< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCOLD STORAGEfacility might have to cater for a wide range ofpharmaceutical products, that might requirevarying levels of refrigerated storage. Of course, there is more to efficientlyrunning a temperature-controlled storagefacility than plugging up the entrances.Managing stock within the distribution centrecan become increasingly more complex, as thetemperatures are kept lower. For instance,machinery and systems that rely on batterypower can come under risk, as continuedexposure to the cold has a negative impact onbatteries – typically resulting in 50%degradation to batter life. This can become alarger concern with the recent move towardselectric lift trucks and fork-lifts, which can seevehicles running out of juice at inopportunemoments. When it comes to workers withinthese facilities as well, there are a host of newconcerns and problems to be aware of, manyof which will require some remedial trainingfor companies moving employees to cold storefacilities. In the above example of electricvehicles, staff need to be made aware that avehicle which is marked down as having aneight-hour battery life, might struggle tomanage more than four or five. Changing thelabelling on these vehicles can go a long wayto preventing problems, alternatively investingin batteries with larger voltages can helpminimise the problems. One way that retailers are adapting to this isto better utilise what space they current haveavailable, either through better allocation ofresources, or by bringing in outside companiesto design and identify ways to moreeffectively utilise the same space. For many however, this may not be anoption. With warehouses becomingincreasingly cramped, and the demands forfrozen and chilled goods increasing year-on-year, the only remaining option is often to rentor invest in new warehouse facilities. Last yearalready showed a sharp decline in theavailability of big box warehouse spaces, asmore and more was being purchased orrented even during the financial crisis. Ultimately the supply chain is what causes aproportion of losses due to cold storage anddistribution, and when it comes to pluggingthe gaps, these are possibly the areas to paymore attention to. © Shutterstock/Kokliang18-21.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:04 Page 30870 607 5050www.klimate.co.uksales@klimate.co.ukKlimate High Speed Doorspart of BID Group LTDKLIMATEHIGH SPEED DOORSBENEFITS• UK Manufactured• Low Maintenance and User Friendly• Technical Support• Fast Open and Closing Speeds• Continuously Rated ProductArdent For All AmbientApplicationsK2 First ForFreezersFood & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netCOLD STORAGEIce, frost and fog in cold stores can create slippery, dangerous conditions for staff. While many accept that ice is simply part of the cold store, it doesn’t need to be so. Munters IceDry® is a specially designed dehumidifier that targets moisture in manufacturing facilities,cold stores and process freezers to:• Reduce & prevent ice, frost and fog build up on floors, walls and ceilings• Reduce defrosts - case studies available • Lower maintenance costs • Improve safety for staff & forklifts• Increase productivity• Improve evaporator efficiency01480 432243 info@munters.co.uk munters.com/icedryseries Improve Safety & Climate Conditions in Cold StoresFree CPD SeminarsProven global installations“The cold store is the best it’s ever been for excessive ice & snow” - Kitchen Range Foods FREE site surveys © Shutterstock/ChaNaWIT18-21.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:04 Page 422 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHTBehind Brexit and the obesity crisis,the environment has been one of thefood and beverage industry’s biggestconcerns these last few years. Spurredon by consumer action, governmentlegislation and consternation frompressure groups, food and beveragecompanies are respondingpragmatically to the environmentalcrisis. Through innovation, reformulationand, in some cases, a completeoverhaul of the production process, theindustry is leading the charge. One of the areas which has attractedthe most controversy is packaging –specifically single-use plastic anddifficult to recycle packages. The take-away coffee cup has become one of thedefining symbols of the issue down toits single-use nature, the mix ofmaterials involved in its manufactureand the dearth of infrastructure andmachinery in place to recycle it.According to figures from theEnvironmental Audit Committee, theUK throws away 2.5 billion coffee cupsevery year. To help counteract this,Starbucks has introduced levies ontake-away cups, whilst offering rewardsto consumers who bring in their ownrefillable cups. While this approach hashad some impact, it simply