Health, safety and hygiene spotlight Packaging Fresh challenges Fresh challenges INTERNATIONAL Cold storage 01.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 09:05 Page 102.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 09:05 Page 1Contents July 2022 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 & export12 The UK continues to establish new relationships across the world, seeing major potential benefits for food and drink firms. Health, safety and hygiene spotlight16 While designing a processing line and putting safeguards in place to minimise accidents is important, an employer cannot forget that sometimes accidents will happen, and that proper usage of protective equipment may make all the difference. Cold storage20 Rising food prices and the cost of living is seeing a return to favouring frozen foods, which is set to place an unbearable burden – and a lucrative opportunity – on the refrigerated warehousing and storage industry. Packaging 24 There are many exciting developments in the packaging sector and yet food manufacturers are slow to embrace and make the most of them. With the cost of living rising and a recession within sight, the question becomes – if not now, then when? Engineering and components30 In the wake of the pandemic and disruption it caused, food firms have accelerated 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/Lukas Gojda • Top: stock.adobe.com/Seventyfour • Middle: stock.adobe.com/markobe • Bottom: stock.adobe. com/pressmaster discussions with engineers over automation, increasing flexibility and more, while engineers themselves have changed how they work with such companies. The dairy industry34 With the dairy industry frequently in the headlines for its environmental impact, strides are being made throughout the supply chain to produce products in an efficient and sustainable manner. Meet the experts38 Someone who dedicates all their time to a particular task or role is undoubtedly an expert, but how do you decide who or what firm is the right expert for your needs? The challenge is in finding someone who is both an expert in their chosen field, but who can also become an expert in your own company as well. Events42 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world Classified 45 Food and Drink Diary 46 03.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 09:06 Page 14 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Sweet packaging deal delivers sustainable treats Independent fifth generation family business, Colton Packaging, has teamed up with the creative confectioners at The Treat Kitchen to reimagine the customer experience through its packaging. The Treat Kitchen specialises in sweets, chocolate and biscuit gifts created from trending flavours and prints. They approached Colton Packaging with a challenge to design a sustainable ecommerce box, robust enough to deliver heavy glass bottles through the courier network for home deliveries, whilst maintaining a wow factor in style and print design. Key design features of the bespoke packaging solution include 100% recyclable corrugated cardboard box, with specially designed locking tabs, removing the need for polypropylene tape to be used in the warehouse. The size, style and grade of the box is also tailored to Treat Kitchen to fit their combinations of glass bottles and other products. The most unique feature of the box is the print, which delivers wow factor to the customer when opening packages at home, yet reduces manufacturing and printing time, lowering overall production costs. Treat Kitchen has been able to take advantage of this by putting a clever marketing message on this ‘inside’ panel. By sending products in the redesigned box Treat Kitchen have removed plastic from the process, while still having a secure and customer friendly package. Bubble wrap has also been removed, enabling Treat Kitchen to source their own protective filling, biodegradable peanuts. Treat Kitchen is already benefitting from saving money on tape, product costs and warehouse space required for storage. For more information about Colton Packaging visit: https://www.coltonpackaging.co.uk/ Silvery Tweed brings family farm into its cereal and seed operation Cereal processing business, Silvery Tweed Cereals, is enhancing its offering by bringing the family farm into its Northumberland cereal and seed processing operation. The fifth- generation family business, which processes, manufactures and supplies cereal and seed ingredients to leading names in the baking and cereals industries from a base in Berwick- upon-Tweed, has also been farming since the 1930s. Now, the business will source and process crops grown at the family farm – The Mead – for use in both new and established product ranges, as well as giving customers the ability to grow bespoke trial crops for new product development. The company has long put sustainability at the heart of the business and champions