< PreviousAI-based start-up launches AgTech solution to boost growth of high value coffee Demetria, the first AI-powered taste and quality intelligence SaaS start-up for the coffee supply chain, has unveiled a working application that identifies the successful reproduction of high value coffee seedlings. Tel Aviv-based Demetria has entered into a commercial agreement with Nespresso to deploy this solution having conducted a pilot, enabling the coffee brand to enhance operational capacity and efficiency by providing high quality coffee plants to farmers. Spearheading the transformation of the coffee industry, Demetria empowers producers and roasters with first-of-its-kind insights utilizing near infra-red sensor technology and AI-driven data intelligence. The company is launching a suite of SaaS-based solutions to deliver taste assessment and profiling of green coffee beans as well as swift, accurate quality measurement and traceability throughout the supply chain. 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net on line Cargill partners with vertical farming pioneer for cocoa production research Cargill has entered a multi-year research agreement with vertical farming pioneer AeroFarms to improve cocoa bean yields and developing more climate-resilient farming practices. This research collaboration brings together AeroFarms’ expertise in controlled environment agriculture, with Cargill’s extensive knowledge of cocoa agronomy and production practices. Together, the two organizations will experiment with different indoor growing technologies including aeroponics and hydroponics, light, carbon dioxide, irrigation, nutrition, plant space and pruning to identify the optimal conditions for cocoa tree growth. These findings will yield new insights, targeting factors such as faster tree growth and greater yields, accelerated development of varieties with enhanced pest and disease resistance, and unlocking the cocoa bean’s full flavour and colour potential. These outcomes will help secure the future supply of cocoa beans in the face of climate change. DS Smith exploring plans for seaweed paper and packaging DS Smith is exploring how seaweed fibres can be used as a raw material in paper and packaging products amid increasing demand for sustainable goods from customers and consumers alike. In an industry first, the move could see DS Smith use seaweed across its packaging network as an alternative fibre source to wood. Following initial testing, the company is also exploring the potential of seaweed to play a significant role in the purge on plastics by acting as a barrier coating to replace petroleum-based packaging used to protect many foodstuffs. DS Smith is talking to a number of biotechnology companies to explore the use of seaweed fibres in a range of packaging products such as cartons, paper wraps and cardboard trays. The seaweed project is part of DS Smith’s £100 million Circular Economy R&D programme announced earlier this year. Aker to build ‘world’s first’ krill protein pilot plant Norwegian krill harvesting and biotechnology company Aker BioMarine has commissioned GEA to design and deliver the world’s first pilot plant for hydrolysing krill protein. Aker BioMarine fishes for Antarctic krill — tiny shrimp-like crustaceans — and uses them to develop ingredients for functional foods, aquaculture and animal feed. Aker BioMarine is the only krill supplier that controls the entire supply chain from krill harvesting in Antarctic waters to a logistics centre in Montevideo to a krill oil production facility in Houston, USA. Slated to come online in late 2022, the new pilot plant will produce a highly concentrated protein isolate destined for food and beverages. The partners signed the engineering, procurement and construction contract valued in the double-digit million euro range in July 2021. “With GEA’s expertise in engineering plants for food ingredients, we look forward to starting operations in a highly innovative facility that will also house our research and innovation centre,” said Kees van de Watering, Vice President Process Engineering Aker BioMarine. © Shutterstock/Tarpan Meeting increased demand for convenience foods with dedicated line solutions Interfood Technology is the partner for Alco Food Machines, a German company that has been developing food processing solutions for over 40 years. Complete line solutions for convenience food production is a key focus for Alco, with Interfood working closely with a number of customers throughout the UK and Ireland to identify their specific needs and develop tailored lines accordingly. The Alco ACB cordon-bleu-slicer is designed specifically for products which require a precise incision to allow insertion of a filling. Depth and height adjustment of the blades ensures accuracy of cut for Kiev cutlets, grill pockets and butterfly cuts. Products can also be split into two halves, with minimal weight deviations between the upper and lower portions. Uniform product thickness is a key attribute of the Alco ASP flattener. This helps to ensure shorter cooking times, as well as producing a more consistent product quality through calibrated portions and a larger surface area. © Shutterstock/studio presence © Shutterstock/StockWithMe 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:18 Page 7Nush expands plant-based range as free-from demand grows Nush, the British producer of dairy-free and soya-free, live almond m*lk Yogs and Spreadable Ch*ese, has expanded its range of Yogs and epicurean potted desserts as part of its strategy to grow its share of the dairy free category in 2021. The