Food & Drink Manufacturing UK - June 2024

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

Editorial Assistant Anna Startin 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

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Reducing the cost of compliance through labelling

Driving a Responsive, Sustainable and Efficient Food Supply Chain

Interview: Edward Porter, Director of IoT Solutions at IMS Evolve Technology holds the key to a more sustainable food system kp highlights need for better compliance with single-use EPS/XPS packaging ban

Editors Note

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

In this issue, we have a piece from Damien Gervais, lawyer at The Legal Director, highlighting the risks associated with mishandling of intellectual property, including “secret ingredients” in recipes and procedural techniques within the food and drink industry.

We also hear from Daniel Khachab, CEO of Choco, who has helped thousands of companies digitise the relationship between supplier and restauranteur. Daniel speaks about the role that technology can play in the reduction of food waste, in particular the waste before food even reaches the consumer.

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

Every

Paul Attwood Editor

Industry News

Made Smarter-backed honey maker Just Bee ‘buzzing’ after automation investment

Manufacturer found fame rejecting BBC Dragons’ Den investor and now success with tech adoption programme.

Just Bee Honey, based in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester, makes a variety of flavoured and vitamin infused honey products which are sold direct-toconsumer.

With support of Made Smarter, the government-backed technology and skills adoption programme supporting SME manufacturers, Just Bee is investing £41,000 in an automated solution to replace manual processes for sealing and labelling.

This will increase production speed, capacity and quality, and support plans to double revenue over the next two years and create five new jobs. Meanwhile, production operatives currently performing the manual processes will be moved to more high value, skilled roles.

Launched in 2014 by business partners Andy Sugden and Joe Harper, the son of a beekeeper, Just Bee Honey started

life as a mission to make healthy soft drinks using honey, and to help conserve the UK’s bee population.

After famously turning down potential investment from Peter Jones on BBC TV show Dragons’ Den, Just Bee began selling in Selfridges, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Co-op, WH Smith and Boots.

Sales plummeted during the pandemic prompting the business to pivot to manufacturing vitamin infused and flavoured honey. They now produce nine different products and sales have sky-rocketed to 250,000 units per year.

Replacing manual, low-skilled tasks with automated and digital processes will increase the efficiency of the production process considerably.

The investment is forecast to reduce the manufacturing cost per unit by 20%.

The investment also supports Just Bee’s net zero ambitions by reducing waste by minimising errors in production processes, which in turn reduce the amount of energy consumed.

Launched in 2019, Made Smarter has engaged with 2,500 manufacturers, with hundreds receiving support through grant funding, impartial technology advice, leadership, and skills training to help transform their businesses.

The programme has delivered 334 technology projects in the North West, which are forecast to create 1,550 jobs, upskill 2,772 existing roles, and increase North West GVA by £242M.

Electroserv invests £200k in new premises

Instrument measurement and control specialist, Electroserv has expanded into new premises, more than five times the size of its old site. This move will allow Electroserv, which is a key supplier to the food and drink manufacturer industry, to hit its £10m turnover goal and create more than 20 new jobs.

The new 15,176sqft premise is located at Lyme Green Business Park, Macclesfield, just next door to the previous location which is a 2994sqft space.

Directors at Electroserv have ensured the space is highly specified making the most of every square foot. With an investment of £200k, the building

has been configured to include two well-equipped laboratories, a state-of-the-art workshop, high spec, contemporary office space, dedicated packing area, large loading bay, open plan kitchen / dining area complete with pool table and a warm and welcoming reception area.

The modern, industrial style is carried throughout the two-storey building. Alongside the office relocation and expansion, new sales manager, John Walker has been appointed to help drive the projected growth for the company.

With more than 32 years’ industry experience, including a lengthy stint with Watlow (previously Eurotherm), John is well placed to support Electroserv’s ambitious plans.

Further to the expansion, investment and appointment of John, Electroserv will be creating another 20 jobs within the next three years, 50% of which will be filled by the end of 2024. Jobs will be available across the sales, engineering and admin teams.

SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO and ALDI collaboration returns with two fruit beers

SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO is returning to ALDI for 2024, with two vegan-friendly beers branded under the ‘The Hop Foundry.’

The Salford-based brewery will hit shelves across the UK with a new Pineapple Pale Ale alongside the returning Watermelon Pale Ale.

Both beers have been brewed and branded exclusively for the supermarket and will run in 1,200 stores from April through to September.

Expanding its reach past its inhouse webshop, convenience stores and own bars, in the last three years SEVEN BRO7HERS has significantly grown its listings

portfolio. The brewery is currently listed in nationwide ASDA stores, select Co-Op & SPAR stores, Booths Supermarket and Amazon.

In 2023 the McAvoy family business successfully crowdfunded £500k. The initial wave of funding has supported the implementation of an upgraded canning line, as well as new tanks. The upgrade will cater to the brand’s growing production demands from national retailers, as well as supporting its capacity to fulfil craft beer tenders in Manchester’s newest arena.

Looking to the future, the brand’s expansion plans will see SEVEN BRO7HERS secure new ‘base location’ by 2026.

The new site will house a brewhouse, custom-made distillery, packaging, and operations, as well as an onsite taproom and restaurant.

SEVEN BRO7HERS BREWING CO was founded in 2014 by McAvoy brothers, Guy, Keith, Luke, Daniel, Nathan, Kit, and Greg, inspired by their dad’s home-brewing in their cellar at home.

Protecting your know-how

By Damien Gervais, Lawyer at The

Legal

Director

In 2009, headlines were made when the company’s accountant revealed he had previously found the secret recipe of Lea and Perrins Worcester Sauce in an old notepad, in a skip. The incident highlights the risks of leaks – intentional or otherwise – of secret information. Such information constitutes an intellectual property often termed ‘know-how’ -and especially valuable in food and drink sectors. Secret ingredients or processes underpin businesses ranging from niche liqueurs to global brands such as Coca-Cola. Because leaks or misuse could jeopardise such businesses, they may keep key information restricted to just two or three people at any time (sometimes with each person knowing only part), with transmission protocols designed to keep it that way!

Other know-how information, beyond ingredients and production techniques, may include sourcing, suppliers, customers and pricing. Know-how is notoriously hard to protect, unlike more definable intellectual property like trademarks or patents with formal registration processes that are easier to enforce.

Best practice is to schedule regular IP audits, to protect not just know-how, but all valuable IP.

What is know-how?

Know-how can be defined as ‘Information, skills or expertise (for example, processes, methods, techniques, drawings, data or compilation) that is generally confidential.’ That information might be documented or simply exist in individuals’ memories. Legal protection relies on enforcing a duty of confidence. It may be verbalised when first disclosed but is ideally recorded in contracts.

Know-how protection, particularly in the food and drink sector, receives especial focus when a business changes hands, because it can be crucial for future prospects. If competitors can replicate its products a business has “lost its moat” – and is worth less.

How do you protect your know-how?

First make an intellectual property assessment, including identifying knowhow: evaluate how and where it is kept. For physical assets assess location accessibility and potential for reproduction.

That could involve, for example, locking key documents in a safe to avoid archive material being thrown unchecked into a skip!

For digital assets, ensure password protection and two-factor authentication. Increasingly, sensitive information gravitates online, so audit file sharing systems, identifying (and limiting) access to specific information. Some ex-employees leak secrets for retribution: robust processes for data breaches are helpful, particularly if leakers understand they will be identified; restricting access in the first place is better still.

Contracts, as mentioned, are vital safeguards given know-how’s potential value. Review employee, third-party supplier, and customer contracts for adequate protection. Elsewhere, such as opening commercial discussions, nondisclosure agreements help safeguard confidentiality. Obligations should be enforceable indefinitely for two reasons: firstly, because discussions often fall through; secondly because the disclosee could otherwise gain a lever.

Everyone involved in the business should understand the value of your know-how, so that it is not leaked inadvertently. Communicate with staff, avoiding outright scare tactics but emphasising the significance of IP rights, specifying what can and cannot be shared externally. Staff should understand that infringement could have serious legal consequences. Courts can act swiftly, for example, if necessary, with injunctions.

Best practice is to schedule regular IP audits, to protect not just know-how, but all valuable IP. These can consider know-how updates, and standard checks such as monitoring renewal dates for trademarks registrations. Between audits, addressing infringements promptly ensures your IP is adequately protected and demonstrates active enforcement. Regular reviews, with timely interventions between, will help secure your long-term business future.

Major contracts news from Hart

Hart Door Systems has completed two more contracts for leading UK manufacturers supplying a range of door systems from Hart’s Speedor range of high speed doors to Hart’s roller shutters.

“Both clients are leading manufacturers in their respective sectors, one specialising in roofing and cladding, the other in wall, roof and landscaping innovations,” says Gordon Kipling, Hart’s Northern Sales Manager. “Their requirements were dissimilar which resulted in Hart supplying a range of doors for different purposes.

“For example we supplied Speedor Cleanroom, high speed, doors for one contract and Speedor Minis for another. Cleanroom is designed to work in environments in which pressure differentials need to be maintained and where hygiene standards are high, whereas Speedor Mini is for high traffic, frequent use internal applications. This is a low cost access option.”

Mr Kipling added: “In all over both contracts were supplied a total of 10 doors. Once again our range of door solutions gives clients many options and as manufacturers they very often have highly individual needs. Hart is a logical supplier with considerable expertise.

“Our product choice is superb and manufactured to required standards. We expect more orders for fast action doors to follow in the near future.”

For more information visit: www.hartdoors.com

People On The Move

Croxsons appoints new business development manager

Leading glass packaging company, Croxsons, has announced the appointment of Lindsay Martin as the latest addition to its business development team.

Lindsay brings an abundance of knowledge and expertise to her new role. Having initially worked in the hospitality sector where she studied for her WSET 1 and 2 programmes (Wine & Spirit Education Trust), she has since spent the last 5 years in the packaging industry, focusing on food and drink categories and a variety of primary packaging types.

In her new role at Croxsons, Lindsay aims to foster strong, personal relationships with clients, assisting them across all aspects of their closures needs, from standard options to fully bespoke closures. She will also scrutinise the entire supply chain process to ensure Croxsons delivers efficient, cost-effective and high-quality solutions, covering logistics, warehousing, manufacturing and product development.

Lindsay’s choice to join Croxsons was influenced by the company’s familyoriented culture and its strong commitment to sustainability. She looks forward to contributing to brand development for clients through tailor-made solutions and being an integral part of Croxsons’ continued success.

