Up and coming trends in packaging Stable temperatures Delivering freshness, quality, and customer satisfaction Up and coming trends in packaging Stable temperatures Delivering freshness, quality, and customer satisfaction INTERNATIONALOur experienced team supplies rubber and many other polymer products into a range of markets in the UK including food, pharmaceuticals, locomotive, quarries and mines, bulk processing, engineering, utilities, construction, chemical and many more. T 0115 985 2300 E sales@tennantrubber.co.uk W www.tennantrubber.co.uk Tennant RUBBER Tennant Rubber Ltd is a family run business with over 50 years of experience in the Rubber Industry. 50 + YEARS From gaskets to fasteners, we offer a large selection of rubber and polymer products to suit almost any requirement. With both off-the-shelf and custom solutions, our products are specially designed for use in a wide range of industries, from pharmaceuticals to engineering. • GASKETS • STRIP • FABRICATIONS • MOULDING & EXTRUSION • HOSE • HOSE ASSEMBLIES • TUBING • DUCTING • FITTINGS & FASTENERS • SHEET & MATTING • ENGINEERING MATERIAL • ROLLER COVERINGGroup 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) • Kerry Randerson (k.randerson@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305 • Email: fdi@blmgroup.co.uk • Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310302 Accounts & Subscriptions: John Downes (j.downes@blmgroup.co.uk) Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson (studio@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. Processing4 Perfect efficiency may be an impossible dream, but settling for less than the best can be much more damaging. The automation industry is fast adapting, but not everyone is so quick on the adoption of it. Packaging8 We explore the current trends in the food packaging space and what pitfalls producers should look out for. Temperature control 14 The role of temperature control in the food supply chain is utilised right across the life cycle of almost any food and drink product. Health and safety 20 Food and Drink International explores how to establish effective cleaning procedures, prevent cross- contamination, and prioritise food storage for optimal safety and hygiene. NPD24 AI technology will have a transformative effect on the way we develop new products, but will it all be for good? Supply chain28 From temperature-controlled transportation to efficient inventory management, logistics operators can optimise their strategies to deliver fresh, high quality products whilst meeting increasing demand. Facilities management32 Facilities management has changed over the years as ever more challenging conditions force companies to try and squeeze more out of less, and make the most of what they have rather than invest in more. Events and shows36 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world. Contents 8 14 4 FoodandDrinkInternational @fdiforumwww.fdiforum.net company/fdiforum Cover photo courtesy of: stock.adobe.com/fortyforksPerfect efficiency may be an impossible dream, but settling for less than the best can be much more damaging. The automation industry is fast adapting, but not everyone is so quick on the adoption of it. www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 4 E nvironmental pressures over the last decade have done much to shape the food and drink industry. The pandemic fundamentally changed the way business was done in many countries, and the two areas that it most influenced food were in the supply chain with difficulties getting foodstuffs to stores on time, and in factories – where labour shortages warred with hygiene requirements and staff off sick. While automation was always a factor in food and drink manufacturing, it was often seen as an expensive alternative to staff, but the lockdown showed the industry just how flawed that thinking was. Now, the processing and automation industry is taking over. Labour and staffing were difficult during the pandemic and the task hasn’t gotten any easier now. We, and many others, have advocated automation as a means to reduce the industry’s reliance on a heavy workforce for many years. Some, especially UK companies, were slow to adapt and invest in robotics, and sure Chasing maximum efficiency Perfect efficiency may be an impossible dream, but settling for less than the best can be much more damaging. The automation industry is fast adapting, but not everyone is so quick on the adoption of it. Chasing maximum efficiency www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 5 © stock.adobe.com/ctrl+s photo enough those companies are struggling now with the Great Resignation. Investment in automation and touch-free processing is on the rise, and not just because it eases reliance on staff. The more a processing line avoids the human element, the more hygienic it can become. Being able to process goods faster, more accurately and without the risk of contamination ought to be reason enough for further investment, but if necessity is the only way to push change, then the shifting economic conditions across Europe will certainly do that anyway. Packaging is the most common area of manufacturing in which to find automation. A consistent and sterile environment needs to be maintained to preserve the safety of consumable products. Packaging machinery is easy to clean and lessens the chance of product contamination from unscrupulous handler hygiene practices. Furthermore, there is less down time from cleaning machinery, than from continual 6 Áwww.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 6 hand washing. Automating solutions are varied, with the most common in packaging being can sealing, pouch making, and pick up and drop off robots. Raw food items need to be handled carefully, as they are more prone to spoiling and contamination. Automatic raw food packing is available, which use paper or polythene as primary packaging (the materials that come in direct contact with the product). This does not react with the raw items, is cost-effective, and relatively easy to implement as raw foods tend to be processed separately, so installation can be achieved without affecting all products. These processes also reduce employee injury. For example, meat products need to be cut with sharp knives. Using cutting and packaging machines reduces the likelihood of injury due to sharp objects. They also provide a cleaner cut, thus giving a clean and appealing look to the meat product. Having items automatically packaged means that product output will be consistent. This means that no human error is involved, which could cause some packaging to be less secure than others. This increases the risk of the product inside spoiling or being damaged in the transportation and shelving process. Not only does this impact consumer enjoyment of the product, but companies can also literally lose millions in product wastage. On the subject of making best use of automation to limit wastage, it’s worth keeping in mind the age and reliability of any good piece of processing equipment. While manufacturers can make tools capable of lasting ten, twenty or thirty years, that doesn’t mean they should be used for that length of time. Technology is ever-expanding, and businesses compete not only against one another but against themselves. The same brand and same product may release a machine three times as efficient as one they release ten years prior and taking the attitude of wanting to “get the most out of your equipment” before buying new can be © stock.adobe.com/Sergey Ryzhovwww.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 7 self-defeating. A McKinsey report found that the average food processing plant is more than two decades old. With the continuing market proliferation of smart technologies, companies risk making themselves obsolete. Investing in machinery and equipment that can deliver cost savings will, of course, be a motivation alongside efficiency gains, but part of the criteria also needs to be environmental impact. Too many producers still rely on old machinery rather than investing in new or refurbished replacements. It’s a false economy and counterintuitive besides, yet worryingly commonplace in the UK, and in parts of Europe as well. In reality, the best adopters of automation appear to be in ASEAN countries, especially in China, where factories are capable of producing high quantities of good quality product at low prices, giving the country an economic edge over not only their neighbours, but a good portion of the world’s market. QUALITYIMPROVEMENTS CONSTANTONLINEMONITORING MoistureMeasurement inFoodProcessing MOISTURE MEASUREMENT &CONTROL CLOSEDLOOPPROCESS info@moisttech.com © stock.adobe.com/agnormarkwww.fdiforum.net PACKAGING 8 O ne trend we can, and should, all get behind is the rush to hop on board with sustainability. The key here is seeing this shift towards green thinking as much more than just a fad. More business operatives and owners are switching on to the fact that we can’t keep over-using materials that harm our planet – not if we want it to go on supporting our lives as we know them. On the customer end of business savvy, eighty-one per cent of people now look for sustainable attributes in the products they buy, including packaging. In many ways, we can’t afford not to become eco-warriors in our approach to business. When looking over your options between Up and coming trends in packaging We explore the current trends in the food packaging space and what pitfalls producers should look out for. 10 Á Up and coming trends in packaging www.fdiforum.net PACKAGING 9 © stock.adobe.com/etonastenkaNext >