serves tolesson the symptoms rather than dealwith the cause. Packaging companies are uniting withrecycling firms to create a recyclingsystem aimed at single-use coffee cupsthat can be scaled-up and appliednationwide. While there’s been somepromising results in this space, there’sstill a long way to go. Other companiesare taking things right back to thedevelopment stage and creating coffeecups and other offending packagesfrom more sustainable sources that canbe more easily recycled. Althoughoverall recyclability needs to beconsidered during the redesign of olderproducts – and for new productdevelopment – utilising materials mustalso be a contributing factor.Consumers can often be foundcomplaining about the amount ofpackaging a product comes housed in,especially where plastic is concerned.Manufacturers are responding by doingmore with less. One such example sawKite Packaging create a single wallcarton that proved to be as strong androbust as a double wall carton. Thiseffectively doubles the number ofpackages produced from the sameamount of raw materials. Achieving a more environmentally-friendly package goes beyond thematerials involved in its manufactureand includes its shape. Food producersdepend on logistics to make sure theirproducts arrive in stores and withsuppliers. While electric vehicles, not tomention those powered by hydrogenand biofuels, are becoming moreGoing for green Whether it’s the extraction of raw ingredients or the black plastic tray that houses a ready meal,waste is an inevitable outcome of the food and beverage industry. Add to that the massiveamount of energy involved and it results in one of the most power intensive and materials-heavyindustries worldwide. So what are producers doing to lessen their environmental impact?© Shutterstock/dolphfyn22-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:05 Page 1Food & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHTcommonplace on our roads, there areways that producers can help to maketheir logistics and distributionoperations that bit greener. Designingpackaging that can stack or fit togethermore efficiently can mean moreproducts can be loaded into oneshipment. This means less journeys areneeded and, consequently, less fuel isrequired per shipment. While theamount saved for one journey might bemarginal, scaled up over months oryears and the savings in carbonemissions can be surprising. For thatreason, many food producers arefinding themselves turning towardspouch packaging. Because of theflexible nature of this kind of packaging,they can be loaded tightly together andin significant numbers withoutcompromising the product inside –which is typically a liquid or viscoustexture anyway. Perhaps the most exciting avenue innew packaging design is with bio-plastics. Made from materials such assugar cane, these plastics are helping tocreate a closed-loop solution by puttingwaste materials to use, whilst alsomeeting the need for more sustainablepackaging. Some companies are goinga step further still with edible packages.Though there’s something novel aboutthis nascent market, it is having somemajor successes that could well have aprofound effect on the industry. One ofthe most high-profile examples sawFlorida’s Saltwater Brewery create anedible six pack ring for beer cans. Or,more recently, Lucozade Sport teamingup with Skipping Rocks Lab to trialplastic-free drinks and gels in ediblepods aimed at the sports and fitnessmarket. Of course, packaging is only one partof the problem with what’s inside thepackage arguably the bigger issue. It’sno secret that the meat industry is oneof the worst offenders when it comesto the environment. A multi-organisational study found that meatproducers JBS, Tyson and Cargill wereresponsible for creating moregreenhouse gases than the whole ofFrance in 2016. Now Professor AllanBuckwell, co-author of the recent ‘Whatis the Safe Operating Space for EUlivestock?’ paper, has backed a call fromGreenpeace to halve meat and dairyproduction by 2050. Meeting this deficit, though, wouldrequire a global shift towards plant-based alternatives. Although thismarket has flourished in recent years –with twelve per cent of Brits nowfollowing a meat-free diet – themajority might need convincing. Themeat industry, however, isn’t simplysitting idle. Some of thebiggest players – includingTyson Foods and Cargill – areinvesting in and acquiringmeat-free companies andstart-ups. In among thosefocussed on plant-basedproteins, major foodproducers arealso settingtheir sightson innovative companies working in theburgeoning lab grown meat industry. Lab grown meat – or ‘clean meat’ –seems like a win-win situation. Itpromises animal protein withoutslaughter and without incurring thehuge emissions and landmass resultingfrom rearing livestock. A