Processing spotlight On the shelf www.fdiforum.netAUGUST 2021 £3.50 STERLING Pouch packaging Evolve, upgrade, expand Evolve, upgrade, expand INTERNATIONAL Food &DrinkFood &Drink01.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 07:55 Page 1Kecol have over 25 years of experience in handling all types of viscous products in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics markets, as well as general industrial applications. T: +44 (0)1746 764311 E: sales@kecol.co.uk W: www.kecol.co.uk Honey Petroleum Jelly Mascara Sauces Lanolin Lip Gloss Essences Eye Ointment Meat Paste Paraffin Wax Face Scrub Teething Gel Tomato Puree Medical Adhesives Veterinary Creams Fruit Paste Toothpaste Malt Jam Wax A sample of products we already pump… See us at the PPMA Total Show stand H30T: +44 (0)1746 764311 E: sales@kecol.co.uk W: www.kecolpumps.com 02.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 07:55 Page 1Contents August 2021 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 & export16 Import and export is the lifeblood and future of the food and drink industry, but with many new markets emerging – it’s important to get the initial push right, otherwise one might lose out to competitors who know better. Processing spotlight20 A widespread shift to automation, with robotics as standard oo production lines, is being hampered. However, there are encouraging signs that the industry, particular here in the UK, is moving with the times. Software and hardware26 With aims of bolstering efficiency, safety and product integrity, firms within the food industry turn to software and connected hardware for insight and control over all aspects of food production and distribution, from forecasting to planning, inventory management, quality control, tracking, logistics, processing and more. Microbiology and testing29 With stringent requirements and increased focus on foods with microbial benefits, microbiology is more important than ever. Pouch packaging 32 As the popularity of pouches continues to grow in food packaging, innovation is responding to consumer desire for 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: Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@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/ELENA VESELOV A • TOP: RADNOR HILLS • MIDDLE: NA TIONAL FLEXIBLE • BOTT OM: SHUTTERST OCK/GUMP ANA T sustainable solutions, seeing new recyclable pouches hit supermarket shelves. • Kite Packaging Q&A Materials handling38 Given the important and irreplaceability of materials handlings, it’s no surprise that this is the sector that evolves quickest. Food and Drink International explores the challenges currently faced by operators and how they continue to develop. • Omron Q&A Ready meals 46 Though ready meal consumption has been hit by the pandemic, with purchasers stuck at home having more time on their hands to cook, there remains a place for such products. New ready meals are appearing on shelves with a focus on health, adventurous flavours, and plant-based diets. Events50 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world Classified 53 Food and Drink Diary 54 03.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:06 Page 1New industry network to tackle crop production’s carbon footprint A new network is launching to bring together the entire food supply chain – from food and drink manufacturers and supermarkets to fertiliser companies and growers – to meet the industry’s target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040. The network, named YEN Zero, is a new initiative by researchers from ADAS, the largest independent environmental and agricultural consultancy in the UK. YEN Zero will undertake the analysis and benchmarking of combinable crop carbon footprints on a per-field basis with the near-future aspiration of growing this to carbon accounting on a whole-farm scale. This benchmarking of crop GHG intensities will enable fair and easy comparison of emissions among farms, fields and crops. From there, it will be possible to see what agronomic practices are driving these emissions and test which ?mitigation strategies work best on farms. Successful strategies will then be shared with members of the network. 4 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Bold plans to eradicate BVD and sheep scab by 2031 The livestock industry has set out bold ambitions to eradicate sheep scab and Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) by 2031, following a Ruminant Health and Welfare (RH&W) workshop. The workshop included over 70 leading farmers, vets, researchers and industry stakeholders from across the four nations of the UK. Attendees set the agenda in advance by singling out ‘actionable’ sheep and cattle diseases from a list of priorities identified in the RH&W grassroot survey results released in May. RH&W chair Nigel Miller explained that by setting management, control and/or eradication targets for the year 2031, the workshop participants were aiming to create a new high-health environment across farms of the four nations before the next decade. Sheep scab, now endemic in the national flock and affecting 10-15% of farms with about 8,000 outbreaks each year costing up to £202 million, was one of the most popular topics selected for debate. The group set out co-ordinated control, mandatory annual screening, flock traceability, and vaccination for sheep scab as key objectives on the way to eradication. BVD eradication, another priority for the group, is already in progress through different statutory and voluntary efforts in each of the four nations. But introducing mandatory control will be the next step with co-ordinated messaging and approaches. Another ambition from