Food & Drink Manufacturing UK - January & December 2025

Editor Paul Attwood editor@fdm-uk.co.uk

Editorial Assistant Sophie Weir editorial@fdm-uk.co.uk

Features Editor

Henry Peters editorial@fdm-uk.co.uk

Production/Design

Laura Whitehead laura@lapthornmedia.co.uk

Sales Manager Holly Jones sales@fdm-uk.co.uk

Publishing Director

Maria Lapthorn maria@lapthornmedia.co.uk

Lapthorn Media Ltd 5-7 Ozengell Place, Eurokent Business Park, Ramsgate, Kent, CT12 6PB

Interview with Dr. Che Connon: Growing the Lab-Grown Meat Industry at COP 29

A holistic vision of truly sustainable packaging, by Thomas Stone IFE Manufacturing returns for the food & drink manufacturing community in 2025 Versatile learning options in KHS Campus Outsourcing Sector Supports UK Frozen Food Boom

Editors Note

Welcome to the latest issue of Food & Drink Manufacturing UK Magazine.

We hope all our readers and subscribers had an enjoyable and peaceful festive period.

In our first issue of the New Year, we have previews for Packaging Innovations & Empack at the Birmingham NEC on 12-13th February, Sustainable Foods 2025 at the Business Design Centre, London on 28-29th January, our first media partnership of 2025 and IFE Manufacturing Exhibition as part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week at Excel, London on 17-19th March. As always, the shows will provide excellent opportunities to explore new innovations and cutting-edge technology as well as networking directly with market leaders.

We hope you enjoy this issue and as always, if you have any news that you would like to feature, please email details to editorial@fdm-uk.co.uk.

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Paul Attwood Editor

Halal Meat Processor Halves Costs with Inline Metal Detection

To keep pace with growing production volumes, Solmaz Foods deploys several high-performance packaging and inspection machines. Its fourth addition of an in-line Fortress Stealth pipeline metal detector provides even further food safety assurance, while simultaneously reducing labour, processing and product waste costs by an estimated 50 percent.

Rapid expansion and ever-increasing sales volumes led to the addition of an in-line pipeline metal detector to inspect meat before it is packaged. Double inspections equal double reassurance that contaminants are not going undetected and undermining the company’s strong food safety values.

Aside from improved food safety upstream, adding the Stealth pipeline has reduced costs across the board

Major Supermarkets on course to renege on their commitment to go ‘cage-free’ by 2025

In 2016, a petition by 14-yearold Lucy Gavaghan calling for supermarket giants to stop selling eggs from caged hens attracted over 280,000 signatures. The impressive campaign generated enough traction, and subsequent publicity, to see all major UK supermarkets commit to going cage-free by 2025.

In early 2024 Aldi joined Marks and Spencer, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s,

through labour, time savings, and risk reduction.

With this robust food safety foundation in place, the halal meat processor describes its metal detectors as essential equipment. The Fortress team not only showed Solmaz processing staff how to operate the equipment, but explained how the machines can best be used in specific detection scenarios during production.

Co-op and Morrisons in becoming the latest retailer to make the change and stop selling caged hens’ eggs.

However, over eight years on from making this commitment it would appear several retailers are on schedule to break their pledge.

Former CEO of the British Free Range Egg Producers Association, Robert Gooch, suggested that the failure in delivering their commitment was attributable to the “lack of retail commitments in contracts to producers to invest in barn production”. However, even with Barn Egg production systems, hens have no access to the outdoors nor any natural daylight.

While Tesco maintains it is on track to meet its 2025 commitment, research indicates it will be an enormous challenge for the remaining retailers (Lidl, Asda, and Iceland), who are still selling eggs from caged hens, to meet their 2025 deadline.

GNT Ventures seeks cooperations with start-ups to shape tomorrow’s colour innovations

EXBERRY® colour supplier

GNT has officially launched an independent investment firm to accelerate innovation and boost sustainability at every stage of the value chain as part of their long-term strategy to reshape the plantbased colour landscape with innovative new products.

Its focus is on four key areas: raw materials and fermentation, processing, food ingredients, and upcycling.

GNT Ventures has executed some investments, including the recently announced partnership with Plume Biotechnology to create new plant-based EXBERRY® colour solutions using unique fermentation technologies.

The firm is now aiming to significantly step up its investment activity and is actively seeking out new collaborations with further start-ups worldwide to bring cutting-edge ideas to life.

GNT can provide comprehensive financial support, testing and optimisation processes via their state-of-the-art food grade pilot plant, and research, development, and processing expertise.

With a vision to pioneer truly natural colours from fruit, vegetables, and plants, GNT has a commitment to creating plantbased, sustainable ingredients.

EU Launches ‘More

Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign for UK food industry

The EU has launched a dedicated communication campaign to champion the outstanding qualities of European food and beverage products to UK food industry professionals – highlighting the continent’s food safety, quality, authenticity and sustainability credentials.

The ‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ campaign has been devised to further strengthen awareness and appreciation among UK food businesses of the key characteristics that make EU food and beverage products stand out from other markets. The awareness drive will focus specifically on six product categories including processed meat: charcuterie, salami, hams, sausages; fresh meat: poultry (including duck/

The campaign will also seek to improve the recognition and understanding of EU food quality labels...

goose) beef, pork, lamb; dairy and cheese; fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables; bakery products and confectionery and wine, spirits and beers.

A team of specialist UK advisors, who are experts in each category, have been recruited to support the campaign messaging, promote the standards, regulations and tracking in place to protect food safety, food quality, animal welfare and the environment.

The campaign will also seek to improve the recognition and understanding of EU food quality labels such as Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI), EU Organic.

‘More Than Only Food and Drink’ will invite UK food industry professionals to explore the world of EU food and beverage through a series of engaging events, informative seminars, and interactive experiences.

OPTIMASS series – Coriolis mass flowmeters with Bluetooth® communication

• The outstanding features of OPTIMASS flowmeters such as continuous operation even with entrained gas of up to 100%, have now been extended by easy wireless operation

Interview with Dr. Che Connon Interview

Growing the Lab-Grown Meat Industry at COP 29

Dr. Che Connon, Managing Director of BSF Enterprise and CEO of 3D Bio Tissues, is transforming the food manufacturing industry with patented tissue engineering innovations like the serum-free CityMix cell booster. Her work enables the production of sustainable, scaffold-free cultivated meat with natural structure, driving ethical and environmental advancements in food production.

We spoke to Dr. Connon about how BSF Enterprise’s work aligns with COP 29’s goals by reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint, the science behind City-Mix, and the opportunities and challenges in scaling lab-grown meat and leather for mainstream markets.

How do you see BSF Enterprise’s work with lab-grown meat and leather aligning with the goals of COP 29, particularly in terms of environmental sustainability and reducing the global carbon footprint of food production?

BSF Enterprise’s work with lab-grown meat and leather directly aligns with the sustainability objectives of COP 29 by addressing critical environmental

City-Mix is a patented, serumfree cell booster that serves as a critical innovation in the cultivated meat industry.

challenges tied to traditional agriculture practices. Conventional livestock farming is responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water use, and biodiversity loss.

The use of cultivated meat can help to eliminate the slaughter of 70 billion farm animals a year and the suffering of 47 billion factory-farmed animals. It would reduce greenhouse gases used in meat production by 96%, reduce land used in meat production by 99% and water by 96%, while also reducing energy usage by up to 45%. Not to mention greatly reducing antibiotic

resistance and the deforestation needed for livestock agriculture.

Lab-grown meat offers a scalable solution to reduce these impacts, enabling the production of high-quality protein without the environmental toll of raising animals. Similarly, labgrown leather eliminates the need for cattle farming and the tanning process, which is notorious for its chemical pollution and water consumption. Labgrown alternatives could significantly reduce methane emissions, which are disproportionately high from livestock farming. BSF’s innovations align with COP 29’s goals to drive global carbon footprint reductions and promote sustainable resource use, highlighting how cutting-edge biotechnology can help meet international climate targets.

Could you explain the science behind City-Mix and how this patented, serum-free cell booster is revolutionising the production of cultivated meat? How does this advancement address some of the cost and efficiency barriers in largescale production?

City-Mix is a patented, serum-free cell booster that serves as a critical

innovation in the cultivated meat industry. Traditional cell culture relies on fetal bovine serum (FBS) as a growth medium, which is not only ethically controversial but also costprohibitive and unsustainable for large-scale production. City-Mix when used with defined growth factors replaces FBS to produce a media designed to optimise cell growth and differentiation without relying on animal-derived components whilst significantly reducing the amount of replacement growth factors required bringing down the overall cost.

Within tissue engineering, use of City Mix use serum-free and animal-free cell boosters can stimulate cells to produce structural elements that can eliminate the requirement of conventional plantbased scaffolds, blends or fillers – as have been universally adopted by the industry to date to make lowquality plant-based alternatives – to ensure the structural integrity of cultivated meat products that can create high-quality tasting products such as steaks that resemble the same texture as traditional farming methods. The cell-booster products when used within media facilitate macromolecular crowding in culture, which creates pockets of higher concentration of soluble growth factors, improves enzyme kinetics and provides cells with a native-like biophysical and biochemical environment.

These media additives have been shown to increase cell proliferation rates and production yield in meat production. They also reduce the need for expensive and environmentally damaging recombinant growth factors

and proteins while simultaneously facilitating tissue production via extracellular matrix establishment and eliminating the need for serum without inhibiting cell growth. All of these can reduce a company’s media costs by up 75%.

You’ve mentioned that cultivated pork products developed by BSF are believed to be world-first in terms of being 100% meat. How do you envision working with food and beverage manufacturers to bring these products to market, and what challenges do you anticipate in the commercial manufacturing process?

BSF’s cultivated pork products represent a major milestone as a worldfirst in being 100% meat, achieved without plant-based additives or

The current approach within the market to achieve this has been a transition toward a white-label model, providing a cost-effective and scalable source of media additives to individual manufacturers, allowing them to integrate and scale the technology through their product design process.

This model can significantly reduce costs of production, packaging and shipment, ensuring that the large volumes required by the cultivated meat companies can be guaranteed.

scaffolds. Collaborating with food and beverage manufacturers will be crucial for integrating these products into consumer markets.

Partnerships could involve cobranding, product co-development, and leveraging established distribution channels to scale market entry efficiently.

Key challenges in the commercial manufacturing process include regulatory approval, which varies by region and requires rigorous safety and labelling assessments. Scaling up production from pilot facilities to largescale operations while maintaining cost efficiency and product consistency is another hurdle. Public perception also plays a role; manufacturers must educate consumers about the safety, environmental benefits, and ethical aspects of lab-grown meat to build trust and drive adoption.

Texture and mouthfeel are critical to consumer acceptance of lab-grown meat. How does BSF’s scaffold-free approach create a more natural texture in cultivated meat, and how does it compare to conventional plant-based or scaffolded lab-grown alternatives?

BSF’s scaffold-free approach to cultivated meat production eliminates the need for plant-based structure to shape the meat, resulting in a more

natural texture that mimics traditional and structural cuts from normal farming processes. In this method, cells grow and differentiate naturally, forming tissue-like structures that closely resemble conventional meat. This approach avoids the potential issues of plant-based scaffolds, which may introduce environmentally damaging recombinant growth factors and proteins that can also compromise the meat’s structural integrity.

