< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.neton lineIllegal horse meatsellers dismantled For an industry still feeling the rippleeffects of the horse meat scandal, newsthat an organised crime group tradinghorsemeat in Europe has been dismantledwill be reassuring.Working in coordination with Europol, theSpanish Guardia Civil dismantled a groupdealing horsemeat that was unfit for humanconsumption.The operation was carried out in coordination with Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania,Switzerland and the United Kingdom.In Spain, 65 people were arrested and charged with crimes such as animal abuse, documentforgery, perverting the course of justice, crimes against public health, money laundering andbeing part of a criminal organisation.Three officers from Europol supported the Spanish actions in Alicante and León. As a resultof all of these actions, several bank accounts and properties were blocked or seized, and fiveluxury cars seized.UK food M&A dealsdip as sterling slowsmarketThe number of M&A deals targeting UK foodmanufacturers has fallen by 25% as the fall insterling puts pressure on the sector’s profitmargins and puts off acquirers.There have been just 27 acquisitions of UKfood businesses in the last twelve months,down from 36 in the previous year, accordingto commercial law firm EMW.It added that the total value of foodmanufacturer M&A deals in the last year hasalso dropped, from £4,458 million to £460million.The firm said that some potential buyers ofUK food manufactures are waiting to see whatlong term impact the increased raw materialprices, caused by the collapse in sterling, haveon their targets before making their bid.The sector has also suffered from the widerslowdown in M&A deals since the Brexit vote.Of the UK M&A deals of the last year, a highproportion involved gourmet or health foodcompanies, as acquirers sought to profit fromthe ‘clean eating’ trend.Ishida helps Italian breads reach a globalmarket The speed and accuracy of an Ishidamultihead weigher has helped a leadingItalian bakery reach a global market.The Ishida 14-head model with 5 litrehoppers has enabled Oropan S.p.A., based inAltamura, Puglia, to triple production of itsrange of small breads and rolls, whileincreasing efficiency rates on the packing lineby 5% and reducing rejects due to under- oroverweight packs by 20%.The new range of 11 different specialist small breads are being packed into both bags, whichare sold fresh locally and frozen for export, and into thermoformed trays for part-baked items.The Ishida weigher incorporates a diverting timing hopper that is able to feed both thebagmaker and the thermoformer.For gentle handling of the product, which avoids any damage to the rolls or excessivecrumbing, the weigher features bancollan inserts in the hoppers and a bancollan lining in thedischarge chute. Cheese prices surge as demandfor ‘young’ dairy risesIncreased demand isleading to price hikes acrossthe dairy market, with theprice of cheese ring some30%.The findings – frompurchasing company Beacon– stem from increaseddemand in Europe for youngdairy products such as butter andmozzarella, as well as impacts fromrecent currency fluctuations.The price of milk is also hovering at around 27ppl, an increase of35% on the same period last year, as supplies dwindle to their lowestvolume since May 2017.The price of butter is also experiencing a surge, surpassing a 100%rise.Alice Bexon, Purchasing Manager at Beacon, said: “The priceincreases that we are experiencing in the dairy market can be seen asworrying for the food and drink industry, however we are currentlyworking with our suppliers and customers to ensure that these risesare controlled and managed in the marketplace in order to cause aslittle disruption as possible.”EFSA calls for feedback for BPAre-evaluationEFSA is calling forfeedback on the draftapproach for its nextre-evaluation of thetoxicity of bisphenol A(BPA), a chemicalwidely used in foodcontact materials.The draft is laid downin a “scientific protocol”that defines upfront thescope, methodologyand information needs before the assessment starts in 2018.EFSA completed a comprehensive safety review of BPA in 2015. Atthe time, its scientific experts set a temporary tolerable daily intake (t-TDI) for BPA and committed to re-evaluate its toxicity when the resultsof extensive studies in the USA became available.The new data will help to further assess possible effects on humansidentified in EFSA’s previous work on BPA. EFSA’s review will alsoinclude other relevant studies published since the December 2012 cut-off point for EFSA’s last review of BPA safety.EFSA will hold a follow-up meeting with contributors to theconsultation on 14 September in Brussels. © shutterstock/papillondream© shutterstock/Stopped_clock© shutterstock/MaraZe© shutterstock/pedrosala04-12_Layout 1 24/07/2017 10:59 Page 7on the shelfWorld first aseptic pack 100% linked toplant-based renewable materialSIG has developed the world’s first aseptic cartonpack with a clear link to 100% plant-based renewablematerials meeting the demands of the industry andtoday’s consumer expectations.Markus Boehm, Chief Market Officer at SIGCombibloc, said: “Sales of consumer goods frombrands with a demonstrated commitment tosustainability are growing much stronger than thosewithout. These factors have been focal points fordeveloping our