< PreviousTNA opens second confectionery manufacturing facility in Sydney TNA solutions, an integrated confectionery processing and packaging solutions firm, has opened a third manufacturing site in Australia, at Wetherill Park, Sydney. This expansion aims to meet the burgeoning demands of the global confectionery and nutraceuticals sector. “Our confectionery processing capabilities are continually evolving,” said Thiago Roriz, Chief Operating Officer at TNA solutions. “With our new Wetherill Park facility, we extend our ability to deliver complete solutions to our global customers efficiently and with short lead times. We understand our customers’ needs for reliability and efficiency as they cater to the ever-evolving palate and increasing demands of consumers.” “Since acquiring NID in 2017, TNA has been updating existing technologies while retaining industry defining standards in reliability in the confectionery arena. This added manufacturing capacity ensures that customers worldwide can receive state-of-the-art solutions in a timely manner,” added Thiago. Ornua unveils new € 40m development at Kerrygold Park butter production facility Ornua, the owner of Kerrygold, has unveiled a new € 40 million development at Kerrygold Park, its flagship butter production facility in Mitchelstown, Co. Cork. The major investment will underpin Kerrygold’s plans to become Ireland’s first € 2 billion food brand and support the rapidly growing global demand for Kerrygold, including in the U.S. where it is the number two butter brand. Kerrygold Park is home to a butter production facility, with cutting-edge processing technology and infrastructure, including two state-of-the-art butter churns and 10 packing lines for a range of over 50 different product formats available across over 60 markets globally. The investment in the facility has seen Kerrygold Park’s total cream processing capacity grow significantly, enabling increased production of up to 80,000 tonnes of butter per year, which equates to over 1 million packs per day. As a result of the investment in Kerrygold Park, which has received funding support through Enterprise Ireland, Ornua has also expanded its direct employment at the facility by 20%. The 30 new jobs bring Ornua’s total Kerrygold Park workforce to 180. 10 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net on line Hero Group to close jam production plant The Hero Group has announced that its jam production plant in Lenzburg, Switzerland, will close down by the end of 2024. The decision was taken by the Group’s Board of Directors after employee proposals submitted during a consultation period did not provide a viable alternative. The plant was opened in 2011 but, according to Hero, never managed to reach an adequate capacity utilization. This was further compounded by an ongoing decline in jam consumption in Switzerland. A total of 48 employees will be affected by the closure. “We are very saddened by this decision to close the production facility in Lenzburg, and especially by the loss of employment for 48 of our people. It is a sad day at Hero, but at the same time it is our duty to take decisions that will ensure the long-term competitiveness of the company,” said Rob Versloot, CEO Hero Group. Cargill expands soybean processing plant in Sidney, Ohio Cargill has completed an expansion and modernization project at its integrated soybean crush and refined oils facility in Sidney, Ohio. The upgraded facility will help Cargill better serve farmers and meet the growing demand for soy products across food, feed and renewable fuel markets. The project nearly doubles the previous crush capacity at the facility, providing greater market opportunities for area farmers and feed customers through creating demand for soybeans and offering greater access to soybean meal and hulls. Additionally, customers will have an improved on-site experience, as they will be able to more quickly and efficiently receive soybeans and load out products. “We’re proud to make this investment at our Sidney facility. We’ve been in business for 45 years here, and we appreciate the long- standing relationships with local farmers, food and feed customers, and the local community,” said Justin Rismiller, U.S. Crush Soy Commercial Leader for Cargill. “This has been a complex project, as we continued to run the existing plant during construction. Thanks to our dedicated team, we are able to provide a state-of-the-art facility to better serve our customers and the community for generations to come.” © stock.adobe.com/ Galina ofi expands manufacturing capacity with new dairy facility in New Zealand ofi (olam food ingredients) has opened the first phase of its new dairy processing plant in the dairy heartland of New Zealand – the Waikato region in the north island of the country. The facility will produce dairy ingredients like whole milk powder to meet growing demand, targeting key customer applications in dessert, bakery, beverage, and confectionery