< Previous05-11:Layout 1 20/7/12 12:11 Page 6Full automation from UPM ConveyorsUPM Conveyors have helped McCormick,global leader in the manufacturing,marketing and distribution of spices,seasonings and flavours, with their latestnew product handling project.The specification required UPM to design,programme and build a PLC control to fullyautomate the interface from the bag fillerthrough to the Jacob White caseerector/sealer. This involved transportingfilled bags at a rate of thirty per minutethrough a 90° bend to a reject stationincorporating a specially designed air knifeto gently transfer product – either to aholding area should there be a problem with the case sealer erector or via a bag equaliser stationto a double acting pneumatic gate system, ensuring each bag is transferred in the correct alignment for boxing.Frank Hentschel of McCormick praised UPM Conveyors for their innovation and complying with the eight week lead time for the complete system to be inoperation, performed with minimal disruption.www.fdiforum.net11Ravenwood’s linerless technologygoes on show in ChicagoLinerless labelling specialistRavenwood Packaging will beshowcasing its labelling technology atPack Expo 2012 in Chicago, at a timewhen adhesive backed labels are morecommonly used as the eco-friendlyreplacement for traditional labels thatcarry waste-creating backing paper.Ravenwood supplies a range ofspecialist labels and packagingmachines worldwide including thosebeing picked up by a growing numberof US manufacturers including UncleCharley’s Sausage Company, Gold ‘n’Plump Poultry and Hatfield QualityMeats. Ravenwood’s Michael Peart isoverseeing the supply of labelling andsleeving systems across the countryand in neighbouring Latin America where new legislation is driving themove towards backingless labels.Michael Peart says, “The new issues surrounding the recycling of wastepaper created by traditional labels is causing many packaging buyers torethink their ways and move to improved solutions like linerless labels.”New premises for KMSAdhesivesKMS, who manufacture industrial adhesives andsupply the renowned Total adhesives, Intact adhesivesand Optimise self-cleaning hot melts, have relocated toa purpose built factory in Watton, Norfolk. The newpremises provide an ideal environment for their staff, alaboratory to develop bespoke adhesives and asubstantial warehouse to maintain stocks for fastdeliveries. KMS have been supplying industrial adhesives forover thirty years and believe that the investment in thenew laboratory will complement their wealth ofpractical knowledge and will extend their ability toprovide bespoke solutions. Where a client has achallenging application KMS provide additionalsupport by sending a qualified adhesives technician togive practical advice and assistance.KMS say, “We don’t just supply adhesives from ournew premises – we provide a comprehensive serviceto our clients giving vital assistance to make sure thattheir production keeps going.”Romer Labs host allergenmanagement seminarsRomer Labs have recently hosted two seminars tohelp food manufacturers implement changes tomeet new labelling legislation, the latest BRCstandard and retailer codes of practice. The half day sessions provided an overview ofcurrent legislation and gave special insights into thevalidation and verification of cleaning. Both provedhighly popular and further events are now planned.Romer Labs also discussed where there is value intesting and with which tests. Recently, they launched thenew AgraStrip Gluten G12 for on-site factory testing and theAgraQuant Gluten G12 for quantitative testing in the laboratory.Both kits will advance gluten detection in foods, rinse waters and onsurfaces to meet the latest European Regulation (EC No. 41/2009). The tests use Romer Labs’new G12 antibody which targets the most immunotoxic proteins for those intolerant to glutenand thereby takes analysis in a new direction in assuring food safety.Gleeson Group signs voice technologydeal with Heavey RF GroupGleeson Group has signed a €250,000contract with mobile technology providerHeavey RF Group to deploy advancedvoice warehouse solution technologyacross its distribution operationsthroughout Ireland.Gleeson Group manufactures anddelivers brands such as Tipperary Water,Finches soft drinks, Bavaria lager,Blossom Hill, Santa Rita and Faustinowines. Heavey RF Group was selected toimplement a solution unifying Gleeson’smultiple host back-end systems, providingthem full visibility of operations with up-to-the-second data.Heavey RF replaced Gleeson Group’smanual system with voice-directed worktechnology from their long-time partner, Vocollect. More than 80 end usersare now able to perform their duties both eyes-free and hands-free. Mobileworkers can now interact without referencing long lists or product images.Since going live with the first wave of implementations, Gleeson is alreadyrealising a 25% productivity gain in both their bonded and non-bondeddistribution facilities.05-11:Layout 1 20/7/12 12:12 Page 712www.fdiforum.netFærch Plast opens UK manufacturing plantFærch Plast has opened a modernproduction facility, now operational andgeared to meet hygiene, quality andenvironmental standards Located in Durham, the facility wasofficially opened by Leader of the localCounty