the ‘field to fork’ ethos. For many years, Silvery Tweed has sourced the majority of its grains from farms and merchants within a 40-mile radius of Berwick, supporting local suppliers and promoting produce grown in the region. Located ten miles from Silvery Tweeds processing facilities, the team at the 750-acre farm is currently growing wheat, barley, rye, linseed, and spring oats, with crops due to start being harvested in late July. Its proximity to the Silvery Tweed headquarters will also help reduce carbon emissions and the road miles produce travels to reach the factory. The Mead is also home to 300 sheep and 150 cattle, whose feed incorporates by-product from the ingredient cleaning and manufacturing processes at the Silvery Tweed factory, producing manure that is vital to maintaining and improving long term soil health at the farm. Special Food Enterprise Zone makes Lincolnshire ripe opportunity for investment With over 4.5x the country’s average workers in food manufacturing and 3.3x the average in agriculture, Greater Lincolnshire has long been a primary food hub for the UK. Now with the development of the South Lincolnshire Food Enterprise Zone (FEZ), agri-food businesses can more easily tap the vast wealth of Lincolnshire’s workforce and expertise. The FEZ covers an area of 17 hectares of employment space with permission for an additional 900 residential units on the north-western edge of Holbeach, close to the FEZ. The food sector is the fastest growing sector in the UK and employs more than any other sector in the UK, with Greater Lincolnshire employing nearly 30,000 highly qualified individuals in food processing alone (over 4x the national average). Food is a major focus in Greater Lincolnshire and businesses choosing the FEZ will be able to easily lock into established supply chains, networks, logistics and receive proactive support from local partners such as the Lincolnshire County Council, South Holland District Council, Greater Lincolnshire Enterprise Partnership and Team Lincolnshire. An open day is available on the 20th July – spaces limited – contact investment@lincolnshire.gov.uk to register your interest, or to find out more. For more information visit www.southlincolnshirefez.co.uk 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 12:08 Page 1Adjustment via smartphone Hygienic adapter system 15 cm Compact design Individually selectable: 256 colours Measurement in progress Sensor switching Process malfunction We bring colour into view! Compact capacitive level switches with 360° custom-colour status display www.vega.com/vegapoint NEW! Absolutely front-fl ush design 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 12:08 Page 2Poultry products provider, Foster Farms, acquired by Atlas Holdings Atlas Holdings has acquired Foster Farms, a family-owned provider of fresh, frozen, and prepared poultry products headquartered in Livingston, California from entities associated with the Foster Family. With products available nationwide, Foster Farms employs approximately 10,000 skilled team members and operates major processing facilities in California, Washington, Louisiana, Oregon, and Alabama. The company, which generates revenues of approximately $3 billion annually, will continue to operate under the Foster Farms name. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Atlas also announced that longtime poultry industry leader Donnie Smith, former Chief Executive Officer of Tyson Foods, has been named Foster Farms’ new Chief Executive Officer and chairman of the Board. Smith spent 36 years with Tyson in roles spanning all business functions. He was named CEO in 2009, a role he held until his retirement in 2016. Under his leadership, Tyson saw record growth, entered new markets and expanded its product offerings, staying true to Tyson’s heritage while charting its path forward as one of the world’s largest food companies. 6 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news FrieslandCampina to sell parts of its German consumer business to Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller FrieslandCampina is planning to sell parts of its German consumer business to the German Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller. With the proposed transaction FrieslandCampina will sell the following business activities to Unterhemensgruppe Theo Müller: the brands Landliebe, Tuffi, Südmilch, Puddis, Mondelice, various private labels in the white dairy range produced by FrieslandCampina in Germany, the foodservice brand Gastro, as well as the production facilities, warehouses and distribution centres in Heilbronn, Cologne, and Schefflenz. Moving forward, FrieslandCampina Germany will focus on the marketing and sales of its international brands Valess, Chocomel, its cheese brands – including Frico and Holland Master – and private labels produced by FrieslandCampina outside Germany – including cheese and cream spray cans. Additionally, the