Commenting on her appointment, Tim Croxson, Croxsons’ CEO, said: “We are thrilled to welcome Lindsay into the Croxsons family. She comes to us with a wealth of packaging industry experience and is very relationship-led, which fits our team perfectly. We are confident that her contributions will be pivotal in creating added value for our customers.”

Logistics industry unites in call for dedicated government minister

Heads of the UK’s leading logistics trade associations are urging the next government to recognise the value the sector provides to the economy and appoint a dedicated minister for logistics with cross-departmental responsibilities.

Eleven of the UK’s leading logistics trade associations have cosigned a letter which was delivered to the leaders of the UK’s and devolved nations’ main political parties today, highlighting the role logistics can play in boosting growth and productivity, if backed by the right policies and a dedicated minister supported by a Cabinet Office structure to support delivery across Whitehall. The logistics sector underpins the economy and, according to the associations, generates £163 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and contributes significant tax revenue for the

UK, including £5 billion from Fuel Duty and Vehicle Excise Duty alone.

Phil Roe: “As a sector, logistics has the ability to transform the way other industries operate, and could deliver up to £7.9 billion in productivity-led growth per year by 2030, according to research from Oxford Economics. To do this, our industry needs a focus from government, combined with radical planning reform, long-term infrastructure investment and a firm commitment to increase transport capacity nationwide.

“We need the next government to work with our sector on a sustainability and decarbonisation roadmap, to ensure our Net Zero goals can be achieved, backed by skills policies that will enable us to attract and retain the brightest and best minds. Our priority is to work closely with government to boost trade and protect the UK’s highly interconnected supply chain, for the benefit of both consumers

Scotland Food & Drink appoints John Donnelly as Commercial Director

Scotland Food & Drink, the industry leadership body for the £16bn sector, has appointed John Donnelly as its new Membership and Commercial Director.

Previously John has held senior roles including CEO of Marketing Edinburgh, Commercial Director for the Glasgow

People On The Move

and businesses, as we approach the next government’s term. The sector is united in its priorities,” concludes Mr Roe, “and irrespective of who wins the next election, logistics will have a fundamental role to play in achieving their and the UK’s priorities. The sector is keen to work with the next government, and the appointment of a dedicated minister is entirely appropriate for a sector that generates £163 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and employs over 8% of the UK workforce.”

The sector is united in its priorities, and irrespective of who wins the next election, logistics will have a fundamental role to play in achieving their and the UK’s priorities.

2014 Commonwealth Games, Interim Head of Marketing and Commercial at Scottish Rugby Union, and most recently, as a marketing and strategy consultant.

John brings more than 30 years’ experience in marketing and commercial strategy, strengthening the senior leadership team at Scotland Food & Drink.

Scotland Food & Drink has more than 450 members from across the industry and the country. John, as part of his role, will support the development and delivery of a new membership

Lyras announces appointment of its new CEO, Mark Kalhøj Andersen

Mark Kalhøj Andersen will continue to instill Lyras’ values while bringing fresh ideas and aims to expand the company’s footprint across the globe.

Internationally award-winning Lyras, whose energy-saving replacement for pasteurization and filtration is attracting global interest from the world’s food and biotech industries, has appointed Mark Kalhøj Andersen as its new CEO. Until now, Mark has been Chief Commercial Officer at Lyras. During this time, Mark has played a decisive role in establishing the company’s global sales and marketing strategy. His areas of responsibility have spanned from establishing international sales offices in The Netherlands, France and Spain, for the development of distributor networks all the way to cooperating with engineering and OEM partners.

Mark Kalhøj Andersen, CEO at Lyras says: “It is a great honour to be given the responsibility of becoming CEO of Lyras. I aim to continue to create innovative products that help the company and industry grow. I’ve stepped into the role of CEO with great humility and expect a

strategy that will improve members’ experience and create increased opportunities for sustainable growth across member businesses.

He will be responsible for improving the commercial performance of the organisation to the benefit of members, accessing new sponsorship and commercial partnership opportunities to seek increased collaboration within the industry and further afield.

John’s will lead the business development activity for Scotland Food & Drink and his appointment

steep learning curve, but I have a strong group of owners and board as well as a fantastic organization which I am sure will support me in the process. Further still, I will continue to focus on the commercial scaling of our sales platform.”

Mark Kalhøj Andersen has previously been, among other things, technical director at DESMI Ocean Guard A/S. Here he drove the expansion of the organization’s technical capacity and promoted both international development and results. He has a Master of Science in chemistry degree with a specialization in environmental engineering from Aalborg University, supplemented by an HD degree in organization and management with a specialization in marketing, also from Aalborg University.

follows changes and growth within the team.

Tracy Cameron has stepped into the role of Scotland Food & Drink’s Interim Head of the Business Development, as she continues to represent members in the Highlands and Islands.

The organisation is also recruiting for an East of Scotland business development manager, and is once again partnering with Opportunity North East (ONE) to soon recruit a joint-funded North East Business Development Manager.

Reducing the cost of compliance through labelling

Avinash Voodi, vice president of commercial growth at labelling and artwork software specialists, Kallik, looks at how food and drink manufacturers can improve their labelling processes, while reducing the cost of compliance.

More than four years after the UK formally left the EU, food and drink manufacturers are still navigating new regulations around imports and exports – including new labelling rules already in place as part of the Windsor Framework. Now, manufacturers are preparing for new border controls for imported chilled or frozen meat and fish, cheese and dairy products.

From the 30th April, imported goods are being physically inspected at the border and face tougher customs checks – a precaution set by the UK government to protect biosecurity. Each product will also need an export health certificate, an official document signed by a European vet that proves the goods meet the health requirements of the UK.

The regulation was set to be introduced in 2021, but after a request for extra time from businesses, it was delayed. Fast forward to 2024, in an already turbulent market, what impact will it have on a stretched industry? Businesses in the EU and UK will

need to navigate the change, so now is the time to sure-up operations to ensure time-to-market meets growing demands.

The impact of Brexit border checks

The new regulation is set to add over £300m per year to the cost of trading, an increase that many food manufacturers will have to absorb –and an added cost on top of already mounting fees for businesses in the sector.

In fact, food production costs have already risen and manufacturers are reportedly the worst off with rapidly increasing energy and production costs. Not only that, but almost half of UK food and drink manufacturers have reported their competitiveness with the EU has fallen.

British consumers are already facing the effects of food inflation, promoting some to downgrade to cheaper alternatives, or cut back completely. Research shows that the price of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by a quarter from January 2022-2024 – with manufacturers’ rising costs contributing to it.

As well as these costs, the new border checks could also lead to supply chain

delays, reminiscent of those we saw due to Covid-19 and the war in Ukraine. To avoid this, manufacturers will need robust, yet efficient labelling processes to ensure compliance in the most efficient and cost-effective way possible.

How labelling and artwork management can help

One of the biggest hurdles businesses face is that manual labelling can often be time-consuming, draining on resources and, as such, it can lead to costly human errors - particularly within such a heavily regulated market.

When it comes to labelling, food manufacturers need to get it right the first time.

Mitigating delays

Accuracy is critical and a single mistake could impact customer safety, lead to costly recalls, and be reputationally and financially damaging. There have already been 17 cases in 2024 highlighted by the food standards agency (FSA), where labelling errors were implicated.

To comply with changing regulations and keep costs down, labelling must be precise and up-to-date. That means declaring all allergens, including a useby-date and being in-the-know for any new sustainability policies – which, if done manually, could take days or, in some cases, weeks.

This is where software like Kallik’s Veraciti can be helpful. It uses a rule-based system which allows manufacturers to make 10,000 changes in as little as 14 days – a task that would take up to six months with traditional methods. The software also offers proofreading tools to ensure accuracy.

With the new border checks, manufacturers may find it difficult to plan ahead. The software means they can respond quickly to new changes while keeping costs down and preventing further delays.

While automated labelling and artwork management software can greatly improve accuracy, it’s important to also be aware that there are, of course, some scenarios where recalls are made due to missing allergens – not always strictly because there was an isolated labelling issue.

For example, in instances were a food testing lab has perhaps overlooked mentioning the allergen and its

have greater control because it streams content into creative software like Adobe.

Accuracy is critical and a single mistake could impact customer safety, lead to costly recalls, and be reputationally and financially damaging.

percentage in the overall composition of a product - in which case no automated labelling and artwork management system can assist.

Speeding up time-to-market

Manufacturers are pushing for automated processes and the latest technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, because it enables efficiency, better quality control, reduced costs and competitiveness.

Where they face barriers with technical skills and data, automating labelling and artwork is a straightforward process that can improve time-tomarket.

Automated artwork generation saves time because it uses pre-approved content to generate artwork, eliminating the need for staff input, reducing the risk of error and decreasing project completion times. That means your label can be created within seconds, and design teams can

Where manufacturers are likely to face greater disruption to the supply chain, using the latest technology to automate and streamline tasks like labelling can absorb some of the time lost and get goods on the supermarket shelves.

Streamlining the labelling and artwork process

Food manufacturers can opt for label templates to speed up time and remain compliant. Pre-designed layouts can reduce production costs, reduce errors and help to maintain consistency.

With a single cloud-based system, all information is contained within a single environment making it easy for authorised staff to view and update it. This enables improved collaboration and communication between departments, who will need to work closely together to stay on top of the new regulation.

The latest labelling and artwork generation tools can also be integrated with your enterprise resource planning (ERP) software – helping to streamline your workflow, save time and improve accuracy.

Food manufacturers are facing greater uncertainty, so streamlining existing processes like labelling can relieve some of the pressure they are under, get the goods to customers without any further delays, and save costs to help balance the increasing cost of trading.

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Vegan labelling and allergies

Why a lack of vegan labelling laws can be a recipe for disaster

The majority of people in the UK have an inaccurate idea of what vegan food can or cannot contain, which puts those with food allergies at risk, a survey by leading allergen awareness training provider High Speed Training reveals.

The survey, which sampled 2,187 UK participants, aimed to reveal common perceptions and misconceptions regarding vegan food and its relation to food allergies. Based on the results, 72% of respondents, and 75% of those with a food allergy, believe that vegan food does not contain any ingredients derived from animals, making it safe for individuals with allergies to ingredients such as milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans or molluscs.

High Speed Training’s latest report highlights that this perception is in fact false. While the term ‘vegan’ generally implies that products do not contain ingredients sourced from animals, the reality of food manufacturing processes can lead to the presence of animalbased allergens in vegan products.

