< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGThis year, prizes went to Jungheinrich, forboth the DFG/TFG 540 and ETV/ETM214/216 reach truck, and Still GmbH fortheir RX 70 Hybrid, which emphasisesenergy efficiency without compromisingon power. In the Forklift Truck Solutionscategory for intralogistics solutions,Crown Gabelstapler won with its InfoLinkfleet management solution.Energy efficiency has leapt to the top ofmanager’s shopping lists while looking fornew materials handling solutions. To thisend, electric forklifts have become moreand more popular, especially in sectorssuch as dairy where LPG forklifts are nowlonger permitted due to HCCPrequirements.The quality of the trucks go hand inhand with increased standards among thedrivers themselves. Visitors to IMHXrecently saw the heats of the RTITBOperator of the Year competition, withthe winners going towards the grand finalin September. The aim of the event is toraise standards and its sponsors have gotinvolved to help promote that aim.For example, Tony Wallis of ToyotaMaterials Handling says, “Toyota haveidentified that the highest costs withmaterial handling equipment are theoperators. This competition raises theprofile and awareness, highlighting thatgood practice drives down costs throughless damage and more efficient operations.In addition, the increased awareness andfocus on skills reduces accidents in theworkplace, which is a core objective inToyota. The profile of this competition isthe highest in the industry and it is seenas the most coveted operator awardavailable.”It’s not just the forklifts where highquality is required. The transport used indistribution will also make a difference inthe speed and efficiency of the supplychain. London-based fruit and vegetablewholesaler IA Harris is using Used1Approved Mercedes-Benz Sprinterssupplied by SG Smith. IA Harris startedbuying Mercedes-Benz vans from SGSmith after suffering repeated breakdownsand reliability issues from its previousvehicles and has since replaced all butthree of those former vans with pre-owned 3.5-tonne Sprinters.Every pre-owned Mercedes-Benz vanretailed under the Used1 Approved UsedVans & Services banner is less than fiveyears old, has had a full mechanical andcosmetic makeover, and is guaranteed forat least six months – providing peace ofmind to the companies that have to relyon them.No retailer wants to be left with emptyspaces on their shelves, so the materialshandling sector has innovated in recentyears with a greater emphasis on highstandards and energy efficiency – and theresults have been hugely impressive.London-based fruit and vegetable wholesaler IAHarris is using Used1 Approved Mercedes-BenzSprinters supplied by SG SmithEnergyefficiency has leapt tothe top of manager’sshopping lists whilelooking for newmaterials handlingsolutionsThe complete truck at your serviceVisit us at TCS & D on stand H5For more information please call 01844 215501 or email sales@atlet.co.ukwww.atlet.co.uk19-20:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:45 Page 2Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netENGINEERING & COMPONENTSHowever, current figures show a gap inthe engineering skills in the industry. Oneof the major problems in the recent yearsis that university provision covering thespecifics of food and drink engineeringhas been poor or non-existent, and sograduates joining the industry withgeneric engineering degrees have requiredextensive on-the-job training before theycan be deployed. While they’re well awareof the basics of engineering, the food anddrink sector has its own unique challengesthat require specialist knowledge.Hence the introduction of the UK’sfirst degree in food engineering - theMEng Food Engineering degree atSheffield Hallam University. The degreehas received co-investment from the UKCommission for Employment and Skillsthrough the Employer Investment Fund,and the Food and Drink Federation andNational Skills Academy for Food &Drink were involved in its construction.Angela Coleshill, Director ofEmployment and Skills at the Food andDrink Federation, says, “Our industry’sability to drive innovation to achieve ourambition to grow 20% by 2020 lies verymuch in the hands of our employees,particularly our future engineers. This iswhy businesses from across the industryhave pledged their support and workedtogether to create the degree for ourengineers of the future.”Justine Fosh, CEO of the National SkillsAcademy, adds, “The shortage of engineershas caused intense competition betweenindustries and is particularly important tofood and drink businesses whereengineering skills relevant to the sector arevital to