< PreviousSensient Food ColorsItaly awarded IFSVersion 5 accreditationSensient Food Colors Italy, the largest producer ofgrape skin extracts and anthocyanins in Europe, hasnow been awarded International Food Standardsaccreditation version 5, higher level, for theproduction of food grade natural colours andvegetable concentrates.Imerio Bortot, General Manager of Sensient Food Colors Italy, says, “This is an important professionalrecognition of the way in which we operate and further demonstrates Sensient’s commitment to seekthe highest standards of product quality and performance for all its customers.”The Italian operations of Sensient Food Colors Europe are a unit of Sensient Technologies Corporation,a leading global manufacturer and marketer of colours, flavours, and fragrances. Sensient employsadvanced technologies at facilities around the world to develop speciality food and beverage systems,inkjet and speciality inks and colours and other speciality and fine chemicals. The company’s customersinclude major international manufacturers representing many of the world’s best-known brands.Record third quarter for UPMConveyorsUPM Conveyors arereporting a record thirdquarter. This includes totalturnkey projects for majormultinationals, ranging fromhandling prawns in Spain, toserving 15,000 meals per dayat a mine in Jakarta.They also assist in theproduction of fresh vegetablesin Kenya for Finlay’s FreshProduce who, in 2010,produced over 165 millionpacks of vegetables for the UKretail market. RogerBroughton, Group EngineeringManager, says UPM wereselected due to their ability tooffer bespoke solutions to product handling in Kenya where trouble freeoperation and zero maintenance are priorities.UPM were able to offer a solution to Finlay’s application based on a tripledecker belt conveyor to allow four operators per side to transfer productfrom the lower conveyor to fill boxes on the middle conveyor. Empty boxeswere transferred on the top roller conveyor at a rate of 2000kg per hour.10www.fdiforum.netMETTLER TOLEDO’s five steps to optimum product inspection Making the right choice in equipment for effectiveproduct inspection isn’t always clear. METTLERTOLEDO’s White Paper ‘Five Steps to Optimum ProductInspection’ outlines five steps manufacturers shouldundertake to ensure high quality product inspection. These include meeting the relevant food regulationsfor your manufacturing scenario and proactivelyundertaking risk analysis such as HACCP, offeringgreater understanding of the contaminants likely toaffect production.By fulfilling these steps, manufacturers can turn theirattention to implementing the most effective equipment, ensuring a greater level of production efficiencyis achieved. Finally, ensuring your purchase decisions are made alongside a reliable and established partner caneliminate any confusion or risk associated with this high capital investment. Tightened regulatory standards and heightened consumer awareness require that foodmanufacturers take all measures necessary to protect both customers and their brand reputation.To download the White Paper visit: www.mt.com/uk-fivesteps-whitepaper Porvair introduce novelbeer stabilisation filters Porvair Filtration Group have introduced itsTrapfil guard filter, specifically developed for theretention of polyvinylpolypyrrolidone anddiatomite particles commonly used in beer andwine stabilisation.Manufactured from a multi-layer combination ofpolypropylene support layers and filtration media,all Trapfil components of construction are FDAapproved and meet or exceed EC Directives forfood contact. Resistant to hot caustic andstandard CIP chemicals, Trapfil filters aredesigned to be regenerated by backflushing,providing more value per hectolitre.Available in a variety of lengths and industrystandard adaptors, Trapfil cartridges are offeredin 5, 10 and 15 micron ratings, all validated toBeta 5000. The cartridges are resistant to repeatsteam sterilisation and hot water cycles frequentlyused in breweries.Porvair also offer clarifying and sterilising-gradeliquid filters specific to the beverage industry, aswell as an innovative patented materialincorporating PVPP that replaces powder formatswith an easy to handle cartridge format. Global Food Safety Initiativerecognises BRCGlobal StandardsThe BRC Global Standards team hasreceived GFSI benchmarking for itsBRC/IOP Global Standard forPackaging and Packaging Materials –Issue 4.This is the first packaging standardto complete the process ofbenchmarking by GFSI, and representsincreased recognition for more than twothousand certificated sites around theworld. The Standard covers thehygienic production of packagingmaterials and the management ofquality and functional properties ofpackaging to provide assurance tocustomers.The BRC Global Standard for FoodSafety – Issue 