categories. Sandeep Jain, Managing Director and CEO, Dairy, at ofi said: “As we continue to expand our dairy manufacturing capabilities and innovation infrastructure, the new Tokoroa plant will become part of a global network that spans major milk consumption markets, such as South- East Asia, China, the Middle East, and Africa. “The new plant also complements a suite of enhancements made to ofi’s dairy production facility and Ingredient Excellence Centre (IEC) in Johor, Malaysia back in September – which combined with our Customer Solutions Center based in Singapore, enables us to co-create bespoke food and beverage solutions for our customers.” © stock.adobe.com/ Alexandr_DG Image courtesy of CargillCamden Town Brewery team up with HP sauce to launch new collaboration beer Camden Town Brewery has announced the launch of its latest collaboration beer, introducing: Camden HP Brown Ale. The two great British brands have joined forces to unite generations of beer and brown sauce fans across the country with a new sauce of conversation. HP Brown Ale combines the very best of two British staples that have been enjoyed over dinner tables and local pubs for centuries. Designed to be sipped on over dinner, supper or tea with your Nan, Dad or best mate. It’s up to you and yours to decide whether HP really does go with everything. Inspired by the bold and timeless flavours of everyone’s favourite brown sauce, instead of adding HP sauce directly into the beer (save that for your butties!), the brewing team used the ingredients and flavours of HP and added them into the brewing process for a fresh and unique brown ale which gives a taste of what HP and Camden do best. on the shelf Ballantine’s launch new limited-edition Flying Goose Sriracha Sauce with RZA Wu-Tang Clan frontman, RZA, and Ballantine’s, the world’s second-largest Scotch whisky, have joined forces to launch a tongue-tingling, Ballantine’s- inspired hot sauce, made in collaboration with Flying Goose, the home of the original sriracha chilli sauce. To create the hot sauce, Flying Goose took inspiration from Ballantine’s 7 American Barrel - a blended Scotch whisky aged for a minimum of seven years - resulting in a unique alcohol-free condiment reminiscent of the unmistakable taste of the Scotch, whilst keeping the heat of the brand’s iconic sriracha. The final product is a taste sensation of soft red apples, intermingled with ripe pear and creamy caramel, combined to create a bold flavoured sriracha sauce that will tantalise your taste buds. Whether you’re a seasoned chef who regularly cooks up a storm in the kitchen or looking for ways to upgrade your takeaway, the limited edition vegan hot sauce is the perfect spicy sidekick to transform any dish. Food & Drink International 11 www.fdiforum.net THIS™ unveils chicken-iest plant- based recipe yet Hyper-realistic plant- based meat business THIS™ has revamped its consumer- favourite with the upgrade of THIS™ Isn’t Chicken Pieces – its chicken-iest tasting pieces yet. Winners of multiple Great Taste Awards, the in-house R&D team at THIS™ have spent the last 18 months refining the company’s popular plant-based chicken recipe. The team has simplified the recipe, cutting the ingredients by half. The new improved recipe is made primarily of soya and fava protein - removing pea protein from the recipe along with other additives. Using THIS™ signature extrusion technology, the R&D team has created the most fibrous texture yet, high in protein and fibre yet low in saturated fat and lower salt than competitor products. The result is a tender, succulent, tasty chicken alternative that can satisfy carnivorous flexitarians and vegans alike. THIS™ Isn’t Chicken Pieces are available from Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Tesco, Asda and Ocado, RRP £3.30. The chicken pieces are also available in Albert Heijn stores in the Netherlands and via wholesale in a food service format. Ocean Spray® launches limited edition Christmas jumper design packs Ocean Spray®, the UK’s leading cranberry juice brand, is introducing NEW limited edition Christmas jumper design festive packs of its Ocean Spray® Cranberry Classic and Ocean Spray® Cranberry No Added Sugar ambient juice drinks in time for Christmas. Launching into all major UK supermarkets, the limited edition festive packs have been designed around a red Christmas jumper, complete with snowflakes and reindeer. The eye-catching, festive-looking packs are designed to appeal to a wider customer base during the busy Christmas trading period. Ocean Spray juices and juice drinks are an ideal purchase pre-Christmas as consumers stock up on trusted-brands and store cupboard essentials which offer quality, taste and versatility at an affordable price for the festive season. Ocean Spray will be supporting the new, limited edition packs with a social media campaign including on TikTok, aimed at reaching a younger audience. Sainsbury’s introduces new crownless pineapples to reduce waste