< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS The current state of lockdown economy means the supply chain must now move faster and more efficiently than ever before to enable products to arrive on the shop shelves as quickly as possible – and using fewer resources. Fresh challenges have reached the market in terms of hygiene and safety around the COVID-19 crisis, but everyone in the industry should by now know how to work around those elements – it is the large scale demands that pose the real challenge. The supply chain, including the logistics industry, has been stretched thin by this, and yet it is not an industry that can ever fall. On the contrary, with lockdown still in place or emerging again in many countries, food transport is more important than ever before. New principles in supply chain management are making a major impact on efficiency. The latest routing and scheduling software, for example, helps supply chain managers plan their routes more efficiently, controlling fleets with a level of precision that could only be dreamed of in the past. With the issues of cost and efficiency under the spotlight like never before, multimodal solutions are becoming more and more attractive to supply chain managers. It’s certainly the case that many companies aren’t following routes that could be more effective – for example, while sixty-three percent Moving food 22 Á In light of lockdown and with communities cut off, the transport of food has come more into the public eye than it ever has in recent years. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/09/2020 15:29 Page 1Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS © Shutterstock /Milos Muller Benefits of the new Cobot from Phoenix Handling Solutions The new SRP Cobot from Phoenix Handling Solutions (PHS) is an extremely compact, versatile and fully automatic, low-cost modular robot palletising system, based on a Hanwha HCR-12 industrial collaborative robot. Given the PHS vast experience in end of line automation, Cobots were a natural progression for its business for existing and new customers alike. They are simple to install and do not require masses of conveyors to feed them. Hence, they can be easily placed at the end of a production line picking and placing product 24/7 if required. The Cobot can palletise up to 18 cases per minute, multi picking. It has a radar safety scanning system to the front, in order to detect personnel. It can handle up to 12kg including the gripper and there is also a layer sheet option. To find out more, visit www.phs-uk.com. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/09/2020 15:30 Page 222 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS Stay chilled with Klimate High Speed Doors BID Group was recently engaged to install Klimate High Speed Doors at a fresh produce suppliers distribution warehouse. Klimate High Speed Doors help to control the chilled indoor environment, imperative where storage and packing of fresh produce is carried out. Not only do the doors provide valuable energy savings by maintaining room temperature, but also reduce contamination and the ingress of vermin. The working environment is also improved by controlling the flow of traffic and the reduction of noise levels. The site was not only happy with the new doors, but also praised the installation team who completed the job on schedule with minor disruption to warehouse operations All Klimate doors are characterised by their low maintenance technology and low repair costs and with Klimate being a UK manufacturer, customers have immediate access to replacement component parts, especially for those doors that are under high usage and reliability is key. To find out more, visit www.bidgroup.co.uk. of containers arrive in the UK through ports in the South East of England, only ten per cent of large distribution warehousing is actually based there. The vast majority of the items therefore have to travel across the country in trucks that will inevitably ramp up the carbon emissions and fuel costs. The problem for many is the availability of warehouse space, however. New warehouse developments are being built all the time, and yet the demand is so high that they are bought prior to speculative completion in many cases, leaving companies with the unenviable choice of investing more for the future, or investing now in a greater fleet and accepting those higher costs in the short term. No company wants to be accused of short-termism, but with COVID here and the economy shaken, it © Shutterstock /industryviews 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/09/2020 15:31 Page 3Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS NewCold working with frozen good giants to navigate pandemic NewCold, 3rd-party logistics (3PL) partner to some of the UK’s largest frozen food producers, continues to work with its customers during these challenging times for innovative solutions and improvements which add supply chain value. McCain, Aunt Bessie and Froneri all now benefit from automatic handling equipment, installed at their factories to reduce loading times - while retaining product integrity - through a closed supply chain loop. The 3PL, from its expanded Wakefield site, are this year celebrating 5 years of operation in the UK, as they work with new customers: Finsbury, Grupo Bimbo, and Genius to improve their respective customer offer. In response to continued demand, NewCold is opening a second deepfreeze facility in Corby this October and expects to see the first pallets arriving only one year later. Strategically located, the site has been selected to support UK frozen food manufacturers and importers by helping to reduce their secondary distribution costs. To find out more, visit www.newcold.com. may not be a time for long term investments either. The introduction of more warehousing in the right areas will make