FMCG December 2013

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contents

6 8

nove m ber / dece m ber 2 0 1 3

Up Front Editor’s note Industry news

Category checks 28 BBQ products 34 Dairy & Soy products 38 Healthy snacks 40 Batteries

26

Regulars FGC

Katherine Rich contemplates the obesity crisis

16

Feature

Anuga 2013 highlights

22

Exhibitions

Get sold on the idea of trade shows, says Dona White

25

OCG Recruitment

The problem with sales

24

Nargon

“Living wage” hotly debated

26

Beef + Lamb

NZ Sausage awards

32

Feature

42

51 64

65

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INCORPORATING NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013 VOluME 19 No 10 $9.15

A fair go for vanilla growers

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THE BUSINESS OF MANUFACTURING • LOGISTICS • SUPERMARKETING

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contents nove m ber / dece m ber 2 0 1 3

Grocery business Keeping you up to date with packaging, IT, supply chain and logistics

44

Grocery business news

46

Euromonitor

Fighting back against online sales

48

Legal

What to do when the Commerce Commission calls

50

Packaging

Nick Rowe considers packaging excess and food waste

52

Profile

BIC - all lighters are not created equal

53

Synergy

Do your job differently, says Kevin O’Shannessey

54

GS1

Dr Peter Stevens on supply chain traceability

Convenience store and oil channel updates

55

56 56

Nargon NZ likely to follow international crackdown on tobacco

53

C-store news Resource directory

60

58

Feature

Wine label design – a designer’s guide to effective packaging

60

BWS news

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editor’s note Vol 19

No 10

NOVEMBER/december 2013

issn 1175-8279

Incorporating

Serving the business of manufacturing, logistics and supermarketing

tamara rubanowski – editor editor@fmcg.co.nz

LISA MORRIS – GROUP SALES MANAGER Mob: 021 651 601 lisam@mediaweb.co.nz

Production Manager Fran Marshall franm@mediaweb.co.nz

Design Bex Mikaere

Subscriptions subs@mediaweb.co.nz 09-529 3000 $90.00 a year (incl GST) for 11 issues Australia $150.00 Rest of the world $190.00

Printing & Pre-press MHP Group

Publisher

Mediaweb Limited PO Box 5544 Wellesley Street, Auckland 1141 115 Newton Road, Eden Terrace, Auckland 1010 Phone 09-529 3000, Fax 09-529 3001 www.mediaweb.co.nz The opinions and material published in FMCG are not necessarily those of the publisher except where specifically stated. © 2013 Mediaweb Limited.

Local and global trends Germany is Europe’s largest economy, hosting two-thirds of the world’s biggest international trade shows every year.

Anuga, for example, is the most important business platform for the global food and beverage industry and I was thrilled to be invited by the organisers of this trade fair in Cologne where 6,777 exhibitors from 98 countries showcased their products.

You will find some of the top trends and my personal highlights from Anuga on page 16-20.

It was fantastic to study the latest product developments from so many different countries and to see New Zealand’s offerings attracting a lot of interest. Many industry experts at Anuga acknowledged that our country punches well above its weight in terms of food quality and innovations in the F&B sector.

On page 22 CEO of North Port Events, Dona White, explains why nothing beats trade shows for B2B sales. There are many exciting trade shows to add to your diary for 2014, including ISM in Cologne, Germany, Fine Food NZ in Auckland and the new event World Of Food Beijing, which will be held in China in November.

In this issue the FMCG team looks at dairy and soy products, brings you the latest product launches in New Zealand and finds out why bricks and mortar stores remain integral, despite growing online shopping trends. Online sales in New Zealand are expected to grow by

11% year-on-year over the next five years, but store-based retailing still accounted for over 90% of global and local retail sales during 2013. You will find more information and valuable insights from Euromonitor on page 46.

According to global research by advisory firm Grant Thornton, companies around the world are warning that the power of mega-retailers is the single biggest constraint on business growth. Apparently, three-quarters of food and beverage organisations are selling into supermarkets or grocery stores.

In Australia, Coles and Woolworths are now controlling some 70% of retail sales.

More than half of food and beverage executives rated market dominance by retailers as a significant or moderate risk to their supply chains and organisations, states the research report.

Despite those concerns, Grant Thornton found that the outlook for the sector is positive, with food and beverage companies poised for growth amid an improved global economic outlook. South-East Asia and China have been identified as the key markets for Australasian producers, with 63% and 57% respectively of respondents in the region looking to enter these markets in the next two years, Happy holidays from the FMCG team.

ISSN: 1175-8279 (Print), 1179-8718 (Online).

Tamara Rubanowski editor@fmcg.co.nz

Official b2b magazine for the Gluten Free Food & Allergy Shows.

Media partner Fine Food NZ 2012 and ANUGA 2013.

Corporate Social Responsibility Mediaweb supports the following organisations:

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New-look store for New Plymouth Foodstuffs has refurbished New World New Plymouth and the store celebrated with a re-opening on October 16, 2013.

Foodstuffs (North Island) general manager – Property development, Angela Bull, is delighted with the multimillion dollar investment and the new jobs the expanded store has created.

“This has been a significant investment in the New Plymouth community and there are a lot of great changes in store to provide our customers with more choice and a lighter, brighter atmosphere to do their weekly shop.

The upgrade includes a total refresh of the interior decor; more car parks; a larger shopping area (2000 square metres); improved fresh departments; an artisan bakery and a cafe, so you can put your feet up and enjoy a coffee after running around the shelves.”

Rob Dowman, owner-operator of New World New Plymouth is thrilled with the result.

“We’re blown away with the final result and we’d like to thank

all our loyal customers for their support and understanding during the project. The result is well worth it!”

“The fresh look doesn’t end with the decor as we’ll also see lots of new faces with around 70 new jobs as a result of the expanded store. We can’t wait for our customers to come down, see the finished product and meet the new members of our team.” ●

Fresh change for 5+ A Day Challenge The well known 5+ A Day annual promotion encouraging Kiwis to eat more fresh fruit and vegetables is moving from November to February 2014.

The month-long ‘Take the 5+ A Day Challenge’ will kick off on February 1, and will urge New Zealanders to add an extra serving of fruit and vegetables to their day to boost their wellbeing.

Eating fresh fruit and vegetables is a tried and true mantra when it comes to improving overall health, says general manager for 5+ A Day, Paula Dudley. “Packed full of fibre, minerals and vitamins, fresh fruit and vegetables helps to keep us in tip-top condition.”

Prizes for the challenge will be announced soon. ●

8

Take the 5+ A Day Challenge – February 2014 When: February 10-28, 2014 What: Add an extra serving of fruit and vegetable to your day.

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news Countdown’s support office in Christchurch re-opens Countdown’s support office in Christchurch has reopened after the building was extensively damaged in the earthquakes and has subsequently been completely rebuilt.

During this process Countdown discovered a number of historic artefacts including clay bottles which can be linked back to when Ballins Brewery occupied the site in the 1870s and also some old accounting journals that originate from the Rattray Wholesale business (both companies later formed part of Countdown’s early supermarket business). With the previous on-site grocery manufacturing and the Progressive Enterprises franchise business that is in the building now, the site has been occupied by grocery for a remarkable 135 years!

The building in Byron Street was re-opened by Mayor Leanne Dalziell and the event included a special presentation

with Ballins and Rattray family members in attendance. One of the journals was also presented to the Rattray family. ●

The support office team outside the re-opened building.

Meadow Mushrooms announces expansion plans An expansion project at Meadow Mushrooms’ Christchurch facility will add a further 60 jobs to one of New Zealand’s largest horticultural enterprises.

The $12 million investment into the extension of the company’s Hornby mushroom farm will increase production by 37,000 kilograms of fresh white mushrooms a week.

The additional mushrooms will come on stream in July 2014.

This project follows the $45 million production facility expansion undertaken by the company on site in 2011.

“This development demonstrates Meadow Mushrooms’ confidence in the future market and our commitment to the industry,” says John Barnes, CEO. “The 25% increase in output will ensure that we can continue to meet New Zealand’s insatiable demand for mushrooms. The certainty of increased supply will allow us to guarantee supply and improve service to our customers,” he says.

Meadow Mushrooms currently employs 480 staff in five locations and produces on average 150,000kg of freshly hand-picked mushrooms every week. The company is confident that the annual growth of sales that has been a consistent achievement since the launch of Meadow Mushrooms in New Zealand in the early 1970s will continue into the future.

“New Zealanders currently consume an average of 2kg of mushrooms per person, each year,” says Barnes.

“In Australia, average annual consumption is approximately 3kg per person.

“New Zealand consumers recognise the nutritional value of mushrooms, their versatility and their importance to a wide range of menu options so we are confident of continuing growth of demand,” he says. ●

10

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

Did you know . . .

•

• •

•

•

•

Mushrooms are healthy and high in nutritional value-they are a good source of B vitamins and selenium, and also contain potassium, copper, phosphorous and the antioxidant ergothioneine while still being low in calories, fat and sodium.

Mushrooms have a seven day shelf life when stored correctly.

Mushrooms are a good recycling story, as the compost in which they grow is largely made from two agricultural by-products: wheat straw and chicken litter.

Meadow Mushrooms produces a variety of fresh mushrooms: White Buttons, Swiss Brown Buttons, Breakfast Portabellos, Barbeque Portabellos and Fresh Sliced.

A large range of canned mushrooms are also produced at the Christchurch cannery and sold under the Emma label.

Fresh mushrooms are the third-highest-selling vegetable in New Zealand.

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news EasiYo and Whittaker’s shine at new awards event New Zealand product excellence was celebrated at a glittering gala dinner in Auckland recently, with the Buy New Zealand Made campaign running its first ever People’s Choice Awards in association with TSB Bank.

The campaign was established in 1988 to encourage people to buy and sell NZ made products, both locally and on the world stage.

Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Buy NZ Made is marking the milestone with a nationwide initiative to showcase New Zealand’s product excellence – The People’s Choice Awards. Local businesses put forward their products for nomination into five award categories and votes from the New Zealand public decided

the finalists in each category.

EasiYo took out the ‘Best on the world stage’ award while Whittaker’s scooped ‘Best new product’ for its L&P flavoured chocolate, as well as ‘Most innovative’, ‘Most iconic’ and ‘Most loved’ product. ●

Just Juice Tropical gets a makeover It’s been a family favourite on our breakfast tables, at our family barbecues and in our lunchboxes for generations and now Just Juice Tropical has come ‘alive with fruit’ in a new reinvigorated range. Just Juice now boasts fresh, modern packaging, with a newly-designed 2.8L and 2.4L bottle replacing the current 3L and 2.4L bottles. The new bottle is easy to pour – especially the first glass – and easier to fit in the fridge door.

Just Juice brand manager, Nicole Scown, says new Just Juice Tropical tastes true to fruit by harnessing the best parts of each distinctive fruit, including colour, aroma and texture.

“We’ve been working really hard to make Just Juice more ‘true to fruit’ than ever before. We

12

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

craft our juice using only the best-tasting fruit juices we can find and the delicious new taste of Just Juice Tropical reflects this!” says Scown.

“After talking to Kiwi mums and their children who drink Just Juice regularly, we’ve created an improved range of fruity mainstream blends for the entire family that we’re confident will be a firm favourite in the household.”

Just Juice Tropical is available from supermarkets nationwide (RRP: 2.8L $5.99; 1L; $2.99) and the 350ml bottle is available from petrol stations (RRP: $2.70) and dairies nationwide. For more information visit facebook.com/justjuiceNZ. ●

n ews New World steps up to sustainability to capture waste heat and produce hot water from it for New World Newlands and Foodstuffs North Island came other parts of the business. It uses less mains power to run.” top of their nominated category at the 2013 NZI National Foodstuffs New Zealand sustainability manager Mike Sustainable Business Network Awards held in Auckland Sammons worked with his colleagues Courtney Bennett and recently.

Murray Darrall to integrate the refrigeration systems.

The Wellington-based supermarket was the winner of “It’s great to be recognised as a forward-thinking company, the 2013 Mega Efficiency Innovation Award with its CO2 but we couldn’t have done it without the support of our transcritical refrigeration system. store owners who realised the business benefits of investing New World Newlands’ owner operator Ross Jordan was thrilled with the award saying the system reduces greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerant leakage by 99% compared to a standard refrigeration system.

“It reduces the store’s overall carbon footprint by 40% in comparison with the average supermarket CO2 profile,” he says. “We’re also seeing financial as well as environmental savings which means we can put more money back into our stores for a better customer experience. We are really thrilled to have won this award and to be recognised for our efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It definitely puts us on the map for sustainability in David Parke and Mike Sammons of Foodstuffs accept the 2013 Mega-Efficiency Innovation Award on New Zealand.” behalf of New World Newlands from award sponsor Mike Pollok, MD of Ricoh.

New World Newlands was the first greenfield store to introduce the in innovation in the refrigeration space,” says Sammons. system. New World Devonport had the system retrofitted The 2013 NZI Sustainable Business Network (SBN) Awards over a year ago. Owner operator of New World Devonport, are New Zealand’s longest-standing and pre-eminent John Ashton says the benefits of the system are countless. sustainability awards. The awards are now in their 10th year.

“I wanted our store to be green and bring it into the The other finalists in the Mega Innovation Category were 21st century and beyond which is why we chose to Yealands Estate Wines, Ooooby Ltd, BioBrew Ltd, Auckland introduce the transcritical refrigeration system. As well as War Memorial Museum and CHEP NZ. ● environmental benefits it’s extremely efficient allowing us

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Food addiction?

Katherine Rich contemplates the obesity crisis.

A glance at the magazine stands in the supermarket while waiting to scan your groceries and you get a fair idea that there’s a new theory doing the rounds on why New Zealand has a problem with obesity. Apparently we’re addicted to food. But worse than that, some stories claim that foods are engineered specifically to make us drooling addicts who are unable to control our urge to eat them.

This sort of unsubstantiated rhetoric is common in popular magazines, which will try anything to catch our attention with silly and sensationalist headlines. But, sadly, the concept of food addiction is also being promoted in academic circles, with some key proponents and antagonists.