Sainsbury’s is introducing crownless pineapples in its latest move to reduce waste. Crownless pineapples, which are the same as a traditional pineapple just with the green leaves (the crown) removed, will be available in-store and online, and will be ready to eat upon purchase, with no need for customers to ripen the fruit at home. The crown of a pineapple is typically thrown away by customers at home, so by removing it for recycling during the production process, Sainsbury’s is helping customers to cut down on food-related waste. The removed crowns will either be replanted in the pineapple fields or shredded and given to local farmers to be used for animal feed, reducing waste by 700 tonnes annually. By removing the crown during production, Sainsbury’s can fit more of the product into each box it ships to stores, resulting in a reduction of 2,500 boxes transported per year. Image courtesy of Sainsbury’s12 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TELEDYNE FLIR Q&A Can you tell us a little about Teledyne FLIR and what you do? Teledyne FLIR designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and distributes technologies that enhance perception and awareness. We bring innovative sensing solutions into daily life through our thermal imaging, visible-light imaging, video analytics, measurement and diagnostic, and advanced threat detection systems. FLIR are building more than innovative technologies; we’re striving to create a more sustainable, more efficient, and safer future by enhancing human perception through best-in-class intelligent imaging & sensing solutions. For the food and drink industry, one of our leading products is our acoustic imaging cameras which can proactively detect gas leaks in a manufacturing line. How do you help customers in the food and drink industry with their problems? Compressed air, vacuum systems, and food-grade carbon dioxide (CO2) are used in many production processes across the food and beverage industry. Undetected leaks can lead to serious consequences such as energy inefficiency, increased downtime for repairs, or loss of an important additive—the carbonation needed for soft drinks. This is where an acoustic imaging camera can make all the difference. Thanks to 124 low-noise microphones, acoustic cameras such as the FLIR Si- Series help identify even very small leaks promptly, improving the system’s efficiency, reducing operating costs, and helping to maintain product quality. An acoustic imaging camera saves time, energy, and costs by locating hidden compressed air leaks, allowing teams to deal with the issue swiftly and prevent any unplanned downtime. Our cameras can scan large areas quickly, and pinpoint critical problems even from a distance and in areas with high levels of noise pollution. In addition, using our cameras requires minimal training and is very easy to incorporate into an existing maintenance cycle and, most importantly, our acoustic cameras can be used without the requirement for a line to be halted for inspection. Q&A Accurate detection Detecting problems in a manufacturing line before they can cause downtime is integral in today’s difficult market conditions. We speak with Teledyne FLIR, specialists across multiple industries, to learn more on how they’re helping their food and drink customers cope. Food & Drink International 13 www.fdiforum.net TELEDYNE FLIR Q&A What are the biggest challenges you believe the food and drink industry faces, and how can Teledyne FLIR help? We obviously deal very closely with our clients and some of the biggest problems we’re seeing recently in the food and drink industry is that people are forced to try and get more out of what they already have when it comes to manufacturing. With a drive to reduce costs, brands are looking to expand their existing manufacturing lines to run multiple products, and to get the most out of them that they can. This makes it especially damaging when something goes wrong and causes unplanned downtime, as many companies no longer run lines for a single product. One problem can impact multiple brands and products. In addition to this, high energy costs and increasingly complex regulation compliance (especially for businesses operating internationally) makes it more important than ever that lines do not run into problems that force them to shut down. That is why we focus so much on creating solutions that can not only proactively detect problems to prevent that, but which can be used without the need to shut everything down for checks to be undertaken in the first place. Are there any exciting plans ahead for Teledyne FLIR? Teledyne FLIR continues to innovate, and we are looking forward to releasing some exciting launches and new product developments, to add to our quality product portfolio. I’m afraid I can’t talk too much about that right now, but I can assure you there are some exciting things coming soon to our range. What sets Teledyne FLIR’s products apart from the competition? We