6 focuses on food safetyand management of product quality in food packing andprocessing operations. The BRC Food Standard was one of the originalGFSI benchmarked schemes and has been successfully re-benchmarkedby GFSI it has achieved recognition against the GFSI Guidance DocumentSixth Edition.04-12:Layout 1 16/11/12 14:20 Page 7Tick all the right boxes with BRC Global StandardsEKC7969 10/12BRC Global Standard for Food Safety – Issue 6Provides increased emphasis on good manufacturing practice to meet the requirements of manufacturers and retailers. PRINT: 9780117069671 £95.00PDF: 9780117069688 £90.00 (£108.00 inc. VAT)BRC Global Standard for Food Safety – Issue 6 Interpretation Guideline This Interpretation Guideline will help you understand the requirements for obtaining certifi cation to Issue 6 of the Standard. PRINT: 9780117069152 £45.00PDF: 9780117069169 £42.00 (£50.40 inc. VAT)BRC Global Standard for Food Safety – Guideline for Fresh ProduceThis guideline discusses the principles behind the requirements for fresh produce packers of fruit, vegetables and nuts. Concentrating on the fresh produce industry, this guideline will help companies, auditors and customers understand how to implement the requirements of the Standard.PRINT: 9780117080096 £45.00PDF: 9780117080089 £40.00 (£48.00 inc. VAT)COMINGSOONPrices, images and publication dates are correct at the time of going to press but may be subject to change without notice. The Stationery Office Ltd. Company Registered Number 3049649. Registered office: 1-5 Poland Street, London, W1F 8PR.The latest best practice for food safetyTo place your order or to fi nd out more about the full range of BRC Standards and Guidelines visit www.brcbookshop.com or call +44 (0)870 243 0123 quoting code EKC. The revolutionary design of Aptarʻs Pour Spout closures take traditionaldispensing to a new level. Aptar introduces the new Ultra Pour Spout 38-400: Available with different orifice sizes or SimpliSqueeze® for versatile dispensing and a controlled product flow.POTENTIAL FOOD CATEGORIESJellies and Jam Honey Sauces and ToppingsDelivering solutions, shaping the future.infofood.gbl@aptar.com or call us directly +49 8551 975 328www.aptar.com04-12:Layout 1 16/11/12 14:20 Page 8Cyclocam video camera joins Olympus high-speed rangeThe latest addition to the range of Olympus high-speedcameras is the Cyclocam high-speed video camera, designedfor use in the manufacturing, robotics and production industry. Cyclocam films in real time and users can then playback therecorded images on the integrated display screen also in realtime x40. The camera is unique as it enables viewing the effectof adjustments to production line processes live in high speed,making it particularly useful to analyse just the required parts ofa film cycle.The camera is standalone, lightweight and portable and hasan integrated display screen which negates the need to connectto a computer for both control and display. It also has the abilityto record with advanced trigger techniques. The triggering timeis 5-1000 seconds and can used in typical modes including real-time high-speed. The camera effortlessly synchronisesrecordings to production using available triggers or by connecting to existing equipment.Water recovery systemreduces water waste by35%Puresep have helped a leading soft drinksmanufacturer reduce the amount of rinse water sentto drain, in order to help them achieve their waterreduction targets.The current situation involved four rinsing linesthat washed bottles prior to being filled with product.The rinse water was then disposed of down thedrain. Puresep looked at how this water could be re-used onsite. Each line was fitted with a tank and asubmersible pump system. The water from eachproduction line fed into a single common recapturewater line that filled a central storage tank.Inline instrumentation was fitted to ensure thewater was of the required specification prior to fillingthe storage tank. This is controlled using valves anda central PLC. The central storage tank was fittedwith monitoring equipment to ensure the watercontinues to remain at the required specification.Following the installation, water wastage wasreduced by 35%.12www.fdiforum.netTransdek’s V2G delivers flexible loading solutionfor flat floor sitesLifting equipment specialist Transdek hasproduced the innovative V2G modular loadhouselift, which provides an ideal solution for flat floorsites. Representing a major breakthrough in loadingbay technology, the surface mounted hydraulic lifthas the capability to load or unload all goodsvehicles to ground level.With loading speeds equivalent to raised docksand dock levellers, the V2G offers the possibility torethink conventional design formats, keeping theservice yard on a single level. This eliminates backof store or