The training company’s report concludes that this worrying misalignment between public views and reality can be put down to the current lack of a legal definition of vegan food. Without a legal definition that strictly prohibits any presence of animal-derived ingredients, the public cannot be sure that what they’re eating is in line with their beliefs and dietary requirements.

Why is this such a problem? For the consumer, it may lead to misguided

choices, particularly for those who seek to avoid animal products due to ethical or environmental reasons. Moreover, it poses potentially life-threatening risks for individuals with food allergies.

74% of survey respondents agreed that there should be a clear definition for vegan food, indicating strong support of the cause. Additionally, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) have recommended the creation of a legal definition for vegan food, helping to put more weight behind the argument.

The stark consequences of this are evident in the case of Celia Marsh, a 42 year old mother of five and dental nurse diagnosed with a cow’s milk allergy, who in 2017 died after eating a super-veg rainbow flatbread from Pret a Manger labelled as ‘vegan’ and ‘dairyfree’ which, unbeknownst to her, was contaminated with milk protein.

High Speed Training has been a leading food safety course provider since 2008, and their Food Allergen Awareness training is the first to be officially endorsed by the Owen’s Law Campaign, set up after the tragic death of Owen Carey in 2017.

As a notable provider of food allergen awareness training, High Speed Training’s Vegan Food Report combines survey data with written accounts from various members of the food manufacturing industry, allergy sufferers, and hypersensitivity experts, to give a comprehensive overview of the current issues facing vegan labelling.

Dr. Richard Anderson, Head of Learning and Development at High Speed Training, said “It’s incredibly important for food labelling and descriptions to match the ingredients and manufacturing methods used to create the product. Without this, the public are unable to make informed choices about what they eat to match their beliefs and dietary requirements, whether these are ethical or medical. Ultimately, a lack of understanding or clarity on what a food label, such as ‘vegan’, entails can be lifethreatening.”

Ultimately, a lack of understanding or clarity on what a food label, such as ‘vegan’, entails can be lifethreatening.

“Our report shows that there is currently a widespread and potentially dangerous misconception into what a ‘vegan’ label means for the food product on which it’s placed, with the vast majority of people believing that vegan food is safe for individuals with animal-based allergies, such as milk or eggs, to eat. As this is not the case, it’s paramount we act to reduce this misunderstanding and protect the health of allergy sufferers.”

“At High Speed Training, one of our principle missions is to leave things better than we found them, and thus our advocacy of increased allergy awareness aims to make the food industry safer for those with life-threatening hypersensitivities. Whilst our report is helpful in raising awareness of the current reality behind vegan labelling and reducing misconceptions, we advocate for a change in the law to introduce a clear definition of vegan food. This is the best way to ensure consumers can make informed dietary decisions and protect their health.”

To view the report in full, and learn more about the reality of vegan food labelling, please click here.

Driving a Responsive, Sustainable and Efficient Food Supply Chain

To adapt and thrive in this ever-evolving market, food and beverage producers require the capability to integrate the different planning levels, departments and teams within a supply chain. With the right solution, producers should have visibility on the impact of every planning decision.

The food and beverage (F&B) industry has always been highly responsive to changes in consumer behavior, but rising food prices have brought about new challenges—pushing manufacturers to search for new ways to adapt and remain competitive in a rapidly changing market.

Due to inflation and rising prices, consumers are being more frugal in spending on groceries, which can be done in a variety of ways. A Deloitte study identified trends such as buying based on what food was already at home and buying only what was essential in an effort to waste less food. Some consumers also switched to lower-cost meats or cuts, or cheaper store brands. This could have important strategic implications for retailers and F&B companies, including pricing strategies, marketing, promotion, product mixes and volume expectations.

Shifts in consumer behavior are also changing due to increasing demand for healthy and sustainable foods.

Adrian Wood, Director of Strategic Business Development for DELMIA, takes a closer look at the food manufacturing supply chain and some of the key challenges it faces.

What is an example of sustainable food?

Shifts in consumer behavior are also changing due to increasing demand for healthy and sustainable foods.

Source: Deloitte – 2023 Consumer Products Industry Outlook

Health-conscious consumers seek products that are high in nutrients and low in calories, and F&B manufacturers are responding by introducing new products to cater to this trend. This can range from plant-based foods to organic and non-GMO (genetically modified organism) products, and functional foods with health benefits beyond basic nutrition.

The growing demand for convenience in consumer behavior is pushing manufacturers towards foods and beverages that are easy to prepare and consume on-the-go. Some examples of ready-to-eat and ready-to-drink products include pre-packaged salads, protein bars and energy drinks.

However, rising commodity prices are putting pressure on manufacturers to find ways to reduce costs while maintaining quality, as raising product prices could lead to a loss of customers. In response, some manufacturers are turning to cheaper alternatives, such as:

• Alternative protein sources such as peas or insects

• Reducing portion sizes

• Changing product packaging to save costs

The other way to adapt to the rising food prices is to focus on production efficiency and sustainability, which can be done by investing in new technologies and processes that help to reduce waste and conserve resources. For example, some companies have implemented sustainable packaging solutions that use biodegradable materials to reduce their environmental impact.

The left pie chart shows what companies in the consumer products sector believe are the ‘must-haves’ for making innovations in sustainability happen:

The effective implementation of sustainability goals on emissions, circularity, waste reduction and the recyclability of materials requires a transformation of company operations spanning the entire supply chain - of

which digital transformation is a key part. F&B manufacturers that can quickly accept this reality and transform their operations are well positioned to achieve greater efficiency and drive a competitive advantage in their industry.

Solutions to overcome challenges in:

1. Manufacturing and operations technology: Modern digital solutions can help F&B manufacturers make better, faster and data-driven decisions while implementing more sustainable practices. This transformation is long overdue, as the continued use of legacy planning tools, systems and processes has led to some companies lagging behind the current pace of innovation. Embracing digital and automated processes will enable increased traceability of ingredients and improved inventory monitoring for faster and more efficient processing. Unlocking improved supply chain visibility and agility is only possible when F&B manufacturers commence the digitalization of manufacturing and operations.

2. Supply chain planning and execution: Supply chain innovation is now a necessity for the F&B industry to gain improved visibility and collaborative planning across the value network. This requires all stakeholders, from farmers to suppliers, manufacturers and downstream users, to have aligned strategies to drive more efficient and sustainable production. Given the current volatile state of the industry, companies need accurate demand and supply planning so they can create lean plans and make datadriven decisions based on simulated scenarios to achieve outcomes aligned with organizational objectives.

3. Daily disruptions to operations and business: Some of the daily disruptions food manufacturers face include production timeline pressures, equipment downtime, ingredient shelf life, stringent regulations and risk of contamination. Adding to this complexity are external factors such as fluctuating commodity prices from climate or geopolitical events as well as shifting market demand, all of which make it difficult to control operating costs and maximize profits. To overcome these challenges, F&B companies need an integrated platform approach that enables them to optimize production, scheduling and execution,

Sustainability

giving them the leverage they need to drive increased efficiency—and hence, better profits—to gain a competitive advantage.

Tackling complexity in F&B manufacturing with confidence

To summarize, the F&B industry is facing an increasingly challenging business climate due to changes in consumer behavior and rising food prices, which forward-thinking companies could successfully overcome by:

• Introducing products that meet changing consumer needs

• Reducing costs by using alternative ingredients

• Focusing on production efficiency and sustainability

To adapt and thrive in this everevolving market, F&B producers require the capability to integrate the different planning levels, departments and teams within a supply chain. With the right solution, producers should have visibility on the impact of every planning decision on fulfillment levels, inventory levels, customer satisfaction and profit margins—empowering companies to make the best decisions and seize opportunities for efficiency gains.

Transform for a future-ready value network

To transform how you plan your supply chain, you need a comprehensive virtual twin that covers the entire

Source: Deloitte – Consumer sustainability tops the innovation agenda

product development process from conceptualization to production and distribution. This holistic virtual twin experience—augmented with worldclass optimization technology—is part of a smart, integrated system that helps you adapt to any market condition and overcome critical challenges. With planning algorithms that consider all planning horizons (strategic, tactical and operational), you can empower your supply chain with the agility and flexibility to better meet changing business needs and mitigate disruptions.

Adrian Wood has been the Director of Strategic Business Development for the DELMIA brand at Dassault Systèmes since 2019. He is responsible for developing new and innovative business markets and reinforcing the company position as an innovative leader in key industries.

Machinary Focus

Grant McGeever, managing director of Rospen Industries, tells us How Rospen plays a vital role in sweet treat Toblerone.

Its distinctive triangular appearance makes it recognisable around the world, whether you treat yourself at the airport or find one under your tree at Christmas.

Of course, I’m talking about Toblerone, the Swiss chocolate bar that was created in 1908 and has become a favourite around the world.

Whether you choose the dark, white or original milk version, did you know Rospen plays a key role in ensuring your chocolate bar gets its unique taste and consistency?

When manufacturing a chocolate bar, there are different ‘inclusions’ – ingredients added to the chocolate.

We have a longstanding partnership with food manufacturer Mondelez International – parent company of brands including Cadbury, Philadelphia and Ritz, manufacturing mixing and processing equipment for a number of their sites around the world.

Our most recent project began in September 2022 and was prompted by sales of Toblerone soaring during

the pandemic. Mondelez wanted to open a production site for Toblerone in Bratislava, Slovakia, in addition to its current operation in Switzerland, and enlisted our expertise to ensure the signature recipe continued to be replicated.

Perfectly proportioned

Crack open a segment of Toblerone and you’ll notice an even spread of perfectly proportioned honey and almond nougat – and that’s down to us.

The £1.2m project we completed in 2023 deals specifically with the nougat that goes into every triangular bar, and we’ve come up with some innovative solutions to various challenges along the way.

When manufacturing a chocolate bar, there are different ‘inclusions’ –ingredients added to the chocolate. Some have several (think Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut), but Toblerone has just one, the nougat, which, unlike many of the ingredients our machines handle, has trickier qualities.

Unlike an ingredient like salt, which flows freely regardless of its environment, nougat is affected by temperature and humidity. Stored wrongly and it melts, becomes sticky and clumps together, meaning the conditions it is handled in must be totally controlled.

The nougat for Toblerone starts life in Switzerland, where it is bagged up in a temperature-controlled room and transported to Bratislava ready to go in the chocolate bars.

Innovative

On arrival, the nougat enters Rospen’s bulk bag handling system, with a hoist picking up the bag and lifting it onto the machine ready to be handled. Here, our engineering team had to be innovative to overcome the challenge of a low ceiling height in the facility –adapting the frame that holds the bags, to take into account the lack of headroom, and reducing the usual 5m height of our system to 4m.

