A ‘perfect storm’ this Christmas?

A toxic combination of the current HGV driver shortage crisis, post-Brexit immigration rules, an unprecedented increase in demand for transport due to a change in shopping habits, and the recent ‘pingdemic’, is steering the industry towards a potential ‘perfect storm’ this Christmas, says Emma Verkaik, membership & marketing director of the BCMPA, the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics.

The requirement for fulfilment services continues to grow across a wide array of sectors, including clothing, electrical, personal care, healthcare, and entertainment, and whilst BCMPA members are coping well with it, it is proving to be much more difficult to guarantee delivery on time, or sometimes even at all. As one member commented: “90% of my problems today are based not on the operational side of getting the orders and boxes out of the door, but on deliveries; we work hard to provide efficient, reliable, quick turnaround of stock, only to find it misses the delivery window due to transport challenges.”

It is estimated by the Road Haulage Association that Britain is already short of around 60,000 lorry drivers. This deficit has been further increased by the effects of the recent ‘Pingdemic’, with remaining driving staff being forced to self-isolate (in the week to 21 July alone, the number of self-isolation alerts sent by the NHS Covid-19 app in England and Wales rose by 70,000 to a new record of 689,313). A recent demand to the government from the UK Warehousing Association for logistics staff to be exempted from the need for self-isolation if ‘pinged’ was an indication of how far reaching and disruptive the current ‘pingdemic’ is becoming.

The BCMPA has called on industry and government to extend the exemption from self-isolation to workers in the contract packing and fulfilment industry as the impact of these driver shortages has been felt in very real terms across the wider economy. BCMPA members fear that if a rapid, effective solution is not found, the expected further spike in demand for delivery services during retail events such as Black Friday and a post Covid Christmas could prove to be a tipping point, with empty shelves in store and patchy D2C delivery.

An undoubted further consequence of this shortage is that, in addition to the difficulties and delays experienced, costs will rise too, as large supermarket chains seek to secure their own deliveries by increasing drivers’ salaries. As an example, during July, Tesco began offering a £1,000 joining bonus for HGV lorry drivers, putting further pressure on hauliers’ costs as they attempt to retain or recruit drivers. This will inevitably lead to wage rises, costs which the industry will be unlikely to continue to be able to absorb, leading to higher on-shelf prices.

The deep-seated nature of the problem is making it difficult to see an easy – or quick – fix. Yet in many instances, a quick fix is imperative, due to the perishable, or time-dependent nature of some commodities and the enormous hole in supply.

A real sense exists amongst BCMPA members that, without fast, decisive, and wide-ranging action Christmas is in trouble, and government, industry and all interested parties need to act now to make sure it is not effectively cancelled.

New York Bakery Co. opts for Airstream over Winne-Bagel!

There’s not much for people to love about the M5 in the summer holidays, unless they are travelling south and stop off at Strensham South services, where they can now fill up on a selection of authentic, soft and chewy New York Bakery Co. bagels, and thanks to the shiny New York Bakery Co. Airstream, customers don’t even have to go inside to buy one.

“We know that many consumers will be opting for a staycation this year so we wanted to give them a break from traditional motorway service food with a choice of fresh, made-to-order bagels from a brand that they know and is guaranteed to give them an authentic taste experience,” said Becky Allan, out of home marketing manager.

“The Airstream is serving bagels to suit all tastes – try a bacon, omelette and cheese for breakfast, a smoked salmon, lemon and dill cream cheese for lunch, or a classic New York Deli for a late afternoon snack. And, of course, there are vegan options too with our New York deli or avocado, rocket and sriracha bagels.”

New York Bakery Co. bagels are inspired by the tastes and flavours found in the delis of New York, say the company, and there is a variety of different flavours and formats for foodservice operators to choose from including plain, topped, seeded, and flavoured varieties, all of which are free of artificial ingredients and flavours.

