< Previous30 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LOGISTICS software, firms can gain a more efficient delivery fleet. Not only useful for cutting costs by reducing number of miles driven and number of driver hours that need to be paid for, the tech presents the tools needed to finely hone transportation planning and delivery performance. With heightened demand for fresh foods and short delivery times, distributors must be able to complete more frequent deliveries, precisely and to expected times of arrival. With route optimisation technology, all variables that could affect delivery times are considered, to produce the most efficient routes quickly and provide reliable arrival times. The software can also provide real time updates on food deliveries, sending automated ETA alerts, presenting better customer service and heightened communication to rid customers of any anxiety. Being able to notify customers the night before when a truck will arrive, then while it is on route allows for the scheduling of staff to receive goods and make room for them. For drivers this also means a quick unload. In addition routing optimisation software can help make food distributors more agile - able to respond to spikes in demand, to for instance reallocate trucks and drivers quickly, on minimal notice, enabling better service, with new routes planned dynamically in minutes. It is also useful in managing expected, regular volume increases for instance at Christmas. If one is able to predict peak order volumes through historical data, route optimisation software can organise the rest to make the most efficient use of equipment and drivers. Routing technology is also helpful in maintaining fleet operating costs, in managing margin thin food logistics. The software includes tools that can be used to strategize, for instance that work out costs and service impacts of proposed business changes, like moving to a new warehouse location or changing truck sizes. A key issue remaining in logistics is that it remains one of the major causes of greenhouse gas emissions. Sustainability therefore continues to be a challenge for logistics firms as consumers become more aware of the environmental impact of purchases - emission free transport is becoming a USP. Pollution problems, particularly from trucks is seeing firms consider electric trucks - the adoption of which is to be boosted by increases in funding for electric vehicle charging points. Alternative fuels are also on the agenda, from biomethane and biodiesel from waste feedstocks to liquified and compressed natural gas. When discussing the future of logistics, autonomous vehicles are almost impossible to avoid, especially driverless trucks. Holding the potential for improved fuel efficiency and safety, automated vehicles are programmed to be constantly vigilant while humans cannot always react fast enough to hazards. Further they can adapt smoothly to traffic, weather, and obstacles in the road, and can use GPS and road and terrain mapping, as well as sensors and cameras to choose the best engine speeds and gear changes, saving fuel and reducing wear. The development of fully autonomous freight trucks will eventually be of great help to the driver shortage plaguing the industry as demand skyrockets and the workforce ages. While unlikely to be fully implemented across roads in a commercial sense any time soon, due to trials gaining concern from the general public, reports do indicate that these vehicles could be on the road any time from 2021 to a decade from now. © Shutterstock/Ondra Vacek 28-30.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:30 Page 3Food & Drink International 31 www.fdiforum.net SOUPS AND SAUCES T he soups and sauces industry has taken off in recent years, with many shelves in supermarkets now featuring more varieties of soup than ever before. In many cases this can be attributed to two different factors; the increased popularity of ready meals and also a drive towards healthier, more natural foods – and in the wake of the extinction rebellion, food created with more environmental focus in mind. Soup has long since been a staple of the human diet, but its ability to be quickly and easily cooked in a © Shutterstock/Africa Studio The savoury choice Changes in consumer demands have buoyed the soups and sauces industry, introducing a wide range of new players to the field. 32 Á 31-35.