first brand to launch nut m*lk yogurts in the UK, Nush is continuing its focus on innovation as it seeks to secure a bigger portion of the £148.2 million dairy free market. This summer the brand will expand its range of Yogs with a Mango & Passionfruit SKU and add a product to its new range of desserts with a Chocolate Fudge Pot variety. The new tropical Mango & Passionfruit Yog sharing pot will be available from Ocado from the August with an RRP of £2.99 for 350g. The new Nush Chocolate Fudge Pot is the second edition to join the Nush Dessert range, alongside the Chocolate Orange Pot and it will be available from Ocado from August with an RRP of £3.00 for 2x 75g pots. on the shelf Heartsease Farm sparkling pressé launches in cans Heartsease Farm, an award-winning range of sparking pressés made with Radnorshire spring water, has launched in cans. The new format, suitable for both on and off trade, is perfect as a premium soft drink, mocktail or cocktail mixer. The Heartsease Farm premium pressé range is part of Radnor Hills, one of the UK’s leading soft drink manufacturers. Heartsease Farm is lightly pasteurised to preserve quality, uses natural ingredients and real fruit juices. The new cans are available as 12 x 330ml cases. They are also available in two other fully recyclable sizes: in 330ml and 750ml glass bottles. There are four premium sparkling pressés: Wild Elderflower Pressé; Traditional Lemonade; Fiery Ginger Beer, and Raspberry Lemonade. Stockists include Ocado, Amazon and Radnor’s own Online Shop with an RRP of £1.50. The new slim design, premium cans are infinitely recyclable and sourced from less than 65 miles from the farm, which is a zero to landfill manufacturing site. Violife launches its first alternative vegan butter Violife has launched its first butter alternative, furthering the brand’s expansion beyond vegan cheese alternatives. The new Vioblock is a versatile vegan alternative to butter that is 100% plant based as well as containing vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12 and Folic Acid. The butter alternative is the beginning of a new venture for the brand, widening the product selection, and offering shoppers more choice. “Launching our first butter alternative Vioblock is a milestone moment for Violife as we look to expand our product offering further within the Dairy Alternatives category,” said Bianca Harris, UKI Marketing Manager for UK-based Violife. As well as being 100% vegan, the Vioblock is also free from dairy, soya, gluten, lactose nuts and preservatives. Violife’s new Vegan Vioblock is now available at Asda. Sleep Well’s oat drink listed exclusively in Holland & Barrett UK and Ireland stores Sleep Well’s new oat drink is now available in specialist health and wellness retailer, Holland & Barrett. From Aberdeen to Truro, Dublin to Brighton, the oat bedtime drink will be sold in nearly 800 stores and will also be available from Holland & Barrett’s website. Sleep Well was founded in response to the global issue of growing ‘sleep debt’. One of the company’s primary objectives is to encourage people to establish a proper bedtime routine, recognising the impact it has on how well you sleep. Drinking a warm, comforting bedtime drink is a valuable addition to this routine. The range of Sleep Well drinks use valerian as the active ingredient, which is proven to help people relax and enjoy a better night’s sleep. Available in 200ml cartons, Sleep Well can be drunk chilled or warmed in a mug, thirty minutes before you want to sleep. Arla launches new ingredient for high- protein, clean-label yoghurts Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new whey protein ingredient to help meet the growing demand for high-protein yogurts with health credentials and a premium positioning. Nutrilac FO-7875 allows manufacturers to develop yogurts (both spoonable and drinkable) with significantly higher protein content than typical products, which generally range from 5% to 9%, the company said. As well as enhancing health credentials, Nutrilac FO-7875 delivers a creamier and smoother texture, even in low-fat recipes, and does not increase viscosity. Furthermore, it does not require the addition of stabilizers, thus allowing cleaner labels. It was developed in response to growing demand for high-protein yogurt products, the global market for which has been forecast to grow at a CAGR of over 8% to 2030. Produced in Argentina, its arrival is particularly good news for South American producers, who will benefit from proximity and greater purchase flexibility. Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net © Shutterstock/Fortyforks 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:18 Page 812 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT “kitchen of the world” COVID-19 saw a trade slowdown in Thailand, particularly in the food manufacturing sector. Now the country is making strategic moves to grow exports. Promoting exports from the 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:21 Page 1Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © Shutterstock /chatnara Known as “the kitchen of the world” thanks to its abundant natural resources, year-round growing season, and low-cost labour force, food and agriculture are vital to Thailand. A country looking to bolster its food exports, Thailand continues to cement and promote its status as a world leading food producer, particularly as it seeks to strengthen the Thai economy - which has a major focus on tourism - after being beaten by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Department of International Trade