< Previous10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netUNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN Q&AWhere is the NCFM located?Operating as a satellite campus of theUniversity of Lincoln, the NationalCentre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM)is located in South Lincolnshire, some50 miles south of the main campus,nestled within one of the biggestclusters of food manufacturingbusinesses in the UK.What does NCFM have to offer?The NCFM offers programmes ofstudy in Food Science & Technology,Food & Drink Operations andManufacturing Management, FoodOperations and Supply ChainManagement and Agri-Produce andSupply Chain Management. Level 2courses to Level 6 degreeapprenticeships in: technical, qualitymanagement and new productdevelopment; manufacturing andoperations management; food supplychain and operation management; agri-produce and supply chain.A range of food engineering courseswill launch in January 2019, offeringLevel 5 & Level 6 apprenticeships, inassociation with the University ofLincoln’s School of Engineering. Theprovision has been carefully plannedand the recently approved Level 5 and6 courses have been welcomed by thesector. The centre is now developingthe Level 7 Master’s Degreeapprenticeship to launch in January2019 in Strategic Leadership for theFood and Drink Industry.Prior to the Apprenticeship Levy,provision across the food sector was alittle fragmented. Now, NCFM has anoffer which promotes the sector andappeals to young people, showingcareer opportunities with structuredlearning.What the levy has done, along withthe development of new provision fromLevels 2 (Intermediate) to 6 (Degree)and our soon to be launched Level 7(Masters) food programmes, is that, asa sector, we’ve got a really goodjoined-up offer of education and workroles.We can promote opportunities tothose who are already in employmentand young people, which we possiblydidn’t have in the past. We’re in a muchbetter position to give all people a clearvision of the career opportunities, withhigh- level training and educationopportunities as well, in a fast anddynamic UK manufacturing sector.We are beginning to make an impactacross the sector, with more youngpeople becoming aware of our industry.Of course, it isn’t just young peoplewho seek out the NCFM’sapprenticeships. Just as many food anddrink companies send their experiencedQ&AUniversity of LincolnFrom its close work with food and drink manufacturers to its dedication to growing students’ skills fromoperators to senior positions, the National Centre for Food Manufacturing (NCFM) at the University ofLincoln provides a complete package for training the next generation of food industry leaders. We satdown with Principal Lecturer and Programme Leader Vanessa Sutton to discuss what the NCFM is andthe continuing skills and development on offer for employees and new entrants to the food sector. 10-11.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:37 Page 1Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.netUNIVERSITY OF LINCOLN Q&Aemployees to learn new skills andknowledge.From our experience, the majority offood industry employers are using theirapprenticeship levy to undertake largescale transformation of the workforce aswell as bringing young talent into thebusiness.Employers are certainly focussing andinvesting on ‘what can I do with myexisting workforce’, as well as lookingoutside of the box and bringing inyoung people when they might nothave been doing so in the past. It’s atrend from which NCFM, and the foodindustry in general, can only benefit.Why study at NCFM?Higher and degree apprenticeshipsprovide an alternative to full-timeuniversity courses, allowing youngpeople to pursue a career and earnwhist they learn.About 2,000 students have comethrough a programme with us at NCFMeach year, whether that’s short courses,apprenticeships or degreeapprenticeships, with everybody whomwe support in their education employedin the food industry. We’re making animpact on the senior leadershipcapabilities of the food and drink sector.I think we are unique in that we offerfurther and higher education, so we areable to grow our students’ roots atLevel 2 or 3 courses to provideprogression into the higher and degreeapprenticeships at Level 5 and 6 andsoon the Level 7 master’s degree.You can start at Level 2 across arange of job roles and progressseamlessly upwards as your careerdevelops through the different levels ofapprenticeship. We’re pretty unusual inthis, and our offer is very complete androbust.So working with students throughLevel 2 courses all the way to degreeapprenticeships, the NCFM is here forstudents on their journey, so can worktheir way up the training ladder withopportunities to progress to seniorpositions. And if the volume of studentspassing through our doors is anythingto go by, the all-encompassing ethos isproviding a one–stop training route foremployers.It’s not unusual for NCFM to haveseen learners that had started at Level2 with us eight or nine years’ agocoming back onto degreeapprenticeships. Over the years we’vewatched them grow into senior roles.How Does NCFM Deliver theProgrammes with Businessesand their teams?We