My trip to Sweden
NOVA NEWS:
We are now ready with a new editon of NovaNews and we hope you find the articles interesting.
You can read about the market situation, exhibitions coming up, new products and case stories, and not least - please welcome our new colleague in Germany: Sebastian Hirschfeld.
A Tuesday at Novadan and a Wednesday in Sweden.
After an exciting Tuesday in Kolding where we were presented new measuring equipment that simplifies daily tasks in both R&D and Sales Departments while improving the documentation of future tests, I had a meeting with our new colleague, Sebastian. Later, I hit the road at around 5:00 pm, heading for a hotel in Vaggeryd, Småland, Sweden.
The drive turned out to be pleasant, with sunny weather across Funen and Zealand, and it was made even better by phone conversations with colleagues.
The reason for my journey to Vaggeryd was that Anders and I were invited to the opening of Svensk Retursystem’s newest washing plant — a customer we have been collaborating with for 15 years.
Over the years, Svensk Retursystem and Novadan have grown together When our partnership began, Novadan was cleaning 120 million of Svensk Retursystem’s boxes annually. Today, that number has doubled.
If you have any ”stories/experiences with Novadan products” from your country that could be of interest to our other partners/ distributors, please share it with us by emailing details (and images) to hoy@novadan.dk
Or if you are anxious to know more about some topics, which you would like us to write about - again please contact hoy@novadan.dk
During this time, three new facilities have been inaugurated, replacing older ones. We’ve taught them how to remove labels from the boxes and ensure they are always clean. The red machines, which are part of a Vision system, sort out unclean or defective boxes. Novadan played a key role in enabling Svensk Retursystem to implement the Vision system 10 years ago.
Our ongoing challenge is to keep up with the increasing number of labels on the boxes and the many different types of glue.
by
Svensk Retursystem is a customer I’m incredibly proud to work with, and both Anders and Søren Kragh do invaluable work daily to service this client. It was a good day and a significant milestone on our journey together.
The day ended with a long drive back home to Holstebro. I arrived at 8:30 PM, having indulged in some Swedish candy from Godisflyget in Skåne—slowly disappearing as my Volkswagen devoured the kilometers.
This video shows the cleaning process for boxes.
Jens Ole Jennsen Sales Manager Food
by Jens Bramsen Sales Director
Market Update
An update of the raw material situation and expectations for Q3, 2024.
We are now in the third quarter and well past the summer holiday period.
The availability of raw materials is satisfactory, and the supply chain remains intact globally. Earlier this summer, there was some disruption regarding shipments from Asia due to altered shipping routes to Europe.
Price-wise, we remain at a higher level than in the past, which increasingly seems to be the new norm. Raw material prices have been stable and are approximately the same month after month. Increased production costs for manufacturers, rising wages, and general inflation have made raw materials more expensive than they were 3-4 years ago.
The outlook for the rest of 2024 is expected to be stabilizing in terms of raw material prices and supply. We anticipate that the market in Q3 and Q4 will resemble what we have seen in the first half of 2024. However, as learned from previous periods (especially 2022), it is always important to stay aware about developments and how quickly circumstances can change.
How does it look right now – and for Q3, 2024?
• There is a normal inflow of raw materials, indicating a stable raw material market.
• Inflation rates in some markets are generally higher (~3%) than usual, including wage increases.
• The construction industry in Europe is under pressure, with reduced building activity. This may affect chemical prices, as decreasing demand leads some producers to halt production and undertake maintenance projects at their facilities.
• The energy situation in Europe is much more controlled than in previous years. However, rising oil prices could still lead to more expensive raw materials in the second half of the year.
• Ongoing conflicts within and outside Europe will continue to create instability and uncertainty in the markets, potentially impacting the supply and prices of raw materials (e.g., raw material shipments from Asia having to navigate around Africa).
This curve is an illustration of the development of our 50 largest raw materials in Novadan (only chemicals). As shown, we have logged the figures since Q1 2014 and until now. The graph illustrates the turbulence of the raw materials in 2022.
Who is Sebastian (Hirschfeld)?
“Moin zusammen!”
, a greeting used in Germanys north, meaning something like “Hello all together”.
Being located in the middle of Berlin and Hanover in Germany, I’m Sebastian (Hirschfeld), the newest guy inside Novadan’s sales team and responsible for the German food market.
My background from university as studied food chemist as well as previous stages in sales positions help me understand what our partners and customers need to be more successful in cleaning. If you do not need to worry about your cleaning results, you can concentrate on other important areas – that’s what we as Novadan want to deliver to our German customers.
In the beginning we will on focus on Dairy sites, especially on filtration units. Because we know that we can make a difference and we are more than happy to prove. The other reason may be the fact that most Dairy sites focus heavily on production effectiveness and new recipes whereas cleaning may not be the top priority. That’s where we can add the most benefit for the customer.
Last but not least, I’m a family father of two adorable girls, one in pre-school and one in fourth grade. With three blond girls at home, I wanted some support and so we got two years ago a male German Shepherd, who keeps us in motion the remaining time.
Thanks to all colleagues in Novadan for the warm welcome and if you run a Dairy site and wish to get the most out of your cleaning, now you know who to get in touch with…
FoodTech exhibition in Denmark
- an international exhition for the food processing industry
FoodTech has presented the food industry over the recent 25 years and is the largest food technology trade fair in the Nordic region. Novadan is present on a stand again in 2024 and we would be happy to see you! If you consider to visit the exhibition, please feel free to use the invitation code on the invitations to the right. Click on them to read more.