distribution centre dead space, whichcould be more cost effectively used to increase theselling area or storage capacities.The system can also be easily retrofitted, as the V2G’s unique design enables the cost-effectiveconversion of flat floor loading bays for the efficient and effective servicing not only of standard,single deck vehicle fleets, but also all types of double deck trailers.Request your free White Paper fromMETTLER TOLEDOAdvances in technology meanvision inspection solutions can offerfood manufacturers a more effectivemethod of product inspection,ensuring they are properly labelledand coded as part of a proactive foodsafety programme. Properly labelled products guaranteeconsumer safety and maintain productquality. CI-Vision Inspection solutionsfrom METTLER TOLEDOoffer areliable, accurate and high speedmethod of printed label inspection. Request you free copy of the WhitePaper ‘Vision Inspection SupportsFood Safety – Risks of MisinformingProduct Content’ and learn how vision inspection can enhance productivity.It also outlines how it supports European wide food safety regulations set bythe International Food Standards and British Retail Consortium. The paper also features two case studies where manufacturers who haveadopted vision inspection boosting both productivity and customersatisfaction. Request your free White Paper via www.mt.com/uk-foodsafety-whitepaperBar code clinic uncovers cause oflabel problemsPoor legibility as a result ofinappropriate print directionemerged as the most commonfault in bar codes brought byvisitors for testing on Logopak’sstand during the PPMA Show.Faults with check digits and lightmargins were also uncovered.Nearly forty visitors broughttheir codes to Logopak’s BarCode Clinic where specialistsfrom GS1 UK and Axicon wereon hand to test the codes andadvise solutions to any faultsuncovered.Difficulties with bar codes included incorrect programming for calculatingcheck digits in labels carrying variable information, with the result that whiletest labels submitted to retailers could be approved, subsequent productionlabels with different information would fail.Logopak sales director Howard Jagger says, “Surprisingly there werealso a number of problems which could have been avoided if users hadfollowed the appropriate GS1 guidelines. These are readily available andshould be the starting point for all bar code labelling projects.”04-12:Layout 1 16/11/12 14:20 Page 913:Layout 1 16/11/12 10:16 Page 114www.fdiforum.netEffective coding assured by frozenfood producerHungarian frozen food producerMar-Ne-Váll, which makes theRipp-Ropp range for centralEurope, is saving money thanks tothe installation of a new Linx IJ355large character coder. It followsthe decision to switch to codingboxes, instead of labelling, andcomes after a successful trial onthe production line.The installation of the Linx IJ355means Mar-Ne-Váll can rely oneffective coding without losingproductivity, and with maintenancestoppages kept to a minimum.The machine, supplied throughLinx’s Hungarian distributor partner Printec, codes up to thirty brown boxesper minute with text, logos and EAN13 barcodes. The Linx IJ355’s innovative ReFRESH ink system, robust design, andprinthead protection technology mean significantly reduced downtime andsavings on consumables. Its tough stainless-steel nozzle guard protects theprinthead from possible damage, caused by impact with the boxes on theline, while remaining close enough to the packaging to ensure superiorprint quality is maintained.Robotic palletiser boosts bagging line productivityA new turnkey robotic palletising line fromBrillopak looks set to yield a return oninvestment within less than 18 months ofinstallation by doubling throughput at theStowmarket factory of malted ingredientsmanufacturer Muntons.Muntons supplies malts, malt extracts,homebrew kits, flours and flakes to the foodand drink industry. As part of this, theyrequired a robotic palletising solution to boostthroughput by 50%.The Brillopak solution comprises a dual linerobotic palletising system incorporating aNachi LP 130 four axis robot together with theBrillopak STD1 Gripperhead incorporating vacuum for slip sheets, two pallet dispensers, bagflatteners, integrated metal detectors, label printers together with a stretch wrapper with hooder,plus all infeed and outfeed conveyors. The company created and tested 65 different pallet load recipes for the robot, accommodating every conceivable combination of bag size and type.Programmed with different recipes for each line, the robot feeds two different pallet stations. Færch Plast set to enable recyclers to sortblack CPET in mixed plastic waste streamDenmark-based Færch Plast A/S hasdeveloped a black CPET material thatcan be detected by Near InfraRedsensors. This enables recyclers to sortblack CPET in the mixed plastics wastestream, for the first time ever.Færch Plast developed the new blackCPET in conjunction with stakeholdersWRAP, Nextek, Titech, Eurofins andleading UK supermarket retailers.Jesper Emil Jensen, Senior Manager at Færch Plast A/S says: “Færch Plast continually conductsresearch into the raw materials it uses and has recently been heavily involved in a project aimed atmaking black trays recyclable.