Materials handling News www.fdiforum.netAUGUST 2020 £3.50 STERLING Microbiology and testing Appetite for success Appetite for success INTERNATIONAL Food&Drink Food&Drink 01.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:11 Page 1 •Stainless steel conveyor systems •Standalone units or fully integrated •Robotic and end of line equipment •Bespoke engineering capabilities •Turnkey and standalone solutions •Integration and project management •Service support and upgrades •Partnered with Lita Palletising Systems for over 30 years Kensal Handling Systems www.kensal.com | sales@kensal.com | tel: +44 (0) 1 582 425 777 Kensal Handling Systems Ltd, Kensal House, President Way, Luton, LU2 9NR Available on iPad & iPhone Visit our website to start viewing today... www.fdiforum.net Ideal for those who spend time away from their office Digital Editions Never miss an issue Read on the go! 02.qxp_Layout 1 30/07/2020 12:37 Page 1Contents August 2020 This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5 million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Before you recycle your magazine, please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free gifts and samples. FoodandDrinkInternational @fdiforumwww.fdiforum.net company/fdiforum News 4 • General news • On line - production news • On the shelf - new products and initiatives Import and export12 For almost half a year, coronavirus has arguably been the biggest concern for food and drink producers. Although the crisis has, in many cases, eclipsed other pre- existing issues, the industry still has many challenges to contend with – not least, Brexit. Processing spotlight16 The food processing industry today is a far cry from what it was fifty years ago, and yet despite the constant improvements made, consumers and customers demand more. Software and hardware20 In the quick moving food and drink industry, companies must explore new software and hardware solutions to streamline processes and maintain high quality levels. • Acrovision Q&A Pouch packaging26 Over the last ten years, there has been an explosion in the popularity and usage of laminated stand-up pouch packaging which, in turn, has spawned innovations from barrier films to speciality closures and spouts that are now commonplace. Food and Drink International explores. Materials handling 30 Materials handling becomes an increasing challenge the more successful a manufacturer becomes, both in the manufacturing chain and the warehouse. Group Editor: Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor: Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor’s PA: Angela Sharman (a.sharman@blmgroup.co.uk) Assistant Editor: Dominic Cuthbert (d.cuthbert@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalist: Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales Director: Teri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales Manager: Sam Trott (s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales: Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) Ruth Feather (r.feather@blmgroup.co.uk) Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310302 Accounts & Subscriptions: John Downes (j.downes@blmgroup.co.uk) Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson (studio@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305, Email: fdi@blmgroup.co.uk Part of the Business Link Magazine Group: Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE England All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. MAIN: SHUTTERST OCK/FOT OFILIA MACIEJ P AZERA • TOP: INTERFOOD • MIDDLE: SHUTTERST OCK/MICROGEN • BOTT OM: SHUTTERST OCK/MR. KOSAL Microbiology and testing34 There are myriad reasons why food and beverage operators would utilise testing and microbiological services, from mapping allergens and foodborne illnesses, to environmental swabs of production lines and DNA analysis and authenticity. As we’ll explore, the cost fallout from ignoring these services can be devastating. • Astell Scientific Ltd. Q&A Ready meals40 Ready meals are seemingly well placed to capitalise on convenience trends, but with competition from delivery services, meal kits, heightened snacking, and lockdowns providing more time to cook, the sector is facing fresh obstacles. Frozen foods44 Driven by necessity and changes in consumer demand, frozen food has radically evolved over the last decade, as Food and Drink International. Events 46 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world Classified 49 Food & Drink Diary 50 03.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:12 Page 1National Flexible explore the benefits of plastic National Flexible have responded to the ‘Plastic Fee July’ movement by breaking down five key reasons why refusing single-use plastic is a bad idea. Plastic is: 1) Saving lives every day all over the world in the fight against coronavirus 2) Enabling portion-controlled medication and safe storage of pharmaceutical products all around the world 3) Reducing food waste all around the world by extending shelf life 4) Reducing global warming worldwide by replacing energy intensive alternative materials 5) Reducing packaging waste worldwide due to being lightweight and inherently strong “Also, plastic does not pollute the Oceans, people do, yet plastic gets the blame. Interestingly, the UK contribution to plastic pollution in the oceans is just 0.2%, mostly from fishing gear. Yet we are given the impression we dump plastic in the oceans,” said National Flexible. “Finally, plastic is 100% recyclable, either mechanically or chemically but the Environment Agency fails to direct the £280 million the UK Plastic Industry has paid into more recycling facilities.” 