It is a very important exhibition for us as this is where we meet lots of customers, potential customer and not least, talk to a lot of people, do a lot of networking and get a chance to be updated on trends in the food processing industry.
October 1.-3., 2024
We are in hall M on stand 9810 - hope to see you!
Danish
English
Teat disinfectants based on lactic acid from Novadan
For many years, Novadan has produced and sold lactic acidbased udder hygiene products and disinfectants.
We have successfully sold these products in almost half of the EU countries, supported by national registrations that legally authorized their sale. However, in recent years, we have been limited in offering these well-tested and popular products across the rest of the EU due to the absence of necessary registrations.
Similar to our previous success with gaining EU Biocidal Products Regulation approval for iodine-based udder products, we have been working diligently over the past six years to secure EU approval for our lactic acid-based products.
We are thrilled to announce that we expect to receive this approval soon. We do not yet have an exact date, but the Union authorisation is expected to be granted by the end of September 2024.
The products are named NOVA LA SPRAY, NOVA FD, VIRI TE SPRAY, VIRI TE DIP, and VIRI BARRIERE DIP. They come in red/orange, green, and white. Enjoy the images of these products :-).
by Hans Erik Nielsen Market Manager, Agriculture
Tine Lykke Thomsen International Regulatory Affairs Manager
NEW PRODUCTS
The most recent products developed by Novadan are:
CIP Box CA
A specialized product designed for cleaning cheese racks and molds. It is particularly effective for washing materials where a slippery finish is desired. Although it is comparable to CIP Box LP, its’ composition is notably different, as it is free of phosphates. The key ingredient, citric acid, offers a significantly better environmental profile compared to phosphoric acid. The recommended dosage for CIP Box CA is 3-4%, which is standard for citric acid-based products.
CIP Box HH.
Many customers face challenges with glue and labels on their boxes. Novadan is a leader in this area, and this new product represents a significant advancement in the market. We have focused on maximizing the dissolution of glue and paper, as well as optimizing anti-foaming properties to manage the proteins released when glue dissolves. This product is exceptional in its performance, setting a new standard. While it is more expensive than CIP Box LR, it offers an excellent operating cost profile by significantly reducing the need for re-washes and decreasing the consumption of anti-foaming agents.
Please contact Novadan to hear more about the new products and how to use them.
by Jens Ole Jennsen Sales Manager Food
by Annette Høy Marketing Manager
EuroTier 2024! - we hope to see you!
From November 12.-15., the EuroTier exhibition in Hanover, Germany is – once again – opening the door for innovations, products, and services for the breeding and keeping of farm animals. The focus is on cattle, pig, poultry, and aqua culture.
Novadan is present in hall 23, at stand A03 and our consultants from our agro team are looking forward to presenting hygiene solutions for the farm industry.
INVITATION
We would like to invite you to the exhibition - let us know if you are planning a visit. We offer a voucher code that gives you free access to the fair.
This is how it looked when we were at EuroTier in 2022
The Importance of Choosing the Right Product: A Real Life Story.
In December 2021, we unfortunately lost one of our long-standing customers in Denmark. The reason for losing the customer was a competitive bidding process they initiated after a period during which we struggled to maintain delivery stability due to the supply crisis. As a consequence, we were forced to use alternative formulations for their primary product, Cip Alka 139 - which yielded unsatisfactory results.
The customer ultimately decided to switch to a competitor, signing a deal with them. We lost the account due to both the instability in our deliveries and pricing issues.
At Novadan, we remained focused on the situation. In response to the supply crisis, we launched a development project to create a substitute product with a different formulation. In 2022, this led to the development of Cip Box LR.
By the end of 2023, we successfully conducted a test of Cip Box LR with our previous customer. By that time, we had already recognized that the new product outperformed our previous formulation, Cip Alka 139, particularly in addressing the challenge of removing glue and label residues.
What we hadn’t realized was that our competitor had failed to solve this challenge, which led to a buildup of
by Jens Ole Jensen
paper and glue residues in the machine. This accumulation was so severe that the machine’s pumps, nozzles, and heaters were damaged, resulting in high repair and replacement costs.
Despite our competitor’s insistence that the problems were unrelated to their chemicals, our product has now been in use for almost a year with excellent results. The machine is running smoothly, the cleaning performance is outstanding, and there are no longer any issues with glue or paper buildup.
The machine in question is a large box washing system from Brüel Systems.
The Production Manager stated: “We recognized the significant differences in detergent formulations and the critical importance of selecting the appropriate solution. It is essential for us to partner with a supplier who not only provides the right products but also possesses comprehensive knowledge of the entire washing process. We value a supplier who can offer expert advice, particularly regarding the cleaning of our boxes. The cleaning chemicals must effectively clean the boxes while also maintaining the cleanliness of our washing facility.”
Be aware: Closing days
Christmas 2024
Closing days are the following:
December 23., 2024 to Janary 1., 2025 (both days included)
….. As always, remember to order well in advance before the Christmas period. We recommend to place your orders before the 15th of November, to ensure deliveries in December and before Christmas / New Year.
