< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPACKAGINGKite Packaging launchplastic container rangeKite Packaging,one of the UK’sleading packagingdistributors, supply arange of uniquereturnable plasticcontainers, designedto solve handling andlogistic problemswithin the supplychain for a widerange of industries.The range focuseson increasing loadstability, reducingpackaging waste, increasing vehicle fill, reducing labour, transportand consumable costs and increasing efficiency throughout industrysupply chains.Consisting of a range of attached lid containers,stackable/nestable containers and pallet containers, these versatile,robust and reusable products are suitable for a wide range ofindustries. The ideal solution for reusable or multi-trip packagingrequirements, the range provides efficient handling and storage. Theinnovative lid design allows the lids to secure in a vertical line,meaning no lid overhang.Available in a range of sizes and strengths, the attached lidcontainers work well as a standalone product, however, are alsoimpressive as part of a modular system. For more information, visit www.kitepackaging.co.ukNorway-headquartered institute for applied research withinthe fields of fisheries, aquaculture and food research, hastaken this a step further with the introduction of CO2. Byreplacing the moisture absorbing with a CO2 emitter, alonger shelf life can be achieved. When moisture from thefood comes into contact with the emitter, it emits CO2,inhibiting bacterial growth so that the sell by date can beextendedAdland Hansen of Nofima says: “Today, there areessentially two different packages for perishable foods. Oneis the vacuum package, where all the air is removed. Thismakes the storage climate anaerobic. The other type ofpackage is called Modified atmosphere packaging,abbreviated to MAP. Here, the air around the product isreplaced with a packaging gas. The most common packaginggas is a mixture of CO2 (carbon dioxide) and nitrogen.”Tests carried out by Nofima show that the shelf life of avacuum-packaged cod fillet can be seven days. If you includea CO2 emitter you increase the vacuum packages shelf life tonine days. Normal shelf life for the same cod fillet in a MAPis up to nine days. If you include a CO2 emitter you extendthe shelf life to 13 days. Innovation is as much born out of necessity as it is aresponse to the changing habits and tastes of consumers. Inall of the above examples, both the needs of industry andshoppers are being met, aligning both parties’ goals.Moreover, these developments help combat food waste byextending the shelf life of existing products far beyond whathad been previously possible. 16-21_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:25 Page 5Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netPACKAGINGSilgan Plastic Food Containers (SPFC)and major Polish food producer, PamapolSA., have worked together to produce anew range of long shelf-life, ambient,microwaveable, convenience foods. Theseinclude cold salad recipes and hot ready-meals. The meals and packaging wereoriginally developed to feed the pilgrimswho came to witness the visit of PopeFrancis to Krakow to celebrate WorldYouth Day on 28 July 2016. The high-barrier plastic containerssupplied by Silgan PFC are part of theirstock range of bowls and trays and areclosed with a double-seamed, standard99mm easy-peel metal can end, suppliedby Silgan Closures, via Gilpin and Co.The bowls are filled, seamed and retortedon a modified conventional canning line,reducing the investment required to runthe new range of products.Nick Brewin, Silgan PFC’s Director ofSales & Marketing, said: “We aredelighted to be working with a companysuch as Pamapol which has a greatreputation for innovation and quality.This partnership is an important part ofSilgan Plastic Food Container’s strategy ofdeveloping its business into the new,exciting markets of Central and EasternEurope.”Robert Szataniak, Pamapol’s MarketingDirector, said: “We have been workingwith Silgan Plastic Food Containers forsome time, but it was only at thebeginning of this year that we decidedthat Silgan’s high-barrier plasticcontainers were ideal for supplying theWorld Youth Day celebrations. “The packs are robust, easy to open,heat in the microwave oven (if the reciperequires it) and enable the consumer toeat nutritious and convenient meals ‘onthe go’, straight from the bowl. They havea shelf life, in ambient conditions, of upto two years. They also enable us toextend our well respected ready-mealproduct range for microwave use. “We will be promoting thesepacks in major retailers inPoland and beyond. We hadonly six months to work togetherto assemble our production line,manufacture the product anddistribute it. We have receivedexcellent technical and logisticalsupport from Silgan to meet anextremely tight deadline.”The high-barrier containers aremade from polypropylene, using Silgan’sproprietary Rotary ThermoForming (RTF)technology, which