study from theAdam Smith Institute in London foundthat lab grown meat could slashgreenhouse gas emissions in theagricultural sector by seventy-eight toninety-six per cent whilst also usingninety-nine per cent less land. Theindustry was given a huge vote ofconfidence earlier this year when TysonFoods joined a coalition of investorsthat also includes Cargill and Bill Gatesin backing San Francisco-based cleanmeat start-up Memphis Meats. Yet itsIsrael that has emerged as a hotbed ofclean meat innovation, with start-up24 Á© Shutterstock/Pixel-Shot22-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:05 Page 2dŚĞh<ΖƐůĞĂĚŝŶŐƉĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƐƵƉƉůŝĞƌƚŽƚŚĞĨŽŽĚĂŶĚĚƌŝŶŬŝŶĚƵƐƚƌLJ͕ŽīĞƌŝŶŐĂǁŝĚĞƌĂŶŐĞŽĨƉĂĐŬĂŐŝŶŐƉƌŽĚƵĐƚƐŝŶĐůƵĚŝŶŐ͗ŝƌ^ŚŽĐŬďŽƩůĞƉĂĐŬƐŽdžĞƐĨŽƌďŽƩůĞƐWĂůůĞƚǁƌĂƉΘƐLJƐƚĞŵƐ>ĂďĞůƐ24 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHTSuperMeat raising $3 millionearlier this year to develop itsoffering, and Aleph Farmstargeting global growth with itsclean meat 3D printing business. But there are plenty ofchallenges to overcome, chieflyconvincing a public that is stilllargely sceptical of geneticallymodified ingredients to eatmeat grown from cultured cellsin a lab. Though there are somecommercially available labgrown meat products available,the industry still needs to scaleup if it is to have any hope ofcompeting with the massiveglobal meat sector. In the US,for example, 120 kilograms ofmeat is eaten per person peryear. Compared to that, labgrown meat is but a drop in theocean. Although the agricultural industry will remain underscrutiny for its environmental impact, one of the mostcontroversial supply chains is palm oil. Studies andinvestigations have found that the production of palmresults in deforestation and the creation of industrialisedplants. Yet palm oil is present in numerous food andcosmetic products including bread, chocolate and icecream to name but three. Because of this environmentalimpact, charities, action groups, government and evenconsumers are calling on food producers to help solvethe palm oil crisis. As one of the biggest food companies in the world,Nestlé is among those under fire for its palm oil usage.But now the company is responding by implementing asatellite-based service to monitor the entirely of itsglobal palm oil supply chain as part of its ‘2020 NoDeforestation’ commitment. Named ‘Starling’, theservice was developed by Airbus and The Forest Trustas a global verification system which the aim ofensuring that deforestation wasn’t taking place in thesupply chain. This level of transparency will have amajor environmental impact with companies like Nestléleading by example. Others will undoubtedly followtheir lead. Despite being among the industries with the biggestcarbon footprint, the food and beverage sector ismaking headway when it comes to the environment. Acombination of product development, traceability andinnovation is helping to create a greener, moresustainable supply chain. But there’s still a long way togo. © Shutterstock/Syda Productions22-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:05 Page 322-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:05 Page 4LABELLING & TRACEABILITY26 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netThere is little that is more legallybinding in the food and drink industrythan the labelling and coding on aproduct’s packaging. In an increasinglylitigious industry that is influenced notonly by consumers and businesses, butalso by Government and lobby groups,the ability to quickly adapt to anychanges is key. Depending on the specific industry acompany operates in, there can bedifferent regulations governing what,and how much, one needs to include ontheir labels. These can range from theubiquitous weight, calorie and sell-by-date requirements, through to %RDArequirements on certain food and drinkproducts servicing the health-foodsector. Considering the large quantities offinished products that go through amanufacturing facility in any given day,there is also a necessity for a flawlessand efficiency system that can workwith batches of well over 10,000individual products. All of this must bedone with minimal downtime, efficientenergy usage and unparalleled accuracy. The task only becomes more complexas the amount of details required onlabels increases, and with the new FoodLabelling Regulations that came intoforce last December, many companiesfound themselves struggling withincreasing burdens. Ideally the goal forlabel application should always beautomation, but that is not always theideal solution.Automating the process is preferredwherever possible however, even whendealing with relatively low levels ofthroughput in a factory. Automation notonly increases speed in terms of unitsprocessed, but