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Contact us below for our 2023 editorial schedule Call today on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email: v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk INTERNATIONAL INTERN NATION AL ahe The d y safe ty and a Ne ws Heal ltth, saf hygiene Pumps and nd INTERN NATION AL i nno F o c o vati i o i Ne w s Pack aging spotlight oading ba L ayy doors s ys s and INTERN NATION New s challe ng Meeti n g Fla col ges col c INTERN NATION AL Be ver ages ellf f The futu i n f o c Thefutu On the shel ture s i n f o cus i s End of f line pack ka aging MINIMUM COST…MAXIMUM IMPACT! www.fdiforum.net 04-13.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:03 Page 7PepsiCo invests in new sustainable food packaging innovations for Walkers crisps PepsiCo has announced a £14 million investment in new sustainable food packaging innovations that will remove 250 tonnes of virgin plastic from its supply chain annually. As part of the move, the outer plastic packaging on millions of Walkers 22- and 24- bag multipacks will be replaced with a new cardboard design which reduces the amount of virgin plastic used. After a successful trial with Tesco, the new and improved multipack outer packaging will be on-shelves in all major supermarkets in the UK. Alongside the new packaging design, PepsiCo have also invested in a new stretch film to wrap around pallets before these are distributed to retailers. This new film is produced using nanotechnology which puts tiny air bubbles into the film to reduce the amount of plastic used, while retaining the same strength and stretch needed to protect crisps as they travel to stores across the country. The use of this new technology will lead to a 40% reduction in virgin plastic year on year, compared to the previous film. Reducing the amount of fossil-fuel based virgin plastic in the shrink wrap will also reduce the company’s annual carbon emissions by 465 tonnes. The investment marks a major step towards PepsiCo’s goal of eliminating virgin fossil-based plastic from its crisp and snack bags across Europe by 2030. In the UK, the company are also planning to trial new solutions, including packaging made from recycled plastic for snacks bags. Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net news VOG Products expands its organic range The South Tyrolean fruit processing company VOG Products has come up with new organic products, for example Demeter-certified juices and purées. Quality is also guaranteed by the source, because the raw products originate solely from the company’s own members. VOG Products is a trend-setter on the organic market and has continuously been expanding the organic range: along with juices, concentrates and purées, – also available in practical small-format packaging such as the “Bag-in-Box” – the South Tyrolean organisation of producers also offers organic-quality frozen fruits, cut and canned fruits. Compliance with the highest organic quality standard is always guaranteed: following the Bioland partnership and the certification obtained last year from Bio Suisse, the largest organic organisation in Switzerland, VOG Products has recently also become Demeter-certified. Demeter is the oldest organic association in Germany, whose criteria for food processing go far beyond the requirements of the EU Regulation on Organic Farming. “Our organic range is diverse – but one thing always remains the same: every product and every package contains our expertise in the organic sector, which has grown over the years,” emphasises Christoph Tappeiner, CEO of VOG Products. “We source our organic raw materials solely from our members in South Tyrol and Trentino. With traceability back to the origin and close monitoring along the entire production chain, we meet the highest safety and quality standards.” In fact, the raw materials come from within a radius of no more than 70 kilometres. The producers are organic farmers by conviction and manage the mostly small family farms close to nature and with a lot of heart. Tel: +39 0471 592311 info@vog-products.it www.vog-products.it © stock.adobe.com/ Jon Le-Bon Baileys is B Corp certified Baileys is now B Corp certified, becoming the largest global spirits brand to join the B Corp movement to date. Demonstrating it is a business committed to positive change, B Corp certification is a designation that as a business, Baileys is meeting high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials. In the rigorous certification process across Customers, Governance, Workers, Environment and Community, Baileys highest scoring impact areas are Workers and Environment. This globally recognised certification is the latest milestone for Baileys in the brand’s sustainability journey and supports Diageo’s wider 10-year sustainability action plan ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’. Joining the B Corp community, Baileys is one of 5,500 certified businesses working worldwide to create a more inclusive, regenerative, equitable economy for people and planet. © stock.adobe.com/ Oleksandr Blishch 04-13.