< Previouswww.fdiforum.net PACKAGING 10 The biggest viable alternative currently is paper and paperboard – a segment which will continue to dominate more than half of the sustainable packaging market. It’s easy to see why it’s such a popular option thanks to its relatively low cost, ease of recycling in both domestic and commercial settings, its versatility, ease of transportation, and compatibility with printers. Yet, in the highly competitive food-to-go market, products have just seconds to resonate with busy consumers. A transparent plastic window is part and parcel of a boxed wrap or sandwich, meaning they are always mixed and difficult to recycle. Rather than removing this important selling feature, manufacturers and supermarkets are instead creating packages where the cardboard can be more easily separated from the film. A simple solution such as a peelable tab can allow consumers to separate both components with relative ease, the better for both to then be recycled. One packaging concept that is becoming increasingly popular is corrugated. With a wide range of benefits, including an inherent flexibility, corrugated can be modified for different crops and misshapen produce, thereby reducing the potential for bruising and skin damage that can sometimes occur with rigid packaging. Because over eighty per cent of corrugated is recycled, while new boxes are made form recycled material, the environmental footprint is low – certainly compared to other kinds of packaging. Where new fibre is used, it typically comes from sustainably managed forests. This commitment to responsible forest management has made a huge contribution to the increase in size of Europe’s forests – up by thirty per cent since 1950. Although it has been used in one form or another for many years, the corrugated packaging industry is continually investing in new technologies to ensure it retains its top 12 Á © Shutterstock / Mocha.VP 08-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:56 Page 3www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING 11 01634 227000 www.delga.co.uk stuart.mclellan@delga.co.uk Our new Delga Labels division offers a variety of solutions, including 100% compostable labels! Stuart, Lost Sheep Coffee WITH OVER 60 YEARS IN THE PRINT AND PACKAGING INDUSTRY YOU ARE IN GOOD HANDS Ref Code FADIG0720 © Shutterstock / Itsanan Ref Code FADIG0720 08-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:56 Page 4www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING 12 table place. Pouch packaging has also become much more commonplace over the last few decades with many of the industry’s biggest players moving into the market. The lack of rigidity in this kind of packaging is a big selling point. Cans, cardboard and paper packaging are all very susceptible to damage and hard because they need to conform to a rigid shape and so cannot flex when pressure is applied. This leads to cans being malformed in transit, or cardboard being punctured. Pouch packaging is typically made of multiple layers of puncture- resistant laminated film. This allows the material to flex and bend, taking on water-like properties to avoid being damage. The food contained inside – such as soups, ready meals, or rice – will simply move back into shape. All of this works together not only to reduce the chance of damage, but also to offer longer shelf life and ensure the product remains attractive on the shelf and does not fade or become misshaped. Stand- up pouches can also be made from one hundred per cent recycled materials, adding an environmental appeal to the design. When it comes to the environmental impact of packaging, recycling rates are still being impacted by consumers confused over labelling. Renewable and sustainable packaging, for example, aren’t interchangeable terms. The latter refers to materials like paperboard which can be continuously and easily recycled, while renewable packaging is made from materials such as sugarcane. 08-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:56 Page 5www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING 13 © Shutterstock / Chayapak Jansavang Biodegradable packaging, meanwhile, refers to organic material that can be broken down into carbon dioxide and water etc. within a couple of months. All that seems simple compared to the plethora of different plastics used to make packaging with consumers often confused over which ones can be easily recycled. Flexible packaging – used for many single-use products which are most non- recyclable – is a particular bugbear for British consumers, with one in five admitting to throwing flexible packaging in the recycling bin because they didn’t know it can’t be recycled. It’s little wonder that as well as clear labelling, almost four in ten consumers think retailers should be made to have a plastic-free aisle in every store. But replacing plastic is by no means easy. New product development has yielded a number of worthy contenders with plastic produced from renewable sources such as the aforementioned sugarcane, as well as cellulose and starches. However, it’s a more complex issue than simply swapping petroleum produced plastics for those made from plant matter. For example, what good is plant-based packaging if vast swathes of endangered rainforest must be cleared to grow the crops to produce it? Yet it’s clear that there is a massive shift taking place in the industry. Boosting recyclability, switching to more sustainable materials and improving labelling will all help to improve the environmental impact of food and drink packaging and create a green supply chain. 