< Previouson line 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Equipment supports growth in poultry meats sector Interfood offers a wide range of equipment from Alco, including the new PRO series of machines, to serve the poultry meats sector. The Alco ASP flattener is designed to produce uniform product thickness to ensure not only shorter cooking times but also a more consistent product quality through calibrated portions and a larger surface area. For products which require continuous slicing from the side, Interfood offers the Alco ACB cordon-bleu slicer. In addition to cordon-bleu products for which it provides the all- important accuracy of a mid-cut which is not too deep, the ACB can generate Kiev cutlets, butterfly cuts and grill pockets. With chicken often coated, Alco also manufactures full coating lines which, combined with Interfood’s industry knowledge, experience and full support packages, can provide a highly effective option for a wide range of products. Bespoke lines can be created, comprising flouring, wet coating, breading and drum breading machines. Cherkizovo Group acquires chicken processing facility from Cargill Cherkizovo Group, the largest vertically integrated meat producer in Russia, is acquiring a chicken processing facility from Cargill for an undisclosed sum. The facility is based in Efremov, the Tula region, and will see the Group expand its processing capacity. “We are excited to add another asset aimed to foodservice clients to our portfolio,” said Cherkizovo’s CEO, Sergey Mikhailov. “Being a vertically integrated meat producer, we see significant synergies of a newly acquired plant with our existing supply chain, and have plans to increase capacity at this particular plant over time. “This acquisition fits well with our strategic plans to increase our share of value-added products and broaden our presence with foodservice clientele, transforming this channel into a significant revenue stream for the company.” The deal is subject to regulatory approval from respective Russian authorities and, if approved, is expected to close in a few months. Ornua invests $10m to expand Wisconsin cheese-making facility Ireland’s largest premium dairy cooperative has invested $10 million to expand its cheese- making facility in the heart of Wisconsin’s dairy country. The investment will add a further 22,000 square feet of warehousing and cooling infrastructure to the operation, unlocking an additional 30% growth in production capacity. Ornua Ingredients North America, which operates a second cheese-making facility in Byron, Minnesota, specialises in producing customised, functional cheese products for major US food manufacturing and foodservice customers. This latest investment is a result of a period of exceptional multi-year growth in the division, the company said, with 2019 reporting a record year with double-digit growth. Construction of the site’s new infrastructure is being carried out by Wisconsin building firm Bayland Construction and is expected to be completed in February 2021. Goudsmit Magnetics develops magnetic separator for chocolate flakes Goudsmit Magnetics received a request from a producer of chocolate garnish for cakes, biscuits and yoghurt. The garnish is in the form of chips and granules that could possibly contain tiny pieces of metal less than <1 mm in diameter. The company were asked if it could filter the pieces containing metal out of the product flow, without loss of product. To achieve this, it developed a high gradient separator with a strong magnetic conveyor roller, specifically for the food industry. With this system, it achieved exceptionally high separation efficiency, not just for iron particles, but also for weakly magnetic stainless steel particles, such as AISI 304 and AISI 316. The high gradient separator is more effective than a free-fall magnetic separator, because with the latter you have to slow down the metal particle before you can capture it. In addition to chocolate, the magnetic separator is also suitable for other dry, granular products, such as herbs and spices. © Shutterstock/Anton Mislawsky © Shutterstock/Binh Thanh Bui Yorkshire free-from food brand invests £2m in new factory A Yorkshire-based free-from food brand has invested £2 million in a new factory as it looks to double its size within three years. The new factory will give Kirsty’s the capability to produce 20 million ready meals per year as well as scope to play in other categories such as soups, pies and sauces. The completely allergen-free site will enable the brand to move away from co-manufacturers, where free-from new product development can be problematic. “Up until now we have worked with hand-picked manufacturers and whilst this has given the brand security and an easier route to market over the years it didn’t give me the flexibility and control over my own destiny that I’ve always craved,” said founder and MD, Kirsty Henshaw. She added that the greater capacity “excites me and everyone working for the brand”. 