company will continue its Professional business. FrieslandCampina will also maintain its presence with Kievit in Lippstadt and with DFE Pharma in Goch and Nörten-Hardenberg. Standard Meat Company gobbles up Syracuse Sausage Standard Meat Company, a North Texas-based meat company, has acquired Syracuse Sausage of Ponder, Texas. Standard Meat Company is owned by the Rosenthal family. The fourth generation of Rosenthals — the brother and sister team of Ben Rosenthal and Ashli Rosenthal Blumenfeld — currently leads the company, with Ben as CEO and co-president, and Ashli as co-president. Syracuse Sausage has also been a family business, founded by Joe Musacchio and operated for the past decade by his brothers, Bobby and Anthony Musacchio. The Rosenthal family originally partnered with Syracuse Sausage almost a decade ago when Bobby and Anthony took over the family business with plans to increase production and reach the widest possible audience. Today, Syracuse Sausage serves national restaurant chains, major grocery stores, meal kit companies and other food-service firms — and will continue to do so as part of Standard Meat. “Our partnership has been incredible,” Ben Rosenthal said. “We are honoured to continue to carry out their 40-year legacy as we integrate the business into Standard Meat, ensuring both companies continue their focus as one united organization.” Loma’s Tracs reporting software solution offers food manufacturers increased traceability With food traceability playing a critical role in the global market and continuing to grow in complexity, global leader in inspection technologies for food quality and safety, Loma Systems, is making food manufacturers and processors aware of the importance of having robust traceability systems in place. Loma’s TRACS (Trending-Reporting-Analysis-Capture- Software) is a graphical reporting software tool for efficiently monitoring production to easily identify performance issues. Integrated within Loma’s IQ4 metal detectors, X5 Series X-ray systems, CW3 Checkweigher or Combination systems, TRACS communicates over a network, automatically capturing data from multiple machines, at various sites if needed. The software displays live and historical batch data for all production runs, providing trend analysis of key measurements for each batch, such as give away, metal count or downtime for improved efficiency. Live dashboard information is easily accessed via a web browser, providing a quick and easy overview of machine status in real-time. Manufacturers and processors will recognise that with a traceability software solution such as TRACS in place, their production lines will be extremely well protected against a product recall or withdrawal. © stock.adobe.com/Björn Wylezich © stock.adobe.com/kunertus © stock.adobe.com/Mikhaylovskiy 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 12:08 Page 3Food & Drink International 7 www.fdiforum.net news Cathedral City becomes the first cheese brand to introduce side opening, resealable packs Cathedral City, the Nation’s Favourite cheese from Saputo Dairy UK, has unveiled new side opening packaging, featuring the brand’s signature resealable, zip lock. The brand is the first in the UK to introduce side opening block cheese packaging which is resealable. Convenience is at the heart of the re-design, giving consumers the ability to seamlessly slide the cheese in and out of the pack without touching the bare cheese block, so they can slice or grate it straight from the packet. To help reduce food waste, the updated packaging keeps the cheese fresher for longer as the shorter zip makes resealing it even easier. It also reduces the plastic content by 6%, saving 40 tonnes of plastic a year. In consumer trials, over 60% of users preferred the new side opening format. 73% of consumers also agreed the zip lock would keep their cheddar fresher for longer and would be easy to open and reclose multiple times. To advertise your services on the news pages contact us on 01472 310302 Molson Coors invests $65 million in Fort Worth Brewery As part of Molson Coors’ long-term plan to invest in its capabilities to bring more hard seltzer production in- house, the company has broken ground on a new $65 million variety packing warehouse in Fort Worth, Texas. The investment is expected to allow the Fort Worth Brewery to remove third-party vendors for final pack assembly, which the company believes will help alleviate shipping costs and improve time to market. “This expansion truly represents the next step toward strengthening our in-house hard seltzer capabilities, as its one of many recent investments we made at Fort Worth aimed at growing our above premium portfolio and transforming the company’s offerings to meet consumers’ changing preferences,” said Jim Crawford, vice president and plant manager, Molson Coors. © stock.adobe.com/monticellllo 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 12:08 