08-13.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:56 Page 6www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY & HYGIENE 14 Safeguarding the supply chain The fallout from a health, safety or hygiene scare can be difficult for any company to manage. It’s therefore critical for food and beverage companies to minimise risks along the supply chain. 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:58 Page 1www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY & HYGIENE 15 Depending on the severity of a health, safety or hygiene infringement, it might result in fines, media attention, or the loss of a major contract. Despite this, proper health and safety management is considered a nebulous concern, one to be adhered to at a bare minimum level, leaving many companies out of place when something eventually goes wrong. In the food and drink sector, hygiene is harder to manage than many others, and the consequences can be more pervasive. This added pressure is one which necessitates swift 16 Á action. Most obviously, companies that aren’t able to point to clear health and safety regulations will usually find themselves unable to win contracts from major customers. The importance of security and speed across the supply chain means retailers demand manufacturers and distributors reach the highest standards and must be able to illustrate their commitment to quality – and a formal health and safety policy, with full information on potential flashpoints and the measures in place to deal with them, is usually required. Due to the differing nature of hygiene risks and how they can occur, it is often a requirement to bring in outside help to judge and identify potential flashpoints. These can come from any number of aspects, be it the ingredients themselves, the way employees work, or simply the atmosphere of a given facility. The latter is one such aspect that many companies might overlook. Clean air is of paramount concern for the food and drink industry, not only due to the stringent requirements involved in the manufacturer of food produce, but also to avoid in the manufacture of food produce, but also to avoid the reputational crisis of any incidents occurring. With a variety of harmful microbes and particles able to travel via air, there is great potential for harmful microbes to interact with the process at a crucial stage, possibly leading © Shutterstock / El Nariz 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:58 Page 2www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY & HYGIENE 16 to contaminated products. A benefit to the food market, however, is that many health and safety products also work towards improving hygiene – allowing a company to effectively kill two birds with one stone. Non-slip and hygienic flooring is one such example that can both reduce the risk of accidents within the facility whilst also adding a clear hygienic defence against contaminates. When it comes to hygiene itself, there are many things that can be done to minimise both cost and downtime, some of which can be quite simple. In food manufacturing, in particular, build up inside machinery can provide a major source of contamination, requiring regular cleaning and downtime as workers scramble to clear this away. Small changes in how a site is set up, however, can help to minimise this. hard corners and right angles, especially inside storage tanks and mixers, can be problem areas, as it provides a sharp corner for food to get 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:58 Page 3www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY & HYGIENE 17 stuck in. Simple solutions such as making these rounded corners or blunting them can help reduce levels of build up significantly. Changes to materials are also commonplace, along with initiatives that may seem painstakingly obvious at first, but which have been proven to have profound effect. Take, for instance, the case of cleaning apparatus, from brooms to mops and everything in between. While it may seem obvious to say that tools from one part of a plant should not be used in another, owing to the potential of cross- contamination, it does not mean it always works. If a mop is misplaced or left in the wrong spot, then staff may not know which section it came from. Issues such as these have led to the rise of colour coded cleaning equipment, allowing workers to know that purple mops belong in the meat section, or that red are only allowed in the red-zone. Again, it may seem like an obvious solution, but if it makes the lives of employees easier, then how hard is it to implement. Nowadays, most process machines, storage containers or trolleys will be made of stainless steel, and for good reason. The material itself is highly hygienic, although it’s worth remembered that there are numerous grades and types of stainless steel, some better suited to different foodstuffs. This is an aspect many forget, however, and it’s not uncommon to hear of corrosion on material, which should not be possible if the correct grade is chosen, as smooth surfaces reduce the risk of it. it’s important to remember that this can be caused by various different things, from stress corrosion to crevice corrosion, so getting someone in to investigate would be a good idea. Despite all this, and whatever methods are taken to reduce the risks of contamination, a stringent quality assurance line will always be necessary. There is only so much that human inspection can achieve in any production environment. © Shutterstock / Phovoir 14-17.