< PreviousFaerch Plast to revolutionise meatpackagingFaerch Plast Ltd has introducedMAPET II mono packaging, which is setto compete against containers producedfrom multi-layer materials. With better potential to be sorted andrecycled, Faerch Plast is calling on theplastics recycling industry to backMAPET II as the new industry standard.Designed primarily for manufacturingtrays for meat and poultry, it has thesame properties as multi-layer materials,but is produced from just one substrate,MONO amorphous polyethyleneterephthalate or MAPET, which offersbetter sealability than its predecessor.Traditionally the meat industry hasused trays produced from multi-layer orlaminated materials. Faerch Plastwanted to develop a new type of trayproduced from a single material with better clarity to meet consumer trendto assess quality and integrity of food products prior to purchase. The trayhas the ability to be sealed that was similar to laminates.Revolutionary new linerless label applicatorlaunchedAdvanced Labelling Systems Ltddemonstrated a new linerlesslabelling module for the popularALS 204 and ALS 206/256 labelapplicators, allowing Catchpointlinerless labels to be applied at fullproduction speeds at this year’sPPMA Show.Developed by Catchpoint Ltd, it isa new way of labelling without a backing liner requiring no cut to separate. Each label isdefined by a pattern of micro perforations - “catch-points” allowing labels to be separated fromthe reel at speed, but in a controlled manner. Previous methods of linerless labelling haverequired labels to be dispensed, then cut and applied – a cycle too slow for most requirements. Labels are applied directly to the product without the need for compressed air, vacuum pads or complex change-parts when swapping to different sizes.Using no hazardous cutting knives, it is safer to use, more reliable and is compact for ease of integration.10www.fdiforum.netPrint-apply labellers set durability recordAfter almost twenty years in service, thelast of six 1992 vintage Logopak print-apply case labelling machines are beingreplaced at convenience foodmanufacturer Symington’s, Leeds.“A service life of 12-15 years is quitecommon for Logopak print-applymachines, but the extended life obtainedby Symington’s is a record and alsoreflects the consistent maintenance fromthe company’s in-house engineeringteam,” says Logopak sales directorHoward Jagger.The old Logopak 806 case labellers -among the first of their kind to be built are being phased out and replaced with Logopak’s newstate-of-the-art 515 machines, able to provide higher speeds as well as networking and self-diagnostic facilities.Symington’s now produces a major brands including Campbell’s dry products, Quashpowdered drinks, and Aunt Bessie’s mixes as well as own label sauces and soups for principalretailers.Castell forges new partnership withKempstonControlsCastell SafetyInternational has formeda new and exclusivedistribution partnershipwith KempstonControls, a leadingspecialist distributor ofelectrical and electroniccomponents. Kempston has over seventy years’ experience supplyingOEMs, panel builders and end users throughout the UK.Castell’s full range of trapped key interlocks is now available fromKempston, with a selected range held in stock for immediate order fulfilment.The new partnership makes the dramatically reduced lead times deliveredby Castell’s unique end-coding manufacturing process available through aUK distribution channel for the first time.In order that the partnership offer maximum customer benefit, bothcompanies have been focused on ensuring that the correct training andknowledge transfer has taken place.Symon Winch, Castell’s European sales manager, says, “The processesKempston has in place deliver a high level of customer service, which in turnwill provide even greater value to customers wanting to buy Castell products.”Ishida solution helps openup new snack opportunityIshida Europe has developed a versatile mix-weighingsolution for Benelux frozen snacks company Ad vanGeloven for the introduction of Funmix, a range ofmixed snacks that offer consumers the added value ofvariety within a single pack. The product is packed in an attractive stand-up bagto create maximum impact in glass-fronted freezercabinets. For consumer convenience, the bag is alsoresealable. In order to ensure that every pack containsthe same number of each variety the company selectedan Ishida multihead weigher in a four mix version. As well as delivering the new Mora mixture range intotwo different types of bag, the weigher also handlessingle products at high speed and has the facility toweigh mixtures of the company’s other brands intowindowed boxes. The Ishida solution adopted at Ad vanGeloven’s Tilburg factory is based around thecompany’s 20-head advanced R Series weigher. 