the workshop was to reduce dairy cow lameness by 30% year-on-year. Steps to achieve this goal include better utilisation of current tools and policy, with a whole food chain approach, consideration of contextual factors on farm, and the collection and use of robust and consistent data. SnappD - the 100% recyclable single-shot sachet for the beverage sector The Origin Group’s new business unit, SnappD is now offering the UK’s first 100% recyclable single-shot sachet which is fully brandable for the beverage sector. Small, lightweight and robust, SnappD recyclable pouches can contain up to 25ml of alcohol and can be opened and dispensed with a single hand movement. SnappD sachets, made with more than 30% Post-Consumer-Recycled materials (PCR), are manufactured and precision filled in an ISO 22716 environment, within a purpose-built room which simulates that of a cleanroom facility, in Melton, East Riding of Yorkshire. As well as being more convenient for the user, importantly, this new concept helps alcohol brands extend their reach out of home and licensed premises to the festival and travel markets where often glass or large volume bottles are restricted. The product also helps to address the challenges of the “sachet economy” which continues to generate massive quantities of plastic waste globally. BlueNalu launches framework for Food Safety and Quality Assurance for Cell- Cultured Seafood BlueNalu, a food company developing a variety of seafood products directly from fish cells, has launched a framework designed to achieve a premier standard of food safety, quality, and traceability for its cell-cultured seafood production. The San Diego-based company has committed to pursuing third-party certification recognized by the international Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), such as the Safe Quality Food (SQF) or similar programs, as a means to demonstrate the highest possible standards for its safe and trusted cell- cultured seafood products. GFSI certification programs are voluntary and recognized internationally by leading retailers and foodservice operators for setting standards that go beyond domestic government regulations. The programmes follow a globally consistent standard for the demonstration of safety and quality and are validated by independent third-party audits. © Shutterstock/Photo Smoothies © Shutterstock/ luchschenF © Shutterstock/Pressmaster 04-15.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:09 Page 1Moving food forward. Fighting hunger has been a worldwide challenge for decades. And despite progress, undernourishment has been on the rise since 2014. We want to use our expertise, as well as our packaging and processing solutions, to help increase access to safe, nutritious food. For nearly 60 years, we’ve collaborated with customers, governments, partners, and NGOs on School Feeding Programmes – ensuring that today more than 68 million children in 56 countries get access to nutritious beverages at school. This is just one of the ways we are playing our part in moving food forward. Join us at movingfoodforward.tetrapak.com What if everyone everywhere had access to safe and nutritious food? 04-15.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:09 Page 2Durham Box work with STIRRD to produce impactful e-commerce packaging Leading corrugated packaging manufacturers, Durham Box, has recently worked with Harrogate-based STIRRD, a premium online confectionery brand from The Serious Sweet Company, to develop new e-commerce packaging for their gourmet fudge & sweet treats sharer box. STIRRD was launched in 2019 to provide an online handmade fudge service that can be bought as a monthly subscription or a one-off treat. In developing their packaging, STIRRD approached Durham Box, who came recommended based on quality of product, service and their expert knowledge of the postal box business. The brief was to produce a suitable e-commerce pack, containing 6 individual boxes of confectionery. The box needed to be able to withstand the rigours of the postal system and protect the contents, while providing the consumer with a memorable moment on receipt. The e-commerce pack was constructed in E flute corrugated board with a Clay Coat outer liner and printed 2-colour flexo inside and out. 6 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Cost of gov regulation will mean higher food prices for consumers, warns FDF Consumers will inevitably face higher food and drink prices if manufacturers are forced to absorb the cost of proposed Government policies during the next few years, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned. In the report, entitled ‘Eating into household budgets: the Government’s recipe for food price inflation’, the FDF has estimated that if the cost of forthcoming Government policies were passed on directly to consumers, it would increase the price of food and drink shopping per household by more than £160 per year. What’s more, it suggests poorer socio-economic households would see their shopping bills increase by 11%, the same proportion of their entire food shop which is currently spent on fresh vegetables. According to ONS estimates, a household of one adult and one child in the poorest 10% by income spends £45 per week on food and drink, meaning the Government’s proposals could lead to an increase in food and drink spending of nearly 7%. Over the last twenty years, food and drink manufacturers have worked tirelessly to absorb increases in the cost of raw materials, while ensuring the impact of these price pressures are not passed directly onto consumers. Now, with no margin left to offset the raft of costly Government policies coming down the