a difference, as too will the co- operative logistics schemes whereby numerous companies can work together to fill up one lorry with a number of products rather than have dozens travel around half-empty. However, companies can make a huge difference with the introduction of a more multimodal approach. One example is the service provided by PD Ports to Asda, which includes a shipping service between their two facilities at Felixstowe and Teesport, providing added convenience and ensuring products get closer, faster, to their intended destination. It’s not just the vehicles on the road that have an environmental impact, either – those confined to the warehouse play an equally important role. A recent environmental study illustrated that the biggest share of a warehouse truck’s impact on the environment is related to the use of the truck, rather than the resources used in its manufacture. The study considered the truck’s environmental impact throughout its complete life cycle and suggested that 66.8 per cent of the truck’s impact on the environment is connected to energy consumption during use. One of the ways in which this can be dealt with is arranging more optimised warehouse layouts. For example, a simple measure like moving a printer within a warehouse could lower truck energy consumption by as much as twenty per cent. Effective warehouse management has made a major difference to the smooth running of a supply chain – and can help companies meet the stringent traceability and security requirements of the major retailers. The new breed of warehouse management and distribution tools, are however, ensuring complete traceability throughout the entire process. Each item can be monitored, traced and accounted for at every step of the way – and records of all these transactions can be easily made available, which is now often required by retailers in any case, as well as customs and excise. In an industry where supermarkets are demanding a determining point of origin or batch numbers for any recalls within twenty-four hours, it’s obviously of paramount importance that the traceability systems don’t falter upon reaching the supply chain. Due to the high profile nature of many large retailers, both in terms of the media and public opinion, retailers are very quick to drop suppliers who show failures or delays in terms of tracing back problems – so having a good system in place can help prevent loss of major contracts. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/09/2020 15:31 Page 424 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LABELLING AND TRACEABILITY An influx of demand from consumers and retailers, alongside constant regulation changes worldwide, are seeing more asked of the label, with more explicit information now required. A variety of opt in labels are also coming to the fore, allowing companies to meet consumer intrigue. Carbon labelling in particular is on the rise as purchasers become increasingly concerned about climate change, demand food be produced sustainably, and make dietary choices not just based on what a product contains but with consideration of its environmental impact. Though the collection of such information for labelling is complex, and thus a hurdle to widespread adoption, the growth in data availability across the supply chain has brought it into the realm of possibility. In being certified for a carbon label, one can gain a competitive advantage with conscious consumers. Meat substitute brand Quorn is one company that began carbon labelling products this year, “with the aim of better informing people who want to understand the environmental impact of the foods they buy.” Not only being investigated by individual firms, wider bodies are producing labels to encourage sectors into greener habits, such as the Sustainable Rice Platform’s recently launched ecolabel - the SRP- Verified label - to help consumers and one of the world’s largest food crops reduce their environmental impact by pinpointing rice that has been Consumers are clamouring for more information than ever on labels, wanting to understand everything about a product; its journey from farm to fork. In this, traceability is key. Allowing informed choices 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 29/09/2020 08:35 Page 1Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net LABELLING AND TRACEABILITY • Plain / Printed Labels • Thermal Transfer Ribbons • Lasersheets • Fanfolded Labels • Barcode Labels Self adhesive labels and labelling Tel: 01482 506560 • Email: sales@datamarkuk.com • Website: www.datamarkuk.com produced sustainably. While these moves are voluntary, a stricter future can be seen with an advisory group in Germany urging its government to bring in mandatory climate labels for food products, showing greenhouse gas emissions. Essentially, new developments in labelling are centred around providing opportunity for purchasers to make informed choices. This is reemphasised with the growth of welfare labels, with, for example, the UK government fast tracking a consultation on method of production labelling, to help consumers understand how animals have been raised, which would present farmers with the incentive to use higher welfare standards. Similarly in Italy a new animal welfare label has been created to add clarity in pig husbandry for meat products. Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) Italia has highlighted the consumer’s struggle to interpret food labels noting animal welfare standards, thanks to frequently misleading labels that do not report breeding method in absence of a standard EU label. CIWF and Legambiente in response have developed criteria for labelling, with ratings from 0 - 4, from organic to intensive (animals are kept in minimum space law requirements, with sows in cages and offered no outdoor access). Furthermore an EU-wide animal welfare label has been in recent discussion, with the European commission launching an external study in 2021 on the matter. Concurrently, age-old nutrition and health labelling continues to undergo fine-tuning, with questions arising over whether physical activity calorie equivalent labelling can support consumers into making healthy choices as well as health warning labels, like those seen on tobacco products. Campaigners also continue to demand label changes for accurate information on the healthiness of goods, with Action on Sugar calling for more honest labelling on children’s fruit snacks, which they argue display misleading claims like naturally occurring sugars, made from real fruit, and one of your five a day. The call comes after the group found that these snacks are loaded with sugars that should put them in the confectionary aisle. The group is also asking the UK government to ensure its Front of Pack labelling consultation leads to labelling that mirrors the latest dietary advice on free sugars (not total sugars). As such a wealth of information now vies for space on labels, packaging design is sure to come into question, especially with the growth of the minimalist trend. The concept of providing more with labels is being addressed with the introduction of smart labels - any labelling using technology to add functionality and data past a standard barcode. A key innovation within the industry, smart labels are primarily utilised to improve traceability (by imbuing goods with unique digital identities), availability of product information, and food safety. RFID (radio-frequency identification), data embedded barcodes, and QR codes are leaders in this area, dominating headlines. Useful in various applications, smart labels can illustrate the origin of products, their qualities, track goods through the supply chain, enable easier recalls, monitor freshness, and more. Through smart labels, complex information can be delivered to machines and humans, and they are a standout feature for consumers who want to know a product’s full story. Examples of use in the food and drink industry span from indicating where fish have been caught, to a new label in development featuring food-safe micro needles that collect samples from packaged food to inform consumers of quality in real time, to prevent waste from spoilage. Showing the pure breadth of smart labels, narrative labels are even in development to present product information to people who are blind or partially sighted, with a scanned QR code narrating information on labels. Looking closer at QR codes, these 26 Á © Shutterstock /Gorodenkof f 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 29/09/2020 08:36 Page 2Packaging labels for BBE stock and factory relocations A respected self-adhesive label printing company is helping food manufacturers and retailers overcome packaging problems related to products reaching best before end dates and changes to site code/health mark following factory relocations. “Retailers may be nervous to make changes, but as long as the product has been stored correctly and quality checked it is perfectly acceptable to apply an overlabel to extend the BBE date,” said Marilyn Briggs from Croft Printing. “Our solutions help companies avoid losing profits by destroying or discounting stock. ” Another area of assistance is when factory relocations require packaging amends. Ms Briggs added: “The site code health mark is a small aspect of the overall packaging. Our over labelling solution is more environmentally friendly and can also be a quicker and cost effective alternative.” As well as over labelling solutions, Croft Printing specialises in printing all types of self-adhesive labels to display product information, branding and promotional offers. To find out more, visit www.croftprinting.co.uk. 26 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LABELLING AND TRACEABILITY are used mainly in marketing, adding extra value with nutritional information, recipes, or product journey, and are particularly useful as they can be read quickly by smartphones. Where a standard barcode has a character capacity of twenty, QR codes are able to store over 7,000 characters. One recent addition of QR codes comes with Princes’ Napolina canned tomatoes, which smartphone users can scan to view quality and sustainability credentials, and trace the product’s journey from farm to shelf, seeing how it was made and who was involved. The move, backed by blockchain, comes to unlock supply chain transparency and boost trust. RFID labels, making products uniquely identifiable, meanwhile, are praised for their use in automatically tracking products through the supply chain via electromagnetic fields, adding to traceability to verify food source, provide data on the journey of a product, prevent counterfeiting, and improve food security and safety overall. RFID tags, which do not require line of sight for scanning, have an important role in the future of traceability due to a need for real-time tracking, visibility, and stock inventory accuracy, replacing manual methods with fast and accurate RFID processes for up to date stock information. Advances with smart labels come as bodies look to make the industry safer, and the tracking of goods easier, with smarter solutions generally. For instance, the US Food and Drug Administration has launched the New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint, in which tech-enabled traceability is a core element. With goods being shipped and sourced from numerous different global locations, and high- profile recalls impacting consumer trust, it is essential that product traceability is enhanced. As a result food and drink firms are investing in digitalisation and connected technologies. The Internet of Things (IoT) and distributed ledger technology, such as blockchain, remain under consideration as a game changer in the