CONTROL & AUTOMATIONSLICING, DICING & CUTTINGON THE SHELFINTERNATIONALFood&DrinkFood&Drinkwww.fdiforum.netSEPTEMBER2013 £3.50 STERLINGJampackedJampacked01:Layout 1 27/8/13 12:00 Page 102:Layout 1 27/8/13 10:47 Page 1ContentsSeptember 2013This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recyclingmagazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the5.5 million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UKpaper industry each year. Before you recycle yourmagazine, please ensure you remove all plasticwrapping, free gifts and samples. FoodandDrinkInternational@fdiforumwww.fdiforum.netcompany/fdiforumNews 4• General news • On line - production news• On the shelf - new products and initiativesImport and export 16The world’s leading logistical hub, Singapore,home to some of the industry’s biggest namesand for good reasonCommercial property21 As internet shopping and consolidation in thedistribution sector take centre stage, couldcommercial property be about to bounce back?Containers and pallets23A recovering economy is driving demand in thepallet and container industry but the battle rageson over the use of timber, plastic and metal• DSVEnvironmental issues27Environmental issues have become a top priorityfor manufacturers and consumers alike• Edina • SITA UKControl and automationshowcase31Control and automation 33No manufacturer can justify allowing theirprocessing techniques to become inefficient.Automation needs to be continually reviewed if itis to keep pace• Newfield AutomationSlicing, dicing and cutting 39Uniformity is the demand manufacturers make oftheir slicing, dicing and cutting equipment, butconsumers prefer something that looks natural.How are manufacturers striking a balance?Foodservice42There’s a slew of foodservice awards beingpresented at the moment. Is there a betterindicator of success?Editor:Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Editor’s PA:Angela SharmanJournalists:Steve Williams (s.williams@blmgroup.co.uk)Mike Shields (m.shields@blmgroup.co.uk)Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk)Sales Director:Teri CooperSales Manager:Becky RobertshawAssistant Sales Manager:Sam TrottSales:Nikki Logan, Ashley SpinkTel: +44 (0) 1472 310302Accounts & Subscriptions:Dawn Cook, John DownesDesign & Production:Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson, Rachel Green(studio@blmgroup.co.uk)Editorial:Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305, Fax: +44 (0) 1472 310317Email:fdi@blmgroup.co.ukPart of the Business Link Magazine Group:Armstrong House, Armstrong Street,Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QEEnglandAll rights reserved. No part of this publication may bereproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded orotherwise without express permission of the copyrightholder, for which application should be addressed firstto the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken,neither the publisher nor its participating agents acceptliability for loss or damage to prints, colourtransparencies, negatives or other material of whatevernature submitted to this publication. The viewsexpressed in this publication are not necessarily theviews of those held by the publisher.COVER PHOTOGRAPHSCOURTESY OFMain:shutterstock.com/NessiTop: APPE Middle: shutterstock.com/bikeriderlondonBottom: shutterstock.com/ZiablikThe Restaurant Show44The Restaurant Show returns to Earls Court 2 on7th to 9th October. Celebrating its 25thanniversary, it promises to deliver an event torememberlunch!46lunch! returns to the Business Design Centre,London from 26th to 27th September andremains the go-to show for convenience and foodon the go businessAnuga47Anuga, which takes place from 5th to 9th Octoberin Cologne is set to be the biggest edition of theshow yet easyFairs Packaging Innovations London50Over thirty overseas packaging suppliers havesigned up to exhibit at the show, which takesplace at the Business Design Centre on 1st and2nd OctoberLabelexpo52Labelexpo Europe prepares to bring a touch ofmagic to Brussels Expo between 24th and 27thSeptemberEvents55Your chance to keep abreast of forthcomingexhibitions and food fairs from around the worldClassified 56Food & Drink Diary 5803:Layout 1 27/8/13 11:55 Page 1Proven PerformanceThere’s no mistaking a Mercedes-Benz Used 1 Qualifying Van. Just look for the Mercedes-Benz Used 1 Quality Label. It’s proof that the vehicle has met our exacting safety and quality tests. And it’s the mark of a truly great van.www.mercedes-benz.co.uk/vansA new standard in used vanswe think you could get used to.Mercedes-Benz Used 1Approved Used Vans & Services 04-11:Layout 1 27/8/13 14:07 Page 1Rigid VSP solutions from LINPAC drive meatsales for BoothsA new lightweight shallow rigid tray developed byLINPAC Packaging for vacuum skin packing has helpedBooths drive up sales of meat products by 80%.LINPAC has worked in partnership with Mondini andfilm manufacturer Bemis to create a pack whichcombines the extended shelf life benefits of vacuumskin film technologies with the presentation andprotection benefits of rigid preformed trays.Booths’ in-house protein packer, Booths FreshFoods, has been a LINPAC customer for more than fiveyears. After admiring VSP solutions on offer at other retailers, Booths decided to move from MAPfor some meat products and asked