FGC recently attended a symposium on the subject, hosted by the University of Otago. We were hoping to get a better understanding of the scientific consensus in this field. But rather disappointingly we found that there seemed to be a desperate desire to cement this formal terminology into academic discussion, despite the fact that it’s based on a paucity of evidence – which thus far comes solely from limited rat studies!

“Food addiction” has become the latest fashionable phrase to be used interchangeably to describe a wide range of non-clinical situations. As readers of FMCG will be well aware, just because food is enjoyable and desirable doesn’t mean it’s addictive for the majority of the population.Imagine a world where the food is beige gloop, so unappetising that people don’t want to eat? Sadly, under-nutrition is a more common problem than obesity in this type of environment, so this is clearly not a solution for improving the health of our population.

Children enjoy toys, but does that mean they’re addicted?

14

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

Of course not.This term has entered the vernacular to mean “desire”, “interest”, and “enjoyment”. So, in casual conversation, New Zealanders are frequently admitting to being addicted to things such as rugby, reality TV shows, Facebook, chocolate, etc.

The word “addicted” is used freely and facetiously, simply when we indulge in something a little more often that we should (or think we should).

Strictly speaking, the term “addiction” should be used only to describe clinically significant addictions that involve the continued repetition of a behaviour despite adverse consequences.

It’s well established that adverse addictions, such as gambling, smoking, drugs, compulsive over-eating and alcohol, are clinically significant.

Now, in no way trying to minimise these issues for people who struggle with them, it’s also clear that these behaviours do not apply to the population as a whole.

Food is different in one major respect: all human beings have the compulsion to eat, usually at least three times a day. To stop eating and starve has adverse consequences, so in this respect we may all be prone to a diagnosis of food addiction.

In fact, bearing in mind that most people would admit that their days are significantly disrupted by stopping to prepare and eat food, if they were to complete the questionnaire based on

the Yale Food Addiction model they would be judged as “might be food dependent”. But since we all have to stop what we’re doing at some time during the day and eat to survive, wouldn’t most fit this definition? Is such a conclusion helpful when every human on the planet is dependent on food for survival?

What really irks in the discussion by some academics on food addiction is that only certain foods are being fingered as being potentially addictive.

They include: • Sweets such as ice cream, chocolate, doughnuts, cookies, cake, candy, ice cream.

• Starches such as white bread, rolls, pasta, and rice.

• Salty snacks such as chips, pretzels, and crackers.

• Fatty foods such as steak, bacon, hamburgers, cheeseburgers, pizza, and French fries.

• Sugary drinks (colloquially known in New Zealand as fizzy drinks).

This list is based on what compulsive over-eaters most frequently say they over-eat, although these foods, on their own and when consumed in moderation as part of a healthy balanced diet, all have an appropriate place.

What academics promoting the fat addiction theory seldom make clear is that the evidence they cite is mostly based on rat studies when (to point

fgc out the obvious) humans and rats differ in more ways than one! Animal studies are frequently cited as a reason to single out certain addictive foods or ingredients, which can be very misleading. For example, we’ve heard the often repeated but misleading line that sugar is apparently as addictive as heroin – a claim that does not bear even the simplest scrutiny when one attempts to compare a person eating too many doughnuts with an addicted intravenous drug user. Yes, consuming sugar causes the brains of rats to release opioids as a sign of pleasure. But glucose is the only fuel that can be used by brain cells so it’s probably not surprising the poor lab rats are “happy” to receive it and react accordingly. Such results do not mean sugar is “as addictive as heroin” (as the often-quoted headline would have it), which also causes the brains of rats to release opioids. Since rats lack a prefrontal cortex, that’s just one of the obvious ways they differ from humans!

Most experts will tell you it’s dangerous to mix personal clinical health interventions and population health approaches. I’ve been advised that even if “food addiction” exists as a clinically significant diagnosis, it belongs in the realm of personal mental health, along with other addictions – for example, even an addiction to carrots. But you don’t see such cases sparking a public health crisis. Many reviews indicate that the vast majority of overweight people do not have convincing behavioural or neurological signs of true addiction, and this was freely admitted at the University of Otago event. As such, this remains a poor premise for public health intervention.

Rather than focusing on possible causes for obesity and ascribing blame, our efforts are surely better placed in promoting useful solutions for people on what we know to be true. There seems to be precious little effort or funding going into this area.

A collective dumping on fizzy drinks by academics is not likely to make a jot of difference to the individual who struggles with weight.

However, since we all make something like 200 food-related decisions a day, focusing on strategies to make some of these decisions relate to on-going health and wellbeing is probably a good start.

Let’s start promoting the carrot and stop waving the stick!

Katherine Rich, CEO, NZ Food & Grocery Council.

Email: Katherine.rich@fgc.co.nz

www.fgc.org.nz

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ANUGA 2013 HIGHLIGHTS

Anuga is the largest and most important business platform for the global food and beverage industry. Tamara Rubanowski was there.

Buyers, exporters, researchers and other stakeholders in the food and beverage industry all travelled to Anuga in Cologne, Germany, where 6777 exhibitors from 98 countries showcased their top products and innovations in early October.

You never stop learning, no matter how long you work in the food industry, so let me tell you: I learned a lot at this trade fair!

You can serve pizza on a stick, feta cheese and truffles are a match made in heaven, pink Basmati rice is all the rage for Bollywood weddings and events, avocado halves can be sold frozen, edible playdough for kids can be marketed as food as well as a toy, coconut products (such as coco sugar, oil and coconut water) keep growing from strength to strength, 16

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

while some African countries are importing truckloads of vinegar – not because they are fond of salad dressings but because they use vinegar to preserve meat, due to lack of electricity and refrigeration.

These were only a few of the many interesting insights I gleaned from talking to visitors and exhibitors recently at the world’s largest and most important food and beverage trade fair.

A relaxing and regenerative wellness drink with hops, lemon balm, honey and a mix of pomegranate, banana, apricot and cranberry featured in Anuga’s ‘taste 13’ innovation showcase, alongside a cola-flavoured fruit spread, fresh truffle butter, tomato crisps with basil and oregano flavour, a new snack

product made from lean chicken cuts (smoked, dried and sprinkled with paprika seasoning), and a novel mascarpone and blue cheese blend designed for pasta dishes and smooth cheese sauces.

A mega event Anuga is the fifth biggest trade fair in the world and this year it occupied an exhibition space of 284,000 square metres. The event was meticulously organised to provide plenty of information and an effective ordering platform for visitors. Major market-leading companies were among the exhibitors, with the largest contingents coming from Italy, Spain, China and Germany.

Anuga actually comprised 10 trade shows, which were sprawled out

The trade fair also hosted the Ecotrophelia European Food Innovation Student Awards, an international competition designed to get students involved with the food market and encourage them to develop new food products.

Successful missions

across 10 massive halls: • Anuga Fine Food • Anuga Drinks • Anuga Meat • Anuga Frozen Food • Anuga Chilled & Fresh Food • Anuga Dairy • Anuga Bread & Bakery, Hot Beverages • Anuga Organic • Anuga RetailTec • Anuga FoodService A supporting programme with various conferences offered many opportunities for sharing ideas and networking with colleagues in the industry. The activities began with a get-together of trade and industry representatives at the Anuga Executive Summit on the evening

before the first day of the fair. A Frozen Food event was organised, as well as Meat Essential, a WellFood Congress, the second European Halal Conference and the SUMMEX Conference, focusing on models of co-operation between Russia and Europe.

The Federal Association of the German Retail Grocery Trade is a co-organizer of Anuga and the theme of its stand was “Sustainability, Food Safety, Transparency”. A special show and an event focusing on sustainability included Fairtrade, the Sustainable Cocoa Forum and the database project “Fish stocks online”.

Anuga also featured the DEHOGA Catering Marketplace – a communication and information platform of the hotel and catering industries, organised by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA).

Anuga’s Wine Special offered seminars and presentations as well as wine tastings, including 100 selected Bordeaux wines, for example.

The Olive Oil Market also featured tastings and expert advice while Voll-Bio offered an overview of the wide range of organic foods available.

Daily cooking shows were held on the Culinary Stage with presentations of various catering topics.

Don Graham of William Aitken & Co in New Zealand says his main reason for travelling to Anuga this year was to look for opportunities, trends and innovations. In his opinion, all brokers, suppliers and buyers would definitely benefit from visiting the next Anuga.

“The innovation showcase is one of my favourite areas to look at, as it features so many new products, trends and future oriented products.

Also the forums were very good this year with excellent presenters,” says Graham.

His top tips for visitors and exhibitors planning to attend this trade fair in 2015 are as follows: “For visitors, work out the plan of all the different halls out before you attend.

Work out what you are after (frozen, dairy, meat, beverages, etc) and work that hall row by row, and country by country. You will be surprised what you find.”

Graham says there were many highlights for him, at this year's Anuga.

“The optimism shown by all the exhibitors, the increasing range of Asian foods and the large range of gluten-free products on display. Also the special organic section that has grown every Anuga and this year had over 300 exhibitors.

“We have already booked for 2015!” he says.

German exhibitor veggyness stood out with a delicious, attractive looking vegan range based on wheat protein: vegan steaks, salamis, chorizos, kebabs and many other variants. We learned at their stand that some veggyness products do not require refrigeration, making them perfect for camping and on the boat. november/december 2013 FMCG

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Edible playdough.

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FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

“Even butchers were excited about our vegan meat alternatives . . . veggyness is great in taste and convinces even meat eaters,” says spokesperson Theresia Sahm.

First time exhibitor Wayne Louw came to Anuga to showcase a range of naturally fermented vinegars, produced under the Cecil Vinegar label in South Africa since 1936. Louw is the national sales & marketing manager of the Instant Trading Company and said his first impression of this global trade fair was: “WOW!”.

“It’s merely the size of the monster that intimidated me at first, but once I got my head around it and settled in I was overwhelmed by the response to our stand, especially our Verlaque and Verjuice offerings.

“To date we have been inundated

with requests from new agents and retailers worldwide who visited us at Anuga and got to taste our products, as they wish to represent our company, or stock our brands (including Cecil Vinegar).

“In summary, the trade fair was a huge success and really exceeded our expectations. It was also a nice opportunity to meet and greet some of our current global business partners and suppliers at this wonderful event.”

NevilleVujcic of Strike Force New Zealand also found Anuga to be a good and convenient meeting point for many of his European-based and global clients. He says: “You are able to pre-schedule meetings in a structured manner and have valuable and constructive outcomes. As we move further away from the GFC,

I’m pleased to see new innovation appearing back at the fair – I believe that the NZ market closely follows the trends of UK and EU. Anuga is the best catalyst for seeking what is “hot” and creating new ideas around future NZ trends.”

His top tips for visitors and exhibitors planning to attend the trade fair in 2015 are as follows:“Plan your visit early, booking all travel and accommodation at least six months out. I personally prefer to stay on the hotel ships moored on the Rhine as they are a short walk to the fair, meaning no need for transportation.

“Pre-plan your ‘must visit’ at the fair prior to travel as much as you can – it is very easy to quickly run out of time with a fair as large as Anuga.”

NZ exhibitor John Upton of

Mathias International says his main reason for visiting Anuga this year was to “further expose our company and profile to existing and potential new suppliers and buyers from the global market place. Having attended Anuga as an exhibitor since 1983, we see the fair as an integral part of maintaining our profile and focusing on potential opportunities.”

His top tips are: “Make sure that if you do not have a home base to allow ample time to get around the various pavilions, and not necessarily focus only on the areas that are specifically related to your own business, to gain new ideas. Plan your visit, it’s a big show. Don’t rely on being able to make meetings at a fixed time, you need flexibility.

With the vast numbers that attend, invariably meeting times drift out.”

And how does Anuga compare with SIAL for New Zealanders, in his opinion? “Perhaps Anuga is more global, less regional,” says Upton.

Another NZ exhibitor, Graeme Lane of Lanexco (based in Tauranga), says he gets value at Anuga as most of his customers and many suppliers are all gathered in one place every two years.

“We have been exhibiting at Anuga since 2005 and been visiting prior to that. Anyone promoting a new product or brand would benefit from visiting the next Anuga,” says Lane.

Trade fair travel tips It was a case of planes, trains, taxis, a stopover in Singapore and even a ship, when I travelled from Auckland

to Anuga in Cologne, Germany.

Getting to the world’s biggest trade fair for the food industry and finding a hotel nearby is quite a logistic exercise, but with a few handy tips and a personalised itinerary from the friendly team at MesseReps, it all went off without a hitch.

Robert Laing of MesseReps in Auckland has dealt with trade fairs in Germany and getting New Zealand companies, both exhibitors and visitors, to Cologne and beyond, for 24 years now. The first time he visited Anuga was 1989.

Laing says his main reason for visiting Anuga 2013 was to liaise with, and assist, the NZ exhibitors at the fair, to be available “on the spot”.

“Also to meet with colleagues from the organisers Koelnmesse, to discuss and plan our activities for fairs coming up, including food trade fairs in Cologne such as ISM, Anuga FoodTec and Anuga in 2015, as well as the food industry trade shows that Koelnmesse organises around the world.”

Laing says Anuga is absolutely the right event to visit for anyone in the food and beverage industry.

“It is the biggest and most international meeting place for the industry worldwide. Everyone and every product that is significant in the industry is there and it is the opportunity to see the entire worldwide industry and the latest products and developments in one place at one time.”

And what are his tips for visitors and exhibitors planning to attend this trade fair in 2015? november/december 2013 FMCG

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“You don’t know right now who and what products exactly will be there, but you know now that the industry’s leaders and their new products will be there. So if you want to see the latest the industry has to offer, this is the place to see it all.

“Once you make the decision to attend, the main thing is to book accommodation early. Planning for the rest of your trip can be done later, including travel to other points before and after Anuga. Because of the size of Anuga and numbers of exhibitors and visitors attending, accommodation is in high demand.The longer you leave it, the less choice you will get and the higher the price will become.”

Laing adds: “The highlight for me was being in an Irish Bar in the Cologne Old 20

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

Town late on the Saturday afternoon with 150 Kiwis and 150 South Africans watching the best rugby test I have seen in 20 years. There was a lot of banter in the first half, but in the end the All Blacks’ class showed through.”

Travelling to and from Cologne is easy.

The city has excellent public transport facilities and one of the busiest train stations in Europe. Some 1300 trains arrive and depart here every day, including frequent connections with the Thalys to Paris via Brussels, and with the Eurostar to London.