drive growth and innovation inincreasingly hi-tech automated productionenvironments. The MEng FoodEngineering degree puts the industry in astrong position to draw from graduatesspecifically trained in its workings. “Our aim is nothing less than to ensurefood industry engineering gains the samestanding among would-be graduates asaerospace or automotive engineering andwe urge companies to commit levels ofactive support comparable to thatprovided by businesses in those22 The creation of the MEng FoodEngineering degree is part of GraduateExcellence, delivered through apartnership of the Food and DrinkFederation, The National SkillsAcademy for Food & Drink andSheffield Hallam University and recentlylaunched at a major event in SheffieldThe nextGENERATIONThe increase in automation in the food and drink industry has led toa requirement to improve the standards across engineering. Theimportance of plant reliability and introducing the right items into theproduction line requires specific engineering skills.21-23:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:50 Page 122 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netENGINEERING & COMPONENTSSynectic Design LtdSynectic Design Ltd has been designing and manufacturing industrial process control and measurementinstrumentation and systems since 1990. Its skilled and dedicated team pride themselves in supplying what thecustomer requires, when the customer requires it at the most competitive price.One of its customers is Nairn’s, who bake oatcakes using only wholegrain oats grown in the nearby ScottishBorders. They have a range of oatcakes, oat biscuits, bakes and gluten free products which contain no artificialcolours, flavours or preservatives.As a business partner, Syntectic have supplied instrumentation for Nairn’s manufacturing process, it has alsosupplied weighing and flow measurement equipment to ensure consistency of the product and continue toservice their needs from research and development to production line equipment and ongoing technicalsupport.Syntectic also helped Nairn’s to step up their measurement calibration certification to ensure a contract withMarks & Spencer.For more information on Syntectic Design Ltd, log on to www.synectic.co.uk or email general@syntectic.co.uk.industries.” Alongside this new degree, the FDF arealso behind the Take a Closer Look atFood Engineering campaign. Targeted at16-19 year olds, parents, teachers andother careers influencers, and aims toraise awareness of food engineering as acareer and of the new degree. Through awebsite, students are able to read aboutthe experiences of young engineerscurrently working with major food anddrink brands, while teachers and careersadvisors are able to download freematerials.Companies such as Nylacast have beenproactive in illustrating the benefits thatengineering can bring to the economy.The plastics manufacturer have taken partin a number of showcases to illustrate tomajor figures in government the advancedtechnology they manufacture.The quest for higher standards is well-illustrated by Nylacast’s variouscomponents which can offer their clients acomplete engineering solution. Their self-lubricating materials are compliant withthe advanced EU 2002/72/EC and FDArequirements, while their dedicatedindustry engineers all operating to an ISO9001 quality, which illustrates the effortsthey have put into meeting best practicein their operations. The samequalification has also been obtained bySynectic Electronics, which shows thatmany companies now consider this kindof certification vital, not just desirable.The introduction of higher standards infood engineering should mean thatextensive downtime while machinery isrepaired and reconfigured is now a thingof the past. A major challenge for theintroduction of automation into the foodand drink industry has been getting it towork to its full potential and avoidpotential flashpoints where a combinationof factors, from human error to machinerymalfunction, can lead to major problems.As much process control equipment canbe very expensive, it can prove difficult torepair if problems occur.Companies such as Synectic Electronicscan help in this regard. For example, ifone part of the production process stops,there can be unwelcome consequencesdown the line. Their current limiters canprotect against a surge from a fluctuatingelectrical supply or other voltage changewhich could otherwise knock equipmentout for a long time, if not permanently.Each solid state limiter provides a fast,clean cut limit to the current passingthrough it, which ensures cost-effectiveand easy to install protection forexpensive equipment, and