Promotion is expecting food export growth for 2021 (7.1 per cent is anticipated after food exports dropped four per cent in 2020), with the start of the year placing ‘cassava’, ‘rice’, ‘fresh, chilled, frozen and dried fruit’, ‘processed chicken’, and ‘fresh, cold and frozen chicken’ as the top five agricultural product exports. Further, the top five agro- industrial product exports were ‘canned and processed seafood’, ‘wheat and other processed food’, ‘pet food’, ‘drink’, and ‘canned and processed fruits’. The country’s strict safety measures bode well for food export growth in the wake of coronavirus, while the new ‘Thailand Deliver with Safety’ campaign is expanding confidence in countries importing Thai food products, Thai halal food, and is increasing the value of Thai food exports. The goal is to make buyers and importers recognise that Thailand remains a high-quality food producer that ensures COVID-19 safety with strong potential as a major global market exporter. The Department of International Trade Promotion has collaborated with related government agencies and private sectors to adjust its strategies by highlighting food production safety, as Thai food manufacturers and business operators adopt the global 14 Á 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:21 Page 214 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT standards and COVID-19 Prevention Best Practice in every step of the production process. In particular, the Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives and Ministry of Interior have joined forces in ensuring the compliance of COVID-19 Prevention Best Practice in food production for export through Certification of Compliance with COVID-19. In addition, food exports are set to be boosted by the now weaker baht. This of course does not mean the country is facing zero challenges. Where fresh fruit exports (primarily durian, pineapple, mango, and longan) have withstood the pandemic for example, showing 42.2 per cent growth in the first half of 2021 with China the leading export market, the Thai Rice Exporters Association is working to re- establish the place of one of its crucial exports, rice, of which 1.45 million tonnes was exported in the first four months of 2021, below a two million tonnes target. The higher cost of Thai rice and improving quality of rice from other countries has been pointed to as the reason for missing this target. To make the country more competitive, then, and regain its spot as the world’s largest rice exporter, new rice varieties are being sought, while the weak baht and thus now more competitive Thai rice prices (in comparison to India and Vietnam) are set to prop up rice exports for the remainder of the year, with hopes of reaching a six million tonnes target. This price drop alongside a bigger harvest is, according to the Department of Foreign Trade, already boosting the export of Thai rice to Malaysia, which has had a poor local harvest, and in a government-to- government deal, China agreed to purchase 20,000 tonnes of white rice from Thailand, delivered in June and July. Concurrently, Thailand continues its ‘Think Rice, Think Thailand’ campaign. Adding to export promotion in the pandemic, the Commerce Ministry is focusing on virtual trade exhibitions and online business matching. At a recent Department of International Trade Promotion online business- matching event (in July), featuring companies from Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam, Singapore, the Philippines, China, Taiwan, Japan, and India, Thai agricultural cooperatives secured export deals worth 79.46 million baht (US$2.41 million). Thai jasmine rice, white rice, milk tablets, dairy products, and processed beef products were 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:21 Page 3Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT amongst the main items ordered, and organic products were showcased to respond to high international demand as consumers become more health focused. Impeding export growth however are container shortages, high and rising freight costs - especially when supplying to the US and EU - and a lack of migrant workers as strict border controls and quarantines strike labour migration. Food and crops, such as key exports rice and tapioca, are being impacted strongly by expensive freight costs, as though their value is relatively cheap, they are heavy, and Thai exporters are being advised to book advanced shipping space to minimise risks. As well as this, rising COVID-19 outbreaks in factories continue to hinder food production and export. Indeed the food sector was reported to be the hardest-hit industry in Thailand, where between April and July ninety- nine factories were affected. Setting out a brighter future for Thailand, the country has recently agreed to resume negotiations on a free trade agreement with the EU, following the collapse of talks in 2014. If a deal is completed, Thai exporters would benefit from lower tariffs. Simultaneously Thailand and Canada have agreed to strengthen trade and investment, with the former calling on the latter to support more Thai restaurants, to promote greater awareness and consumption of Thai ingredients, and support more Thai food imports, such as rice, processed seafood, and fresh and frozen fruit. Moreover, in March, the UK and Thailand committed to further bolstering trade and investment ties through a new joint trade dialogue. The Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) is the UK’s first new JETCO in ten years and offers a significant new opportunity to improve bilateral trade, including by addressing market access barriers affecting UK business activity in Thailand. This follows a Joint Trade Review (JTR) which was carried out by the UK and Thai governments over the last year to explore opportunities to increase trade and investment in each other’s countries and identify priority sectors to advance their trading relationship. The JTR identified agriculture, food and drink, financial services, healthcare, and tech as priority sectors on the UK side. Key goods exported to Thailand include power generating equipment and motor cars, parts, and accessories. © Shutterstock /jantima14 © Shutterstock /MIA Studio 12-15.