Signature Pack. This is an importantmilestone in aseptic carton packaging.” The Signature Pack drives the replacement ofconventional plastics from fossil fuels with certified and sustainable plant-based polymer materials. The polymers used for laminating the paperboard and making the spout originate fromrenewable European wood sources and are certified according to ISCC PLUS (InternationalSustainability & Carbon Certification) or CMS 71 (TÜV SÜD certification standard), respectively, via a mass balance system. This means that for thepolymers used, an equivalent amount of bio-based feedstock went into the manufacturing of the polymers.World’s first aminoacid enriched waterlaunches in UKRejuvenation Water, the first amino acidenriched spring water, has been launched inthe UK market by the eponymous SouthLondon start-up.The product contains L-Glutamine, whichoffers a wide range of health benefits,including protein synthesis for muscle building,repair and improved cognitive function.The new health drink is made using crispStaffordshire spring water and uses naturalingredients.It is believed to be the first amino acidenriched spring water to the market, the keyUSP which helped lead the start-up to raisingover £180,000 through crowdfunding –beating its target of £150,000 – with fundscoming from 258 investors.The product is now stocked in over 150stores including the likes of John Lewis,Costco and Spinneys, one of Dubai’s largestsupermarket and is imminently going to besold in Holland & Barrett.Prewett’s FamilyFavourites rangeunveil new lookPrewett’s great ‘family favourites’ range of‘gorgeously gluten-free’ biscuits is now evenbetter with new eye-catching packagingthat highlights their superb taste andquality.As well as the new design, the packaging also features key information in eight differentlanguages as the Prewett’s range moves into the European market for the first time.The biscuits in the Prewett’s ‘family favourites range’ include: Milk Chocolate Digestives,Digestives and Jammy Wheels. David Wood, Business Improvement Director for Northumbrian Fine Foods – who own thePrewett’s brand – said: “We are delighted with our new packaging design, which offers a brightand eye-catching new look. The family favourites range also features a new improved recipe forour milk chocolate digestives. “We are now looking to expand the brand into European retail outlets and the differentlanguage information on the packs will aid that process.”Paleo Foods launches first vegangrain-free granolaThe Paleo Foods Co. haslaunched its first 100% veganoffering in a grain-free Chia &Hemp flavour granola.The flavour uses all naturalingredients – including coconutblossom nectar and toastedalmonds – as well as chia andhemp seeds, with nothing artificial.The company said the product isideal eaten with milk as a breakfast,a post-workout snack or as anafternoon treat.Claire Dinsmore, Founder of ThePaleo Foods Co., said: “We knowthat many people are now activelymaking healthy choices in allaspects of their life and we want to provide them with a simple yetdelicious option for breakfast, a meal which can sometimes lackimagination within our busy lives.“Although the Chia & Hemp flavour is vegan and of course paleo,we know it will be enjoyed by anyone looking to shake up theirbreakfast routine.”API’s HoloniqueTM Boutiquedelivers brands an extra dimension API is leading the way in thecreative development ofholographic and other highlyvisual optical packagingsolutions with the launch of itsHolonique™ Boutique service. The service is designed toprovide its specialisedknowledge in the use ofholography and 3D designs,which can add the extradimension to brands acrossthe food, drinks, personal care and beauty sectors.Holonique™ Boutique is a key element in API’s expansion of holographicfoil and film manufacturing capabilities after its completion of a recent£500,000 investment in its facility in Scotland. The bright colours and dynamic movement of a hologram, togetherwith the traditional print on a pack, add the kind of depth and dimensionwith which consumers love to interact.Through providing this holographic interplay with print and helping brandowners visualise their brand’s potential, API’s brand enhancement productsand Holonique™ Boutique service are ensuring brand packaging meets thelatest in design needs and delivers an extra dimension to customers.Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.net04-12_Layout 1 24/07/2017 10:59 Page 8appointmentsNew President forFoodDrinkEuropeHubert Weber, Executive Vice President and President Europe forMondelēz International, has been elected as President ofFoodDrinkEurope. Based in Zurich, Mr Weber, pictured, has led Mondelēz International’sEuropean business since August 2013. He has been a member of FoodDrinkEurope’s board sinceSeptember 2013 and has already contributed actively to the work ofthe association as champion for health and nutrition issues.He said: “It is a great honour to represent the European food anddrink sector as President of FoodDrinkEurope at this dynamic andcritically important time for our region. As a leading economiccontributor and employer in Europe, I look forward on behalf of mycolleagues to engaging with our key partners and to representing thebest interests of our industry, consumers and employees.”Mr Weber will take over from Gilles Morel, Regional President Europe& Eurasia of MARS, who had been president since June 2015. New Castell MD wants toincrease the speed of changeNeil Webster, the newManaging Director ofCastell, has signalled hisintention for the companyto capitalise on itsstanding in the industrialsafety sector by injectinga sense of urgency intohow it operates. Mr Webster, pictured,said: “Castell has hugecredibility as a brand. It’stime we took thatauthority and upped thepace in everything we do:how we communicatewith customers, how wedevelop new productsand how we increase ourglobal footprint.