work in partnership withemployers. All of our provision isdeveloped jointly with them to enablethem to make the most of theApprenticeship Levy and promote theapprenticeship opportunities withintheir businesses.With this in mind, the NCFM hasrecently reviewed the courses it offers,through employer consultation, tailoringthem to work hand in hand with thelevy and the needs of food and drinkmanufacturers and apprenticeshipstandards. NCFM have completed amajor transformation of our provisionto develop new standards, with fourdegree apprenticeships operating fromSeptember 2017.How does NCFM provide an “In-depth range of training”?NCFM’s courses draw upon the talentand expertise of our team of experts atthe campus to offer a broader and in-depth range of training to students.We’ve had to work very hard toreinvent, develop and deliver newprovisions to meet the standards andemployer expectations. It’s a majortransformation of our offer.Meanwhile, the NCFM’s higher anddegree apprenticeships have attracteda growing number of young people intothe food and drink industry, partly as areflection of how businesses havecampaigned to attract young talent.In the past, apprenticeships wereperhaps wrongly perceived as forpeople with lower-level skills andabilities, not necessarily attractinghigher-level individuals. But that’s nowchanging.To find out more, visitwww.lincoln.ac.uk/home/holbeach,or call +44(0) 1406 493000.10-11.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:37 Page 2Linx laser coders deliver high-quality andminimal downtime Two Linx CSL30 laser coders from LinxPrinting Technologies are delivering high-quality codes and significantly reduceddowntime for a premium whisky and ginproducer.Bruichladdich Distillery Co. Ltd, basedon the Isle of Islay in the Inner Hebrides,installed its first Linx CSL30 coder on itsgin production line last year. Having beenimpressed with the results, it has nowinstalled the same machine on its malt whisky line.The quality and permanent codes produced by the Linx CSL30 are enabling the company’sBotanist Islay Dry Gin bottles to meet the demands of their export markets for high-qualitycodes.Installed in the bottle labeller, the CSL30 codes two lines, 5mm in height, onto the bottomof the glass gin bottles. The laser coder can apply codes from a wide range of distances,ensuring easy integration into production lines. On the whisky line, the Linx CSL30 codes clear, etched codes that are highly legible. T H Clements feedsgrowth with VERYX®digital sorter In 2017, third-generation UK vegetableprocessor T H Clements turned to KeyTechnology for a digital sorting system on theirnew Brussels sprouts grading line and selectedone high-volume state-of-the-art VERYX® toreplace three old sorters. Customized for their challenging product andspecific production goals, the belt-fed VERYXB175 sorter at T H Clements inspects up to 12.5metric tons of Brussels sprouts per hour. Toeliminate blind spots, sprouts are launched offthe end of the belt, illuminated by LED lights andinspected entirely in-air with top- and bottom-mounted cameras positioned in a ‘tilted-x’configuration. Designed from the ground up to maximiseautomation and ease use, VERYX features auto-learning, self-adjusting algorithms, predictivesystem diagnostics and smart alarms. Richard Mowbray, Commercial Director at T HClements, said: “VERYX has helped us achieveour objectives and grow our business, even withthe tightening labour market. This sorter makes astrong impression on everyone who sees it.”on lineFlotronic ‘H’ Series pumps designed tomeet exactingstandardsFlotronic Pumps’ original 10” ‘H’ Seriespump was designed to meet the exactinghygiene standards of 3-A SanitaryStandards, Inc (3-A SSI) and to be used inprocesses where hygiene is a priority. The range has been expanded toencompass 7” and 12” versions, offeringboth low and high flow rate pumps tomeet the needs of the hygienic producttransfer market, and both pumps are 3-A SSI Accredited. The ‘H’ Style pumps are designed so they can be thoroughly Cleaned in Place (CIP)benefitting from the innovative, easy-maintenance, ‘ONE-NUT’ design for which Flotronic isrenowned, allowing pump maintenance in a matter of minutes. Pipework connection sizesnow available from 1” – 3” allowing greater versatility. Dutch supermarket puts orangejuice on blockchainDutch supermarket chain AlbertHeijn and Refresco are usingblockchain technology to make theirorange juice supply chaintransparent.Refresco supplies Albert Heijnwith juice sourced from LouisDreyfus Company (LDC)’s juicebusiness.The process will work by utilising aQR code which allows consumers to seewhich route the oranges have travelled upuntil the bottled juice is on store shelves.The blockchain was developed in cooperation with Supply ChainInformation Management (SIM), an expert in visualizing andproviding continuous insight into chains via research and databases.It starts in Brazil at the orange groves managed by LDC Juice,where the fruit is harvested and includes data on food safety andsustainability.The blockchain also contains information about the orangesthemselves, including the harvest date range and degree of sweetness.Consumers