food industry for tracking from farm to fork, enhancing ownership of products and accountability, and presenting food and drink producers with a secure digital record of product origin, where they were processed, sorted and distributed, amongst other 28 Á © Shutterstock /Monkey Business Images 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 29/09/2020 08:36 Page 3Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net LABELLING AND TRACEABILITY Mettler-Toledo combines label inspection with checkweighing Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection has launched Product Data Check technology to be integrated onto its C-Series checkweighers to verify the presence of correct labels and data. The technology rejects incorrectly labelled packaged products. This will help to minimise the risk of product recalls, protect manufacturing profits from avoidable product loss, comply with labelling regulations and safeguard consumers from the potential effects of mislabelled products. Manufacturing benefits: Intelligent Vision Inspection Select either Product Data Check technology to inspect different-sized labels on oriented packaged products or Product Data Check 360° to verify labels on round products that may rotate on a conveyor belt. Unnecessary Waste and Associated Costs Avoid wasting good product and production time by correcting mislabelled products or those with non- conforming labels early before reaching secondary packaging. Efficient Inspection Process Setup Easy-to-use software integrates the setup of the checkweighing and label inspection technologies simultaneously. Once configured, this provides rapid product setup and change over. Space-Saving and Easy Integration Integrate on C-Series checkweighers, also retrofit, plus soon available on other Mettler-Toledo inspection machines. For more information, visit www.mt.com/ci-vision or email enquire.mtuk@mt.com High-precision labelling from Germany 40 years of market experience, the most up-to-date technology and the highest quality standards have combined to make RENNER an indispensable player in the food and beverage sectors. It can offer tailored expert advice, perfect labelling systems, intelligent detailed solutions, and rapid service on a global scale – for both RENNER and Krones labelling machines. RENNER has many years of experience, specialist expertise and innovative strength which is impressively reflected in the RENNER S product series. The modular design brings together the highest levels of accuracy, performance and efficiency. Improve the output quantity, efficiency or desirability of your product by using the hygienic Clean Design system and the most up-to-date labelling methods such as Wet glue, hot-melt, PSL, Rollfed or Combi. RENNER also provides the highest standards in terms of quality, technology and efficiency when it comes to the range of Krones labelling machines, which has been perfected over decades. For more information on high performing labelling machine systems, visit www.penn-packaging.co.uk. © Shutterstock /aurielaki 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 29/09/2020 08:36 Page 428 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LABELLING AND TRACEABILITY crucial pieces of information. Blockchain can be used to encrypt vast amounts of data and provide it to others through for example an RFID tag, which when scanned purveys product information for authentication and tracing. With blockchain - a secure and immutable shared digital ledger providing a permanent record of transactions - each aspect of the supply chain, from when a fish was caught to a product’s storage conditions, can be logged and made transparent to other members of the chain and consumers. The IoT and its associated technologies, meanwhile, are boosting the connectivity of the supply chain, offering enhanced food tracking - streamlining and recording all processes related to a product. IoT devices are able to collect information through sensors on machines and goods and convert it into digital data, increasing visibility as goods move through the supply chain. With sensors enabled by the IoT, one can also keep track of shipments, their location, and product conditions to provide accurate delivery ETAs, highlight delays and present updates on the environmental state products are transported in. New barcode validation solution from Toshiba Tec Print solutions specialist Toshiba Tec has launched ScanSure, a flexible verification- based validation solution for barcodes. Aimed at manufacturing companies, especially those in the food and beverage sectors, ScanSure checks product labels as they are being printed to ensure that the barcodes will scan perfectly every time. Developed for use with the Toshiba Tec B-EX range of 4 and 6-inch industrial printers, ScanSure offers users a choice of two operating modes. In Fast Mode, it uses rigorous checks based on ISO 15416 and ISO 15415 to ensure that the barcode on a printed label is accurate and perfectly readable to the specified ANSI grade. In Void Mode, ScanSure carries out the same validation checks as in Fast Mode, but if it detects a faulty barcode, it automatically rewinds the label roll, scores out the defective label to prevent it being used, and re-prints a replacement. To find out more, visit www.toshibatec.co.uk. 24-29.qxp_Layout 1 29/09/2020 08:36 Page 5www.fdiforum.net Plan your campaign with Food & Drink International… ...your competitors are! As marketing is the vital ingredient for the success and growth of any business, we can offer advice and packages to suit all budgets. Speak to one of our experienced account executives. CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO? • Print • Online • E-Newsletters • Regular News • Topical Features The perfect medium to give your brand the best chance of being seen! 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