“We’ve got a significantinvestment plan for thebusiness which will fuelour growth, whetherthat’s systems-led or directed into NPD. We want to maintain andincrease our reputation as the go-to partner for our customers, bothfor knowledge and solutions.”Mr Webster joins Castell from TALIS Group, a manufacturer of valvesfor the water industry. He brings extensive experience of theautomation, process control, hazardous area and lighting industries.12 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDon’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!04-12_Layout 1 24/07/2017 10:59 Page 9Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTOne of the most difficult decisionsany importer or exporter of foodproducts will be forced to make is thechoice of freight forwarder, and themethod of transport. With fuel costs rising around theworld, the emphasis is, of course, onmaking the supply chain as cost-effective as possible. This is causing alarge shake-up in the food and drinkindustry, which traditionally relied on airfreight for almost all long distancefreight forwarding. Unfortunately thecost of air freight is continuing to rise,with surcharges increasing month onmonth. Multimodal transport is the proposedanswer to this problem. By usingdifferent modes of transport fordifferent sections of a journey, tradersare hoping to use the benefits ofindividual modes to balance theassociated disadvantages. In this waythey aim to reduce the fuel used in theirjourney, and save in costs. This wouldhave the added benefit of reducingcarbon emissions and helping thecompany in question to meet theirenvironmental targets.Currently, between Europe, 70% offreight forwarding is road based. Asthose in the industry will know roadfreight is the most flexible optionavailable, able to transport from factoryto warehouse across the EU. This is dueto the strong infrastructure across thecontinent. Road freight isn’t the mostefficient option however; in fact, theaverage road lorry has an efficiency of130 tonne miles per gallon, whereas railcan reach up to 400 tonne miles pergallon! This is due to the larger amountof weight and volume a train cantransport, in comparison to a lorry. Byopting for rail, instead of road, forportions of a journey, a company canmake significant savings in both theircosts, and their carbon emissions. The downside is that rail does nothave as strong an infrastructure as road,or it would be used entirely. A freighttrain can only follow the tracks laiddown before it, and cannot traveldirectly to a warehouse. Loading andunloading can only take place atspecific terminals, making it necessaryfor further transport plans to be inplace. But this is not deterringcompanies, and many new business andwarehouse parks are being built near, oron, rail terminals - allowing them strong© shutterstock/Aun PhotographerLand, sea or airMultimodal transport is becoming an increasingly appealing option in light ofthe rising fuel costs across the globe. But is it really an efficient optionconsidering its complexity?14 Á13-15_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:00 Page 114 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTlinks into Europe. Multimodal incorporatesrail by using it to remove long stretches of ajourney that would otherwise use road travel.Though lorries are needed at the end of thejourney to transfer the goods to their finallocation, savings in the main journey aregreater. Meanwhile, sea Freight is playing anincreasingly important role in freightforwarding. Traditionally transport by seawas considered slow and cumbersome, andtherefore, not a viable option for perishablefood goods. However, recent innovations intoships have helped to combat this problem,attracting companies towards sea freight.There are two main reasons for this shift.Firstly, sea is far cheaper financially, than anyother form of transport. Though it takes arelatively large amount of fuel to move a shipits own length, the sheer amount of produceit can transport makes it incredibly efficientper tonne. This saving in cost is also supported by theenvironmental savings that are made. A bulkship gives off only 10g of CO2 per tonnekilometre, which is comparable with 85g fora truck, and 570g for a freight plane. With both these benefits considered,multimodal attempts to make use of seafreight wherever possible in the supply chain.There are, however, a number of limitationsassociated with freight by sea. The length ofa journey needs to be carefully considered,and this will only be increased by delays.With so many companies making use of asingle container ship, there are potential forlong delays and waits. This will only beaccentuated by the port infrastructure ofEurope. Some countries have an abundanceof strong ports; the UK, Denmark, Franceand Spain come to mind. On the other hand,some countries