< PreviousGreencore offloads USfood business in $1bn dealIrish convenience food specialist Greencore Group isoffloading its US business in a $1 billion deal to contractmanufacturer Hearthside Food Solutions.The deal sees Hearthside expand into high-growthcategories of fresh, refrigerated and frozen sandwich andentrees. Hearthside was acquired in May this year byCharlesbank Capital Partners and Partners Group. Before it was acquired by Greencore Group, GreencoreUSA was known as Peacock Foods and was owned by Charlesbank.Charlesbank and Partners Group are providing the funds for the acquisition whichdiversifies the Hearthside network to 38 production facilities across the US and Europe.Rich Scalise, Hearthside Chairman and CEO, said: “The acquisition of Greencore USA willexpand our production, innovation, and R&D capabilities across these categories.”Ryan Carroll, Managing Director at Charlesbank, added: “The Greencore USA acquisitionwill expand Hearthside’s position in high-growth categories and broaden capabilities forexisting and new customers, while further scaling operations.”Gov commits further£30m to boost farmerproductivityTo help British farmers boost productivity, thegovernment has committed £30 million forfurther rounds of the Countryside ProductivitySmall Grants scheme.The scheme helps farmers buy the equipmentthey need to boost productivity and increaseyields. The first round was launched in Februarywith the government saying it is on course togrant more than £15 million to farmers whoapplied to buy new kit.This will include equipment specific to cattle,sheep and pig farmers, as well as precisionfarming and resource management equipmentfor arable farmers.The next application window will open in early2019, with over £30 million available for futurefunding rounds for farmers.Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: “Weknow that by embracing technology – such asfruit ripeness spectrometers or calving detectors– farm businesses can become more efficient,productive and resilient.”on lineLoma launches high performance X5Pipeline X-ray inspection unit In response to growing demand for high performancecontaminant inspection equipment from increasingly diverseglobal food industry applications, Loma Systems has added aPipeline model to its expanding range of X5 X-ray equipment.The advanced new unit has been developed to ensure on-goingconsumer safety and brand protection, as well as furtherstrengthen operating efficiencies and quality control processes. With the risk of contaminants from incoming raw ingredientsat its highest, Loma’s X5 Pipeline system is ideal for theinspection of pumped products – such as processed meat,poultry, sauces, jams and slurries – at any stage prior to finalprocessing and packaging.By removing foreign bodies early in the process, Loma’s X5Pipeline further reduces product waste and helps eliminate downtime because ofcontaminants damaging expensive production equipment further down the line. Built for 24/7 operation, Loma’s X5 Pipeline offers automated set-up, remote diagnosticsand features an easy to use intuitive full colour touchscreen with multiple language options. Micron’s unique Angle Disintegratoroffers five-a-day processingHosokawa Micron’s unique Angle Disintegrator, with 5-aday, streamlined processing options, is helpingmanufacturers of soups, purées,sauces and dressings meet themarket demand for increasinglyauthentic and quality fruit,vegetable purées and demand forthe flavours of exotic and oftendifficult to handle spices and fruits.This multi-tasking machineoffers five different processingoptions in one machine: pulping orblending; coarse or fine purée; hot orcold ingredients; wet or dry ingredientsand rejection of unwanted plant matteror injection of water, steam or inert gas.By eliminating peeling and chopping operations and by continuouslyremoving unwanted fibres, skin particles and seeds to produce anhomogenous puréed product processing steps and product handlingare reduced to deliver a higher quality, fine textured, end product.With a capacity to handle up to 3000kg/hour of either wet or dry,hot or cold products the hygienic construction enables fast productchangeover without cross contamination.Glanbia adds SlimFast topipeline with $350m acquisitionGlobal nutrition group Glanbia isacquiring SlimFast and other brandsfrom KSF Holdings and HNSIntermediate Corporation for $350million.SlimFast is a weight managementand health and wellness branddistributed primarily in the food,drug, mass and club channel in theUK and the US – its largest market.In 2017 SlimFast delivered $212million net sales, adjusted EBITDA of$24 million and, after non-recurringsupply chain transition costs, a netloss before tax of $12 million.The gross assets of SlimFast at its 2017 financial year end were $136million. Glanbia said it plans to operate SlimFast within its PerformanceNutrition segment.Talbot, Group Managing Director of Glanbia, said: “The transactionis in line with our strategic ambition to extend the reach of our GlanbiaPerformance Nutrition portfolio to related consumer needs.”The deal is expected to close before the end of the year.10 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.net© Shutterstock/Artie Medvedev© Shutterstock/Naviya© SlimFast10-11.