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:03 Page 8£400k fine for Bernard Matthews after health and safety breaches left worker paralysed Bernard Matthews Food Ltd has been fined £400,000 following two separate incidents where employees were seriously injured. Colin Frewin was left permanently paralysed and spent six months in hospital following an incident at the company’s Suffolk manufacturing plant. Chelmsford Crown Court heard how Frewin had been tasked with cleaning a large screw conveyor used to move poultry turkeys along and chill them. While working on the gantry between the spin chillers he noticed a turkey stuck at the bottom of it. As he attempted to dislodge the turkey using a squeegee, Frewin was drawn into the machine. It was only when a colleague noticed Frewin was missing from the gantry and heard his cries for help, the emergency stop was pulled. There was another incident at the same plant five months earlier, which saw Adriano Gama suffer a broken arm and severe damage to the muscles in his forearm. Hilmar Cheese Company breaks ground on Kansas cheese and whey production facility Hilmar Cheese Company has broken ground on the site of its future cheese and whey protein processing plant in Dodge City, Kansas. The new facility is expected to create 250 new jobs and represents more than $600 million in capital investment. Hilmar Cheese Company has adopted the U.S. Dairy Stewardship Commitment and goal to achieve a Net Zero dairy industry by 2050. The Dodge City facility will thus incorporate the latest technology and advancements in conservation and sustainability. A state-of-the-art instrumentation and control systems will minimize the water needed to keep the plant clean and minimize energy usage. Recycled water will be used further in processing protein, to clean the facility and equipment, and to reclaim waste heat. The equipment will utilize the latest technology, such as upgraded spray nozzles for more efficient cleaning. The process will reuse rinse water. The latest equipment, instrumentation and automated controls technology will reduce overall energy use. 12 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net on line Jones Potato Farm automates bulk product inspection Jones Potato Farm is a large-scale, family- owned producer of potatoes, green beans, citrus and cattle. Gripped by a tight labour market, they’ve searched for new automated technologies to maintain their high product quality and production capacities. In 2020, they installed Key Technology’s advanced VERYX® B175 digital sorter to find and remove foreign material (FM) and product defects on their fresh pack green bean line. Processing more than 250,000 bushels of green beans every year, VERYX helps Jones reduce manual labour while protecting product quality and maximizing yield. “The labour shortage is a major concern for all agricultural operations. It’s become very difficult and expensive to recruit and retain 20 reliable workers to manually inspect our green beans, especially during our peak season when we often operate seven days a week,” said Alan Jones, President and CEO of Jones Potato Farm. “While we’ll always have a place for good employees here in our facility, it’s nice to be able to take some pressure off our people. VERYX is a highly effective sorter that improves our operating efficiencies.” For more information visit www.key.net Orkla invests in US ice cream ingredients business Orkla Food Ingredients (OFI) has entered into an agreement to purchase 84% of the shares in Denali Ingredients, which is a leading ice cream ingredients business in the USA. Denali Ingredients has seen strong organic growth of more than 10% p.a. over the past 15 years. The company is headquartered in Wisconsin, where it carries out manufacturing at two facilities and has 160 employees in total. “The acquisition of Denali Ingredients is a significant and natural step for OFI into the market for ingredient solutions for the US ice cream industry. The food ingredients sector is fragmented with significant potential for further consolidation and growth. Based on these opportunities we will now initiate a process to seek a long-term partner for OFI to accelerate growth and value creation,” says Nils K. Selte, president and CEO of Orkla. Denali Ingredients develops and manufactures ingredient solutions for the US ice cream industry, complementary with OFI’s strong position in the European market for ice cream and confectionery ingredients. The new business will be part of OFI’s Sweet Ingredients vertical. Private investment firm acquires SunOpta’s sunflower and roasted snacks division Pacific Avenue Capital Partners, a Los Angeles-based private investment firm, has acquired Sunrich Products, the sunflower and roasted snack division of SunOpta. The transaction includes three processing facilities in the upper Midwest, hybrid seed development activities, a collaborative program with independent sunflower growers, and relationships with an extensive set of customers in the food ingredients, snack food, and birdseed markets. Sunrich, based in Crookston, Minnesota, is an integrated provider of farm to product sunflower seeds, chickpeas and other nutritious snacks. Kent Johnson, CEO, Sunrich Products, said: “We are excited to partner with Pacific Avenue to accelerate the growth of Sunrich’s business by further fulfilling our customers’ needs for quality roasted snack products. “We look forward to further innovating our portfolio of healthy products made from sunflower and other healthy crops.” © stock.adobe.com/ lisa870 © stock.adobe.com/ Aleksej © stock.adobe.com/ DOC RABE Media © stock.adobe.com/ lilechka75 04-13.