have relatively few ports,which can lead to heavy congestion andoveruse. It might seem a simple and obvioussolution to combine these modes together tomake a chain that is much cheaper. Inpractice there are a few problems that comeforward. One of the first hurdles thatmultimodal carriers needed to confront wasthat of legal responsibility. Because manyfreight forwarders specialise in a singlemethod of transport, it seems obvious thatone would be using a number of carriers tomanage each individual need. This can causeconfusion on where products were damagedand who is legally held responsible. Intoday’s market some larger freightforwarders have chosen to invest in theirown networks, and so can offer completemultimodal services. Usually though it isaccepted that the main carrier will assumeresponsibility for the entire chain, which canmake them reluctant to commit to too manymodes, sacrificing efficiency for their ownsecurity.Multimodal may not be as flexible, or asfast, as pure road freight. Routes areobviously constrained where ports orstations are located across Europe. At eachstage it will also be necessary to transfer theproducts from one mode to another. Thiswill increase both labour costs, and thelength of the journey. Careful planninghowever, can help to mitigate the effects ofthis, and in many cases, the idea of “floatingstock” saves on warehouse and storagecosts. Of course, Intermodal transport can help inminimising some of the limitations ofmultimodal. It is effectively the same asmultimodal, except that goods are kept in anintermodal container at all times of thejourney. Handling of the freight isunnecessary at each point of the chain, thecontainer being switched from lorry, to flat-bed train, to ship, without labour or handling.This is clearly a much more preferred optionfor both the exporter and the carrier, andcan greatly help in reducing costs in labourand supervision. With careful planning and communication,multimodal and intermodal are incrediblyefficient and economic options. Thoughslower than single road or air freight, thesavings made in costs can easily balancethat. The added bonus that a company isremoving carbon-emitting lorries and planesfrom the chain, will confer a great social andeconomic advantage. In such difficult timesas these it would be best to investigate anycompetitive advantage as early as possible.Otherwise others will, and will reap theassociated benefits.13-15_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:00 Page 2Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORT© shutterstock/Vadim Orlov13-15_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:01 Page 316 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGHandle withcareMaterials handling can be a complexindustry, but much efficiency is lost dueto a lack of understanding. 16-19_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:03 Page 1Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGAs every Operations Manager knows,the efficiency and safety of awarehouse or facility is vital when itcomes to handling materials, whetherthey are hazardous or benign. It is nosecret that handling materials in a cut-and-thrust environment can causeserious injury, or worse. Safety isparamount in any business setting, andinjury cases can be incredibly costly.Adhering to best practice is a must forconscientious companies who want tokeep their costs to a minimum. Thatsaid, the demand for fresher food hasplaced an incredible strain on thesupply chain industry, withmanufacturers rushing to meet thestringent time frames of larger retailers.In many cases there are just a few daysallowed between the completion of aproduct, and its delivery to the retailer –so it is perhaps understandable that thesupply chain is feeling the pressure. With such irregular schedules tofollow and a wide variety of products toshift, the manual element of theworkforce remains as necessary as ever.While factories are moving towardsalmost full levels of automation, withinthe warehouses it is still individual staffshifting goods about. Be it throughforklifts, trolleys, conveyor belts or othermaterials handling equipment – thefocus is on speed, efficiency andultimately, safety. These three factors are more variedthan they first seem, and in some casescan conflict with one another. Speedand efficiency are often mistaken forthe same thing, and while it’s forgivablefor a worker to attempt to fulfil an orderby using a little extra haste, there canbe risks involved, not only to personalsafety, but also the operations of thewarehouse. True efficiency is animprovement that comes aboutregardless of the individual effortinvolved. It is a passive component inmany cases, one that will work aseffectively for one employee as it willfor another. Assuming the process isfollowed correctly, of course. Forklifts, for instance, are a staple ofthe materials handling industry, withalmost every warehouse or distributioncentre in the country operating a few atleast. What can cause confusionhowever is the wide array of forkliftsavailable on the market, and what rolesthey might best be suitable towards.Industrial reach forklifts are best suitedto taller racking systems, very commonwithin the food and drink industry dueto the sheer quantity of stock that iskept in a warehouse, often necessitatingthat operators stack their products tallas well as wide. If your warehouse