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:17 Page 7Dairy launches UK’s first goats’ milk powder Delamere Dairy has launched a dairy goats’ milk powder, the first available in the UK. Responding to market demand, the cupboard staple is now available in Waitrose. Delamere Dairy Goats’ Milk Powder provides those following a goats’ milk diet with the option to make up milk on demand as a drink or to be used in recipes. The 400g box of powder, makes up to 3.8 Litres of goats’ milk and once opened, has a shelf life of up to four weeks, the company said. “During the pandemic we have seen an increased demand for our milk and customers enquiring about store cupboard alternatives,” said Ed Salt, Managing Director of Delamere Dairy. “Many people rely on the milk for their diets and the powder now gives them another option to avoid running short and make their lives a little easier.” Starbucks launch non-dairy creamers via Nestlé coffee alliance Starbucks and Nestlé are launching a plant-based coffee creamer a year after the latter first entered the creamer category. The Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers represent the latest innovation from the global coffee alliance between the two companies. Available in two flavours – caramel and hazelnut – the creamers are crafted with a blend of almond-milk and oat-milk. Starbucks Caramel Flavoured Non-Dairy Creamer is inspired by the Caramel Macchiato and is made with sweet, buttery caramel and hints of vanilla flavour. Starbucks Hazelnut Flavoured Non-Dairy Creamer is inspired by the Hazelnut Latte found at Starbucks Cafes and is crafted with flavours of rich hazelnuts. Starbucks Non-Dairy Creamers will be available in the refrigerated dairy aisle across the US beginning in August. on the shelf Tyson Foods launches Tyson brand in European foodservice Tyson Foods, one of the world’s largest food companies, has introduced a range of chicken products under its Tyson flagship brand in the European Foodservice market, which includes restaurants, some cafeterias and caterers. The brand has 28 frozen products with categories ranging from coated, skewers, raw and fried. All products are crafted within Tyson innovation centres to meet consumers’ taste preferences with sustainability in mind. The company’s international growth and experience in protein product development, manufacturing, distribution and marketing makes it uniquely positioned to introduce the Tyson® brand in Europe. “Our flexible supply chain allows us to support our customers and their growth by offering best in class service and supply contingency,” said Brett Van de Bovenkamp, Regional President for Tyson Foods Europe. The European Tyson products are sourced from our Tyson Foods businesses in the Netherlands, Thailand and our joint venture in Brazil.” BlueNalu signs MOU to bring cell-based seafood to South Korea BlueNalu, a San Diego food-tech company developing cell-based seafood products, has partnered with Pulmuone to bring cell-based seafood to South Korea. The Memorandum of Understanding builds on an existing relationship between BlueNalu and Pulmuone, a healthy lifestyle and environmentally-friendly food products specialist. Earlier this year, the company participated in BlueNalu’s Series A round of financing. The agreement marks the beginning of the first collaboration for BlueNalu in South Korea and represents Pulmuone’s interest in the commercialisation of cell-based seafood products that offer consumers healthy, trusted and safe solutions that are sustainable for the planet. Lou Cooperhouse, president & CEO of BlueNalu, said: “We plan to launch BlueNalu cell-based seafood products initially in the United States, but we also recognise there is significant and increasing market demand for high quality seafood in South Korea, while supply becomes increasingly vulnerable and potentially contaminated with microplastics, mercury, and environmental pollutants. Partnerships are critical for our success and we are proud to partner with Pulmuone.” Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net Gathered Foods launches frozen plant- based seafood range Gathered Foods, makers of Good Catch plant- based seafood, have launched a new range of frozen fish-free entrees and appetizers. The new line-up consists of New England Style Plant-Based Crab Cakes, Thai Style Plant-Based Fish Cakes, and Classic Style Plant-Based Fish Burgers. This product extension is the second evolution from the plant-based seafood brand, expanding beyond its existing portfolio of plant-based tuna, which was introduced to the market last year. “Recreating the taste and texture consumers expect from whitefish and crab cakes challenged our team to push our boundaries. We are really proud of the final outcome,” said Chad Sarno, co- founder & Chief Culinary Officer at Good Catch. The frozen entrees and appetizers are crafted from Good Catch’s proprietary six-legume blend (peas, chickpeas, lentils, soy, fava beans and navy beans), which is high in protein and used as the base of Good Catch products to create the texture that mimics the flakiness of seafood. © Shutterstock/Image Point Fr © Good Catch 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:17 Page 812 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © Shutterstock /Pixelbliss Battling outbreaks and Brexit 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:20 Page 1Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT With less than six months to go until the Brexit transition period comes to an end on January 1 2021, food and drink companies need to ensure that COVID planning doesn’t overtake and undermine their ability to trade with Europe and beyond in a