Then there was the issue of encouraging the sticky nougat to flow out of the bags and into the system. For this specific project, we designed a pneumatic massage system that vibrates and pounds the ingredient as it leaves the bulk bag and into a Rospen feeder – that has once again been customised to deal with this difficult product.

It contains two rotating bars that crush the nougat to deal with any blocks or clumps as they are fed into a mill that grinds the golf ball-sized chunks into 8mmsized pieces of nougat. Once again, our engineering team had to think differently here to ensure the ingredient was fed into the mill, which contains a specially designed screw, to meter feed the mill to prevent it being overfed.

From here, the milled nougat gets pulled through pipework that runs across the factory and into a different room to reach the mixer that combines it with the molten chocolate.

Core product

The next challenge to be overcome occurred with the ingredient moving from one temperature-controlled room to one where temperatures can reach 30C in the summer months. The vacuum conveying system is a core Rospen product that uses negative pressure to pull the substance through, but the threat of heat could result in melting and blockages.

Our expert engineers got to work again and designed the water jacketed pipework – a surrounding pipe pumped with cold water to keep the nougat chilled as it travels. A vacuum receiving hopper, deposits the nougat into a twin screw feeder to keep it moving and prevent sticking, before it goes into a mixer where paddles push it into the liquid chocolate ready for moulding.

The result is the Toblerone we all know and love.

The project was a completely customised system for Mondelez – an intricate piece of machinery designed to do an all-important job to ensure a sweet favourite is produced to a high and consistent quality. From Haslingden to Bratislava – to supermarket shelves across the globe.

Our expert engineers got to work again and designed the water jacketed pipework – a surrounding pipe pumped with cold water to keep the nougat chilled as it travels.

Used Koppens Forming, coating & Frying Line

Koppens VM400HS Former in exceptionally good condition

Koppens ER 400 Batter Enrober, 400 mm wide belt

Koppens PR400C Breader, 400 mm wide belt

• Koppens 400 mm wide Fryer, 3,000 mm

fry length, Thermal oil, sediment removal, gantry lift Bowl Cutters

New Fatosa 35 litre Bowl Cutter all S/S

• Seydelmann 60 litre Bowl Cutter with unloader

Mincers & Mixer Grinders

Biro 52 Mixer Grinder, tinned head Fatosa PA 130 self feed Mincer with hoist Wolfking UNI 250 Mincer, stainless steel machine, tinned worm

• Weiler 8 inch Grinder all stainless steel, 50 Hp motor

Vacuum Packers & Shrink / dip mc’s New ATM Table Top Vacuum Packer, single phase

• New ATM Packman single chamber Vacuum Packer, 3 phase

New ATM large single chamber Vacuum Packer, 3 phase New ATM double chamber gas flush Vacuum Packer, 3 phase Cryovac ST98 600 Hot water spray shrink Tunnel, electric Webomatic 60/80 Dip tank electric Mixers & Tumblers

New Uniball 225 litre concrete style tumbler, electric tipping New Fatosa 150 litre single paddle Mixer, tipping discharge New Fatosa A300 Mixer, single paddle, end door discharge

• Millitec 300 litre Drum Mixer, tipping discharge Mica 600 litre Vacuum Tumbler

Dicers, Flakers, Graters

New Fatosa TBG 480 Guillotine, pneumatic Loader, 8 week

NON-INVASIVE up to absolute STERILIZATION

Pulse shapes:

• positive rectangular,

• fronts/tails ~1 µs;

• ~5% flat at 50µs: V(t) & I(t) at 25kV >

Inactivation of bacteria in juices with this system can reach 3-6 logs at 250l/h and 2-4 logs at 500 l/h with one or both coax chambers. Plus, its unique set of broad pulsing values with up to 50kV/cm fields allows finding optimal parameters for your future costeffective production system.

Wek-Tec offers to evaluate or to develop your optimal PEF process which work can be credited to your possible purchase of our system. This work is done at our place with a bio-support from a local certified food lab as explained here.

Our PEF and PUV pilots have been successfully used past 23 years worldwide and brought valuable scientific results referenced in various academic and in industrial publications.

by Strong Pulsed Electrical Fields of juices & wines or honey & creams keeping unchanged its properties with our scalable pilot production system:

• for R&D:

1x PEF chamber for solids & creams and 1x coax PEF chamber for liquids;

• for pilot production: two in line coaxial chambers at same or different optimally enhanced pulsing using batch or direct flow through processing.

Broadest changeable SPEF parameters:

• Pulse rates in Hz: 4, 20, 100, 500, 4-125;

• Pulse lengths in μs: 2,5, 5, 10, 50, 2,5-20;

• electrical fields 5-50kV/cm;

• selectable pulsing time 1s-9h;

• 25kV 2kW pulser, up to 10kW options;

• overcurrent protection is build-in with a reset;

• convenient in use, simple to maintain, safe!

PEF sterilizes by stretching bacteria up to its ruptures by electrical fields with 20- 50kV/cm strength delivered by sharp square pulses.

More in details.

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Delta Empowers Tecnobox with CuttingEdge Automation in Box Forming Machinery

Amidst the rapidly evolving landscape of the box forming machinery sector, the demand for more efficient, sustainable, and robust machinery is escalating. Delta’s innovative automation solutions have played a pivotal role in enhancing the production capabilities of Tecnobox, a box forming machinery company in Spain. This transformation has not only fortified Tecnobox’s position in a competitive market, but it has also set new standards in the industry for technological advancement and environmental responsibility.

Urgent Need for a Reliable, Efficient Solution

Nestled in Levante, a bountiful food-producing region, Tecnobox is renowned for its dedication to quality, innovation, and sustainability. With around 40 employees, this medium-sized company has carved a niche in manufacturing robust, lowmaintenance cardboard box assembly machinery.

Its products are distinguished by the use of standard components to speed up production and a commitment to replacing metal and plastic containers with biodegradable alternatives.

However, the post-pandemic landscape posed unprecedented challenges for

the company. A critical component crisis threatened the continuity of Tecnobox’s production, putting its market leadership at risk.

This crisis coincided with a period when Delta was seeking to establish a stronger presence in the market. Tecnobox’s need was clear. It required a system that mirrored its current architecture’s reliability, while offering enhanced efficiency. The solution had to be complete and incorporate EtherCAT communication while aligning with its ethos of innovation and sustainability. With its AX3 PLC, MS300, ASDA-B3, DOP100, and LITE Power Supply. Delta emerged as the candidate most suited to meeting Tecnobox’s requirements, not just for the completeness of its offering, but also its ability to deliver it promptly.

Operating two distinct machines within the system, Tecnobox required specialized control architectures tailored to each machine’s unique tasks and performance metrics. The first machine, TB-Pack, utilizes a servo system with the MS300 drive, achieving a production speed of 3000 pieces per hour. Along with the servo system and MS300 drive, it is also equipped with an HMI, PLC, and I/O, making this machine optimally forms boxes of specific types.

The second machine, TBQ-Pack, shares a similar configuration with

TB-Pack but substitutes the MS300 with another servo system, allowing it to operate at a faster pace of up to 10000 pieces per hour. These variations in control architecture stem from the distinct production requirements and speed capabilities of each machine.

A Synergy of Expertise and Innovation

The journey began with Delta’s proactive approach. Collaborating closely with its regional partner, INDA LEVANTE, Delta offered its comprehensive automation solutions to Tecnobox. This collaboration was not just about providing hardware; it involved an intricate process of understanding Tecnobox’s needs and tailoring its hardware and software solutions according to Tecnobox’s unique requirements.

Delta’s Project Managers and Field Application Engineers spearheaded the initiative, conducting extensive technical training sessions for Tecnobox and INDA LEVANTE. Within five months, a prototype machine was manufactured which integrated Delta’s advanced automation systems. As with all implementations, in the early stages there were challenges to overcome, but they served to prove Delta’s confidence in problem solving and commitment to complete customer satisfaction.

Enhanced Performance and Cost-Efficiency

Following the implementation, the results were remarkable. Tecnobox not only overcame the production hurdles, but it did so with a solution that saved approximately 25% in electronic materials costs. Furthermore, the stability and efficiency of Delta’s solutions were not just in line with Tecnobox’s expectations, but also reinforced its market position during a critical period. Website: www.delta-emea.com

Battling biofilms

In this article we look at Biofilms in detail, what they are, why they are important to understand and how you can decrease the risk of biofilms within your factory.

What are biofilms?

Biofilms are invisible communities of microbes clinging to surfaces, forming difficult-to-clean, slimy layers. These unseen enemies lurk in everyday environments, posing challenges in food production.

Why is it important to understand biofilms?

Imagine microscopic cities teeming with bacteria and fungi, protected by a self-made shield, making them resilient. These biofilms colonize surfaces, harboring harmful pathogens that threaten food safety. They can grow on various surfaces and survive harsh conditions, often evading cleaning efforts.

What sort of bacteria live in Biofilms?

Biofilms can include Listeria, E. coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus Aureus, causing foodborne illnesses with symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and fatigue. The Food Standards Agency estimates these illnesses cause serious health problems and even fatalities.

How can you decrease the risk?

The focus should be on preventing biofilm formation in food production. Traditional materials can corrode, compromising hygiene and allowing contamination.

• Stainless steel resists corrosion and has a smooth surface that reduces biofilm buildup. Smoother surfaces make cleaning easier.

• Electropolishing creates an ultra-smooth surface on stainless steel, making it even easier to clean and maintain.

Robust cleaning

Regular cleaning is crucial. Proper protocols include:

• Keeping factories clean and free of food debris.

• Selecting appropriate cleaning agents for stainless steel.

• Training staff on proper cleaning techniques.

Furniture inspection

Regularly inspect stainless steel furniture for wear, damage, or organic matter buildup. Address any issues promptly to prevent biofilm formation.

• Poor hygienic furniture design with folds, gaps, or hidden corners creates harbourage points for biofilms and makes cleaning difficult.

• Look for furniture with sloped surfaces to ensure liquids run off and avoid pooling.

How can Teknomek help?

By integrating stainless steel hygienic furniture into comprehensive biofilm prevention strategies, food production facilities can create environments that are resistant to microbial colonisation and conducive to maintaining high standards of hygiene. Through diligent maintenance, proper cleaning protocols,

What the L?

You may have noticed that some of our products have a little addition when noting the type of stainless steel we use. Some products are manufactured in 304-grade stainless steel, while others are proudly made from 304L-grade stainless steel.

