< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CONTROL AND AUTOMATION © Shutterstock /Pixel B hazardous sector of food production in terms of both worker and food safety. Advanced robotic cutting has the potential to automate the task of dismembering bigger animals, particularly those that cannot be dealt with via fixed station automated cutting - often used, for example, with chickens. Robotic butchery has been a difficult task to automate as each cut is based on shape and position of flesh and bones, and all animal carcasses are different. However, innovation has seen robotics combined with machine vision and other sensing abilities that automatically scope fat and structural characteristics of a carcass. Sensors can calculate dimensions of carcasses to help with precision and automated arms clamp on to the carcass while other arms use knives to cut them. Meanwhile, another robot can then sort the cuts and move them to conveyor belts, to be weighed and packed by further robots down the line, all with minimal human supervision. Automation extends to the most delicate of processes such as cake decorating, to meet demand in secondary production, where decoration by hand is no longer viable due to fast-paced production lines. With robotic arms piping icing onto cakes and performing intricate decorating, thanks to 3D and 2D vision technology, automation offers a perfect finish despite if the surface of the cakes or their sizes are inconsistent, reducing waste and as a result costs. Integrating automation today, and making the most of it, comes in hand with more intense data collection, data- based decision making powered by advanced analytics, and the IoT – which all come together in the current focus on embracing Industry 4.0. Though IoT is still relatively new to food production, a desire for deeper insight into the process of manufacturing, in order to boost production, efficiency and make savings, is seeing IoT technologies such as wireless sensors become more prevalent. With wireless sensors, 22 Á ICE Vector establishes Clearmark’s foray into pallet labelling Digital coding innovator Clearmark is celebrating its 20th anniversary by making its foray into the logistics labelling space with the launch of the innovative ICE Vector Pallet Labelling System. The ICE Vector brings a new high performance, low maintenance tertiary option that is exceptionally easy to integrate with line and warehouse management systems. ICE Vector completes Clearmark’s coding portfolio, enabling customers to benefit from coding solutions across their primary, secondary and tertiary operations. The ICE Vector system includes: climate controlled cabin to ensure consistent print quality; robust long-reach cartesian-style arm guarantees GS1 specification label placement on all pallet configurations; a dual operator interface for continual working during ribbon/label reel changes; intelligent I/O system to seamlessly communicate with today’s highly automated warehouses. With warehouses accelerating their investment in intelligent automation and more products flowing through the supply chains at speed, the launch of the ICE Vector is timely. For more information about the Vector, visit www.clearmark.uk/vector or email enquiries@uk.interactivecoding.com 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:56 Page 3Adjustment via smartphone Hygienic adapter system 15 c m Compact design Individually selectable: 256 colours Measurement in progress Sensor switching Process malfunction We bring colour into view! Compact capacitive level switches with 360° custom-colour status display www.vega.com/vegapoint NEW! Absolutely front-fl ush design 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:56 Page 422 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CONTROL AND AUTOMATION automated processes, equipment and machinery can send and receive real time data, be closely monitored and processors are able to gain more control over and discover how to streamline operations, make and sell products faster and gain more profit. IoT sensors can be utilised for many purposes from checking equipment status and performance to speed of lines, flow rates, temperature and other conditions. Many companies supplying these sensors usefully allow for alerts to be sent to smart phones and mobile devices. Wireless sensors also beneficially enable the automation of maintenance by providing constant updates on the health of process equipment like conveyors, pumps, and fans, and collecting data on the equipment’s performance which can then be used to predict when it will need to be replaced or repaired before is breaks and can send advanced warnings for this. Being able to predict when maintenance is required reduces downtime for repairs and prevents productivity loss while also reducing the need for constant human supervision over equipment. Further, as the IoT enables connectivity outside of a facility, machinery and equipment sellers can be connected to their products on the floor, allowing them to monitor, troubleshoot and enact preventative maintenance remotely, decreasing site visits, which can be costly. As food manufacturers seek to scale up and alter operations to meet demand, automation will increase across the supply chain, creating a stronger, safer and more secure operation. © Shutterstock /DedMityay FOLLOW US WHEN YOU SEE THE PERFORMANCE WHEN YOU SEE THE PRICE WW Versatile thanks to a wide performance range, intuitive and flexible user guidance, low-pulsation dosing, and energy-efficient during operation - all at an attractive initial cost. The new iSTEP XS offers XL performance at XS price! iSTEP XS Now available CHEMICAL DOSING iSTEPXS.sera-web.com More info: sales.uk@sera-web.com Tel. 01283 753400 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:56 Page 5Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT © Shutterstock /oraziopuccio As the climate crisis accelerates and consumer awareness continues to rise over the effect purchasing decisions have on the environment, companies in the food and drink industry are focusing on minimising the negative influence their products and processes have on the planet and transparently communicating their efforts - whether this be by utilising new packaging, more sustainable sourcing, greener fuels for transport, renewable energy, eliminating deforestation, or taking other actions. The first mentioned here of course gains much media attention, with consumers no longer simply selecting products based on taste and quality but demanding a reduction in plastic packaging and more recyclable, eco-friendly options, while being willing to pay more for sustainable food brands and perceiving these brands more positively. Ensuring that packaging is recyclable and uses recycled content is becoming more essential moving forwards with Government policies such as the UK’s plastic packaging tax - in April 2022 a tax on plastic packaging that does not meet a minimum threshold of at least thirty per cent recycled content will come into force. The Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regime, dealing with packaging waste, will also be of concern, proposing brands and importers take full responsibility for the cost of managing, recycling, and disposing of packaging waste, with greater fees imposed if packaging is hard to reuse/recycle. Due to come into force in 2023, the aim is to encourage producers to use less packaging and more recyclable materials, reducing the amount of hard to recycle packaging placed on the market. Meanwhile food and drink manufacturers are responding to the climate crisis - which is only drawing more attention with COP26 around the corner - by striving to minimise their carbon emissions, with many holding Net Zero aims. General Mills for example has committed to be at Net Zero by 2050. Reinforcing this, earlier this year, the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), a key voice of the food and drink industry, announced its ambition on behalf of the sector to reach Net Zero by 2040. The UK body highlighted the “great strides in environmental sustainability” already made by manufacturers in its recent Ambition 2025 progress report, including achieving the target of reducing onsite carbon emissions by fifty-five per cent, five years before a climate crisis With climate change intensifying, it has never been more important for companies in the food and drink industry to take note of and mitigate their environmental impact. 24 Á Taking on the 23-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:58 Page 124 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT 2025 target. FDF members also slashed their absolute water consumption by more than one third and the amount of water consumed per tonne of product was also cut by 44.5 per cent. The net zero ambition, however, comes to tackle wider emissions, with supply chain emissions accounting for the majority of food and drink products’ carbon footprint. With this in mind, it is vital that companies in the food and drink industry engage and work with suppliers, as well as request environmental impact disclosure, heightening traceability and transparency, to achieve sustainability goals. Analysis should be conducted to understand a business’s and supply chain’s footprint and plans subsequently put in place. Other advances towards a net zero food industry in the UK can be seen with the first year results from WRAP’s Meat in a net zero world. Launching in June 2020, forty stakeholders across the UK meat production and supply chain pledged to make the UK meat industry one of the most efficient and sustainable in the world. They committed to actions with the overall aim to reduce meat waste and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and protect natural assets, such as water and forests. The actions contribute to national and global targets including the Courtauld Commitment 2030 (halve food waste and food system GHG emissions by 2030 and tackle water stress, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals) and NFU’s (net zero GHG emissions across the whole of UK agriculture by 2040). In its first year, sixty per cent of business supporters in meat in a net zero world have set net zero or science-based GHG reduction targets across the whole supply chain, including agricultural emissions, and retailers and processors have reported a significant and growing amount of R&D activity being focused in priority areas, like feed innovations. Additionally, meat processors reported a collective reduction in food waste of more than 20,000 tonnes (an average thirty per cent reduction), all businesses set a GHG reduction target and reported year-on-year improvements (up to thirty per cent reduction in emissions intensity over the last year), and all processors reported having water efficiency targets and year-on-year improvements (up to fifteen per cent reduction in intensity of water use). Businesses have also improved guidance on packaging to prevent food waste. As has been well established, food waste has a major negative impact on climate change, fuelling the crisis, while hindering profits. Indeed food waste produces more GHG emissions than all commercial flights and across the globe around a third of all food produced is lost or wasted, contributing between eight and ten per cent of total GHG emissions. Action is being taken across the industry to mitigate waste, from active prevention and reduction strategies in the first instance, with process and recipe improvements, to reuse, redistribution, recycling, upcycling, and composting strategies. Moreover, companies are looking to use every bit of raw materials, transforming waste