4 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news New box maker investment meets growing demand for printed corrugated packaging Rigid Containers has installed the latest Mitsubishi Evol at its Wellington site in the South West of England, to ensure it can continue to meet the growing demand for sustainable printed corrugated boxes. The Mitsubishi Evol is a high performance, quick-set box maker, capable of running at speeds of 350 blanks per minute. Once printed and die-cut the boxes move to the highly accurate folding and gluing section for manufacture according to each customer’s specifications. The Mitsubishi Evol joins the Bahmueller TURBOX folder gluer, Bobst DRO six colour rotary die-cutter and BP Agnati Quantum corrugator and forms part of over £4 million invested to deliver an advanced state-of-the- art operation at Wellington. Capable of printing in up to four colours, the new machine meets the growing demand for high impact box designs across a wide variety of goods within the consumer, food & drink, pharma and e-commerce sectors. 4Sight V2 – take a different view on automatic print inspection Working with SICK, AutoCoding Systems has been able to show how customers can avoid expensive reworks, packaging waste and retailer fines by ensuring all products leave the factory with legible codes in the correct location. The 4Sight application uses a different, focussed approach to inline print quality inspection which does not follow the usual OCR/OCV route of teaching fonts. By using its detailed understanding of coding equipment and the characteristics of what they print, AutoCoding Systems has developed a product which is adaptable to differing requirements. The unique feature of 4Sight is Inspection Depth which gives users the choice to define the level of quality required for their inspection. The objective is to determine, with a high level of confidence, that the print is of adequate quality for the specific application. The user can decide on the print quality tolerance thresholds to define what is considered a good read, bad read and poor read on a per product basis. Keurig Dr Pepper investment to improve US polypropylene recycling Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) is committing $10 million over the next five years to improve polypropylene recycling in the US. The investment forms the founding sponsorship of The Recycling Partnership’s Polypropylene Recycling Coalition, intended as a significant for recycling infrastructure improvement. The company has committed these funds alongside investments from industry peers with the aim of increasing and improving both the recovery and recycling of polypropylene plastic in the US. The Coalition will work to solidify polypropylene’s status as a standard curbside recycling material through projects that enhance collection, sortation and processing in recycling facilities which, in turn, will increase the value and supply of recycled polypropylene (rPP) and reduce the need for virgin plastic used in packaging. KDP said the sponsorship supports its broader efforts to reduce its plastic footprint through circular solutions and collaborations. It is on track to meet its commitments of making 100% of its packaging recyclable or compostable and incorporating 30% post-consumer recycled content (PCR) in its packaging by 2025. © Shutterstock/Andrey Armyagov 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:16 Page 1Food & Drink International 5 www.fdiforum.net For more information get in touch today W: teknomek.co.uk T: +44 (0) 1603 788 833 Segregation Screens Freestanding, lightweight & portable Tough, non-shatter & recyclable Sanitiser Gel Dispensers Touch-free, automatic infra-red operation Portable, easy to move unit The social distancing segregation screen and our freestanding sanitiser gel dispenser View our full Covid essentials range on our website Helping you stay safe at work Essentials covid Kerbside Recyclable Low Manufacturing Emissions Plant Based Materials Animal Friendly Temperature Control Assured eerbrbrbrbbbrbsisissiis deded RRRRRececeecycyccy lalablblbleee LoLoLoLoLoLoww w w ww MaMaMaMaMaManununununun fafafafafaactctctctturururu ininnninng g ggg g EmEmEEmEmEmiisisisissisiononoono ss PlPlPlPlPlanananananna t tttt BaBaBaBaBaB sesesesesed d ddd MaMaMaMaMaMaatetetetett ririririirialalalaa ssss AnAnAnAnAnimiimimi alalal FFFriririirienenenene dldldldd yyyyy TeTeTeTeTempmpmpmpererereratatataturururure e e e CoCoCoContntntntrorororol l l l AsAsAsAssusususurererereddd KeKeK L Hydropac Ltd and TemperPack Inc. have joined forces to bring their exciting new innovation to the UK. ClimaCell is a fully recyclable and cushioned e-commerce food and meal-kit shipping system, made entirely from bio-based materials, meaning ClimaCell is both earth and animal