post-Brexit future. Despite drawing criticism for its response to the pandemic, the British government has been almost solely focussed on combatting the virus. Fortunately, safeguarding the food and drink sector in the present and the years to come has played an increasingly important role in this response. Most recently, for example, the Department of International Trade (DIT) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) launched an eight-point plan intended to help the food and farming industry “bounce back” from the impact of COVID-19 on trade. The emphasis is largely on international trade, which will prove crucial for the newly independent UK, but also for its economic recovery in a post-COVID world. The plan aims to “turbo charge” UK food and drink, allowing companies to capitalise on trade agreements being negotiated by the DIT with Japan, the US, Australia and New Zealand. This follows on from work the department has undertaken over the last few months in which it launched inaugural talks for the US, Japan and Australia and New Zealand Free Trade Agreement negotiations. This latest move sees the government try and shift the focus away from the impact on food imports from new trade deals to exports. As we rapidly approach the end of the Brexit transition period, this stance is only likely to increase. The plan includes a new programme of physical and virtual events tailored to help a variety of businesses and exporters. This includes an overseas virtual buyer trial, a ‘Smart Distance Selling Process’, and a package of ‘Ready to Trade’ Exporting Masterclass webinars. It will also see the introduction of Defra’s first Agri-food Council serving the Gulf, representing the interests of UK businesses already exporting, or planning to export, to the region. 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. 14 Á 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:20 Page 214 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT While this “bounce back” scheme will no doubt be welcome news for food and drink firms who had been facing uncertain futures, there’s no escaping the challenges and continuing uncertainty Brexit will bring when the transitionary period ends. Government officials have recently revealed that British companies across the board, including food and drink, will have to fill in an extra 215 million customs declarations at a cost of around £7 billion a year – a lot of extra red tape considering Brexit was supposed to allow the UK to “take back control”. The upsurge in red tape was confirmed as cabinet office minister Michael Gove laid out the government’s plans to manage the UK’s borders. Industry fears continue to abound that new IT, customs experts and lorry parks to deal with the increased traffic and documentation will not be ready by the end of the year – fears that both Mr Gove and Prime Minister Boris Johnson have attempted to assuage. There would be an extra 215 million © Shutterstock /Kelvin Atkins 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:20 Page 3Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT customs declaration forms for businesses importing or exporting goods, according to the most recent estimates published by HM Revenue & Customs in December 2018 – estimates that were recently confirmed by officials. This increase will apply no matter if Britain and the EU finalise a trade dear this year with the aim of removing all tariffs and quotas. Worryingly, only a small percentage of the estimated 50,000 extra agents needed to handle the new customs forms have been recruited thus far, it is understood. Despite, or perhaps because of this, the Food and Drink Sector Council (FDSC), a formal industry partnership with government, has launched a COVID-19 recovery plan aimed at getting the industry back on its feet ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period. Coupled with other recovery efforts and mounting pressure from the food and drink industry itself, the UK may yet be well placed to weather both the coronavirus crisis and flourish in next year’s new trading environment. © Shutterstock /Nikolay Korolkov China ceases imports from Brazilian meat plants China has suspended imports from two more Brazilian pork plants owned by meatpackers JBS SA and BRF SA as the Chinese customs authority doubles down on meat shipments amid coronavirus concerns. According to the General Administration of Customs China (GACC), China is temporarily halting imports from a BRF plant in Lajeado and a JBS-owned Seara brand plant in Tres Passos. Although the authorities gave no specific reasons for the suspension, it is likely to be related to COVID-19. Brazil is experiencing the second words outbreak globally and, as the largest buyer of Brazilian pork, beef and chicken, China has requested all exporters certify their products are coronavirus free. A total of six Brazil meat plants have now been blocked from exporting to China amid rising concerns over thousands of cases of COVID-19 among slaughterhouse workers in the country. 