line, manufacturers will have to pass that cost directly on to consumers. The FDF calculates that the cost to the food and drink industry of proposed UK Government policies around public health and sustainability is at least £8 billion. This is before factoring in the suggested taxes on salt and sugar as outlined in Henry Dimbleby’s recent National Food Strategy report. These additional costs from Government policies also come at a time of rising global inflationary pressures. The policies include the reforming of Extended Producer responsibility for the disposal of post-consumer goods (£1.7bn), a Deposit Return Scheme on food and drink packaging (£850m), and the introduction of promotional restrictions on HFSS foods (£833m). The FDF is calling on the Government to reconsider these policies and their unintended consequences, as well as fundamental reforms to the UK’s regulatory architecture, in order to ensure future policy is effective and well-targeted. It also argues that in the long-term any additional costs will likely increase indebtedness, reduce competitiveness and see investment decline, particularly at a time when businesses are seeking to recover from a difficult period of economic uncertainty. Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, and if the Government is serious about levelling up it needs to incentivise the sector and not pile on extra costs. 97% of all food and drink businesses are SMEs, and it is they who are more greatly exposed to these risks. © Shutterstock/Davizro Photography Lollipop lollipop, oh lolli lolli lolli, lollipop, lollipop This song recorded by the Chordettes takes you back to the nostalgia of 1954 when everything seemed more wholesome. We have advanced since then but not all our food has improved, especially for children; we have lost sight of wholesome goodness. Healthipops are not just lollipops; they are vitamin and mineral lollipops designed to be good for children and adults alike and taste amazing as well. They are vegan, full of naturally soothing botanical extracts, and natural flavourings and colourings. Maxi and Nick wanted natural remedies for their children to sooth symptoms of sore throats, colds, hay fever, travel sickness and ear popping but struggled to find anything the children liked. After a lot of research, they discovered a range of botanical extracts that would work in a tasty lollipop form and Healthipops was born. Some super eye-popping designs were produced, and National Flexible translated these into vibrant, fresh resealable pouches that really stand out. 04-15.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:09 Page 3Dairy from Ireland where we work in harmony with nature Our country on the edge of Europe, with its lush, the world, visitirishfoodanddrink.com 310401043 Dairy NM FoodandDrinkINT.indd 121/09/2020 17:32 04-15.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:09 Page 4NewCold expands cold store facility in Victoria, Australia NewCold has signed Simplot Australia as new customers and is investing a further $160 million in its Victorian state- of-the art facility. This brings the Netherlands- based cold chain logistics company’s total investment in Victoria to $460 million. NewCold will more than double the size of its Melbourne 2 facility, providing customers with a powerhouse of advanced features and a seamless experience. At 43 metres high, the site will expand from 115,000 pallet positions to 225,000, an increase of 110,000 pallets. The extension will include 30,000 for ambient/chilled and 85,000 pallet positions for frozen goods. It will be a one stop shop facility with ambient, chilled and frozen capabilities, setting new service standards. One of the largest automated high bays in the world, the site also includes a container park. The expanded facility is scheduled to be operational in 2022. Simplot will transition all of its frozen products in 2023. 8 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Nestlé unveils Perrier water bottles made using ground- breaking recycling tech Nestlé has unveiled prototypes for its Perrier water bottles based on a novel recycling technology. The bottles were produced as part of the Carbios global consortium to support the industrialization of an innovative technology that allows plastic to be endlessly recycled while maintaining properties that are virtually equivalent to virgin plastics. The consortium members include L’Oréal, Suntory Beverage & Food Europe and PepsiCo. Using this novel technology, experts at Nestlé’s research and development centre for Waters in Vittel, France produced the first Perrier 50cl prototype bottles made from coloured recycled PET materials. The prototypes were thoroughly tested in terms of safety, quality, and performance. They were also specially adapted to withstand the pressure of carbonated water, while also incorporating the iconic design and green colour of the Perrier bottle. Register free online using this code: 11138 > www.lab-innovations.com 3 & 4 November 2021 | NEC, Birmingham Co-located with NewCold invests $160 million to expand cold store facility in Victoria, Australia, and announces new partnership with Simplot 04-15.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:09 Page 5The new compact conductivity sensors LDL100 and LDL200 from ifm impress with their fast and precise media differentiation. and transmit the conductivity and temperature of the medium via a single M12 connection - digitally and loss-free thanks to IO-Link. As there is no additional evaluation unit required, you also save system costs. So easy, so good. ifm – close to you! m/uk m/uk Go W AR RANTY on ifm pro du ct s 04-15.qxp_Layout 1 26/07/2021 08:09 Page 6Next >