hasunusually thin aisles, possibly becauseof even higher levels of stock, then a 3-wheel forklift can offer moremanoeuvrability, allowing it to operatein these thinner aisles. What a company needs can dependon a hundred different factors, from thewidth of the aisles, the height of thestacking, weight of palletised goods –or even how far back on a rack they arestacked. Almost all forklifts will comewith health and safety precautions suchas shielded roofs as standard, but theremight also need to be considerations interms of user accessibility, or evenergonomics. While many may scoff atthe idea that ergonomic design shouldwarrant a more expensive forkliftsystem, one should remember that in anaverage day an operator might movetheir arm over a thousand times anhour, and their head twice that number.Dragging that out over an eight hourday is going to cause serious strain andfatigue on workers, and while this mightnot lead to injury – it will certainly havean impact on efficiency levels, asworkers begin to pause to loosenmuscles or take quick rests. This is aclear example of the differencesbetween speed and efficiency withinthe materials handling industry and to adegree can mimic the story of the© shutterstock/nattanan72618 Á16-19_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:03 Page 218 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGtortoise and the hare. And while no onecan endorse tortoise-like speed in thewarehouse, it is preferred to be able tomaintain a pace of industry through theday, rather than lag towards the enddue to fatigue. One obstacle to efficiency can oftenbe locating and accessing productswithin the warehouse when they needto be shipped out. While most productsof a particular brand or batch will likelybe stored with each other, the individualsize of the packaging can vary greatly.Pallet-wrapping machines can helpmaximise on this, by safely ensuring awider range of boxes can be storedtogether on a single pallet. This alsoprovides added safety to the products ifthey need to be stored at height, asthere is no risk of individual packagesbeing knocked loose. Even when itcomes to these machines though, thereis a staggering amount of optionsavailable on the market, with varyingprices and options. What becomes obvious however isthe need for a structured plan inregards to the warehouse, or specialisedsupply chain management software, tohandle day-to-day operations. With thepallet wrapper for instance, a supervisorwould not want to be beholden to eachand every delivery for them to decidewhat variables to use. A SCM system inplace could let the workers on the floorknow exactly what settings to use foreach delivery, allowing them to getstarted immediately rather than wait forspecific direction. Similarly a goodsoftware system can prepare staff forupcoming arrivals or departures, andalso arrange shifts and forklift allocationso that there are no clashes. A well-structured supply chainmanagement system can also helpwhen it comes to the unexpected, andundesirable, situation of dealing withproduct recalls and traceability. Thoughno company expects to have thathappen to them, several high-profilecases in supermarkets have made it intomainstream media, and it’s veryimportant that the supermarkets have aquick resolution to the issue. In somecases the larger supermarkets mightgive only give a number of hours for a© shutterstock/Pressmaster16-19_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:03 Page 3Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netMATERIALS HANDLINGgoplasticpallets.com+44 (0)1323 7440574XDOLW\9DOXH&KRLFH+\JLHQLFVPRRWKDQGHDV\WRFOHDQ3HUVRQDOVHUYLFHHYHU\WLPHLEAVE THE WOOD. GO PLASTIC:LWKPRUHWKDQGLIIHUHQWVW\OHVDYDLODEOHLQVWRFNZHKROGWKHZLGHVWUDQJHRI3ODVWLF3DOOHWV3DOOHW%R[HVDQG6PDOO&RQWDLQHUVLQWKH8.$3%3RRO3HUIRUDWHG%OXH57KHULJKWFKRLFHIRU\RXUDSSOLFDWLRQ7KHEHVWVHOHFWLRQGHOLYHUHGWR\RXsupplier to trace the problem back andcome back with an answer. A survey ofover 250 companies found that 11% ofcompanies felt that they would need atleast a day to accurately trace where afault had originated from, and this couldeasily lead to a loss of a large contract. Keeping track of all these variablesobviously has an impact on the speedof a warehouse, even though the overallefficiency of the operation is higher. What is always important toremember however is that while speedand efficiency are the two majorconcerns for Directors and Managers,especially when it comes to choosingwhat products to use. The safety of theoperators on the floor must always bekept in mind. Materials handling remainsone of the most accident prone sectorsin business, and this is more the fault ofthe work involved than the industryitself. The very need for materialshandling equipment is because humanworkers are dealing with loads tooheavy for their bodies. So any accidentswill clearly be very dangerous. Even the smallest accident in theworkplace can have a devastatingeffect, not only on those involved, butalso the entire supply chain. Manyworkers will down tools to come to theaid of anyone in danger, and the entiredistribution centre might be haltedwhile the accident is dealt with. Theimpact of this follows on down the line,in terms of lorries arriving for stock thatis not ready for them, to deliveries tocustomers arriving late, or not at all. © shutterstock/wavebreakmedia16-19_Layout 1 24/07/2017 11:03 Page 4Next >