< PreviousAdjustment via smartphone £282 VEGAPOINT 24 G½ " 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-flush design 36-41.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 12:54 Page 5Food & Drink International 41 www.fdiforum.net SOUPS AND SAUCES www.kanegrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 1438 742242 Email: info@kanegrade.com NATURAL FOOD INGREDIENTS modern choice with better printing and branding opportunities, as well as offering the chance to include a transparent window for product visibility, while flexible pouches can be further enhanced with features like spouts for easy pouring. Pouches are also beneficial to soup and sauce producers as a light, easy to transport form of packaging that comes in different sizes and shapes to improve consumer convenience. The packaging can additionally minimise carbon footprint thanks to lighter, reduced shipping and material savings. Simultaneously, more novel packaging is coming forwards with paper-based soup bags, and on a smaller scale changes are being made with fully recyclable caps on squeezy sauce bottles. Ensuring convenience, creative flavours, healthy and environmentally friendly products will be essential to soup and sauce brands looking ahead and must be seriously considered to attract and retain consumers. © Shutterstock /New Africa 36-41.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 12:54 Page 6KECOL PUMPING SYSTEMS 1) Can you tell us a bit more about Kecol Pumping Systems? Kecol Pumping Systems is the UK leader in the design and manufacture of piston pumps and pumping systems for the transfer of high viscosity products. As an ISO9001 certified company, our aim is to consistently provide the very highest standard of products, service, advice and support to every customer, every time. Over the years, we have designed pumping solutions for many difficult products for various applications around the world. With this experience, we can advise on the type of equipment for transferring particular products and, in some cases, arrange pumping trials at our works in Bridgnorth, Shropshire or ‘on site’ trials using our range of demonstration equipment. 2) What has been one of the biggest changes in the industry? Changes in legislation and the attitude of responsible employers put the health and safety of their employers at the top of the workplace priority list. Kecol provide many pump solutions, which deliver health and safety benefits to the user and improvements in hygienic handling of the products with lower risk of contamination. These include portable pumps mounted on trolleys or lifts, articulated arm lifting and priming systems, which enable up to four drums to be emptied directly from a pallet without having to remove the drums from the pallet. 3) What kinds of products are compatible with your pumping solutions? We can transfer virtually any type of viscous product, from shear sensitive cream and gels, concentrated fruit pastes through to high viscosity pastes as used in today’s hygienic industries around the world. All of our hygienic piston pump range is manufactured from 316L stainless steel, are available in clamp construction and have been designed for fast dis-assembly and re-assembly as required in today’s fast turn-around production environments. When it comes to food, we can pretty much pump everything, including honey, butter and mayonnaise, right through to fondants, Q&A Kecol Pumping Systems Food and Drink International recently spoke to Kecol Pumping Systems about the importance of viscous pumping solutions. 42-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:16 Page 1KECOL PUMPING SYSTEMS glucose, cooking fats and meat pastes. As we like to say, we probably already pump it. 4) As well as supply new pumping systems, you also provide parts for existing Kecol machines. Can you tell us more about that? We hold a full range of spare parts at our factory in Bridgnorth. This means we can provide a full overhaul of all our piston pumps and priming systems and all work is fully tested and warranted. We are also able to upgrade existing Kecol equipment to the latest specification where appropriate. Equipment for repair and overhaul is inspected by our experienced staff who will then produce a report listing the required work and also any recommended repairs. A quotation is then prepared and forwarded to the customer for approval before any work commences. We have examples of Kecol piston pumps and systems which are over twenty-five years old and still in daily use. This is why the Kecol pistol pump represents such good value. To find out more, visit www.kecol.co.uk, email sales@kecol.co.uk, or call +44(0) 1746 764311. 42-43.