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:33 Page 1SOUPS AND SAUCES 32 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Functional native rice starch designed to withstand demanding conditions BENEO’s functional native rice starch, Remypure S52, is specially designed to be used in foods which are produced under very demanding conditions. Due to BENEO’s unique thermal inhibition process, the functional properties of Remypure rice starches are obtained without using chemicals. Remypure S52’s performance level is comparable, or superior, to modified food starches, due to its reduced granule breakdown during processing, says Benoit Tavernier, Product Manager Specialty Rice Ingredients at BENEO. Remypure S52 also creates a window of opportunity for manufacturers wanting to create cleaner label products, which are increasingly being sought out by consumers. This was demonstrated through BENEO’s clean label consumer research, during which the ingredient list for a clean label tomato sauce, containing BENEO’s Remypure S52, was compared with one containing an E-number and another with a modified corn starch. The results clearly speak for themselves with over 70% of 3,000 respondents opting for the recipe containing rice starch. For more information, visit www.BENEO.com. microwave has allowed it to take full advantage of the busier lifestyles we now lead. With ready meals accruing ever more space on supermarket shelves, it is perhaps inevitable that the soups industry will continue to grow. Gone are the days of limited flavour as well, with consumers demanding more variety and options, opening the doors to new manufacturers who do not have the giant brands of household names like Heinz. This has allowed other companies to carve a niche in this market, especially if they go for functional ingredients. And that leads into the second factor in the recent success of soups and sauces, that being the consumer health drive that has taken over the media for what feels like the last decade. While other trends come and go, it’s starting to feel like this one might become more permanent, and with Governments across the western world aiming to tackle obesity, this trend seems here to stay. The challenge is to find the balance between the two extremes. Consumers clearly want their soups and sauces to provide interesting textures and consistencies that reflect the ingredients, but they also want their food to be healthy, convenient and ethical. This is not always possible, something many consumers do not understand, but manufacturers are faced with the task regardless. Naturally this can have knock-on effects on the manufacturing line, with the chance of excessive product giveaway and build- up are increased with delicate materials getting clogged up. This leads many to consider the quality of their pumping equipment. Companies with vast experience in pumping viscous materials, often of flowable and non-flowable materials from drums, IBCs, mixing vessels and process vessels of various shapes, sizes and designs will know full well the challenges faced. High quality pumps certainly assist companies in dealing with delicate ingredients in large quantities – but how can they be assured that product 31-35.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:33 Page 2SOUPS AND SAUCES Food & Drink International 33 www.fdiforum.net Advanced Engineering MIDDLETON LTD mixing is our business l Inline High Shear Mixer l 3 Stage High Shear Mixer l Dispersion Mixer l Fluid Mixers l AdPro l Top Entry High Shear Immersion Mixer l Bottom Entry High Shear Mixer l Sealed Bearing Mixer mixer design and technology Trent Industrial Estate, Duchess Street Shaw, Lancs, OL2 7UT, UK tel: +44 (0)1706 759003 fax: +44(0)1706 759004 email: info@aemixers.com web: www.aemixers.com WE HAVE MOVED build-up isn’t happening to too great an extent? Many manufacturers are now turning to vision detection and inspection for the answer to this, with a view to using x-ray or other inspection technologies to remotely monitor pipes. Recipe changes are also more prevalent than ever, with some brands taking the risky – but potentially profitable – step of moving away from traditional recipes to try new concepts. The launch of Ragu Pour Over sauces, for example, represents a change to traditional pasta sauces with the aim of driving value into the category. More than that, and despite Brexit, our tastes for international is increasing 34 Á © Shutterstock/Brent Hofacker 31-35.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:33 Page 3© Shutterstock/Ozgur Coskun 34 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SOUPS AND SAUCES Magnetic separator for large product flows The automatically cleanable ‘Easy Clean flow’ magnetic separator from Goudsmit Magnetics removes metal particles and weakly magnetic stainless steel particles from powders as fine as 30 μ m in the food (like soup for example), chemical, ceramic and plastic industries. The large space between the bars results in a significant increase in capacity of the passage, which is particularly beneficial when it comes to poorly flowing powders. The magnet is suitable for large product flows and distinguishes itself by the very high magnetic flux density of over 12,000 gauss at the contact surface of the bars. These bars come into direct contact with the product and have a deeply penetrating magnetic field that effectively makes powders and granulates metal-free at high flow rates. The magnet is dustproof to an overpressure of 0.5 bar and has a simple electro-pneumatic controller. The user-friendly cleaning requires 6 