In comparison to scaffolded lab-grown alternatives, BSF’s method reduces complexity and cost, as no additional materials are needed to create the tissue framework. It also provides a more realistic texture and mouthfeel than plant-based meat, which often struggles to replicate the fibrous and juicy qualities of real meat. This innovation is pivotal for consumer

acceptance, as texture and taste are top priorities for mainstream meat eaters considering alternatives.

From your perspective, what role can cultivate meat play in addressing issues like antibiotic resistance, deforestation, and animal welfare on a global scale? What support do you hope to see from governments and investors at COP 29 to help scale these solutions?

Lab grown meat has the potential to address several pressing global issues. Traditional livestock farming often relies on antibiotics, contributing to the rise of resistant bacteria. Lab grown meat eliminates this risk by bypassing the need for live animals altogether. Large-scale livestock farming is a leading cause of deforestation. By removing animals from the food production equation, cultivated meat eliminates ethical concerns associated with factory farming and slaughter.

To help scale these solutions, BSF hopes to see governments provide subsidies for research and infrastructure. Policy support in the form of streamlined regulatory pathways and public education campaigns will also be essential. Investors could play a role by funding pilot projects and providing capital to scale production facilities.

Beyond cultivated meat, BSF Enterprise’s tissue engineering portfolio spans lab-grown leather, human corneas, and collagen growth. How might these diverse applications collectively transform the biotechnology sector, and are there any cross-industry innovations that could emerge from your ongoing research and development efforts?

These technologies showcase the versatility of cellular agriculture in potentially revolutionising and transforming multiple industries. Labgrown leather eliminates toxic tanning processes, creating sustainable, crueltyfree leather for fashion and automotive industries. Human Cornea can address global shortages of donor tissue, improving access to sight-restorative surgeries.

Breakthroughs in cell scaffolding for leather production might enhance structural solutions in medical applications. Similarly, cost-reduction strategies from cultivated meat could lower the financial barriers for other biotechnologies.

LaCimbali awarded “Europe’s Best Coffee Equipment Manufacturer” in the fully automatics category

LaCimbali has been awarded the prestigious “Europe’s Best Coffee Equipment Manufacturer” in the Fully Automatics category, presented by Coffee Ventures Europe at the European Coffee Symposium.

The event, taking place in Berlin, gathers the most significant players in the European coffee industry. This recognition celebrates Cimbali Group’s ongoing commitment to innovation and quality, further reinforcing its leading in the super-automatic coffee machine sector.

For nearly 60 years, Cimbali Group has been a pioneer in the super-automatic coffee machine industry. Since launching the iconic Cimbali Super Bar in 1969, the company has paved the way globally for a new category of coffee equipment, marked by innovative technological solutions. Cimbali Group’s unwavering dedication to cutting-edge design has cemented its reputation as a reliable partner in strategic markets, catering to high-profile clients such as major European and international chains.

Tom Allen to host the 2025 FPA Awards

The Foodservice Packaging Association (FPA) announced that renowned comedian and actor Tom Allen will be hosting the 2025 FPA Awards – the association’s annual event designed to celebrate excellence and innovation in foodservice packaging.

A regular to our TV screens – currently as the face of the Postcode Lottery adverts, host of The Apprentice, You’re Fired, and co-host of Cooking with the Stars – the 2025 Awards will provide FPA members and their guests with a rare opportunity to see Tom live.

The 2025 Exhibition and Awards will take place on Thursday 13 March at The Grand Hotel, Brighton. The following Award categories are now open to entries from FPA member companies:

The 2025 Exhibition and Awards will take place on Thursday 13 March at The Grand Hotel, Brighton.

• Product Innovation Award, (front and back of house), sponsored by Bidfood.

• Environment Sustainability Award, sponsored by Huhtamaki.

• Corporate Social Responsibility Award, sponsored by Essity.

• Foodservice Caterer Operator Award, sponsored by NCCO.

• Design Team Award, sponsored by Coveris.

• Marketing Campaign Award, sponsored by Amipak.

The criteria for each Award and online entry forms can be accessed via this link.

Brakes Wins Foodservice Operator of the Year at the Quality Food Awards

Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has won the prestigious Foodservice Operator of the Year at the Quality Food Awards (Q Awards).

The company also picked up ten product awards including two for its Birchstead range of meats, six for Sysco own label products and a Gold award for its Shredded

Mushroom Meat, which was also Highly Commended in the Foodservice Product of the Year category.

Paul Nieduszynski, CEO at Sysco GB, said: “As a business, we’ve made it clear that we will continue to innovate to lead our sector in delivering the products that customers want, and that help them create menus that stand out from the competition.”

Packaging

Keeping a lid on things

From sealing and securing to sprays, pumps and droppers for dispensing, caps and closures come in all shapes and sizes to fulfil a variety of functions.

Chief among those is preventing spillage and spoilage, although today’s caps and closures are far more sophisticated and functional. Whether taking a sip from a sports drink; precisely measuring out oils and vinegars; applying creams, lotions and potions; dispensing chemicals; or require a counterfeit prevention tool for industrial applications, there’s a cap/closure for that.

Flipped and clipped

Bericap (L72) offers a wide range of closure solutions that enable manufacturers and bottlers to ensure product integrity and content quality.

Berry Global (K42) has added the Pical Pouring Closure, a tamperevident pouring closure for edible

oils, dressings and sauces. This is designed to combine consumer convenience and functionality with sustainability enhancements that improve recyclability. A special tamper-evident tab drops inside the closure when the lid is opened for the first time.

Cambrian Packaging (M32) offers array of different closure types to suit a variety of bottles. These include tamper evident caps, IHS caps, flip tops, disc tops and screw caps. Child-resistant caps are available for more harmful substances.

These companies and products example a small selection of those to be exhibiting the latest in caps and closures at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025, which takes place 12 & 13 February next year at the NEC, Birmingham.

The event is free to attend and registration is now open.

Global Plastics Treaty

The international community is on the brink of signing the world’s first legally binding agreement addressing the complete life cycle of plastics. Supporters hope the reforms will fundamentally alter how we use and dispose of this hugely important material. However, according to Michael Laurier, CEO of Symphony Environmental, global players need to adopt a far more constructive approach than simply calling for bans.

“One of the mantras over past decades has been ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle’, but we still have plastic persisting in the open environment, so that policy needs an urgent rethink. You can improve design and waste management, but you cannot recycle, or include in a circular economy, plastic which has escaped into the open environment. The plastic needs to be made so that it will self-destruct if it escapes as litter, and we should be adding ‘Remove’ to the existing slogan. There is no policy provision for this except in the Middle East, where they have made oxo-biodegradability compulsory.”

Symphony’s D2W is a masterbatch which, when added to ordinary plastic at manufacture, converts it into biodegradable materials. Plastic made with D2W can still be reused and recycled, but it will biodegrade and disappear entirely in a much shorter time span, leaving no microplastics and harmful residues behind. It is not a “problematic” plastic –it is the only way to prevent plastic in the environment from accumulating there for decades.

Amcor brings more sustainable packaging to the bakery sector with a new recycle-ready solution

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging solutions, has announced the launch of its new AmPrima® Flowpack Pro solution for bakery products. This innovative mono-material

solution is recycle-ready and helps to overcome the bakery sector’s reliance on non-recyclable packaging. Notably, it is also the first recycle-ready flexible packaging solution with no EVOH and PVDC, available on the market for flatbread.

Previously, the bakery sector has relied on non-recyclable packaging, containing coatings such as PVDC, among others, to provide the oxygen barrier required for the storage of bakery products. Now bakery brands can achieve excellent sealing and barrier properties while reaping the

benefits of recycle-ready packaging and contributing to the circular economy.

This solution may also help brands minimize Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees and plastic taxes thanks to its lightweight design.

This innovative packaging is suitable for applications such as flatbread and packed pastry. The new solution was developed at the Amcor Flexibles site in Ledbury, UK, which is an Amcor centre of excellence for the development of packaging for the bakery sector.

This latest addition is part of the company’s wider AmPrima® range of recycle-ready solutions.

With its expansion into the bakery sector, Amcor continues to innovate packaging that makes no compromise between sustainability and performance.

Packaging

How packaging can navigate the loopholes and limits of the new HFSS advertising regulations

The packaging industry was already braced for a wave of change as various sustainability regulations are set to come into force in the coming years. But new regulations on junk food merchandising threaten to catch the industry offguard.

Governments imposing design regulations on the packaging of products in the name of public health is hardly new. In Japan, for example, juice beverage packaging can only carry an image of a realistic cut fruit if the product is 100% fruit juice, while any representation of the product on the packaging must be the actual size. Meanwhile, tobacco packaging has been strictly regulated across the European market for many years, with packs forbidden from containing recognisable branding of any kind.

Thankfully, the new restrictions are not quite as drastic as these examples. At present, there are no new rules that restrict specific design elements, colours, or imagery on in-scope HFSS packaging. However, some packaging designs will be affected by the ban on volume price promotions. This means packs can no longer carry messages that advertise ‘50% extra free’ – and the famous ‘BOGOF’ stickers and wraps will become a thing of the past.

POS display packaging has already been affected by restrictions around its placement, as in-scope products are not allowed to be situated at high-traffic locations around stores. This means

It is clear that the government’s plans have yet to provide the industry with the clarity that it needs.

packaging must be designed to make a high impact on-shelf, or it will be unable to make any impact at all.

While the legislation is significant in scope, there remain several large loopholes that the government may or may not choose to close. This is creating uncertainty for many in the food and packaging sector about exactly how their products intersect with the new regulations. For example, the line between brands and products is blurry when it comes to advertising. Brands that predominantly trade in HFSS can continue to advertise themselves, but specific products are restricted. It’s possible, then, that packaging could become the star of many TV and online advertisements for some of the biggest brands in the world. Nothing in the legislation specifies that depictions of product packaging are banned – just their contents.

This means differentiation and bold branding in packaging will become all the more important. Devoting more of the packaging to brand identity and storytelling – and crucially, ensuring all elements are bold enough to be immediately identifiable on-screen and on the shelf – may be a way brands can slip their products through this loophole in the ban.

There is also confusion around whether non-traditional forms of advertising, such as influencers and experiential marketing, fall into scope of the online advertising ban. And what about

influencers that enter the retail space and launch their own brands? Will they be able to feature product packaging in online content, which is not, technically speaking, a paid-for advertising slot?

Radio advertising being exempt from the ban also raises many questions. Will this see radio and audio ads become more valuable? And will packaging designs need to incorporate features that are easy to verbally describe to audiences? Or will the government step in to close this loophole entirely too?

It is clear that the government’s plans have yet to provide the industry with the clarity that it needs. Many loopholes remain, and many challenges lie ahead. This climate of increasing uncertainty means the industry has to balance these regulations with new sustainability obligations and rapidly evolving consumer preferences. And, as the opportunities for advertising and merchandising become more restricted, packaging’s role in this balancing act becomes all the more central to brand success.

No one knows what the answers will be. But we can say with certainty where it will be found – at Packaging Innovations & Empack, the packaging industry’s foremost trade show, at the Birmingham NEC this February. With a show floor packed with exhibitors, a schedule of talks and networking events, and thousands of visitors from across the global packaging industry, the event crackles with inspiration and shared insights. Register for a free ticket today.

Packaging’s sustainable future has to include plastic

While it makes sense to simplify discussions around packaging sustainability to some degree, at some point it becomes important to rip the plaster off and introduce some uncomfortably complex truths.