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 10:20 Page 416 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING SPOTLIGHT Machinery and equipment have transformed not just the food and drink industry, but all manufacturing sectors. Efficiency like never before has helped revitalise the UK car industry, while automated lines have allowed food manufacturers to increase their yields dramatically. Despite this, the UK still faces heavy competition from abroad, and COVID-19 hasn’t helped much in that regard. One reason as to why this is, is because our foreign competitors often have a better attitude towards machinery and equipment than we do. The UK food and drink industry is falling far behind other countries when it comes to automation and the adoption of robotics into the food industry. These were the findings of a recent study into robotics within the food and drink industry, which found that even within Europe, the UK is ranked 15th in terms of robotics usage. To give an idea of what that means, the UK is behind countries such as Germany, Sweden and France – but also now falls behind Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic. The bigger problem still is that the changes in robotic investment within the UK are some of the lowest in the bloc, with many food manufacturers not seeking to make changes and instead relying on outdated and expensive labour models. A big problem is that this phenomenon of the UK falling behind is actually quite limited to the food and drink industry. As an example, the UK is still highly competitive in the automotive industry, despite robust competition from other countries, and lo and behold, the UK automotive industry Making the most of machines 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. © Shutterstock /grafvision 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:03 Page 1Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING SPOTLIGHT SPX FLOW launches new APV Ball Valve Series SPX FLOW has released a new range of ball valves from its APV brand. The ‘BLV1 Series’ adds to an already extensive portfolio of valves widely used across processed food, beverage, chemical processing, personal care, and other industries. The BLV1 Series share common parts with other SPX FLOW valves across the portfolio, providing plants a common look, controls interface, and spare parts holding benefits with a multi-valve system. They are available with a simple manual handle with or without position feedback, as well as the same pneumatic actuators and a range of control units offered on the popular APV SV/SVS butterfly valve series. The BLV1 design is cavity filled with reinforced PTFE seats, stainless steel construction, and FDA approved food grade materials to provide hygienic performance. For utility service and other industrial chemical applications, the valves are designed with high temperature and pressure ratings and without the use of silicone. To find out more, visit www.spxflow.com. is a huge investor in robotics and automation equipment. In years past there might have been a fear that the initial investment into robotic systems was too inhibitive (though clearly not too inhibitive for our European neighbours), but even if we consider that the price in the UK was somehow ten times what was offered elsewhere, advancements in technology have caused that price to fall dramatically. Nowadays a robotic unit such as a pallet stacker can cost less than the wages of what labour it would replace. There are still many countries, even within the European Union, who have much lower labour rates than the UK, the only option for UK food and drink manufacturers, therefore, is to continue maintaining their high quality standards, whilst improving efficiency. This can only be effectively done with a vision of © Shutterstock /Akimov Igor 18 Á 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:03 Page 2Spiroflow responds to snack food category uplift The snack food category has seen an uplift of 40% during the pandemic, resulting in an increase in processing equipment orders from Spiroflow. With its US counterparts reporting a similar spike in demand, Spiroflow’s innovative mobile sack tip unit with conveyor is currently helping provide snack food processors with scalability. Perfect for adding seasoning, salt and seeds to snack products from ground floor up to seasoning drums, or other processing equipment, the sack tip unit offers processors flexibility as the system can be moved easily to a cleaning area or if space is limited. Consisting of a flexible screw conveyor, an agitator and a hopper with a dust hood, the system helps to reduce the manual handling by consistently dosing seasoning into a process line. The action of the conveyor ensures the material is being constantly remixed, which is particularly important when a product is a specific blend that needs to remain consistent. To find out more, visit spiroflow.com. 18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING SPOTLIGHT the end result required and a commitment to automation and performance improvement. The vision is absolutely essential as piecemeal automation, without the overall vision, tends to improve some areas, but can create ‘bottlenecks’ in others, so the overall door to door efficiency is often not improved but, due to the significant cost of automation, the unit costs go up rather than down – the exact opposite of the intention. One of the most important things for any company embarking upon, or even well into automation projects, is to measure the effectiveness of the investments made. Unfortunately, this is often not done, or not done well enough, as the necessary investment for the measurement architecture is often seen as a ‘nice to have’ rather than an absolute necessity to measure the effectiveness of investments already made and to help identify further necessary investments along the automation journey. Many companies who have invested heavily in automation often ask two questions. Firstly, ‘How much did your automation project cost’ and secondly, ‘How effective has it been?’ They usually know the answer to the first question but often have little idea about the second. Many times, this leads to a mistaken identity around automation, where people see a problem, or that there have not been the promised improvements in efficiency, and therefore believe there is a problem with the industry as a whole, and stop investing in new machinery. It could easily be that this is a short term problem due to the rest of the production plant or even the labour force not having kept pace with the automated improvement potential. Unfortunately, the temporary information shortfall has a habit of becoming permanent and, given the choice of spending £100,000 on a control system to measure the effectiveness of automation investments already made, or spending 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:03 Page 3Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING SPOTLIGHT Loma’s bulk product detection solution provides reassurance for food manufacturers Loma Systems has been busy providing technical support to manufacturers and supplying innovative, best-in-class inspection solutions to minimise the threat of product contamination and interruptions to production processes. One such solution is Loma’s X5 Bulk Flow X-ray system, perfect for the inspection of a wide range of free flowing and loose products including cereals, grains and most other loose products. The X5 Bulk Flow includes all of the standard features from LOMA’s X5 range, but has its own upgrades from the previous-generation model including: a quick release belt for easy cleaning, removable reject station, and a 15” touchscreen. The system – available with multiple reject options including carriage retract and multi-flap – can offer excellent detection of a wide range of contaminants including all metals, bone, glass, stone and dense plastics. The free-flowing food X-ray inspection system is designed with the operational environment and hygiene in mind, including an IP66 ingress rating. To find our more, visit www.loma.com. £100,000 on yet another piece of automation, many companies will choose the latter, and thus repeat the problem. That is, if they choose to make use of automation at all. In Germany, France or Italy, robotics companies often cite that if they are able to prove the efficiency savings and productivity of a machine, then by the next time they visit the factory will either have it – or will have invested even more to get something better. The same process in the UK is more likely to result in reluctance, comments that they will `get round to it` - and when it becomes absolutely necessary to the running of a factory. They will instead take on the cheapest, least efficient and most unlikely piece of automation equipment (which in some cases they do not even need) and then use this as proof of why investing in new machinery might not be the best answer. Better instead, to continue blaming staff, Brexit, the pandemic or other factors for the shortfall. All that is necessary is to have the will and the vision to see the potential value of automated systems and to appreciate the need to measure, analyse and control the automation investment, to ensure optimal efficiency is achieved and sustained, thereby achieving rapid payback and competitiveness. Automation has been adopted by other industry sectors, sometimes driven by strict regulation. There is no reason why the food industry cannot do the same, for reasons of efficiency and flexibility but also - increasingly - in order to minimise the risk of product recalls. There are many success stories around automation within the manufacturing, with few companies who invest into it having much to complain about. On the other hand, with rising wage costs due to the National Living Wage (NLW), along with a stagnating labour market, there is much doom and gloom within manufacturers who have not considered or invested in this area. One has to wonder how much longer this can continue, as European competitors continue to order three to five times as many robotics than the UK. China has eclipsed the UK robotics intake by a factor of thirty-three, despite the amount of manufacturing in China being only ten times that of the UK. This clear investment could prove problematic if the UK does not seek to redress the balance, but it could also be an advantageous situation for many in our region. This will be a competitive problem faced by all manufacturers, and the NLW is going to mean the death knell of those who cannot adapt quickly. An astute Director would therefore be capable of investing early to reduce the costs of employees pushing them into the red, while also boosting their efficiency and ability to compete. One man’s crisis is another man’s opportunity, after all, and those companies which fail to grasp this may not be long for this world. © Shutterstock /Alessia Pierdomenico 16-19.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 11:04 Page 4Next >