10:Layout 1 14/9/12 12:47 Page 1Soft’r Melting in donutsConsumers are looking for products that bringmore pleasure in eating. “American style” donuts,for example, are becoming increasingly popular inEurope. Consumers also want fresh products all daylong. To help producers to satisfy these consumerdemands, Puratos has developed Soft’r Meltingtechnology.Soft’r Melting is an ingredient system based ondifferent bakery enzymes, offering a uniquecombination of four key texture properties – idealsoftness, high moistness without gumminess,excellent resilience and short bite. Donuts with Soft’rMelting technology stay fresher much longer thanordinary donuts found in the market. This results ina longer logistic shelf life and allows producers to reach more customers and provide donuts with the desiredquality.Puratos’ Soft’r Melting technology has been included in a range of improvers and mixes for sweet bread. Theyare readily available for donut producers wanting to offer superior quality and freshness to their customers.www.fdiforum.net11RPC shares amoment withThorntonsRPC Containers Blackburn and Halsteadare supplying a bespoke jar and lid as aChristmas gift pack for Thorntons’ premiumtwist wrap brand Moments.The 600g PET jar, conceived byThorntons in conjunction with RPC Design,echoes the look of a traditional cookie jar tocreate on-shelf differentiation. The jar hasbeen designed to rest at a 45° degree anglemaking the opening more accessible. Theblack polypropylene cap from RPCHalstead features a colourful label and there are also labels in two recessed panels at eitherside, supplied by Thornton Print and applied on line by RPC Blackburn.A unique feature of the jar is that it is stackable in this angled position, enabling Thorntons tomaximise in-store display, with pallets of the product positioned near entrances. To enable thejars to stack correctly, a recess in the base and a raised area on the top has been integratedinto the design.Biggest year of category innovation from Schwartz2012 is the biggest year of innovation for herbs andspices brand Schwartz and sees the launch of a new,iconic brand architecture, designed to harmonise thebrand identity across the whole product portfolio.Prior to the re-brand each Schwartz product rangeworked in a different manner, meaning there was nointuitive way of navigating the brand and fixtures.Research by ID Magasin, TNS revealed shoppers“over-invest” time at the herbs and spice fixture, with the average time spent per shopper being over a minute. This said, 7% of shoppers who planned apurchase walked away from the fixture empty handed, mainly because they found it too difficult to find whatthey were looking for.To unite the portfolio and give the brand a clear identity, a master-brand design has been created givingsynergy to all Schwartz products in the various ranges. Shoppers can clearly identify variants within acommon framework, with category segmentation for Recipe Mixes according to the main ingredient used inthe recipe and in herbs and spices by the main product family. The aim is to simplify navigation and increasecross-purchasing across the wide and varied portfolio of herbs, spices, seasonings, recipe and sauce mixes.The new brand identity itself is a blend of overlapping ellipses designed to represent the idea of blendingflavours. On pack, the identity extends to form a holding device that changes to reflect the personality andproduct differentiation between and within ranges, but always holds the name of the product to allowconsumers to choose the correct product quickly and easily from the fixture. Notably, the food imagery onpack has moved from the table to the kitchen, capturing the ‘cooking moment’ and cementing Schwartz’srole as a partner in creating delicious dishes every day.