Visit www.anuga.com for more information and for more trade fair travel tips, contact Robert Laing at MesseReps: phone (09) 303 1000, email robert@messereps.co.nz, or visit www.messereps.co.nz.

Top 10 trends at Anuga Gourmet products and regional specialities • Organic products • Vegetarian and vegan products • Health and functional foods • Finger food • Snacks and salads ‘to go’ • Fair trade products • Coconut products • Natural ingredients • Halal food and Kosher products

food.

IT’S OUR BUSINESS.

Connect with your industry when Fine Food New Zealand returns, showcasing the latest food and beverage ranges from here and around the world. Meet with a host of suppliers and wholesalers, as well as learn about the latest trends and technology in the retail food industry. With over 250 national and international exhibitors, there is no better place to reinvigorate your food business.

This major event only happens every two years so don’t delay: VISIT FREE

EXHIBIT

For FREE entry, register now at www.finefoodnz.co.nz using code FMCG1

For exhibitor enquiries to showcase at Fine Food New Zealand please contact: Tim Wilson, Exhibition Sales Manager DDI +64 9 376 4604 email tim@finefoodnz.co.nz

In association with:

22 - 24 June 2014 ASB SHOWGROUNDS GREENLANE, AUCKLAND NZ www.finefoodnz.co.nz

Get sold on the idea of trade shows For B2B sales, nothing beats trade shows – but don’t take my word for it, take a look at Germany.

Europe’s largest economy, Germany, hosts two-thirds of the world’s largest international trade shows every year. In fact, one of the principal elements in Germany’s post-World War II economic miracle (or ‘Wirtschaftswunder’ as the locals called it) was trade shows.

Nowadays, Germany boasts 2.75 million square metres of exhibition space – and their 10 largest halls exceed 100,000sqm each. Four of the world’s top 10 trade show companies are based in Germany.

In 2012, Germany hosted 160 trade events, involving a total of almost 181,000 exhibitors, and attracting 10 million visitors overall.

Exhibitors and visitors spend 12 billion Euros every year at German trade shows, which boosts Germany’s annual economic output by 23.5 billion Euros.

Clearly New Zealand can’t match those sorts of numbers but there’s a lesson to be learned in all of this: trade shows work.

Why? Because trade shows bring your customers to you and harness all five of their senses to drive home your messages. You can immediately establish a face-to-face connection with your customers and demonstrate your products and services right there on the spot.

And according to the Exhibition

and Event Association of Australasia, the average dwell time at a trade show is five to six hours, 83% of visitors have authority to purchase, and 72% of visitors intend to buy at the event or in the near future.

That’s a whole lot of time and a whole lot of qualified prospects.

So what makes trade shows (like Fine Food New Zealand) different from consumer shows (like The Food Show)?

Trade shows are free entry events for trade customers only and often attract relatively low volumes of high net-worth individuals, whereas consumer shows attract large numbers of lower net-worth individuals and charge them for entry. Also, trade show exhibitors mainly aim to take orders for fulfilment after the show, rather than making tons of direct sales like exhibitors at consumer shows.

Best show for you How do you go about finding the best trade show for your business?

The main decider has to be: which show will attract the most relevant visitors to your stand?

To give you a rough guide, here’s a handy formula to estimate your potential audience. Multiply a measure of audience quality, like the number of visitors authorised to

Dona White is CEO of North Port Events and organiser of The Food Show, Baby Show, Fine Food New Zealand, and Healthy Living Show. North Port Events is the NZ agent for the Fine Food exhibitions in Australia.

Go to northportevents.co.nz for more info.

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FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

purchase at the last show, by your estimate of audience interest, which is the percentage of visitors you think are likely to be interested in your product or service: Audience Quality x Audience Interest = Potential Audience.

For example, an expo attracted 5000 visitors last year, 2000 of which were authorised and keen to purchase. You estimate that 20% of visitors to this year’s show will be part of your target market, so that means you can expect: 2000 visitors x 20% = 400 super-hot prospects.

Next you need to ask some hard questions of the organisers, like how up-to-date are their marketing databases? Is their advertising targeting the media outlets your customers consult? Does the show include educational, entertainment, or industry-relevant features that will help attract your customers?

And are there any groups you can join for mutual support or to form a pavilion at the show?

Once you’ve done your homework and chosen the right trade show for your company, I urge you to jump in with both feet. There really is nothing quite like a trade show to grow your customer base, your profits, and your confidence. Just ask the Germans.

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na rgo n

“Living wage” hotly debated Policy changes could have major implications for stores.

Seemingly from nowhere, the concept of a “living wage” has become a key issue in New Zealand politics. The proposed hourly wage of $18.40 for government or council staff has been supported by several political parties, including Labour and the Greens, and a number of mayors.

Wellington’s Celia Wade-Brown endorses it for council staff, and Len Brown has pledged to investigate the policy and, if feasible and affordable, implement it in Auckland.

While the first modern “living wage” campaign begun in 1994 in America, the concept is very new here. It is championed by Living Wage Aotearoa, an organisation comprised of church groups, ethnic organisations and unions. In December 2012, they published a piece by the Family Centre Social Policy Research Unit which argued that the “living wage” in New Zealand in 2013 should be $18.40 an hour.

The definition of a “living wage” they use is “the income necessary to provide workers and their families with the basic necessities of life. A living wage will enable workers to live with dignity and to participate as active citizens in society.”

The calculations are based on a four-person household – two adults and two children – with one adult working full time and one working half time. They considered this a “common New Zealand family size.”

Most politicians are promising to limit the “living wage” to government or council employees, and, in some cases, contractors. For example, new Labour leader David Cunliffe has promised a “living wage” for all government employees in his first budget. It would then be rolled out to crown entities and then to government contractors.

At first glance, this policy would not appear to impact on stores, apart from having to meet the obvious costs of raising wages through tax or rates. However, there is a critical issue which means the “living wage” would

Trina Snow, executive director, NARGON.

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FMCG NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

likely expand into the private sector.

If politicians accept that the “living wage” is necessary to provide “the basic necessities of life,” allow workers to “live with dignity” and enable Kiwis to be “active citizens in society”, how could they possibly justify excluding the majority of New Zealanders just because they don’t work in the public service or for the local council?

After all, why should a 17-year-old doing filing at the Ministry of Health be treated better than a 17-year-old working at a checkout in a supermarket? Their needs are no different – they both need the basic necessities and the ability to live with dignity. That is why there would be considerable political pressure to extend a “living wage” after it is introduced.

Critics of the system also point out that the methodology for setting the annual rate of the “living wage” is not robust. It makes assumptions about the “average” family setup (which is not that common) and “average” costs, then applies them to all workers, whose individual circumstances may be very different.

The “living wage” campaign likely understates the employment impacts of increasing wages. When the Government sets the minimum wage annually, they take advice from a range of specialist agencies and have to balance any wage increases against the number of jobs which will be lost. A small, non-profit campaign group may not have the necessary expertise in this area. It also takes the wage-setting responsibility out of government and into an unelected campaign group. In 2014 they could set the “living wage” at $24 an hour and that would place huge pressure on government and council finances.

The “living wage” runs the risk of becoming the default minimum wage. Employees would be reluctant to take jobs which seemingly do not pay enough for the “basic necessities of life”. It will increase the pressure for people to move into government and/or local government jobs, instead of the more productive private sector.

There is no doubt the “living wage” is wellintentioned and superficially attractive. However, it is not a policy that would help the economy. Instead, it will take money out of shoppers’ pockets, will be likely to expand and become a de facto minimum wage.

recru i t m e n t recrui

Back to basics Scott Freeman considers the problem with sales.

I mean the ‘noble art’ of selling, rather than the ‘top line’ figure, although I’m sure we’re all having our challenges there. Selling as a profession has received little adulation over the years, unlike in the US, where it is highly regarded as a career. And given some of the challenges present in the FMCG industry right now, I have concerns about the role of our sales people, particularly key account managers (KAM), and what we are doing to address that.

Starting more broadly, our education system, notably the universities, do little to promote sales. Undergraduates can specialise in accounting, marketing, operations and human resources as a degree, but there is little mention of sales anywhere.

Having just finished some post-graduate studies, it seems universities are still trying to hide the ‘noble art’, even from those with work experience, who are in sales roles! Little mention was made of sales during the entire course. The accounting module mentioned revenue as a number on the income statement and the marketing module made a brief mention of customer segments. However, there was no module dedicated to selling and no mention of sales cycles, negotiation or key account management.

One industry expert who works with both suppliers and retailers sees the problem from both sides.

With the internal and external pressure on account managers, he has seen a lot more who are “tired, exhausted and burnt out”, having little support and training to deal with these challenges. From the retailer side, there’s an impression of high churn and often months being taken to replace people.

Added to this, if the industry is losing some of its appeal for “burnt out” sales people, then be aware, as others are circling, waiting to pounce and offer ‘greener grass’. Speaking recently with the CEO of a major retail (non-grocery) supplier, they said they are focused on securing people from the FMCG industry.

With the systems, processes, analytical ability and overall account management approach, our KAMs are in demand elsewhere. And other industries might seem more attractive right now: less promotional focus, balanced power between retailer/supplier and a number of customers to choose to work with.

So we can’t change the industry dynamics or remove

the pressure, but we can invest, train and Scott Freeman support much better. Just as the field Associate Director sales manager supports their team in the FMCG Sales and Marketing, field, how often do members of the senior OCG Consulting team (marketing or even GM/CEO) show support for the KAM? And what training or investment is provided?

With every company running a lean operation and senior managers being time poor, training and development has moved down the priority list.

However, there are some positives to draw on from the industry with the work that Competenz has done to create accredited sales training. Jim MacBrideStewart from Competenz says that over 1000 learners have signed up in the last year and that the feedback from both new and experienced sales people shows that the training makes an impact on both results and motivation.

“Those companies who provide comprehensive training and development really stand out – their people talk about it!”

So if the industry is making some headway with Competenz, what are you doing as an employer?

Those companies who provide comprehensive training and development really stand out – their people talk about it! And as they talk about it, their employment brand improves and it becomes easier to attract people. With demographic trends and the industry being hesitant to take those without FMCG experience, it means there is a greater fight for the talented few.

Training and development doesn’t have to be expensive: it’s more of a mindset or a cultural shift.

The talk of innovation and ‘being bold’ is worthless unless a few of the basics are sorted. Check on your sales people, particularly your key account managers – there’s a lot riding on them right now. november/DECEMBER 2013 FMCG

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b e e f + lamb

Super snarlers Ashley Gray, marketing & communications executive, Beef + Lamb New Zealand Inc.

Ashley Gray of Retail Meat New Zealand reviews the NZ Sausage awards.

Summer is here and for many people, consumers and retailers alike, the hot weather marks the start of the BBQ season.

Which is why butchers nationwide had their fingers crossed in the hope their sausages would earn a place in the Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition in October.

Kiwis consume about eight million sausages a week, so a win in this competition could potentially turn a retailer’s humble snarler into a ‘cash cow’. New World Milford in Auckland has already experienced just how true this statement is after their Venison and Blackcurrant sausage won the coveted People’s Choice Award.

The weekend after their win, the store witnessed an impressive 700% increase in sausage sales. The huge leap in sales started with a number of phone orders from people who had heard about the win.

As news began to spread, regular customers began to queue up outside the butchery department for a chance to purchase the winning sausage and taste it for themselves. The staff also saw an influx of new customers after people reading the newspaper over the weekend decided to try out the winning products as well.

And this is just the start of things to come. The store has a whole in-store promotion planned around

Brian Tilbrook from Devro New Zealand with Quentin Steven & Graham Sole from New World Milford.

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FMCG NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2013

the success of their win, including window displays and tastings. They’re also proud of the other two sausages they entered into the gourmet section of the competition: Lamb, Sundried Tomato and Olives, and Pork and Sweet Chilli. They are keen to develop even more inventive flavours.

Quentin and his team in the butchery are newcomers to the sausage-making game, only producing their first sausages around two months ago, yet they have certainly made their mark. Over the past few months they’ve also listened to what their customers want and have introduced a whole array of value-added products into the mix.

To put this win into context, over 460 sausages were entered into the Devro New Zealand Sausage Competition by butchers across the country. These sausages were tasted over two days by a panel of 50 judges who were critiquing the aroma, texture and taste, as well as the technical elements of the raw product. The top sausage in each of the ten categories was awarded a gold medal and these sausages went on to be judged in the Grand Final the following day, where New World Milford took out the People’s Choice. The Supreme Award went to the Village Butcher in Havelock North for their Village Pork sausage.

This year was the 20th anniversary of the competition, which only continues to expand and deliver more results for the retailers who enter. Retail Meat New Zealand sees this competition as another vehicle for retailers to showcase and promote themselves. This event offers retailers the opportunity to achieve publicity for their quality products and high skill. And, if the payoff for this year’s winners are anything to go by, I’d recommend retailers start perfecting their sausage for next year’s Head Judge, Kerry Tyack at the Grand Final. competition now!

Advertorial

Hellers New Ribs Hellers is further extending their innovative range and further strengthening their position as ‘NZ’s Butcher’ by introducing an exciting new range of pork ribs.

and slow cooked in a mouth-watering

The new product comes in two flavours,

a lot of saucy grins!

Chinese style sauce and ‘Hot & Spicy’ Pork Ribs. Hellers is extremely pleased and excited to launch this succulent new Ribs range and is sure they’ll create

‘Sweet & Sticky’, lip-smackingly marinated

Hellers ‘Sausages For Schools’ Raises $1m for Primary Schools Two years ago Hellers launched their ‘Sausages For Schools’ fund-raising programme for primary schools.

Initiated by Hellers managing director, Nick Harris, the programme invites primary schools to apply to Hellers for sausages to help their fundraising causes.

Applications from schools grew rapidly as

Advertising & Promotion

the word spread and to date, just short of 1000

This year Hellers is looking to build on a strong performance last summer with a new campaign aimed at owning the BBQ season. With five new TV

administered the fund raiser, say that one of the

commercials, online and Facebook activity leading up to and during the holiday season, there will be plenty of promotion to profile Hellers products for the barbie. The new TVC’s position Hellers as the ‘BBQ Masters’ with Leigh Hart delivering a series of quirky BBQ tips. The TV activity will connect to a Facebook campaign calling for people to enter their own barbecue tips for a chance to win one of 12 barbecues.

primary schools have participated in Hellers ‘Sausages For Schools’, with a total of $1million being raised by November 2013.