While unnecessary plastic use is a problem that needs to be resolved, plastic itself is not the villain it is often made out to be. There is simply no other packaging material on the planet that combines the low cost, light weight, durability, barrier performance, and sealability of plastic. This means that to adequately protect certain perishable products – such as soft fruits, dairy, or fresh meat – it may be necessary to use some amount of plastic. The alternative is an increase in product waste – especially food waste – throughout the supply chain. And, in the case of food waste, the emissions it develops dwarf those created by plastic waste.

It is important to remember packaging’s main role is to prevent waste by protecting and preserving its contents through the supply chain, not to generate waste itself. All of this means that replacing a plastic pack with an alternative that does not perform adequately through the supply chain can be counterintuitive.

While this means we may never achieve the complete elimination of plastic in packaging, our reliance on it is being gradually lessened by the development of new innovations. And there are many more aspects to ‘sustainability’ than plastic reduction. For example, it’s possible to reduce the overall amount of material used to make a pack by swapping a rigid design for a flexible pack. Flexible packaging inherently uses fewer materials than rigid formats and makes it easy to fit more products into a single shipping consignment to improve supply chain efficiency, reducing energy use and emissions.

In the category of flexible materials, there are many options for businesses looking to improve the sustainability

of their portfolios. Bioplastics, for example, use organic materials like cellulose that can be built into long polymer chains. These materials do not use fossil fuels and can sometimes be made to be compostable or biodegradable; helping to reduce the risk they will end up in landfill.

Monopolymers present another plastic-based option for businesses looking to improve sustainability across their portfolio. As polypropylene (PP) is increasingly accepted alongside polyethylene (PE) in mainstream UK recycling, businesses can make use of PP’s strong barrier performance – plus its excellent sealability – while still producing a flexible pack that can be recycled in today’s front-of-store recycling schemes.

For applications that require a higher oxygen barrier, it is possible to augment PP or PE with lamination and barrier technologies. However, this cannot come at the cost of compromised recyclability, or it defeats the point of investing in monopolymer packaging in the first place.

The same also applies to paper-based laminates, which use a flexible paperbased material combined with barrier coatings to create a functional pack. Again, paper-based packs must balance recyclability with barrier performance – a balancing act that is getting easier as new innovations and techniques are developed, but one that must be executed flawlessly nonetheless. While water-based barrier coatings have improved, meaning they are suitable for more applications than ever before, there are still some highly sensitive applications that require a more secure barrier against moisture and oxygen.

So, which of these materials is best? That depends entirely on their

application. There is no one-sizefits-all solution for every packaging application.

Each material has its own unique properties and can react differently when utilised in a packaging production process. This poses unexpected challenges depending on the application. For example, when tasked with creating a paper-based pouch for frozen seafood, we had to deal with a number of things –notably, creating a pack with barrier performance that prevented grease and aromas from leaking out of the pack without compromising its recyclability. However, the requirement to make the pack freezable meant it also had to deal with the problems caused by ice crystals.

As the pack moves through the cold chain, ice crystals naturally form and melt on its surface. This excess

moisture finds its way into creases and folds in the pouch, degrading the performance of the barrier coating and, ultimately, the pack itself. As such, we added a further barrier coating that inhibited the formation of ice crystals on the pack, ensuring the other barrier coatings remained intact, and ultimately enabled the creation of functional, freezable, fully recyclable paper flexible packaging for challenging applications like seafood.

This is an example of how material innovation can unlock new possibilities for businesses looking to reduce their plastic use. However, it does so while still being guided by the needs of the product to be packed. As barrier technology innovation continues to drive improvements in

the functionality of paper packaging, the global supply chain’s reliance on plastic to protect goods lessens – but it may never fully go away.

By taking a holistic, applicationdriven approach, sustainability and functionality cease to be a balancing act and can instead be made to work hand-in-hand.

Website: parksideflex.com

A holistic vision of truly sustainable packaging Sustainable Packaging

Thomas Stone, Packaging Development Manager at international food manufacturer Bakkavor, explores the benefits of taking a broader view of sustainability within packaging.

“Sustainability is often discussed from a packaging perspective, but not always from a manufacturing or food perspective,” Stone remarks. His stance reflects a desire to push the boundaries of conventional thinking in sustainable packaging.

Traditionally, sustainable packaging strategies have centred on materials that consumers interact with directly, particularly with a strong emphasis on reducing plastic waste. However, Stone, who has close to 15 years’ experience in delivering packaging materials and solutions that provide a commercial, innovative or substantial benefit, suggests that focusing solely on consumer-end packaging is too narrow a view.

“Thinking about packaging development and the role it plays within the environment,” Stone continues “how we can bring sustainability into things like looking at food waste and optimising what I

call process packaging or packaging that is used during the manufacturing process to make it as sustainable as possible throughout the whole chain”.

This comprehensive approach involves looking at sustainability from the initial stages of raw material sourcing, through manufacturing and transport, and ultimately to the point where the product reaches the consumer. Stone is keen to point out that limiting the sustainability focus to what the consumer physically takes home does not do justice to the environmental efforts that can be made in other areas. “Obviously we have to do what is right for the environment, but the environment isn’t just what the consumer takes home,” he stresses. Stone’s perspective suggests that, by looking holistically, companies can implement solutions that are more sustainable across the board, from reducing food waste through more efficient packaging to optimising the entire manufacturing process.

Consumer perceptions of sustainable packaging have evolved significantly over recent years according to Stone. “What our research shows is that the consumer shift has changed slightly. Before it was very much ‘if it’s not got plastic then we’re happy’ to a point where now they trust the brand owners to do the right thing,” shifting responsibility on brands to back up their claims and demonstrate why certain choices are made.

Understanding consumer expectations is paramount for Stone, as packaging plays a central role in brand perception. “If it’s a big wholesale change in a particular category, we’ll go to the consumers and, if there is an existing product, the first thing we ask them is what do they like, what they don’t like and what is important to them.”

Consumer research helps navigate the complexities of consumer attitudes towards packaging. He notes that

Sustainable Packaging

functionality remains a top priority, even as sustainability concerns grow. “Soups, particularly chilled soup, is dominated by plastic and you’d think because of the weight of the plastic, this would be something they don’t want, but actually for consumers what is most important are features like reclose and product visibility,” underscoring the need to balance sustainability with usability. By thoroughly understanding these factors, Stone and his team can make adjustments that meet both environmental and functional needs.

In addition to drawing insights from consumer research, Stone believes the packaging industry has much to gain by learning from practices in other sectors. He suggests that adopting innovations from industries like beverages, which often utilise premium finishes and rigid packaging, could inspire packaging solutions in the food sector. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t be borrowing from other sectors,” he asserts, noting that such cross-industry learning could stimulate creativity and help companies differentiate their products.

This cross-pollination of ideas, according to Stone, could also improve the aesthetic appeal of packaging, encouraging consumers to engage with sustainable packaging in new ways. “It’s about what draws them in, how do you disrupt a category to create that special sense of intrigue among consumers?” he adds. By blending sustainability with visual appeal, Stone believes companies can make sustainable packaging more attractive to consumers and ultimately drive higher adoption rates.

Stone’s vision for the future of sustainable packaging is one of balance, collaboration, and continuous improvement. He acknowledges the challenges of navigating regulatory requirements, consumer expectations, and environmental goals but sees a path forward through innovation, rigorous testing, and cross-industry collaboration. He urges the industry to look beyond traditional boundaries, embracing both large and small changes that can collectively make a difference.

As Stone prepares to address his industry leaders at Packaging Innovations in February, he hopes to inspire the industry to adopt a broader, more holistic view of sustainability, one that encompasses the entire packaging lifecycle and recognises the interconnectedness of each step. The future of packaging lies in fostering an environment where companies work together, share knowledge, and make informed decisions that benefit not only their businesses but also the planet.

By adopting this comprehensive perspective, Stone believes the packaging industry can make meaningful strides towards a more sustainable future, where environmental impact is minimised, and consumer needs are met in equal measure.

To hear more insights from leading experts in packaging and sustainability, register for your FREE visitor pass to attend Packaging Innovations and Empack 2025, which takes place on 12 & 13 February 2025 at the NEC Birmingham.

Urging the Industry to Embrace Cutting Down on Excess Packaging

Anthony Carr, Managing Director of FMCG and retail capability specialists Sellex, comments on the challenges posed by the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) fees, warning of their potential impact on the continued viability of FMCG manufacturers.

Premium soft drinks maker Fentimans is just one that has warned in recent months that it might have to close its operations if the proposals go ahead, arguing that the additional costs will place an undue burden on the industry.

The EPR strategy was first proposed in 2018 by the Conservative government, which originally aimed to introduce it by 2023. However, despite manufacturers’ concerns, Defra have argued that the reforms will create 21,000 jobs and stimulate more than £10bn investment in the recycling sector over the next decade. Their argument is that packaging producers, rather than the taxpayer, should cover the costs of managing waste. However, it is likely that some of those costs will now be passed onto the consumer.

Below: Anthony Carr, Managing Director of FMCG and retail capability specialists Sellex

It is possible that some manufacturers may be caught financially off-guard if they have not been putting fees to one side ahead of the due date for the first year of EPR fees on 1 April 2025. Most notable is the fact that charges will be calculated based on 2024 volumes delivered by brands.

“Given the background of the cost-of-living crisis over the past year or more and the impacts of the recent Budget, the last thing manufacturers or retailers want to do is to pass on additional costs to the consumer,” says Carr.

“For that reason, those who are perhaps less prepared are likely to look to retailers to share the cost burden. Retailers will almost certainly push back on this, and we are hearing of an increasingly stone-wall approach to price conversations amongst retail customers. This risks further increasing tensions between the two parties. And given that the retailers hold many of the cards, in terms of listing and delisting, particularly when it comes to all but the largest brands, the FMCG sector will need to be cautious how far it pushes this. Either way, manufacturers need to get ready to negotiate hard because a further separation between retailer and producer is not in anybody’s interest.

“The bottom line is that re-formulating packaging is going to take time, there will be increased pressure on P&Ls – so brands need to look at other inefficiencies and optimisation opportunities, which maybe they don’t seem to recognise but are very real nonetheless.”

So, what could FMCG companies be doing now to mitigate the risk and offset the chance of conflict with retailers over the next six months or so? Carr says that whilst changing packaging will take time, one approach could be to fix compliance at source through cross-manufacturer compliance, harnessing the power of EPOS, inventory and observational data.

Given the levels of big data in the consumer goods industry, this waste is criminal but visible every single day in stores.

There is so much wasted investment in point-of-sale materials, cardboard displays, aluminium display units etc. which don’t even get to the shopfloor, that there is an opportunity to support the P&L by working smarter.

“Re-formulating packaging strategies will take time, but at least EPR will create some much-needed additional momentum. Manufacturers should view EPR as an opportunity to sort out their excess packaging,” he says.

“EPR is a critical step in driving greater accountability amongst brand owners and retailers alike. It’s just that many manufacturers will not have their ‘eye on the ball’ on this one. What remains true is that, across the food and drink supply chain, we see waste – in the form of wasted point of sale material, in terms of poor compliance and in food waste. We see some fantastic initiatives in terms of instore recycling initiatives. These are a great step forward, but how about not throwing away tonnes of cardboard every year through wasted POS materials as a great start? Given the levels of big data in the consumer goods industry, this waste is criminal but visible every single day in stores.”