can see these details in the chain and even send acompliment to the growers with the “Like2Farmer” functionality.Proseal followsQueen’s Award withnew TTe tray sealerProseal has launched its first tray sealersince winning a Queen’s Award forInternational Trade 2018. The Proseal TTeis a small, compact and robust tray sealerideal for low-volume production andproduction trials.The TTe has been developed specifically toassist the progression of safe food packagingand shelf life extension to underdevelopedcountries where packaging is overused andunderutilised.A semi-automatic, draw type, tray sealingmachine with full vacuum facility, the Proseal TTeis capable of sealing up to ten vacuum/gas packsper minute with a two-impression tool.The machine is the latest addition to Proseal’s innovative ‘e’ technologyrange, which is characterised by its flexibility to perform any style of heatseal to a pre-formed tray – whether atmospheric, MAP, VMAP, Skin, SkinPlus or Skin Deep.As with all Proseal tray sealers, the TTe features a food industry-approved hygienic construction and wash-down protection, as well as fullCategory 3 guarding.© Shutterstock/Africa Studio12 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.net12-14.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 11:53 Page 1K’s Wors fine Southern African sausagesunveiled With National Sausage Week justaround the corner (29th Oct-4thNov) and dark, winter nights withintouching distance, October seemslike the perfect moment to unveilK’s Wors – the last word in fine,Southern African (fusion ofZimbabwean & South African) finesausage cuisine.Available in Chilli, Chilli & Garlic, Chakalaka & Countrystyle flavours.Boerewors is a substantial, ‘meat feast’ of a sausage, (up to 92% meat content) made fromheavily seasoned fine cuts of beef, lamb and pork and centuries of proud, gastronomic heritage. Boerewors is held in such high culinary esteem onthe African continent that their deliciously distinct ingredient make-up is jealously guarded by South African law.K’s Wors is a delicious ‘discovery brand’ you’ll be hearing about further in the New Year, courtesy of a gripping BBC documentary that willhighlight the many soul-destroying barriers that face so many ambitious start-ups attempting to secure meaningful financial backing from thetraditional banking sector. Diforti launches UK’sfirst gluten-free cannoliDiforti duo Carlo and Andrea Diforti are aimingto “revolutionise” the UK dessert market with thelaunch of the first-ever range of gluten-freecannolis. Since taking the helm of the business in 2005,Carlo and Andrea have sought to bring atraditional taste of Italy to the UK. Director Carlo Diforti said: “Passion andenthusiasm for Italian food lies at the heart ofour business, and we simply couldn’t bear thethought of some people not being able to enjoycannoli. We knew we needed to find analternative solution, and we’re really happy to seeour efforts translate into a mouth-wateringproduct, which doesn’t compromise on Italianauthenticity.”Swapping traditional pastry dough for almondmeal and honey, the gluten-free cannolis areavailable in a variety of flavours includinghazelnut-chocolate, pistachio, ricotta, saltedcaramel and white chocolate. on the shelfRoyal Docks step up packaged productionfor craft beer withWaveGripWaveGrip’s innovative multi-packingapplicator and brand defining colouredcarriers are helping Ohio-based RoyalDocks Brewing Co. increase its packagedbeer output. Having previously partnered with acanning company, Royal Docks switched toits own canning line in 2017. Recently,however, it has required a faster and less labour-intensive solution to keep pace with itsongoing growth. The G1, with speeds of up to 100 cans-per-minute (cpm) and ability to packa full range of can sizes with minimal downtime was the perfect choice. Royal Dock’s G1 Applicator is currently running at just over 50cpm consistently to fit withthe rest of the canning line and restrictions on manpower.Bremaster Dave Sutula, Brewmaster said: “We’re on track to be a 4200-barrel brewery inthe next few months and thanks to the G1 and our new canning line, we think 80% of ouroutput will be packaged products.”Nestlé launches organic versionsof family favourite cerealsNestlé ismeeting consumerdemand fororganic foodproducts bylaunching organicversions of its“family-favourite”brands.Cereal PartnersWorldwide (CPW), the maker of Nestlé Breakfast Cereals, is releasingorganic versions of Chocapic, Nesquik and Cheerios.Nestlé said that the launch “gives parents a convenient way to accesstasty organic breakfast cereals, from the brands already trusted andenjoyed by families across the world”.“We know that consumers’ preference for organic products hasgrown over the last few years. Organic cereal options for the entirefamily remain limited,” said David Clark, CEO of Cereal PartnersWorldwide.