Council, Councillor SimonHenig and shareholders and membersof the Faerch family. The plant benefits from majorupgrades and refurbishments, as wellas the installation of cutting edgeequipment which includes twoextruders, six thermoforming machines and the latest robot packing systems. As a result, the plant has already started producing CPET trays which account for more than80 per cent of what Faerch Plast sells in the UK. Most of the packaging produced at the new facility will be for the ready meal and fresh meatsectors. Keen to support the local workforce, Faerch Plast has already employed 36 staff andpledged to recruit between 100-150 permanent personnel over the next three to four years. Label validation stops errors enteringsupply chainA validation system that checksproduct, case and pallet labels backagainst the original works order,eliminating risk of human error andgoods with incorrect or illegiblelabelling entering the supply chain,has been developed by print andapply labelling specialist Logopak.The new I-Validation software workswithin Logopak’s Synchro suite ofnetworking programmes to provide aparallel source of labelling data thatallows all product identification to bechecked, through a separate route,back to source. The system guardsagainst error in primary productlabelling and the knock-on effect withautomatic label generation, independently comparing the labels it sees onthe line with the label data in the works order and stopping the line if theyfail to match or read.The first users of I-Validate include Greencore Foods where the system isbeing installed on twelve production lines handling jars of cook-in sauces,pickles and chutney at speeds up to 400 a minute.Love Smoothies loves MercuryPackagingMercury Packaging have providedLove Smoothies with a new look for amulti pack of its popular Made-Easyfrozen fruit sachets, after a successfultrial.Mercury developed a bespoke bag tohold twenty individual Love Smoothiessachets, which is made from polyesterfilms specially designed to meet thedemands of freezer storage. Using itsaward-winning flexographic printingskills, the sachets are branded with aneight-colour design. Three differentdesigns have been produced fordifferent flavours of smoothie.Tom Elvin, Sales Manager at LoveSmoothies, says, “The multi pack trialfor a wholesale retailer required packaging suitable for deep freezing twentysmoothie sachets together, which was a new area for us. Mercury was quickto provide very useful information and advice and even recommended us toanother company in order to get a sample product made up. The Mercuryteam’s expertise and helpfulness in the first instance definitely played a partin securing them the business.”Robotics improve foodsafetyRobotics are increasingly featuring in high volumeslicing applications and Weber slicers are making a bigdifference.With the Weber Pick Robot, portions are visuallyspotted prior to loading, so regardless of whether theportion has moved, the picker picks the portion in itsactual position and then delivers and loads to the fixedposition of the packaging machine, removing the needfor manual repositioning. The picker can also rotate theportion through 90° so a machine with a different packorientation to the slicer can still be loaded. The WPRreduces the necessity for manual intervention in theproduction process, improving hygiene and alsooffering increased economic efficiencies.The Weber Food Robot also offers hygienic andflexible handling for all known portion shapes and dieformats. Current uses include the precise placement ofsliced meat portions onto sandwich breads and pizza,as well as accurate placement of different meats into asingle presentation for packaging.Pack creates aRoyal experiencefor ready mealsSerbian food manufacturerKompanija Takovo a.d. hasrepackaged its range of Premiumready meals in multi-layer Royalebowls from RPC Bebo UK to meet the growing demand for quality convenience foods.The new packs have replaced tin cans to combine long ambient shelf life with maximumconsumer convenience. The meals are filled and retorted in the Royale bowls and the packs’PP/EVOH/PP construction, with the EVOH layer providing an effective barrier against oxygeningress, delivers an extended shelf life of up to twelve months.RPC Bebo was selected for the project thanks to its longstanding experience in retortablebarrier packaging. The company worked closely with Kompanija Takovo a.d. during thedevelopment process to speed up the time to market. Miloje Simovic, Executive Sales Managerof Kompanija Takovo, says, “These new packs, which are a first in the Serbian market, underlineour innovative approach and our ability to respond quickly to changing demands.”12:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:43 Page 1Let us do thetalking…….www.fdiforum.net the voice of the Food and Drink industryINTERNATIONALFood&DrinkFood&Drink13:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:43 Page 1Chadwicks Sleeves ‘moove’ into innovativeterritoryAn industry first cream product has been launched in the UKwith a high shelf-appeal shrink sleeve solution from ChadwicksSleeves.Innovative manufacturer of shrink sleeves, Chadwicks Sleevescreated an eight-colour UV Flexo shrink sleeve to decorate thepourable and re-sealable cream product from the Proper