Food safety from farm to fork: how automation benefits grocery retailers, consumers and the planet

In today’s complex supply chains, keeping track of food is vital to safeguard public health and maintain consumer confidence. Food traceability plays a crucial role in enhancing food safety by maintaining detailed records of raw materials, suppliers and final product deliveries. Automation significantly supports this process by reducing errors, ensuring optimal storage conditions and integrating with information systems for easy data access.

Traceability delivers benefits for grocery retailers, end customers and the planet. For grocery retailers, a robust food traceability system is essential for ensuring product quality and safety. In addition, a traceability system optimises

operations by enhancing inventory control – improving operational efficiency and reducing waste – and enabling quick product recalls. End customers benefit significantly from traceability, enjoying enhanced safety and superior food because it ensures that products meet safety standards and are of high quality. Such a system also offers transparency and increases trust by providing insights into food origins and processing, which empower informed purchasing decisions.

Globally, food traceability promotes sustainable resource management, as it helps companies identify ways to reduce waste and conserve resources. It ensures that food products come from farms that employ sustainable and ethical practices,

and it encourages consumers to make environmentally and socially conscious purchasing choices.

Automation enhances food traceability by reducing errors, optimizing supply chains and ensuring high quality. It ensures consistent quality by maintaining required storage conditions and controlling product movements and supports sustainability by cutting energy use and minimizing waste. Technology and software enable effective labelling, accurate tracking and data analysis, further improving supply chain efficiency.

Award winning food industry training courses

Specialists in supervisory and management level courses

Excellent trainers with hands-on food industry experience

Consistently high examination pass rates

Modern training facility in Skipton, North Yorkshire, close to road and rail networks

In-house or remote training also available for a flexible, cost-effective option

FOR HACCP COMPLIANCE Therma 20 thermometer

How IoT, AI, and automation are helping food businesses comply with new safety regulations in 2024

As food safety regulations become more stringent, food businesses are under pressure to comply with new standards, including laws around traceability, allergen labelling and hygiene.

The UK Food Information Amendment has paved the way for change, aimed to improve the ethics around food transparency and sets exceedingly high standards for ‘PPDS’ food branding to better protect customers and businesses. Therefore, the increasing complexity of these regulations calls for a change-of-pace from traditional monitoring and food safety methods. Advancements in technology, such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI and automation are coming to the aid of food businesses that need to streamline compliance processes. These innovations significantly improve efficiency and minimise the risk of errors, all while delivering data crucial for meeting regulatory requirements.

IoT technology is creating new ways for food companies to manage critical safety measures throughout

Automated conveyors and robotic arms, for example, can be programmed to handle food in a way that reduces contamination risks.

By Matt Smith, Director of Customer Operations at mpro5

their supply chain. With the help of sensors, RFID tags and smart thermostats, these devices enable real time monitoring of food storage conditions like temperature, humidity and expiration dates. For example, cold storage facilities, delivery trucks and even retail spaces can be equipped with IoT sensors that regularly check refrigeration levels. If temperatures go outside safe limits, the system triggers an alert that allows businesses to take corrective action before food safety is compromised. This monitoring helps food companies comply with safety regulations which mandate control over storage and handling practices.

AI is playing a prominent role when it comes to ensuring food safety compliance. AI algorithms have the ability to analyse large volumes of data gathered from IoT devices, identifying patterns and forecasting potential risks before they escalate into serious problems. Spotting irregularities in temperature readings, for instance, is one of AI’s most advanced food hygiene abilities. This indicates a refrigeration unit malfunction and enables companies to resolve the issue before it jeopardises food safety.

AI also assists in simplifying the management aspect of compliance. It has the capacity to automate the review of inspection reports, audit documents and supply chain information, swiftly pinpointing areas where businesses may not meet regulatory requirements. This approach enables food companies to take proactive measures well ahead of potential regulatory penalties or outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.

Automation, particularly when it involves food production and handling, is vital for ensuring compliance with rigid safety regulations. Automated systems can handle tasks like monitoring temperatures, inspecting equipment cleanliness and documenting

compliance records. These systems function to ensure that each aspect of food safety is thoroughly addressed, even out of working hours. Automated conveyors and robotic arms, for example, can be programmed to handle food in a way that reduces contamination risks. Using automation in such a manner decreases dependence on checks that are susceptible to errors and enhances the consistency of safety protocols throughout the food production process.

Automation within management also supports compliance. It’s extremely useful for maintaining environments such as kitchens, storage spaces and refrigeration units. Scheduled cleaning and maintenance routines ensure that these areas meet hygiene and safety standards as outlined in regulations.

This year, the food industry is facing multiple regulatory changes with a strong emphasis on traceability, sustainability and contamination prevention. The new rules stress the importance of transparency throughout the entire supply chain. They aim to make it essential for companies to keep track of and document the journey of food from its source to the table.

Complying with these regulations is becoming data driven. Businesses are now required to maintain records of food storage, handling and transportation conditions. This is where the use of IoT, AI and automation proves to be invaluable, making it much easier to respond to regulatory inspections or customer inquiries regarding the safety and origin of their food products.

Regulations will likely only become tighter, and so it’s imperative for food businesses to onboard these technologies to safeguard customers and enhance their sustainable footprint in 2025.

The Hidden Dangers of Micro plastics in Food during Heating

In response to mounting concerns over micro plastic contamination in food, particularly during heating, Invopak, a trusted leader in rigid packaging solutions, highlights the importance of using certified foodgrade plastic containers to protect public health.

Micro plastics, the microscopic particles that form as plastics break down, have become a widespread issue, infiltrating oceans, soil, and even the food we consume. Recently, interest has grown regarding the effect of reheating food in a plastic container and whether this accelerates the release of particles, exposing increased health risks.

Certain plastic types, such as PVC and polystyrene, release micro plastics and harmful chemicals like phthalates and BPA when heated. These substances are associated with numerous health concerns.

As a result, Invopak has noticed (and welcomes) a shift in demand for food-grade plastics that have been rigorously tested to withstand standard food storage conditions without leaching harmful additives or particles.

Kinsey Petyt, Head of Communications at Invopak said that “as public awareness grows around microplastics and the potential risks of food contamination, we at Invopak remain committed to educating businesses and consumers on the importance of food-grade plastic containers for safe food storage. While some plastics pose risks when heated, food-grade plastics adhere to the highest standards, ensuring safe storage under various conditions and significantly lowering contamination risk.”

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) mandates strict testing of food-grade plastics, verifying they are free from harmful chemicals that could leach into food. Invopak supplies an extensive range of FSA-approved, durable, food-grade containers made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polypropylene.

Choose Food-Grade Safe Containers

Invopak supplies a range of plastic tubs, buckets and aluminium bottles, helping to support businesses seeking safer storage solutions. Invopak is committed to sustainability and consumer safety, so they do not sell single-use plastics; all products are recyclable and BPA-free.

Award winning food industry training courses

Specialists in supervisory and management level courses

Excellent trainers with hands-on food industry experience

Consistently high examination pass rates

Modern training facility in Skipton, North Yorkshire, close to road and rail networks

In-house or remote training also available for a flexible, cost-effective option

5 Cobot Hygiene Considerations For Food Producers

By Paul Richards, Partner Sales Manager, FANUC UK

There are multiple drivers for automating food production lines. Whether helping to plug labour shortages, taking over dull, dirty or dangerous manual tasks, or boosting productivity, food manufacturers have much to gain from automation. And despite being late to the party compared to other industries such as automotive, robot installations in UK food and beverage facilities are now rising in number. According to the latest IFR World Robotics report, the sector saw 553 robot installations in 2023 (up from 327 in 2022 and 198 in 2021), bringing the total to 1,936.

These figures include collaborative robots (cobots), which are currently enjoying a boost in popularity. More portable, flexible, space saving and easier to programme than their industrial robot counterparts, cobots by their very nature are also designed to work alongside humans, making them ideal for busy food production environments.

But not every cobot is made equal and hygiene must be of paramount importance when selecting any piece of equipment for food production. The wide range of cobot models on the market can be overwhelming for food producers to navigate, however; so how can manufacturers ensure that the model they select is fit for purpose but also suitable for the demanding hygiene requirements of food factories?

Here are five key considerations that every end-user should discuss with their cobot supplier before making any purchase…

The wide range of cobot models on the market can be overwhelming for food producers to navigate...

1. Product handling requirements

First, consider where in the process your cobot will be installed. Is it required for secondary packaging, such as placing frozen food in trays? Make sure to discuss your product handling requirements with your cobot supplier in detail, to ensure you don’t end up over-specifying your equipment (and paying more as a result).

2. Production environment

Not every food production environment is the same and hygiene requirements will vary from factory to factory. For bakeries, a simple wipe down of key equipment between shifts might be enough to meet hygiene standards, whereas for raw meat handling, disinfection and highpressure washdown will be needed. In addition, multi-purpose lines with frequent product changeovers may well require more intense washdowns to prevent cross-contamination of allergens. Think carefully about the environment your cobot will be working in and discuss these specific hygiene requirements with your supplier to ensure it will be right for your facility.

3. Cabling

External cables are a trap point for bacteria and can require complicated cleaning and sterilising methods, so

check how your cobot’s cables are housed before making a purchase. All the cables in FANUC’s CRX range run through the cobot arm, meaning they are internally (rather than externally) housed, thereby removing a key hygiene hazard.

4. Coating

When paint is subject to harsh washdown environments, it can start to flake, causing a potential contamination issue for food production sites. To eliminate this risk, ensure your cobot is coated with chemical resistant paint. FANUC’s CRX food grade range is epoxycoated, meaning it can withstand the most demanding of washdown requirements. It’s also worth thinking about what chemicals you use in your washdown processes. We offer our customers a chemical dip test prior to purchase, to ensure the cobot’s suitability for their particular washdown needs.

5. Rusting

Finally, flanges and other small metal parts can be prone to rusting, making them unsuitable for food environments due to the risk of contamination. Check with your cobot supplier that any metal parts are made with a rust-resistant material, such as stainless steel, and that they are IP67-rated, to prevent any ingress of liquid and dust.

A full and frank discussion with your cobot supplier around your facility’s requirements will ensure you get the right cobot for your needs – futureproofing your food factory without exposing it to any unnecessary hygiene risks.

Machine Vision meets every taste

Automation and digitization are also advancing in the food industry. Inline quality management is benefiting from this in particular. This is because continuously monitoring packaging production with machine vision increases efficiency and significantly reduces the number of recalls.

With the support of MVTec Software GmbH, the company PackCheck has developed a modular solution for ensuring packaging quality.

Ensuring safety and accuracy of correct packaging is a high priority in the food industry. In addition to the packaging quality, the high variation of different packaging and labeling is also a challenge. These challenges can be solved through automation.

Peter de Jong, Sales Manager and Co-Owner of the visual quality control solutions company PackCheck BV, explains “In automation projects, our customers want to benefit on one hand from classic advantages such as optimal utilisation of employee capacity, increased productivity, as well as less rejects. On the other hand, and this is particularly important for the food industry, producers are looking for end-to-end inline quality assurance for the packaging process”.

In exchanges with customers, PackCheck experienced that they were looking for ways to ensure consistently correct packaging in all their packaging

For clarification of open questions and as a sparring partner, PackCheck counted upon the expertise of MVTec, the company that contributes the machine vision software.

lines. This also involves verification of bar & data codes in addition to package quality. To meet these customer needs, PackCheck developed a completely new modular inspection platform.