Brydon Heller and Karen Croft who have most rewarding parts of the programme is the heartfelt thank you’s sent by the school children.

Merino & Thyme With yet another delicious addition to the Hellers sausages range for summer, the launch of Hellers Merino & Thyme follows the incredible success of their New Yorker Porker, Hellers new top-selling sausage. Thyme complements the Merino perfectly, giving it an almost grassy note from the high country where Merino graze. Hellers Merino & Thyme sausages are something new yet classic for barbecues this summer.

cs tara t epg ory check

BBQ season What’s new for outdoor entertaining? FMCG talked to some of the experts in the industry to find out what’s trending this summer.

Inspired by cooking shows on TV, ethnic restaurants, international travel and a plethora of cook books, New Zealanders have become quite adventurous when it comes to trying out new recipes. This means you are now very likely to see gourmet burger creations, spicy ribs, zingy chicken, Middle Eastern style kebabs, luscious salmon fillets and vegetarian delicacies starring on a grill near you.

Ingham spokesperson says: “For easy, tasty summer meals, Ingham Butterfly Chicken range is just the thing. Available in three proven and 28

FMCG NOVEMBER/December 2013

popular flavours, Herb & Garlic, Chilli & Lime and Tandoori, the butterfly cut is a perfect BBQ option. Brilliant ranging made easy, range today … your customer will love’em.”

The classic Kiwi BBQ is never complete without some decent sausages, so Hellers recently launched a competition to find ‘New Zealand’s Next Top Sausage’.

The New Yorker Porker was picked out of nearly 2000 entries – a winning recipe which encompassed everything that Hellers was looking for. Its balanced combination of

bbq pro dsut crat p s

BBQ pork, honey, onion, garlic, chilli and paprika is already proving to be a big hit with consumers.

“The New Yorker Porker has had a phenomenal response and is probably our best ever fresh gourmet sausage launch,” says Brydon Heller, brand manager.

The new sausage is now available in supermarkets nationwide.

Hellers’ range of gourmet sausages includes scrumptious varieties such as AngusPure, Moroccan Lamb, Honey, Lamb & Rosemary and the supreme award-winning London Pride, to name just a few.

Look out for Hellers’ new pork ribs too, which come ready spiced and marinated for a quick and easy addition to the BBQ. Hellers is New Zealand’s largest smallgoods manufacturer and has always been driven by quality.

This is reflected in the number of prestigious awards the company has won. For example, Hellers has won the Supreme NZ Sausage award several times and was named Supreme winner at the 2008 NZ Bacon Competition. The awards are a testament to Todd Heller’s passion and hands-on approach to the quality and standard of everything his brand makes.

New products on the horizon “The 2013/14 BBQ season got off

to an impressive start for Leader Products,” says Caroline James, national retail sales & marketing manager.

She explains: “The new Quarter Pounder BBQ Burger (8x8pc) in a large tray has tripled sales in the last two months and exceeded our expectations for launch. Whilst Leader Products prides itself on producing high quality lines, this one is headed towards being included in our top five lines, which is fantastic for a newly launched product.

“To capitalise on this success Leader Products plans to launch another new BBQ line in January along with some new pack configurations to ensure we have a complete range offering of quality frozen convenient products suitable for every family’s freezer,” says James.

Mushrooms and BBQs – the great summer partnership

THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to 03 November 2013 Total Prepacked Smallgoods: $309.735m Value % Chg vs YA 5.3 T. Prepacked Sausages/Sausage Meat: $53.703m Value % Chg vs YA 13.2 Total Frozen Convenience Foods: $105.046m Value % Chg vs YA -3.1 T. Frozen Meat: $19.947m Value % Chg vs YA -3.9 *Nielsen New Zealand ScanTrack (Databank)

veggies. Simple to prepare and delicious in taste, mushrooms pack a nutritional punch, being high in selenium and some B vitamins. They also are low in fat and have minimal calories, which make them perfect as a meal on their own, or as a side dish.

It’s definitely BBQ time and the ever in-season mushroom is ready for the event.

In fact, the BBQ is the perfect piece of equipment for cooking mushrooms. Why? you ask.

Mushrooms contain a high percentage of water so remain moist under high, direct heat, but as they lose moisture the flavour of the mushroom (and anything you’ve put on them) is intensified. Add some sweet chilli sauce or blue cheese to your mushrooms on the BBQ and watch the flavours explode when you combine that with your steak and sausages.

Mushrooms are available all year round and can be enjoyed raw in salads, marinated on platters, or cooked on the BBQ. They are also perfect for vegetarian options or those wanting to swap meat for NOVEMBER/December 2013 FMCG

29

cs tara t epg ory check “Mushrooms are available all year round and can be enjoyed raw in salads, marinated on platters, or cooked on the BBQ. They are also perfect for vegetarian options” Meadow Mushrooms are a locally grown fresh product from Canterbury, based on a sustainable production system, supplying a full range of loose and value added lines to satisfy customer demand.

Meadow Mushrooms has a couple of special summer options: the perfectly sized Summer Fun-gi 325g pack is a blank canvas of white buttons suitable for a range of recipe ideas just waiting to inspire you and your customers, while the Portabello Plus 200g takes it to the next level.

Portabello mushrooms are nestled in this pack with a flavour sachet for a ready-to-use meal solution. Pop the Portabellos on the BBQ, drizzle the flavoured oil on top and enjoy!

The friendly Meadow Mushrooms team also offered one of their favourite BBQ recipes, to share with your customers, or family and friends over the holiday season.

MUSHROOM & CHICKEN KEBABS 4 small or 2 large chicken breasts (cut into 16 pieces 2-3cm) 8 rashers of streaky bacon 24 whole button mushrooms 8 wooden kebab sticks 30

FMCG NOVEMBER/December 2013

Marinade: 6 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons crushed garlic 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary (finely chopped) zest of 1 lemon Method: Soak kebab sticks in water for 15 minutes.

Chop chicken into pieces.

Cut each rasher of bacon into 4 pieces.

Make kebabs in this order: Mushroom – bacon – chicken – mushroom – chicken – bacon – mushroom.

Combine all marinade ingredients and pour over kebabs. Refrigerate for at least four hours (but up to 24 hours) in a covered dish or large zip lock bag.

Turn the BBQ on to medium heat and grill the kebabs for 15-20 minutes, turning frequently until the chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

Serves four.

So how do you care for your mushrooms in the summer heat? They like to be chilled and dry, being happy at 2oC.-5oC. Direct sunlight and warm temperatures are the enemy of the mushroom, so keep them protected from those conditions. Mushrooms also like to have some gentle airflow, but are sensitive to strong smells and ethylene gases, so keep them away from your other fruits and vegetables where you can. Keep the mushrooms as described above and they will stay fresh for longer.

With their great texture, added nutritional benefits and the bonus of a unique nutty flavour, it’s hard to not impress when you have mushrooms on the menu.

For further information please contact the Meadows sales team: Customer Services – 0800 687 476

Michelle Zielazo – Customer Services Manager – 0272 788 028 Mark Santy – South Island – 0272 202 452 Tracy Scott – Central Region – 0274 972 823 Zane Hutching – Upper North Island – 0274 859 826.

The good oil Choosing a quality oil is essential for successful cooking on the BBQ. For example, Carbonell is a trusted brand in the Mediterranean and is now available in New Zealand.

Carbonell Grapeseed Oil is glutenfree and a natural source of vitamin E. Its high smoke point and light flavour make it ideal for grill or barbecue.

Carbonell Cereal & Fruit Oil is also gluten-free and a natural source of omega-3 and -6. It combines the benefits of rice bran, corn, wheat germ, walnut and blackcurrant oils to create an innovative cooking oil with a clean taste and delicate flavour, which is also ideal for high heat cooking.

Jenny Gibson, business manager, explains:“William Aitken & Co is the market leader in the oils category* and distributes a range of Lupi olive oils and Carbonell cooking oils to address different needs and cooking occasions. When it comes to BBQ usage, the key product features sought by consumers are high smoke point and health benefits.

“William Aitken launched Carbonell Cereal & Fruit Oil in 2013. It is a designer oil blended from five different cereals and fruits, including corn and rice bran oil, to give it specific functionality.

Carbonell Cereal & Fruit Oil offers a unique array of health benefits, but also has a high smoke point, making it ideal for BBQ usage. The 750ml plastic bottle is an added benefit for consumers, reducing the risk of glass breakage and spillage in the outdoor cooking/dining area.” *Aztec data for Total Key Accounts, MAT to 10/11/13. Excludes private label.

Vanilla plantation in Tonga.

A fair go for growers New partnership reinvigorates Tonga’s vanilla industry.

Household shoppers are becoming increasingly aware of socially responsible brands and a growing number of consumers are now making informed decisions about what they choose to buy, based on the products’ origin and background.

Rather than putting this into the ‘too hard’ basket, some brands are choosing to embrace this movement by working towards getting their products Fairtrade, free range, or organic certified. Some are even creating environmentally sustainable projects that have the ability to make a direct difference in the lives of the people who gather or process the raw materials.

Queen Fine Foods, one of New Zealand’s leading distributors of home baking and decorating products, is one of those brands. They have recently entered into a partnership with the people of Tonga to reinvigorate the country’s vanilla industry; an initiative which works with growers to develop sustainable and organic farming practices. Farmers are taught not only how to grow high quality vanilla beans, but also how to cure their own crops and add value.

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The Tongan vanilla growers who have chosen to participate in the programme have been offered financial support from Queen to reclaim neglected vines and restore them back to productive levels. Queen is also sharing the latest sustainable farming techniques with the growers, which is helping to directly improve the livelihoods of more than 1400 Tongan locals.

Growers who join the partnership are then offered a sustainable, long term direct supply partnership with Queen, which guarantees ongoing future income for years to come. The programme is independently validated by Fairtrade International who are experts on ensuring growers are fairly treated.

This is one of many global initiatives Queen has developed over the years to enhance the vanilla industry and, importantly, support the families and villages that rely on the sales of this valuable crop. Tonga has been chosen for this programme due to the high quality of their vanilla beans, which possess a similar flavour and aroma profile to those from

the east-African region of Madagascar and the surrounding countries.

Based in Brisbane, Queen Fine Foods has successfully assisted other vanilla production regions over the years such as Papua New Guinea, and currently also works with Fairtrade organisations in developing countries as remote as the Comoros Islands off the south-east coast of Africa to assist them with their vanilla production quality and yields.

“Being a family-owned company, it is important for us to give back to the industry,” explains Dr Sam Himstedt, one of the Queen Fine Foods’ family members who pioneered the initiative.

Dr Himstedt says this initiative will deliver New Zealanders a better quality final product.

“Most home bakers probably don’t think about what it takes to make that little aromatic bottle of Queen vanilla extract they have in their pantry. Our passion is for vanilla and vanilla growers, so partnerships where we work hand in hand with growers mean we can manage the product quality from farm to pantry,” he says.

s

s t ra p

Vanilla beans curing.

“Our passion is for vanilla and vanilla growers, so partnerships where we work hand in hand with growers mean we can manage the product quality from farm to pantry.” Dr Sam Himstedt, Queen Fine Foods Vanilla once grew in the region, predominantly in the 80’s and 90’s.

However, due to sustained poor prices and a range of growing and trading factors, the industry effectively collapsed.

Queen’s rehabilitation programme addresses these factors to provide long term, viable farming methods in the ever-changing vanilla industry.

The partnership has been backed by the Tongan Government and not-forprofit organisation Fairtrade Australia & New Zealand. In Tonga, Minister for Agriculture Sione Sangster Saulala says of the programme: “This is a fantastic outcome for Tongan vanilla.

We have the ideal conditions to grow this crop. Queen can assist us to become world class in growing and curing vanilla.”

He says: “This is a fair programme that

will benefit many families in Tonga. We are particularly impressed with Queen’s commitment to the ongoing development of the vanilla industry and the depth of technical knowledge they provide.”

“Together with Queen’s 100-yearold exclusive extraction technique, this ensures we are producing the world’s finest vanilla products. For our New Zealand customers it means they get unsurpassed flavour in their home baking.”

Ian Jones, who represents Queen Fine Foods in Vava’u, says a lot of hard work has gone into restoring the vanilla and growers are encouraged to work hard to rehabilitate and maintain their vanilla.

Jones says: “This programme will help to reinvigorate the Tongan vanilla industry. Up until three months ago, around 90% of the vanilla plantations were lying dormant in the jungle.

Dr Sam Himstedt (one the Queen Fine Foods family members who pioneered the programme).

Today, more than 90% of the plantations and their growers are part of the programme and are actively working to reclaim their plantations with the assistance of Queen. Queen is looking forward to building a strong sustainable relationship with the growers of Vava’u for many years to come.”

The vanilla grown through this partnership will be harvested around mid-2014 and used in the products Queen Fine Foods sells throughout New Zealand, Australia and Europe, which includes their award-winning Vanilla Bean Paste, Vanilla Extract, Vanilla Beans and Vanilla Bean Dusting Sugar.

Images courtesy of Queen Fine Foods. november/december 2013 FMCG

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Dairy & soy t Convenience, snacking, specialty cheeses and healthy products drive sales.

The current consumer trends in the cheese category include growth in snacking and convenience cheese products, such as natural cheese slices and grated cheese, as consumers look for products that make their lives a little easier. So says Rachel Kelly, senior product manager – Cheese, Fonterra Brands NZ. She adds that there is a decline in processed cheese and this follows global trends from Australia and UK. Fonterra’s cheese brands in NZ supermarkets include Mainland and Valumetric.

Mainland Noble Cheddar (250g and 500g block) was launched late June 2013.

The Mainland Cheese Snacking range – launched November 2012, includes Cheese & Crackers Multipacks (4 x 30g – Edam and Tasty), Cheese & Cracker 50g Singles (Edam & Tasty), and Cheese Sticks Multipacks (8x 20g Tasty, Edam and Colby); seven skus in total. “These products have progressed very well,” says Kelly.

