Flow measurement and control Clean operations Clean operations INTERNATIONAL Health, safety and hygiene Processing, control and automation o..cagingpacke C ĂŶ͛ƚĮŶĚǁŚĂƚLJŽƵ Browse over 2,500 kit dildb ͛ƌĞůŽŽŬŝŶŐĨŽƌ͍ products online at: .uk li r bouor yf Chilled pa essnsibu agingck Corruga &^ĞƌƟ Keep 31 ated insulated box RecyclableBiodegradable ƟĮĞĚ 100% s content chilled for hrs! leeusabbRR liners Gel pack eFind out mor eusabR pacer iceta wnload oDo W ble cleecy Thermalp R ur Thermal p 30% ck tenton c ervotcllepa d pallet cover % o.ukaging.cpackekit 02476 420065 e shyemploy ed brewepo y!odaapp t rshipwne-ohare ! CONSTANTMONITORING ADJUSTMENTSMADEEASY Operationalpersonnelareabletomakecrucial,immediate adjustmentsonthelinetoavoidwasteanddowntime Allowsforaconstant,non-contactsolutiontomoistureandoil measurementdirectlyontheproductionlineinrealtime CLOSEDLOOP Measuringmoisturedirectlyontheproductionlineproduces instant,accuratedatathatcanbeeasilycommunicatedtoa PLC-creatingaclosedloopprocess IMMEDIATEIMPROVEMENTS AMoistTechsystemprovidesimprovedproductquality,lower wasteandenergycosts,processoptimization,increasedplant efficiency,ovencontrol&reduceddowntime Moisture&OilMeasurementin Food Production ANADVANCEDONLINEMOISTUREDETECTIONSYSTEMISKEYTOPROVIDINGTOPOFTHE LINERESULTSFORMOISTURE&OILMEASUREMENTINFOODAPPLICATIONS EXPERIENCETHEBENEFITSOFNIRMOISTURECONTROLDIRECTLYONTHEPRODUCTIONLINE! info@moisttech.com / 941-727-1800 www.moisttech.comContents June 2023 This magazine is now fully recyclable. By recycling magazines, you can help reduce waste and add to the 5.5 million tonnes of paper already recycled by the UK paper industry each year. Before you recycle your magazine, please ensure you remove all plastic wrapping, free gifts and samples. FoodandDrinkInternational @fdiforumwww.fdiforum.net company/fdiforum News 4 • General news • On line - production news • On the shelf - new products and initiatives Import and export14 While post-Brexit adjustments continue to impact the UK’s importers and exporters, looking ahead, novel trade deals and new commitments from the Government are welcome. Temperature control spotlight18 The role of temperature control in the food supply chain is utilised right across the life cycle of almost any food and drink product. From manufacture to the delivery to an end user or wholesaler, many of the products and substances are temperature sensitive, requiring specific parameters to stay stable and fit for consumption. Sustainable packaging22 In today’s world, where environmental concerns are becoming increasingly prominent, the need for sustainable practices in all aspects of life has never been more urgent. A key area that demands immediate attention is food packaging. Flow measurement and control 26 We explore how accurate flow measurement and control in the food industry not only ensures safety and efficiency but also maintains product quality and consistency. Processing, control and automation30 Perfect efficiency may be an impossible dream, but settling for less than the best can be much more damaging. The automation industry is fast adapting, but not everyone is so quick on the adoption of it. Group Editor: Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor: Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor’s PA: Angela Sharman (a.sharman@blmgroup.co.uk) Journalist: Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales Director: Teri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales: Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310302 Accounts & Subscriptions: John Downes (j.downes@blmgroup.co.uk) Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson (studio@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305, Email: fdi@blmgroup.co.uk Part of the Business Link Magazine Group: Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE England All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. Main: stock.adobe.com/pilipphoto • Top: stock.adobe.com/agnormark • Middle: stock.adobe.com/littlewolf1989 • Bottom: stock.ad obe.com/9dreamstudio Health, safety and hygiene34 The crucial role of thorough cleaning and hygiene practices in food production settings ensures the prevention of contamination and the promotion of a safe and high-quality product. • EIT International Q&A Snack foods and ready meals40 Although it feels firmly in the past for many, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to have lasting effects on our choices of snack foods. Automation UK44 Automation UK, the new exhibition highlighting the importance of robotics and systems integration to the future growth of the UK economy, is poised to be a sell-out event as the countdown to the show enters its final weeks. • Rollon Q&A Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition48 Now in its 7th year, the Machine Vision Conference and Exhibition (MVC) is recognised as the leading machine vision trade show worldwide. Events50 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world. Classified 53 Food and Drink Diary 54Pernod Ricard invests in ecoSPIRITS Pernod Ricard’s venture capital fund, Convivialite? Ventures, has taken a minority share in ecoSPIRITS, a circular economy technology startup focusing on low carbon, low waste distribution systems for the premium wine and spirits industry. Pernod Ricard joined a $10 million Series A funding of ecoSPIRITS, along with New York-based circular economy investment fund, Closed Loop Partners and leading Asian and global investors, including food sector private equity investor, Proterra Asia, Singapore-based growth stage investor Pavilion Capital, and ecoSPIRITS’ existing investor, Wavemaker Partners. ecoSPIRITS’ closed-loop distribution system provides a powerful cost advantage and drastically reduces waste and carbon emissions by avoiding the production and transportation of glass bottles and other secondary packaging. In March 2022 Pernod Ricard was one of the first global drinks companies to partner with ecoSPIRITS for the distribution of some of its premium brands in Hong Kong and Singapore. Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin, and Havana Club rum are transported in bulk and delivered to hospitality venues on a fully reusable 4.5- liter glass container, thus reducing waste and carbon emissions resulting from the production and transportation of bottles and other secondary packaging. The new funding will be used to strengthen ecoSPIRITS’ leadership position and accelerate its research and development program. It will help the company scale up its hardware, software and Internet-of-Things (IoT) research and development program, expand operations in key markets worldwide, including the United States, and grow its regional customer and engineering teams in Miami, London, Singapore and Shanghai. 4 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Bespoke conveying system from Spiroflow and Cablevey delivers on its promise Spiroflow and Cablevey Conveyors, operating as part of Automated Handling Solutions (AHS), have provided a Scottish oats producer with a bespoke conveyor system. Helping increase productivity, the solution has allowed Oat Co. to minimise hazardous dusting, maintain product integrity and meet strict hygienic requirements for food handling. Oat Co. needed to replace their existing bucket elevator for rolled oats. The bespoke solution consisted of a Cablevey tubular drag conveyor system and a Spiroflow low-loading bulk bag filler with an integrated holding hopper. The tubular drag conveyor system gently delivers the rolled oats to the filler in a totally-enclosed environment, minimising degradation and dusting. Incorporating an inspection camera monitoring system and clear inspection ports to ensure proper maintenance, the hygienic conveyor can be quickly cleaned using the dry wiper disc system. The bulk bag filler contains a special low-loading ramp and low-profile pallet base to enable the unloading of filled bulk bags by pallet truck when a forklift is not available. The filler also minimises dust with a reverse jet filter and accurately fills by weight with its low-level weighing platform to minimise overfilling and product giveaways. Nestlé inaugurates new research institute supporting sustainable food systems Nestlé has officially inaugurated the Institute of Agricultural Sciences to help advance sustainable food systems by delivering science-based solutions in agriculture. Speaking at the inauguration, Paul Bulcke, Nestlé chairman, said: “We have nurtured direct relationships with generations of farmers around the world. To continue providing people with tasty, nutritious and affordable foods, we need to transition together to a more sustainable food system. The new institute will strengthen our expertise and use our global network to support farming communities and protect our planet.” With global food systems under pressure, there is an urgent need to accelerate new approaches that ensure a sustainable food supply for a growing world population while contributing to farmer livelihoods. At the new institute, Nestlé experts screen and develop solutions in key focus areas such as plant science, agricultural systems and dairy livestock. Item Products’ carry handle solution creates cost savings for Britvic Soft Drinks Item Products, Europe’s largest designer and producer of recycled plastic components for the packaging and point-of-sale industry, has recently supplied Britvic Soft Drinks with a carry handle solution for their Robinsons 1.75L twin bottle pack assigned to the wholesaler, Costco. Made from 100% recycled material, the handle is able to carry the twin bottle pack securely by the collar. Once at home with the consumer, the plastic handle can be simply added to the domestic waste recycling system. “We are delighted to provide a solution for Britvic,” said Item Products’ Managing Director, Julian Cook. “Being able to facilitate their requirement for a UK manufactured carry handle solution has helped to significantly cut their lead times and reduce transport costs. The added benefit of producing the handle in a universal black colour enables Britvic to remove the need for specific masterbatch, allowing the device to be used across multiple brands.” Visit www.item-products.co.uk/ to find out more about Item Products. © stock.adobe.com/ Cristi © stock.adobe.com/ Emilnews Food & Drink International 5 www.fdiforum.net Independent drinks business, Global Brands, reports record financial year Independent drinks business, Global Brands, has broken records for their financial year ending 30 