friendly! www.climacell.co.uk Kerbside Recyclable Temperature Control Assured Plant Based Materials Animal Friendly Earth Friendly 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:16 Page 26 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news £3.3m expansion nears completion for Yorkshire poultry firm The final phase of Soanes Poultry’s ongoing expansion plan to bolster capacity and create new jobs is nearing completion. The £3.3 million poultry factory extension project will increase capacity by 20% and create 15 new jobs across the East Riding-based company’s sales and marketing, processing and distribution departments. “Over the last three years, we have invested several million pounds to make improvements to our factory, the team’s working conditions and our farms,” said MD Nigel Upson. “Improvements to the effluent plant, energy store, lairage, chiller, packing and portioning rooms have been made, and our new flagship farm at Horn Hill is now complete. Maintenance Manager, Bestwn (Bisto) Kdr has also done a great job of fabricating bespoke collecting bins for the packing room from sheet steel. “By the end of the summer, we will have completed work on the effluent collection sump, the offal collection shed, cladding to the rear of the building and the installation of new machinery to improve quality.” CCEP invests in recycling start-up as it moves towards circular PET economy Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP), the world’s largest independent Coca-Cola bottler, has invested in a recycling start-up as it moves towards 100% rPET for its plastic bottles. CuRe Technology was created and is led by a consortium of world-leading recycling innovators and experts led by the Morssinkhof Group and the Cumapol/DuFor Group, with strategic partners DSM-Niaga and NHL Stenden University of Applied Science. The CCEP funding – via its innovation investment fund, CCEP Ventures – will enable CuRe to accelerate its ‘polyester rejuvenation’ technology from pilot plant to commercial readiness. Once the technology is commercialised, CCEP will receive the majority of the output from a CuRe-licensed, new-build plant. Once operational, CuRe has the potential to support CCEP’s ambition, in partnership with The Coca-Cola Company in Western Europe, to eliminate virgin oil-based PET from its PET bottles within the next decade. Lockdown leads to surge in frozen food sales as sector outstrips fresh & chilled Sales of frozen food in the UK has continued to surge as the sector outperforms fresh and chilled, new data has shown. According to the latest statistics from Kantar and the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), sales of frozen food increased by £285 million in the last three months as the UK was in lockdown. The growth in sales is currently double the increase in value experienced in the previous 12-week period to 22 March, revealing frozen food is becoming increasingly popular with shoppers. Frozen sales increased in value by 19.4% and volume was up 17.5% in the period from the end of March to 14 June. In the previous 12-week period the value growth was 9.7% and volume 9.3% The recent 12-week data also reveals frozen outperformed the total grocery market as well as fresh and chilled food sales in both value and volume. The surge in sales follows a trend first reported by BFFF in April, when data revealed that in the four weeks from 23 February to 22 March British shoppers spent an extra £131 million on everything, from ice cream to frozen meat and poultry, as they filled up their freezers before the lockdown began on 23 March. The Kantar figures show six out of nine categories of frozen food have seen a sales and volume increase over the last year, with frozen veg up 9.4% in volume and frozen pizza up 9.5% in volume. Ice cream and frozen fish sales also performed impressively, up in value by 8.9% and 8.8% respectively. Only confectionery, meat & poultry, and frozen ready meals saw small declines over 52 weeks. These findings are supported by recently released research commissioned by BFFF members Iceland and Birds Eye, that suggests the frozen revival is here to stay. The study shows ‘value for money’ is just one of the reasons people will continue to fill their freezers post-coronavirus. © Shutterstock/Bodnar Taras Nigel Upson © Shutterstock/monticello Diageo to launch ‘world’s first ever’ paper-based spirits bottle Diageo has created what it claims is the “world’s first ever” 100% plastic free paper-based spirits bottle, made entirely from sustainably sourced wood. The bottle – which will debut with Johnnie Walker in early 2021 – has been created through a new partnership with Pilot Lite, a venture management company, to launch Pulpex Limited, a new sustainable packaging technology company. To ensure that the technology can be used in every area of life, Pulpex Limited has established a partner consortium of major FMCG companies in non-competing categories including Unilever, and PepsiCo, with further partners expected to be announced later in the year. The consortium partners are each expecting to launch their own branded paper bottles, based on Pulpex Limited’s design and technology, in 2021. 