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:30 Page 1Linda McCartney’slaunches vegetarian pizzarangeVegetarian brand Linda McCartney’s is launching a newvegetarian pizza range. The trio of pizzas have beencreated to offer consumers greater variety and taste withvegetarian alternative toppings made from the brand’sexisting meat substitutes.The NPD follows consumer research that identifiedconsumers feel limited by current vegetarian pizzaofferings and are eager to seek out more excitingalternatives. The pizzas come on a sourdough based and areavailable in three flavours: Vegetarian Chicken and Pesto; Vegetarian Arrabiata Chicken,Chorizo and Chilli, and Vegetarian Spicy Beef & Jalapeño.Nadine Maggi, Managing Director at Linda McCartney’s, said: “Using our vast experience and a brand that people trust, we’re confident the LindaMcCartney’s Vegetarian Pizzas will become a firm favourite amongst shoppers - and just in time for those autumnal Friday nights in.”Johnnie Walker launchGame of Thronesinspired whiskeyJohnnie Walker is launching a limited-editionscotch whisky inspired by Game of Thronesin acollaboration with HBO.As the hit show builds towards its final season,the whisky specialist has taken the fearsomeWhite Walkers as its inspiration for this latestoffering.Known by their icy blue eyes and led by theNight King, the undead army have emerged fromthe Frozen North bringing with them the chill ofwinter and now a limited-edition whisky thatevokes their icy world.Created by whisky specialist George Harper,alongside the small team of expert blenders atJohnnie Walker, this whisky is best serveddirectly from the freezer, echoing the chillingpresence of the White Walkers.Utilising temperature-sensitive ink technology,fans will be reminded that “Winter is Here” froman unexpected graphic icy reveal on the bottlewhen frozen.on the shelfPro-Pak boost packing line efficiency withPA machines Pro-Pak Foods, a supplier of ready meals toBritain’s major brands and retailers, hasincreased the efficiency of its packing line withfour motion controlled high-speed sealingmachines. Pro-Pak utilised Packaging Automation’s (PA)free-of-charge test kitchen facility to carry outextensive gas trials which lead to a newopportunity for them to supply the fresh readymeal market. Due to the wide product range, productchangeovers happen several times a day and previously took 45 minutes per product due tothe tool changeover time. With PA’s flexible machines, tool changeovers are quick, easy andtake just 2 minutes. Steve Caulton, Factory Manager from Pro-Pak Foods, said: “We had looked at other traysealer suppliers and quickly decided that both Pro-Pak Foods and PA could have an excellentworking partnership going forward. This particular model met all our requirements being userfriendly, having zero air consumption and is compatible in our production hall.”Vivera launch ‘breakthrough’plant-based burger in UKVivera, a producer of plant-based meat alternatives, haslaunched its latest “breakthrough”plant-based hamburger in the UK.The company claims to haveachieved the highest-qualityvegan hamburger currentlyavailable. The fresh ‘VeggieQuarter Pounder’ is now availablefrom Sainsbury’s stores.Earlier this year Viveraintroduced the world’s first 100%plant-based steak. Since thenmore than 1 million pieces inEurope have been sold.The fresh ‘Veggie Quarter Pounder’ is the newest addition to the productrange of Vivera, which already consists of more than 40 meat alternatives.The ‘Veggie Quarter Pounder’ is made entirely with plant-basedingredients. This makes the product suitable for vegetarians, vegans andany consumer enjoying a flexitarian diet.Initially Vivera’s ‘Veggie Quarter Pounder’ will be sold in a selection ofSainsbury’s supermarkets in the UK. Vivera is currently rapidly scaling up itsproduction to meet the expected large demand in the UK.Wenlock Springre-brand sustainablebottle linePremium British spring water brandWenlock Spring have redesigned itsrecycled plastic, fully recyclable range toillustrate their natural origins.A nod to both its rural provenance andenvironmentally-friendly ethos, the newbottles bring to life the centuries-old rockstrata of the Area of Outstanding NaturalBeauty and Site of Special ScientificInterest from which Wenlock Spring wateris sourced. The re-designed labels which are nowavailable on their plastic bottle range,showcase a ‘sky to spring’ concept,incorporating the unique rock strata ofthe Wenlock Edge through whichWenlock Spring water filters. The ancientlayers of limestone are unique to thesource - which has been in use since 1086- and give Wenlock Spring its uniqueblend of minerals and taste. Food & Drink International 11www.fdiforum.net© Johnnie Walker/HBO10-11.