She explains: “Mainland Noble has only been in market for three months and has significantly exceeded expectations and is quickly becoming one of our top-selling small block

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cheeses. It is a full flavoured cheddar which is 30% less fat than Mainland Tasty. It is really resonating with consumers who want to have healthy eating habits but don’t want to sacrifice taste. It was ranked #14 in total natural cheese (for four weeks ending 15.9.13 Aztec).The consumer response has been also been incredibly positive, which is very encouraging.

“Mainland Cheese Snacking again has been another success story – it has significantly driven the growth in the snacking segment and now is the clear market leader at 72.2% – offering mums the chance to provide their kids natural snacking options for the lunchbox – cheese & crackers and cheese sticks. This has also been able to drive consumption of cheese out of home because of the portable, portion controlled formats.

“Total snacking is 62% bigger in volume than it was pre Mainland Snacking launch (Aztec Qtr to 15.9.13 vs. Qtr to 16.9.12),” says Kelly.

Hamilton by Canary Enterprises. A fresh sweet flavoured, natural organic butter, lightly salted and unsalted in 250g packs.”

She adds: “I have just returned from Korea where I was a NZ delegate at the Asio Gusto Slow Food conference and expo (over 400,000 people went through the show).

Slow Food is about clean, good and fair food and there were interesting lectures. I found one slide particularly interesting, which showed the five healthiest foods on the planet and they are: soy, lentils, kimchi, olive oil and Greek yoghurt. Of course

by Greek yoghurt they mean the traditional, naturally fermented yoghurt that is free from additives such as milk powder, flavouring and sugar, quite unlike the commercial Greek yoghurt here in NZ. I took heart from the fact that Biofarm yoghurt is naturally fermented and additive free... a true health product.”

Biofarm

“Hutchinsons is the leading importer of specialty cheese and butter in NZ,” says marketing manager Melissa Leaver.

Hutchinsons is a subsidiary of Manassen Foods and the key brands include: • Castello • Lemnos • Chrystal Fresh • The Laughing Cow • Mini Baby Bel • Hutchinsons • Lurpak (Danish) Butter.

Leaver says: “At a time when the value is being driven out of the cheese category (-2.7% value sales) through discounting of everyday

Owner/operator Cathy Tait-Jamieson told FMCG: “We supply Biofarm yoghurts, Ecofarm milks and Organic Times butter to the market. Our Organic Times butter is made from fresh cream supplied by certified organic dairy farmers from around New Zealand and is processed in

Hutchinsons

soy, milk and ds tara i rp y

y trends cheese staples, the specialty cheese segment is delivering incremental value for the retailer. Specialty cheese value sales are up +3.7% on the prior year and Hutchinsons is a key driver of this growth at +10.8% ahead of last year (Aztec MAT to 30.06.13 vs year ago).”

She lists some of the standout performers to note: “Based on traditional Danish cheese making methods, it’s easy to see why Castello 150g is the blue cheese of choice in NZ – ranking #1 in value sales (Aztec MAT to 17.02.13).

“The Laughing Cow range of snacking cheese has been immune to the decline of the processed cheese segment, and has seen an increase of +6.8% in value sales (Aztec MAT to 30.06.13 vs year ago). This result can be put down to the insight that mums want good value and good-for-you, natural lunchbox options.

“The Chrystal Fresh range of prepackaged cheeseboard selections is proving to be a winner. The graband-go concept takes the guess work out of creating a cheeseboard for the shopper. The Chrystal Fresh Cheeseboard Selection 275g sku delivers 58% or 2.5 times the units per store per week of the #2 sku,” she says.

She adds: “Although Kiwis are

tending to entertain more in the home, they still crave a restaurant quality experience and serving premium, authentic, international cheeses is one way they can achieve this.”

Summer entertaining means this is the key selling period for specialty cheese.“For the retailer, this represents an opportunity to give more space to specialty cheese to take full advantage of this key usage occasion and maximise their return on space by supporting these high value items,” says Leaver.

Easiyo

THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to October 6, 2013 Total Milk Drinks: $44.840m Value % Chg vs YA 8.6 T. Soya Milk: $19.710m Value % Chg vs YA 0.3 T. UHT Flavoured Milk: $13.602m Value % Chg vs YA 15.9 T. Other Non Dairy Milk Substitutes: $8.858m Value % Chg vs YA 21.2 T. Milk Shake Flavourings: $2.669m Value % Chg vs YA 3.9 Total Milk Products: $63.742m Value % Chg vs YA -8.2 T. Processed Liquid Milk: $25.039m Value % Chg vs YA -4.3 T. Processed Cream Products: $13.989m Value % Chg vs YA 0.4 T. Milk Powder: $12.792m Value % Chg vs YA -27.8 T. Coconut Milk & Cream: $11.922m Value % Chg vs YA 3.0

Marketing manager Zahra Total Fresh Milk & Cream: $416.240m Woodroffe says: “EasiYo, Value % Chg vs YA -1.0 like all dairy manufacturers, T. Fresh Milk: $372.453m currently faces some stiff Value % Chg vs YA -1.3 challenges, particularly as T. Fresh Cream: $43.787m the global milk price is at a Value % Chg vs YA 2.0 very high point. However, observing consumer trends *Nielsen New Zealand ScanTrack (Databank) and reacting with appropriate innovations should help see the make-at-home yogurt category continue to flourish. The satisfaction of making your own food, for your own family, is so rewarding.

With so many of today’s foods being processed and filled with additives and preservatives, consumers are increasingly seeing the benefits of making things from scratch. This way they know what is in the food they eat,” she says.

She adds: “EasiYo is well positioned to capture these consumers with a satisfying and simple make-at-home yogurt making system. There are no artificial ingredients in any EasiYo yogurts, making them a great choice november/december 2013 FMCG

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for people wanting real yogurt without artificial additives. The make at home yogurt market in NZ is worth around $13.6 million (as per Aztec Sep 2013) and is dominated by ‘everyday’ flavours such as strawberry and vanilla and also Greek style yogurts. Combined these segments make up over 65% of the total category. Increasing demand is particularly noticeable in the Greek style area where growth is at 16% (as per Aztec Sep 2013). This reflects global trends.”

EasiYo recently introduced six new products. “These products were a hit when launched at the Auckland Home Show and Food Show where the new products accounted for over 35% of all sales,” says Woodroffe. The new lines include: • Two new smoothies -Tropical and Berry. These are ideal for a quick snack or breakfast on the go or to use as a pouring yogurt on top of cereal.

• Vanilla Peach and Bits – a thick and creamy peach and sweet vanilla flavoured yogurt with real peach pieces.

• Three naturally sweetened, low fat, reduced sugar yogurts that contain fibre and use the natural sweetener stevia. The flavours launched are Vanilla, Mango and Strawberry. “Each 200g serving has less than 2g fat, contains at least 43% of your RDA of calcium and has only 150 calories per 200g serve,” explains Woodroffe.

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Organic Jersey milk Exciting new developments in the dairy category include Lewis Road Creamery’s announcement that it is expanding its premium offering down the dairy aisle with the launch of a range of organic Jersey milks.

Providing a ‘from-the-farmgate’ taste experience, Lewis Road Creamery Organic Jersey Milk is the first 100% Jersey milk to be available on NZ supermarket shelves. Jersey milk is renowned for being richer and creamier in taste and texture, and combined with being organic, whole milk that is free from both permeate and palm kernel expeller, “delivering a top quality product that surpasses standard milk. It’s milk the way it should be,” says Lewis Road Creamery founder Peter Cullinane.

Lewis Road Creamery is the first milk producer to separate out pure organic Jersey milk, a product it sources from dedicated Jersey herds.

It interferes as little as possible during the journey from the milk shed into the bottle to deliver a more pure final product.This means, that unlike most other mainstream milks, Lewis Road Creamery Organic Jersey Milk is permeate-free.

“New Zealand lags behind other countries with the mainstream supply of permeate-free milk,” says Cullinane.

“In other markets, there’s been real resistance to the addition of this watery, green-coloured by-product of the milk production process. We don’t see any reason why it should be in our milk.

“As a result, our permeate-free milk is much creamier with a taste that is as close as possible to how it is at the farm-gate. And with the current trend towards more whole and natural foods, we believe we are giving Kiwi consumers what they want and deserve,” he says.

Lewis Road Creamery Organic Jersey Milk comes in four varieties: Non-Homogenised, Homogenised, Light and Calcium Enriched Low Fat. In a back-to-the-future design, the milks come in traditionally shaped, 100% recyclable milk bottles, with the benefit of allowing you to see what you are drinking and how much is left in the bottle.

In addition to its new range of premium milks, Lewis Road Creamery is also launching Organic Jersey Cream and Organic Jersey Double Cream, made from 100% Jersey cream.

The launch of Lewis Road Creamery’s ranges of premium milks and creams follows the successful launch of the brand’s award-winning Premium Butter in August last year and Artisan Butter earlier this year. For a full list of stockists visit lewisroadcreamery.co.nz

Dairyworks Dairyworks products are available nationwide in all supermarkets.

Rolling Meadow cheese products are available in New World and PAK’nSAVE stores, while Alpine cheese products are available in Countdown stores.

Carol McLean, marketing manager explains: “The new Dairyworks brand is built around making life easier for busy households. Products are in smaller sizes to suit small households and pre-cut to save time when preparing meals. One of the biggest gripes consumers had with cheese was having to wrap it in cling film or put it in another container after opening. Dairyworks has alleviated this problem, with the exception of the kids and snack ranges, all SKUs come in easy peel and recloseable packs. And with the

soy, milk and d a i r y clear packaging you can always see how much cheese you have on hand.

“In August this year we have launched the exciting new Dairyworks range of added value cheese products. The range consists of 22 skus all offering the consumer an easy to open, easy to use, easy to see and easy to reclose time saving solution. The range consists of small 250 gram blocks of cheese, natural cheese slices, natural cheese mini slices, cheese & crackers for adults and kids, parmesan wedge and powder plus natural cheese sticks. Dairyworks has responded to consumer demand for a wider variety of cheese variants and includes flavours like Swiss, gouda, smoked and extreme tasty alongside the popular flavours of edam, colby and tasty,” she says.

The range has been available in Foodstuffs stores since August and launched in Countdown stores in late September.

Vitasoy Jane Whittles, marketing manager, Vitasoy Australia Products told FMCG: “Vitasoy has a large selection of long-life soy, oat and ricemilk that is available nationally in New Zealand in all key retailers. At the beginning of the year,Vitasoy launched several new products into New Zealand, including Vitasoy Oatmilk Bone Essentials, Oatmilk Brown Sugar & Cinnamon and Oatmilk Honey Delight to extend on its successful Oatmilk Original. Just two serves a day of any Vitasoy Oatmilk product can help actively lower cholesterol with betaglucan. Vitasoy is the market leader in oatmilk in New Zealand and the range has been very successful since launch. The Bone Essentials variant has resonated well with consumers and already has 20% value share of the oatmilk segment (Aztec scan data, quarter to 01/09/13).”

Vitasoy VitaCafe was also introduced into New Zealand supermarkets this year, and provides

single serve soymilks that have been crafted to complement coffee.

Whittles comments: “These provide an at-home solution to growing coffee consumption and have performed well since launch, growing more than 30% in the latest quarter compared with the previous quarter (Aztec scan data to 01/09/13).

“Along with the innovation from the past year, Vitasoy remains the market leader in soymilk made with organic soybeans and is relaunching its signature range in the coming months with updated packaging and two new products – Reduced Fat soymilk and Unsweetened soymilk.These two along with Original and Calci-Plus tap into consumer health and wellbeing trends and provide a great, authentic soymilk taste. In addition, all Vitasoy soymilks are always made with Australian grown whole soybeans, and never from soy isolate powder,” she says.

Real Foods In the soy category, Real Foods launched the Alpro range of dairy free cream custard and desserts in February. These products are totally unique in the market and have opened up these categories to users who were excluded historically due to dairy allergies. The range now has national distribution with Foodstuffs and Progressive. “The stars of the range have been the chocolate and vanilla desserts, which confirm that consumers are seeking out healthy treats that also taste great,” says Greg Smith, Alpro business manager.

He adds: “We are also currently launching the Alpro Original, Light and Junior+1 soy milk in a 1litre UHT format. Alpro is the European market leader in soy products, which are made from whole beans and are non-GMO certified. The soy flavour has been refined so that the whole family will be happy to drink it. These products do not curdle in hot drinks and also perform well in espresso machines. The Original has the added bonus of being sweetened with apple extract, which adds to the flavour. The Junior+1 is unique to the category as it is fortified with extra calcium, iron and vitamins to meet the nutritional needs of growing toddlers. It can be used as the main milk source for toddlers from one year onwards and they can be weaned onto it from six months of age. It will take away the uncertainty that many parents have when they have to find a milk alternative for their children.”

Delamere Dairy UHT goat’s milk has recently filled the void in the NZ market and is now supplied into Foodstuffs and Progressive nationally. Delamere is based in the UK and has been supplying the UK market for the last 25 years. The milk is fresh from welfare assured herds and UHT treated. Goat’s milk is the choice for many who are sensitive to cow’s milk as it is easier to digest. Delamere is available from Real Foods in a whole and semiskim format. november/december 2013 FMCG

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Healthy Snacks Fruit and nut-based snacks are popular with consumers of all ages.

Dried fruits and nuts are the ultimate healthy snack and raisins in particular have remained a favourite for generations.

Sun-Maid raisins have been grown and packed in California since 1912 and also have a long history in New Zealand. Many Kiwi kids have gone to school with a snack-sized box of Sun-Maid raisins in their lunch box next to their sandwiches.

Sun-Maid is New Zealand’s market leading brand in raisins, with a range of products from snack packs to a 1kg bag. William Aitken & Co has also recently launched Sun-Maid prunes in New Zealand in 225g and 500g packs.