The machine-vision-based platform provides a complete and seamless overview of the packaging process. For this purpose, inspection points are set up at relevant positions along the packaging line. Each checkpoint can

integrate up to four cameras, which provide a complete inline quality inspection of the packaging and labeling process.

In addition to the hardware, the ViTrack system control software developed by PackCheck is used. Within that software, the MVTec HALCON machine vision software takes care of the image processing. For clarification of open questions and as a sparring partner, PackCheck counted upon the expertise of MVTec, the company that contributes the machine vision software.

PackCheck developed the inspection platform for food producers that have multiple production lines. The inspection tasks performed by the machine-vision-based platform exceed the number of tasks that humans could perform. In addition, the human eye can never keep up with the speed, consistent objectivity, as well as endurance of an automated solution.

As a result, products with quality deficiencies end up in retail, leading to product recalls. These are caused by packaging defects as well as incorrect or missing allergen markings on packaging or labels. The goal of companies is to minimise the number of recalls as much as possible through inline quality control, while gaining even better insight into their own processes and using them for “forensic

purposes.” This means that conclusions can be drawn in the event of frequently occurring defects. This improves the production process and can, for example, reduce waste.

Machine vision offers the advantage that it can be used for different applications. Customers using the inspection platform need machine vision for two applications: quality control of packaging and for checking labels and markings. The technology is capable of performing surface inspection in milliseconds, recognising codes and characters, and reading them. This means that all information about a product can be viewed at any time. This includes, for example, the packaging quality, whereabouts, bestbefore date, and the listing of allergens. PackCheck chose MVTec HALCON as its machine vision software.

In practice, the platform works as follows: First, the inspection program for the product to be inspected is loaded; from the customer’s point of view, this simply involves selecting the relevant product on the terminal. The relevant information and parameters for the respective product are stored in a JSON file (JavaScript Object Notation). The tracking controller reports to the vision controller which JSON file has to be loaded.

Once the system knows which product is being inspected, the inspection process begins. The modular inspection platform is capable of performing these complex inspection processes at a speed of 100 packages per minute.

Once the system knows which product is being inspected, the inspection process begins.

The platform has already been in use by companies in the food industry since the beginning of 2023. Each of these companies has automated the inspection of several production lines, each with different products, using the inspection platform. PackCheck is very satisfied with the results and customer feedback.

According to de Jong, solutions based on machine vision have a major advantage, because they provide interesting insights into the company’s own production. With machine vision, many other processes can be automated for the benefit of customers.

Facilities Management

How Facilities Management software improves visibility for multi-site businesses by leveraging IoT, AI and automation

By Ruby Whipp, Vice President of Product at mpro5

Efficient facilities management (FM) software automates, and streamlines required tasks an organisation must undergo to remain compliant, such as cleaning and food safety. The recording of completed work and collection of data serve as an essential tool for food businesses to maintain a safe facility for employees and customers alike.

IoT, AI and automation for food safety

The implementation of IoT temperature probes and sensors is facilitating the shift from manual paper-based documentation to digitised real-time tracking. Because storage conditions are monitored continuously with FM software, issues related to inadequate operational performance or temperature fluctuations are flagged via alerts to managers, whether on-site or not. As a result, multi-site visibility is improved, enabling timely correction of faults and reducing spoilage. This, combined with an AI-driven digital audit trail of cooking and cooling times, cleanliness, and hygiene practices, drives

compliance with food safety standards to minimise risk.

Equipment issues threaten operations, storage conditions and, thus, compliance. With IoT sensors and a computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) in place, managers can ensure they remain up to date with autonomised maintenance scheduling and equipment malfunctions before they affect business.

Food safety compliance with FM Software

Detailed workflows within the software provide multi-site managers with the tools to ensure compliance is followed, always requiring complete information, preventing staff from beginning tasks and leaving them incomplete. Additionally, automating records that specify the employee who was assigned the task and the time it was completed bolsters team accountability, ensuring that targets are met promptly and wholly.

FM software records this data to streamline auditing processes accurately and quickly, in accordance with food safety regulations, supported by the evidence detailing task competition. By digitising food safety checklists, temperature logs, cleaning schedules, and workflows, FM software ensures food safety procedures are consistent. Automated reminders and checklists assist staff in fulfilling required tasks, reducing the risk of human error and ultimately preventing non-compliance.

With the correct FM management platform, food business managers can monitor food safety remotely, ensuring essential checks such as fridge temperatures are logged at the right time and report food poisoning outbreaks, should they occur, as soon as possible to prevent further damage.

Food safety software records from the day can be shared with the Food Standards Agency, including timestamped temperature checks and cleaning reports, proving that staff completed their compliance-driven tasks at their allocated times and correctly.

By automating manual data logging tasks and reducing reliance on physical paperwork, FM software allows staff to focus on more value-added tasks. As a result, printing costs and the associated physical storage of documentation are reduced, improving cost savings across sites, driving productivity and reducing environmental impact.

Effective FM software, leveraging IoT and AI technology, is a powerful tool for multi-site food businesses when ensuring high standards of service, food safety compliance and managing costs. Through real-time data monitoring, automated task tracking and digital records, FM software raises management’s awareness, wherever their location, of potential issues with storage temperatures or equipment malfunctions that threaten food safety at a specific site for timely correction.

As well as ensuring compliance, the automation of once manual tasks streamlines workflows for employees and reduces the risk of errors and operational disruptions. As multisite food businesses adopt digital solutions, they will benefit from more resilient, transparent and compliant operations, upholding the highest standard of food safety and quality in a rapidly evolving industry.

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IFE Manufacturing returns for the food & drink manufacturing community in 2025

IFE Manufacturing, part of Food, Drink & Hospitality Week, will return to Excel London on 17–19 March 2025, showcasing the latest products and innovations shaping the food & drink manufacturing sector.

A must-attend event for brand owners and manufacturers, IFE Manufacturing offers unparalleled opportunities to source cutting-edge packaging, ingredients, technology, and manufacturing solutions. Attendees will discover an extensive range of products and have the chance to connect directly with leading brands and suppliers.

The 2025 event will feature exhibitors including global tomato producer Agrofusion, protein innovators ATURA Proteins, packaging specialists Berlin Packaging and Croxsons, and food industry experts Chelmer Foods.

A highlight of the show, the Trends & Innovations Platform, will host a dynamic programme of presentations, discussions, and debates addressing critical topics for the sector including AI in manufacturing, transitioning to net zero in our food systems, navigating allergens and reformulation and the role of contract manufacturing in the future of food.

We can’t wait to see what ingredients producers have been working on to produce exciting innovative and sustainable products to enhance nutrition and food quality.

The Certification Clinic will return in 2025, offering visitors the chance to meet with organisations including BRCGS, Halal Certification Organisation (HCO) UK, SALSA, Soil Association, Loop Certified, and RSPCA Assured, and gain expert advice on

achieving key certifications to boost market access and consumer trust.

IFE Manufacturing will also feature the Exporters Hub, where food & drink brands can explore the challenges and opportunities of international export and learn strategies to expand into global markets.

The event is supported by a number of IFE Manufacturing Ambassadors, including Ton Knipscheer of the ECPA, who commented: “I’ve been a packaging passionate for a long time. Packaging plays a crucial role in selling food products, but perhaps even more importantly by protecting it and delivering it to the consumer safely. Becoming an IFE Manufacturing Ambassador gives me the chance to talk about sustainable packaging and the role that co-packers/manufacturers play in the international supply chain.”

Returning for 2025, the IFE Manufacturing Ingredients Awards, in association with the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST), will continue to recognise outstanding innovation in food development. Craig Leadley, CEO of IFST, said: “IFST is delighted to partner again in 2025 with IFE Manufacturing to showcase and celebrate the pioneering ingredient innovators driving improvements in food manufacturing.

“In 2024 we saw a highly successful launch of the awards with a great number of high-quality entries across the five initial judging categories. We can’t wait to see what ingredients producers have been working on to produce exciting innovative and sustainable products to enhance nutrition and food quality.”

IFE Manufacturing takes place alongside IFE, The Pub Show, HRC and International Salon Culinaire on 17-19 March at Excel London. Find out more about everything happening as part of this year’s event, and register for your complimentary trade ticket, at ifemanufacturing.co.uk.

Scan the QR code to find out more or visit: IFE Manufacturing is co-located with:

Processing & Measurement Control

Inspection technology from KHS: precision and early detection for holistic line concepts

Inspection technology that enables the best product quality, gives users a maximum of information and can be flexibly integrated into existing systems at any time – this is what the market wants and what KHS provides with its attractively-priced Innocheck series. The Dortmund systems supplier offers a convincing and extensive portfolio for the canning segment in particular – right down the line. Its intelligent KHS Innocheck MMS machine management system is just one example application designed for can filling and seaming. It localizes faulty filling valves and closure elements and evaluates these.

“The Innocheck MMS allows entire parameters to be precisely read out,” explains Henrik Kahrmann, who is responsible for labeling and inspection technology product support at KHS. “Through the evaluation thereof, canners and bottlers can trace faulty fillings back to individual valves and intervene in good time.”

Cutting-edge camera technology for perfect empty cans

In addition, KHS supplies several control options for the analysis of cans scheduled for filling with its Innocheck ECI empty can inspector. Using cutting-edge cameras, this tried-and-tested inspection unit quickly and thoroughly checks for the tiniest foreign bodies and indications of damage in the millimeter range, so that only perfect empty cans are fed to the filler. It examines the inner side wall and base area as well as the top edge of the can. Should the system detect any soiling or defects, the container is correctly rejected. “This step is important, as filling and seaming flawed containers can cause problems that hold up the entire production process,” says Kahrmann. The high-performance machine has an inspection rate of up to 135,000 cans an hour. What’s new here is the retrofittable ECI+ extension that can be easily integrated into existing systems as it takes up so little space. This permits additional monitoring of the inner shoulder area in an empty can, previously a blind spot in inspection.

Above Left: Innocheck ECI Left: KHS inspection technology

Above: Henrik Kahrmann, who is responsible for labeling and inspection technology product support at KHS

Precise fill height control with X-ray

KHS has also expanded its range of fill height control equipment. To date, the modular Innocheck FHC fill height control worked with two systems – one to check for overfilling and a second to scan for underfilling using X-rays, states Kahrmann. “Up to now, we could only make spot checks of the fill height. With our new spatial-resolution system, we can now measure an entire fill height area using just one unit.” The optimized inspector isn’t just more precise and less elaborate; it also has one further key advantage, states Kahrmann. “Besides information as to whether the can is over- or underfilled, it also gives us the fill height as an absolute value. This is computed by an algorithm that’s insensitive to interference such as sloshing liquids. This enables our customers to see that their filling valves may still be functioning but are starting to show a drop in performance.” This makes it possible to maintain the individual valves affected in good time.

KHS inspection technology also includes the Innocheck CIC-R code inspection can reader. This examines printing and production codes on the can base with the help of state-ofthe-art AI. If these are incomplete or incorrect, the inspection unit indicates this immediately. Affected containers can thus be ejected before they enter the downstream production steps.