“We are excited that the launch of the Organic Nestlé BreakfastCereal range addresses the need for tasty and fun options, providingparents with a high quality, nutritious choice that the family will love toeat.”Epi Ingredients enters proteiningredient market with latestlaunchEpi Ingredients hasentered the fast-growingprotein ingredient marketwith the launch of its firstprotein concentrate,Epiprot 60 UL.The ingredient ispositioned within thecompany’s new widerprotein range, Epiprot, which also includes caseinates and acid caseins.The company said the range will also soon feature milk proteinconcentrates and isolates.Epiprot 60 UL is a milk protein concentrate containing 60% totalnative protein. It is produced directly from fresh milk using a ultra-lowheat process which allows for minimal denaturation and optimalfunctional & nutritional properties.It also preserves the 80/20 casein/native whey protein ratiounadulterated.The company said this new ingredient can be incorporated into awide range of applications such as cheese, yoghurt, beverages andnutritional products.Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.net12-14.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 11:53 Page 2appointmentsLorien underpins growth withsenior management appointments LorienEngineeringSolutions hasannounced twokeyappointments toits UK-basedmanagementteam.The multi-disciplinedengineering andprojectmanagement business has appointed Phil Colquhoun as Head ofProjects and Jonathan Cannon as Process Engineering Manager. This follows a record-breaking year for Burton on Trent-basedLorien, with revenues up by 11% and a best-ever sales performance in2017.Both are internal appointments in keeping with the ethos of thebusiness to develop talent and to promote from within. The new role ofHead of Projects has been created to manage the company’sexpanding projects portfolio.Managing Director Steve Slater said: “It’s very pleasing to recognisethe development of our people and to reward them with promotionsthat enable further expansion of the business.”Lorien Engineering Solutions, a division of GP Strategies Corporation,specialises in capital projects for food, brewing, drinks, life sciences,advanced manufacturing, logistics and safety compliance.New COO for Food and DrinkFederation The Food and DrinkFederation (FDF) hasappointed Tim Rycroftas Chief OperatingOfficer (COO). In this new role, MrRycroft – who joinedas Director ofCorporate Affairs in2015 – will providedirect support to FDFChief Executive IanWright. He will leadfor FDF on strategyand industry affairs.He will also retainoversight of thecorporate affairs function and continue to be a lead spokesperson forthe Federation across a range of issues including Brexit, diet & obesityand industry affairs.Mr Wright said: “Right now the FDF is representing the industryacross a very significant waterfront. Our ability to deliver across thisvery wide range of issues will determine our success for our members.This move recognises the increasing contribution Tim makes to thatendeavour and to the leadership of FDF and allows us to access anddeploy his great skills across a much wider agenda.”Don’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!14 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netTim RycroftTo advertise your services on the news pages contact us on 01472 31030212-14.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 11:53 Page 3Food & Drink International 15www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTBeyond the sushi and sake one might expect, today’ssupermarkets are a treasure trove of Japanese products.Here in the UK, popular Japanese bar snack edamame beansare gaining in popularity, while the famed wagyu beef, withits marbled fat, can be found with ease. Though this ubiquityis good news for food producers in the land of the risingsun, the market still struggles with the spectre of2011’s Fukushima nuclear disaster. Now, however, importers are beginningto relax their bans on food fromBig inJapanJapan’s food heritage, quality ingredients and iconicproducts has established the country as one of thefoodie capitals of the world – Tokyo alone has over230 Michelin stars. Although it has become aculinary pilgrimage, it’s the country’s exportmarket that has had the biggest impact inboosting the profile of Japanese food overseas. 16 Á© Shutterstock/kathayut kongmanee15-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 11:56 Page 116 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTthe region. Chief among them is HongKong – Japan’s biggest export market –which has partially relaxed its ban offood imports from four of Japan’sprefectures. This uplift in export activityis part of wider recovery signs in thecountry’s economy following thedisaster seven years ago. According to Japan’s Ministry ofAgriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, theexport of agriculture, forestry andfishery products has reached 435.9billion yen for the first six months of theyear – a 15.2 per cent rise on the sameperiod last year. Breaking down thefigures by foodstuffs sees exports ofbeef as benefiting the most with exportvalue rising by 37.4 per cent to 10.8billion yen. While the value of fruitexports was also on the up, there was amarked rise in the level of processedfoods being sent overseas, with instantnoodles up 10.8 per cent. The latestfigures reveal that the United States isthe country’s third largest exportmarket, after Hong Kong and China. As demonstrated by the