The NZ Nutrition Foundation recommends a daily intake of a handful of nuts (or 30g), which equates to around 20 almonds or 15 cashews. Sarah Hanrahan,

THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to November 3, 2013 Total Lunchbox Snacks: $133.318m Value % Chg vs YA -0.4 T. Muesli Bars: $42.973m Value % Chg vs YA 2.3 T. Baked Bars: $28.444m Value % Chg vs YA -6.0 T. Nut Bars: $27.230m Value % Chg vs YA 5.3 T. Cheese: $13.905m Value % Chg vs YA 4.5 T. Fruit Novelty: $10.349m Value % Chg vs YA -6.7 T. Cereal Bars: $9.931m Value % Chg vs YA -8.4 T. Indulgent: $0.401m Value % Chg vs YA 21.6 T. Tucker Box: $0.085m Value % Chg vs YA -21.9 *Nielsen New Zealand ScanTrack (Databank)

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nutritionist for the foundation, says including a variety of nuts in the diet is a good idea for optimal health.

“Nuts are a really tasty, delicious snack and entirely guilt free,” she says.

“As well as being highly nutritious, they’re convenient and great value.

They really are the ultimate fast food,” says Hanrahan.

While nuts have at times had a bad rap for being high in fat, recent research suggests that regular nut consumption will not lead to weight gain, and may even help in promoting weight loss.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in June 2013 concluded that compared with control diets, diets enriched with nuts did not increase body weight, body mass index or waist circumference in controlled clinical trials.

Despite nuts being energy dense foods, studies have indicated that the risk of obesity does not rise with increased nut consumption. A diet high in nuts can also help in reducing the risk of heart disease and may promote healthy skin and hair.

The Human Nutrition team at the University of Otago has also conducted studies about eating nuts and the impact on body weight.

Their clinical trial supported the international findings that a diet rich in nuts did not compromise body weight.

Furthermore, the Otago researchers found there was no difference in the nutritional benefits between raw or lightly (dry) roasted and lightly salted nuts.

New Mother Earth PRODUCTS Pingos is an exciting new snack that is sure to be a hit with Kiwi kids.

The unique, delicious little muffin

balls from Mother Earth are filled with three appealing flavoured centres: Chocolate, Strawberry Smoothie and Raspberry Yoghurt, which are made from real milk chocolate, and real fruit and milk ingredients.

Pingos have 25% less fat than other lunchbox snacks* and contain no artificial colours or flavours. The snack balls are easy for little hands to hold and eat with minimal mess.

“We saw a gap for a fun, better-foryou snack for children. The cheeky Pingos monkey and range of yummy flavours appeals to them, while Mums and Dads can be confident they’re giving their children a snack that contains wholesome ingredients,” says Lyn O’Sullivan, Mother Earth brand manager.

Mother Earth Pingos are available at supermarkets nationwide (RRP $3.69 for a box of eight individually wrapped Pingos).

They enhance the existing range of Mother Earth products, which includes Baked Oaty Slices, Fruit Sticks, Multigrain Cereal Bars and of course, their great range of savoury snacks, nuts and dried fruit.

Mother Earth is a proud sponsor of EnviroSchools and has successfully run the Mother Earth Reward Programme for the last three years, motivating Kiwi kids to help create a more sustainable and healthy environment. *When compared with average fat and saturated fat content of lunchbox snacks in the New Zealand market July 2013 (per 100g).

cs tara t epg ory check

Longer lasting power FMCG talked to some of New Zealand’s key battery suppliers about their latest campaigns.

Duracell has announced its partnership with our national rugby team, the All Blacks.

The announcement coincides with the launch of a new TV commercial and marketing campaign featuring All Blacks Sam Cane, Steven Luatua and Tawera Kerr-Barlow (pictured).

Consumers will benefit from giveaways, nationwide promotions and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos filmed with the All Blacks.

NZ Rugby chief executive, Steve Tew, said the All Blacks appreciated the support of Duracell: “A company based on power and endurance is a natural fit for the All Blacks . . .We welcome Duracell to our group of sponsors and hope fans enjoy the partnership with a company whose products so many of us use every day.”

Duracell launched the CopperTop in 1967 and has enjoyed many successes, which include powering the first mission to the moon in 1969 and partnering with the NFL. Duracell with new ‘Duralock Power Preserve Technology’ will be available at Countdown from November. The range has a 10-year guarantee in storage, which means consumers will always have access to power when they need it.

Energizer Marketing manager Andre de Beer told FMCG: “We have two primary brands, namely Energizer 40

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and Eveready. Within Energizer we have several performance sub brands: MAX,Advanced and Lithium, as well as Rechargeable. Within Eveready we have several value brands, namely Eveready Gold, Super Heavy Duty, General Purpose, Lithium and also Rechargeable.

He adds: “Through extensive research we have better targeted consumers’ unmet needs regarding battery performance. We deliver this through ‘Power Seal Technology’ that locks in the power for up to 10 years (shelf life). In addition we launched Eveready Silver – our value alkaline battery brand that provides consumers with the longer lasting power of an alkaline battery at an affordable price.

“We launched a very successful ‘Daylight Savings Campaign’ this year that earned Energizer a Bronze Effie Award in the FMCG category.

The campaign leveraged comedian Dai Henwood and encouraged New Zealanders to change their smoke alarm batteries. This is the only award that honours creative achievement in meeting and exceeding advertising objectives.”

He adds: “The ‘Power Seal / Locks in Power for 10 Years’ campaign has assisted in returning growth to the category, which has been in decline for some time as we cycle over prior year earthquakes and natural disasters.” These events normally drive significant battery sales.

Is Energizer planning to launch any new products in the next few months?

De Beer says: “Energizer and Eveready have aggressive plans to leverage their marketing, sales and product performance credentials to drive growth in the category.

Watch this space…!”

THE BREAKDOWN Current MAT to October 6, 2013 Total Batteries & Torches: $38.379m Value % Chg vs YA -2.9 T. Batteries: $37.274m Value % Chg vs YA -2.8 T. Torches: $1.105m Value % Chg vs YA -5.2 *Nielsen New Zealand ScanTrack (Databank)

He adds: “Until recently the category has been declining, but Energizer has initiated a number of campaigns and initiatives to try to ‘bend the trend’ . . .”

Now the Energizer Company is growing ahead of the market, according to De Beer.

The category has seen a shift to lower value products more recently, fuelled by the GFC, the growing focus on private label brands, and the entry into the market of lower value branded offers, he explains.

“Shoppers are however looking for value, and this does not always mean ‘low price’. Shoppers want information that better equips them to make the right battery purchase for the right device. Energizer and Eveready have varying battery brands that perform better in some devices than others. Whilst some batteries may cost more, the performance comparison may deliver a significant value proposition – and return on their investment.

An example of this would be Energizer Ultimate Lithium, ‘The World’s Longest Lasting Battery’ (AA in high powered devices).

Watch out for the new Energizer TVC that will air this November/ December,” he says.

BE IN TO WIN UP TO

$10,000 WORTH OF PRIZES* Grab any pack of Energizer batteries and head to www.facebook.com/EnergizerNZ

**

*To enter the promotion, purchase any pack of Energizer batteries and ‘Like’ the EnergizerNZ Facebook page. Enter your barcode for more chances to win. Till receipt is required to redeem the prize. Prize value depends on the number of ‘Likes’ on the EnergizerNZ Facebook page.

The promotion runs from 1 November to 31 December 2013. There will only be ONE winner. For full terms and conditions and the list of prizes please go to www.facebook.com/EnergizerNZ. **Shelf life, when not in use.

= 10 ENTRIES PER PACK

w h at ’s hot Introducing the new Fruit and Herbal Range from BelL

Portabello plus

Bell Tea has just launched a delicious new range of Fruit and Herbal teas.

With six available, including a lively Mixed Berry and an energising Lemon tea, along with an iced tea recipe on the back of every pack, there is a taste and flavour for every mood and occasion.

Hellers introduces an exciting new range of saucy pork ribs

The new product comes in two flavours, ‘Sweet & Sticky’, lip-smackingly marinated and slow cooked in a mouth-watering Chinese style sauce and ‘Hot & Spicy’ Pork Ribs. Hellers is extremely pleased and excited to launch this succulent new ribs range and is sure they’ll create a lot of saucy grins! The new ribs are available in supermarkets now.

For more information contact Kevin Calder National Sales Manager at 03 375 5031 or email kevin.calder@hellers.co.nz

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Portabello Plus from Meadows is a great way to add flair and flavour to any meal; breakfast, lunch or dinner – just brush and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. A gourmet herb & garlic oil sachet is included in every 200gram pack. Look for the bright orange tray in store today.

For further information: www.meadowmushrooms.co.nz

Heavensent® Dressings and vinaigrettes Heavensent® dressings are handmade in NZ using extra virgin olive oil and NZ honey. Established in 1992 the brand, under new owners this year, has recently been refreshed with a new visual identity.

Each product features an original watercolour of the salient ingredient. The range includes five dressings as well as eight vinaigrettes.

The products are sold in generous 375 ml bottles.

For more information phone 09 820 5140 or email orders@eyelevelmarketing.co.nz

what ’s h ot Waitoa Free Range Butterfly Chicken - the perfect summer barbecue option Created with the modern Kiwi family in mind, Waitoa’s convenient free range Butterfly Chicken is the perfect option as we head into the al fresco dining season.

Growing the already popular fresh chicken category, Waitoa Free Range Butterfly Chicken with Honey & Rosemary continues to deliver on free range innovation and quality. Range today - your customers will love it. www.waitoafreerange.co.nz

NZ’s favourite Pizzas turn up the heat Romano’s Pizza, NZ’s leading supermarket brand of pizzas & bases, has launched its all-new packaging with Italian design motif, appealing photography and colourcoded varieties that will provide stimulus to the category and encourage supplementary product sales.

Romano’s is committed to development of modern, innovative products with trade and consumer benefits and eye-catching, appealing packaging that will stand out in the chiller.

* 2013 NZ Food Awards Winner

For more information call Graeme Fletcher on 0800 PIZZA CO or visit www.romanos.co.nz

Stay Sharp with the NEW MENTOS MINI MINT BAG Mentos Mini Bag range is growing with the launch of the popular Mentos Mint in a mini portion controlled pack.

Introducing new Lipton Ice Tea Sparkling!

It’s a lightly carbonated blend of tea with a twist of lemon.

In two refreshingly refreshing variants; original and zero, both available in a super-refreshing 440ml can and the double-super-refreshing 330ml 6pk. These additions to the Lipton range will further boost the Lifestyle Drinks category and drive category penetration with its massive $2.4 million rate card spend!

Each bag contains 12 individually wrapped mini rolls, a perfect treat for kids and adults alike. Great for the lunchbox, office and car.

Also available in Rainbow and Tutti Frutti flavours.

Grow your Mentos profits today by contacting your DKSH New Zealand Limited Representative or call 06 3565323 for more information.

NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

43

gro ce r y business Comvita invests in world class facility Global natural health and beauty products company Comvita is investing a further $1 million in a state of the art laboratory facility, which will enable it to expand its testing and research capability for Manuka honey.

Comvita CEO Brett Hewlett said, “We’re investing in equipment that is the best available in the world and represents the highest levels of analytical performance. Developing a centre of excellence for honey testing will give us a leading edge when it comes to consumer confidence and trust in our products.

“Our purchase of an isotope ratio mass spectrometer and a UHPLC with a Quantiva mass spectrometer detector means we will also be expanding the size of our laboratory and staffing.

The Quantiva is the first of its type in New Zealand.

“This investment will enable us to speed up the test result turnaround time and improve our ability to service our markets.

It also provides us capability to develop additional tests as required for other products, and the equipment can also be used for research and development work.”

Hewlett said the recent scrutiny of the quality and safety of New Zealand food products means increased testing of honey to provide assurances to our global customers of freshness,

purity, safety and authenticity has become essential. High level assurances of this nature are becoming a worldwide requirement and Comvita is committed to maintaining a leadership position comvita ceo Brett Hewlett. in this regard.

Comvita is licensed to use the Unique Manuka Factor (UMF) quality mark, a system backed by an industry quality standard, independent audits and a network of accredited laboratories around the world.

“Comvita was the first in the world to implement a new UPHLC laboratory method that detects in a single test for UMF, any effects of heat damage and the freshness of Manuka honey. ●

New supermarket for Christchurch Construction will start in 2014 on a $40 million new supermarket and retail and office hub at the Ngai Tahu Property-owned Wigram Skies residential development in southwest Christchurch.

Building consent will be sought for Stage 1, comprising the supermarket plus 2000 square metres of retail and office space (7000sqm total) spread across five buildings in what will be called The Landing – retail and mixed use space for Wigram Skies residents and the wider community.

New World will open a 2600sqm supermarket in the first of the twostaged development.

Roger Davidson, general manager Property and Retail Development, Foodstuffs SI, says Wigram Skies represented an exciting opportunity for a New World supermarket that could service the entire area.

The supermarket is set to open by June 2015.

“This area of Christchurch is growing rapidly, even more so since the earthquakes and we are delighted to be working with Ngai Tahu Property. The supermarket will be in the same vein as

44

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

The Landing - Village Square.

the new stores we have opened in Kaiapoi and Ilam, providing customers with the latest trends in shopping experiences.”

Joining New World will be cafes, restaurants, and other proposed amenities such as a bank, post office, pharmacy and food outlets. ●

grocery bu s i n e ss Energy management pays for ANZCO One of New Zealand’s biggest meat exporters is making significant, on-going cost savings through a group-wide energy management plan put in place only a year ago.

ANZCO Foods’ nine plants are involved in everything from gourmet food manufacturing in Taranaki to traditional meat processing in Canterbury.

For business groups like ANZCO, improving energy use can be difficult, especially if different technologies, equipment and business processes are used across sites.

With some help from EECA Business and energy management experts Deta Consulting, ANZCO is meeting these challenges by taking a strategic approach. And the savings tell the story. Since putting in place its group-wide energy management plan, ANZCO has already clocked up 8.4GWh in energy savings.

ANZCO managing director, Mark Clarkson says the programme has changed the way employees think about how energy is used.

“We now have a strong culture of good energy management where energy is seen as an opportunity to look for efficiencies and make savings, rather than simply as a fixed cost. This has led to a further 6GWh of energy savings being identified over and above those already identified as part of the programme – for me that’s exciting.”

Part of these savings will come from a new heat recovery ring main, which uses heat generated by the rendering plant to use in other parts of the site. It is expected to generate annual energy savings of about 5GWh at ANZCO’s Canterbury processing facility.

Clarkson says senior management buy-in has been key to their success.

“From day one we’ve had the full support of our board and senior management team. This has really helped to make the way we use energy a top priority across the company.”