“Until now, recycling of black CPET has not been possible as it can’t be detected by the NIRsensors used by most recyclers. It has been a complicated project because the current pigment isboth good at what it does and is also the cheapest form of black available.”New CIP system for CairngormBreweryCairngorm Brewery have takendelivery of a brand new Semi-Automatic Clean in Place Systemfrom IC Filling Systems formicrobreweries capable of 150litres.The system can be adapted tovarious operating requirements anddesigned to enable the cleaningend sterilisation of tanks, pipingend equipment withoutdisassembly any parts orcomponents. The system is also available in afully automatic version. Thisensures removal of the plant’scomponents is not necessary andtherefore eliminates risk of contact with any chemical solution. The risk ofproduct contamination is practically eliminated as there is no need todisassemble any components of the plant. The whole process ofsterilisation is effortless, operator friendly and easily repeated.The recovery of the chemical solutions minimises the consumption ofwater and the cost reduction in terms of purchase of chemicals anddischarge taxes is considerable.Installation of Allenthermal coder increasesproduction time by 15% forOP ChocolateManufacturer and supplier of wafer biscuits andchocolate bars, OP Chocolate expects to recoup itsinvestment in a 53LTi thermal transfer printer fromAllen Coding Systems within a year of purchase.The machine, which replaced an old coder thatwas causing too much downtime, has increasedproduction time by 15% and, with its automatedsystem of changing the code and print quality,reduced changeovers from 15 to two minutes.Installed on an automated bagging machine, the53LTi currently operates at speeds of up to 75 bagsper minute to print production codes and best beforedates on to laminated printed film, for the packagingof mini two-finger wafer bars for European export.The 53LTi thermal transfer printer is versatile enoughfor printing fixed and variable data, text and graphics.It is also designed to reproduce a range of codes.14-15:Layout 1 16/11/12 10:18 Page 1Unique oil recovery system offersbreakthroughJBT FoodTech has launchedthe world’s first Floating CrumbRemoval system for processorsof tempura-battered product.The new system, which canboth remove very fine sedimentand recover up to 80% of oilwhich is normally lost in the filtercake, is a breakthrough forprocessors of tempura-coatedproducts, where used oil in thesediment would normally bediscarded. The system couldsave processors up to 170tonnes of oil a year.Nigel Brunyee, systemsmanager, JBT FoodTech, says, “Ifa producer processes 4000kg ofproduct per hour, he may use up to 400kg per hour of oil, which isabsorbed by the product. Every 100kg of floating sediment contains up to80% oil. With this new system the total oil saving is 50%.”The FloatingCrumb Removal system can be retro-fitted on JBT FoodTech’s range ofStein fryers. It’s also possible to process both tempura and non-tempuraproducts on the same line.www.fdiforum.net15Don’t forgetyou can now readFood & Drink International Digital Editionsnow available on iPad & iPhonewww.fdiforum.netIdeal for those who spendtime away fromthe officeonthego!www.fdiforum.netPerfect hygiene for dried fruitweighingThe modernisation of theflagship factory of Maître Prunille,France’s brand leader in driedand soft fruit, has included a newpacking hall for which IshidaEurope has been a valuableautomation partner. Thecompany has worked with MaîtrePrunille to ensure that itsstringent hygiene standards aremaintained across a huge varietyof different packs.The packing hall, at thecompany’s Casseneuil site nearVilleneuve-sur-Lot, features fiveseparate lines, each including asorting area, an Ishida multiheadweigher and a vertical bagmaker.These are complemented byend-of-line equipment, includingIshida checkweighers with built-in metal detectors, supported by Ishida’sIDCS software which enables the company to monitor production line datato help increase line efficiency.Each Ishida Weigher has 14-heads, with 3-litre hoppers. The main body,with its rounded construction, is simple to hose down and offers no ‘traps’for spores or other contaminants to linger in.14-15:Layout 1 16/11/12 10:18 Page 2£1 million deal to deliver gammon for ChristmasLynas Food Service, owners of theCauseway Prime brand, have