LINPAC to develop a solution.Chris Elliott, Technical Sales Manager at LINPAC Packaging, says, “Our innovative vacuum skin pack rigid solutions provide enhanced consumer appeal, shelfspace efficiency and maximum protection to products during transit and in store. This means our customers are getting the very best from their packaging.”Server and SIGCombibloc’sSmart DispenserSIG Combibloc and ServerProducts have launched the SmartDispenser, offering a practicaldispensing unit for food service.The dispenser consists of alidded box into which the cartonpack is placed inside. Then thepump is inserted directly throughthe overcoated hole, opening thepackage. With a simple pumpaction, the product is dispensed inprecise amounts, with no mess.The product is safely andhygienically protected – there is noneed to transfer the product into another container.Products such as flavoured syrups, mixers and concentrates can bemade readily available in aseptic carton packs from SIG Combibloc.Trisha Prodoehl, Business Development Manager for Foodservice at SIGCombibloc North America, says, “The Smart Dispenser has been designedfor food products that are available and sold in our aseptic carton packcombiblocMaxi. The use of the dispenser makes it easier and cost-effectivefor restaurants to innovate their menus by offering new beverage creations.”Skanem bags prestigious awards atFINATSkanem has won threeawards, and received twelvecommendations, at the 33rdLabel Awards at FINAT 2013.At the FINAT congress,Skanem Scandinavia wasalso handed over theHonourable Mention Awardfor Excellence in TechnicalAchievement in Printing.This was awarded toSkanem Scandinavia lastyear at the World LabelAwards.Ole Rugland, Skanem President and CEO, says, “Congratulations toSkanem Scandinavia and Skanem Poznan for the awards. Congratulationsto Skanem Liverpool and Skanem Willich, for several nominations. I amproud that we have done well at the awards. This shows that Skanem ismoving in the right direction of customer focus and technical excellence.”At FINAT, there were prizes for Skanem Skurup, Scandinavia for ÖnosÄppelmos in the Marketing/End-uses – Food Products category, andSkanem Poznan for Buwi in the Marketing/End-uses – Household categoryand for Eveline BB in the Printing Processes – Non-adhesive labels/tagscategory.New meter from ETIperfect for SushipreparationThe new 8100 Plus pH meter from ETI is perfectfor ensuring Sushi rice has been correctly prepared.There are a number of food safety concerns thatare unique to the preparation and serving of Sushi infoodservice. Sushi rice has the potential to become abreeding ground for pathogens if not properlyprepared. In addition, many people prefer to eatSushi at room temperature, which also makesrefrigerated storage less desirable.Proper preparation of acidified rice is important toensure customer safety for Sushi. To ensure that proper acidity levels have been reached, a pHmeter such as the new ETI 8100 pH Plus is essential when testing each batch of rice. A maximumpH reading of 4.6 pH or below is generally considered safe. The new ETI 8100 Plus is a two-in-one pH and temperature instrument which incorporates aneasy to read LCD display. Food & Drink International 5www.fdiforum.netNational Flexible feelsthe crunchNational Flexible are providing the latestpackaging for a new range of pre-packed croutonson sale in major supermarkets.Manufactured under licence by Chaucer FoodsUK, the packs needed to have instant shelf-appeal.As such, the printing of the film was a key factor inreproducing the artwork of the iconic logo to makethem instantly recognisable as an extension of theHeinz brand.National Flexible produced a bespoke metallisedlaminate which was printed on the very latest state-of-the-art high-speed gravure press using a series oflaser-engraved cylinders to ensure that the artworkwas reproduced to the highest quality.National Flexible’s Sales Manager Lee Rollinsonsays, “Specialist bespoke laminates can often meana lengthy lead time as the materials are made toorder. We offer all of our customers the opportunity tobenefit from reducing those lead times to a matter ofdays by making use of our free stock-holding facility.”04-11:Layout 1 27/8/13 14:07 Page 26 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netebm-papst launchesenergy efficient axial fansebm-papst has launched a series of new ultra-efficient axial fans for cooling units and evaporators,which decrease energy consumption by up to 25%.The fans will allow supermarkets to maintain cooltemperatures within cold stores.The axial fans from the AxiCool series are availablein sizes of 300, 350 and 450 mm, so they are suited toa wide variety of typical evaporator applications. TheAxiCool axial fans are available with both AC andenergy-efficient GreenTech EC motors, and they areavailable in a number of different formats including standardwith guard grille and standard with air guarding system.Designed with the food retail environment in mind, the AxiCool range is easy to clean, cheap tomaintain and hard-wearing. The flat metal guard grille is easy to clean mechanically in the eventof icing, while dirt build-up is minimised by the surface design with flat surfaces and withoutvisible screws.Bay Provisions butchergoes wireless for foodsafety monitoringCatering and retail butcher