thereforeprevent extensive process interruption.Safety is a huge factor and theconsequences of lapses can prove hugelydistressing – and not just financially.That’s why great steps are being taken inthe design of safety systems and newconfiguration and design tools are beingintroduced to help machinery automationsystem engineers. Tools such as RockwellAutomation’s Safety Automation Builderconfiguration software helps usersnavigate the safety-system design processand apply global best practices. ThePerformances Level analysis uses IFA’sThe importance of process optimisation willbe discussed at September’s drinktecThere is a host ofnew engineeringconcepts ondisplay at drinktecin Munich21-23:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:50 Page 2Food & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netENGINEERING & COMPONENTSComponentsolutions fromNylacastWhen considering engineering applications andcomponents, those within the food and drinkindustry often call upon Nylacast – from Weetabixand Premier Foods, and from Pepsico and Rexam.Utilising the latest in CAD/CAM technology and advancedengineering techniques coupled with materials technology, Nylacastoffer engineering components which are ideal replacements fortraditional materials such as steel, cast iron and bronze. They offer lightweight, low noise applications through to advancedEU 2002/72/EC and FDA compliant, self-lubricating materials whichare stable, corrosion, chemical, wear and abrasion resistant. Nylacastmaterials and components are recognised as the perfect solution tothe arduous environments encountered within the sector. As well asthe ability to produce bespoke components, a number of typicalapplications include gears, scrapers, sprockets, portioning cones,moulding drums and gears.With highly advanced manufacturing and production facilitiesand a team of experienced dedicated industry engineers, alloperating to an ISO 9001 quality, Nylacast pride themselves onbeing able to offer customers and clients a complete engineeringpolymer solution.Furthermore, with a full state of the art R&D and TestingLaboratory, Nylacast are also able to custom formulate theirpioneering polymers to suit specific application needs.For more information, call +44 (0)116 276 8558,email engineer@nylacast.com or visit www.nylacast.com.SISTEMA software tool which is based on the globally acceptedstandard EN ISO 13849-1.With the SAB tool, users import an image of the machinery theywish to safeguard and answer questions using a drop-down menuand help screens to identify and select the necessary safeguards.The software then compiles all product selections, generates a billof materials, and compiles necessary data to populate SISTEMA.Certainly hygiene is of particular importance, especially in sectorssuch as dairy. Hygienic design can considerably reduce CIP timesand therefore remove extensive downtime during the productionprocess – a major consideration as supply chains become lengthenedand retailers demand products on the shelves faster than ever before.This means the industry is moving much further towards tailor-made automated solutions for companies of all shapes and sizes,rather than trying to incorporate an off-the-shelf solution intoexisting operations, which could make short-term savings in termsof capital cost but have a long term impact on reliability andflexibility.Gunther Walden, Head of Food and Beverage at SiemensIndustry Automation, is among those emphasising the importanceof process optimisation and will be discussing the issue at drinktecsoon. He says, “The focus will be on solutions which will helpcompanies in the beverages industry increase their productivity.These offers are aimed at reducing the total cost of ownership forthe operators, while maintaining high product quality and providinggreater flexibility. These include products and solutions to increaseenergy-efficiency in production.”Bringing new talent into food and drink engineering, and makingbest use of the new innovations in machinery and components, willensure that the industry is well-placed to meet new challenges fromretailers and consumers alike.The Food and Drink Federation aims toachieve the industry’s ambition to grow20% by 2020 with a number of schemes21-23:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:50 Page 324 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY & HYGIENEMore and more companies are strivingto ensure their hygiene levels hit thehighest levels as well as putting moreemphasis on traceability.One area companies are focusing onwith increasing attention is flooring.Although food and drink that ends up onthe ground