into animal food, as well as addressing machinery performance problems (e.g. product blockages and mechanical mishandling), and turning waste into energy. Brands are innovating to save food waste, with Unilever’s Cremissimo, for example, taking unused ice cream from flavour changeover during production, blending it with high- quality ingredients, and putting it back into the production line. The resultant product is made from forty per cent © Shutterstock /HollyHarry 23-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:58 Page 2Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net ENVIRONMENTAL SPOTLIGHT would-be wasted ice cream, saving over 300,000 tubs a year. Meanwhile tech such as AI, alongside data, is being used to enhance operations, machinery, and forecasting to prevent overproduction, and automation is being employed in manufacturing steps commonly subject to waste from human error. Furthermore, simulation models are being used in discussion with food manufacturers and supermarkets on how to make longer lasting and less wasteful products. Experts from the Institute for Sustainable Food and Energy Institute at the University of Sheffield have produced a Household Simulation Model (HHSim) which has supported changes to milk labelling, that should lead to less being wasted, and highlighted the role that long-life products have in preventing waste. The model shows that if everyone switched to longer life milk, this could reduce milk waste in the home to the scale of up to 150,000 tonnes per year, representing a large carbon footprint reduction too. Insight from this model has led to the redesign of milk and dairy products, like Arla Cravendale milk, as well as the pack and portion size options for many meat products, including bacon and ham. Looking to the future, with the climate crisis seeing global heating and extreme weather hit supply chains, there is even more incentive for food firms to focus on improving their environmental standing. © Shutterstock /HollyHarry Munters DSS Pro offers the next level of dehumidification Providing the right climate more efficiently than ever before, Munters DSS Pro represents an evolutionary leap forward from the Munters DSS system, with performance upgrades that make a real difference. Suitable for indoor or outdoor installation, Munters DSS Pro is designed for a range of industries demanding dehumidification efficiencies such as food applications. Equipped with the Munters custom configured control system, the DSS Pro offers full function integration, delivering the perfect climate whenever needed. It comes in twenty configurable sizes with three desiccant rotor types. Offering key energy-saving features, it consumes up to 30% less energy with its Green PowerPurge™ while the AirPro casing offers an innovative enclosure improving durability, reducing air leakage and energy consumption. With a reduced physical footprint, the DSS Pro is more convenient to install and frees up space to generate revenue. Munters offers more than a benchmark dehumidification system though. As a partner with knowledge and expertise to ensure indoor climate is always exactly as it needs to be, Munters provides support from design and quotation to ongoing service. For more information, visit www.munters.com/dsspro 23-25.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:58 Page 326 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net KITE PACKAGING Q&A that polystyrene can be very harmful for the environment as it is difficult to dispose of responsibly. Kite’s paper products, on the other hand, are easily recyclable with some of the kraft items also able to be biodegraded or commercially composted. The natural kraft hue emphasises eco-awareness, helping a customer to instantly associate your brand with green values and social responsibility. How easily can Kite products be recycled by end users? A key objective for us was ensuring that our takeaway food products can be easily recycled by the end user. Therefore, our paper goods and most of the plastic packaging is fully recyclable kerbside; this means that the item can simply be put out for domestic collection. Many companies claim recyclability with their products when in reality, local councils are unlikely to have the budget or equipment to process their specific Q&A Kite Packaging We recently spoke to leading supplier Kite Packaging about its food packaging solutions, recycling and an evolving industry. Kite offers a full range of packaging solutions for restaurants, caterers, cafés and takeaways. How does this benefit food and drink companies of today? Our extensive range has been specially curated to offer the best solutions in terms of practicality, environmental consciousness and cost- effectivity. Each product interweaves high quality with versatility to meet the demands of most food and drink vendors. By handpicking these top products, we streamline the otherwise long-winded process of online browsing to support business owners in the face of the tight time pressures they are enduring in the current hospitality climate. At Kite, you can get everything your business needs in one place. Our expert product team work tirelessly to secure the most competitive prices available for these market-leading products. Yet, perhaps more importantly, by liaising directly with suppliers, we form the strong collaborative relationships necessary to ensure consistent availability of this valuable stock. We aim to achieve all this, while saving the planet. How does paper hold up against polystyrene foam when it comes to protecting and transporting food? Polystyrene takeaway packaging has been an industry standard for many years, in spite of the fact that corrugated paper can provide equally effective protection when transporting food. The corrugation of our pizza boxes and premium burger boxes acts as a dependable shock absorber to protect food from being damaged in transit. The paper packaging is similarly durable, with the paper food bowls and takeaway boxes featuring a PE lining to grant the containers grease resistance, waterproofing and general reinforcement. The crucial difference, however, is 26-27.