Bay Provisions hasinstalled the Checkit wireless food safety monitoringsolution from Elektron Technology to replace manualtemperature measurements.Checkit fixed sensors monitor the temperature ofwalk-in chillers, display freezers and other cold storageunits, while a handheld unit is used to check thetemperature of goods-in and log daily cleaningschedules. Measurements are automatically recordedand stored centrally and the system provides instantalerts if a rise in temperature is detected.With Bay Provisions’ business 95% poultry,maintaining correct cold storage temperatures andfollowing a rigorous HACCP plan are essential. Whendeliveries arrive, Checkit’s handheld temperatureprobe lets staff measure and record the temperature ofgoods in with a single button press. With eachsupplier’s details already on the system, Checkitautomatically creates a detailed record for futureinspection. It makes the food safety process faster andmore efficient while user-defined alerts ensure nothingis missed. New 3 in 1 Drymeister-H forgrinding, classifying and dryingThe new 3 in 1 Drymeister-H is thelatest multiprocessing unit fromHosokawa Micron and offers energyefficient and speedy grinding,classifying and drying operations inone compact unit. The Drymeister-Hcombines intensive dispersion withhigh performance classification todeliver stable product quality, particlesize and moisture content.Wet material is fed down to thegrinding chamber to be dispersedand dried using hot gas. The groundand dried powder is carried to theclassifier. Fine particles go throughthe classifier wheel and aretransported to a bag filter. Coarseparticles fall down to the grindingchamber to be further milled anddried. Moisture content of the product is determined by the outlet gastemperature of the dryer and residence time in the dryer which is influencedby the classifier speed.When compared to traditional spray or rotary dryers, the Drymeister-Hoffers processors energy savings of 50-70%.New safety training course from PilzPilz has launched a new safety training course which aims to give anunderstanding of the latest legal and best practice requirements for the useand supply of packaging machinery and continuous handling equipment.The two-day course gives a general overview of the European Directiveaffecting supply of equipment, the UK National Regulations affecting theuse of equipment; risk assessment and reduction and guarding and safety-related control system requirements. It then goes deeper in to the specific C-standards for Packaging Machinery and Continuous Handling Equipment.The Course will be delivered at Pilz Corby HQ by in-house MachinerySafety Experts with many years of practical experience. They can thereforegive pragmatic application solutions and advice during the course inaddition to the standard legislative guidance.For further information or to book a place on the next courses on 9th and10th September and 25th and 26th November, visit www.pilz.co.uk and enterwebcode 9469.Cartes machines on display at LabelexpoCartes will beshowcasing a large rangeof machines at theforthcoming LabelexpoEurope in Brussels – all ofwhich have been sold tothe most important labelmanufacturers in the world.A particular highlight is the GT serieswith and without integrated laser. The GT series isconsidered the best option on the market, not only for thefinishing, but also as a machine suitable for producing complete high-quality labels.With the GT series, Cartes offers a modular production and finishing line, adaptable to everyneed and configurable with silk screen printing, hot stamping, embossing, flexo varnishing, flatbed die-cutting and laser die-cutting units.Other benefits include energy saving and increased safety for the operator, as well as themachines’ well-established credentials of strength, quality of the materials and extreme precision– even when working at high speed.04-11:Layout 1 27/8/13 14:07 Page 3Smurfit Kappa Machine Systems offer maximumflexibility in product handling allowing for products to becollated, packed and palletised in various orientations andpatterns, all on the same machine.Smurfit Kappa intelligent robotic solutions maximise productivity and minimise costs with:•Two axis robots for simple case loading •Four axis robots for complex case loading and palletising applications •High-speed automated pick and place roboticsSmurfit Kappa robotic solutions can be fitted with integrated vision systems for productdetection, orientation and quality control. Their multi-tasking capability eliminates duplicationand repetitive tasks such as product turning and specialised product coding. Robotics are adaptable to your packing needs and are easily reprogrammed to accommodatenew products, sizes, collations and pallet patterns. Robotics also allow for systems equipment to occupy a smaller footprint, ideal for integratinginto the production and palletising area.Email: marketing@smurfitkappa.co.ukwww.machinesystems.co.ukPackaging...Precision,Performance,Perfection.For further information call: + 44 1454 327 77704-11:Layout 1 27/8/13 14:07 Page 4Food grade compressedair updatesThe Food and Beverage Grade Compressed AirBest Practice Guideline 102 is now available fromthe British Compressed Air Society and contributingmembers such as BEKO TECHNOLOGIES. Thisbest practice guideline