bar air and 24 VDC start signals. For more information, visit www.goudsmitmagnets.com. – with particular focus on Eastern recipes, and not the typical Chinese recipes Europe is used to. Japanese, Korean and other Asian-region foods are becoming more and more familiar to us, and traditional soups and sauces to add to our favourite dishes are appearing on shelves. Changes to recipes could be a major challenge for manufacturers but the new ranges of ingredients and equipment are ensuring that the quality is remaining high, and they can meet the demands of an increasingly discerning consumer. It is not just the tastes that are changing, however. Going back through the years, canned soup has been the de facto packaging solution for the soups industry, but this has changed recently. Pouch packaging – a long proponent of confectionary food – has started to take hold, as has other forms of packaging such as plastics and vacuum-packing. These reflect changes in consumer tastes, but also environmental demands and even the designs of kitchens – which are getting smaller and thus see less room available for stacks and stacks of cans. 31-35.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:33 Page 4Food & Drink International 35 www.fdiforum.net SOUPS AND SAUCES Naked Foods purchase another sauce depositor from Riggs Autopack Naked Foods was started in Ashford, Kent, by three entrepreneurial foodies; their quest was simple: to create ‘clean nude foods’. They wanted to make fruit and confectionery sauces with an unbeatable taste as natural as possible. With expansion, Naked Foods recently purchased a second Model 1000 Series 3 bulk depositor from Riggs Autopack Ltd. This semi- automatic depositor is a copy of the first machine they purchased in 2013, designed to accurately fill pergal style plastic bags. It was supplied as a direct feed connection from a cooking kettle outlet which enables hot products to be pumped safely from the kettle outlet directly into the depositor, ready for dispensing. The Series 3 bulk depositor is highly versatile and accurately fills a variety of bag sizes, ranging from 500ml to 5000ml with one press of the foot pedal. An additional key feature is the bespoke neck locator around the cut-off valve. This allows the operator to quickly and easily place the bag spout in a secure position ready for the filling process, after which the opening can be sealed. This provides an additional benefit in terms of health and safety for the operator when depositing hot products, as they are not holding the container when the product is being deposited. A convenient height adjustable table also supports cooling trays during the product depositing stage. Naked Foods Managing Director Crispin Gell said: “Our preparations can be viscous and have a high fruit ID. It is extremely important we maintain the fruit structure and need damage free depositing, fill accuracy, and hygiene is key. The service Riggs Autopack provide is perfect for our business and we would always recommend them.” To find out more, visit www.riggsautopack.co.uk, info@riggsautopack.co.uk, or call +44(0)1282 440040. Silverson Machines - better mixers, better soups Silverson Machines has over 70 years of mixing knowledge and experience, including helping customers in the food industry with the development and production of soups and sauces. Silverson Batch mixers are currently being used in a hospital kitchen for the preparation of specialised soups. The hospital, which caters for hundreds of patients every day, is using the mixers for producing soups and milling vegetables in water. The soups need to be as fine in consistency as possible to cater for patients with difficulties swallowing. Using the Silverson Batch mixers the hospital has been able to reduce vegetables down to 200 μ fibres, approximately the width of a single human hair, so they are undetectable in the soup and cause no problems for the patients. The soup was previously purchased from a specialist supplier - which proved expensive as these foods are classified as pharmaceutical products. By making the soups in-house with the Silverson mixers these costs have been eliminated and the mixers will pay for themselves in a short time through the savings made. The mixers were supplied with a Slotted Disintegrating workhead, one of a range of workheads and screens available for all Silverson high shear mixers. These easily interchangeable workheads offer great versatility by allowing any machine to be adapted to perform a wide range of mixing operations. Whether you are producing a soup with a thick, chunky texture or with a smooth, silky mouthfeel, one Silverson mixer can do the job of multiple machines by simply changing the workhead. Silverson Batch mixers can also be supplied on mobile hydraulic floor stands so they can be moved easily between vessels of different product. To find out more, visit www.silverson.co.uk, email sales@silverson.co.uk, or call +44(0) 1494 786331. 31-35.