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:59 Page 1Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net KITE PACKAGING Q&A To find out more about Kite Packaging and its food packaging solutions, visit www.kitepackaging.co.uk, email enquiries@kitepackaging.co.uk, or call +44(0) 024 7642 0065. revolutionising the image of your brand. Not to mention, minimising waste directly cuts outgoing costs, increases pack efficiency and generally elevates your operation. All Kite’s new food packaging products work toward this overarching goal. We include both plastic and paper products in our comprehensive range to help bridge the gap between familiarity and fresh eco-friendly initiatives. However, as aforementioned, even our plastic products comprise of recycled content and are recyclable, illustrating our persistent commitment to prioritising our environment at every opportunity. What’s next for your food packaging? The primary concern for our customers is stock availability, so our resources are galvanised toward ensuring that we have products readily available to supply their businesses. objects. Kite were keen to set a high standard of transparency and accountability by ensuring that the range is widely recyclable from homes across the country. Not to mention, many of the plastic solutions contain recycled content to demonstrate the effective running of a circular economy; they are made from recycled materials and are able to be recycled themselves after use. Enjoy the excellent technical qualities of plastic (namely, the microwave safe credentials, light weight, water resistance, hygienic sanitation and low cost) without any of the environmental guilt with Kite’s selection. What’s the biggest hurdle in the food-to-go and takeaway sectors en masse adopting recyclable packaging made from responsibly sourced paper? Takeaway packaging has a bad reputation, largely due to the historical reliance the industry has had on single- use plastic and copious amounts of excess material. These methods of packing food have been tried, tested and trusted for numerous years, making some companies slow to adapt. However, the benefits of adapting are innumerable in terms of rocketing customer satisfaction levels and This sense of security is paramount following the turbulent times this sector has already endured, hence we will continue to work closely with our providers to smooth supply chains as much as possible moving forward. Currently, we have a full warehouse of products ready to be shipped and plan to maintain this level of held stock. However, this will not halt our unshakeable instinct to innovate. Recently, we added corrugated box liners to our range of chilled food packaging to demonstrate our perpetual focus on improving existing products and creating new solutions in line with shifting priorities whenever required. These liners are one per cent recyclable, eco-friendly and low-cost while boasting the same thermal properties as its polystyrene counterpart. Similarly, we expect our food packaging range to evolve over time to constantly reflect the ever- changing demands of the market. 26-27.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 07:59 Page 228 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS Over the years the logistics industry has been squeezed so much, not only by companies looking to cut costs – but also ever-increasing costs of fuel and tax related to it. While more recent cuts in the cost of oil have had a beneficial effect on the industry, suppliers were quickly expected to pass those savings on to their customers. This has not gotten any easier in 2021, quite the opposite in fact. The current state of lockdown economy (even if it is now easing) 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. In fact, the very act of easing the lockdown may place further pressures on logistics, as it opens the door to increases in foot and road traffic, and also to the spectre of panic buying if anything is seen to go wrong or a second wave is so much as hinted at. 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. These have stretched an already stretched industry, and although we may soon be coming out of lockdown, there’s no denying the long lasting impact of it will be felt for many years yet. One of the big questions faced by many manufacturers in this situation – one of needing to transport fragile and strictly-regulated goods more often to meet quotas, is whether they should seek to increase their transport fleet – and all the costs associated with it, or whether they should look to invest in more facilities closer to the destination, usually in the form of warehouse or storage space. As the available space decreases, chances are the cost of rental will increase. And this only gets worse when we consider that consumer demand for goods is not likely to slow in coming years. In fact, with it being predicted that by 2050 the population of the world will top nine billion, with over sixty-five per cent of that living in urban areas… well, the logistical Making the most of limited space With lockdown easing, more demand than ever will be placed on the logistics and transport industry. With limited warehouse space and fresh challenges however, the industry is going to have to make the most of what they have. 30 Á 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 08:02 Page 1Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS © Shutterstock /Milos Muller 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2021 08:02 Page 2Next >