has been produced becausecompressed air is a utility and its provision isnormally included in the pre-requisite programmerather than the HACCP process. The talking points have not changed muchbecause safety has to be fundamental, but there areissues that those responsible within the Food andBeverage Industry should take note of. The first oneis that the “Competencies” section, under provisionof equipment, the staff providing the compressed airproducts or complete system should have aminimum of five years training and on the jobexperience. BEKO TECHNOLOGIES welcome suchstipulations. In fact, any person from BEKOTECHNOLOGIES attending sites to discussproducts and systems will have at least ten years’experience. To purchase the guide, log on to www.bcas.org.ukGlassGuard®helps Spanish company meet itsfood safetylightingrequirementFragment retention lamp specialistGlassGuard®has ensured fruitprocessors, Cooperative Vitivinicolade la Pobla del Duc of Valenciasatisfies the compliance criteriarequired to protect its lighting.In a pre-audit inspection forGLOBALG.A.P. Certification, it wasfound existing lamps were notprotected and therefore posed aserious risk of contamination to fruit. The company replaced their existing lamps with 250wGlassGuard®coated High Intensity Discharge lamps.Silvan Albert, Quality Technician at the site, says, “It was important for us to extend ourcertification to the warehouse area. Changing the fittings and protecting the bulbs was a biginvestment to meet this requirement. This is why we chose GlassGuard®fragment retention lampsas they offer a safer solution and provide an added-value investment.”GlassGuard®fragment retention lamps are treated with a technologically advanced coatingwhich, in the event of accidental breakage, retain all of the broken glass safely within the coating.8 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDesigned to improveefficiencies within allwarehouse environments;LocateIT WMS helpsmanufacturing companiesremain competitive intoday’s demandingmarkets.www.clydebuiltsolutions.comLooking to control costsand add value to yourbottom line?We have the solution.New rotaryturntable fromRedpackMaintaining their leading position asflow wrapping machine innovators,Redpack have designed an integral LazySuzy rotary turntable in place of theconventional conveyor outfeed.The new turntable combined withRedpacks latest NTS top seal flowwrapping machine has a combined footprint that saves in the region of 1 metre of valuable floorspace. The power supply, turntable controls, safety guarding and emergency stop are integratedwith the flow wrapping machine.According to Redpack: “Floor space is nearly always at a premium especially on HarvestingRigs and busy Packing areas. The new NTS/Lazy Suzy flowrapper saves floor space, gets rid oftrailing cable hazards and integrates operator control and emergency stop at the turntable.”04-11:Layout 1 27/8/13 14:07 Page 5Fast, precise and efficient:wenglor’s new handheld scannersWhetherprinted, needle-engraved, laseretched orembossed,wenglor’s newhandheldscanners capturedemanding 1Dand 2D codes innearly anyindustrialenvironment. Quick alignment and capturing of 1D and 2D codes with a practicalalignment tool is only one of the outstanding capabilities of the new rangeof Handheld Scanners. The FIS-HS21 and the FIS-HS41X also have a largescanning distance, which makes operation easy and convenient. Thescanning distance for all of the scanners from the new range lies between38 and 394 mm.For ease of operation, the readers are also equipped with a feedbacktool which stimulates three senses at once. After a code has beendeciphered, the scanner provides the user with immediate feedback in theform of vibration, an acoustic signal and visual indication.TCLdevelopsnew film forlettuceA technical team, led byTCL Packaging hasdeveloped a newpackaging film that meetsstrict criteria demanded ofchopped lettuce packerssupplying McDonald’s.The challenge, driven byMcDonald’s environmentalpolicy, was to move away from traditional PET/PE laminate films butcontinue to meet conditions for keeping iceberg lettuce fresh and ensuringpacks are easily opened. The ability to improve packing speeds was also arequirement.Part of the development work involved a number of subtle chemicalchanges and many trials of the film properties through the extrusionprocess. The outcome is a clear, recyclable, mono-layer PE-based materialwith easy peel properties. The film runs successfully at speed withouttemperature issues.The resulting film meets all the requirements of the McDonald’s supplychain and the brand’s commitment to renewable and recyclable packaging.Interest is already being expressed for this new product from lettuce andsalad packers.Food & Drink International 9www.fdiforum.netA Global Force in Rigid Plastic PackagingAll brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. ©2013 RPC Group Plc. All rights reserved. +44 (0)1933 416528 enquiries@rpc-group.com www.rpc-group.comBringing packaging to lifeFor packaging solutions that meet brand objectives and consumer expectations, let RPC’s design and manufacturing skills take full advantage of plastics’ versatility and flexibility to create high impact packs with user-friendly features that give your product the edge.04-11:Layout 1 27/8/13 14:07 Page 6Next >