isn’t generally used, thebacteria that can seep into cracks andcrevices means that an unsafe floor canlead to equipment being infected withbacteria and pathogens that arepotentially harmful to consumers.Thankfully there have been majorinnovations in this area, includingadvances in tiling, resin floors andsurfaces that can withstand the demandsof a food manufacturing environment. One of the main problems that candamage floors is the heavy impact,vibration and equipment manoeuvre thattakes place on a daily basis as well as theeffect of regular spillages. Leaking of oil,both food and machinery-based, can leaveunsightly and unsafe patches on theaverage floor but use of resins and easy-to-clean tiling can combat this.Often these floors can be graduallyphased in over sections and, with epoxyresin flooring in particular, it is fast-dryingand self-smoothing so takes as littledowntime on manufacturing processes asis possible. In a similar way, tiling can beinstalled over existing flooring whichmeans it can be effectively installedquickly in stages, leaving minimaldisruption occurring - addresssing a realconcern for many manufacturers.A certain standardWith more than 60% of the worldadapting, developing or reviewing foodsupplement regulation, the Standards andGuidelines from Codex Alimentarius havebecome key common reference points forregulators worldwide, the InternationalAlliance of Dietary and Food SupplementAssociations has said.David Pineda Ereño , IADSA Directorof Regulatory Affairs, says that with 185member countries plus the EuropeanPlaying itsafeFood safety and hygiene is an unavoidable issue and there are constanttechnological innovations to ensure manufacturing facilities are in superbcondition and best practice is being carried out. The Standards and Guidelines fromCodex Alimentarius have become keycommon reference points forregulators worldwide.PHOTO: FOODALLERGENS24-29:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:53 Page 1Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY & HYGIENE1836RDA specialises in Food Microbiology Testing and Water Analysis.- Environmental Swabbing - Nutritional Analysis - Allergen & Contaminant TestingTel:01749 670124customerservices@rdanalytical.comApproved testing facilityapproved testing facilityUnion, the practical impact of work atCodex level cannot be underestimated.He says, “Because of the harmonisationprocesses taking place in the EuropeanUnion and the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations, as well as the number ofregulations under review or developmentat national levels across the world,regulatory focus at Codex level is on manycommon issues. “What we see in Codex adopted asStandards and Guidelines we will see inother countries in the next few years -some directly adopted, others withamendments.”“For example, many countries aremoving towards safety based levels ratherthan Recommended Daily Allowances26 Hygenic ice machines are becoming moreimportant when it comes to foodservicearrangementsPHOTO: DCWith morethan 60% of the worldadapting, developing orreviewing food supplementregulation, the Standardsand Guidelines from CodexAlimentarius have becomekey common referencepoints for regulatorsworldwide24-29:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:53 Page 226 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY & HYGIENECall 0161 483 1232 to speak to our teamfood and drink innovationCampden BRIMADE IN THE UKHygienic surfaces for food & drink environmentsFoodsafeImprovedhygieneSeamlesssurfaceCampden BRIapprovedfollowingCodex’sadoption of thescientific riskassessmentprinciple and thespecific steps forsetting maximumlevels. Additionally, ifthere is a problem atWTO level, the Codexguidelines are used as a reference point.”Codex Alimentarius was created by the WHO and FAO and isresponsible for establishing international standards in the foodarea. It has developed over three hundred standards and otheradvisory texts, many of which have been incorporated intonational laws or have influenced the development of regionallegislation.Ensuring efficiencyAs well as protecting people’s health, ensuring that foodsafety is also efficient is important too. For the foodserviceindustry, the use of ice is common and widespread. Becausethese machines are in constant use and stand often in publicplaces, the chances of consumers being affected by infections orbacteria build-up is obviously a concern. Coffee chain Costa hasrecently started to use new pebble ice machines to not only28 PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ ALEXEY FURSOVResin floors are often more hygienicoptions for food production