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:16 Page 2FOOD SERVICE 44 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net The food service and hospitality industries remain tight ones and have for several years now. That’s not to say success isn’t out there, but that it requires more effort than just serving good food and providing customer service. Customers and consumers are more conscious than ever of factors such as food waste, the health of the food they are even eating, and even the variety available on the menu – including options such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. In such a demanding environment, it can be difficult for the sector to adapt, but adapt it must if it wishes to survive in the cutthroat world of food service. As if that hasn’t made matters difficult enough, COVID-19 has swept into our world like a hurricane. By now, the impact of COVID-19 has been felt and addressed numerous times but suffice it to say the food service sector has been particularly hit by a consumer base who have been spending more and more time in isolation and lockdown. As a result, hygiene has become a more important factor than ever before. In the older times a food or hygiene scare might have impacted local custom for a few weeks, usually as long as it took for memories to fade, but nowadays the scandal can be far more impactful, especially if it is a famous or successful chain. Even aside from COVID-19, recent illnesses and diseases such as salmonella and campylobacter have highlighted the importance of careful preparation, and the possibility for famous and well-known brands and names to fall afoul of such issues. In the kitchens, effective temperature checking, ingredients monitoring and quality assurance are key. It takes relatively little time and effort to implement these, but the biggest challenge is in ensuring that every kitchen worker – from the highest to the lowest – understands why it is so important they keep at it. It’s easy to cut Food service hasn’t been easy with COVID-19 impacting the industry, and the start and stop nature of lockdowns hasn’t helped. Now with potential for more in the future, there are fresh challenges ahead. Continual service 46 Á 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:20 Page 1FOOD SERVICE Food & Drink International 45 www.fdiforum.net © Shutterstock /SnvvSnvvSnvv 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:20 Page 246 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FOOD SERVICE corners, especially in busy times. Cut corners can lead to disaster, however. When it comes to food wastage, things are a little clearer. The food industry has made inroads into reducing the amount of professional food waste but much of the emphasis has shifted to recycling the waste rather than reducing it. In the UK alone it is estimated that some 2.5 billion pounds are attributable to food waste, whilst in the Nordic region some 25% of all food waste is said to come from the food service and hospitality sector. But, while some businesses have grasped that particularly thorny nettle and amended their practices accordingly, some have been reluctant to do so arguing that customers might look elsewhere if their food choice or portion size were diminished. It’s a delicate balancing act, but while we’ve all seen someone walking away from a buffet with their plates stacked to a higher capacity than their appetite could possibly withstand, for many of us it’s the quality of the food that counts rather than the quantity. Some catering companies, canteens, restaurants and other big kitchens are installing lean practices and process optimizations which are paying dividends. It is worth recognizing that, a large proportion of the food waste in an establishment is generated outside the kitchen – i.e. the service and consumer stage. Similar to other sustainability issues, technological solutions alone will not do the job – a change in attitude, behaviour and culture is essential for achieving any substantial change and to that end it is encouraging to see leading celebrity chefs influencing customer attitudes. As evidence shows, in any business sector clients are prepared to pay a little more for goods and services that come from environmentally managed sources and in some countries, diners are already listing food waste as one of their concerns when choosing an establishment to eat at. According to Unilever Food Solutions, 4 out of 10 Danes would prioritize eating at a restaurant that acts toward minimizing its food waste, and almost two thirds of Danes are willing to pay more for products and services from a sustainable and responsible company. In the US the numbers are said to be a staggering 50% and in Europe over 80% of people are concerned with professional food waste – and this has not changed despite the onset of COVID providing more immediate problems. © Shutterstock /NatashaPhoto 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:20 Page 3Food & Drink International 47 www.fdiforum.net FOOD SERVICE VWA launches Natasha’s Law online course Food industry training experts Verner Wheelock have just launched a brand new online course. The Natasha’s Law course is aimed at caterers, bakers and confectioners, butchers, farm shops, coffee shops, sandwich shops, mobile caterers, market traders, canteen workers, small retailers, event organisers and any other business that pre-packs food for sale from their premises. The new course is delivered online in a modular, easy-to-use format and is presented by Verner Wheelock’s Managing Food Allergens course trainer. It explains the new food allergen labelling requirements for foods that are pre-packed for direct sale (PPDS) and features a blend of video, images, interactive assessments, a decision tree and fact checking throughout. Delegates can download and print their own Verner Wheelock certificate following successful completion of a short test. Individuals can purchase logins directly from the website at www.vwa.co.uk/specialist/natashas-law-online-course.html These figures illustrate the importance of tackling the issue head on, rather than avoiding the issues in the belief that clients will go elsewhere. Cutting business operating costs by switching from demand driven to supply driven ordering and reducing ingredients whilst using what is in season are all great ways to contribute and may even provide more attractive pricing for customers. The food service industry is clearly one that faces continued struggles ahead, but many of the concerns it faces now are ones not temporary ones and the benefits of handling them will hopefully last for decades. As consumer tastes and demands become ever more diverse, the experience gained in adapting now will keep the sector flexible. © Shutterstock /Vjacheslav Shishlov 44-47.