FareShare and Olio team up with Booker Wholesale to get food to people in need

Food redistribution charity FareShare and free sharing app Olio have partnered with wholesale operator Booker to provide much needed food to vulnerable people across the UK and to help reduce food waste. Booker is leading the way for wholesale organisations by being the fi rst to redistribute its surplus food directly to FareShare’s network of charities and community organisations and Olio’s Food Waste Heroes. Following a successful trial period with FareShare that launched in 11 of its branches and two distribution centres in January 2021, Booker will continue to roll out the food redistribution scheme across its branches nationwide. Through the FareShare Go programme, Booker sites are matched with charities and community groups in the local area that collect the items and turn that into food parcels or hot meals for the people they support. The programme is currently live in more than 100 Booker branches and together the three organisations have redistributed more than 250,000 meals worth of food.

Lindsay Boswell, chief executive at FareShare, said: “We are delighted to be working with Booker to help redistribute its surplus food to our network of charities. We received wonderful feedback from the teams that took part in the trial and we’re thrilled that we’re now able to support Booker to get even more food to people in need across the country.

“Demand for FareShare food has more than doubled since the start of the pandemic, and we are delivering upwards of two million meals per week to those in need, so this food is needed now more than ever.” Olio’s Food Waste Heroes will also be able to collect food directly from Booker, which will then be added to its app for people in the local area to collect. FareShare organisations will make the majority of collections from Booker sites, typically fi ve days out of the week, while Olio Food Waste Heroes are lined up to collect on days when charities can’t. FareShare and Olio are working closely together to ensure no good food from Booker is wasted.

Tessa Clarke, co-founder and CEO at Olio, said: “Working with Booker and FareShare on this project is really exciting. We’re incredibly grateful to both them and our Food Waste Heroes who will be collecting the surplus food and ensuring it reaches the local community. Schemes like this are instrumental in helping tackle food wastage across our communities so we are very proud to be involved.” Catherine Marston, sustainability manager at Booker said: “We are really pleased to be partnering with FareShare and Olio. Over the past year we have donated the equivalent of over six million meals to local charities and good causes and this will really help us build upon this success. “We are proud to be the only wholesaler to have achieved four Carbon Trust Standards in Carbon Emissions, Waste, Water and Zero Waste to Landfi ll, and are the only wholesaler to hold the Carbon Trust Standard for twelve years. We have got off to a tremendous start and the whole Booker team is looking forward rolling this out to our entire estate.”

Celebration’s rPET launch coincides with National Recycle Week

Celebration Packaging is exhibiting on stand G40 at this month’s lunch! event at ExCel in London from 23 to 24 September and is taking the opportunity to launch a new range of recyclable packaging products made from recycled PET plastic.

“It’s no coincidence that 20 to 26 September is also National Recycle Week and Celebration Packaging is proud to be launching these new recyclable foodservice packaging products which are currently made from up to 80% recycled post-consumer PET waste (rPET),” said Celebration Packaging managing director, Nick Burton. “By the end of this year, the new range will be manufactured using 100% rPET.

“These new rPET products, which will soon be made from 100% postconsumer waste, represent an important step towards creating a closed loop recycling system. In addition, products made from rPET use considerably less energy, and consequently have a much lower carbon footprint, compared to products made from virgin plastics.

“As a leading supplier within the foodservice sector, we understand the increasing pressures our customers face in endeavouring to operate in an environmentally friendly fashion. At Celebration Packaging, we constantly strive to monitor developments in the market to ensure that our ranges meet operational requirements while being manufactured from sustainable and renewable resources. Many people think this important focus on sustainability is something new and are then surprised to discover that we launched our EnviroWare® range over 14 years ago.”

The new rPET range is vast and available in multiple sizes to suit all applications. It includes the Oval, Rectangular and Round Families – high-clarity clear bowls with hinged lids which are ideal for presenting fresh salads and vegetables. The Premium Bowl and Diamond Bowl ranges are available in transparent or black, with matching tight-fi tting transparent lids, while Catering Trays are available in a variety of colours, each with transparent covers.

In addition to the bowl ranges, a wide range of cups with domed lids are also available. Other new products on show at lunch! include: EnviroWare® Leakproof Rectangular Bagasse Food Trays & Lids; EnviroWare® high quality smooth wooden cutlery, hygienically packed in plastic-free wrappers; and a new range of small, reusable, microwavable hinged-lid food containers.

New Luxifood™ sushi pack fr om Sharpak

Innovative packaging manufacturer, Sharpak, has unveiled a new premiumlook hybrid pack for sushi, designed with multiple benefi ts for food to go brands, retailers, consumers and importantly, the environment.