also offers reliability interms of where and how the label isapplied, how correct the information is,and how quickly a labelling system canbe changes to account for a differentproduct line. But as said, that might notbe an option for some companies –especially those who have justexperienced an increase in demand butmight not have the capital to throw at afully automated production line. This is aproblem faced by many, particularly inthe artisan sector if they suddenly gaina contract from a major distributor andsee their demand increased tenfold injust a few months. For companies likethis, an offline system might be moreapplicable, in which products are takento a labelling machine that is not part ofan automated system. These can stilllabel products at rates comparable tolarger machines, and much faster thananyone could by hand, but are also agood middle ground between the costand efficiency of a larger productionline.Much of this will need to havesoftware incorporated into it,particularly where multiple products canbe found on a single line. The advicefrom those in the industry is not toskimp on this aspect, as although itmight be tempting to invest more in themachinery, the software necessary tonot only run it but ensure thatemployees can monitor it is just asimportant. This can be as simple as acoding system where relevantinformation, such as date coding rules,packaging artwork, barcodes andcoding profiles are entered into a securedatabase. This allows validation prior touse. This goes on to remove the needfor operators on a packaging line,cutting down on another risk of humanerror. Human error remains the number onecause for concern in labelling, not onlyin terms of a person stamping orapplying a label to a product, but alsomonitoring the information that goes onthe labels in the first place. Softwaresystems often come as part and parcelof the system, and while these can oftenKeepingtrackLabelling is not just about adhering to law orregulation, sometimes it is about protecting a brandor keeping track of what is sold where. 26-28.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:07 Page 1Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.netDIGI Europe, leaders in weigh pricelabelling for 30 years DIGI Europe Ltd (DEL) is a world-leading supplier of weigh price labelling equipment.DEL specialises in automatic and manual weighing solutions for the food processingindustry including: dairy, red meat, poultry, fish, bakeries and ready meals. Each uniquelymanufactured solution is designed with its customers specifications in mind whichallows its machines to be adapted accordingly.DIGI Europe has been at the forefront of weigh price labelling for 30 years and is awholly owned, industry specific, subsidiary of Teraoka Seiko. DEL uses tried and testedsolutions along with innovative technology to promote accurate weighing and labelapplication. DEL has also developed its own operating software – WorldView. It wasdesigned to allow all levels of employees to easily gather and amend the information onthe screen, making for a complete user friendly and customisable interface.For more information, visit www.digisystem.com/uk.accurately measure, weigh anddetermine correct information on labels,it is still important that these bechecked and monitored by operators ona day-by-day basis. It is often best tolook for a software system that can beintegrated with other checking systemat the same time as the labelling one,allowing it to label the productaccurately based on the results itreceives from weighing machines orvision detection systems. In that regardtalking to professional systemsspecialists is always preferred as theymight be able to save a companyinvestment by pointing out how theycan combine and adapt packages tocover different aspects at the sametime. Labelling is often tied in withtraceability, something that has becomeall but essential of late and seems to begenerating even more focus due tomedia attention on food contaminationand scandals. In many cases companieshave taken an almost laissez-faireapproach to traceability, trusting in theirlabels to highlight where a productcame from so that they can track anyissues. This approach may suit forinternal needs in the company but isalmost certain to fall short of whatcustomers demand should a productrecall occur on their shelves. In many28 Á© Shutterstock/Billion Photos26-28.