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:30 Page 212 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTWith many new markets experiencingrapid growth, it’s never been a better timefor companies who are looking towardsexporting into new markets. Food and drinkproducts remain a premier import andexport material, and their profitability inmany markets in the Middle-East, as well asAfrica, Asia and the US is continuing to rise.Making the decision to export yourproducts to another country is difficultenough, with research into which newmarkets a company wants to target, as wellas understanding the consumer trends inthat country. There are also legal matters totake into account, from ingredients used, towhat information needs to be displayed onpackaging – all the way through to any taxinvolved in exporting there in the first place. One of the biggest problems faced bycompanies seeking to export however, isfinding a way into what is already anestablished market. There are no newcivilisations popping up that have noestablished markets, and it’s idealistic tobelieve a new product, which might havebeen popular in the UK for the last fiftyyears, will suddenly hit it off in a differentcountry. To attract customers in a new market,there needs to be key research undertaken,not only into what consumers want in thatcountry, but also what other products arealready on the market – and what they areactively doing to keep their share.In many cases there are a different set ofgroups to consider, wholesalers, retailersand consumers. Many of these will comehand-in-hand, for instance if a company isable to access consumers, perhaps throughan advertising campaign on the localtelevision. Then these same consumersmight ask for the product at their localretail outlets, leading those businesses toconsider stocking the product. In many cases however, it is not sosimple. Even should a company advertiseon local media platforms, they might findthat the entrenched competitors are doingthe same and have been doing so for sometime. Considering the culture and ideals ofthe people there might be different from acompany’s home country, it’s also worthkeeping in mind that research into thatculture, or how advertisements are run inthe country can be worthwhile. There are no shortages of marketingcampaigns that have flopped in differentcountries due to mistranslated names ormisunderstood cultural differences. In manycases these are not even small companieswho don’t have necessary funds. Thisincludes American brewery Coors, forwhom a mistranslation to Spanish saw theirslogan advertising its properties as aBreakinginto amarketOne of the biggest fears for those looking to export is how theyintend to break into a market which may already contain severalestablished brands. This hasn’t stopped some of the biggercompanies in the world, but how do smaller ones cope? © Shutterstock/Adriano Castelli14 Á12-14.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:32 Page 1Food & Drink International 13www.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORT12-14.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:32 Page 214 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netIMPORT AND EXPORTlaxative rather than an alcohol. Andeven Schweppes, for whom a poortranslation to Italian, saw their productlabelled on packaging as SchweppesToilet, rather than tonic, Water.There are also concerns to be hadwith culture, and how it might affectdemand for a product. In the food anddrink industry this can be a commonfactor with meats and how they areprepared, with the most obviousexample being the preparation of Halalmeat. There are of course more subtleexamples however, such as a toothpastemanufacturer who promoted theirwhitening cleaner, to a country whoselocals chew nuts to blacken their teeth,as this is considered attractive. For those whomever, who areconfident in a product’s potential in amarket, the task is focused moretowards attracting the attention ofbuyers in that country, most oftenwholesalers, or supermarkets. The mostcommon ways to target these peopleare trade fairs, market visits, trademissions or advertisements.Trade fairs are perhaps the mostcommon method used by businessestoday, with many large events takingplace internationally. Interested buyersin the country are likely to visit theevent in efforts to find the `next bigthing` for their market and can sampleproducts at the show. There is also achance to sell directly to these people,should they show interest in a stand. Anadded benefit of these events is thatmany organisations, such as the UKTIoperate shared stands, wherecompanies can display themselves toinvestors, without needing to spendhuge amounts on display space. The downside to trade fairs howeveris often that there are hundreds, if notthousands, of other competitors at theshow, and it can often be difficult toattract the attention of the correctpeople. Even assuming investors areactively searching for new products,they are not going to be able to sampleover a thousand different foodstuffs in aday. Market visits therefore remain anoption for those wishing to take a moreproactive approach. These often involvea team of experienced salespeople, orrepresentatives from a company visitinga country in efforts to secure dealspersonally. This is certainly a high-risk, high-reward scenario. Allowing the companyto sell directly to the individuals that arebest suited to purchase their productson a one-to-one basis. Often thismethod depends on the skills of thepeople that sent to visit the market inthe first place, and the research put intoplace in