WelshMilk Company.Proper Welsh Milk Company chose Chadwicks as a result oftheir record of quality and reliability and wanted a sleeve productto provide the new product with decoration.Mike Kelly, business development manager at ChadwicksSleeves, says, “We were looking forward to working on the sleeves for the launch of such a unique product, launches arealways exciting and this one is a real industry first which we are confident will be a success. “We wanted to produce sleeves which would distinguish Proper Welsh Milk Company’s product from the competition in thecream sector.”14www.fdiforum.netLove the taste ofSplenda or yourmoney backSplenda Sugar Alternative is soconfident in its products that it is makingconsumers a promise – love the taste oryour money back.Thanks to its original sweeteningingredient sucralose, Splenda promises agreat taste but with a fraction of thecalories of sugar. The money backguarantee is based on the insight that nineout of ten people love the taste ofSplenda. If anyone doesn’t agree, all they have to do is send the original receipt and the moneyback flash from the front of the promotion pack with a letter and they will be reimbursed within28 days.Splenda Granulated is available in 60g, 75g and 125g packs and its Sweet Minis areavailable in 100, 300 and 500 tablet format. The money back offer applies to any purchase of75g and 125g Granulated packs that feature the promotion, on-shelf July to August. Thepromotion is valid until December 2012.Summer Harvest finds closuressolutionViscose Closures of Crawley havestarted supplying aluminium caps toSummer Harvest, a multi-award winningScottish rapeseed oil producer, for usewith their range of rapeseed oils,dressings and marinades. The coldpressed rapeseed oil is grown on thefamily farm where the family have farmedfor over 100 years and comes from asingle variety of seed.Viscose Closures are supplying 31.5mmx 44mm plain black aluminium caps withan integral oil pourer, which are beingused on 500ml and 250ml bottles. Mark Bush, Managing Director ofSummer Harvest says: “I knew of ViscoseClosures from the past and have beenvery impressed with the service they haveoffered. The quotes and samples weresupplied very promptly and the quality of the caps is excellent and theyprovide a more elegant finish to our bottles.”Rebel against lightweightpouring rumsToorank Distilleries, the company behind multi-awardwinning Sloane’s Dry Gin, is continuing its commitmentto developing quality spirits brands with the launch ofthe Rebellion Rum range. Available in Spiced, Blackand Blanco, the range has been launched to provide asuperior alternative to established pouring rum brands.The range is led by Rebellion Spiced, a 37.5% ABVrum that has been created following demand from thebartending community for a return to fuller tastingspiced rums. Inspired by traditional Caribbean spiceroutes, the quality of Rebellion Spiced is highlighted bybeing the only rum amongst its competitors to specifywhich spices it is made from.Along similar lines, the Black and Blanco are bothsmooth blends of Caribbean rums. Bottled at 37.5%ABV, both rums have been created following demandfor premium quality pouring rums that can stand up tobeing used in both cocktails and traditional mixedserves such as with cola or ginger.LowLow whips up a new low fatcheese rangeLowLow has shaken-up the cheesemarket with the launch of a new‘Delightfully Creamy’ range. Following onfrom the successful launch of itsCheddar Spreads, the brand hasexpanded its range of lunchtimesolutions with the launch of three newvarieties.Available in Mature and PepperellaPesto flavours, LowLow DelightfullyCreamy slices will bolster the slicedcheese category and provide a rich andexciting filling for lunchtime sandwichesand wraps. The new LowLow range also includes Delightfully CreamyGrated, bringing full flavour cheese with a healthy edge.LowLow has also secured partnerships with Slimming World and ScottishSlimmers, which will include recipe cards, leaflets, vouchers, advertorialsand category sponsorship of the Slimmer of the Year award. Dan Hopkirk,Marketing Manger, Dairy at Kerry Foods says, “It’s about tailoring our rangeto the needs of modern women, and it’s working, we’ve seen sales climbsteadily over the last eighteen months.”14:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:44 Page 1VITAFOODS ASIAwww.fdiforum.net15Vitafoods Asiaon track todouble in sizeVitafoods Asia is set to build on the greatsuccess of last year’s debut show, when itreturns to the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kongfrom 5th to 7th SeptemberOrganised in response to the booming Asia Pacificnutraceuticals market, Vitafoods Asia will provide visitors withthe opportunity to source products and discover the latestinnovations on the market. It will feature more than 150 globalsuppliers of ingredients and raw materials for nutraceuticals,dietary supplements and functional foods and drinks.Chris Lee, Portfolio Director of Vitafoods, says, “Over half oflast year’s visitors said they found suppliers they wouldn’t havemet without attending the event, so this year’s edition, witheven more exhibitors and educational features, really will beunmissable for anyone in the industry wishing to sourceingredients and raw materials.”A packed