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:07 Page 228 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netLABELLING & TRACEABILITYBizerba InteractiveOutstanding LabellingThe complete Labelling solutions providerThe finest quality labels available in every format and style, including bespoke labelling options to include organic recyclable labelling and multilayer and multi-function labels. A part of the Bizerba solutions port-folio offering full traceability for your business. www.bizerba.comleast remotely operable) softwaresystem will likely also need to be inplace, particularly to isolate and identifywhere a fault occurred and whatproducts were delivered to where. Thiscan help prevent costly recalls thatmight cover multiple customers, usefulwhen it might only be one or two whorun the risk of contaminated foodproducts. Traceability systems can be adaunting prospect for many, oftentreated like insurance or breakdowncover in our normal lives in that thebenefit is not seen until something goeswrong. The world has becomeincreasingly litigious of late, however,and the media has been quick topounce on negative stories and foodscares, so a fats response from anefficient system can help to minimisebrand damage. Sometimes this can bethrough quick identification and recall,others by finding out that the issue tookplace in another facility and might nothave been the fault of the manufacturerat all. Consumer attention can be short,however, so failing to provide asatisfactory answer quickly can meanpeople only remember the initial stormof negative publicity.The labelling industry is ever-evolving,reflecting the needs and expectations ofthe food and drink sector at large. Thisis why shows and events continue toboast large attendance and interest.These are often good places to find outmore about what challenges andopportunities are available, as manycompanies reveal their latest machineryat such events.Verigo Model PB3reusable temperatureData LoggerLabfacility, the UK distributors of the Verigo Cold Chainrange of Data Loggers for monitoring temperature,humidity and food storage quality, are introducing the newPod Range.Save time, ensure quality, and increase visibility of yourtemperature-controlled logistics operations. There’s noneed for wires of Wi-Fi. The Pod environmental data logger records andwirelessly transmits temperature data and excursion alertsto your smartphones and tablets; no cables or readersrequired! Simply download the Verigo app for Android™ oriOS™ to your smart device and start using your Pod.Users can customise their Pod for each monitoringsession by inputting a distinct name, scanning a productbarcode, setting temperature thresholds, and fullyconfiguring for any particular application.For more information, visit www.labfacility.com.cases the largest and mostpowerful supermarkets willdemand answers within twenty-four hours, perhaps even less –which is going to necessitate amuch more robust system.While it’s true that labellingand traceability will always gohand in hand, it is thereforeimportant to remember thatneither is a solution unto anotherand that investment may benecessary into additionalsafeguards. The issue oftraceability should beconsidered as its own matter,often tied into additionalsystems such as vision,inspection and qualityassurance. A centralised (or at© Shutterstock/Anatoly Vartanov26-28.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:07 Page 3Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netFRUIT AND VEGETABLESThe fruit and vegetable industry hashad to consistently innovate in recentyears to meet with consumer demand.Certainly, while the natural approach isof huge 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 portionsize.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 with GMcrops, or bio-engineered fruit hasshown that consumers are whollyunprepared to place their faith inproduce they feel has been tamperedwith in some way. On the contrary, atthe same time this was happening, theorganic movement and tag on fruit andvegetables was instead generatinghigher sales. For many companies one of the fewrealistic options is to instead focus onthe efficiency of their ownmanufacturing process, with a view tonot only reducing costs but ofdecreasing the amount of time producespends in a facility. In a market wherefood is often judged on how fresh it ison the shelf, each additional day ofdowntime, be it in distribution orproduction, can be devastating. Improvements in automation andtechnology across the sector havemade this aspect easier in recent times,but there is a further complication –manufacturers have to meet thesedemands without it being obvious thatthe products have undergone extensiveprocessing, which often provesunappealing for consumers. It’stherefore vital products are treated withgreat care throughout the process,emphasising their natural appeal whileguaranteeing product integrity.Freshand fruity© Shutterstock/liza54500The fruit and vegetable market has long been a staple part ofhuman civilisation, but how does it hold up in today’s world?30 Á29-31.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:09 Page 1Next >