The main benefit of 304L stainless steel over their non-L counterparts is their lower carbon content. There are a number of ways this can affect the product, it can...

Reduce cracks around the welds

The lower carbon content in 304L minimises the risk of chromium carbide precipitation around the welds. This can cause cracks in 304-grade stainless steel that might not occur in 304L-grade stainless.

Improve resistance to corrosion

In some specific cases, particularly high heat environments, 304L can offer superior corrosion resistance due to the reduced chromium carbide formation.

Interview: Edward Porter Interview

Food and Drink Manufacturing UK interviews Edward Porter, Director of IoT Solutions at IMS Evolve

Firstly Edward, thank you for talking with us, what drove you into the food technology industry?

I have always had an interest in the food industry, and actually started my career as a Chef and Restaurant Manager before joining the team at IMS Evolve, an Internet of Things (IoT) company in Milton Keynes.

The IMS technology optimises organisations machines and processes, including food and small box retailers, to increase efficiency, lower emissions, and minimise food waste. I was drawn to IMS because of the cutting-edge technology and targeted solutions that effectively maximised existing resources and infrastructure without the prohibitive investment costs often attached to innovative technologies. The benefits to sustainability that IMS brings to both the customer and the broader industry was a real source of inspiration.

Fast forward 20 years, and I am the Director of IoT Solutions at IMS Evolve. My role involves a relational and collaborative approach with our customers so that I can understand their challenges and evolving needs and can effectively lead the charge on new and innovative applications of our

technology to address market concerns and continue driving value for our customer base.

Can you talk more about your role as Director of IoT at IMS Evolve and how your role has developed over the last 20 years?

IMS Evolve has undergone significant growth since my early days at the company. What began with a one store trial of which I personally monitored, quickly became a rollout to hundreds of stores and a team to manage. Our initial objective was to reduce stock loss through centralised monitoring. Prior to IMS, the customer was managing this with their staff in stores responding to the flashing lights and beeps of the monitoring panel. The foundations we laid in the core monitoring paved the way for other opportunities to be exploited,

moving from reactive issues to more preventative and proactive initiatives. This, in turn, enabled expansion into additional customers to solve a variety of new problems to satisfy different stakeholder teams such as Energy, Food Safety and Maintenance.

Our remit has grown significantly over the years and now requires a diverse range of skills and expertise within the team, such as Mechanical Engineering, Energy, Artificial Intelligence and more. I have had the privilege of supporting the biggest retailers in the world and over this time, I have developed a unique understanding of customers’ needs and how technology can be best applied to achieve tangible business outcomes at speed and scale. Now, I am responsible for providing and supporting retailers on their tailored roadmap from integration to application of our technology to extract maximum value and return on investment from the IMS solution.

Can you discuss more about IoT solutions within the cold chain/ supply chain?

The cost, time, and resources associated across the supply chain and its operations – from farming to production and transport – are exponential. Managing these operational challenges while ensuring product safety, quality, and provenance has long been – and will continue to be – a key objective for supply chain organisations across the world, especially given the considerable growing consumer interest in the traceability of their goods.

IoT solutions play a pivotal role in enhancing operational efficiency within the cold chain and broader supply chain. These technologies facilitate real-time monitoring and management of various parameters critical to preserving product integrity, such as temperature, humidity, and location. This enables supply chain stakeholders to continuously monitor and control conditions, identify potential issues or deviations, and take proactive actions and measures to mitigate risks and protect food.

Furthermore, IoT solutions enable data collection and analysis on a granular level, providing valuable insights into supply chain performance, resource utilisation, and process optimisation. This data-driven approach empowers organisations to make more informed

production and buying decisions, improve operational workflows, and streamline logistics processes, ultimately enhancing the overall efficiency of operations.

Imperatively, this can be done across the entire cold chain, fostering a more cohesive and interconnected system to address crucial aspects such as food safety and quality, energy efficiency and waste reduction as one connected entity, from farm to shop floor. With a low-cost, low-barrier approach to adoption to support all companies in the digitalisation process, this presents a huge stride forward for an industry largely comprised of small to medium enterprises operating as isolated entities and heralds a transformative era of collaboration and efficiency across the supply chain.

What do food retailers need to do to produce high-quality food?

Once delivered to stores, food retailers must maintain the critical work supply chain organisations have done to ensure the safety, quality, and shelf life of produce to further protect the integrity of the food and ensure consumers receive the highest quality possible to minimise potential food waste in the home (in 2021, 70% of food waste occurs in the home).

Although various factors contribute to the quality and shelf life of a product, optimising temperature during its time on supermarket shelves is core to the integrity and longevity of food. If a fridge is running just one degree off, it can reduce a product’s shelf life by up to two days.

The cost, time, and resources associated across the supply chain and its operations – from farming to production and transport – are exponential.

- Edward Porter

This is where IoT solutions come in. IoT software can be integrated across existing infrastructure to collect and manage billions of real-time data points, providing valuable insights into refrigeration temperature, performance, and health data. The software can identify areas for improvement and optimisation, and with advanced read-write capabilities, can intervene when performance deviates from ideal conditions or when signs of failure arise. It can then take automatic actions to optimise the machines and therefore the conditions food is being kept in. For example, it is common practice to set all refrigeration units to chill food at the temperature required by the most susceptible product (meat), even if this is at the detriment of the quality of other food groups.

However, with an IoT solution integrated across refrigeration machines, merchandising data can also be collected and contextualised to enable the solution to set and maintain the correct temperature for the specific products contained in each unit. Not only does this protect the safety and quality of produce, but it avoids an annual over-cooling of millions of degrees which results in a significant reduction of unnecessary energy consumption and associated costs for food retailers.

Moreover, the untapped, raw, real-time data that an IoT layer can extract from multiple machine disciplines can serve as a valuable resource for maintenance engineers. Accessible through an online platform, this comprehensive view of machine health and performance offers unparalleled insights, visibility, and control. By contextualising remote monitoring capabilities with detailed historical asset data, including past faults and corresponding fixes, engineers gain a holistic understanding of machine health and are essentially provided with an advanced digital toolkit. This holistic approach enables the rapid identification of intermittent issues, emerging faults, required parts, or necessary fixes, all consolidated within a unified platform. The resulting benefits are twofold: unparalleled operational efficiency and informed decision making, ultimately minimising breakdowns and catastrophic loss, protecting food

Alongside a UK Governmentbacked consortium of leading food manufacturers, technology specialists and academics, IMS lead the Digital Sandwich project across a two-year development.

- Edward Porter

quality and integrity, and mitigating disruption to trade.

Can you discuss the UK Government backed Digital Sandwich project that you recently worked on?

Alongside a UK Governmentbacked consortium of leading food manufacturers, technology specialists and academics, IMS lead the Digital Sandwich project across a two-year development. The project serves as a national demonstrator of a digital agri-food supply chain, using sandwich manufacturing as the use case. Advanced IoT, blockchain, and AI was combined and deployed across the stages of the supply chain to provide end-to-end traceability of ingredients

in the production of a pre-packaged sandwich.

Designed to be an open platform, the project established a best-in-class digital supply chain that paves the way for a wider ecosystem network and offers a low barrier approach so that supply chain organisations of all sizes and technological maturity can participate. The project proved the solution was both scalable to the entire food industry and adaptable to other industries with similar resource and supply patterns. Results of the project included farm-to-fork traceability annual cost saving for an SME valued at £100k, 5% improved gross profit, 3% net profit conversion, an estimated £60k reduction in inventory costs, and an overall improvement and automated in production process of 34% and 8% respectively.

Can you tell us about some plans you have for IMS Evolve for the future?

At IMS Evolve, we are dedicated to deliver continuous value to our customers. Our solutions are multifaceted, and the possible applications of the technology are extremely broad. We strive to continue working closely alongside our customers and partners to build upon existing offerings to address new and evolving challenges for the industries we serve. For example, since the extreme heat in summer 2022, where businesses across the country struggled to keep equipment running in the unprecedented temperatures, retailers have become more focussed on being prepared for the heat. Simultaneously, the price and instability of energy has become a key C-suite agenda item.

For IMS, this presents an opportunity to explore new ways to leverage our solution to achieve greater energy efficiency and optimisation in the face of climate change challenges. For example, we are actively working on new ways to incorporate AI into how we do business. There is a huge opportunity to be more efficient in what we currently do, plus break new ground in terms of sophisticated pattern recognition and assimilating that into our software. For example, incorporating Load Shedding strategies when refrigeration packs are struggling to keep units cool due to rising heat, and Demand Response initiatives to create a flexible and dynamic response to escalating energy costs and the need to support the grid.

Instrumentation

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.

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Consistent product quality thanks to reproduceable mass and density measurement under all conditions

OPTIMASS series – Complete portfolio of Coriolis mass flowmeters for the food and beverage industry

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• FDA, EC1935/2004 conform; 3A, EHEDG certified

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Processing, Measurements & Control

Critical temperature monitoring, made simple by a trusted data loggers’ manufacturer

Good food safety starts with temperature data.

Accurate and reliable temperature data is essential for the integrity of the food industry and the safety of consumers.

Tinytag Data Loggers are robust, reliable and highly accurate measuring devices for monitoring temperature and humidity during food processing, storage and cold chain distribution.

Tinytag use simple technology that’s easy-to-use, easy-to-manage and conveniently versatile to help businesses gather vital temperature data at every stage of the food supply chain.

 Improve temperature management

Tinytags can aid quality and food safety inspections (including compliance with HACCP regulations) by providing evidence of conditions that’s easyto-read and readily available in userfriendly data logging software, Tinytag Explorer.

Monitoring with data loggers can indicate the need to replace old or faulty equipment, stabilise temperature conditions in refrigerated areas or improve insulation in packaging, helping you to streamline product storage.

 Save energy, save money

Temperature data loggers can help to identify the efficiency of heating and cooling equipment, helping businesses to pinpoint where to save energy and save money across their operation.

 Data you can trust

Tinytag data loggers bring over three decades of manufacturing experience from an ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accredited UK manufacturer, Gemini Data Loggers UK Ltd.

Certifiable instrument accuracy through our in-house Calibration Service that’s traceable to National Standards means you can put extra trust in the reliability of your data – and prove it to auditors.

Reliable Monitoring from Production to Consumption

Versatile data logging: portable data loggers

Compact, portable and easy-to-use Tinytag data loggers (temperature, relative humidity and energy consumption) provide a flexible solution for monitoring food processing and cold chain compliance. Tinytags are battery-powered, self-contained devices and have configurable LED alarms for notifying temperature breaches.