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:20 Page 41 & 2 December 2021 | Olympia, London Join us at the capital’s most innovative packaging event Packaging Innovations & Luxury Packaging London Registration is now open www.packaging-london.com “The show has been the perfect opportunity to speak to our current suppliers and see what they are doing, as well as scout out potential new suppliers. As a brand, we are increasingly looking for sustainable options, so the show has been great to see what’s out there.” Rhiannon Street Junior Packaging Designer Molton Brown “A fantastic opportunity to network with people involved in the packaging industry. Many exhibitors, like us, were showcasing some amazing forms of innovative, eye-catching, high-quality products which for the visitors to the show, must have caused sensory overload! I believe for us at least; Packaging Innovations is the go-to show for the year.” David Bristow New Business Development Manager Leading Edge Labels & Packaging Ltd 48-49.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:23 Page 1Food & Drink International 49 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING INNOVATIONS & LUXURY PACKAGING LONDON Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London will showcase the latest developments in food and drinks packaging when it returns to the Olympia on 1 & 2 December. The event will provide visitors with the opportunity to sample the latest products, learn from the brightest minds in the industry and foster valuable industry connections, all under one roof. New Concepts The show will feature new and exciting products from more than 180 exhibitors, including Knoll, which will be revealing its new Ecoform packaging solutions for the wine and spirits sectors. Ecoform is a new biodegradable plant material made from bamboo, wood, and sugar cane fibres that can be used as a plastic alternative, or as a 100% pulp packaging solution. It can be moulded, cut to order, and colour matched for a bespoke finish. Croxsons will display its range of glass solutions for drinks. The bespoke range allows brands to customise their packaging for a truly unique feel, and was recently used in the 25-year relaunch of Balblair’s whisky. Favini will launch the latest addition to its ‘Crush’ range of luxury paper – Crush Cocoa. The paper is created with 15 percent cocoa bean husk residue and furthers the company’s commitment to sustainable paper production. The product can be used for premium printing, or luxury packaging. The wider eco-friendly paper range includes products derived from a variety of other natural and sustainable raw materials, including algae. Show Features Alongside a packed show floor, Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London will host an exclusive seminar programme, bringing together a host of experts from across the industry. New for 2021 will be the £10bn Debate, a series of talks on the first day of the event, produced in partnership with the Foodservice Packaging Association and OPRL. The talks will cover the new wave of regulations that are heaping cost onto the packaging supply chain such as the Deposit Return Scheme and Extended Producer Responsibility, and address how the packaging industry can meet the resulting financial and supply challenges. The Pentawards, the world’s leading packaging design competition, will host a series of design-focused sessions delivered by top branding agencies aimed at covering the latest trends. 1HQ’s director of 3D Design, Experience and Sustainability, Mike Webster, will take to the stage to discuss how packaging can help brands position themselves within a highly competitive market. 1HQ has worked with English Provender preserves, King Soho dry gin, and Peperami. Elsewhere, Paul Jenkins, founder of The Pack Hub, will cover the latest trends and developments in the world of packaging. To further explore the packaging industry’s commitment to sustainable production, WWF’s Sustainable Materials Specialist, Paula Chin, will cover how companies can develop their brands to complement the natural world, rather than exploiting and destroying species’ habitats Renan Joel, Divisional Director at Easyfairs, comments: “As we move out of the pandemic and into a post-Covid world, we know that the packaging supply chain and food and drink brands are facing many new challenges. We believe that our exhibition will provide a toolkit for brands to meet those challenges, be they in terms of design, sustainability or understanding the new wave of regulations – and of course sourcing the latest materials and formats. We can’t wait for the show to open!” For further information, please visit the Packaging Innovations and Luxury Packaging London website or contact the show team on +44 (0) 203 196 4300 or PackagingUK@easyfairs.com. Latest Food and Drinks Packaging Concepts on Show at UK’s Premier Packaging Event 48-49.qxp_Layout 1 26/10/2021 13:23 Page 2Next >