Ministryfigures, beef is a key product in Japan’sexport market. Indeed, wagyu beef isthe envy of the world. Utilising thishighly sought-after product will be keyto opening new export markets or, insome cases, revitalising old ones. At theend of July, several shipments of wagyubeef from the Kagoshima prefecture inthe south of Japan arrived in Australiawhere they were promptly sold.Although the size of the shipment wasmodest, the symbolism was anythingbut. It was the first time in seventeenyears that Japanese beef had arrived inAustralia after it banned importsfollowing the detection of bovinespongiform encephalopathy back in2001. If beef is the reigning food product ofthe Japanese export market then sakeis, undoubtedly, the beverageequivalent and plans are brewing toscale-up the presence of the rice winearound the globe. The boss of thecountry’s biggest supplier of sake tothe overseas market, Takara Holdings,has taken it upon himself to make sakeas popular as wine. To accomplish this,he has expanded the company’snetwork in the United States – itsbiggest export market. As well asacquiring local distributors, thecompany is also targeting a five to sixper cent year increase in output fromits sake plant in Berkeley, California.Long term, the company aims to seehalf its total sales to be made up of itsoverseas operations. This is no pipe dream either, bycapitalising on the existing thirst forsake both in the US and around theworld, it’s perfectly feasible that TakaraHoldings can accomplish this. In 2017,for example, the value of Japan’s sakeexports rose by twenty per cent toreach 18.7 billion yen from the yearbefore. Imports to the US alone totalledsix billion yen. © Shutterstock/Odua Images15-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 11:56 Page 2Food & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTFood is an important part of Japan’snational culture and heritage, but it hasappetites from markets all around the world.This is to the benefit of both the US and theUnited Kingdom, both of whom are activelylooking to secure new markets for theirproducts. In one of its latest deals, theJapanese government has finalised technicalrequirements with the US Department ofAgriculture allowing sheep and goatexporters in North America to sell theirgoods to Japan for the first time in overfourteen years. If the $169 million worth ofsheep and goat meat imported into Japanlast year is anything to go buy, US exporterswill be delighted with the deal. The UK wants to get in on the action too,with Japan named by the Food and DrinkFederation in a proposal to Government asone of five priority growth markets for foodand drink exporters. Indeed, this market willlikely prove crucial as the country looksbeyond the European Union to export itsproducts post-Brexit. In perhaps the biggest deal for Japan’simport/export market recently was theformal signing of the EU-Japan EconomicPartnership Agreement back in July. Years inthe making, the deal endeavours to removetrade barriers thereby making it easier forfirms to sell goods and services betweenJapan and the EU. Although the focus is farreaching – with emphasis also on thepharmaceutical and motor vehicle industries– food, beverages and agriculture are keygoods set to benefit. The fifteen per cent tariffs on wine –currently the EU’s second biggestagricultural import to Japan by value – willbe removed under the deal. Likewise, tariffson cheese, which attract 29.8 per cent onexport from the EU to Japan, are also set tobe scraped, along with those on fishproducts imported into Japan. The benefits don’t stop there either. Byrequiring EU producers only to comply withinternational standards for food labelling,rather than compliance with the higherJapanese standard, the cost of compliancefor EU exporters is reduced. Japan’s food export market and itseconomy are continuing to recover from theFukushima nuclear disaster. As it seeks torevitalise lapsed trade relations, as well asnurture existing deals, the country isfocussing on tapping new markets which willset it in good stead for future growth. Gov urged to provide export supportfor UK food & drink makersThe Government has been called on to provide greater export support for UK foodand drink manufacturers to compete with European rivals.So says the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) following the publication of its latestfood industry export figures and the Government’s own Export Strategy.The FDF has submitted a detailed sector deal proposal for the industry whichincludes plans to boost specialist export support – including increased access tomarket research; in-market specialists, and the development of an online food anddrink export portal.The proposals include targeting five priority growth markets identified by food anddrink exporters in research conducted last year: China, the USA, India, Japan, and theUAE.Ian Wright, FDF Chief Executive, said: “Food and drink sales are flying the flag forthe UK around the world. However, some of our competitors are outshining us. It’sclear that focusing export support on specific product sectors can transformperformance.”UK secures £240m dairyexport deal with