offers customers uniquetechnical and commercial benefitsincluding superior material distribution,strength, barrier properties and retortperformance. Silgan and Pamapolworking togetherFor further information, please contact Nick Brewin via emailnick.brewin@silganpfc.com or phone 0044 1432 851722 or visit www.silganpfc.com.Alternatively, you can contact Pamapol by emailing marketing@pamapol.com.pl,calling 0048 43 67 66 020 or by visiting www.grupapamapol.pl.16-21_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:25 Page 622 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHTThe food and drink industry has longbeen a target of environmentalists, andnot without good reason. The effects ofpackaging on carbon levels have long beennoted, not just in terms of the cost ofmanufacturing them, but also disposing ofThe food and drink industry is acomplex one, with manydifferent parts of it having anegative effect on theenvironment. With no singlesolution in sight, we look to themajor flash points and howsome are seeking to addressthe problems. Consideringthe impactConsideringthe impactPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/GTSit. Similarly food wastage is becoming anincreasing concern, as 15 million tonnesbeing thrown away in the UK each year.In terms of food thrown away, it’sestimated that we create around 17 milliontonnes of carbon dioxide emissions – thisamounts to 20% of all the emissionscreated by cars in the UK. Despite what may seem like harrowingnews, reports are beginning to show thatunlike how the mainstream mediasuggested, the fault does not wholly lie onthe food and drink industry itself, andcertainly cannot all be blamed onmanufacturers. For instance, the leadingsupermarket brands in the UK createdaround 200,000 tonnes of food waste in2013, a small fraction of the 15 milliontonne total. A variety of other groupsadded to this list, with household wastebeing by far the largest cause. The Wasteand Resources Action Programme(WRAP) have said that supermarkets andfood manufacturers need to work togethermore efficiently, after a report showedthat the amount of waste frommanufacturers and retailers has actuallyincreased by 0.1%, which may sound moreproblematic when expressed as 2.76million tonnes. The study suggests that the fault doesnot lie with waste management companiesor systems, but rather in terms of resourcemanagement, and waste prevention.WRAP are calling for further investmentinto resource efficiency to combat thisincrease, any reductions made in this wayshould be financially beneficial tocompanies, as well as aiding theenvironment as a whole. Food packaging has been one of thegreatest innovators when it comes to22-24_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:26 Page 1crops and misshapenproduce, thereby reducingthe potential for bruisingand skin damage that cansometimes occur with rigidpackaging. Over 80% ofcorrugated is recycled,while new boxes are madefrom recycled material.Where new fibre is used,it comes from sustainablymanaged forests. Thiscommitment toresponsible forestmanagement has made ahuge contribution to theincrease in the size ofEurope’s forests – up by30% since 1950.Although it has been used in one formor other for many years, the corrugatedpackaging industry is continually investingin new technologies to ensure it retains itstop table place. Innovative technology isimproving in-store performance as wellthrough better print capability. HighQuality Post Print has transformedcorrugated packaging from protectivetransit packaging into multi-functional,colourful retail ready packs, withoutcompromising product integrity. Linersand coatings are also being developed forcorrugated material to provide evengreater food freshness and, with theadvent of modern corrugated processes,such as new flutings that offer up to 23%storage space saving, it also offers moreFood & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netCourtauld Commitmentinfluence touches 95% ofUK food retail marketIndustry’s voluntary agreement The Courtauld Commitment2025, brokered by WRAP, continues to grow as 30 new signatoriesjoin the 10 year commitment to reduce the resource intensity ofthe UK’s food and drink.Thanks to the new signatories who have signed since its Marchlaunch, Courtauld 2025 now includes food & drink businessesrepresenting 95% of the 2016 UK food retail market – as well asmany leading brands, manufacturers and hospitality & food servicecompanies.David Moon, Head of Sustainable Food at WRAP, said: “Buildingconnections right across the supply chain makes Courtauld 2025 apowerful voluntary agreement. “Already we’ve set up a number of industry-led working groupsthat are meeting to address important issues. These range fromwater and waste to sustainable design and buying; to areas asdiverse as fresh produce, meat protein, dairy, redistribution andhospitality and food service.”Through this ambitious voluntary agreement, businesses and arange of other organisations have committed to collaborate, fromfarm to fork and beyond, to create a truly UK-wide environment ofinnovation.ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHTPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/06PHOTOimproving the environmental impact ofthe industry, and remains one of thefastest changing markets in food anddrink. With manufacturers now willing tolook a little further to reduce their impact,the packaging market has become muchmore competitive – driving innovationand research as a consequence. This hasalso led to many new companies andcontenders starting up in an industry,which before, could be dominated by asmaller amount of well-known names. In addition to this, the vast majority ofcompanies in the food and drink sectorare having to measure and report on theenvironmental performance of theirpackaging. In fact, some companies areeven taking a more proactive approach byusing packaging assessments at the designphase, which can offer an opportunity toreduce costs in their supply chains whilealso reinforcing their corporate socialresponsibility activities and brand image.All this obviously has to come in additionto the packaging remaining secure androbust throughout the supply chain.Many packaging specialists haveboosted their research and developmentdepartments to emphasise this newapproach, and focus is now on packagingthat is made from plant, food or otherwisesustainable material. One packaging concept that has provenparticularly popular in recent years is thatof corrugated. With a wide range ofbenefits, including an inherent flexibility,corrugated can be modified for differentefficient logistics management throughbetter use of pallets, resulting in fewervehicles on the road.Speaking of roads and the logisticsindustry, another problem sector withinthe food and drink industry, which isthought to be a major contributor toemissions and global pollution. Theproblem faced by the industry is thatinitiatives to reduce this can be costly,with the Independent TransportCommission (ITC), in a report last yearpointing out that sustainability policies arecurrently adding up to 20% to logisticscosts. The ITC has been looking intoinitiatives which can yield results at24 ÁPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VILAX22-24_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:26 Page 224 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHTDutch dairy cooperative greens-upcheese productionA Dutch dairy cooperative is set to switch its cheese production plant in Balkburg inthe Netherlands to run on green steam generated from burning wood ships. To facilitate this, the company Brouwer Bio Centrale B.V. will start building a bioincinerator later this month.The Brouwer company is specialised in maintenance of the roadside shrubs of theGerman motorways. This generates a lot of wood chips, which can be used as fuel forthe bio incinerator. This incinerator meets the most stringent environmentalrequirements. The air coming from the chimney is purified by filters.This incinerator will be built in the industrial area Katingerveld in Balkbrug, which islocated next to the FrieslandCampina cheese production plant.The incinerator will annually provide the production location FrieslandCampinaBalkbrug with about 55,000 ton of bio steam, which will replace 5.5 million cubic metres of natural gas. The incinerator will be operational by the end of theyear 2017, if everything goes according to plan.This initiative fits in well with the route2020 strategy of FrieslandCampina aimed at climate-neutral growth and reduction of the CO2 emission.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ELENA LARINAaffordable levels, but any changes to everyday practice are going to incur a penalty inone way or another. Among the ITC’s recommendations tomeet the new challenges is a review ofpossible ways to reduce the movement ofempty containers in the UK. Possiblesubjects of investigation include a study ofcontainers in and out of Scotland to see ifit’s possible to reduce the current shortageof container supplies to the Scottishwhisky industry. More innovative urbandistribution solutions are also beingdebated – certainly the potential use ofdrones has hit the headlines but there maywell be more prosaic options that could beintroduced both by distributors and theauthorities.One solution, and something that isbeing utilised in the US, is that ofexchanging a company’s transport fleet forCNG (Compressed Natural Gas)-poweredvehicles, such as the Volvo VNM 200model. This has not seen quite the sameexposure in the UK, and some believe it isdue to a lack of funding to help companiesin making the switch, as the US hasnumerous financial incentives forcompanies looking to move fromtraditional petrol/diesel fleets to CNG. NGV’s or Natural Gas Vehicles, emit upto 25% less greenhouse gas emissions thantheir diesel-powered counterparts, and assuch are an attractive option for wastemanagement