feature programme will provide manufacturers ofdietary supplements and functional foods and drinks with an in-depth view of the nutraceutical landscape. This will include thefree Seminar Theatre, which will feature fascinating talks byleading experts.Innovation will be the key theme at the New Products Zone,which will feature over a hundred new ingredients and products,while new for 2012, the Discussion Forum, held on Thursday6th, will feature a panel of leading experts providing insight intothe challenges and opportunities relating to health claimsregulations across Asia.The Health-Positioned Food & Beverages Asia 2012Conference by IBC Asia will also be held in conjunction withVitafoods Asia and will provide a critical review of what it takesto stay relevant and profitable in an expanding yet highlycompetitive Asian market.The event is at the AsiaWorld-Expo in Hong Kong from 5th to 7thSeptember, and for more information, visit www.vitafoodsasia.com.15:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:45 Page 116www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTIt may not be known as one of theworld’s leading culinary countries,but there is no denying that theUnited Kingdom’s export market hasbeen booming in recent months. With awide variety of manufacturers andproducers within the country, there is alarge amount of processed goods thatleave the country.This was further boosted by the mediaattention focused on the country’sQueen’s Diamond Jubilee, and, of course,the London 2012 Olympics. In themonths following the Jubilee for instance,the exports of tea, cakes and biscuits tothe US and Asia soared by a staggering2000%! In terms of specific export goods,the most popular have been cakes,A time for celebrationWith so much going on in the British Isles this year, we take a look at howthe UK and Ireland are fairing in food and drink exports16-18:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:47 Page 1IMPORT AND EXPORTwww.fdiforum.net17biscuits, teas, vodka, whiskey and beer.This coincided with a 370% increase insales of Queen Elizabeth paraphernaliaaround the world. The Olympics should also prove aprime opportunity for UK manufacturersto gain new customers in foreignmarkets. Both these events create anatural interest in the UK, and consumertrends in many countries are likely tomove towards UK food and drink if thetrends can set in. This is a trend that hasbeen observed many times with previouscountries hosting the Olympic Games,and has been known to carry on for yearsafterwards.Maximising the potential of suchopportunities will no doubt be key formanufacturers in the food and drinkindustry. This will require goodrelationships to be built, not only withthe potential FMCG’s and retailersthemselves, but also with courier andlogistics companies who can ensure theproduct arrives at the correct destinationwithout incident.England and WalesEngland and Wales have beenexperiencing a great increase in theexport demand for British Beef and Pork.The Chinese market in particular is nowimporting over £50 million worth of porkfrom there every year. This has led tofurther advantages for farmers, as foreignmarkets often have different tastes andpreferences, such as the Chinesepreference for parts of the pig that sellpoorly in the UK, in particular offal andtripe. This has added increased value tofarmer’s stock, and eased some of thetensions the British farming industry hasbeen experiencing, particularly in areassuch as milk and dairy. Meanwhile, the Japanese market hasseen a major increase in demand for “realBritish ales” that has resulted in manynew contracts for large scale brewers andmanufacturers. Holden’s brewery in theWest Midlands is being forced to expandtheir production from 50,000 pints aweek to over 75,000 just to meet thatdemand. Ales are not the only area where theAsian market is looking heavily intoBritish foods though. There have beennumerous rumours that Thai andJapanese food groups have been payingattention to the Iglo group, who own theBirds Eye brand. In direct comparison to these exports,numerous consumer groups aredemanding that food produced in the UKshould focus on locally sourcedingredients, with this becoming atrending issue among consumers.Currently the UK imports more than40% of all their consumed food, but iflarge retailers demand locally sourcedgoods, then this figure could rapidly fallover the coming few years. Academics arealso agreeing with these discussions,pointing out that the UK is the world’slargest importer of poultry despite thefact that the climate is perfect for therearing of poultry themselves. 