ANZCO started out with a group-wide energy management plan that included all its plants.

They then set up energy management processes, which included energy audits at each site, and incorporated energy management fundamentals into business plans across the group.

“Now that good energy management is a part of day-to-day business at ANZCO, we can maintain our energy performance even if we have changes in key personnel.”

After getting their plans in place, ANZCO went about getting baseline energy readings, to establish a benchmark for individual site energy use across the group. Then, with strong board support, they identified and implemented energy efficiency opportunities.

“We were pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to make these savings, and the return on investment,” says Clarkson.

A good example is the optimisation of refrigeration setpoints and control at their Waitara processing facility, which for an investment of employee time only, resulted in $80,000 in annual savings.

For more information on energy management visit www. eecabusiness.govt.nz. ●

McCain closes processing plant McCain Foods will close its potato-processing plant in Penola, South Australia by December 20, 2013, with a total of 59 permanent employees to be offered redundancy packages.

McCain Foods’ regional president Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, Louis Wolthers, said continuously rising input costs, such as labour and electricity, and high raw material costs coupled with a surplus capacity, contributed to the closure decision. Wolthers said imports of cheaper processed potatoes had risen from 10,000 tonnes in 2002 to 130,000 tonnes at the end of last year.

“At the same time, Australia has one of the highest raw material

costs in the world, which is unsustainable in the long term,” he said.

“Cheaper potato imports are seriously threatening the future of the processing industry in Australia and will place further cost pressures on Australia’s growers. This step is not a reflection on the performance of the workforce, but is influenced by the rising costs of manufacturing in Australia.”

McCain Foods has been in Australia since 1976 and is committed to continuing its operations in Victoria, Tasmania and NSW, where the company recently acquired Sara Lee. McCain Foods will continue to process potatoes at plants in Smithton, Tasmania, and Ballarat in Australia. ● NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

45

Fighting back against o Bricks and mortar stores remain integral, finds Erika Sirimanne, senior research analyst at Euromonitor International.

During 2013 bricks and mortar stores across the globe continued to take a thumping from internet retailing. Likewise, speedy development in mobile technology has led to growing smartphone and tablet usage, and in turn the proliferation of mobile apps and websites. Such developments have made the online retailing landscape even more appealing to consumers both in New Zealand and abroad.

Hence, developments in mobile technology have reinforced the rivalry between store-based retailers and the online channel. Indeed, bargain-hunting behaviour has led consumers to scout goods in-store before ultimately buying online, a trend acutely observed within the apparel industry.

Nonetheless, despite the fact that global online sales have exploded in recent years, growing by 19% in 2012 and expected to climb by a further 17% in 2013, retailers are now re-evaluating the importance 46

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

of the physical store. In fact, storebased retailing accounted for over 90% of global and local retail sales during 2013, demonstrating the integral position bricks and mortar stores continue to possess. However, in today’s digital age, store-based retailers are beginning to embark on strategies to improve the in-store customer experience in an attempt to add value and lure consumers away from online channels.

Strategies for success To capitalise on the growing consumer obsession with gadgets and gizmos, store-based retailers have adopted the use of technology in-store, blurring the lines between on- and off-line. Examples include the use of QR codes, mobile apps, Near-Field-Communication (NFC) technology and gamification.

Nonetheless, retailers have also implemented store reinvention strategies to differentiate themselves from pure e-tailers.

The physical and digital collide Consumer entertainment takes centre stage at Burberry’s new London store, launched in Regent Street in September 2012. Designed as a “living website”, the store uses an array of technology to merge the digital and physical worlds of the Burberry brand.

The store possesses a 38-square metre screen, speakers, iPads, digital screens and radio frequency identification (RFID) product tags.The latter triggers content when touched, showcasing the craftsmanship of a Burberry handbag or a model sauntering down the runway in Burberry apparel.

Likewise, digital rain showers sweep across the stores speakers and screens randomly, all in a bid to appeal to a younger demographic and modernise the Burberry brand.

Major US retailers respond to mobile-mania The use of in-store digital technology has extended beyond luxury retailers into mass merchandisers in the US. In fact, Target US introduced QR codes on its top 20 toys during October 2012, with shoppers being able to use the Target mobile app to scan QR codes in-store to purchase products online. Customers found this strategy particularly helpful when products were sold out in-store. Moreover, Walmart customers can use the company’s smartphone app to scan product barcodes in-store, paying for these products at special check-outs.

Store reinvention down-under Supermarket competition within Australia is fierce, with Woolworths adopting a store development programme in 2013 in an attempt to differentiate itself from its major rival, Coles, as well as drive foot-traffic towards its newly-revamped beauty

feat u re

st online sales offering. During March 2013, the supermarket chain opened its first beauty bar within its flagship store in George Street, Sydney. Organised like the beauty section in a department store, the beauty bar offers a range of premium beauty and personal care products, while providing complimentary beauty treatments, such as make-overs, skin consultations and mini-manicures.

The focus of this strategy was to change the way consumers perceive the supermarket chain, to transform Woolworths into a one-stop-shop for grocery, hair and beauty needs.

craft-beer into two-litre bottles, ready to take home. Likewise, colour-coded signage makes it easy for customers to navigate their way through the store, while knowledgeable staff are on hand to offer advice.

What about New Zealand retail?

Retailers in New Zealand have also engaged in store reinvention over 2012/13, with Glengarry Wines opening its new Kingsland (Auckland) store in 2012. Boasting over 2000 products and 150sqm of floor space, the new store was designed with Kingsland culture in mind. In fact, budding local demand for craft beer led to the installation of an in-store craft-beer dispensing station.The DIY “Growler Station” allows customers to select and pour their own choice of

Looking forward Online sales in New Zealand are expected to grow by 11% year-onyear over the next five years, compared with 1% for store-based retail.

Thus, store reinvention and in-store technology strategies will become crucial for store-based retailers in the battle to attract consumer demand over the foreseeable future.

Visit www.euromonitor.com for more information.

As part of her role at Euromonitor International, Erika Sirimanne conducts research in both New Zealand and Australia for industries including retailing, beauty and personal care, consumer health, tobacco, alcoholic drinks and packaged food. She also manages a team of analysts in New Zealand. Erika obtained her tertiary education at the University of Auckland, in the subject areas of Chinese, Economics and Political Science, and is currently studying towards a Masters in Political Economy at the University of Sydney.

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NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

47

What to do when the Commerce Commission c The legal experts at HGM explain.

As FMCG businesses directly interact with the public, they are often at the forefront of complaints to the Commerce Commission. These businesses also have a heightened risk of investigation given the broad range of products and suppliers that they typically have and the difficulty of ensuring that all claims for all of their products are always factually correct.

The release of the commission’s Enforcement Response Guidelines provides a timely reminder to FMCG businesses that they must be proactive in ensuring compliance

with consumer laws. Recent cases brought by the commission also demonstrate that such businesses must verify statements made by suppliers before passing them on, especially when it comes to making claims about the attributes or origins of products.

The Enforcement Response Guidelines relate to the enforcement action that the commission takes under the Fair Trading Act, the Commerce Act and the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act. This enforcement action can be divided into ‘non-public’ and ‘public’ responses.

Non-public responses Where conduct by a business results in minimal harm to the public, and the business is prepared to cooperate, the commission may resolve its investigation privately.Approaches that the commission may take in such a situation include: • Sending a ‘no-action’ letter to the business where no breach of the law occurred.

The commission would also typically send a ‘no-action’ letter to the complainant advising that no further action is being taken.

• Where a possible breach of the

The Commission has recently been flexing its muscles, successfully obtaining fines against traders who have made misleading claims about the attributes or origins of products.

48

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

le gal breach, of the law but the issues can be resolved without court proceedings. For example, the business may agree to offer refunds or another form of redress to consumers harmed by the conduct. Although such outcomes avoid costly proceedings, they can lead to negative publicity (for example that faced by Sky Television following the commission’s investigation into its activities).

• Where the conduct is deliberate or serious, causes widespread harm, is repetitive or a business is un-cooperative, the commission is more minded to commence criminal or civil proceedings.

Recent litigation by the Commission

n calls law may have occurred, but there is little merit in instigating litigation, the commission may send a ‘compliance advice’ letter. This letter sets out the commission’s concern that there may have been a breach, explains the applicable principles that should guide the business’s future conduct and potential penalties for the conduct.

Public responses Unfortunately for businesses, there are however a number of public responses that the commission takes following an investigation. These include: • Publishing on the commission’s website a ‘warning notice’.

Such notices are issued where there is evidence that there has been a breach, or likely

The commission has recently been flexing its muscles, successfully obtaining fines against traders who have made misleading claims about the attributes or origins of products.

Such claims are typically made by FMCG businesses as a means of distinguishing their products from their rivals or to charge higher prices for premium products. Recent cases however reinforce the need to take care before making such claims to the public.

In August 2013, a fine of $30,000 was ordered by the court for misleading environmental claims made by a defendant who was a manufacturer of rubbish bags and had claimed that the bags would ‘oxo-biodegrade’ in a landfill. The defendant, when making the claims, had relied on statements provided by the supplier of a chemical that

it had used to manufacture the bags. The supplier had stated to the defendant that the chemical provided a biodegradable quality to the bags. Although the rubbish bags did ‘oxo-biodegrade’ in laboratory tests, once the bags were in a landfill, they would not obtain the level of oxygen needed to commence the biodegrading process. The court held that it was no defence to rely on the face value of the statements made by the supplier of the chemical and the defendant, by passing on the ‘oxo-biodegrade’ claims, committed ‘inadvertent’ breaches of the Fair Trading Act. In another recent case, far greater fines were imposed on importers and retailers who mislabelled and knowingly sold imported Peruvian alpaca rugs as being ‘Made in New Zealand’. The defendants were importers and retailers of souvenir goods and targeted Chinese tour groups that visited New Zealand. By mislabelling the Peruvian made rugs as being ‘Made in New Zealand’, they were able to sell them to tourists for $4000-$8000 each when Peruvian alpaca rugs were sold elsewhere for $1000-$1600. Given that the defendants knew their statements were misleading and the significant prejudice suffered by consumers, the court ordered that the defendants pay fines totalling over $860,000.

In summary, FMCG businesses are seen as an easy target for the commission, given their high public profile. The Enforcement Guidelines and recent litigation however reinforces the need for such businesses to be on the front foot when it comes to compliance.

Mark Gavin is a partner at law firm Hudson Gavin Martin, which specialises in intellectual property and technology law.

Also contributing: Mark Heine.

Email: mark.gavin@hgmlegal.com.

NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

49

Problems and solutions Nick Rowe considers packaging excess and food waste.

Is a single banana wrapped in plastic excessive packaging? What about an individually wrapped corn cob? How about individually wrapped dried fruit or multipack snack food?

Where do the lines between convenience, food waste reduction and excess packaging converge?

I don’t think there is wrong and right here, more of a continuum from optimally packaged to excessively packaged. However, optimally packaged doesn’t necessarily mean the least amount of packaging possible.

Optimally packaged needs to take into account product protection through the supply chain; food safety and shelf life requirements; information requirements from a legal, branding and consumer perspective; the way in which the consumer uses the product and finally any end of life impacts of the packaging.

More packaging isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Take an individually wrapped banana.

If the plastic wrap extends the period of time that someone can consume that banana by reducing the degradation caused by oxygen and moisture, then perhaps this is a good thing.

It seems to me that food waste is a massive global problem and packaging can play its part in reducing the amount of food wasted. It follows logically that if a consumer has a longer time period within which to consume a food product, then there is less chance that food product will be thrown out.

There have been many studies conducted from around the world investigating food waste and it seems generally accepted that up to a third of global food production goes to waste.

This has a far bigger environmental impact than packaging waste.

For fresh produce such as meat and dairy products, specific materials are needed to keep the product from degrading due to oxygen, moisture 50

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

Up to a third of global food production goes to waste. This has a far bigger environmental impact than packaging waste. and light and meet expected shelf life requirements. The materials currently used to package these types of products have very specific performance criteria and there is some way to go before more environmentally acceptable materials match this benchmark.

This does not mean food companies can sit back and relax. There must be a mind-set to continually improve any food packaging system while maintaining packaging’s principal requirements to protect the food product from contamination, extend the food products shelf life and inform the consumer about the food product.

Packaging is part of the solution, while also being part of the problem.

Sure, manufacturers must continue to reduce their packaging material inputs and divert as much as possible

from landfill, but there is only so much reduction possible before product quality and food safety becomes compromised.

Ultimately, for a food company, product quality and food safety are paramount. These two things will always be considered before making any changes to a packaging system.

As technology within the packaging industry continues to evolve, food packaging inputs will continue to be reduced and materials will be switched from conventional petroleum based products to products coming from renewable sources.

This is a good thing, but it is only part of the picture. The full picture needs to consider the entire supply chain including the food packaging and the food product.

Nick Rowe NPD & Packaging Technologist M. 0274441850 E. nick.rowe@silverfernfarms.co.nz

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p ro f i le

All lighters are not created equal BIC is the one-stop solution for all your lighting needs … from the world’s #1 pocket lighter* to our mini electronic and our range of utility lighters, you can get everything you need from one local source.

BIC has been innovating since 1973 when they introduced the first disposable pocket lighter, the Maxi.

With more than 3000 lights and child resistant it soon became Oceania’s number one choice for people requiring a lighter. In fact, BIC has now become the generic name for a lighter (as in: “Can I get a BIC”), with the consumer now looking for quality and safety they can only find from BIC. Soon after the launch of the Maxi, the BIC Mini lighter was introduced, a smaller version of the Maxi with 1400 lights but still child resistant and still of the same quality the consumer has come to expect from BIC. Over the last 10 years BIC has continued to innovate, first with the introduction of sleeve décor lighter ranges, a Maxi or Mini lighter with

52

FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

a decorated wrap offering a more personalised offer to consumers. With designs from Tattoo to Wallpaper the added value range has grown substantially since its launch, with over twomillion sold in Oceania in 2013. Retailers can expect to increase their margins by +10% compared to a standard Maxi, when sold at a premium**.

