< PreviousPuratos make its largest chocolate industry acquisition to date Puratos has made its largest acquisition to date in the chocolate industry. Esteemed Canadian producer Foley’s Chocolates joins the Belgium-headquartered provider of ingredients for bakers, patissiers and chocolatiers in a deal that significantly increases Puratos’ chocolate market share and manufacturing capabilities in North America. This major acquisition is a key strategic step for Puratos as it continues its growth based on the pillars of health and well-being, sustainability and innovation. Puratos is now poised to offer customers its largest chocolate portfolio yet, including innovative plant-based, protein-enhanced, no sugar and sugar-reduced solutions. Foley’s is a leading provider of real chocolate and compound coatings to industrial manufacturers in North America. The agreement makes it Canada’s second-largest chocolate producer and the country’s only manufacturer of ingredients for bakery, patisserie and chocolate. As well as expanding Puratos’ market presence, the combined business will introduce a range of health and well-being-focused ingredients that cater to evolving consumer preferences. Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company to sell Ringwood Brewery Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company (CMBC) has revealed plans to sell its Ringwood Brewery, located in Hampshire on the edge of the New Forest. Under the proposals, the Ringwood Brewery and the Ringwood ale brands – including Razorback, Old Thumper, Boondoggle and Fortyniner – would be put on the market for sale. CMBC’s logistics operation at Ringwood is proposed to close, with deliveries relocated to CMBC’s depots at Tiverton and Farnborough, with support from the Cardiff depot. Best known for its cask ales and boar mascot present across all the brewery’s beers, Ringwood Brewery was founded in 1978, and after outgrowing its original premises, moved to the current site in 1986. Paul Davies, CEO of CMBC, said: “This is not a decision we have taken lightly – we have incredible respect for the effort and dedication of the team at Ringwood. “However, the brewery’s location in a residential area makes expansion complicated, and as such the investment required to bring its capacity and capability up to the level we need for our business is too great to be a viable path for CMBC.” 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net on line Over 280 jobs on the line as closure of Young’s Seafood factory proposed Over 280 jobs are on the line following the proposed closure of a Young’s Seafood factory in Grimsby, UK. Plans have been unveiled to halt production at the site on Marsden Road, with an October date mooted, and move what remains to another Grimsby factory and a Scottish site. Owner of Young’s, Sofina Foods Europe, said the factory was “no longer financially sustainable,” according to BBC reports, with a spokesperson saying 285 roles could be lost. The company said the decision does not reflect on the teams who work there, noting that “they are a credit to the company.” Staff and unions are set to be consulted before a formal decision on the closure. Sofina said some new roles would be created at a site on Grimsby’s Humberstone Road and in Scotland at Fraserburgh. Walkers to invest £58m in Leicester factory Pepsico has revealed a £58 million investment in its Walkers Leicester factory – its biggest investment in the UK in the last 25 years. The factory in Leicester is one of the world’s largest crisp factories and home to Walkers crisps and snacks, which celebrates its 75th birthday this year. The investment will see a new manufacturing line installed, the replacement of existing machinery with more sustainable equipment, as well as an extensive upgrade of employee facilities for the site’s 1,120-strong workforce. Pepsico has invested more than £120 million in its UK manufacturing operations and supply chain since 2020. Jason Richards, senior vice president and general manager, Pepsico UK & Ireland, said: “In 2023 we’re celebrating 75 years of Walkers crisps, so there’s no better time to renew our commitment to Leicester – a city and community that have been crucial to our success in the UK.” © stock.adobe.com/Brent Hofacker BrownForman Corporation reveals $200m investment to expand Casa Herradura tequila distillery BrownForman Corporation has revealed plans to expand its Casa Herradura tequila distillery in Jalisco, Mexico. The approximate $200 million USD investment will allow the company to meet the increasing global demand for its premium tequilas. Construction is expected to begin in July 2023. “The world’s growing taste for premium tequila is driving double-digit net sales growth of our Herradura and el Jimador brands. We believe strong consumer interest in tequila will continue and we’re expanding our production capacity to meet this demand,” said Lawson Whiting, president and Chief Executive Officer, BrownForman Corporation. “This strategic investment will improve our production efficiencies and increase our competitiveness.” “This multi-phase project includes adding to our distillery operations, bottling, maturation, and processing areas. This expansion is particularly exciting as it will also advance our existing waste-to-energy efforts with a new water recycling and treatment plant,” said Elisa Gutierrez, vice president and general manager, Casa Herradura. © stock.adobe.com/ exclusive-design © stock.adobe.com/ Olha © stock.adobe.com/ Nitr © stock.adobe.com/NastyaDodoni Feta and Dodoni Halloumi now available at Ocado alongside Dodoni Baked Cheese Thins The leading dairy company in Greece, Dodoni, has announced their top of the range Feta PDO and Halloumi PDO is now available at Ocado. Dodoni Feta and Dodoni Halloumi are both Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) products, which