September 2022. Global Brands, owners of a portfolio including Franklin & Sons, Hooch, VK, and more has reported double-digit turnover growth for financial year 2022, driven by record international growth, successful NPD launches including Lustre liqueurs, and canned cocktail and RTD sales. The company has reported a 26.6% increase in turnover, rising to £84.4m, versus sales of £66.6m in the 20/21 financial year. The company is now the biggest supplier of branded canned cocktails to the UK off trade, and the biggest supplier of ready to drink products into the UK on premises across their portfolio. Global Brands also reported a 50% increase in international business. Having launched Franklin & Sons in the USA in 2019, just as the pandemic struck, the international arm of the business is now seeing significant growth, reaching £5m in turnover for the first time in the history of the business. Profitability increased, with an operating of £6.9m compared to £6.1m in the previous financial year. Frozen food wholesaler acquires competitor One of the UK’s largest independent family run frozen food wholesalers, Hopwells has acquired one of its competitors, Windsor Foodservice. The move will support Hopwells’ strategic plan to expand its service offering and geographical reach. Hopwells was established in 1975 and is headquartered in Nottingham. The wholesaler operates a fleet of over 110 vehicles from six distribution depots throughout England and offers its customer base a comprehensive range of frozen food products and chilled goods, including premium fresh meat and poultry from various branded manufacturers and suppliers. Windsor Foodservice, which is also a family run business, was set up in 1989 and is headquartered in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. The business employs over 70 staff and supplies over 3,000 catering customers. In 2013 the business created Pete’s Patisseries – a top of the range luxury dessert range; and in 2017 launched Windsor Fresh Meat which offered top quality meat products at competitive prices. © stock.adobe.com/ ClickmanisLet’s move forward while circling back. Let’s GO furtherSupporting circularity 1 by keeping materials in use Food packaging plays an essential role in feeding people throughout the world, but when it is not collected and recycled, it can be a source of waste 2 . In places where collection infrastructures are still being built, we’re teaming up with stakeholders to improve collection, sorting and recycling – and we design our carton packages to increase the fibre content and use of recycled materials. Let’s not settle for what we can achieve today. Let’s go further together. Go nature. Go carton. Learn more about how we contribute to circularity at gonaturegocarton.tetrapak.com ןخ!ǞȲƧɐǶƊȲƵƧȌȁȌǿɯƊȺƮƵǏǞȁƵƮƦɯ0ǶǶƵȁwƊƧȲɈǘɐȲIȌɐȁƮƊɈǞȌȁخـנמננفخ Circular Economy Introduction. Source: ellenmacarthurfoundation.org. נخwƊȲȺǘةhخـנמנןةwƊɯסفخFood Packaging Waste Statistics: Understanding the Rise of Food Packaging Waste. Source: Environment.co.8 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Amcor to acquire Moda Systems Amcor, a developer and producer of responsible packaging solutions, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Moda Systems, a manufacturer of automated protein packaging machines. Based in New Zealand, privately- held Moda Systems designs, assembles, and supports innovative, high-performance modular vacuum packaging solutions for the meat, poultry, and dairy industries. The acquisition will complement Amcor’s existing strength in film, positioning the company to offer an end-to-end packaging solution that encompasses primary packaging, equipment, on-site technical service, and parts. “This acquisition will enable Amcor to offer an exciting new option and choice in automated protein packaging, making us the only flexible packaging manufacturer to own a high-speed, rotary equipment solution for fresh meat,” said Amcor Flexibles North America (AFNA) president Fred Stephan. CSB apps help increase flexibility and efficiency Food and drink IT specialist CSB-System has introduced a series of apps to enable customers to easily access their system at any time and from anywhere via smartphone, tablet or PC. This enables them to check the latest reports, approve process steps and carry out other tasks remotely or while on the move – which increases efficiency and convenience. Apps for quality, workflow, maintenance and repair, and returns have already been developed, with more to follow. All feature customisable web user interfaces which are fully integrated with each customer’s CSB ERP system via the CSB-Web Solutions module. The apps can be tailored to individual requirements, are available in different languages, and access rights can be defined for different users. “With our apps, we are providing customers with greater flexibility which enables them to be more efficient,” commented Mathew Simpson of CSB-System. “The ability to access important information and approve tasks or decisions at any time and while on the move will help to further integrate operations and optimise processes to help businesses maximise their efficiency and profitability.” For more information visit www.csb.com/en Fresh produce company grows greener with £3.5m loan