia, boosting UK industries that employ 3.5 million people across the country. The UK-Australia trade relationship was worth £13.9 billion last year and is set to grow under the deal, creating opportunities for businesses and producers in every part of the UK. British farmers will be protected by a cap on tariff-free imports for 15 years, using tariff rate quotas and other safeguards. The government is also supporting agricultural producers to increase their exports overseas, including to new markets in the Indo-Pacific. Australian PM Scott Morrison with UK PM Boris Johnson 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:42 Page 3Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT D Davies Turner Celebrating 150 years of pioneering service Your worldwide freight and logistics partner T: 01709 529709 www.daviesturner.com YEARS been a problem before souring relations via Brexit, but certainly will be now. The UK has traditionally relied on the EU as a major trading partner, and now needs to boost its presence elsewhere. The Chinese markets have been hailed as a golden opportunity due to a growing middle-class China, and it will be up to businesses to try and tap into that. Beyond China, however, more needs to be done to make British goods appeal to wider audiences, to the middle-east, to further flung regions and markets that have been neglected. There is still the potential to boost trade back with the EU, however, but this will rely more on the Government making deals rather than individual businesses, and this is a dark prospect given the Government’s attitude toward Brexit and deals over the last few years. To suggest they need better deals now will be to admit to possible falsehoods in previous years where it was claimed the UK would do fine under “no deal” negotiations. It is entirely possible, though regrettable, that the Government might rather let the industry suffer than admit to that mistake. Despite all of this, an FDF survey of food and drink manufacturers in May 2021 revealed that business confidence was rising within the UK. This, because of the vaccine rollout and lifting of lockdown has led many to look toward the future, and it’s possible that exports may recover somewhat as lockdowns lift across the globe. © Shutterstock /T ravel mania 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:42 Page 418 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY & HYGIENE SPOTLIGHT PPE keeping workers safe PPE keeping workers safe © Shutterstock /Extler 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:45 Page 1Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY & HYGIENE SPOTLIGHT Personal protective equipment (PPE) is important in ensuring that your employees are safe in the workplace, but it is important to understand what exactly you need, the legislation that exists, and the new regulations that have come into place. It can be tough to keep on top of the rapid changes in health and safety regulation, but if one does not the costs can be high. The repercussions can be in the form of a fine, imprisonment or, more seriously, injuries and fatalities. PPE is key in helping prevent workplace injuries and health or safety risks, and employers have a duty to provide it. Its use is particularly important in the food and drink manufacturing industry due both to the risk of injury and the importance of hygiene. COVID-19 has naturally brought hygiene, health and PPE into the spotlight as well. Even if systems have been put in place to prevent, for instance, machinery injuries, other less obvious hazards remain, for instance contaminated air resulting in lung harm or corrosive materials or liquids causing skin damage. PPE is therefore vital in work environments with physical risks that cannot be avoided by usual means. According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), PPE is a last resort to protect employees from workplace hazards. Regulation notes that equipment must be provided free to workers and chosen carefully in accordance with what is needed. To do this, as an employer providing PPE, you also have the responsibility of checking with your supplier what attire is appropriate, whether it be safety gloves, outfits or cleaning supplies. When choosing PPE products, one should consider the hazards in that particular workplace – are you working with chemicals, is there chance of cuts or perhaps electric shocks – there are numerous items that one may need to consider providing, and importantly the HSE says that you should choose products that are CE marked. The HSE also advises having the employee using the equipment help choose it so they are more likely to wear it and so it is a suitable size, fit, 20 Á 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 24/06/2021 07:45 Page 2Next >