specialists. Ultimatelyhowever, the final decision often comesdown to the bottom line – what will therunning costs be if a change is made?One concern, especially in the UK, isthe lack of facilities at which to refuel sucha vehicle. Fuelling stations tend to maketheir money by catering to bothcommercial and public vehicles, andinvesting in new pumps specifically forNGV’s is something they likely won’t do –unless NGV’s start to outnumber RGV’s.But conversely, logistics companies areloathe to switch to NGV’s until thestations start to have the facilities forthem. It’s a catch-22 situation, where bothsides are waiting for the other to adaptfirst, and as such neither changes. When it comes to pricing CNG iscurrently priced competitively with diesel,though the recent falls in oil prices haveleft some in a position of “wait and see.”In recent years the price of gas could bequite volatile, mainly due to a relativelysmall amount of it being produced (at leastin comparison to the vast quantities of oil),but now with a more steady supplyavailable the price has fully stabilised. Of course within the UK there is theconnected concern that one of thecommon forms of CNG gas is shale, whichpredominantly is set to come from thefracking industry. As this as a futureresource is still up in the air, with variousgroups and ministers discussing for andagainst it, there are fears that thesustainability of CNG will not last in thelong term. Another issue is of course the up-frontcosts of a change from RGV’s to NGV’s –as the initial investment obviously scalesdependent upon the scale of the supplychain and transport fleet. This is nothelped by the fact that the individualvehicles in the US can cost between$30,000 - $50,000 more than their typicalcounterparts. The price disparity could endup being similar within the UK and EU aswell. The food and drink industry is multi-faceted when it comes to environmentalimpact, which means there is no one“catch-all” solution to use. Investment inspecific areas can yield localised results,and perhaps this is the best tacticcurrently, rolling out changes inincrements so that any investment can bebalanced with profit elsewhere.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/DMITRY KALINOVSKY22-24_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:26 Page 3Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netFRUIT & VEGETABLESThe fruit and vegetable industry hashad to consistently innovate in recentyears to meet with consumer demand.Certainly, while the natural approach is ofhuge importance to consumers, theimportance of food hygiene and safetymeans processing is now required toensure products are of a uniformly highstandard, while retailers demandconsistency and accuracy in portion size.This is not as easy as many otherindustries, however, as there is only alimited amount of innovation that canbe undertaken when it comes to theindustry. Past experiences withGM crops, or bio-engineeredfruit has shown that consumersare wholly unprepared to place their faithin produce they feel has been tamperedwith in some way. On the contrary, at thesame time this was happening, the organicmovement and tag on fruit and vegetableswas instead generating higher sales. For many companies one of the fewrealistic options is to instead focus on theefficiency of their own manufacturingprocess, with a view to not only reducingcosts but of decreasing the amount of timeproduce spends in a facility. In a marketwhere food is often judged on how fresh itis on the shelf, each additional day ofdowntime, be it in distribution orproduction, can be devastating. Improvements in automation andtechnology across the sector have madethis aspect easier in recent times, butthere is a further complication –manufacturers have to meet thesedemands without it being obvious that theproducts have undergone extensiveprocessing, which often provesunappealing for consumers. It’s thereforevital products are treated with great carethroughout the process, emphasising theirnatural appeal while guaranteeing productintegrity.When it comes to automation, however,it still appears that the UK is farbehind their European rivals,especially in roboticsPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/LIZA54500FreshandfruityThe fruit and vegetable market has long been a staple part of human civilisation, buthow does it hold up in today’s world?26 Á25-27_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:28 Page 126 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFRUIT & VEGETABLESRedpack complete move to new globalheadquartersUK-based flow wrapping machine designers and manufacturers, Redpack, arepleased to announce the completion of their move to new global headquartersfollowing an up surge in interest for their new fresh produce and snack packerautomated machine lines.Redpack’s Managing Director, said: “The investment in new larger premisesplaces Redpack firmly on the map of key snack, and fresh produce, packagingmachine suppliers to many high profile customers.”Redpack continue to innovate with the release of their HC65 Highcare machine designed for the ready to eatsnack market. The HC65 offers an optional reclosable seal application feature plus many more cutting edge innovations.