“New wave” pack makesan impressionRPC Bebo Plastik has created a distinctive newmargarine tub with a curved lid for the launch of thenew Lätta Light margarine.Manufacturer Unilever required an eye-catching newlook for the pack to create maximum on-shelf impactand emphasise the lightness and airy-whippedcharacter of the product. The wavy lid designrepresented a challenge for the printing as the heightof the rim varies from around 3mm up to 12mm. As aresult distortion of the design during printing had to becarefully controlled to ensure a clear and sharp imageon the final pack.RPC’s technical teams used their longstandingexperience in pre-printing to achieve the desired effectwhile maintaining fast and efficient production speeds.The tub and lid are printed in six colours. Both featurethe traditional and popular multi-coloured Lätta logowith a distinctive silvery background for the tub and acontrasting pure translucent background for the lid.11:Layout 1 14/9/12 12:50 Page 1New routes to success12www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTWith fuel prices coming underthe spotlight across theworld, it’s certainly nosurprise that more and morecompanies are reviewing theirdistribution procedures to serveinternational clients. Research by theFreight Transport Association showsheavy goods vehicle operating costs forthe freight industry have reached an all-time high. In the twelve months to April2012, increases in diesel alone pushed thecost of running a 44 tonne articulatedvehicle up by the equivalent of £1900 peryear.Hence, many are looking towards amore multimodal approach which canoffer huge energy and efficiency savings.The introduction of multimodal logisticscan certainly make a difference. In theUK, PD Ports has seen its containervolumes rise despite the global economicdownturn and believes its promotion ofthe portcentric concept has contributedsignificantly to its success. The conceptinvolves establishing distribution centresand importing goods through ports closerto the final customer.Unpacking, storing and picking goodsat the port for onward delivery to storesdirectly benefits the supply chain atmultiple levels. By eliminating road milestravelled from southern ports todistribution centres often based in theMidlands and the North, theenvironmental footprint and fuelconsumption of the entire supply chain isreduced.It certainly seems to be the case thatmany businesses are unaware of thealternative solutions available – a greatexample being the E20 trading route,which its estimated has an economy within excess of £120 billion. The privatesector-led E20 Route campaign is aimingto generate new economic growth on the1700km Northern European route fromLimerick in Ireland to St Petersburg inRussia. Designated as an internationaltrade route by the UN, it offers vast newpotential with the expansion of the EUacross the Baltic States bordering Russia.The inaugural E20 Europeanconference was hosted by the Universityof Hull’s Logistics Institute last monthand promoted the aims of the campaignto strengthen existing tradingrelationships and create new partnershipsto improve market access to the 127million-strong population on the E20.One of the main focuses of the campaignis to illustrate the excellent resources thatalready exist and, at a time whenspending is being cut is almost everysector, provide cost-effective options forbusinesses. A particular aim is the needto develop connecting sea corridorsbetween the UK and Denmark, andSweden and Estonia, which wouldcertainly be of great value for the foodand drink industry where speed is of theessence.A further benefit for food and drinkcompanies making use of portcentricfacilities is that focused distribution canensure potential legislative problems areavoided and specific needs can be cateredfor. DB Schenker, for example, hasrecently pooled its ocean freight solutionsto make them more suitable for thespecific needs of the beverage industry.They make use of logistics centresspecifically designed to meet to theunique needs of the beverage industry interms of interim storage and demand-based commissioning.The issue of legislation is a topical oneNew routes to successAs fuel prices become more of a burden, new logistics ideas offera speedy and secure supply chain for importers and exporters12-14:Layout 1 14/9/12 12:53 Page 1IMPORT AND EXPORTwww.fdiforum.net13with increased concentration on securityand safety. One issue is AEOaccreditation. With moves to beginaligning Customs practices across Europe,companies that comply with the AEOcriteria will be best placed to benefit. Forexample, in mainland Europe, shippersand importers benefiting from Customsprocedures such as IPR and OPR arerequired to provide financial guarantees –except for companies with AEO status.In some nations this will be a major issueas this certainly isn’t uniform acrossEurope. Indeed, recent figures suggestonly about 250 UK companies reachAEO status, compared to around tentimes that in Germany, and the UK alsolags behind the likes of Sweden andPoland which have far fewer companies. AEO is still the WCO’s gold standardfor security and