Reliable Wireless Temperature and Humidity Monitoring

The Tinytag Connect system of Radio and LAN (Ethernet) data loggers brings you convenient wireless temperature and relative humidity monitoring at an affordable price and is ideal for use in warehouses and refrigerated storage and distribution, where central data management presents a significant –time-saving – advantage. Mix-and-match Radio and LAN loggers according to infrastructure requirements, get real-time data access and receive email alerts when temperatures are out of range to take fast corrective actions.

Data logging software for enhanced security and data integrity compliance

Tinytag DI is the secure software for Tinytag data loggers. With Tinytag DI, you can control who has access to your data loggers by managing user access levels. You may also set up groups according to location or department to assign data loggers to the relevant teams. An audit log ensures accurate and consistent data, providing a record of critical events and any changes made to the loggers.

“Wronged” red meat gets global academic approval

A group of highlyrespected, independent international academics have banded together to project positive news about eating red meat as a result of their mutual concerns about the impacts of inaccurate and partisan work in the same field of research.

The group, including Professor Dr. Peer Ederer, instigated the Dublin Declaration which states that livestock systems are “too precious to society to become the victim of simplification, reductionism or zealotry.” Prof. Dr. Ederer is also co-founder and director of GOALSciences, the Global Observatory of Accurate Livestock Sciences, which has the mission to research and communicate scientific evidence about

BMPA: Government response to meat export barrier is disheartening and misses the point

We recently wrote to the Minister responsible for negotiating new trade deals, Kemi Badenoch, about an omission that was made in the deal with Australia that prevents British companies from seizing new export opportunities for our beef products. Our point was twofold: First, it can be put right quickly and second, that such a mistake should not be allowed to happen again in future negotiations.

So, we were disappointed to receive a reply that failed to take seriously the issues we’d raised, and which came from a completely different department that is not responsible for signing trade deals. Instead of taking on our industry’s concerns, Mrs Badenoch had punted them to the Minister of State for Food Farming and Fisheries.

The reply reminded us of the point we’ve been raising, that “market access negotiations to agree an EHC [Export Health Certificate] with a third country take an average of three to five years”.

However this is not any third country. It’s Australia, with whom we already have a comprehensive free trade agreement. Indeed that agreement specifically does not require Australia to supply any Export Health Certificate to send shipments of Aussie sheep meat to Britain.

So, getting access for UK beef products should be a simple matter of requesting fasttracking approval. As we said in our letter, this could be done “on the basis of pre-listing, allowing trade to commence with audits taking place later and regularly thereafter in the normal manner”.

If we are going to preserve our future food security and viability, the British meat and livestock industry needs our politicians to work more collaboratively with the businesses who are operating on the front line of international trade. We need them to acknowledge the bigger picture and make properly thought-through policy that doesn’t throw up barriers to trade or cause unintended consequences.

the role of animals in the global food system.

Professsor Dr Ederer, who was the keynote speaker at Hybu Cig Cymru- Meat Promotion Wales’ (HCC) annual conference last year, cited examples of where inaccurate research had been corrected or was to be corrected by scientists seeking to redress the balance - “examples of where science is able to heal itself,” he told HCC.

He said an article in the Lancet linking deaths to red meat had been proven to be wrong and the revision accepted by the authors and the publishers. Similarly, a recent piece published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggesting support for dietary recommendations for limiting consumption of red meat had been rebuked. “This same information has been republished again and again and again - and yet the scientific community has disproved it again and again and again”, he said.

HCC’s Head of Strategic Marketing and Connections, Laura Pickup said: “Professor Ederer’s message is important and resonates with the Welsh Way of producing red meat. Wales is one of the most sustainable places on earth to produce it. Our farming systems are non-intensive and rely on abundant grass and rainfall. Welsh farms also contribute to carbon sequestration, soil regeneration and increased biodiversity. Lean red meat is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, and when combined with other healthy ingredients, contributes towards good health as part of a balanced diet.

BELOW: Professor Dr Peer Ederer

Technology holds the key to a more sustainable food system

By Daniel Khachab, CEO of Choco

A big ask

The food and drink industry is facing mounting pressure to become more sustainable, and fast. It is a necessary, but sizeable task. In the UK, the industry wastes 9.5 million tonnes of food each year, with 70% of food waste occurring before it reaches consumers. Increased digitisation at multiple points throughout the supply chain is required to bring some outdated practices within the industry up to speed. If we are serious about reducing food waste and becoming more sustainable, now is the time to act.

Finding the starting point

Food waste occurs at many stages throughout the food supply chain,

however, there is one relationship that continually sees food make its way to landfills – the ordering process from restaurants to suppliers. Restauranteurs place phone and email orders to their many suppliers late at night, while suppliers process hundreds of these orders. As a result, suppliers and restaurants see food, time and money go to waste each day. It’s a traditional way of working that has not changed a great deal in over the last 50 years, and therefore is prone to human error.

Taking the relationship online

By digitising the supplier-restaurant relationship, we can ensure greater collaboration towards the goal of reducing food waste. This non-standardised method of communicating, with suppliers combing through emails and voicemails, can be made more efficient through the adoption of AI-based solutions, such as Choco AI. Digitising orders makes them more accurate,

removing the human error involved in the process.

Suppliers and restauranteurs must operate on a single platform to ensure transparency across the relationship. For restauranteurs to have more visibility of produce availability, and suppliers a clearer view of what is being ordered can help to reduce mistakes being made and order what is necessary.

Future-proofing the industry

Future-proofing the food and drink industry using digitisation for growth is the next step. The UK food industry is facing massive shortages, and should this continue, 1.95 million industry roles could remain vacant by 2035. Digitising tasks such as ordering means that labour can be redirected to drive business growth and fulfil sustainability goals. By using time freed by implementing AI, businesses can focus human energies on strategies to attract new partnerships or clients to grow their business.

Looking at the bigger picture, 71% of the UK’s land is currently used for agricultural production – and the UK’s population is projected to grow by nearly 10% by 2036. Suppliers and restaurateurs must ensure that food is not lost due to incorrect orders, impacting what is grown further up the chain to account for this. Accuracy is necessary to produce what we need, and no more.

Conclusion

As a step towards a more sustainable industry, digitisation is a key one. An increasing drive for sustainability coupled with a pledge to reduce UK food waste by 20% by 2025 indicates that a necessary industry-wide push to become more sustainable can be rooted in adopting the latest technologies.

Events & Awards

The Spanish Chorizo Consortium Celebrates IFE and UK Blogger Event Success

Producer group, the Spanish Chorizo Consortium have celebrated a successful IFE show at London’s Excel and a blogger event hosted by Ibérica Canary Wharf, both of which showcased their premium product to the UK market.

The trade show served as a platform to forge strategic partnerships with distributors, retailers, and foodservice professionals in the Consortium’s largest market – around 66% of Consortium-labelled chorizo is destined for the UK – and to build on the success of last year, which saw exports of the labelled Spanish chorizo to the UK increase by 35% vs 2022. Some 2.2 million kilos of Consortiumlabelled chorizo was exported to the UK last year, 89.7% of which was string (horseshoe) form.

A Spanish Chorizo Consortium event, which was hosted by Ibérica Canary Wharf, took place on the evening of the 26th March and saw some of the UK’s most influential food bloggers attend to learn more about the high-quality, authentic product. Bloggers included Leith’s trained chef, Adam Shaw aka ‘At Dad’s Table’, and food and travel writer, May Chong.

The aim of the event was to not only communicate the Consortium’s story but to recruit the next wave of Chorizo Ambassadors.

The #ChorizoAmbassador campaign has been running for the last three years and focuses on building relationships with international influencers through trips to production areas in Spain.

The values held by ‘Restaurants from Spain’-certified establishments are aligned with those of the Spanish

Leading sustainable packaging company Cullen nominated for global Earthshot Prize

UK-based Cullen Sustainable Packaging has been nominated for the prestigious environmental initiative award, the Earthshot Prize, for its innovative Fibre Bottle solution.

The Earthshot Prize sets out five universal goals to meet by 2030. These are Protect and Restore Nature, Clean our Air, Revive our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World and Fix our Climate. Each year a Top 150 is whittled down to just five winners which are each awarded £1m to help scale their solution.

Cullen’s Fibre Bottle was nominated in the Waste-Free World category which aims to “build a world where nothing goes to waste, where the leftovers of one process become the raw materials of the next – just like they do in nature”.

The Fibre Bottle is a patented paper bottle, made from the corrugate waste from Cullen’s corrugated facility via a bespoke closed-loop recycling system and is fully recyclable and compostable. An evolution of a paper bottle Cullen has been producing from the healthcare sector since 2009,

Cullen’s Fibre Bottle is a scalable, sustainable alternative to single-use plastic bottles or plastic pouches containing dry goods.

With plastic production set to triple by 2040 and plastic packaging already accounting for 40% of plastic production, Cullen’s Fibre Bottle is a viable solution.

The company is already removing single-use plastic bottles and pouches from our shelves in the millions. They currently manufacture over 80m paper bottles annually and they also

Chorizo Consortium’ producers, making them ideal partners in the promotional campaign. The Consorcio del Chorizo Español marque or label is representative of excellent quality and means product showing this label has been made in compliance with specific criteria in terms of traditional and authentic ingredients and production methods.

The group’s chorizos must carry garlic and paprika, which differentiates them from other origins and sausages, and only paprika from fruits grown, dried and milled in the Spanish territory (‘Pimentón’) can be used. Cured outdoors or smoked, the main base is minced pork, which is then marinated with spices.

build their own bespoke, patented moulded fibre machines in-house, meaning scaling up further is limitless..

Looking to further expand and double its capacity to produce 1 billion plastic-free products a year, Cullen is already well underway with a £15m expansion of their existing 14-acre UK manufacturing site.

The final five Earthshot Prize winners will be announced at a ceremony in South Africa in November 2024, and will be decided by the Earthshot Council including Prince Willian, Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Cate Blanchett and David Attenborough.

Events & Awards News

Sensing unwanted bubbles brings awards recognition

The nomination of the BAUMER PAD20 ‘Bubble Sensor’ for the 2024 Pump Industry Awards once again recognises the contributions and abilities of sensor specialists Baumer to push the limits of sensor technology. The innovative PAD20 sensor has been shortlisted for the international awards in two categories; ‘Product of the Year’ and ‘Environmental contribution of the Year’.