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:03 Page 9Cotswolds Distillery launches Hedgerow Gin The Cotswolds Distillery has launched its Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin, which will soon be available to UK consumers. This latest gin expression from The Cotswolds Distillery is inspired by the abundance of fruit and flora found in the British hedgerows in late summer and early autumn. Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin is made from the juices of sloe, damson, blackberry, plum and elderberry and then layered over the award-winning Cotswolds Dry Gin. It is then lightly sweetened to create a gin bursting with flavour and fruity deliciousness. The Cotswolds Distillery is surrounded by areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin is a nod to the beautiful country that frames the Distillery. Dan Szor, founder and CEO of Cotswolds Distillery, says: “We are thrilled to introduce Cotswolds Hedgerow Gin to our customers and to share a part of our beautiful Cotswolds countryside with the wider public. Steeped in flavour from blackberries, elderberries and plums, it is the perfect edition to the Cotswolds Gin range moving into the season of mellow fruitfulness.” on the shelf Eggo launches first-ever Eggo Nog During the chaos of the holidays, parents need a moment to themselves more than ever. Eggo heard from parents that one of their favorite times to enjoy Eggo Waffles is during their ‘evening me time’, when the kids have gone to bed, and they can finally relax and enjoy it in peace. That insight inspired Eggo to create Eggo Nog, a rich and delicious eggnog liqueur to elevate parents’ free time and give grownups a unique way to L’Eggo of the holiday stress this season. Made in partnership with craft distillery Sugarlands Distilling Co. out of Gatlinburg, Tenn., Eggo Nog Appalachian Sippin’ Cream is a decadent rum-based liqueur with cinnamon and nutmeg flavor notes. To make for an even more delicious experience, it pairs perfectly with Eggo Thick & Fluffy waffles to help keep you feeling cozy (and perhaps slightly toasted) all winter long. Jelly Belly expands Harry Potter line with collection of Butterbeer Candies Jelly Belly Candy Company, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, has announced five new additions to its collection of Harry Potter-inspired confections, now available year-round. Hitting stores just in time for the holidays, Wizarding World fans and candy connoisseurs can now gift their loved ones with unforgettable treats inspired by the beloved films. New additions include the first-ever Butterbeer-inspired chewy candies and milk chocolate bars available in creative packaging ranging from festive barrel tins to glass mugs, as well as a Harry Potter House Points Counter Dispenser, a new jelly bean dispenser that will provide an answer to the most coveted fan question: who will win the house cup, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor or Ravenclaw? “We’re thrilled to celebrate the magic of the holiday season with these new additions to our Harry Potter collection,” said Rob Swaigen, vice president of global marketing at Jelly Belly Candy Company. “At Jelly Belly, we pride ourselves on true-to-life flavor in every candy we create, so we’re excited to offer Wizarding World fans the taste of Butterbeer in a candy form for the first time ever.” Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net Athletic Brewing Company launches alcohol-free beers into 300+ Tesco UK stores Athletic Brewing Company, the American alcohol-free craft beer brand, has expanded into Tesco UK. The popular Run Wild IPA (RRP £6 for 4x355ml) and Upside Dawn Golden Ale (RRP £6 for 4x355ml) will be available for purchase at 300 outlets across the UK. At less than 0.5% ABV, Run Wild IPA is Fit For All Times. It is the ultimate session brew, carefully crafted with organic Vienna malt and a blend of five Northwest hops. The result is an alcohol-free IPA with an approachable bitterness and classic piney, citrusy aroma with a subtle, yet complex malt profile. Upside Dawn Golden Ale is also less than 0.5% ABV and made with organic Vienna malt. This light-bodied brew is refreshing, balanced and gluten-free. A combination of English and American hops add earthy, spicy and citrusy notes. Run Wild contains 65 calories and Upside Dawn contains 45 calories. They are perfect for craft beer drinkers looking to