simplified Customsprocedures, and companies can reinforcethis by continuing to invest in securityhardware and systems, such as the latestX-ray equipment for scanning wholepallets. Making use of facilities that reachthe standard ensure that paperwork iskept to a minimum as it can prove thatmany of the requirements bygovernments and retailers alike arealready met.Other qualifications and accreditationscan also ensure that the supply chainreaches the highest standards. PD Ports,for example, has recently been awardedthe ISO 14001 EnvironmentalManagement Systems certification, oneof the first UK ports businesses to do so.In their work towards gaining thecertification they were guided andadvised by international environmentalconsultancy Environ, who providedsupport throughout the implementationprocess, starting with a gap analysis,drafting procedures, training employeesand undertaking legal complianceevaluations. After this success, the plan isto move towards achieving cost savingsand reducing carbon emissions throughbetter energy and resource efficiency.With portcentric logistics provingincreasingly popular, the FreightTransport Association has launched aninteractive map of UK commercial portfacilities. The map, launched at therecent Freight by Water Conference onTeesside, is aimed at enabling potentialusers of ports such as shippers, hauliersand logistics companies, to more easilyassess the short-sea shipping optionsavailable to them. The map is searchableby almost forty commodities or byparticular ports.FTA’s Head of Supply Chain PolicyChristopher Snelling says, “Potentialusers tell us that greater visibility of theoptions would be helpful in makingshort-sea and coastal shipping easier tostart examining. This is particularly truewhere decisions about supply chains aremade by people not based in the UK.This map is another step in making thatprocess easier.”Those exporting goods to new marketscertainly need to be aware of thelegislation that exists across the world. Inthe USA, for example, the new bi-annualFDA registration requirement for foreignand domestic food facilities imposed bythe Food Safety Modernisation Act takeseffect this October. This demands thatforeign and domestic food producers toregister their facility every two years withFDA, rather than just once. Benjamin England of FDAImports14 PD Ports has recently beenawarded the ISO 14001Environmental ManagementSystems certification, one of thefirst UK ports businesses to do soThe E20 starts in StPetersburg and campaignersare aiming to improve thequality and awareness of thepan-European route12-14:Layout 1 14/9/12 12:53 Page 214www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTsays, “The impact of a food facilityregistration suspension becomes moresevere when you consider how manydifferent food products are manufacturedin any one food facility. Under this newauthority, if any one product causes areasonable health risk in the eyes ofFDA, then FDA can prevent the importof any food product from that facility’sentire product line.“If foreign food companies fail torenew, the FDA will automaticallysuspend their registrations and they willnot be able to ship to the USA. If you arethe domestic importer and distributor ofa foreign processed food and you packed,received or held such food knowing ofthe risks of adverse health consequencesassociated with that food, FDA may goafter your registration as well.”Happily, exporting experts can providevaluable information on the requirementsfor companies looking to target newmarkets – both in transporting theproducts and making sure they’reaccepted on arrival.12-14:Layout 1 14/9/12 12:53 Page 3Let us do thetalking…www.fdiforum.net the voice of the Food and Drink industryINTERNATIONALFood&DrinkFood&Drink15:Layout 1 14/9/12 12:53 Page 1Corrugated tube heat exchangers Scraped surface heat exchangersTurnkey processing plants Plate Heat Exchangers Piston PumpsTube in tubeTriple tubeMulti tubeScraped surface PlateFOOD SYSTEMS:HRS is able to combine its products into complete processing plants.Thanks to our experience of over 20 years in the market we can offer ourcustomers a wide range of modular system solutions, suitable for the mostcommon scenarios.The core of the system solution that HRS offers is the thermal treatmentsection: any kind of heat exchanger combination can be used for obtaining the best result for the pasteurisation or sterilisation process. Theheat treatment sections can be combined with other process steps such ashomogenisation and deaeration. Efficient system integration of pumps,tanks, heat