A fresh produce company has expanded one of its warehouses in Evesham by 75% while introducing greener measures, thanks to support of a £3.5 million loan from Lloyds Bank. Nationwide Produce is a family-owned business that started life in Lancashire as Bernard O’Malley & Sons almost 50 years ago. A rapidly growing customer base, and general market need for reliable suppliers, meant Nationwide Produce needed to expand to keep up with demand. The business approached Lloyds Bank, securing a £3.5 million funding package that was used to increase the space of its warehouse in Evesham by 75% from 32,000 sq ft to 56,000 sq ft. To support its green ambitions, the firm also used the funding to build five temperature-controlled chambers which offer an 84% reduction in global warming potential, meaning they can achieve the same cooling effect as previous chambers while emitting fewer greenhouse gases. The new technology will improve cooling performance and increase energy efficiency in the business by up to 15%. It will also allow the company to store produce at the optimal temperature meaning the quality remains the very best for much longer. Solar panels were also installed at the warehouse, growing its total renewable electricity offering by almost two thirds and bringing capacity up to 500kW across the company’s facilities. To minimise waste that ends up in landfill, Nationwide Produce has also implemented a streamlined waste management process that utilises anaerobic digestion, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing landfill costs. Berkmann Wine Cellars secures renowned South African agency Lothian Vineyard UK wine distributor Berkmann Wine Cellars has grown its extensive premium portfolio with the addition of South African wine brand Lothian Vineyard. The Lothian Vineyard estate is owned by Gavin and Ewen Wilson, who hail from three generations of renowned Cape winemakers, having grown up on their grandmother’s Rust-en- Vrede vineyard in the 1950s and 60s. Originally from Scotland, the brothers showcase a dedication to excellence and heritage. These are values that are reflected in their authentic and traditionalist approach to Burgundian-influenced winemaking and their choice of winemaker, Richard Kershaw, a world- renowned Master of Wine. Lothian Vineyard’s unique location on the banks of the Palmiet River is perfect for growing grapes to produce elegant Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The complex soils of the vineyard provide a diverse palette of flavours for the winemaker to play with, resulting in similarly complex wines – delicate fruit and elegant structure are lifted by intense aromas to give a versatile yet refreshing, food-friendly style. © stock.adobe.com/ Pixel-ShotAdministrators appointed to Tillery Valley Foods Limited Tillery Valley Foods Limited, the producer and supplier of nutritionally balanced meals to the healthcare, education and local authority sectors, including to 30 NHS Trusts across England, has entered administration. The company, founded in 1984 and based in Abertillery, South Wales, employs approximately 250 people. Over the past 12 months, the company has experienced significant inflation across its fixed cost base, driven principally by increases in food and energy prices, which in turn has had a detrimental impact on cashflow. Consequently, the directors worked with their advisors and key stakeholders to find a solution, including marketing the business for sale and agreeing increased prices with customers, but unfortunately, no solvent solution could be found. Tim Bateson and Will Wright from Interpath Advisory were appointed joint administrators to Tillery Valley Foods Limited on 17 May 2023. Following their appointment, operations at the company’s base in Abertillery ceased and the majority of the company’s workforce have been made redundant. The administrators have retained 24 employees to assist them as they undertake an orderly wind-down of the business. Glanbia completes sale of mozzarella JV to partner Leprino Foods Glanbia, the better nutrition company, has completed the sale of its shareholdings in Glanbia Cheese, a leading mozzarella maker in Europe comprising Glanbia Cheese EU Limited and Glanbia Cheese Limited, to Leprino Foods Company. Transaction proceeds of € 178.9 million have been received in cash, with further contingent consideration of up to € 25 million, dependant on the performance of Glanbia Cheese over the next three years. Following a transition period post-completion, the Glanbia Cheese business will be renamed Leprino Foods UK Limited and Leprino Foods EU Limited. Glanbia Cheese has three manufacturing facilities – Llangefni in Wales, Magheralin in Northern Ireland and Portlaoise, Ireland. The existing team will continue to manage the business, led by CEO Paul Vernon and his senior management team, with no disruption to day- to-day operations. Post completion, Glanbia plc will continue to focus on its better nutrition strategy serving consumer health and wellness categories through its consumer brands and ingredient solutions business. Food & Drink International 9 www.fdiforum.net news To advertise your services on the news pages contact us on 01472 310302 © stock.adobe.com/ fabiomax © stock.adobe.com/ fabiomaxNext >