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:33 Page 536 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net T he food service and hospitality industry remains a tight one, and has for several years now. That’s not to say success isn’t out there, but that it requires more effort than just serving good food and providing customer service. Customers and consumers are more conscious than ever of factors such as food waste, the health of the food they are even eating, and even the variety available on the menu – including options such as vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free. In such a demanding environment, it can be difficult for the sector to adapt, but adapt it must if it wishes to survive in the cutthroat world of food service. Most noticeably in recent years, the push towards alternative eating lifestyles has pushed innovation. The obvious example is vegan, which was seen as a fad initially but is now recognised as being an almost mainstream dietary requirement. It’s of obvious important for food service and hospitality companies to not only know where their food and ingredients come from, but to be willing and able to offer said information to their customers as well. Failure to do so – or failure to do anything, really – can be devastating in the industry now, mostly thanks to social media and the ease of which information is shared. As anyone in hospitality will know, a happy customer will often only be a happy customer, while a single unhappy customer will make sure to rant and rave all across Facebook, Twitter and any other medium they can find. Effective levels of customer service, and also complaint management, are required to truly excel. Hygiene remains as important a factor as ever – and for much the same reason. In the older times a food or hygiene scare might have impacted local custom for a few weeks, usually as long as it took for memories to fade, but nowadays the scandal can be far more impactful, especially if it is a famous or successful chain. Recent illnesses and diseases such as salmonella and campylobacter have highlighted the importance of careful preparation, and also the possibility for famous and well-known brands and names to fall afoul of such issues. In the kitchens, effective temperature checking, ingredients monitoring and quality assurance are key. It takes relatively little time and effort to implement these, but the biggest challenge is in ensuring that every kitchen worker – from the highest to Service, Service, Service The food service sector faces many challenges, but there is opportunity behind them for those with the determination to grasp them. Service, Service, Service 36-38.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:36 Page 1FOOD SERVICE Food & Drink International 37 www.fdiforum.net the lowest – understands why it is so important they keep at it. It’s easy to cut corners, especially in busy times. Cut corners can lead to disaster, however. When it comes to food wastage, things are a little clearer. The food industry has made inroads into reducing the amount of professional food waste but much of the emphasis has shifted to recycling the waste rather than reducing it. In the UK alone it is estimated that some 2.5 billion pounds are attributable to food waste, whilst in the Nordic region some 25% of all food waste is said to come from the food service and hospitality sector. But, while some businesses have grasped that particularly thorny nettle and amended their practices accordingly, some have Colpac redesigns Chilled Food-to-Go range Colpac has exclusively showcased its redesigned market leading Chilled Food-to-Go packaging range at Anuga. As well as redesigning the whole range of same day and longer shelf- life salad packs, Colpac have significantly revised its award-winning Fuzione pack. Increasing on shelf impact, Fuzione will now feature larger branding areas at the front and back of the paperboard base, and the rPet lid with 90% recycled content, is anti-mist. The new same day and self-seal Salad Packs now feature an over-the-edge window, creating excellent visibility from the front and top and when stacked in a chiller display. A ‘push-tuck’ closing mechanism promotes secure sealing, which aids ease of closing and opening as consumers can either unlock or tear off the top. New to the range is the Salad Bowl, a unique, distinctive addition which sits between the medium and large standard salad packs. For more information, visit www.colpacpackaging.com/chilledfoodtogo. © Shutterstock/SnvvSnvvSnvv© Shutterstock/NatashaPhoto 38 Á 36-38.