exchangers, aseptic fillers, piping, controls and other equipment lead to complete solutions for the food processing industry.The HRS scraped surface evaporator forconcentration of environmental waste aswell as juices, fruit and other food productsContact Michael Adkins at HRS for more informationT: 01923 232335 michael.adkins@hrs.co.uk www.hrs.co.ukENVIRONMENTAL WASTE EVAPORATION-CONCENTRATION:Evaporation is an effective way of reducing the impact of environmentalwaste. It is a Thermal process where energy is invested to separate waterfrom the effluent, thus reducing its volume. The evaporated water, whencondensed, can be reused again. In environmental processing the effluentis often a fouling substance. Normal Evaporators would have a limited operation time between stops for cleaning. HRS has overcome this problemby applying the Unicus scraped surface evaporator. The scraped surface means constant removal of fouling which maintains theconstant evaporation capacity. The Unicus can evaporate to very high levelsof concentration.www.digestateprocessing.cominfo@digestateprocessing.comHRS Heat Exchangers offers a wide range of heat exchangers for hygienic processing in the food industry:16-25:Layout 1 14/9/12 15:50 Page 115 YEAR ANNIVERSARYwww.fdiforum.net17Certainly the industry is muchchanged since the magazinewas first published in 1997 –increased legislation and newtechnology has led to radical changes inthe make-up of food processing facilitiesand the work that is carried out withinthem.Whereas before companies had tostraddle the conflicting aims of highquality and speedy production, bothaspects are now certainly assured inalmost every instance. Consumer powerhas also become a major factor in theindustry, too – the amount of productsavailable on the supermarket shelveshave increased hugely in recent yearswith the accent being on choice, so it’sincreasingly important to stand out fromthe crowd. In the last few years, too, therise of social media has led to companieshaving a far closer relationship with theirconsumers, who are quick to point outissues with their products.Yet despite this changing landscape,many of the major names in the food anddrink industry remain the major playersthey were back in 1997. This is thanks inpart to increased consolidation andcertainly some of the familiar names fromthe nineties now live on in substantiallydifferent form – Kraft’s controversialtakeover of Cadbury being one of themost famous news stories of the pastfifteen years. However many othercompanies have continued to excelthanks to their ability to innovate andoffer new solutions to meet bothconsumers’ and manufacturers’ changingrequirements.A year to remember1997 brought about two major piecesof legislation that continue to play amajor role in the food and drink sector.The EU’s Novel Foods Regulation cameinto force that year, and set 15th May asthe date before which a food that did nothave a significant history of consumptionwithin the EU would require a pre-market safety assessment before adecision is made. At a time when cloningwas making the news – with Dolly theSheep hitting the headlines this had theresult of meaning that meat, milk andeggs from cloned animals had to beapproved by all EU member states.Products developed using nanotechnologyalso fall under the regulation.18 Backto thefutureFood & Drink International isfifteen years old this month– but how has the industrychanged since issue one?The Food & Drink Internationalteam - Nikki Logan, Becky Robertshaw and Sam Trott16-25:Layout 1 14/9/12 15:50 Page 218www.fdiforum.net15 YEAR ANNIVERSARYFifteen years on, the continued enforcement of the regulationhas often been debated and there was much uproar last yearwhen talks on the review of this regulation broke down. Theproposal was that the European Food Safety Authority wouldtake over the role of reviewing the ingredients rather thandemanding prior ratification by member states – potentiallycutting down the length of the process to be cut from the thirtymonths or so it currently takes to somewhere nearer twelvemonths.Unfortunately the decision over how cloned food would bereviewed – and specifically whether food produced by theoffspring would count – could not be made, leading to majormanufacturers including Unilever suggesting the failure to alterthe regulation would have a major impact on research anddevelopment in the sector.Nanotechnology is certainly considered by some as offering amajor benefit to improving the shelf life of products, so itsdevelopment over the next few years is likely to be a major storyin