moderate alcohol consumption without compromising on taste. The brews are also vegan and non-GMO. StarKist introduces new StarKist Smart Bowls StarKist has announced its newest innovation: StarKist Smart Bowls. New StarKist Smart Bowls feature perfectly seasoned grains and hearty vegetables with wild-caught tuna, all in a convenient, single-serve pouch. Smart Bowls are available in four delicious flavor varieties, including Latin Citrus, Spicy Pepper, Tomato Basil, and Zesty Lemon. “Smart Bowls introduction was inspired by the popularity of grain bowls - today’s health-conscious consumers are looking for more convenient options that include lean proteins, vegetables, and grains,” said Tom Aslin, vice president of marketing & innovation at StarKist. “StarKist is delivering by combining its wild-caught tuna with grains, such as quinoa and barley, as well as hearty vegetables, like beans and corn, which are fully cooked and ready to eat straight from the pouch.” StarKist Smart Bowls are fully cooked and can be enjoyed directly from the pouch, or placed on a bed of greens or other vegetables for a more filling meal. They were created to be enjoyed as part of a light lunch, satisfying snack, or delicious addition to dinner. © Jelly Belly Candy Company Courtesy of Kellogg Company © StarKist Co. / PR Newswire 04-13.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:03 Page 1014 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/Pavel Timofeev 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:05 Page 1Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT P erhaps no nation is as inherently associated with its food as Italy. Italian cuisine is famous worldwide, seeing demand high for the country’s products - from olive oil to pasta, from wine to sauces, from confectionary to fruits and vegetables and more. This popularity has kept exports of food and drink from Italy strong, with a fast pace of growth this year so far, after reaching the historic, record milestone of 52 billion euros in 2021. It comes despite the energy crisis, the surge in production costs, difficulties sourcing materials, extreme weather events causing produce shortages, and the shadow of a global recession. A report from Ismea (Institute of Services for the Agricultural and Food Market) released last month (October) shows a “very positive” trend in Italy’s agri-food exports in the first seven months of 2022. From January to July, total revenues of 34.5 billion euros were collected from foreign sales, marking an increase of almost 18% over the same period last year. Though the figure is affected by the strong inflationary push, so too has it been impacted by the increased volume flows of pasta, bakery and biscuit products, sparkling wines, fresh and aged cheeses, hams, peeled tomatoes and tomato pulp. Export data show a generally positive performance for all production sectors, with the exception of the fresh and processed fruit sector, due to decreases recorded by apples, kiwis, and shelled hazelnuts. The cereals, rice and derivatives sector saw marked growth of 31.7%, reaching 3.6 billion euros in the first 16 Á Famous for its cuisine, it is perhaps unsurprising that Italy is set for another record year of food exports - though imports are increasing just as quickly. 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:05 Page 216 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT half of the year, while wines and musts hit almost 3.8 billion euros (+13.5%). The export of milk and derivatives is also decidedly positive which, with a growth rate of 21.9% in the period in question, has an export turnover of 2.4 billion euros. Italy’s exports are expanding in double digits both in the EU (+21% in the first half of 2022), the primary market for Italian agri-food products, and in third countries (+16%), favoured, in this case, also by a weak euro against the dollar, making it cheaper for international buyers to import Italian and European products. A weaker euro, however, also means more expensive agri-food imports for Italian shoppers. Imports rose 29% to reach 34.9 billion euros in the first seven months of 2022. Amongst the country’s three most important partners, all with high growth rates, exports to Germany saw an 11% rise, to the USA a 21% increase, and 18% in France. Even in the UK, Italy’s fourth most important export destination, sales expanded by 19%. This comes after signs of a slowdown in the last two years that had fuelled widespread fears about the consequences of Brexit, which has caused bureaucratic and administrative difficulties, more complex procedures, and increased costs and delays thanks to more controls. Robust growth in exports to Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic have also been noted, while flows to China and Japan have declined. Expectations for exports for the rest of 2022, meanwhile, indicate another record year. Analysis of Istat data by Coldiretti, the association representing and stewarding Italian agriculture, estimates that if the current growth trend is maintained, Italian