“These are exciting times for Redpack with customers large and small recognizing that Redpack have an established brand and areputation for producing quality, reliable, machinery fit to help take your business forward.”For more information, visit www.redpack.co.uk.investment. These were the findings of arecent study into robotics within the foodand drink industry, which found that evenwithin Europe, the UK is ranked 15th interms of robotics usage. To give an idea ofwhat that means, the UK is behindcountries such as Germany, Sweden andFrance – but also now falls behindSlovakia, Slovenia and the CzechRepublic. The bigger problem still is thatthe changes in robotic investment withinthe UK are some of the lowest in the bloc,with many food manufacturers notseeking to make changes and insteadrelying on outdated and expensive labourmodels. With the introduction of the NationalLiving Wage this has to change, but thereare some who fear it could already meanUK manufacturers cannot compete withtheir rivals.The fruit and vegetable industry isparticularly susceptible to this due to thelarge amount of workers they employ, andthe relatively small returns on the produceitself. Where other brands can seek todiversity and invest in unique products,there is little that can be done to makeone apple intrinsically better thananother, other than to employ brandingstrategies.This is an angle some have taken,especially in efforts to boost thePHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/279PHOTO STUDIO25-27_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:28 Page 2FRUIT & VEGETABLESWenglor presentsnew weCat3Dsensors for 3D objectmeasurementWell-developed instincts and sharply tunedsenses are necessary in order to accuratelymeasure objects three-dimensionally – a skillreserved strictly for people and animals untilrecently. For the first time, wenglor issucceeding in scanning and evaluatingobjects in 3D with its range of weCat3DProfile Sensors. 3D calculation of volume is of greatsignificance to the food industry, for example,large food service companies expect allsupplied cuts of meat to precisely complywith weight and geometry specifications.Thanks to the outstanding performance, thesensors are already being used in manycutting systems. The series works with a visual field within arange of 30 to 1,300 mm in the horizontal X-axis and is capable of detecting differences inheight of just 2.0 µm within the Z workingrange – at a rate of 3.6M, 3R, 3B) and twoselectable types of light result in a diverseproduct portfolio with more than 70 models. For more information, visitwww.wenglor.com.recognition and reputation of their brandin order to make a product seem of ahigher intrinsic quality. Others areseeking to further diversify into healthyranges and snack foods, with dried fruitsor sachet-sold fruit slices. The ready mealmarket has boomed in recent years as aresult of the busy lifestyles the everydayconsumer now leads, and with healthyeating in the limelight as well, thepotential is obvious. Salad ingredients,ready-made salads, fruit salads and otherpre-packaged and prepared meals mightbe a lucrative option for some, but thetrend has been around for some time,and current competition could already bequite entrenched. The fruit and vegetable market is asstrong as it has ever been, but there havebeen challenges for many – namely inkeeping up with the productivity of globalcompetitors. As markets open up evenfurther, investment in efficiency is likelyto become an even greater concern due toa raft of new international competitors.That said, the potential and market shareis there for any with the foresight tograsp it. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/KAZOKA25-27_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:28 Page 328 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netSORTING & WEIGHINGProduct giveaway may seem prettytrivial in the grand scheme of things butcontinual underestimation of the weightand make-up of products can haveunfortunate long-term consequences. Notonly can this lead to companies findingthemselves substantially out of pocket butlabelling regulations now mean there areconsequences if the product isn’t exactlyas described on the packaging.One challenge for manufacturers, eagerto ensure accuracy in production, is thatthis initially seems at odds withconsumers’ demand for varied andirregular products. Part of the appeal ofconfectionary brands, for example, is oftenthe range of different shapes, sizes andflavours that are included in each pack, soa totally uniform and unchangingselection would prove less appealing.However, the current sorting andweighing equipment does offer substantialflexibility