Website: www.khs.com/en

Efficient HACCP Cook & Chill CCP Validation

Product Safety

Process Efficiency

Improved Product Yields

Rapid Fault Finding

Full HACCP Certification

Thru-process temperature monitoring solutions for all your cook applications

PhoenixTM Technology

• Accurate IP67 data logger (Type K or T)

• 10 Measurement Points for full oven mapping

• Thermal barrier options to suit cook regime

• Comprehensive thermocouple range

• Standard miniature thermocouple plugs

• Calibrated thermocouple options

• Food trays and thermocouple jig options

• Full lethality (Fo/Pu) and reporting

• Real Time RF Telemetry options

• Local efficient calibration and service support

Phoenix Temperature Measurement

Processing & Measurement Control

From Import Reliance to Robust Production: Strengthening the UK’s Food and Drink Sector

Reducing Wastage and Overcoming Inefficiency

The UK’s food and drink industry is the country’s largest manufacturing sector by turnover, surpassing the automotive and aerospace industries combined. However, around 40% of the food is imported from other countries (gov.uk). The UK relies on specific countries for key products such as Spain for citrus fruits, the Netherlands for tomatoes, and India and Pakistan for rice (HMRC Trade Data).

There are several reasons why the UK needs to import food from other countries, including climate constraints and seasonal variability. The UK lacks the climate conditions necessary for producing certain fruits, vegetables and crops. There is also a short window of opportunity for crops like tomatoes, lettuce and berries. Importing food helps meet national demand and ensures the UK’s food security and resilience.

With challenges fuelled by Brexit, international conflicts, and fluctuating currency values, the trading market won’t always be stable and secure. It’s not always beneficial for the UK to import nearly half of its food from other countries. Strong national production can help mitigate international supply risks.

However, much more needs to be done for the food and drink sector to achieve strong profitable and sustainable production and to thereby reduce UK reliance on imported foods.

Food manufacturers typically tolerate about 5% of waste within their food processes under normal production conditions. However, with over 55 years experience visiting different food and drink factories, we have observed that the actual wastage in most factories is significantly higher than 5%.

The main reasons for wastage include wasted raw materials, inefficient production processes, and product recalls. It’s crucial to understand the root causes of the wastage and find better and more long-term solutions rather than quick fixes which are often depressingly only short-term.

Wasted Raw Materials

For example, during a visit to a vegetable packing plant, we observed an assembly line where various machines were processing spinach. Spinach frequently flew off the line and dropped onto the floor. Rather than stopping the entire system to fix the problem, the operators chose to clean the floor at the end of the day, discarding all the fallen spinach. This approach was considered more ‘efficient’ than stopping production for a few minutes to improve the process. However, this practice results in significant wastage of raw materials for the sake of speed.

Inefficient Whisky Bottling

Inefficiency in the production line can create a lot of wastage in the bottling industry. We visited a whisky distillery a few years ago. The production line had a capacity of running 500 bottles per minute. However, it was only producing 250 bottles per minute.

Processing & Measurement Control

Operating below full capacity wasted many resources. One of the root causes was the screw capping machine. Some caps were screwed too tightly, stripping the thread and breaking the seals, while others weren’t screwed down far enough, resulting in leakers. This situation caused a lot of downtime and slowed production efficiency. Considerable time and labour were wasted reworking the bottles.

Contaminated Product Recalls

In addition, there is always wastage associated with product recalls. Recently, food manufacturers recalled at least 60 types of pre-packed

sandwiches, wraps, and salads sold in major supermarkets due to potential E. coli contamination. This could have been avoided with proper quality checks and laboratory tests during the manufacturing process, ensuring 100% food quality and safety. The recalls resulted in significant wastage. What’s worse, approximately 211 people across the UK were affected by E. coli, with at least 67 requiring hospitalisation. Consumer protection from health and safety must be the number one priority at this time, with product quality and appearance being in a vitally important second place.

Other forms of wastage in factories are not always visible to the team. Some factories have become used to the wastage and inefficiency, thus becoming blind to it. While breakdowns and root causes are often easy to identify, short stops and slow running can be much more difficult. This is where our specialist knowledge and experience can be particularly helpful.

A Fresh Perspective

Often, all your business needs is a fresh pair of eyes to look into the details of your production processes and uncover performance improvement opportunities. We have enormous experience helping manufacturers discover the root causes of downtime, ensuring product quality consistency, reducing wastage and improving overall performance.

Other forms of wastage in factories are not always visible to the team. Some factories have become used to the wastage and inefficiency, thus becoming blind to it.

If the UK food industry wants to move away from over-reliance on importing food, manufacturers need to focus on improving their internal manufacturing performance to build more robust production systems, where long-term fixes are identified and remedied once and for all, and quick fixes become a thing of the past. This sustainable approach ensures more ‘right first time’, lower overheads, less wastage and greater efficiency. Better still, finished goods go out and stay out as factory returns become distant memories.

If you’re ready to ensure product quality, reduce wastage and enhance efficiency, please reach out to us at info@harfordcontrol.com or call us at +44 (0)1225 764461.

www.harfordcontrol.com

Evolution or revolution: Meeting consumer expectations for active nutrition in 2025

By Karsten Smet, CEO of ACI Group

The food and beverage industry is highly competitive: categories are becoming blurred, and product democratisation means that items previously aimed at niche consumers and age groups are now available to all.

Here, we explore key areas for new product development growth in 2025. Coupled with selected nutraceutical ingredients, we are confident that these trend snapshots will allow you to enhance your NPD or reformulate existing products – meeting the key requirements of brands and customers.

1. One of the biggest health concerns facing consumers today is inflammation and its impact

on whole-body health. While inflammation is a natural response to injury, chronic inflammation can cause serious and permanent harm to the body. In this fight, specialised ingredients that target the root causes of the inflammation can be a game changer.

Turmeric and its active compound curcumin have long been viewed as a natural inflammation buster and many offers anti-inflammatory effects due to its antimicrobial, antiviral, and antioxidant properties.

The branded ingredient Curcugen is a next-generation curcumin formula and a clinically researched turmeric extract that boasts a whopping 39 to 52 times more bioavailability than standard curcumin extracts. It works by utilising turmeric’s natural components to enhance absorption and efficacy, allowing for lower doses with higher results. Not only does it improve overall bioavailability, but it

also delivers a less bitter taste and is more food and beverage friendly.

2. Products that offer a health hack; such as those targeted a gut health could have a dual function that impacts cognitive health. This gutbrain axis (GBA) allows bidirectional communication between the central and the enteric nervous system, linking the emotional and cognitive centres of the brain with peripheral intestinal functions.

Ginfort® is a concentrated ginger extract and functional ingredient that supports gut health. Up to 26% of its bioactive compounds are derived from ginger roots, offering a potent dose of gingerol and shogaol, which are known for their anti-inflammatory and digestive benefits.

Its highly bioavailable, patented formula allows it to be effective in extremely low doses, making it an

attractive option for formulators seeking to add a gut-brain health hack to their product lines.

3. Cardiometabolic health remains one of the top concerns for consumers.

Bergacyn®FF offers a unique blend of bergamot citrus and Cynara cardunculus (artichoke leaf) extract, formulated to support liver health, reduce fat storage, and promote healthy weight management.

Bergacyn’s clinical studies demonstrate its effectiveness in lowering liver fat and improving lipid transport, two critical factors in metabolic health. The combination of polyphenols and other bioactive compounds enhances bioavailability and provides a comprehensive solution for heart and liver wellness.

The ingredient is free-flowing, solventfree, and offers a clean-label option for formulators – perfect for your next formulation targeting CVD.

4. In the past, products targeting performance nutrition was seen for elite athletes, but the category is evolving, now catering to a

broader audience of everyday fitness enthusiasts.

NitrateBurst™, a spinach-derived nitrate extract is capitalising on the growing trend of clean-label performance enhancers. As a natural source of nitrates, NitrateBurst supports nitric oxide production, which plays a crucial role in blood flow and endurance during exercise.

Clinical studies show that it enhances energy levels, improves endurance, and supports healthy blood pressure— all without synthetic additives or stimulants – meeting demand for growing cleaner labels and plant-based performance enhancers.

As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that the active nutrition market is on a steady upward trajectory. The global demand for functional food and beverages, once the domain of niche health products, is now expanding rapidly. Consumers are not just seeking new products—they are searching for products and ingredients that offer tangible, science-backed benefits that align with their evolving health needs.

Empowering excellence. For a better future.

We are LAUDA – the world market leader for precise temperatures. Our temperature control devices and systems are at the heart of important application, making a contribution to a better future. As a full-service provider, we guarantee the optimum temperature in research, production and quality control.

We are the reliable partner for a diverse range of industry segments and continue to inspire our customers daily – just as we have been for the last 65 years –worldwide.

LAUDA continues to provide an expanding range of feature-rich, future proof solutions with energy efficiency and connectivity front of mind, serving a number of different industries including chemical, pharmaceutical, brewing and food & beverages.

Furthermore, for applications requiring customised solutions tailored to individual requirements, we offer a made-to-measure design service using a long-established and highly-

As we look ahead to 2025, it’s clear that the active nutrition market is on a steady upward trajectory. The global demand for functional food and beverages, once the domain of niche health products, is now expanding rapidly.

For more information on ACI’s nutraceutical ingredients, and how it can drive new formulations that target active nutrition, contact our research and development team today.

skilled team. We are here to assist with your technical requirements from the very first stand of the application discussion, all the way through the process to the final commissioning, and after-care services throughout the lifetime of the equipment.

Get in touch to discuss your own temperature control solutions:

info@lauda-technology.co.uk

+44 (0)17880 243 118 www.lauda-technology.co.uk

Measurement, Sensors & Monitoring

OPTIME helping prevent 360 hours of downtime

Producing several million sustainable beverage cans per hour across its European plants, a can manufacturer needed to avoid unplanned machine downtime; the company was looking for a condition monitoring solution that was easy to operate and provided a simple way for the maintenance team to keep a close eye on all the machines.

More than 5,000 sensors now monitor processcritical machines in all the customer’s European plants.

Innovative Liquid Flow Measurement Solutions

Titan is a leading design and manufacturer of innovative end user and OEM high-performance flow meters, used within a wide range of environments and applications. Ultrasonic Flowmeters Turbine Flowmeters

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Schaeffler’s certified service partner Faber Industrietechnik recommended their OPTIME Condition Monitoring (CM) solution. More than 5,000 sensors now monitor process-critical machines in all the customer’s European plants. In approximately two years, OPTIME CM has detected more than 500 critical faults and has provided numerous early warnings. In this time, a total of 180 unplanned downtimes (360 hours) have been avoided.

What started as 50 OPTIME CM sensors installed in the first plant has turned into more than 5,000 sensors installed across several European plants by September 2023. Initially, only a few machines were monitored using OPTIME CM. After the initial successes, the solution was expanded to other European plants. In addition, lubrication monitoring using the Schaeffler OPTIME C1 is also used in some of the customer’s plants.

BELOW: Sensors monitor the main drive motor of the exhaust air treatment unit. Photos: Schaeffler

People On The Move

Leading vertical farming brand drives for growth with

the appointment of Mike Hedges as CEO

GrowUp Farms, a leading UK vertical farming business, has announced the appointment of Mike Hedges as its new CEO in a move that will support the business as it drives ambitious growth over the coming years.

Mike Hedges brings with him a wealth of experience to lead GrowUp into the next phase of its journey, having previously held CEO / MD roles with Little Moons, Proper Snacks and Tyrrells Crisps.

Former CEO Marcus Whately – who will continue as a shareholder in the company – has decided to step down after six years at the helm of the business. He has led the company from a start-up, overseeing key milestones including GrowUp certifying as a B Corp and becoming the first vertical farm to sell branded salad in UK supermarkets – with GrowUp’s Fresh Leaf Co. range later joined by their Unbeleafable brand, which includes the award-winning Zesty Baby Leaves.