agri-food exports across the world will exceed 60 billion euros in 2022. Coldiretti however notes that there is further potential for Italian agri-food products to make a higher contribution to exports and the growth of the country with a stop to international food counterfeiting, with fake ‘Made in Italy’ products rife, and addressing ‘Italian sounding’ goods taking advantage of the country’s reputation with fraudulent marketing. Indeed the value of fake Made in Italy agri-food products in the world has risen to 120 billion euros. Imitation frequently occurs with Italian wines, especially Prosecco, cheeses, pasta, tomato sauces and cold cuts. In the United States for example it is estimated that the value of Italian sounding goods has reached 40 billion euros, with Coldiretti pointing out that 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:05 Page 3Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/Lightboxx D Davies Turner Celebrating 150 years of pioneering service YEARS 90% of Italian-type cheeses in the USA are actually made in Wisconsin, California, and New York. President of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini, has further emphasised that by putting a stop to the spread of agropiracy at the table, as many as 300,000 jobs could be created in Italy. The protection of Italian products has been key in trade agreements, such as New Zealand this year becoming the latest country to formally recognise Prosecco as a protected geographical indication produced only in Italy’s Veneto region. It comes as part of a bilateral trade agreement between the European Union and the New Zealand government and ensures trademark protection, so that products produced in other countries cannot be labelled ‘Prosecco’ in New Zealand. It follows a similar agreement in China last year. Although its cuisine is known of worldwide, Italy continues to campaign for its products, with the Italian Association of Millers, ITALMOPA, seeing great opportunity in India to increase the export of soft wheat flours from Italy for example. Italy also recently joined a cohort of European Union governments calling for the bloc to accelerate the conclusion of free trade agreements, complaining the process for negotiating, signing and ratifying deals is taking too long. A new agreement with Mexico, for instance, from 2018, has sat unratified for four years. Current trade goals for the EU include a deal with Chile before the end of the year, an agreement with Australia in the first half of 2023, and to forge ahead with talks with countries such as India. 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 10:05 Page 418 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING SPOTLIGHT The Plastic has been making our lives easier since its advent in the 1950s, not least as a durable, safe and hygienic material for food packaging. Whether for storage, transport or preserving food products on a shelf, few materials are as convenient. But that convenience has come with a cost. plastic problem 18-23.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 11:01 Page 1Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING SPOTLIGHT W ith just five to ten per cent of plastic being recycled on a global scale, most plastic literally goes to waste, sitting in landfill heaps or ending up as more ocean pollution our planet doesn’t need. It’s an ecological danger that any food manufacturer must be wary of when considering product packaging. But thankfully, alternatives to petroleum-based plastics (which can take 500 years to decompose) are being investigated and developed to take the weight of single- use, non-biodegradable plastics off our consciences and, more importantly, the rest of the natural world. Developments into eco-friendly food packaging have led to greater choice for companies that wish to avoid using plastic wherever possible. But in many cases, this isn’t a simple swap. We’ve come to rely on plastic for its qualities as a strong, versatile and lightweight material, and a green alternative that covers all these bases while being recyclable is yet to be discovered. Take compostable packaging, which breaks down into its original components over time. In its favour, it can often be disposed of in a household compost bin and doesn’t have to be washed beforehand. However, the downside to its ability to naturally biodegrade is that it doesn’t have the same barrier strength or contaminant protection as plastic, and it cannot be vacuum sealed for freshness and shelf-life either. Biodegradable packaging is also available, which isn’t always compostable. This type of packaging is only eco-friendly when disposed of under the correct industrial conditions, while at-home recycling is not yet an option. When disposal is handled improperly, biodegradable plastics break down into microplastics, which not only contaminate animal habitats and the ocean, but can also find their way into the human digestive system through water and air contamination. 20 Á © stock.adobe.com/monticellllo 18-23.qxp_Layout 1 24/10/2022 11:01 Page 2Next >