Page 4Solina swoops for Zafron Foods Solina has acquired Zafron Foods from the Kenny family. UK-based Zafron Foods is a second generation family business specialising in the manufacture of mayonnaise, sauces, condiments, dressings, chutneys and deli fillers. Working out of two manufacturing sites with independent food safety accreditation from BRC, the company has become a leading provider of sauces to mid-sized food service chains. Zafron Foods made its name through well-recognized brands such as Kenny’s, Zafron and Kromberg and now has a growing presence in the custom-made sauce sector. Growth across all areas of the business has turned Zafron Foods into a 65-employee company with net sales of £23 million (28 million). Making the business part of Solina’s sauce platform will unlock further growth opportunities and enhance its ability to foresee and address the evolving needs of customers. The acquisition is part of Solina’s strategy to develop its product capabilities and portfolio, across dry seasonings, coating systems and custom- sauces, and a onestop-shop approach. 8 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net news Pernod Ricard to sell Tormore Scotch Whisky brand and distillery to Elixir Distillers Pernod Ricard has signed an agreement to sell the Tormore Scotch Whisky brand and distillery to Elixir Distillers, a company co-founded by entrepreneurs Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh. The Tormore distillery is emblematic of the Speyside region, home of the Scottish malt whisky industry, with a capacity of nearly 5 million litres of alcohol per annum. A listed building, constructed in 1960, it is equally famous for the quality of its Scotch whiskies as for its architectural design. The associated brand is renowned for its single malts, including its 14 and 16 year-old editions. The agreement marks a new milestone in a strong relationship between Pernod Ricard and the Singh brothers, who co-founded whisky specialist Elixir Distillers in 2017 and created the online spirits retailer The Whisky Exchange, which was acquired by Pernod Ricard in 2021. The Absolut Company partners with Blue Ocean Closures to develop fibre-based bottle cap The Absolut Company, part of Pernod Ricard, is working with Blue Ocean Closures (BOC), a start-up based in Sweden, to develop an innovative natural fibre-based closure cap for Absolut Vodka’s iconic bottle. Made from bio-based materials, the cap’s pioneering design reduces the amount of plastic used in packaging by combining a body made of sustainably sourced FSC fibre material with a thin top-seal barrier layer, making it recyclable as paper and ocean biodegradable. Together, BOC and The Absolut Company will develop the cap for use on current glass bottles, as an addition to existing cap solutions as well as a possibility for future packaging innovations. The partnership will see several iterations of the cap through prototyping and testing stages in 2022, with plans to share it commercially in 2023. This is part of a wider ambition from The Absolut Company and Pernod Ricard to create a fully circular business, working with suppliers and partners to ensure that 100% of its packaging is reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. © stock.adobe.com/sveta Global spirits company Sazerac to purchase Hazelwood Demesne, owner of Lough Gill Distillery Hazelwood Demesne Limited, owner of the Lough Gill Distillery, on the shores of Lough Gill in County Sligo, Ireland, has been acquired by the Sazerac Company, one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies with premium brands such as Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Paddy Irish Whiskey, Michael Collins Irish Whiskey, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon, and Southern Comfort. The Sazerac Company, known for taking historic sites such as its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky and its Sazerac House in New Orleans and restoring them to become world class operations, will fully develop the 100+ acre site, the original demesne of Hazelwood House, to create a world-class whiskey facility and visitor attraction, making it one of the most important tourism centres in the West of Ireland. Once complete, Lough Gill Distillery hopes to welcome up to 150,000 visitors annually and will create a homeplace for Sazerac’s Irish Whiskeys, Paddy and Michael Collins. Additionally, Sazerac will significantly grow the footprint of Lough Gill Distillery through increasing the distillery’s capacity, adding warehousing capacity and expanding production and bottling lines. All current Lough Gill Distillery team members will remain with the business, and it is expected that Sazerac will increase employment after the expansion. As part of the acquisition, Sazerac will continue the development of the Athrú brand, including global distribution. Mark Brown, president and Chief Executive Officer of Sazerac, said: “With its rich history of distilling and storytelling, Ireland is an ideal homeplace for our whiskey business to flourish.” © stock.adobe.com/ Igor Normann © stock.adobe.com/Wolfilser 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 12:08 Page 5Food & Drink International 9 www.fdiforum.net Edible oils supplier acquired by private equity investor Endless LLP (Endless), the mid- market private equity investors, has acquired K.T.C. (Edibles) Limited (KTC). KTC is one of the UK’s largest suppliers of edible oil, supplying over 250 million litres a year to manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers across the UK and globally. Headquartered in Wednesbury (West Midlands) and established in 1972, the founding family have grown the business to over £400 million turnover, four production sites and 450 employees. Endless’s acquisition of KTC will provide additional investment for the company’s ambitious growth plans through further development of its operations, range and service offerings. The investment in KTC adds another exceptional British food business to Endless’s existing portfolio, which includes Hovis, Bright Blue Foods and Yorkshire Premier Meat. Mondel ē z to acquire energy bar maker for $2.9bn Mondel ē z International is to acquire Clif Bar & Company, the US maker of energy bars with organic ingredients, for $2.9 billion with additional contingent earnout consideration. The acquisition of on-trend brands CLIF, LUNA and CLIF Kid expands Mondel ē z International’s global snack bar business to more than $1 billion, including its complementary and refrigerated snacking business Perfect Snacks in the US and performance nutrition business Grenade in the UK. This acquisition also advances the company’s strategy to reshape its portfolio to sustain higher long-term growth. The transaction is expected to be top-line accretive in year two and create cost synergies by using Mondel ē z International’s global and North American scale to expand Clif’s sales distribution and gain further penetration in existing and new customers and channels in the US. Mondel ē z International will continue to operate the Clif Bar & Company business from its headquarters in Emeryville, CA. The company will also continue to manufacture its products in its facilities in Twin Falls, ID, and Indianapolis, IN. BrownForman and Coca-Cola to debut Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola ready- to-drink cocktail BrownForman Corporation and The Coca-Cola Company have established a global relationship to debut the iconic Jack & Coke cocktail as a branded, ready-to-drink (RTD) pre-mixed cocktail option. Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola RTD, inspired by the classic bar cocktail, will be made with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and Coca-Cola. The beverage will be available in markets around the world, with initial launch planned for Mexico in late 2022. “This relationship brings together two classic American icons to deliver consumers a taste experience they love in a way that is consistent, convenient, and portable,” said Lawson Whiting, CEO and president of BrownForman Corporation, the American-owned spirit and wine company. “BrownForman has been a leader in the ready-to-drink category since we launched our first Jack Daniel’s RTD more than 30 years ago. Coca-Cola perfectly complements Jack Daniel’s and our existing RTD offerings, enabling us to accelerate expansion and continue to grow our business around the world.” Honor Foods strengthens dairy product portfolio with Sommer Maid Creamery Honor Foods, the Burris Logistics foodservice redistribution company, has agreed to purchase Sommer Maid Creamery, a foodservice redistributor with dairy expertise located in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. According to the firm, the acquisition of Sommer Maid Creamery “broadens Honor Foods’ dairy portfolio and solidifies its position as the preferred foodservice redistributor within the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions.” Further, the acquisition also provides Honor Foods with immediate access to the southeast, where Sommer Maid has established partnerships. “This acquisition fulfills a longstanding strategic intent of Honor Foods — to build upon our dairy product portfolio as a way to provide competitive differentiation within the foodservice redistribution channel,” said Walt Tullis, president of Honor Foods. “Sommer Maid has an extensive offering of dairy products, including butter, cheese and creams — largely under their own brand and labels. Sommer Maid’s 100+ years of experience enhances our own dairy market expertise. Further, their significant presence in the southeast opens the door for Honor Foods to satisfy another goal — to expand south.” © stock.adobe.com/Freedomz news Image courtesy of BrownForman Corporation © stock.adobe.com/Studio Romantic 04-11.qxp_Layout 1 28/06/2022 12:08 Page 6Next >