The PAD20 has been developed as a ‘smart’ sensor which helps to protect pumps from running dry whilst also helping to ensure maximum system performance and optimum use of resources. A key feature of the sensor is its ability to detect even the tiniest gas bubbles in liquids which helps system engineers in preventing downtime due to pump malfunction caused by unwanted gas inclusions.

However, the PAD20 sensor is not only good at protecting pumps as reliable detection of gas bubbles also optimises the energy efficiency of cooling and heating systems in

industrial applications. The sensor has the ability to measure air in all types of liquids regardless of whether liquids are pasty or viscous, reliably and fast. Another good example is where the sensor has helped a major dairy manufacturer solve the decades old problem of containers not being fully emptied.

In summary, PAD20 sensors are an effective, robust solution for detecting air and gas bubbles in any liquid or viscous media such as fruit preparations, cooling agents (DC>1.5) and particularly in harsh ambient conditions. Switching outputs are individually adjustable with IO-Link (2) for definition of switching range, or two-stage alarms (early warning) and they provide optional multi-colour process visualisation through 360º of switching state.

More at: www.baumer.com/de/ en/pump-industry-award-2024baumer-bubble-sensor-pad20named-finalist/n/news-industryaward-nomination

kp highlights need for better compliance with ban on EPS/XPS single use, foodservice packaging

Months after the UK’s ban on single-use EPS/XPS foodservice packaging, Klöckner Pentaplast (kp) believes there’s still work to do in educating foodservice businesses about the differences between nowbanned EPS/XPS packaging and the recyclable alternatives that are legal for use.

Despite the ban, implemented in October 2023, reports have revealed that some customers are still unknowingly being sold packaging that is no longer legal. kp, an innovator in thermoformed trays and rigid films for form, fill and seal applications, as well as flexible barrier and stretch films, calls on the food and packaging industries to improve awareness in this area, to support the fight against linear packaging waste streams.

Sally Molyneux, Regional Sales Director UK & Ireland at kp, emphasised the ongoing need for foodservice industry awareness, stating, “While the ban has been rolled out, the market has seen reports of some wholesalers continuing to sell outlawed EPS/XPS packaging. In many cases, the food business using these may not even be aware of the issue, and the bottom line is that both they and the consumers they sell to are being

misled. That’s why we are pressing DEFRA to find out what more could be done to prevent this. Our mission is to bust packaging myths and to protect wholesalers, foodservice businesses and consumers alike.”

Sally offers the following guidance for distinguishing between banned EPS/ XPS packaging and legal EPP-based packaging:

• kp Infinity® packs are labelled with recycling code 5, shown on each individual unit inside the recognised recycling symbol. This confirms its EPP structure, and that it’s widely recyclable in standard PP waste streams, and fully compliant as a result.

• By contrast, EPS or XPS packaging is labelled with recycling code 6. This indicates a packaging material that is no longer legal in the UK as a foodservice packaging material.

Vincent Gass, Vice President of Marketing & Innovation at kp, echoed the sentiment, stating: “Now that the UK’s EPS/XPS ban is in effect, the onus is on foodservice businesses to adopt suitable alternatives. There is significant risk of bodies such as Trading Standards clamping down

While the ban has been rolled out, the market has seen reports of some

on companies that are still stocking and selling this now-banned packaging material, whether they’re aware of the ban or not. With high-performance alternatives like kp Infinity® widely available, that’s a totally avoidable financial risk.

“With kp Infinity® we offer a solution that not only meets regulatory requirements but also delivers superior performance to other EPS alternatives. When you partner with kp, you’re getting an ally that puts integrity first, won’t take shortcuts and won’t short-change the foodservice business or the consumer. We urge vigilance in removing EPS/XPS packaging from the supply chain, and together we can build a marketplace built on trust, clarity and circularity.”

kp remains committed to championing sustainability-focused design in the food packaging industry, designing packaging to fit into a closed loop system, and advocating for informed consumer choices and stringent regulatory enforcement.

To learn more about its activities, please visit www.kpfilms.com

Packaging News

Sweet new look:

Silver Spoon launches new, baking-friendly packaging

Silver Spoon announced today its rebrand and new packaging of its entire range of sugars. The brand’s new look packs have been redesigned to help customers choose the best sugar for their needs.

Appealing to a nation of bakers

As the UK’s best-selling sugar brand – present in half of British households – millions of Brits depend on Silver Spoon for its home-grown British sugar.

Silver Spoon’s new packaging has been designed to make it clearer and easier for consumers to buy the best sugar for their needs.

Baking is a national pastime –Silver Spoon’s recent consumer research found that 80% of British consumers have baked at least once in the past 12 months. 62% of British bakers prefer to bake from scratch, but shoppers often don’t know which is the best sugar for them. So Silver Spoon has introduced usage visuals onto the front of pack to help consumers quickly select which sugar is most appropriate for their need. Caster sugar now features a fluffy and light Victoria sponge, whilst Icing sugar features delicious buttercream icing, and light brown soft showing chewy chocolate chip cookies. The new packs retain known variant colours – pink for icing sugar and yellow for caster sugar for example – to help

Our new clear, colourful and intuitive packaging will help customers find exactly what they need quickly and more easily.

- Tim Albert

consumers shop the category more quickly and easily.

Still 100% British, from field to spoon

All Silver Spoon sugar remains 100% British from field to spoon, with all our sugar beet grown in the UK, by British farmers. We continue to be committed to supporting British farmers and British sugar production, as we have done now for over 50 years. The new packaging will still be made from Forest Stewardship Council certified paper and will be widely recyclable.

Tim Albert, Marketing Director at Silver Spoon said: “This is a milestone moment for our muchloved brand. Our new clear, colourful and intuitive packaging will help customers find exactly what they need quickly and more easily.”

DS Smith, a leading provider of fibrebased packaging, announces agreement with Jonsac for the sourcing of

sustainable paper bags for e-commerce customers

DS Smith, a leading global manufacturer of fibre-based sustainable packaging solutions, announce a supplier agreement with Jonsac, a Swedish company that produce e-commerce bags from FSC®-certified wooden raw materials.

The partnership will see the two companies collaborate to accelerate the transition from plastic to paper bags within the e-commerce marketplace in Europe at scale, and the solutions will be available to customers across all DS Smith markets in Europe.

DS Smith and Jonsac will provide a product range to meet customer requirements while looking ahead at the types of packaging solutions that will be valuable for the ecommerce sector in the future, in line with key market requirements and fast changing consumer trends.

The bags will be 100% fibre-based and recyclable, and DS Smith customers will benefit from the opportunity to order consignments at high-volume in support of their ecommerce activities.

The new agreement between the companies represents an addition to an existing arrangement where Jonsac supply paper bag packaging solutions to DS Smith customers within the Nordics region.

Masterpress to Drive the Discussion on Sustainable Packaging Innovation within the European Comitee for Standarisation (CEN)

Masterpress, a leading European provider of printed decorative packaging solutions, announced today it has become a member of the Polish Committee for Standardisation (PKN) and thereby become a part of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) - an association that brings together the National Standardization Bodies of 34 European countries. By joining and working together with other key stakeholders, Masterpress shows its commitment to increasing the role of collaboration and responsibility within the industry in meeting ambitious goals outlined in the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR).

“Masterpress recognises that the future of sustainable packaging lies in evaluating

and embracing the right combination of materials and technologies, each playing a role in reducing environmental impact,” said Katarzyna Wasilewska, head of Research and Development at Masterpress.

“We joined the PKN to share our decades long expertise and keep exploring the narratives around how the packaging and printing industry can harness ongoing innovation to make a meaningful contribution towards reducing packaging and packaging waste.

“The European industry is leading in regulatory changes, but we should encourage a more collaborative and holistic approach to environmental responsibility, also acknowledging and learning from global examples, which can help us refine the strategies.”

Labels and films, crucial for branding and product information, while

Item Products’ carry handle solution creates cost savings for Britvic Soft Drinks

Item Products, Europe’s largest designer and producer of recycled plastic components for the packaging and pointof-sale industry, has recently supplied Britvic Soft Drinks with a carry handle solution for their Robinsons 1.75L twin bottle pack assigned to the wholesaler, Costco.

Made from 100% recycled material, the handle is able to carry the twin bottle pack securely by the collar. Once at home with the consumer, the plastic handle can be simply added to the domestic waste recycling system.

Adam Horvath, packaging development manager at Britvic plc, said: “Working closely with the packaging

development and procurement teams here at Britvic, Item Products set out timetables for the design, models, tooling, testing and approval of samples through to full UK manufacturing.

smaller in size compared to the overall packaging, play a significant role in the packaging waste stream. Masterpress acknowledges the layers of complexity to the recycling process caused by the variety of materials and can, through its membership of PKN, contribute to setting standards and guidelines for packaging waste reduction.

By leveraging advanced technologies and strategic approaches, the industry can effectively respond to the growing demands for environmental responsibility and align with the goals of the PPWR.

Masterpress continuously invests in Research & Development within the shrink sleeve and self-adhesive label industry to accelerate the commercialisation of new, sustainable, recyclable products and materials on the market.

“The end result ticked all Britvic’s ‘must have’ needs and was delivered on schedule and to specification first time.”

“We are delighted to provide a solution for Britvic,” said Item Products’ managing director, Julian Cook. “Being able to facilitate their requirement for a UK manufactured carry handle solution has helped to significantly cut their lead times and reduce transport costs. The added benefit of producing the handle in a universal black colour enables Britvic to remove the need for specific masterbatch, allowing the device to be used across multiple brands.”

Item Products designs and produces a unique range of components for the packaging industry, including carry handles for cartons, connecting clips for corrugated board, hooks, studs and rivets for merchandising units, wheels and stabilisers for big or heavy packs, garment rails for wardrobe boxes and stackable trays.

Visit here to find out more.

DS Smith invests €6m in production machinery for La Chevrolière packaging facility and

in a new workshop for the production of

sustainable fibre-based cardboard pallets

DS Smith, the leading fibre-based sustainable packaging company announces an investment of €6 Million in its La Chevrolière facility located near to the city of Nantes in the West of France.

The investment has allowed the company to expand the size of the production space in La Chevrolière by 4,000 square metres and has been made in response to an increasing demand for sustainable corrugated cardboard by existing and potential DS Smith customers in the region.

The new equipment includes a Bobst Mastercut 2.1 die-cut machine, and a cardboard pallet production line. A new 2,500 m² workshop dedicated to the production of Kaypal cardboard

pallets, has a capacity of 250,000 units, and a potential to produce up to 1.5 million pallets per year.