18 The 2012 Olympic Games will be a primeopportunity to draw attention to the UK foodand drink industryThe UK beef market is expected to grow over thenext few years, particularly with increasedparticipation from Ireland16-18:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:47 Page 218www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTThe dairy industry, on the other hand,has struggled somewhat in the face ofincreasing costs and decreasing milkprices across the country. At the sametime, export is becoming an increasinglydifficult prospect for them due to thehigh costs associated with transportation.If more companies on this level areforced out of business then the possibilityof the UK importing more milk will be areal concern. Scotland Scottish exports have also beenenjoying their fair share of success for thelast few years, with a smaller butsignificant growth in exports of 4.2% yearon year. It is of some debate whether thiswill be sustained indefinitely however, asin the last quarter they recorded a 0.6%decrease in exports. Some fear this maybe a shaking of international confidenceover the Scottish referendum, and theirgoals for an independent Scotland. Thiscould result in them being initially barredfrom the European Union, hurting theirinternational export and import strength. Products that are doing particularlywell in Scotland include a variety ofwhiskeys and vodkas, which are provingextremely popular with Asian and USmarkets. Scotland have also recently celebratedtheir close ties with United ArabEmirates, which saw Scottish fishproducts being highly sought after at theGulfood exhibition earlier this year.Many Scottish companies exhibited atthe event in Dubai under the Scotlandtent, which saw Scottish single maltscotch whiskey and Scottish salmon drawgreat attention in the ASEAN market.Protected Geographical Indication statushas been awarded to a number ofdifferent products created in Scotland,banning manufacturers in other areasfrom producing them under the samename. Products such as Single MaltScotch Whiskey, Scotch beef and Scotchlamb are being marketed as trulypremium items in the ASEAN markets,and are still being labelled as some of thekey drivers in Scottish exports. On the import side of things, Scottishfarmers are still concerned at the highlevels of imported lamb being consumedin the country, and work is beingundertaken to promote locally sourcedproduce. Much like England and Wales,the same consumer trend, or “Best ofBritish” as it is being marketed, is havingan impact on FMCG produce being sold. Republic of Ireland Exports from Ireland are continuingstrong in 2012. Currently the amount offood and drink exports crossing the Irishsea have been valued at £2,692 millionper year. The Irish Government are currentlyworking hard on breaking the Irish beefban in the US, which has been runningfor twelve years following the BSE scare.Despite the fact that no taint has beenfound in any beef since then, exports ofbeef from Ireland to America are stillconsidered illegal. This is of greatimportance to Ireland since beef is thelargest aspect of the country’s food anddrink export market, generating 20% ofall their food and drink export revenue.The ability to carve new niche markets inthe US would greatly increase thatpotential.Ironically, the US cannot actuallyexport any of their own beef to countriessuch as China and Korea. The lifting of aban on US beef exports would have toapply to Irish beef exports to America atthe same time, or face harsh criticismfrom the international agriculturalcommunity. Official figures for Ireland’s food anddrink exports suggest a 15% increase in2012, as compared to 2011. This has beensupported by the country’s avoidance ofthe depression suffered by the UK, inpart due to the bailout package theyreceived a few years earlier. The rising number of Asianmiddle class workers has led toa boom in the demand forScottish Whiskey and Englishreal ale16-18:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:47 Page 3SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENTwww.fdiforum.net19Certainly the price of fuel is oneobvious reason as to whycompanies are looking far harderat their supply chain management.Lobbying can make a difference, but themost effective solution is to become farmore efficient. Not only will this bringdown costs for the operator and theconsumer alike, but increasinglycustomers demand products to arrive onthe shelves faster and more securely thanever.New principles in supply chainmanagement are making a major impacton efficiency. The latest routing andscheduling software, for example, helpssupply chain managers discover how eachlow carbon technology will work indifferent scenarios. While manycompanies are looking at introducingbiofuel, for example, this can becomplicated by the added difficulties inacquiring it. New software can calculatehow many extra miles will be added totrips for refuelling with biofuel, with theadditional mileage set against therequired reductions in emissions. Thiscan therefore give an explicit andvaluable factor to assist companies inreviewing their carbon emissions – nowoften a prerequisite – and allow them toformulate effective ideas that best suittheir operations.With the issues of cost and efficiencyunder the spotlight like never before,multimodal solutions are becoming moreand more attractive to supply chainmanagers. It’s definitely the case thatmany companies aren’t following routesthat could be more effective – forexample, while 63% of containers arrivein the UK through ports in the SouthEast of England, only 10% of large20 Meeting customers’challengesRegardless of the trend towards a greener supply chain, for many the major factor inreviewing and revamping their logistics operations is the costRouting and scheduling software from ParagonSoftware Systems is being used in research intoreducing the carbon footprint of the supply chain, in aproject sponsored by Keystone Distribution UK19-23:Layout 1 20/7/12 11:48 Page 1Next >