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:16 Page 3news Food & Drink International 7 www.fdiforum.net Aldi UK pledges to never sell chlorinated chicken, hormone treated beef Aldi UK will never sell chlorinated chicken or hormone injected beef, regardless of any future trade deals, CEO Giles Hurley has pledged. The supermarket – the fifth largest in the UK – has voiced to only ever sell fresh chicken and beef from British farmers. “Aldi is one of the biggest supporters of British suppliers and we want to make it clear that will always be the case. We are a signatory to the NFU Back British Farming Charter and our entire core range of fresh meat and milk is from Red Tractor-approved farms in the UK. We will never compromise on the standards or specifications of our products, and that includes a commitment to never selling chlorinated chicken or hormone injected beef,” said Mr Hurley. “Britain has some of the highest food quality standards in the world, and our commitment to only source chicken and beef from this country means our customers know they are always buying high quality Aldi products at unbeatable value.” Land-based salmon farm begins commercial harvest A land-based salmon farming business has commenced the commercial-scale harvest of conventional Atlantic salmon raised at its first farm in the US. AquaBounty Technologies said this first harvest at its Indiana farm validates AquaBounty’s land-based Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) model as an efficient and sustainable way to raise Atlantic salmon. AquaBounty strategically located its first US farm within easy reach of key US markets to accelerate delivery of fresh, nutritious Atlantic salmon to US consumers. As part of this effort, the company has established the necessary supply chain connections to these key markets and is formalising commercial customer agreements. “Land-based aquaculture is a reliable method for supplying fresh and healthy salmon. This harvest is the result of AquaBounty’s almost 30 years of experience in aquaculture and demonstrates our expertise in raising Atlantic salmon,” said AquaBounty’s CEO Sylvia Wulf. The Indiana-based farm will ramp up monthly harvest of conventional salmon throughout the summer and plans to reach 100 metric tons per month by early 2021. Hydropac Ltd & TemperPack join forces to offer new ‘sustainable’ temperature controlled packaging in UK deal Purchasing food and pharmaceutical products online is easy, convenient, and as many of our communities implement stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of COVID-19, it’s becoming a common way of life. The main challenge with shipping these products is maintaining a consistent and valid temperature. Hydropac and TemperPack’s new UK product launch, ClimaCell®, is a ‘must-have’ when it comes to sustainable choices for shipping goods that need to stay cold in transit, and on your doorstep. ClimaCell is made with plant-based, renewable materials. It offers ISTA®-proven thermal performance, on par with EPS, PET, cotton, and wool. Unlike those materials, ClimaCell is kerbside recyclable. Developed by TemperPack®, ClimaCell represents a significant breakthrough in packaging technology, allowing companies to protect temperature sensitive shipments, while significantly reducing packaging waste. ClimaCell was designed to go in the recycling bin, right alongside the cardboard box in which it arrives. ClimaCell is the first high performance insulator to earn a widely recyclable designation from How2Recyle®, the leading recycling labeling system in the US. Colin Rowland, Managing Director of Hydropac Ltd., explained: “With the massive growth in e-commerce fueling perishable goods orders, such as food and medicine, we wanted to introduce more ‘guilt-free’ packaging options that are just as easy to recycle as the cardboard box they arrive in.” “So, we partnered up with TemperPack and brought to the UK a fully sustainable Temperature Controlled Solution with ClimaCell and coupled with Hydropac's World's first Fully Compostable Ice Packs with EnviroIce®, this system truly IS the first ever 100% environmentally friendly Packaging Solution.” To find out more, visit www.climacell.co.uk, email sales@hydropac.co.uk, or call +44(0) 1494 530182. © Shutterstock/Maria Uspenskaya © Shutterstock/jax10289 ® 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:16 Page 48 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Nespresso to expand Romont production centre to meet demand Nespresso is investing CHF 160 million (£135m) to expand its Romont production centre in Switzerland to meet increasing consumer demand and support international development. The construction of the second production hall is set to start in June 2021. It will result in an augmented capacity of 10 new production lines dedicated to producing Nespresso coffees for the Vertuo and Professional ranges. The first new production lines are expected to be fully operational by June 2022. Inaugurated in 2015, the Romont factory is the centre of excellence for the production of Nespresso’s Vertuo coffees now available in 21 countries across North America, Europe and Asia. Start-up reducing sugars in orange juice is scaling up Better Juice, the Israeli food-tech start-up behind an innovative