continuedtheir commitment to local sourcing witha deal that will provide over fivethousand Northern Ireland gammons inthe run up to Christmas.Supplied by FC Robinson’s ofBallyclare the commitment will helpbolster the sales of Northern IrelandPork at this key time. The deal, believedto be worth over £1million per annum,will deliver gammon onto 250,000plates. The deal helps to bolster theNorthern Ireland supply of Pigmeatwhich has come under pressure in recent months due to high input costs.Alvin Donaghy of FC Robinson says, “Gammon is a versatile and highly popular cut of meat. We are delighted to be able to supply locally produced,quality product and hope that Lynas Food Service has a bumper festive period. The Causeway Prime brand, through this investment, is keeping local jobsand protecting the local pork supply chain.”16www.fdiforum.netPukka pouches with National FlexibleNational Flexible has assisted a specialistherb, spices and baking ingredients supplierwith their Jamie Oliver brand. They required apackaging partner who would be confident indeveloping a new pack format while adheringto strict guidelines laid out by the brandmanagers.National Flexible, working alongside NXLDesign, were able to deliver a new pouchformat that required extensive packdevelopment and innovation. The quality of thepackaging had to match the aspirational valuesof the Jamie Oliver brand, which was madedifficult by art-working restrictions conflicting with the printing requirements of the pouch format.Daniel Wyness at National Flexible says, “The tight brand guidelines gave little room formanoeuvre when developing the packs. However, the communication, experience andtechnical expertise throughout the workflow between NXL and National Flexible created asmooth transition to a new pack format, meeting delivery targets and production fulfilment.”Innovative Coldpresssecures Tesco listingand extends rangePremium juice producer Coldpress isincreasing its award-winning range of innovativecold pressure processed fruit juices andsecuring wider distribution – including a newlisting in five hundred Tesco stores.Coldpress fruit is picked, crushed, filtered andbottled then treated to a unique cold pressureprocess instead of heat which allows individualapple varieties like Braeburn, Granny Smith andPink Lady to proudly showcase their uniqueflavours. The result is a unique taste with doublethe antioxidants, double the vitamin C and aneight times longer shelf life than heat treatedbrands.Coldpress co-founder Andrew Gibb says, “It’sso exciting to bring some genuine innovation toa sector. Many people ask us why a majority of our competitors don’t highlightwhat apple varieties they employ. The sad truth is that it doesn’t really matter,because when sweating in heat in excess of 75°c it’s practically impossible forany fruit to preserve its individuality.”Bannisters’ Farm launchLittl’unsBannisters’ Farm have created Littl’uns – a box of sixSmall Baked Jacket Potatoes which have a deliciouslybaked skin, lightly drizzled with olive oil with a softfluffy centre, perfectly sized for smaller appetites.Bannisters’ Farm Littl’uns was inspired by theYorkshire phrase which Rob Bannister uses for his fourmischievous grandchildren. In developing the product,the family listened to their customers, and moreimportantly, their own little ones. Perfect for busy mums who need to prepare a quicksupper, Littl’uns take three minutes to cook in themicrowave and are highly nutritious. Made from 100%natural ingredients and freshly frozen to lock in thatperfect baked potato taste they contain no added salt,are low in fat, rich in fibre, gluten free and suitable forvegetarians. Littl’uns are also ideal for adults wantingall of the taste of a baked potato but without breakingthe diet.AG Thames celebrates firstdelivery of Sweet Sensation pearsFresh fruit supplierAG Thames haswelcomed the firstdelivery of UK-grownSweet Sensation pearsinto Sainsbury’s. Themove provides muchneeded support forBritish growers and isset to significantly lowerfood miles throughreducing imports byaround £8 million.First planted at a seven hectare orchard at East Malling Research inKent in May 2011 by Newstairs, which is the innovation arm of AGThames, the pears were harvested in September 2012 with an initial yieldof around twenty tonnes. Francis Wheatley, Director of Newstairs, says, “Although currentlyavailable in Holland, the Sweet Sensation Pear has not, until now, beengrown in the UK. We wanted to grasp this opportunity, in order to supportBritish growers and reduce food miles, with an overall aim of planting 100hectares of Sweet Sensation over the coming years, here in the UK.”16:Layout 1 16/11/12 10:20 Page 1www.fdiforum.net17Latest appointment signals newdirection for ACS&T Food logisticsspecialist ACS&T hasappointed Mike Rice asBusiness DevelopmentDirector.Mike says, “ACS&T hasa reputation for the highquality of its services andfor the range of value-added activities itprovides. Theseinnovative operationsprovide suppliers andcustomers with significantcash flow benefits andplace ACS&T at the heart of our clients supply chain operations.