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:21 Page 416 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT The issue is perhaps most keenly felt when it comes to lubricants. Now, however, developers and suppliers of speciality food grade lubricants are releasing products that comply with regulators, such as the Food and Drug Administration in the US, whilst also offering superior functionality and performance. This allows manufacturers to comply with regulators whilst also saving on time and money. Selecting lubricants needn’t be an exercise in settling for mediocrity or choosing the lesser of two evils. Now manufacturers have a win-win situation to hand. The importance of lubricants in the production line can’t be overstated. There’s a dizzying array of moving parts that could stick, slow down or fail altogether. While lubricants play a critical role, these parts and components themselves are of equal importance. After all, one can’t expect to make a superior food product using subpar ingredients. Therefore, © Shutterstock /Vladimir Nenezic Fit for purpose As with any mechanised process, a machine needs servicing and maintenance. A neglected machine can lead to poor performance and lower throughput – both of which can eat into a company’s profits and operating times. The trouble is, often manufacturers have no choice but to put up with these drawbacks in order to comply with government safety and environmental regulations. 16-20.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:40 Page 1Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT SICK’s mini InspectorP611 packs in machine vision power SICK has launched an ultra-compact and ultra-powerful all-in-one 2D vision sensor, the InspectorP611, which can be set up rapidly to conduct highly-reliable inline machine vision inspections even in the tightest of machine spaces, or when mounted on robot arms. With the SICK InspectorP611 2D vision sensor and pre-installed Quality Inspection SensorApp, users rapidly configure inline inspection, part localisation and measurement tasks to run automatically on the device. Small enough to be mounted right where it is needed inside a machine, the InspectorP611 is ideal for many in-line food processing, packaging and bottling applications, especially where finer details need to be measured, verified or inspected. Tiny and lightweight, it can also be mounted on robot arms to provide real-time quality checks and positioning tasks such as inserting small bottles into cartons. To find out more, visit www.sick.co.uk. manufacturers need to take the time to research and compare different parts available to them. Precision gears and drives, for example, aren’t all created equally. By the same rationale, the most expensive option won’t necessarily be the best. We live in age of endless customisation, but food manufacturers have long known the virtues of customising their equipment. So while they might have purchased such-and- such machine, they can enhance and augment its capabilities by replacing some of the gears and drives inside with more advanced alternatives. There’s a huge diversity of different components at play during the production process, either gears whirling in their machines, or sleeves, fluid transfer couplings, tubing and pumps to transfer and contain food and beverage products during various stages of their manufacture. There are so many specialities within the food and drink sector – from soups, snacks © Shutterstock /bit mechanic 18 Á 16-20.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:40 Page 218 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT © Shutterstock /Gumpanat Yamato Scale Dataweigh helps Natures Way Foods create Europe’s largest salad production facility Yamato Scale has completed the installation of bespoke multihead weighers and checkweigher / metal detector combi machines for Natures Way Foods at its Selsey plant in West Sussex, making it the largest bagged salad factory in Europe. Due to a continued rise in demand for its fresh bagged salads, Natures Way has continued to invest and extend its factory in Selsey with the installation of 15 new production lines. Natures Way Food’s salad facility now has a total of 25 production lines, 23 of which use Yamato multihead weighers (8 Sigma and 15 Omega series) and 25 with Yamato checkweigher/metal detection combi systems (19 of the I-Series machines and six existing G-Series). The six existing G-Series are being replaced with new I Series in June 2021. The equipment, commissioned in January 2021, will help Natures Way grow its capacity and reputation as a specialist supplier of bagged salads, leafy salad bowls, and food-to-go products. To find out more, visit www.yamatoscale.co.uk. and sandwiches, to sport hydration drinks and artisanal breads – that the machinery and equipment needed to create and process them are equally as far-reaching. There’s a vastness in the different products and their textures, viscosities and production