focus on making our products easy to use and portable, because we understand that not only are no two operators alike, but neither are any two plants. The ability to get a detection system into any part of a manufacturing line is important, and companies running international operations with multiple languages among their workforce need to know that they can easily train operators to use the product. As such, we design our cameras with a simple to use GUI that is compatible with Thermal Studio, and which produces both Acoustic and Thermal reports. For more information visit www.flir.co.uk 14 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Though Italian food is a staple in many diets, the promotion and protection of the country’s products remains a key concern to ensure fruitful exports. A country famous for its food, it is perhaps not surprising that recent figures out of Italy showcase strong exports. Analysis of Istat data by agricultural association Coldiretti — shared during November’s Italian Cuisine Week — illustrates record exports of Made in Italy food; an 8% increase in the first eight months of 2023. Reaching 36.2 billion euros in value, despite the influence of international tensions and reduced spending power on trade, Coldiretti emphasises that by the end of 2023, this path of growth will ensure that last year’s 60.7 billion euros of exports is surpassed. With the export sales of food and drink products triple the average of Italy’s exports, the clearest expansion for Made in Italy products has been seen in France, with a 13.5% increase in food exports, ahead of Germany (11.3%) Protection and promotion Food & Drink International 15 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT © stock.adobe.com/Sarka and the UK (11.2%). A concerning 2.5% drop has however been noted in the United States, a key market outside the EU. Considering the goods exported, wine leads the way, despite a slight slowdown, ahead of fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, cheeses, olive oil and cured meats. The president of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini has highlighted the importance of working on internationalisation to support companies to conquer new markets and strengthen consolidated ones, with an objective of bringing the annual value of agri-food exports to 100 billion euros in 2030. A roadblock on the way to this goal however is the proliferation of fake Italian food products. The agricultural association notes that exports could triple if international food counterfeiting, which causes economic and product image damage, were stopped. Estimates suggest the value of false Made in Italy agri-food products in the world is now 120 billion euros, with the United States acknowledged as the country where fake Italian products record the highest turnover, taking away space and value in the market from true Italian items. Italian food imitations in the USA have come to represent over 40 billion euros. This is a significant issue for cheese, with 90% of 16 Á16 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Italian-style cheeses in the USA, according to Filiera Italia and Coldiretti, actually being made in Wisconsin, California, and New York, from Parmesan to Gorgonzola. The imitation cheeses reached a record quantity of more than 2.7 billion kilos in the USA in 2022, with major growth in the last 30 years, even exceeding the production of American cheeses like Cheddar and Monterey Jack which amounted to 2.5 million kilos in the same year. The issue spreads out over all product categories, though, whether it be cured meats such as from Parma and San Daniele, Pompeian oil, or preserves such as the San Marzano tomato. A global problem has been created of ‘Italian sounding’ foodstuffs that use names, images, and geographical indications from the country while not Italian made, with estimates that over two in three Italian agri-food products are fake without any link to production and employment in the country. It sees the Italian brand exploited, often without meeting its quality standards, and competition created. A recent example of this, causing uproar, came with the reporting of a sliced mozzarella cheese produced in Austria by a Chinese company wrapped in packaging with images of a gondola, the Rialto Bridge and the leaning Tower of Pisa. Methods to help fight fraud are being developed including microchips in Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - with the fake market for this item worth around $2 billion, according to The Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium. Luigi Scordamaglia, CEO of Filiera Italia, said: “All over the world we grow thanks to the distinctiveness of our products which are the result of territories but also of an inimitable ancient culture. Falsifying them, distorting the recipes, changing the ingredients means destroying what makes our lifestyle, of which food culture is an essential part unique in the world.” While