“I’m looking forward to working with a very experienced senior team toexpand the depth and range of services we offer our clients.”Mike is particularly excited by the company’s IT systems, which allowsuppliers to monitor stock levels in real time. This means clients neverhave to worry about running out of finished goods stock or raw materials.“ACS&T has a functionally rich IT platform, allowing transparency ofactivity throughout our operations,” he said. “Every transaction ismonitored and recorded and I believe this service will continue to benefitcustomers.”Cargill’s new Managing DirectorCocoa focuses on innovation andcustomer servicePhilippe Huet hasbeen appointed asManaging DirectorCocoa for Cargill’scocoa and chocolatebusiness. Philippe Huetsays, “I am verymuch lookingforward to my newrole. Focusing onour customers willbe a particular priority for me, ensuring we provide them with the bestpossible service, and with the support necessary for them to developinnovative solutions for their businesses.”Since joining Cargill in 1995, Philippe has held various managerialpositions across the company. In 2005 he joined the management teamof Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business as Commercial Director for thecocoa division, leading the product sales, cocoa bean origination, andrisk management.Philippe has overseen the successful integration of German chocolatemanufacture Kakao Verarbeitung Berlin into Cargill’s cocoa and chocolatebusiness, making Cargill the largest chocolate producer in Germany andthe second largest in Europe.www.fdiforum.netGratterpalm appoints new creativedirectorRetail advertising agencyGratterpalm has appointed MarkRobinson as its new creative directorto manage its 20-strong creativedepartment.Mark joins Gratterpalm from Uber,where he worked with brands such asBooths, Tombola and YorkshireCancer Research. Previously, Markspent several years as a conceptualcreative at DRAFTFCB, working onprestigious accounts includingWeetabix, Waitrose, Nivea, Coors andDaihatsu. As creative director, Mark will workwith Gratterpalm’s team of artdirectors, designers, copywriters andcreative artworkers to oversee the development of creative campaigns forretail clients such as Greggs, Morphy Richards and Asda. Mark says, “Gratterpalm’s creative team is known for its innovative ideasand results-driven approach. As the agency continues to invest in newtechnologies and services, there is a growing range of creative solutions theteam can offer to clients and I’m looking forward to focusing on how we canmake the most of these.”17:Layout 1 16/11/12 10:21 Page 118www.fdiforum.netEND OF YEAR SUCCESS STORIESBusinesses are reporting an upturn in fortunesin 2012 – thanks in no small part to continuedinvestment and success in new marketsFor many businesses, the last few years have been among the toughestever experienced. The double dip recession, combined with escalatingoverheads, has led to many companies sometimes struggling to make endsmeet – but there’s plenty of good news from the sector and as we close off2012 the industry’s most innovative companies are reporting positiveoutcomes.Many of the shows and exhibitions for the industry enjoyed their largestattendances for some time in 2012, and with tentative steps out ofrecession in many nations, the sector does seem to be gradually growingagain. Indeed, this was the year that food and drink business leadersreported positive levels of optimism for consecutive quarters – for thefirst time since the Food and Drink Federation’s Business Confidencesurvey was launched in the UK in 2010.It seems that, despite continuing uncertainty in the economy, food anddrink manufacturers’ business optimism has remained fairly high in2012. Businesses have continued to invest in research and development,product launches and human resources. As the sector that has set itselfthe challenge to grow by 20% by 2020, these investments areparticularly valuable – and governments are citing food exports as amajor driver of a growing economy.In the UK, domestic sales strengthened in the second quarter of 2012with 48% of survey respondents reporting growth compared to theprevious quarter, and this was a figure that grew still further – to overhalf of respondents – in the third quarter. In overseas markets,A number ofdeveloping economiesare now becomingmajor playersinternationally2012 was the year that food and drink business leaders reportedpositive levels of optimism forconsecutive quarters – for the first