needs and often this occurs under the same roof – especially when it comes to some of the biggest players in the industry. Often, it’s not a case of replacing the whole machine, but rather one of two components. To this end, there are a slew of suppliers that specialise in providing spare parts and components. For a manufacturer, even one faulty component can lead to unwanted downtime. You need a supplier that either stocks the part you need or can quickly order it in. It’s all a matter of minimising downtime here, so a quick expert installation is also paramount, whether this is done by staff in-house or by external specialists. For smaller companies and those that are just starting out, used machinery can be a great option and a real lifeline. The thing to bear in mind here is sourcing from a reputable supplier as they will be safety checked, quality assured and will likely have reviews from other manufacturers. The machines themselves will be rigorously tested and be up to modern operational standards, meaning you can put your faith in their functionality and ability. As these can be integrated into existing lines, it’s not uncommon for manufacturers to have newer machines alongside older, refurbished ones. These machines rarely exist independently and will instead be part of a wider production line linked together with chutes, pumps and, of course, conveyor systems. From chain conveyors to belt conveyors, there’s a conveyor to suit the needs of every food producer and production process. Though many of them operate in much the same way, they all perform a variety of functions, from bringing in raw ingredients to be cleaned and processes, to delivering the finished packaged product to be loaded onto trucks. There’s no one-kind-fits-all approach when it comes to conveyors, so it’s important to understand one’s needs and find the appropriate solution. Wet and dry processes required different kinds of conveyors, and you certainly wouldn’t use the same conveyor needed for raw meat for the 16-20.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:40 Page 3Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net MACHINERY AND EQUIPMENT SPOTLIGHT The most intelligent progressive cavity pump in the world Through Industry 4.0 technology, SEEPEX has refined its range of progressive cavity pumps to introduce the pump generation of the future now. The unique patented SCT AutoAdjust technology in combination with SEEPEX digital solutions enables remote adjustment to maintain pump performance at the optimal operating point without onsite manual intervention. SCT AutoAdjust is the next evolutionary step of Smart Conveying Technology (SCT), an ease of maintenance design launched over 10 years ago to simplify and speed up maintenance removing the need for dismantling the suction or discharge pipework. Remote adjustment with one click The integration of SEEPEX digital solutions with SCT AutoAdjust enables such adjustment to be made remotely from the pump, through the SEEPEX Pump Monitor and SEEPEX Connected Services. This reduces the need for onsite manual intervention and time-consuming trips to pumps installed in remote, inaccessible locations or large complex sites. All with just one click and without the need for special tools or replacement of components, SCT AutoAdjust enables the pump’s efficiency to be restored remotely and adapt to changes in process conditions. The power of digital SEEPEX digital solutions incorporating the SEEPEX Pump Monitor and Connected Services enable predictive and forward planned maintenance to increase resilience, process and asset uptime, and facilitate on time spare parts availability. Summary of benefits • Ability to maintain pump performance and efficiency remotely • Predictive maintenance through monitoring and advanced analytics • Forward planned maintenance • Reduced reactive maintenance • Increased uptime T: +44 (0) 1935 472376 / E: sales.uk@seepex.com www.seepex.com transportation of fruit and vegetables now, would you? As with the introduction of any new machine or component, it’s important to minimise disruption and extended periods of downtime. For that reason, ensuring that a new conveyor system can be easily assembled and integrated into an existing production line is paramount. Although newer more efficient machinery and components can result in major cost-savings for manufacturers, they can also save them money. If an employee was coating a company money, that employee would likely be let go. Why, therefore, would a machine that is costing a company, rather than making it money, be allowed to continue as it is in the production line? Regular maintenance and, should the need arise, replacing components or whole machines or systems, can result in significant cost savings. Low operating costs are obviously advantageous as there’s no good installing innovative equipment only for your operating spend to increase. This is a danger that can befall food producers who have invested in new machinery only to find that the operating costs are greater than they were previously used to – or had budgeted for. There are numerous reasons why a manufacturer would want to replace or update their existing machinery and equipment, as we’ve already explored. Among the most important, however, is to meet higher food safety standards and to help protect workers. These are not luxuries and any machinery and equipment offers that cannot meet these are not worth one’s time. Fortunately, there are plenty of expert suppliers out there ready and waiting for your business. 16-20.qxp_Layout 1 25/08/2021 10:40 Page 4Next >