the industry. The challenge for companies is communicatingits benefits to a consumer base less enthusiastic than ever beforeabout food that is seen to have undergone extensive chemicalprocesses. Certainly while much of the innovation intonanotechnology has taken place in the UK, companies in the FarEast have been leading in terms of actually getting the productson the shelves.The other notable legislation to be introduced in 1997 was theUK’s Packaging Waste Regulations, and since then theimportance of environmentally friendly packaging cannot beoverestimated. Those regulations were in response to the EUPackaging Directive and placed the responsibility for therecycling packaging on everyone in the supply chain, fromproducers to retailers. That’s an issue that has concentratedA new mobile measuring system from Boschgives manufacturers a quick overview of OverallEquipment Effectiveness – an illustration of thetechnology introduced across the sector16-25:Layout 1 14/9/12 15:50 Page 315 YEAR ANNIVERSARYwww.fdiforum.net19minds and packaging now takesup a huge amount of time andresources to find the mosteffective and efficient format.Across Europe, furtherregulations in the past few yearshave had an impact on thepackaging available. In Germanythe Doesnpfand was extended in2006 – the can deposit law thataimed to encourage retailers andsuppliers to recover moreunwanted packaging. Since all softdrinks are now covered by thelaw, many retailers and producersfind the obligations sounappealing to have to enforcethat they have completely givenup on using cans for someproducts completely. Meanwhile the UK’s devolved governmentsin Wales and Northern Ireland now require retailers to chargefor plastic bags in the hope of discouraging their use – andpotentially encouraging manufacturers to create new packagingthat’s more convenient for customers to carry home on its own.Other changes to packaging have come about due to increasedlegislation on what information has to be included on a label,leading to redesigns of familiar packaging to allow for more spaceand clearer presentation. The streamlining of the supply chainhas also seen many retailers displaying goods straight from thepallet they arrived on – ensuring safety and security of theproduct and cutting down on the time spent transferring goodsonto the shelves. The introduction of more effective containersand pallets – which are easier to manipulate but still strong – hasbeen particularly beneficial in this regard.Companies such as Kliklok have helped to illustrate the newpackaging approach. The UK company held a series of OpenDays in September, showcasing their range of automaticpackaging machines to major food producers. Among theequipment being demonstrated was Kliklok’s Collating RoboticLoader and Race Track system, fully integrated with their SFRend load cartoner, automatically picking, grouping and packingcollations of flow wrapped cereal bars at up to 150 cartons perminute.Rise of roboticsA familiar fixture of predictions of the future is that ofincreased automation – in all walks of life. Yet while we stilldon’t have robot butlers, the food and drink industry hasembraced automation to a great extent. Many jobs that fifteenyears ago could only have been carried out manually, such asdealing with very delicate ingredients, have now been contractedto robots. What is true, though, is that some nations have beenmuch slower in introducing automation – China, South Koreaand Asian markets, plus Germany, have the largest density ofrobots while other nations, most obviously the UK, lag farbehind. However in the UK robot sales figures for 2011 showedthe food and drink industry increased their numbers by 205%year on year.The food and drink industry has certainly undergone changein the past fifteen years – but the high standards throughout theindustry remain, and the amount of research and developmenttaken place in all sectors should ensure its major companiescontinue to excel and new businesses bring fantastic new ideasto the table. The fast-moving industry is likely to move evenfaster in the future.Aetna have been at the forefront of packaging automation with machines such astheir Dimac St@r One machine capable of 30ppmConsumers have become more andmore interested in organic produceYOURPRINTPARTNERINPUBLICATIONSTMG:HDUHGHOLJKWHGWREHWKHFKRVHQSULQWSDUWQHURI)RRG 'ULQN,QWHUQDWLRQDODQGZLVK%XVLQHVV/LQN0DJD]LQH*URXSHYHU\VXFFHVVIRUWKHIXWXUHPDJD]LQHVOFDWDORJXHVOVXSSOHPHQWVO\HDUERRNVVKRZGDLOLHVOGLUHFWRULHVOH[KLELWLRQSURJUDPPHVZZZPDQVRQJURXSFRXN16-25:Layout 1 14/9/12 15:50 Page 4Next >