The Luxifood™ pack comprises an rPET lid and new novel cartonboard base, designed by the experts at Sharpak, to help ensures all moisture is retained and doesn’t leak or seep from the pack in store or transit, say the company.

Ideal for both grocery and food-togo retail destinations, Luxifood has been manufactured completely in-house by the company and incorporates numerous unique features that make this a best-in-class solution for brands and retailers seeking next generation packaging for their sushi ranges.

Chris Ford, sales director at Sharpak, said: “With the Luxifood hybrid range, we have created a pack that helps our customers tap into multiple consumer trends all at the same time. Demand for healthy snacks, unusual fl avours, premiumisation and sustainability are all high on the consumer agenda and it’s critical that they are able to deliver on all fronts.

“Luxifood makes it possible! The pack, both lid and tray, meet the OPRL guidelines for recyclability to support consumers’ at-home recycling eff orts and the black tray ensures sushi is presented at its best, with a premium appearance that until now has only been achievable using plastic.”

The cartonboard base is manufactured using a unique forming process that ensures it is leak-proof to optimise food hygiene, freshness and shelf-life. It utilises a lightweight, fully recyclable bio-polymer liner that is foodcontact approved and can be recycled without removing the liner post-use. Additionally, the board is FSC-certifi ed creating a tray that ticks all the boxes for innovation, product protection and preservation, and sustainability.

Luxifood includes a recyclable crystal clear rPET lid for outstanding on-shelf presentation and product visibility. The lid is manufactured from fully traceable Prevented Ocean Plastic and incorporates a minimum 30% post-consumer recyclate, meeting the recycled content threshold of the incoming UK Plastic Packaging Tax and further boosting the pack’s overall environmental credentials. For more information on the source of the sustainable plastic substrate, visit www.preventedoceanplastic.com.

The pack also uniquely incorporates a patented and secure eight-point ‘click-clack’ closure that is easy-touse and ensures a secure fastening between lid and tray. For the packer, it comes with pre-folded side panels for easy and speedy operations and is available in fi ve sizes, meaning the Luxifood range can accommodate both individual and sharing sized portions. Furthermore, packs can be opened and closed multiple times making it ideal for storing in the fridge and saving for later, minimising food waste in the home and avoiding use of plastics in the form of additional cling fi lms, point out Sharpak.

Topping off the host of benefi ts, the Luxifood tray can be printed inside and out, using four-colour print capabilities, to support brand requirements and provide a strong, attractive on-shelf presence.

STOP PRESS Ready for Natasha’s Law?

“Natasha’s Law comes into eff ect from 1 October 2021. This law was introduced as a direct result of the parents of teenager Natasha Ednan-Laperouse lobbying the UK government, after Natasha sadly died after suff ering an allergic reaction to unlisted ingredients within a pre-packed baguette. At the time, these foods did not legally require allergen labelling,” says Guy Boxall, senior sales manager UK DTM Print (www.dtmprint.eu/en).

“Natasha’s Law requires food businesses to provide more thorough labelling on food Pre-Packaged for Direct Sales (PPDS) to consumers. The Food Standards Agency’s (FSA) ambition is for the UK to be the best place in the world to be a hypersensitive consumer, and to help consumers make safe and wellinformed food choices. On average, two children per school class will have a food allergy and an estimated 10 people each year will die as a result of a food allergy incident, according to the Food Hypersensitivity Team within the FSA.

“The label information should include a full list of ingredients and allergens so as to protect people with allergies and give clear assurance that a food product is safe to eat. At DTM Print, we have created a solution ready to print labels for all types of PPDS foods. “Printing in full colour using the DTM CX86e Colour Tag Printer, the labels are very water-resistant, warm food counter and fridge resistant, with small legible text down to two point size if needed. The CX86e allows you to quickly and easily print your food labels on demand, and reduce wastage, thus helping your business and helping your customer to stay safe.”

Find out more about the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation at https:// www.narf.org.uk/natashaslaw

help consumers make safe and wellcreated a solution ready to print labels for all types of PPDS foods. “Printing in full colour using the DTM CX86e Colour Tag Printer, the