ChinaInternational Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox has secured a dairy export dealwith China which is estimated to be worth £240 million over five years to theUK.With demand for most dairy categories growing by more than 20% each yearin China, it is one of the country’s fastest growing areas of food demand.The UK exported over £96million of dairy products toChina in 2017, and there hasbeen significant interest in themarket following Prime MinisterTheresa May and Dr Fox’s visitearlier this year.This deal means thatproducers will have increasedflexibility on sourcing the dairythey use for their products.Dr Fox said: “This is myfourth visit to China this yearand I’m delighted to see thecompletion of this deal,bringing significant benefits todairy producers across the UKat a time when British food anddrink exports are at a recordhigh.”© Shutterstock/Aleksandar Mijatovic© Shutterstock/Africa Studio15-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 11:56 Page 3COLD STORAGE18 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIt’s vital to ensure that products stay at the correcttemperature throughout the process, and thataccurate information is available across the often-extensive supply chain. Often catering to specificindustries such as food and drink or pharmaceutical,cold stores are refrigerated transport are paramountto the operations of such companies. Temperature controlled storage and distributionremains one of the most powerful industries in thefood and drink industry with the cold chainaccounting for roughly 9% of the £187 billion ofsales. With the demand for food and drink in the UKrising by 3% year on year, according to the ONS,many food retailers and supermarkets are facingdifficult questions on whether they should increasethe size of their temperature-controlled transportfleet, or whether they should look to invest in moretemperature-controlled storage facilities closer tohome.Most manufacturers in the industry – and othersthat involve temperature control and refrigeration -likely already have some form of careful system inplace. But that doesn’t seem to stop the wastagethat occurs as a result of variances in temperature.This is particularly pertinent in the food and drinkindustry given the perishable nature of manyproducts.So, what has been going wrong? For manycompanies, problems seem to occur in the supplychain, or on distribution lines. While the product isstill in the primary manufacturing facility the processis much more regulated and controlled, but it iseasier to achieve that in a state-of-the-art facilitywhere the process is mostly automated. At theTemperature control is paramountfor many industries, but even thesmallest breach can cause hugelosses for companies. Cool andcalculated18-21.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:03 Page 1COLD STORAGEFood & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.nethand-over point between manufacturingfacility and distribution, there is obviously apoint where human elements need to getinvolved, be it in end-of-line packaging, ormaterials handling. These points of transference from one partof the supply chain to another representsignificant breach points in the temperatureintegrity of pharmaceutical products andshould have particular attention attributed tothem. When it comes to distribution centres whichplay a key role in the supply chain towards theretail market, the costs of temperature controlsystems can quickly scale out of control.Therefore, it’s important at all times to focuson methods of efficiently maintainingtemperature levels, with as little ambient lossof temperature as possible. At the end of theday, it’s far more expensive to keep air cool,then it is to warm it up. Doors and loading bays create an immediatebut necessary breach in a warehouse’sdefences, allowing the cooler air inside toescape via convection currents. What’s more,this is an inescapable consequence, as theultimate goal of these facilities is to store andship out pharmaceutical products as quickly aspossible to their final destination. As suchwhile it might be result in energy savings toinstall a number of doors between the coldstorage facility, and the loading bays. This onlyslows down the productivity of the workerswithin, and how soon they can have the stockshipped out. Air curtains provide a potential solution tothis problem, or at the very least minimise theloss of heat at loading bays. A cold store aircurtain works by creating a curtain of air thatcuts through currents, creating a barrierbetween the external ambient air, and thechilled temperature within a cold store. Thegreatest benefit of these systems is not justthe ability for the air curtain to minimiseenergy loss through temperaturecontamination, but also to allow continualaccess for any workers. There is no door to beopened or closed, and the curtain is safe forworkers to travel through as they deliver andremove palletised goods. Not only does thisimprove general efficiency within the coldstore, but it also enables rooms to be kept atvarying temperatures – important when a© Shutterstock/Baloncici20 Á18-21.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:04 Page 2Next >