Italy, protectionist of its food and drink, looks to overcome counterfeiting, it has seen some small wins this year for expanding the exports of certain products. Italian pear exports to China have been given the go-ahead, for example, following favourable inspections by Chinese authorities in compliance with guidelines set by the Italy-China Government Committee. It opens up a significant market for the Italian agricultural sector, after extensive negotiations initiated in 2017. The agreement is only more important following damage to the Italian pear sector, most recently by floods. Further regarding China, 12 Italian beef factories were approved earlier in the year by the Chinese customs authorities, presenting access to a market dominated by Brazil and Australia. Another boon has seen a seven year process culminate in U.S. federal authorities officially designating Tuscany as free from swine vesicular disease, allowing the entry of Food & Drink International 17 www.fdiforum.net IMPORT AND EXPORT Finocchiona, with 250 tons per year expected to be delivered, equal to 13% of current production, says the Consortium for the Protection of Finocchiona PGI. Meanwhile there are encouraging signs of Japan granting access to Italian kiwifruit. While already well-known and served worldwide, Italian agencies continue the promotion and protection of the country’s food and drink, from recent pushes to raise the profile of nuts and flour, to the annual Week of Italian Cuisine hosting over 1,500 events in 100 countries, to attendance at trade shows. There remains much untapped potential, to maintain and further the fame of Italian cuisine. D Davies Turner © stock.adobe.com/MAURO18 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net END OF YEAR SUCCESS STORIES Few can look at 2023 and say it’s been an easy ride. Geopolitics, environmental change and inflation have all conspired to make this year almost as turbulent as during the pandemic, and yet the food and drink industry has risen admirably to the challenge. I t’s been a turbulent year for the food and drink industry, and much of it has been driven by inflation rising in key markets around the world. As the cost of living rises for many nations and governments scramble to fix their economies, knock-on effects on the food and drink industry have pushed many brands to focus on consolidation over innovation. Efforts to reduce prices to help consumers with the cost of living have hampered expansion for some, but others have managed to ride the turbulent waves to stronger positions, while the majority have focused on trucking on and waiting for the market to stabilise. With inflation falling across many large economies, it seems that the recovery might be soon as well. While inflation is expected to stabilise at some point in 2024, it’s predicted that the food and drink market won’t return to “normal” until 2025. That said, there may still be opportunities for growth in the year ahead, and let’s not forget about the successes of the year that has just passed us by. Though it has been over a year now since the lockdown and the pandemic, the industry continued to face challenges coming about as a result of A year of challenging success Food & Drink International 19 www.fdiforum.net END OF YEAR SUCCESS STORIES © stock.adobe.com/Simone it – especially in issues of recruitment. Employees used to a new working from home culture suddenly felt they didn’t want to return to offices, and factories hiring hundreds of people suddenly had to grapple with recruitment issues and also a lack of experience and training. Though the cause of this may have been in the past, the rippling effects continued throughout 2023. Food security has been a major factor (as well as scarcity) as a result of geopolitical conditions and changing weather patterns coming about as a result of environmental changes. Conditions in Ukraine have impacted the export of many goods that the EU took for granted for instance, and further international upheaval in Israel and Palestine aren’t helping matters. As the world is rocked by the conditions there, food manufacturers have scrambled to deal with their own problems surrounding food security, and there have been noticeable problems. Earlier in the year, the UK dealt with issues surrounding a lack of certain seasonal fruits and vegetables on their shelves due to unusual weather patterns in North Africa, while many seafood companies have been forced to issue warnings over unsustainable fishing between the UK, Norway and other member states, saying that they may refuse to purchase fish unless steps are taken to form an agreement over over-fishing and exploitation of mackerel. The ability for manufacturers and wholesalers to put food on the shelves has become a political consideration as much as it has one of the supply chain, too. The UK government, for instance, was harshly criticised for taking a “leisurely approach” when it comes to keeping food on supermarket shelves, 20 ÁNext >