facilities.Leaking ofoil, both food andmachinery-based, canleave unsightly andunsafe patches on thefactory floor but use ofresins and easy-to-cleantiling can combatthis.24-29:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:53 Page 3Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.netKemtile are a one source contractor of hygienic floors in Ucrete seamless polyurethane resin flooring,Argelith tiles, stainless steel channels and drains as well as Protectorseal wall and ceiling systems. We specialise in the food and drink industry where the very highest standards are demanded andhave worked for most of the food companies in the UK, both large and small, with many letters ofcommendation on our work. Visit our website for more information.HYGIENIC FLOOR & WALL SYSTEMSWiedemann DrainageSystemsKemtile Ltd, Unit C3, Taylor Business Park, Risley, Warrington, Cheshire WA3 6BL. UK. Tel: +44 (0)1925 763045 Fax: +44 (0)1925 763381Email: all@kemtile.co.uk www.kemtile.co.ukSee us atPro2Pac Stand S2220 17-20 Mar 2013Ice Cream Expo Stand 36 19-21 Feb 2013 Tel01278411114Fax01278454832sales@langdons.co.ukwww.langdons.co.ukForfrozen&chilledfooddistributionacrosstheUK-we’retheonlyONEyouneed!ONECompany...ONENetwork...ONEAdvantage...WedeliverthroughouttheUKmainlandfromourownnetworkof8depots,soyouandyourcustomerscanbesureofthesameunrivalledlevelsofservice,whicheverdepotishandlingyourvaluableproduct.THENUMBERONENETWORK24-29:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:53 Page 428 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIncreases in cases of the listeria bugbeing present has led to the FSAgarnering information from suppliers ofready to eat meals served in hospitals,care homes and similar institutions.24-29:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:53 Page 5produce safer ice cubes, but also tomake crushed ice on the spot for itsiced coffee products.This new pebble range consists ofthree machines that utilise a cylindricalevaporator, producing small trapezoidal cubes that bridge the gapbetween granular and cubed ice, making them perfect for coffees,cocktails, smoothies and iced teas.This new style ice takes significantly less time to preparedrinks. Easy to administer, due to its trapezoidal cubes, itreduces splash and allows for better measure managementwhen preparing drinks. The smallest self-contained pebblemachine in the range produces 85kg/24hrs and stores up to20kg, while the largest produces up to 140kg/24hrs and storesup to 50kg. The machine cabinet is made using catering grade stainlesssteel for strength and hygiene whilst the insulated ice-storage binis made using anti-bacterial plastic.Stricter standardsAmong some of the most harmful bacteria that can affectconsumers and often occurs because of the manufacturingprocess is listeria. As a result, the Food Standards Authority hasrecently started to ask questions of businesses that supply morevulnerable consumers such as nursing homes, care facilities andhospitals. The Agency wants to know the costs and benefits ofguidance for stricter criteria for Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food. This proposal falls within scope of theAccountability for Regulator Impact initiative. The informationprovided by businesses will help develop an Impact Assessmentthat will consider the criteria options in detail. The FSA willconsult widely on the Impact Assessment in the autumn, with aview of issuing new guidance by the end of the year. You canvisit www.food.gov.uk to take part. Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY & HYGIENEMaximum food safety, maximum production output, minimal costs:Klüber Lubrication helps you achieve all these goals more easily. Our high-performance NSF H1-lubricants are 0:6 JLY[PÄLKHUKOH]LHT\S[Ptude of approvals. They are available for all branches of the food-processing industry, for all components and tricky special cases everywhere in the world in the same high quality. Our experts will provide you with support to meet your individual requirements, from consulting to optimum lubrication management, ensuring more safety of production processes and OPNOLYWYVÄ[HIPSP[`Klüber Lubrication: 80 years of experience and professional services for your success.Klüber Lubrication Great Britain Ltd.sales@uk.kluber.com / www.klueber.comCertified speciality lubricants for the best possible taste.your global specialistThe Food StandardsAuthority wants to know the costsand benefits of guidance for strictercriteria for Listeria monocytogenesin ready-to-eat foodPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MONKEY BUSINESS IMAGES24-29:Layout 1 19/7/13 11:53 Page 6Next >