while still ensuring an effectivemix and accurate portion sizes.The importance of effective weighingcan be seen right across the productionprocess – starting from the arrival of bulkingredients. Each and everymanufacturing operation is essentially aconversion process, in that a companytakes raw materials and converts theminto a finished product. What many oftendon’t realise is that there are really onlythree variables a company can controlduring this process (there are some beforeand after the process, of course). Thesethree processes are time and labourutilisation, or how you best use theworkforce, energy utilisation, in terms ofhow energy efficient a site is and how it isallocated – and the third option – sortingand weighing, or as it might also beGetting theright weightRules and regulations make getting the correct measurements notonly important, but absolutely necessary. Latest food sorting analysis a boon tofood businesses Future Market Insights has added of the‘Food Sorting Machines Market: GlobalIndustry Analysis and OpportunityAssessment 2015-2025’ report to theiroffering.Automation is becoming more of arequirement than an option in the foodprocessing industry. The rigorous qualityand cost controls required in the foodindustry is making it more critical.Production of high grade food requirescapable and efficient inspection and sortingsystems, in the operations and production line. The food is sorted by colour, size, shape, specific gravityprior to inspection and other criteria depending upon the raw material and application.Global interest is increasing towards the quality of food consumed along with the stringent legislationson product quality and operating procedures. In the food industry, the product specification is extremelyimportant, and is one of those area where new developments are crossing the boundaries. The foodindustry is under immense pressure of meeting the demands of growing world population.With all that in mind, industry insiders and food businesses can equip themselves with up to dateanalysis from FMI’s latest addition. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VLADIMIR NENEZIC28-29_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:29 Page 1Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netSORTING & WEIGHINGknown, materials utilisation. The food industry is vulnerable to poor materialsutilisation because of the razor thin profit marginswhich they so frequently operate within, where‘wrong first time’ or a percentage or two ofmaterial or giveaway can sometimes be thedifference between a profit and loss.Measurement of weight and volume is veryimportant at every stage of the manufacturingprocess to ensure that the yield at each stage isoptimised. The only way that this can really bedone effectively is by highlighting, in real time,when wastage from any particular operation hasexceeded the targets set for it, leading to a datadrill down to determine and fix root cause. Somedegree of variation, especially seasonal, may beinevitable, but in order to make that judgement,greater awareness and real time visibility ofperformance is essential.The biggest concern about overfill is that,although some of the overfill percentages might bequite small – in some cases a fraction of a per cent– the overfilled product at this stage of themanufacturing operation often carries maximum‘value added’. It’s no longer about giving away thecost of raw materials, but giving away materialsplus all of the value added during themanufacturing operations. Hence even smallamounts in high volume packing operations canhave a very significant effect on the bottom line.What’s often not taken fully into account is thenatural process variation which effectivelydetermines where process adjustments can be safelymade.Effective sorting and weighing can make savingsthat might seem minimal on an individual level,but that over the course of tens of thousands ofproducts, not to mention months or years ofoperation, can mean incredible reductions in cost.As compliance and regulation continues to becomecumbersome, this also protects and preventsagainst any negative publicity or fines that mightcome about as a result of mislabelled weights orcontent. When many talk of efficiency there is a tendencyto believe that this refers to cost, speed andquantity – and that improving any of these willhave the impact on the bottom line. It seems thatmany seem to forget the efficiency benefits ofaccuracy, which may not improve profits viagenerating more sales – but will improve profits byreducing losses across the entire manufacturingprocess. That is where sorting and weighing has itsgreatest advantage, in the accurate online or offlinemeasurement and control of produce, from bulkingredients to finished goods about to be packaged. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VLADIMIR NENEZICPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/PHOVOIR28-29_Layout 1 26/09/2016 12:29 Page 2Next >