timesince the Food and Drink Federation’sBusiness Confidence survey waslaunched in the UK in 2010The feelgood factorThe feelgood factor18-20:Layout 1 16/11/12 13:17 Page 1END OF YEAR SUCCESS STORIESwww.fdiforum.net19meanwhile, there remains strong interestin UK food and drink exports, with athird of respondents reporting growthduring 2012 – helped, no doubt, by thehuge success of the London Olympics.Certainly optimism waned a little in thethird quarter of the year, illustrating thatthe road to recovery remains anuncertain one for many, but the overalltrend appears robust.Food and drink manufacturerscontinue to invest heavily in staff,particularly in upskilling but also througha small rise in numbers employed. As wereport elsewhere in this issue, the foodand drink industry also continues toinvest in research and development, andthough this dropped a little in the thirdquarter it is expected to rise again in thefourth. Training spend has remainedimportant for businesses throughout2012, with further increases anticipatedby 33% of respondents in the last quarterof the year, though Capital Expenditureremains subdued, as the uncertaineconomic environment holds back capitalprojects.Steve Barnes, FDF’s Economic andCommercial Services Director,says, “Continued rises iningredient prices and anuncertain economicoutlook are impactingconfidence and thisvolatility is making itharder for businessesto plan ahead.However our sectorhas always provedresilient and we areconfident that it willcontinue to be so andmake a significantcontribution to theeconomic recovery.”Many of those companiesthat have enjoyed great success in2012 are those that have begun to exportto some of the world’s emergingeconomies – many of which areexperiencing rapid rates of growth. Theobvious high-growth markets include theBRICs – Brazil, Russia, India and China– whose dynamic economies have longbeen cited as making them particularlyimportant destinations over the next fewyears and will provide a wealth ofprospects for companies looking toexport. Research has shown that themiddle classes in China and India, forexample, are set to increase householdexpenditure fourfold over the nexttwenty years, with the Chinese middleclass forecast to grow from 172 million to314 million in the next five years.There are other fast-growing marketswith great potential too, such asthe CIVETS - Colombia,Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt,Turkey and SouthAfrica. While thesemarkets are smaller,they have much tooffer with rapidlyrising populationsand GDP levels andare likely to becomepopular venues forexhibitions andbecome a regularfixture on the importand export schedules.One of the biggestsuccesses in 2012 appears tohave been the organic sector,thanks doubtless to the growing interestin functional foods. The organic markethas declined slightly in previous years butthe market now appears to be showingsigns of stabilising, with EHL Ingredientsreporting a sharp increase in sales its ofits organic ingredients, for the first timesince 2007. Keynote has predicted thatthe market will show steady growth overthe next five years, increasing by 11.8%between 2012 and 2016, reaching a valueof £1.86 billion.Related functional sectors such asneutraceuticals are also reporting aboveaverage growth and companies such asSensient, which specialise in high qualityflavours and ingredients, have reportedstrong performances despite difficulteconomic conditions, with the figures forthe third quarter showing growth year-on-year.The increasing interest in new tasteexperiences have also ensured that ethnicproducts have proven particularly popularin 2012. According to Mintel, the sales ofethnic foods are on course to grow byanother 20% in the next couple of years,and the diversity of the sector willincrease substantially compared to thestart of the decade when Mexican andHispanic dishes dominated the sector inmany regions, including the USA. InAmerica, Asian and Indian foods havegrown by 11% and 35% respectively andother foods of ethnic origin, such ashummus and tofu, have now becomemainstream propositions in numerousmarkets.While it would be unrealistic tosuggest that 2012 has proven asensational year for the entire industry,certainly those companies that haveinnovated and sought out new marketshave enjoyed great success, and theoverall climate seems to have becomeslightly more favourable for the sector asa whole. That’s not to say, however, thatsuccess in 2012 will be repeated in 2013 –as continued innovation is required tokeep one step ahead.Many industry events,such as the Bta showin Barcelona, havereported increasedattendances in 2012Many of those companies that have enjoyed greatsuccess in 2012 are those that haveexplored exportmarkets and tappedworld’s emerging economies18-20:Layout 1 16/11/12 13:17 Page 2Next >