EHL Ingredients boosts team and announces expansion plans

EHL Ingredients has boosted its sales team with the appointment of Clevina Dsouza and is on course for business expansion.

Clevina has joined the team as Sales Administrator, reporting into joint MD, Tasneem Alonzo, and will support the five-strong sales team. She joins the business following four years in the finance sector and will work across the sales team and wider departments, supporting sales of the company’s Lähde brand.

She will be responsible for communication, customer relationships and supporting the EHL sales team within the manufacturing, processing, foodservice and retail sectors.

The leading importer, blender and packer of international food ingredients are experiencing a period of growth following the challenges brought about by pandemic years, Brexit and global conflict. This year, EHL Ingredients has restructured its senior team with founder

Emma Haq taking on the role of Chairman, and has welcomed new additions to the team in technical, customer service and operations departments. The company is also expanding its blending capacity and is investing in new machinery to allow the team to process larger scale orders and to meet increased demand.

Clevina says: “I’m delighted to be joining the EHL Ingredients team and I’m eager to get stuck into the role supporting the sales team.

“The company has some really talented individuals across the whole business – with many of these being women, which is quite unusual in the industry. I was attracted to the role as the business offers a really exciting range of food ingredients and blends, a reliable and efficient service, has a long-standing team, and a growing customer base within the food and drink industry.”

Clevina’s appointment takes the team to 46 across three sites on the Broadstone Industrial Estate in Reddish, Stockport.

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Shaping the Food & Drink Sustainability Transition

The Sustainable Foods Conference, now in its 4th edition is the flagship conference and exhibition, focused on the transition towards a more sustainable and resilient food system. Featuring a high-level executive audience, Sustainable Foods convenes F&D companies from across the value chain.

Held in London on January 28th-29th 2025 at The Business Design Centre, Sustainable Foods will welcome 500+ attendees, 50 exhibitors, and over 20 countries represented. The conference has already confirmed attendance from Nestlé, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Tate & Lyle, Tesco, Bidfood, Danone, Unilever, ABP, Aldi, Bart Ingredients, Arla, Hilton Foods, FSC, MSC, Salmon Scotland, Mondelēz, first milk, amazon fresh, Driscoll’s, Ebro, Huel, PepsiCo, Premier Foods and so many more!

Sustainable Foods 2025 has confirmed executives from across F&D. Keynote speakers include:

• Simon Roberts, CEO, Sainsbury’s

• James Mayer, President, Danone UK & EIRE

• Archana Jagannathan, Chief Sustainability Officer, PepsiCo Europe

• Lorna Schneider, Chief Sustainability & Procurement Officer, Hilton Foods

• Ashwin Prasad, Chief Commercial Officer, Tesco

• Karen Betts OBE, Chief Executive, food & drink federation

• Andrew Selley, CEO, Bidfood UK

• Dan Aherne, CEO, New England Seafood

• Keith Packer, Managing Director, British Sugar

• James Bailey, Executive Director, Waitrose

• Bas Padberg, Managing Director, Arla

The mainstage will cover crucial topics, that are driving sustainability conversations with F&D. Tesco, as nutrition partner, will be hosting a panel titled ‘Nourishing the Future: What is Sustainable Nutrition and How do we Achieve it?’, showcasing the importance of a nutritious diet to citizens and the planet.

Commenting on the new partnership, Ashwin Prasad, Chief Commercial Officer of Tesco said: “At Tesco, we’re dedicated to giving our customers access to great value, healthy food - helping them enjoy a better quality of life without having to worry about the price. We’re delighted to be supporting the Sustainable Foods International Conference, which plays such a crucial role in highlighting the importance of a sustainable diet to both customers’ health and to the planet.”

Additional key topics to be discussed include:

• Pathways to Sustainable Agriculture

• Regenerating Nature: Harvesting Biodiversity in Sustainable Agriculture

• Moves & Strategies to Decarbonise the F&D Supply Chain

• How to Unlock the Potential of Regenerative Dairy

• Chilling the Climate Crisis: How Frozen Foods can Address Climate Change

• Sustainable Livestock & Net Zero Beef

Held in London on January 28th-29th 2025 at The Business Design Centre, Sustainable Foods will welcome 500+ attendees, 50 exhibitors, and over 20 countries represented.

Commenting on Sustainable Foods, Martin Baker, Head of ESG, The FSC Group “At FSC we are passionate about minimising our impact on our local and global environments, working with value chain partners and customers to continuously improve. We took part last year and were inspired by other participants, so it was an easy decision for us to commit again.”

Every year, the Sustainable Foods organisers work tirelessly at bringing the best features and experience to the event. The 2025 conference will feature an exhibition pavilion of over 50 cutting-edge companies. Additionally, Sustainable Foods is organising dedicated roundtables at the conference, where attendees can deepdive into a variety of key sustainability challenges. Another new attractive feature is the launch of the Sustainable Foods App, where all attendees can pre-book meetings and learn about sponsors & exhibitors. Sustainable Foods is delighted to announce a drinks reception on the 28th of January providing an excellent opportunity to connect and network.

For more information on joining Sustainable Foods, please visit sustainablefoodsevent.com. Register using code SFFDM2025 to receive a 10% discount off the delegate price.

Pumps

Gearing Up for Productivity

By Caleb Summers, Unibloc® Hygienic Technologies

In food and drink processing, selecting the right equipment is crucial for maintaining efficiency, product quality, and regulatory compliance. Among the various pumping solutions available, gear pumps have carved out a significant niche, offering unique advantages for specific applications.

Gear pumps use the meshing of two gears to pump fluid by positive displacement. As the gears turn, they draw the product into the inlet port and move it around the inside of the housing to the outlet port. The meshing of the gear teeth creates a seal between the inlet and outlet ports. Gear speed determines the flow rate.

Products such as beverages, oils, syrups, glazes, sauces, and batters are commonly transferred using gear pumps. Gear pumps work especially well with products having lubricity and moderate viscosity up to 100,000 centipoise (cP).

Even flow. Gear pumps are known for their ability to provide a constant and even flow rate, regardless of pressure changes or fluid viscosity. This characteristic makes them particularly

suitable for applications requiring precise fluid delivery, such as filling. The constant flow rate provided by gear pumps ensures that products are dispensed accurately and that ingredients are supplied in precise dosages.

Gentle handling. Gear pumps minimize product degradation. The movement of the gears exerts low shear force, and the tight tolerances between the gears and housing minimize agitation.

Space-Constrained Environments. In situations where pumps need to be integrated into equipment, such as filling systems, gear pumps simplify installation. They have a compact design that fits into complex systems where real estate is at a premium.

Simplicity and Maintainability. With fewer moving parts than many other pump types, gear pumps are generally easier to install and maintain. This simplicity can lead to reduced downtime and lower maintenance costs over the life of the equipment.

Hygiene. In food and drink processing, hygiene is non-negotiable. Teflon offers

Among the various pumping solutions available, gear pumps have carved out a significant niche, offering unique advantages for specific applications.

a non-reactive and smooth surface that’s unlikely to harbor contaminants and won’t leach into the product.

When Not to Select a Gear Pump

While gear pumps are ideal for many applications, they are not the best choice in every situation. At temperatures above 82°C, Teflon can swell, which may make some gear pumps incompatible with CIP routines using heated cleaning solutions. In such cases, a lobe pump may be a better choice.

Gear pumps may not be ideal for abrasive products, which can cause excessive wear of the gears. Abrasive products are better handled with an airoperated double-diaphragm pump. The design of a gear pump is not compatible with high flow rates. Lobe pumps will be better for high flow applications because they use larger cavities to move the product.

Left: Gear pumps, like this easy-to-clean pump from Unibloc® Hygienic Technologies, are a mainstay of metering and filling applications.

For more information visit: unibloctech.com

Case Study

Onion Damage

A food processor was experiencing significant product damage with the 8” pump handling whole onions. See how using a Cornell Pump can solve these problems from the UK agents, Hydromarque Ltd.

Not only was the system plugging, but much of the final product was also too damaged to sell. This waste and inefficiency cost the processor thousands in lost revenue.

In examining both the pump and the design of the system, three issues were identified:

Incorrect pump type - The pump in service was considered a non-clog style pump, with an enclosed, multiple vane impeller and a volute cutwater. While this style of pump can work well in some food waste applications, it is not recommended for delicate, whole-food products.

Low water-to-product ratio - The water-toproduct ratio was low, causing inadequate pipe velocities and clogging. The system only pumped approximately 20% of the recommended 7.5 to 23 litres per kg of product. The onions fell out of suspension and were damaged.

Discharge pipe would be too small for potential solutions - Altering the water flow to achieve correct water-to-product ratio would make the existing discharge pipe diameter too small, causing higher than recommended pipe velocity. The high velocity would keep the onions suspended in the pipe, but could lead to damage when the product reached the dewatering screen.

Possible Pump Solutions

Three possible solutions were examined to mitigate the product damage and plugging.

The first option was to replace the whole system with a more expensive mechanical conveyer. This would have taken the plant offline for a significant amount of time compared to other options and cost the most money to implement.

The second option was to keep the existing pump and replace the discharge pipe to accomodate the recommended flow based on the water-to-product ratio. The concern was that the existing pump would still produce a high product damage rate. It did, however, have the advantages of being the fastest fix with

the least initial expense.

The third option was to replace the existing pump with a new pump designed to handle whole foods. This pump design allows food to pass through the pump and exit through the centre of the discharge nozzle, minimising contact with any pump surface. Along with the new pump, replacing the discharge pipe to the correct diameter would be required.

Solution

Hydro-Transport Food Pump

The third option was deemed the most advantageous, in terms of time, design and overall cost.

The food processor recalculated the correct flow needed to transport the desired kg of onions and recalculated the total dynamic head of the system with the correct discharge pipe diameter.

After this assessment, a 10” hydrotransport food pump with a single port impeller and expanded offset volute was chosen for the job. This size pump was needed to handle the system’s flow and pressure reqiurements and to ensure that the largest onions would not plug the pump.

With the new pump in place and following the guidelines for handling food pumps, including water-to-product ratio and pipe velocity, the food processor reduced damage to onions by more than 90%.

The up-time of the pump and energy efficiences have been working well since 2010 - saving tens of thousands of pounds.

Food Processing Pumps

Cornell Hydro-Transport Food Process pumps are designed and manufactured with the sole purpose of pumping delicate food products. Cornell food pumps have the lowest product damage rates in the industry, and are the pump choice for food processors around the world, Cornell are the original HydroTransport pump manufacturer.

• Innovative single port impeller with offset volute.

• Quality and reliability

• Available in sizes ranging from 4” to 12” discharge.

• Ductile iron, all stainless steel or iron w/ stainless steel impellers

• Optional Cycloseal upgrade

Versatile learning options in KHS Campus Training & Education Case Study

Entertaining instruction courses at Coca-Cola Mannheim with the Virtual Training Center.

Training has always held a high status at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Germany GmbH in Mannheim. Here, for example, the beverage producer was one of the first of 14 production sites in the federal republic to begin using augmented reality (AR). All teaching methods – from on-site training to online seminars – have a common disadvantage, however: they are time-consuming, require planning and are limited in their flexibility.