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:36 Page 2Introducing innovative new designs and formats for our Chilled Food to Go range, from Fuzione ® to salad packs. www.colpacpackaging.com enquiries@colpacpackaging.com ||+44 (0) 1525 712 261 38 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FOOD SERVICE been reluctant to do so arguing that customers might look elsewhere if their food choice or portion size were diminished. It’s a delicate balancing act, but while we’ve all seen someone walking away from a buffet with their plates stacked to a higher capacity than their appetite could possibly withstand, for many of us it’s the quality of the food that counts rather than the quantity. Some catering companies, canteens, restaurants and other big kitchens are installing lean practices and process optimizations which are paying dividends. It is worth recognising that, a large proportion of the food waste in an establishment is generated outside the kitchen – i.e. the service and consumer stage. Similar to other sustainability issues, technological solutions alone will not do the job – a change in attitude, behaviour and culture is essential for achieving any substantial change and to that end it is encouraging to see leading celebrity chefs influencing customer attitudes. As evidence shows, in any business sector clients are prepared to pay a little more for goods and services that come from environmentally managed sources and in some countries, diners are already listing food waste as one of their concerns when choosing an establishment to eat at. According to Unilever Food Solutions, 4 out of 10 Danes would prioritise eating at a restaurant that acts toward minimizing its food waste, and almost two thirds of Danes are willing to pay more for products and services from a sustainable and responsible company. In the US the numbers are said to be a staggering 50% and in Europe over 80% of people are concerned with professional food waste. These figures illustrate the importance of tackling the issue head on, rather than avoiding the issues in the belief that clients will go elsewhere. Cutting business operating costs by switching from demand driven to supply driven ordering and reducing ingredients whilst using what is in season are all great ways to contribute and may even provide more attractive pricing for customers. The food service industry is clearly one that faces continued struggles ahead, but many of the concerns it faces now are ones not temporary ones and the benefits of handling them will hopefully last for decades. As consumer tastes and demands become ever more diverse, the experience gained in adapting now will keep the sector flexible. © Shutterstock/Vjacheslav Shishlov HRC 2020 comes to ExCel London Established since 1935, the Hotel, Restaurant & Catering Exhibition attracts over 20,000 decision makers to the ExCel London. The UK’s largest trade show in the industry is set to take place on the 3rd – 5th March 2020 and isn’t an event to be missed. For more information, visit www.hrc.co.uk 36-38.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:36 Page 3Food & Drink International 39 www.fdiforum.net FOOD ENTREPRENEUR SHOW From mobile payments and delivery, to sustainability and food waste, the Restaurant & Takeaway Innovation Expo brings the whole restaurant industry together. It boasts a massive speaker line-up with big names from Pizza Hut, BrewDog, Just Eat and The Carbon Trust, among others. Topics will cover important industry trends and topics such as building brand solutions, food delivery evolution, marketing and digital solutions, plus plenty more. Elsewhere, the Kitchen Innovation Zone will showcase only the best of the best, boasting the most state-of-the-art professional kitchen equipment that are both innovative and energy efficient. The Delivery Zone, meanwhile, promises to connect restaurant and takeaway businesses with information and guidance on the best delivery options for their businesses. And the Innovation Awards recognise the innovators who are paving the way towards the world of tomorrow. Find out more and get your free tickets by visiting www.www.takeawayexpo.co.uk. Take the temperature and ascertain the future of the restaurant and bar technology market with a schedule of insightful panel debates covering everything from emerging trends and innovations, to leveraging technology to streamline operations. There are over 200 speakers who are transforming the world of restaurant technology, with visionaries from Pizza Hut, TAKEOUT and Food by Robots. For those looking for new technology for their business, there’ll be plenty of live demos across the two days allowing interested parties to try before they buy. The Technology Innovation Awards, on the other hand, aim to celebrate the ground-breaking developments which are making waves at the forefront of the restaurant and bar sectors. Free tickets can be found by visit www.restauranttechlive.co.uk. Visitors to the Restaurant & Bar Design Show, the UK’s most comprehensive event dedicated to the very latest and most stylish designs for restaurant and bars, can find the most inspiring suppliers on the marketplace, and find advice and guidance from the 40 Á Food Entrepreneur Show Taking place on 19 and 20 November at ExCeL in London, the Food Entrepreneur Show brings together six important industry shows for one unmissable event. 39-41.qxp_Layout 1 22/10/2019 13:38 Page 1Next >