finding and arranging meetingswith the customers. Once again there issupport available to companiesconsidering this route, often by theUKTI ITA, who will be able to put acompany in touch with embassies in theregion who might have more detailedinformation. In some cases, theorganisations might even offer to fund acompany’s trip. Trade missions are similar in nature tomarket visits but are normallyundertaken – and sometimes funded –by organisations such as the UKTI orother associated trade bodies. These willoften involve a number of differentcompanies being taken to visit and meetwith associated buyers in the targetcountry, with a view to creating newbusiness ties between the two nations. Again, success or failure will dependnot only on the skills and negotiationprowess of those a company sends toacquire such deals, but also on theresearch and effort that has been putinto the product, to make it conformwith what would be desirable in thatcountry. The most important thing to keep inmind is that when a company is lookingto export to a new country, they have totreat the process like they are creating abrand-new start-up product. Includingconducting extensive market researchand looking into a dedicated marketingstrategy to ensure they become a well-known and respected name. For companies who are able tobalance these factors, the future of thefood and drink export market is lookingbright indeed. © Shutterstock/SCOTTCHAN12-14.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:32 Page 3The new 1200 x 1000 foldable IBCInnovating your logistics for a better worldwww.schoellerallibert.comcombo excelsior®Your visa for international logistics The most Hygienic IBC : Maximised profitability:Outstanding performance : Contact us : information@schoellerallibert.com100% smooth design thanks to a double wall structure and water tight lid.70% folding ratio for minimised reverse logistics cost and lower environmental impact.1500Kg unit load, 8000Kg stack load, maximised truck payload and storage space saving.15.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:42 Page 116 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netThe global food and drinks industrywould collapse if logistics were removedfrom the equation. It is the connectivetissue linking up every aspect of thesupply chain, truly from farm to fork andeverything in between. However, asconsumers have come to expect moretransparency from food producers, andmanufacturers increasingly commit tohigher environmental standards, howdoes logistics measure up?There’s no getting around the factthat road, sea and freight logistics isresponsible for a massive amount ofcarbon emissions and all adds to acompany’s carbon footprint. At a timewhen companies are takingresponsibility and responding to theglobal environmental crisis, logisticscan’t be left untouched. Creating a trulysustainable supply chain requires in-depth carbon monitoring. Throughintuitive software solutions and analysis,companies can understand whataspects of their operations and supplychain are producing the most emissionsand, from there, troubleshoot the stepsneeded to reduce them. Carbonmonitoring of a company’s entire supplychain is important as while its in-houseoperations might be greener and moreefficient than most, it’s supplier’s mightbe another story. Likewise, logistics willsignificantly swell a company’s carbonfootprint. Reducing these emissions is no simplematter, however. Many of the alternatestouted as replacing traditionaltransportation methods are no wayclose to being able to takeover. Butwhile driverless technology still largelylingers in development, despite somesmall successes in the food industry,there are other solutions which lookmore promising. Hybrid vehicles, whichcombine an electric battery alongsidepetrol-powered combustion, haveevolved beyond a novelty and havebecome a formidable arm of thelogistics industry. Electric vehicles havealso become part of the mainstream,with some of the biggest playersinnovating electric lorries. While thereare cost savings to be had alongside theenvironmental benefits, there are stillseveral drawbacks for companies toconsider. The biggest challenge is the distancea hybrid or fully-electric vehicle cantravel. Like a petrol or diesel engine, abattery powered vehicle has a finitedistance it can travel on a charge.Though battery technology is anincredibly innovative space, chargetimes don’t yet rival their fossil fuelledpowered counterparts – though somevehicle makers certainly come close.This is a major barrier for somecompanies looking to green up theirlogistics operations. Although stoppingto refuel adds time to a journey, it is arelatively quick process compared withcharging an electric vehicle. As thetechnology currently stands, batteriestake time to charge, time where a truckor van is spent doing nothing while foodand beverage products sit idle in theback. Similarly, charge infrastructure here inthe UK is still severely lacking. Whilecharge points are becoming morefamiliar sights across our towns, citiesand service stations it’s hardly the rivalof petrol stations. And these chargepoints are hardly geared towards trucksand vans. For all these reasons,powering one’s logistics chain withelectric or hybrid vehicles isn’t entirelyfeasible, but it is a viable solution forlast mile logistics. This refers to the lastleg of the journey, where products leavea warehouse or distributor and aredelivered to stockists, suppliers and© Shutterstock/Don PabloAs well as improving efficiency, food companiesmust ensure their logistics operations meetincreasingly stringent environmental targets.Food and Drink International explores some ofthe options available to companies. Evolving thelogistics industry 16-18.