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:58 Page 4NPD & INGREDIENTS 18 Broadly speaking, there are two types of functional ingredient. Firstly, those that alter or achieve product texture, shelf life or stability – such as a thickening or raising agent – and, secondly, those with nutritional benefit such as those providing a protein boost or fortifying a product with vitamins, fibre or protein. As consumers search for healthier food choices, and new legislation sees companies ramping up their reformulation and NPD efforts, functional ingredients will become increasingly commonplace, even industry standard. The growth in clean label and the need for natural products, meanwhile, has led to a shift in ingredients such as thickeners and texturisers and food makers looking to appeal to shifting tastes and changing regulations. Often it’s not the whole product that’s the issue, but rather one or more of its ingredients. One need only look at palm oil to see that much. So it is with sugar, which along with salt and saturated fat, continues to be one of the industry’s biggest issues. To try and combat sugar levels and safeguard public health, the UK officially introduced its Soft Drinks Industry Levy back in April 2018, following the lead of countries like Mexico where a sugar tax was reported to have cut sugar consumption by six per cent in its first year. Considering that Mexicans consume more carbonated drinks per person than any other nation, this was no small feat. For many, this was evidence that the sugar tax worked and should be deployed in other countries post haste. Others claimed that it reduced consumption by such a marginal amount, it seemed hardly worth it. Whatever your own opinions on the merits and effectiveness of this approach, one thing is certain, moving away from sugar is a priority for consumers, the industry and governments alike. Natural sweeteners made from the stevia plant are at the forefront Changing tastes Driven by changes in legislation and consumer demand, the food and drink industry is developing healthier products. www.fdiforum.net 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:59 Page 1www.fdiforum.net NPD & INGREDIENTS 19 © Shutterstock / Rimma Bondar enko Jennewein Biotechnologie – specialists in rare functional monosaccharides & oligosaccharides Jennewein Biotechnologie is a leading company specialising in the production of rare functional monosaccharides and oligosaccharides for nutritional, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and medical applications. The company produces rare monosaccharides such as L- fucose and sialic acid. It also manufactures an extensive portfolio of HMO’s such as 2‘-fucosyllactose, 3-fucosyllactose, Lacto-N- tetraose, Lacto-N-neotetraose and acidic HMO’s like 3‘- sialyllactose and 6‘-sialyllactose. Jennewein’s human milk oligosaccharides are produced using the latest fermentation technology. This process is based on research and ensures a high quality and safety of the product; the oligosaccharides produced in that way are structurally and functionally identical to natural HMOs. These HMO’s are approved for kosher and halal. Jennewein received approval for 2‘-fucosyllactose in the US in 2015 (GRAS) and in the European Union in 2017(Novel Food). Since then, the company has distributed 2’-FL to well-known infant food manufacturers in the USA and Europe. To find out more, visit www.jennewein-biotech.de/en. evidence, if it were needed, to move towards more natural alternatives. The miracle berry (or Synsepalum dulcificum, to give its Latin name) contains Miraculin, a protein which suppresses sourness to draw out a sweet flavour and is renowned for making Guinness taste like chocolate milkshake and vinegar taste like sweet sherry. While this phenomenon is certainly entertaining, the berry has numerous uses that extend well beyond its novelty factor. It could, for example, give healthier foods a more appealing flavour profile, whilst lowering sugar in others and all without the need for sweeteners, artificial or otherwise. Fortified foods provide a nutritional boost to food and beverage products, whether it’s a protein-packed bread, a botanical-loaded soft drink or a breakfast cereal fortified with fibre. Many such products purport to be a key part in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, so the logical next step is to develop foods which can actively assist or medicate the body. Nutraceuticals refers to a product or 20 Á of the quest for a healthier alternative but are a long way off usurping sugar in terms of taste and functionality. Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose may come with fewer calories, but uncertainty surrounds its long-term effects on the body. Researchers at the Federal University of Sao Paulo conducted a study and discovered a link between artificial sweeteners and low fertility rates – 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 29/07/2020 08:59 Page 2Next >