technology that reduces all types of sugars in orange juice, is scaling up. The start-up is installing a semi-industrial pilot plant that also will be available for future testing at global partners’ plants. The pilot plant features the company’s sugar reduction process in a continuous flow technology that ensures a consistent, safe, and effective enzymatic process. Better Juice developed an enzymatic technology that uses all- natural ingredients to convert fructose, glucose, and sucrose into prebiotic dietary fibres and other non-digestible molecules. The start-up’s new pilot plant system marks a significant milestone in the its commercial scale-up timeline. It is able to reduce up to 80% of simple sugar in orange juice at a rate of up to 50 liters/hour. Its non-GMO technology is designed to target the specific sugar composition in the orange juice to naturally create a low calorie reduced-sugar product that has a delicate sweetness. It is accomplished without using sweeteners or other additives to replace the sugars in the juice. “The scale-up pilot plant is designed for smooth implementation into the standard procedures deployed by the juice industry,” explains Gali Yarom, Partner, COO, and VP of Business Development for Better Juice. “Better Juice’s new tech process is cost-effective by virtue of its ability to maintain the continuous flow stage. “This is a key factor for beverage manufacturers seeking to affordably reduce sugars naturally while maintaining the juice quality and clean label attributes — a real game changer for the juice industry.” © Shutterstock/Dyfrain Shutterstock/Maria Pomelnikova Bell Food Group further invests in cultured beef start-up, Mosa Meat The Bell Food Group, a major European meat processer, has upped its investment in Mosa Meat, the Dutch start-up pioneering lab grown meat. The new financing round in Mosa Meat – which introduced the world’s first cultured hamburger back in 2013 – is intended for the commercial production and marketing of cultured beef. The Group said this €5 million investment “reinforces its ambition to actively participate in shaping new trends in the convenience food sector and play a leading role in the booming market for alternatives to meat”. The aim of this financing round is to raise money for the construction of an industrial production plant and drive forward the development and scaling-up of the technology. An additional goal is to have the product admitted to the market in Europe by 2022. Mosa Meat wants to be the first company to launch a cultured meat product on the European market. © Mosa Meat Danone secures carbon neutral certification for Wexford facility Danone’s facility in Wexford, Ireland has become the first baby formula production site in the world to be certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust, an independent global climate change and sustainability consultancy. The company said the milestone is a step towards achieving its goal of zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Danone Wexford employs 350 people and produces leading brands like Aptamil, Cow & Gate and Nutrilon for consumers in 41 countries around the world. “Our One Planet. One Health frame of action puts climate at the core of our growth model. The carbon neutral certification of Danone Wexford is an excellent illustration of implementing climate action to protect health of the planet and of the people,” said Emmanuel Faber, Chairman and CEO of Danone. 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:16 Page 5www.fdiforum.net Plan your campaign with Food & Drink International… ...your competitors are! As marketing is the vital ingredient for the success and growth of any business, we can offer advice and packages to suit all budgets. Speak to one of our experienced account executives. CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO? • Print • Online • E-Newsletters • Regular News • Topical Features The perfect medium to give your brand the best chance of being seen! Contact us below for our 2020 editorial schedule Call today on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email: s.trott@blmgroup.co.uk INTERNATIONAL Food &Drink Food &Drink 2019 AUGUST I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & £3.50 .fdiforum.netwww N A T I O N &&Drin Drin Drin &&Drin 0 STERLING A L nk nk nkk thi Fre i ki h ND EXPORT NEWS IMPORT AND E G SPOTLIGHT PROCESSING S SEPTEMBER 2019 I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & £3.50 .fdiforum.net www N A T I O N &&Drin Drink Drin &&Drink 0 STERLING A L nk nk nkk tota The t l GY TOTAL SHOW pac cka PPMA TOTAL MICROBIOLOGY MHX 2019 IMHX 2019 ge 54) V N preview on pag otal Sh OBER 2019 OCT I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & £3.50 .fdiforum.netwww N A T I O N &&Drin Drin Drin &&Drin 0 STERLING A L nk nk nkk cho The i t t l mental c ws Environmen Spotlight Spotlight auBeBrra evvial ale NOVEMBER 2019 I N T E R N Food Food &&& Food Food & £3.50 .fdiforum.net www N A T I O N &&Drink Drink Drin &&Drink 0 STERLING A L nk nk nkk Packaging ging Packaging spotlight for s Ingredie Fi Europe ent rs and epositors llers MINIMUM COST…MAXIMUM IMPACT! www.fdiforum.net 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:17 Page 6Next >