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:44 Page 1LOGISTICS© Shutterstock/KokliangFood & Drink International 17www.fdiforum.netretailers. Typically taking place inurban areas, electric vehicles areideally suited to fulfil this crucialpart of the supply chain.Electric vehicles are having amore transformative effect insidethe warehouse than outside.Forklifts are a key aspect of acompany’s logistics operations,helping to load and unloaddelivery vehicles as well as storingproducts on shelving units andtransporting goods. Fully electricpowered forklifts are by no meansa new technology, but they havecome on in leaps and bounds overthe last few decades. Morepowerful vehicles have come tothe fray which can hold a chargefor longer, ensuring thatcompanies are never lumberedwith unnecessary downtime. A more disruptive technology inthis space is driverless forklifts.18 ÁGoplasticpallets.com consolidates plasticpallet and container partnershipGoplasticpallets.com has signed a new partnership agreement with Belgium-basedmanufacturers Smart-Flow and Gamma-Wopla which secures the company sole UKdistribution rights for their entire ranges of plastic pallets and small containers.This partnership renewal cements Goplasticpallets.com’s position as the UK’s largestindependent supplier, which now stocks more than 12,000 plastic pallets and palletboxes and more than 5,000 small containers, crates and trays.Goplasticpallets.com stocks more than 20 different styles of plastic pallets fromSmart-Flow’s comprehensive range and 30 different small containers from Gamm-Wopla– including the recently launched two-colour plastic crates. Jim Hardisty, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Goplasticpallets.com, said: “In thelast eight years we’ve forged a great working relationship with the senior managementteam at Smart-Flow and Gamma-Wopla. Both family run businesses with more than 25years’ manufacturing experience, they have a strong focus on innovation and customer care and have really embraced us as part of their team.”For more information, visit www.goplasticpallets.com/our-partners.html.Merritts invest £1.4m inmachinery lifting &transport equipmentJoseph Merritt Group is investing £1.4 million inmachinery lifting and transportation equipment aspart of an ongoing strategy to expand servicesglobally.The company, which specialises in the lifting,removal, transportation, installation, and storage ofheavy machinery and equipment, has invested in 4new Scania S500 tractor units, 4 customisedMercedes Benz Sprinter vans and 4 Hyster fork lifttrucks. Merritts has also added to its fleet of 60/80 Versa-Lift trucks and a new Nooteboom flatbed trailerarrives in January.Each vehicle is equipped with bespoke toolboxesand lifting tackle, which includes specialist jacks,skates, chains and slings. This ensures engineers arefully equipped with the specialist tooling required tosuccessfully carry out projects.The company has a blue chip client base ofmanufacturers and supply chain partners in sectorsthat use heavy machinery, particularly food and drinkproduction.For more information, visitwww.merritts.uk.com.16-18.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:45 Page 2Joloda creates major materialshandling service providers with Sovexservice arm acquisitionLiverpool-based industrial load system specialists, Joloda International, hasacquired the service division of Sovex for an undisclosed sum, creating JolodaConveyor Services and becoming one of the largest aftercare providers forconveyor and materials handling products in the UK.As an established player in the design and manufacture of specialist loadingsystems, the next phase of Joloda International’s growth strategy was to expandits service and maintenance capabilities and enhance the aftersales service for itscustomers.The acquisition expands the team of engineers, who will provide planned preventative maintenance, on-demand callouts and spare parts tomore than 400 customers nationwide – including some of the largest warehouse and distribution facilities in the country.Existing Joloda and Sovex customers will now benefit from Joloda Conveyor Services’ expanded capabilities, offering faster response timesthanks to the team’s increased footprint, improved technical knowledge and experience from the company’s combined team of engineers.For more information, visit www.joloda.com.18 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netLOGISTICSThese solutions do away for ahuman operator altogether,helping to usher in greater safetylevels in the warehouse andlogistics facilities. Even whenaccidents and fatalities linked withforklifts are reduced, their humanoperators can still