This is where KHS’ Virtual Training Center or VTC comes into play, providing a unique solution: operators can make spontaneous and independent use of even short breaks in production to familiarize themselves with specific functions of a line without being tied down to fixed training schedules. This is a benefit that held immediate appeal for Markus Straßer, head of Maintenance at Coca-Cola Mannheim. He was also convinced by the fast implementation thereof: within just one week after submitting his request, the Dortmund turnkey supplier had provided him with access to the VTC.

The training center itself is also proving very popular. “A sound onboarding process for our colleagues is essential for optimum operation. KHS’ range of training courses has

ABOVE: Markus Straßer, head of Maintenance at Coca-Cola Mannheim, © Frank Reinhold

thus quickly become an important module for us.” In the highly flexible operation of a modern filling plant, employees must quickly be able to carry out their duties independently, safely and with confidence. There’s often not enough time for full personal induction into all of the details. Learning inhibitions must therefore be kept to a minimum.

As Straßer is responsible for all maintenance on site, he’s familiar with the challenges associated with shift models and the demographic change in the workforce. “Flexibility is absolutely necessary when assigning personnel,” he says. “If newer colleagues can get to grips with the various functions on their own through a playful learning approach that’s also fun, then we have a great basis from which we can then move on to familiar study formats.” The fact that what’s learned here is sufficient to actively participate in the production process is of huge value, he adds.

LEFT: Playful instruction, © Frank Reinhold

BELOW: Use of the VTC, © Frank Reinhold

Training & Education Case Study

As no additional hardware is needed to use the VTC other than a totally normal Office PC, we can roll it out worldwide within a very short space of time indeed.

- Marco Palme

Virtual training supplements classic formats

This is also KHS’ plan. Last year, the systems provider pooled its training program in KHS Campus and with the VTC closed a gap in the market. Training on site, seminars on more complex topics or specific personnel development are still the key tools in the program that provide customers with the best way of teaching specialist knowledge and expertise in each specific case.

Exploring individual machines or entire beverage lines with the help of an avatar and navigating to

LEFT: Marco Palme, head of the KHS Training Center for the production sites in Bad Kreuznach and Worms, © Frank Reinhold

study points on an exemplary digital twin open up new avenues. “The initial response has been extremely positive,” states the maintenance manager. “Thanks to the intuitive and playful approach from the individual’s personal perspective, even our older colleagues are able to perfectly manage this setup.” At the VTC they have access to interactive and instructive learning nuggets or small, compact teaching units. Employees who successfully complete these are given small virtual rewards and can track their learning progress themselves. As in a game, this encourages participants to finish the current unit with an even better rating or to complete the next one just as well.

As these nuggets can be used spontaneously at any time, such as during short breaks in production, all new employees quickly gain an impression of the entire machine. “In our case, we’re specifically training people in palletizing,” says Straßer, who has already decided to further expand virtual training together with KHS in the future. He’s convinced that although “it doesn’t replace in-person formats, it will become a fixed feature of onboarding.”

New modules and languages to be added

For KHS, the study format currently available in English and German is just the beginning, explains Marco Palme, head of KHS Training Center South and VTC project manager. “As no additional hardware is needed to use the VTC other than a totally normal Office PC, we can roll it out worldwide within a very short space of time indeed.” The only limiting factor is that the customer’s plant isn’t too old, as it needs to match the digital twin in the VTC for learning to be as effective as possible. “Over the next few months, we’ll not only be integrating more languages but also all other machines in the KHS Group for all standard container types, one after the other,” Palme concludes.

LEFT: Coca-Cola in Mannheim, © Frank Reinhold

For more information go to: www.khs.com/media

Interview with Pam Thornton Interview

Pam Thornton is a seasoned cocoa and coffee trader with extensive experience across the global cacao supply chain. In 2024, she launched Wow Cacao, a sustainable cacao water drink that upcycles cacao pulp into a refreshing beverage. With a background managing export operations across multiple regions and a decade at the Armajaro CC+ Commodity Fund, Pam brings deep expertise in commodity markets and supply chain transparency.

Your experience spans the entire cacao supply chain, from farm to production. Can you walk us through the supply chain process for Wow Cacao, from sourcing the cacao pulp to delivering the final product to retailers?

For most of my career as a cocoa trader it was inconceivable that the delicious cocoa pulp would ever be available to anything other than a very local market. Things changed about 10 years ago when, with the widespread cultivation of a specific clone-CCN51, farmers in Latin America were required to drain off some of the surplus juice in order to properly ferment their beans for sale to chocolate makers. Collection and then separation of the juice-initially for use as a natural sugar replacementbegan. Our supplier in Ecuador, a long-time friend and supplier of fine quality cocoa, now collects wet beans (beans plus pulp) from a number of large scale farmers on a daily basis. Farmers break open the pods early in the day when temperatures are at their coolest. Once opened, the fermentation process begins as the natural sugars and enzymes in the pulp interact with the solid beans so it is important to quickly evaluate the wet beans for any off-flavours, damage and sweetness.

Approved “baba” is then sent to a facility where a small amount of juice is pressed out of the pulp, pasteurized and immediately frozen. The rest of the pulp containing the beans continues to a fermentation station where the beans are prepared for export to Europe and Japan. We buy the juice directly from the exporter, import the frozen juice into the UK and bottle here, most recently in Dudley at a SALSA certified facility. The nutritious juice in its pure form is really rather sweet and cloying so we dilute it to enable drinkers to enjoy the tropical, slightly tart taste in a thirst-quenching and refreshing format.

Upcycling cacao pulp into a hydrating drink is an innovative approach. How do you ensure the sustainability and ethical sourcing of the cacao pulp used in Wow Cacao, particularly considering your deep roots in supply chain management?

Yes we upcycle a product that until recently would have just run off into the soil but that’s not enough to sell a drink. There are 2 elements that I consider vital – a clean supply chain and consistent product quality. Although I would have loved to source from West Africa, it doesn’t have the infrastructure to provide the product consistency that we require for a branded drink. It’s one thing if you are selling a fresh juice locally but when you are competing far away, in a sophisticated developed drinks market your buyers expect the drink to taste the same every time.

Ecuador has the infrastructure, including a large number of modern and professionally operated farms. The US Department of Labor considers

Ecuador a low risk country from a workers’ human rights perspective and while it has had some deforestation issues in the Amazon all our source farms are in a semi-arid area previously used for rough grazing so not subject to deforestation. We consider the supply chain to already be EUDR compliant, well ahead of the 2026 implementation date for the EU. But this doesn’t mean to say we are complacent. Our supplier has a sustainability team that visit all the farms on a regular basis as part of its global cocoa supply obligations and we personally make random inspections on top.

Transitioning to glass bottles and introducing a sparkling version of Wow Cacao are significant developments. How do these changes impact your supply chain, particularly in terms of transportation, storage, and sustainability?

Turning the juice into a drink was far harder than we thought. We considered a PET bottle the optimal medium for an “on the go” drink but there were very few available options. We eventually found a bottler but had no choice on the shape, size or type of sleeve. Given the inevitably fairly high price tag we had a lot of feedback telling us that people loved the drink but that the packaging didn’t look sufficiently premium.

Not having other available PET options we have switched to glass and a more refined appearance. Glass lends itself more to drinking in a café, bar or at home but the intention is to hopefully also bring back a more portable PET version for “on the go” athleisure consumers to give them a choice. The drink can be stored in both the PET and glass formats though we recommend drinking it chilled. Shipping glass is both more costly and complex than the PET equivalent.

Your career has involved promoting traceability in supply chains. How does Wow Cacao implement traceability in its production process, and how important is this to consumers in the food and drink manufacturing industry today?

Traceability is a 21st century concept. In cocoa it had nothing to do with food safety concerns but was initially a response to negative media reports about child or forced labour being used in cocoa farms in West Africa.

I think traceability is important to consumers but price is becoming increasingly dominant in these inflationary times.

It then evolved into environmental concerns especially over deforestation. But a lot of traceability and marketing claims are hype, and often false. We will focus on direct sourcing of high quality ingredients from trusted suppliers with whom we have longterm relationships. We know the farms behind the juice. I think traceability

is important to consumers but price is becoming increasingly dominant in these inflationary times. Many large multinational companies are back pedalling on their sustainability commitments as a result. Nothing has or will change for us. We aim to deliver an ethically and transparently sourced, healthy drink that has great taste and, while not cheap, is reasonably priced given its provenance.

With your background in analysing market dynamics, how do external factors such as climate change or geopolitical shifts influence the cacao supply chain, and how does Wow Cacao adapt to these challenges to maintain production?

The cocoa price has defied gravity the last 12 months rising from $2500/mt to $11000 so yes it is definitely a challenge. Chocolate is going to revert to being the luxury item that it was 30 years ago. The cause of the rise is partially down to climate change, with drier than normal conditions accelerating the incidence and veracity of a serious viral disease in the main global producing region. We now have a long-term problem similar to that experienced by the orange groves in Florida with a disease called citrus greening. The chocolate industry has done a good job expanding the market for chocolate based products while prices were low but the pendulum has swung and we now need to adjust by conserving cocoa (which the price will do), using less and working on ways to improve farmer yields. I expect Ecuador and Brazil to gradually resume leadership of global production so although we expect turbulent years ahead we are hoping we are at least in the right place.

Outsourcing Sector Supports UK Frozen Food Boom

Third party outsourcing is playing a critical role in supporting the continuing growth of the UK frozen food industry, according to the BCMPA, the Association for Contract Manufacturing, Packing, Fulfilment & Logistics.

The BCMPA says many of its members are investing in facilities and technologies for manufacturing, storage and distribution to help brand owners maximise opportunities with greater supply chain flexibility and resilience.

“Frozen food is undoubtedly one of the success stories of recent years, and the retail value of the market has increased by 50 per cent over the past decade,” said BCMPA CEO Emma Verkaik.

“With on-going cost of living pressures, frozen foods are popular for their value for money positioning, but for brands to deliver this value effectively, it is essential that all areas of their operation from manufacturing to distribution operate as efficiently as possible. This is where local outsourcing specialists can help, focusing wholly on day-

Frozen food is undoubtedly one of the success stories of recent years, and the retail value of the market has increased by 50 per cent over the past decade.

to-day operational issues to enable businesses to concentrate on brand building and sales.”

“An outsourcing specialist can be the perfect partner to any size of frozen food business, from start-ups to established brands,” said Emma Verkaik. “As consumers increasingly seek quick and convenient meal solutions, the rising demand for frozen food options allows BCMPA members to effectively support brands with reliable and experienced suppliers for their frozen food logistics requirements.”

One recent investment example is cold storage specialist Magnavale, who is currently completing the construction of a new cold store at its premises in Easton, Lincolnshire. The temperaturecontrolled facility offers multiple pallet ingress and egress points, and has been engineered to prevent bottlenecks, always ensuring seamless operations, including peak periods such as Christmas.

Technological advances, such as IoT integration, GPS tracking, and temperature monitoring systems will also play an important role in driving operational efficiencies. Among the BCMPA’s global logistics members, industry leaders are leveraging innovative technologies to deliver advanced visibility and precise control. These capabilities enable comprehensive tracking across various stages, including inventory management, order fulfilment, recalls, code tracking, mixing, packaging, and manufacturing support.

In addition to frozen foods’ value for money positioning, consumers are being attracted by the increasing choice of products. This includes the introduction of more vegetarian and plant-based products to meet the growing demand for healthier options. Rapid freezing technology offers an important benefit here, ensuring all key nutrients remain in the product.

Technological advances, such as IoT integration, GPS tracking, and temperature monitoring systems will also play an important role in driving operational efficiencies.