means the production follows strict rules to ensure the authenticity and quality of the cheese, centred on time-honoured methods. Working with local farms since 1963, Dodoni Feta is made using milk from artisan farmers in the Epirus region of Greece which arrives every day to Dodoni premises in Ioannina. The community of more than 5,000 producers from over 500 villages across the lush hills of Epirus are what make Dodoni products so authentic and a step above the imitation salad cheeses you find on the shelf. Dodoni Feta is available at Ocado in 200g vacuum packs, RRP £3.00 and Dodoni Halloumi is available at Ocado in 250g vacuum packs RRP £3.90. Dodoni products are also available at M&S stores nationwide, delis and independent shops across the UK. on the shelf Lizi’s launches Indulgent Moments Granola Lizi’s is extending its granola range to deliver decadence through a harmonious blend of ingredients. The new Lizi’s Indulgent Moments Granola, comes in two satisfying flavours, has been lovingly crafted to elevate the breakfast experience to well-deserved indulgence, creating new moments to enjoy granola. Lizi’s Indulgent Moments Caramelised Croquant Granola contrasts the bit of a crunchy croquant with the sophistication of smoked almonds to arouse the senses with sumptuous delights. Lizi’s Indulgent Moments Sea Salted Fudge Granola melds intense, nutty flavours with the bittersweet lift of salty fudge to awaken the anticipation of lavish pleasures. Available in Sainsbury’s from 18th June and Waitrose from 13th August. RRP £4.50 for 350g. For more information visit www.lizis.co.uk Oatly launches soft serve ice cream in the UK in latest food service play Oatly Group, the oat drink company, is launching its latest innovation – Oatly Vanilla Soft Serve ice cream – into the UK market. Oatly Vanilla Soft Serve is available to food service providers and is an innovative step forward in alternative dairy food innovation – providing the cold, creamy texture of soft serve ice cream but made with oats. Oatly Vanilla Soft Serve is suitable for vegans and is soy and dairy free. Oatly Vanilla Soft Serve was first previewed to UK customers during London Coffee Festival in April and is now available with a range of launch partners, including The Breakfast Club and Fortnum & Mason. JENKI will be using the product to create a unique Matcha Soft Serve ice cream available in their Matcha bars across London, and plant-based restaurant chain, Neat Burger, backed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Lewis Hamilton, will also exclusively be using Oatly Soft Serve in its soft serve shakes. Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net Canned Sparkling Teas from REAL arrive in time for Summer It’s time to make ready-to-drink Sparkling Teas an essential when on the go this summer as The REAL Drinks Co. unveil their canned versions of Royal Flush and Dry Dragon. These sophisticated Naturally Fermented Sparkling Teas are convenient yet refined non- alcoholic alternatives to Champagne and Sparkling Wine, offering complex flavours that can be paired perfectly with a selection of seasonal delicacies from barbeques full of chargrilled vegetables to fresh seasonal desserts for any alfresco occasion. Made using First Flush Darjeeling, known as the ‘Queen of Teas’, Royal Flush is a majestic ensemble of flavours. With notes of ripe blackcurrant, rich rhubarb, juicy peach, and a touch of spice, it sings on the palate. Canned and travel friendly, this delicious alternative to conventional canned wine enhances those sunlit Aperitivo moments. Dry Dragon is meticulously crafted with pan-fired Dragonwell green tea. Crisp notes of honeydew melon and sweet lemon dance on the palate, concluding with a gentle, nutty finish. Dry, fresh and delightfully drinkable, Dry Dragon pairs flawlessly with fresh, seasonal summer salads and exquisite shellfish platters, and can now be enjoyed wherever, whenever. Collaboration sees creation of elegant new blended whisky that revives historic legacy Surgeons Quarter - the commercial arm of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) - is revisiting a 518 year legacy by collaborating with a craft distillery to produce a special whisky. The whisky has been created by experts at Edinburgh’s Summerhall Distillery for Surgeons Quarter’s 1505 collection, which includes a signature gin and a craft ale. The result is a careful blend of premium whiskies matured in 100% American oak ex-bourbon casks. The RCSEd can trace its distilling credentials back to 1505, when the Barbers and Surgeons of Edinburgh successfully petitioned the Town Council to be granted a Seal of Cause, conferring certain privileges upon them. One of those privileges was the authority to distil aqua vita - water of life - which became a common term for referring to alcoholic beverages and particularly whisky, and now more than five centuries later Scotland’s national drink will feature again.12 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Negotiations and diversification continue While Australia’s new trade agreements with the UK and India have recently come into force, the country continues to work through fine details to secure further novel deals, diversifying its export markets and bolstering its food and drink trade. Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/DorSteffen T he diversification of Australia’s export markets has been a key focus for its government and food and drink industry, in part necessitated thanks to the block of a number of agricultural products to China - the country’s largest single export market (remaining so for agricultural exports in 2022). It has seen exporters successfully expand trade towards markets such as the ASEAN and MENA regions, areas seeing the greatest export value increases for Australia in 2022 (ASEAN +$7b and MENA +$4b), while exports to the EU, especially canola seeds, also rose substantially (+$3.7b) during a period where Australia sent a record $78.1 billion of agricultural products overseas. It hasn’t been a bumper year across Australia’s food industry however, with finding new high-value markets remaining a challenge for wine and rock lobster exporters. Major boons for the country have come via trade agreements with the UK and India coming into force over the past year. In the case of the former, coming into effect at the end of May (2023), the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UK FTA) provides new opportunities for Aussie producers, agricultural importers and exporters, in what Australia’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry has called the most comprehensive agreement Australia has signed with any trading partner, second only to the FTA with New Zealand. The removal of tariffs on 99 per cent of Australian goods exported to the UK, including many Australian farm exports, will see producers and agricultural exporters gain the best access to the UK since the 1970s. The deal involves immediate elimination of all tariffs on wine, most seafood, short and medium-grain rice, honey, olive oil, nuts, and most fruits and vegetables, while duty-free transitional quotas will be established for beef, sheep meat, sugar, wheat and 14 Á14 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT meslin, barley, dairy such as cheese and butter, and long grain and broken rice. Within 10 years, tariffs on agricultural goods under the FTA will be completely eliminated. Gaining improved market access presents a strong competitive advantage over other trading partners, and the A-UK FTA also establishes enhanced cooperation on regulatory issues like biosecurity, animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance. It follows Australian agriculture, forestry and fisheries exports to the UK growing by $225 million from 2019-20 to $868 million in 2022–23. Meanwhile the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA) entered into force in December (2022), giving Australian businesses greater access to the fast growing Indian market of 1.4 billion people, and saving Australian exporters around $2 billion a year in tariffs. Australian exporters have benefitted from two tariff cuts (in December 2022 and January 2023), with the first eliminating tariffs on over 85 per cent of exports to India and locking them in at zero, including lamb, barley, oats, and fresh rock lobsters, whereas tariffs on a further five per cent of exports, such as macadamia nuts, avocados, berries, seafood, vitamins, infant formula, breakfast cereals, and pasta became lower and will be phased down to zero within six years. In addition, producers of premium wine, lentils, almonds, oranges and strawberries are now receiving substantial reductions to high Indian tariffs. Australian manufacturers, processors and consumers will moreover benefit from the elimination of tariffs on imports of Indian goods. The government is seeking further competitive advantages to expand the trade relationship through a Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA). Across the globe, still in the works is a draft free trade deal between the EU and Australia, with aims for a summer agreement. It has brought with it concerns over restrictions on the use of terms like ‘feta’ and ‘prosecco’ that are normally protected under European trade deals. It has been claimed the move would slam Australian wine and cheese industries, cause significant Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT D Davies Turner relabelling costs, require consumer re- education, and has generated worries over a flood of importers into the Australian market. While talks are ongoing, Australia has achieved some small wins in improving market access for a number of products. Australian dairy establishments exporting to Chile for example will no longer be required to undergo periodic in-country audits by Chilean officials due to Australia’s high- quality dairy regulations. It removes a major cost on prospective exporters and comes after several years of negotiation between Australia and Chile, with the latter a market with strong demand for high-quality agricultural imports, including dairy products. Furthermore, the US has granted new access for Australian roasted macadamia nuts after providing scientific evidence that the roasting process removed phytosanitary pest risks. As roasted macadamias represent only a small portion of Australia’s macadamia exports, the market access offers exporters an opportunity to diversify their export profile by value- adding or producing specialty products. With novel trade deals sealed and others under negotiation, Australia continues to expand its export diversification aims, even recently setting sights on South Korea in a new campaign. © stock.adobe.com/Negro Elkha16 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE SPOTLIGHT hygiene Hygiene is a requirement as much as it is an expectation, but it’s not always a simple matter. Ensuring Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE SPOTLIGHT I n the realm of food production, maintaining hygiene is of paramount importance to safeguard consumer health and ensure the production of safe, high-quality packaged food. Adhering to strict hygiene practices during the manufacturing process is essential to prevent contamination, bacterial growth, and the transmission of foodborne illnesses. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers expect higher food safety standards than ever before. This article aims to provide a handy end to end guide on how to keep packaged food hygienic throughout the manufacturing process, encompassing various stages from raw material handling to packaging. Experts recommend a ground-up approach, beginning with creating a spotless facility, then turning to an operations overhaul. This ensures that any operational changes won’t be wasted in a less than gold-standard environment. Creating a hygienic environment commences with designing and maintaining the manufacturing facility, considering various essential factors. Firstly, the layout should be carefully planned to establish a smooth and logical flow of operations, effectively separating areas for storing raw materials from those dedicated to processing and packaging. Secondly, it is crucial to utilize construction materials that are non-toxic and easy to clean, thereby reducing the risk of microbial growth. Additionally, ensuring adequate ventilation is vital to prevent condensation and minimize the presence of airborne contaminants. Proper lighting is also essential to facilitate clear visibility during operations. Lastly, the implementation of regular cleaning schedules and procedures, which encompass the sanitization of equipment, floors, walls, and drains, is necessary to uphold cleanliness within the facility. The next step would be to create a training plan for staff. Maintaining high hygiene standards relies on the dedication and attentiveness of well-trained staff. Ensuring personnel hygiene involves several key guidelines. First, it is essential to © stock.adobe.com/BGStock72 © stock.adobe.com/Halfpoint 18 Á18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE SPOTLIGHT encourage employees to uphold personal cleanliness standards by practicing regular handwashing, maintaining proper grooming habits, and wearing clean protective clothing. Second, providing comprehensive training and education on hygiene practices, encompassing food handling, personal hygiene, and the identification of potential contaminants, is crucial. Third, establishing a policy that mandates employees to promptly report any illnesses is vital to prevent the spread of pathogens. Fourth, emphasizing the significance of frequent handwashing using antibacterial soap or sanitizer, particularly before handling food or entering critical areas, is essential. Lastly, personnel should be required to wear appropriate protective gear, such as gloves, hairnets, and masks, to prevent food contamination. The proper handling and storage of raw materials significantly impact the quality and safety of packaged food. Adhering to the following guidelines is crucial: It is firstly important to select suppliers with a strong reputation for upholding rigorous hygiene and safety standards. Partnering with such suppliers ensures the procurement of high-quality raw materials. Next, one should implement a comprehensive inspection process throughout the facility. This is essential to verify the integrity and quality of incoming raw materials. This step helps to identify any potential issues or defects before they can impact the final product. Maintaining appropriate storage conditions is another key aspect. It is important to control the temperature and humidity levels in storage areas to inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms. Additionally, storing ingredients in properly labelled and pest-proof containers helps prevent cross-contamination, safeguarding the integrity of the raw materials. Applying the “first-in, first-out” (FIFO) principle is also critical. This practice involves using the oldest ingredients first to minimize the risk of utilizing expired or deteriorated materials. By following this principle, the likelihood of including compromised ingredients in the production process is significantly reduced. One of the major slip-ups during the production process is the inefficient cleaning and maintenance of equipment and utensils. It is therefore important to establish a regular cleaning schedule for all equipment and utensils, at regular intervals. To avoid wasting cleaning products, it is recommended that equipment be cleaned twice daily – at the beginning and end of the working day. This ensures that they are free from bacteria and food residues that can potentially contaminate the food. Appropriate cleaning agents and procedures should be utilized to effectively eliminate any contaminants. To prevent cross-contamination, it is crucial to use separate equipment specifically designated for processing allergenic ingredients. This practice minimizes the risk of allergen transfer Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net HEALTH, SAFETY AND HYGIENE SPOTLIGHT and helps safeguard individuals with allergies. This practice should also form a section of the staff training plan, as contamination crackdowns have become increasingly prevalent over the last 5 years. Regular maintenance and repair of machinery is also necessary. By conducting routine inspections, any potential issues or malfunctions can be identified and addressed promptly. Properly functioning equipment reduces the risk of contamination and ensures the integrity of the food production process. The final step is to audit the entire production process (from raw materials to packaging) and identify areas where standards have the potential to slip. This is likely to be handover points where the product is being passed to a different team. Maintaining hygiene throughout the entire production processes is essential to ensure the safety and quality of packaged food. A major step within the audit should be to establish clear segregation between areas where raw and cooked food are handled. This separation helps prevent cross-contamination and minimizes the risk of pathogens spreading from raw ingredients to finished products. Secondly, monitoring and controlling temperatures during cooking, cooling, and storage is vital. Proper temperature control inhibits the growth of bacteria and other microorganisms that can compromise the safety of the food. © stock.adobe.com/auremarNext >