sufferoccupational health issues. It’sonly to be expected, withoperators constantly turning theirheads and arms throughout theday. This can have a damagingcumulative effect leading tomyriad issues such as arthritis.Replacing a traditional fleet offorklifts with driverless alternativesis by no means an easy feat. Thereare several things to take intoconsideration, namely theinvestment involved. As well ascost, companies also facedisruption as the technologyneeded – such as guidance sensors– are installed in their facilities. Aswith any major change to one’slogistics operations, the challengesneed to be weighed up against allthe advantages, be that cost-saving, environmental or the boostin efficiency. Food waste is one of the biggestglobal challenges facing the planet and,of course, the food industry itself.Research has shown that most foodwaste occurs within and between foodand agriculture companies duringagricultural production, post-harvesthanding and storage, processing anddistribution. Though these occurrencesare cause for concern, it’s the latter thatwe want to focus.There’s a variety of ways in whichfood waste occurs during transit. Themost obvious being damage. As foodand beverage products are distributedit’s inevitable that some will sustaindamage, whether superficial damage totheir packages, or severe enough tocompromise the product inside. Oftendamaged products will be rejected bystockists, suppliers and supermarkets,though, admittedly, more are sellingthem cheaply as a means of combattingfood waste. But much is still turnedaway and destroyed. Loss can alsooccur in the cold chain, wherefrozen or chilled products haven’tbeen packed properly, or areloaded onto a vehicle with acompromised chilled environment,meaning they warm up, defrostand spoil. The way in whichproducts are loaded and unloadedcan also lead to damage and loss,though this can be down to thepeople doing the loading. One of the ways that foodwaste can be minimised duringtransit is the way in whichproducts are packaged. The shapeof packaging is one of thedeciding factors in how manygiven products can be packagedtogether on one pallet and loadedinto a single shipment. Thesepackages are rigid and square orrectangular, meaning options arelimited. But flexible packagingdoesn’t have that problem. Thesepackages can be packed tightlytogether in greater numberswhilst protecting the productinside. This also has the addedbenefit of allowing moreproducts to be shipped at onetime, thereby cutting down onthe number of journeys needed andmaking a company’s logisticsoperations that little bit greener. There’s no easy fix or cure-all when itcomes to evolving the food industry’slogistics operation. Reducing its carbonfootprint and boosting efficiency can beachieved with many of the samesolutions, such as smart and digitaltechnologies. But improvements canalso be found with good product andpackaging design and continuousinnovation. © Shutterstock/Baloncic16-18.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:45 Page 3Food & Drink International 19www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTBalancing shelfappear with moreenvironmentally-friendlymaterials and processes isno easy feat, but that’sexactly the challengefacing the food and drinkpackaging sector. Packaging must at all times performa variety of roles, from protecting andpreserving the product inside toboosting shelf appeal to spark interestwith consumers in an increasinglycrowded marketplace. Over the years,the relationship between consumer andtheir packaged goods has changed,especially recently with the heightenedawareness of the environmental falloutfrom plastic packaging. But science stillshows us that aesthetically pleasingpackaging catches the eye, meaningthat what consumers are naturallydrawn towards isn’t always the bestoption for the environment. Thechallenge of late has been in designingpackaging that continues to appeal toconsumers whilst also boosting itsenvironmental profile. As this featurewill show, innovation is at an all-timehigh as manufacturers explore greener,more easily recycled packagingmaterials and smarter, more efficientmachinery and equipment to makethem. From a logistical standpoint, foodand drink generates plenty ofpackaging. It’s not simply a matter ofpacking products together andtransporting them as many productshave specific requirements, whetherthat’s a chilled environment, or agreater level of packaging material dueto a fragile nature. Of course, when itcomes to the packaging of the productitself, many fruit and vegetables, forexample, are packaged with acardboard tray and wrapped incellophane or film. This has been astandard for generations now, whichmakes change a difficult prospectindeed. But the environmental impactand the recyclability of the materialsused in packaging has become adominant part of the conversation. Thetimes, indeed, are changing. By this point, most of us will havewitnessed scenes of the massiveamount of plastics in our oceans ontelevision or seen first-hand the amountof packaging clogging up our streets,roads and walkways. For that reason,Greenshelf appeal © Sharpak20 Á19-23.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2018 10:46 Page 1Next >