The Kaypal pallet is beneficial to DS Smith customers in that it is fully recyclable, ultra-light weight (3.5 kg), ergonomic, hygienic, economical, and reusable. It has potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions during transportation and is helpful as a compact solution for reducing environmental impacts.

The sustainable product is an ideal solution for the road and air transportation of products, floor, and point-of-sale (POS) displays, pallet boxes (bulk) or order preparation for retail logistics centres (interlayer pallets).

Maintaining hygiene and productivity with motion solutions for food packaging machines

From augers to bottling systems, packaging machines for the food & beverage sector depend on fast, accurate motion systems to deliver the throughput they need. While servo motors and drives are required for their precision and dynamism, the motion solution is also subject to the stringent hygiene regulations that apply to machinery used in the sector. Maintaining hygiene is vital, and it’s important that the approach to achieve it minimises downtime to maintain productivity.

Gerard Bush, Engineer at motion specialist INMOCO, discusses

hygienic design and servo systems for food packaging machinery.

Although the domestic food manufacturing market contracted as expected last year in line with expectations resulting from the cost of living rise, the UK food and beverage packaging machinery market is projected to continue to grow.

For packaging machinery manufacturers, this means the future is set to be increasingly competitive. As the cost of packaging materials rise, along with rising food prices, machine builders will face demands

Thibault Laumonier, Regional Managing Director, DS Smith, France: “At DS Smith Packaging France, we understand that innovation and respect for the environment go hand in hand and this is in keeping with our Now and Next sustainability strategy and company-wide purpose of Redefining Packaging for a Changing World.

The opening of our new Kaypal cardboard pallet production workshop in La Chevrolière will help our regional customers to move towards a circular economy, and with sustainable packaging options that impact positively on the reduction of CO2 throughout the entire supply chain.

“We are setting new industry standards in sustainable packaging and building a future that is more respectful of the environment that we live in.”

The DS Smith La Chevrolière packaging facility was built in 2010 and employs one hundred and seventy people. It is a state-of-theart facility that houses a multitude of robots and machinery with full automated transfers. The DS Smith packaging solutions are distributed within a radius of less than 150km and predominantly intended for customers in the food industry.

As the cost of packaging materials rise, along with rising food prices, machine builders will face demands for more productive and efficient designs.

for more productive and efficient designs. The need to optimise overall equipment effectiveness will equate to machines with increased performance and throughput. Crucially, it will also require more reliable designs that minimise downtime.

Packaging specialist adapa invests in production capacity for shrink bags for the UK market

adapa Group, one of Europe’s leading companies in the flexible packaging solutions segment, has just made a major investment in two new lines for high-performance shrink bags at its UK St Helens plant. adapa now offers its UK customers an extensive shrink bag capacity. This strategic move further strengthens adapa’s supply chain agility enabling improved service to existing and new shrink bags customers in the UK.

Two bag-making lines for the UK market

Shrink materials are an important part of adapa’s strategic product portfolio. The specialist for flexible packaging supplies all types, shapes and film thicknesses for perfect shrink solutions and has been doing so for over 40 years. With this recent investment, UK customers will benefit from improved service backed by the group’s comprehensive shrink expertise.

The two new lines in St Helens can process shrink bags in widths of between 200mm and 1050mm and lengths between 100mm and 2000mm. Shrink bags are available in a variety of configurations including straight or round bottom seals, loose or as perforated on reel (POR) formats. Inline printing of single colour stamps and logos are available for the entire range. One line has already been in operation since the beginning of April with the second coming on line at the end of May.

adapa supplies all types, shapes and film thicknesses for perfect shrink solutions and has been doing so for over 40 years.

Overall, the degree of automation and thus the packaging speed depend strongly on the product being filled: while uniform and solid products, e.g. cheese pieces or loaves, can be packaged relatively well automatically, this is not always possible to the same extent for soft products with varying sizes, such as fresh meat.

The shrink bag - a real all-rounder Shrink bags are a packaging solution that has been tried and tested for decades and they are at the same time a real high-tech product: modern shrink materials are extremely thin and consist of several different layers that give the respective packaging its special properties. Shrink packaging is enormously efficient and offers the packaged goods best protection and quality preservation throughout their entire life cycle - from storage to transport and distribution to sales at the POS. Shrink bags are used as ripening packaging for certain products, such as cheese or meat. With their barrier properties optimally adapted to the respective packaged goods, they ensure first-class product quality, e.g. tenderly matured meat or perfectly ripened cheese. In terms of look and feel, shrink packaging is an “honest package”: it presents its contents in a way that is clearly visible and tangible from all sides. In addition, the good printability offers many possibilities for an eye-catching brand presentation, whether in the service counter or on the self-service shelf in the food retailers.

Packaging

Increased automation, changed requirements

The process sequences in shrink bag packaging are largely automated today. The bags are opened in the machines, filled with the product, vacuumed, sealed and finally shrunk. Robot technology is increasingly used to fill the pouches. This high degree of automation has massively increased the cycle rate (packs/minute) and has led to a doubling of the packing speed in recent years. The high speed, combined with shorter cycle times, leaves less time for sealing, so the sealing media have been adapted to ever smaller processing windows. In addition, shrink bags for these highly automated packaging processes require appropriate mechanical strength as well as particularly reliable sealing seams, as these are exposed to high loads in the filling process.

Overall, the degree of automation and thus the packaging speed depend strongly on the product being filled: while uniform and solid products, e.g. cheese pieces or loaves, can be packaged relatively well automatically, this is not always possible to the same extent for soft products with varying sizes, such as fresh meat.

Surprisingly sustainable thanks to material savings

In the spirit of resource conservation and climate protection, adapa strives with its entire portfolio of flexible packaging solutions to combine the best packaging performance and material usage. In the shrink bag segment, this has been achieved through many years of development work, which has resulted in ever thinner films, and has made this packaging variant an extremely sustainable solution. Shrink bags combine reliable product protectionwhich thus simultaneously counteracts food waste - with minimal material use. For example, a shrink bag with a weight of only about 12 grams is needed for the ripening packaging of a cheese wheel weighing about 3.5 kilograms - on balance, an excellent ratio between the weight of the packaged product and that of the packaging material.

For more information: Visit adapa Group’s website www.adapa-group.com

Making the invisible visible Food Safety

Hyperspectral technology for flawless seal seam inspection of coloured packaging

The food industry is in a constant state of flux, driven by technological progress and changing consumer preferences. Manufacturing companies are adapting their marketing activities accordingly. One example of this is the increased use of coloured lidding films on packaging to enhance the appeal and brand identity of products. However, these aesthetic improvements also bring challenges, particularly in the area of quality control. Conventional camera technologies reach their limits when it comes to checking the integrity of seal seam joints under coloured lidding films. This inspection is essential in order to guarantee the calculated best-before date of the food and ensure food quality. This is where the hyperspectral image processing of the VisioPointer® from Minebea Intec, a leading global manufacturer of weighing and inspection technologies, is a pioneering solution.

The inspection of sealed seams is of central importance in the food industry, as even the slightest contamination or damage can lead to leaking packaging and thus to spoilage of the contents. Unsaleable products and possible recalls can not only be expensive, but also dangerous for the consumer and damaging to the company’s image.

Traditionally, transparent films are used in food packaging to provide a clear view of the seal seam.

With the transition to coloured lidding films, monitoring the seal seam becomes considerably more difficult. Conventional camera systems use visible light to capture images, but this light can be absorbed or reflected by the colours of the cover films, resulting in blurred or even invisible images of the seal seam.

A clear view in every respect: How does hyperspectral image processing work?

Hyperspectral image processing offers an innovative solution to this problem. It utilises a broadband halogen light that radiates in a spectrum of wavelengths that go far beyond visible light. This extended wavelength range makes it possible to collect information about the material properties of the objects being analysed, including those that are invisible to the human eye.

In hyperspectral image processing, the object is illuminated with broadband halogen light. The surface of the object interacts in a specific way with the different wavelengths of light. A crucial element in this process is the spectral camera, which analyses the reflected and absorbed light. This camera is able to capture information in hundreds or even thousands of closely consecutive spectral bands. With the VisioPointer® , Minebea Intec offers a visual inspection solution that utilises this technology and is on hand to provide its customers with individual advice throughout the entire project planning process.

Everything from a single source - Minebea Intec supplies turnkey camera inspections

The VisioPointer® offers the widest range of inspection criteria of any single device, supported by three cameras as standard, several types of lighting and optional side and satellite cameras for multisided analysis. Added to this is the range of customisation options for integration into packaging lines. Classic optical inspection processes such as checking the correct placement of a label, reading

and evaluating (OCR/V) the date, for example, and the legibility of a barcode or QR code can be easily integrated into the optical inspection and expanded to include additional criteria such as colour, shape or placement of the packaging contents.

The vision systems also offer the usual Minebea Intec quality in terms of ease of use: the touchscreen control panel ensures simple operation with an intuitive user interface. In addition to the VisioPointer® Minebea Intec also offers the VisioCompact® and SmartInspector® two more compact visual inspection systems. The systems are supplied with infeed and outfeed conveyors, appropriate housing for optimum lighting conditions and a terminal for teaching in the products and monitoring the inspection. An automatic rejector for faulty products is also available. ERP connectivity and cloud-enabled production analysis provide a multi-layered overview of production performance as well as comprehensive analysis and logging options for the data generated.

Quality assurance with visual inspection technologies

Hyperspectral imaging undoubtedly has the potential to take quality assurance and contamination detection in the food industry to a new level. By making invisible information visible, it helps to ensure the safety, freshness and quality of products. At the same time, it makes it possible to meet the ever-increasing aesthetic demands placed on packaging and helps food manufacturers to look to the future with efficiency and a spirit of innovation.

Weigh, Label, Inspect

The new product VisioPointer® is one of ree new Vision Inspection products from Minebea Intec and fur er enhances e already popular inspection portfolio. It is also one of e key products at helps drive automation wi in food production and manufacturing. Combined wi e Automatic Weigh Price Labeller WPL-A customers can automate eir entire end of production line where labelling plays a significant part of e manufacturing.

The new product VisioPointer® is one of ree new Vision Inspection products from Minebea Intec and fur er enhances e already popular inspection portfolio. It is also one of e key products at helps drive automation wi in food production and manufacturing. Combined wi e Automatic Weigh Price Labeller WPL-A customers can automate eir entire end of production line where labelling plays a significant part of e manufacturing.