In 2013 BIC introduced a short wand Mega (utility) lighter, the first new Mega lighter in Australia from BIC in over 10 years. The U140 is a more modern design compared to the usual mega lighters on the market with each BIC mega lighter containing the fuel reservoir and Piezo mechanism of the world’s #1 selling lighter. With over 750 lights per Mega lighter, ISO22702 compliant and assembled in China from materials made in Spain and the USA, this lighter has already proved very popular with retailers and consumers alike. The packs come in a shelf-ready tray with mixed colours of either green or black handle and can be retailed from $4.99-$5.99; available from independent wholesalers.

The range is complete with the Mini Electronic, a range of smaller electronic lighters with the same quality you would expect from BIC and the new lighter case range, ideal for those consumers looking to personalise their lighters. The cases take only the BIC mini lighter, which is great for our customers with consumers looking for a replacement once the existing lighter is empty.

BIC’s ISO 9002-certified production plants are professional environments, and that’s of paramount importance when implementing BIC’s rigorous quality control processes. In fact, every lighter that leaves a BIC factory

has to pass more than 50 separate automatic quality checks, including 25 sealing and extinguishment checks.

In March 1997, the Australian Government adopted the ‘American Consumer Product Safety Standard for Cigarette Lighters’ under the Trade Practices (Consumer Product Safety Standard) (Disposable Cigarette Lighters) Regulations 1997.

“All disposable pocket lighters must conform to these regulations and at BIC we’re proud to acknowledge that every BIC lighter meets or exceeds ISO 19994, which we have been doing since the first lighter was launched in 1973,” said a spokesperson.

For example, all BIC lighters sold in this country feature a child-resistant mechanism, which prevents at least 85% of children under five from operating it.

Source: *Aztec Data (August 25th 2013 Grocery and PnC MAT / Internal Data) **When sold at MRSP.

sy n erg y

Do your job differently!

Kevin O’Shannessey on thinking outside the box.

Over the last few columns we’ve been speaking of the on-going pressure of success in sales roles within FMCG. Here is a real success story that will inspire. It’s an example that had great commercial outcomes that everyone involved could be proud of.

Yes, the supplier, the retailer and the consumer!

THE SCENE: The team at Constellation make and sell wine.

Their desire was to connect with the customer more than ever. They already had a relatively successful annual campaign - Selak’s Roast Day – in their promo calendar, so had a good platform to build on. The need to stick to the theme of family, friends, good food and wine was imperative.

THE OBJECTIVE: To create a major impact in the market that drives success for all parties. Constellation turned the Selak’s Roast Day campaign into having a primary objective of significantly increasing the sales of meat and produce over a 4-week promotional period. Just in case you missed it, there was NO focus on wine as their primary objective.

THE EFFORT: How did they do this? The sales team approached three new departments within all of the retail stores across the country. Departments that the wine territory managers had never dealt with before. The produce,

meat and hot chicken buyers.

Each Constellation sales person met these departments very early on to share the concept of how they could help them sell more meat and produce.

They asked for the stores’ blessing and respectfully suggested the stores come up with some ideas on what POS and displays could work. They also asked whether having a display of wine alongside the meat/produce would be possible. (If a display of wine wasn’t possible, the Constellation rep built the display anyway!)

The promo went ahead and it was a huge success.

Some ‘take-aways’: We all know FMCG suppliers can buy PR. How can you differentiate what you’re doing to make your brands really stand out?

An FMCG sales and marketing role can become monotonous.This activity not only pulled the teams together but helped the sales guys engage with a whole new set of senior people within their customers.

Are you as an organisation driving innovation and promotional activity that brings the entire business closer together?

Within the Constellation business all divisions needed to get on board for this major initiative to work. The idea was generated from a couple of key people, but logistically was genuinely

a total organisation effort. Marketing and trade marketing were right behind it, reps were putting promotional stickers on meat packs, Constellation paid demo people, etc.

A left-field idea turned into a lot of hard work, a lot of fun and some great commercial success.

THE RESULTS: Feedback from some retailers showed roast meat sales had a 200% increase, produce had a 300% increase and nationally, Selaks wine sales almost doubled!

All KAMs and category focused sales people should take note of this example.There are huge opportunities out there to be very successful in your role. A little bit of out-of-the-box thinking could be a catalyst for a career defining moment.

Your Trusted FMCG Recruitment Partner

Hamish Marr

Kevin O’Shannessey

Sara Clarke

P: 09 376 0842 | A: 272A Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, PO Box 47-352, Auckland 1144

www.synergyconsumer.co.nz

NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

53

gs 1

Upstream and downstream Dr Peter Stevens on supply chain traceability.

As you might imagine, GS1’s views have been sought out quite often in the aftermath of the ‘WPC’ (Whey Protein Concentrate) contamination incident.

Although the scare might have affected mainly infant formula, the recall process run by Fonterra and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) revealed how far and wide the affected product travelled. For an illuminating read you can see the MPI’s Whey Protein Concentrate Incident Tracing and Verification Report at http://www.mpi.govt.nz/ Default.aspx?TabId=126&id=1956.

In discussions with many food producers, what has become apparent to the GS1 team is that many manufacturers are highly focussed on traceability inside their organisation, but less concerned about (or even interested in) the upstream traceability of inputs to their products (ingredients, other inputs such as packaging, for example) or traceability of their products downstream from their operations to the consuming public, be they in New Zealand or overseas.

This view holds that such upstream and downstream processes are the responsibility of other parties (“I’ve done my job; they should do theirs”).

The problem with such a view is that things might be OK until the proverbial hits the fan. There have been issues this year with residues from cleaning fluids used to clean equipment turning up downstream in finished products. What about animal medicines or products put onto pasture (eg DCD) turning up unexpectedly in finished products? Having to identify and pull product, even in a precautionary way, is really challenging if you have never thought in detail about who your trading partners are and how they track inputs to your product, or who your trading partners are that sell and move your products out to the market. Suddenly their processes become your problem.

Even in the absence of a problem, food safety and conscientious consumers are increasingly asking a lot of stuff about what they consume (“Is it good for me?”, “Is it good for the world?”, “Is it certified to norms (eg kosher)”, “What else can I know about it?”, “How can I use it?”, “What do others think of it?”, “Where can I find it?”). Manufacturers must be more aware and interested.

Dr Peter Stevens, CEO, GS1.

Email: peter.stevens@gs1nz.org.

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FMCG November/december 2013

As a standards body whose standards are the ‘de facto’ approach to traceability, we frame YOU as the blue box in Figure 1 below. You must consider yourself as running a process that receives traceable items and outputs traceable items.

And it’s worthwhile turning this around and looking at the process from the point of view of the traceable item; each item must have an upstream and a downstream partner(s) who exchange information about the item (see Figure 2).

Such business processes are called ‘one up, one down’ traceability, and globally standardised approaches to support this are the name of the game going forward. The EU Food Law and the US Food Modernisation Act have as primary requirements on the food and feed industry a requirement for products to be safe and demonstrably traceable. You can probably predict what will happen in the aftermath of the WPC incident…

Our bet is that a requirement just to have safe food will not be enough. Demonstrable supply chain traceability is in your future!

More changes coming NZ likely to follow international crackdown on tobacco, says Trina Snow.

In the last couple of years, restrictions around the display and sale of tobacco products have tightened dramatically. With the ban on tobacco displays, stores have had to modify their shop layouts and procedures in order to meet the new requirements. To date, NARGON believes that stores have strictly followed the law and congratulates them for doing so.

It would be naïve, however, to think that hiding tobacco products from sight and further restricting advertising (particularly on shop fronts) is the end of the story. The government has already indicated it plans to introduce a plain packaging regime very similar to Australia’s. This would require all tobacco products to be in uniformly dull packages with no logos, standard fonts and substantial graphic health warnings.

The minister who has driven the rapid reforms, Associate Minister of Health and Co-Leader of the Maori Party, Tariana Turia, has announced that she will retire at the next election. It is clear that, along with the Whanau Ora community support initiative, she sees a reduction in smoking in Aotearoa as her legacy. Turia has set the goal of a smoke-free New Zealand by 2025 and openly supports more measures to reduce smoking, including large increases in excise tax, banning smoking in cars and public places, reducing or eliminating duty-free tobacco, as well as plain packaging.

Legislation for plain packaging was expected to be introduced by the end of 2013 but may be delayed as the Australian laws are currently under challenge, both in the courts and at international trade bodies.

Tobacco companies are expected to continue their legal challenges in the courts after losing the initial case. Five countries (Dominican Republic, Honduras, Ukraine, Cuba and Indonesia) have lodged complaints at the World Trade Organisation saying Australia’s plain packaging laws negatively affect their expected benefits /tobacco sales).

Other countries, however, appear to be heading in a similar direction to New Zealand. The Irish Minister for Health, Dr James Reilly has published a new plan with the overall aim of “de-normalising” smoking in Irish society and making it “tobacco-free” by 2025. That follows on from his announcement that Ireland will introduce plain packaging for tobacco, possibly by early next year.

The European Parliament has passed a draft law

cracking down on tobacco products and Trina Snow, looking to make tobacco less attractive executive director, to young people. The draft states that all NARGON. packs should carry health warnings covering 65% of their surface (currently around 40%). Sales of flavoured cigarettes (including menthol) will be phased out by 2022, packs of 10 cigarettes – often bought by young smokers – will be outlawed, and some regulation of electronic cigarettes will be introduced, though these last proposals were watered down considerably. There are a few more hoops the legislation has to jump through but it is expected to pass and come into force within two years.

With a number of countries considering plain packaging and other restrictions, the recent activities of the tobacco companies in the European Parliament are instructive. There are reports that the European reforms progressed only after “months of bitter debate and an unusually strong lobbying campaign by the tobacco industry, which decries the regulations as disproportionate and limiting consumer freedom.”

Some newspapers noted that lobbying against the measure was led by Philip Morris, which owns several brands such as Marlboro, and called the new legislation “deeply flawed.”

The company maintains that banning menthol, slim cigarettes or small packages would violate European Union’s rules. Philip Morris also claimed the regulations could result in up to 175,000 job losses and lost tax revenues of NZ$8 billion per year.

It is clear that there are still fierce debates to be had around the appropriate amount of regulation relating to tobacco products and smoking in general. Those debates will occur both here in New Zealand, and around the world. Decisions made in the Australian courts, the WTO or the European Parliament could still have significant impacts on the retail sector here. Stores are likely to face more changes in the future.

November/december 2013 FMCG

55

L&P Sour launched One of New Zealand’s favourite brands, L&P has revealed a new side to it with the launch of L&P Sour.

The new variant offers a sharper taste for L&P drinkers who want to try something a bit different.

Coca-Cola Amatil (NZ) launched the variant on October 21. The six month indent is available in 1.5L and 600ml bottles, with two different label designs to reflect the edgy/ sharper side of sours.

“L&P is a New Zealand icon, and we wanted to embrace and build on that with L&P Sour. The supporting campaign is about revealing the sharper, edgier side of L&P to recruit a new generation of L&P drinkers,” says Wendy Rayner, general manager, Marketing, at CCANZ. L&P Sour is now available in supermarkets and convenience stores around New Zealand. ●

Lift + goes green Coca-Cola NZ has enhanced its energy portfolio with a fruity but powerful addition.

Introducing Lift + Green – a tasty twist on a long-time favourite that is fuelled by natural caffeine and delivers the same maximum energy as the popular Lift +.

Lift + Green has jumped out to a blazing start.

Not only has it been incredibly well-received by both customers and consumers, but it was recently tabbed the recipient of the 2013 New Zealand Juice & Beverage Association’s coveted “Best New to Market” product at the organisation’s annual conference.

“We believe we’ve got a winning combination

on our hands with Lift + Green,” says Delina Shields, group marketing manager, Coca-Cola New Zealand.

“Its delicious fruity flavour, maximum energy and natural caffeine are wrapped in a sharp and sleek package. Early feedback has been fantastic and we’ve got high hopes.

After all, in this day and age, who doesn’t want to go green?”

Lift + Green joins an energy portfolio for Coca-Cola NZ that includes Lift + and Mother, with additional products in the pipeline for launch in the near future. Lift + Green is available in 250ml and 500ml. ●

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FMCG November/december 2013

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Night ‘n Day eyes up further expansion Night ‘n Day Foodstores, winner of this year’s Fastest Growing Mature Business in the Deloitte Otago Regional Fast 50 and 4th Fastest Company in the Deloitte Fast 50 National Index for 2012, is eyeing up further expansion for 2014.

In 2011 the family-owned and operated franchise company acquired 21 convenience stores within Gull petrol stations in the North Island. Remarkably, two years on they have now placed new franchisees in all but three of the stores, one which they intend to keep as franchisor operated.

“The natural next step is to extend our standalone convenience store format into the North Island,” says CEO Tony Allison.

“Ideally we would like to attract existing convenience stores into the network.

“It’s a struggle going it alone, it’s especially hard to compete with the big guys such as the service stations and

supermarkets on a buying power and brand awareness level,” he says.

Allison cites proven robust systems and processes, owner and staff training, access to human resources and financial advice, group purchasing power, and national marketing and advertising as just some of the benefits available.

“Andrew and Denise Lane started Night ‘n Day over 30 years ago, they’ve ploughed all their knowledge into creating a retail concept that’s scalable and proven. To make sure they’re completely up with play they are really hands on, to the point that in addition to the day to day management of the franchise network, they still own and oversee five of their own original stores,” says Allison.

The company is now targeting high traffic, high profile, mid socio-economic locations in the centre of North Island communities. ●

SMEs more optimistic New research released by MYOB, New Zealand’s largest accounting software provider, reveals a significant improvement over the past months in the confidence and financial expectations of local small and medium business (SME) operators.

The MYOB Business Monitor Report found SMEs are increasingly optimistic about the state of the economy as well as their own performance. This was evidenced through an improvement in economic health expectations, a slight uptick in revenue results over the 12 months to August and a positive work pipeline.

The Monitor, a national survey of 1000+ business owners and managers commissioned to market research firm Colmar Brunton, has run since 2009. It explores their business performance, attitudes, plans, pressures and other aspects.

In the latest study, 28% of operators expected the economy to improve within 12 months – up on 24% in the March 2013 report and 18% in the June 2012 report.

About 60% expected it to take more than a year, down from 66% and 73% respectively.

Further good news was the 30% of SMEs

reporting a revenue rise over the last year and 43% reporting stable revenue. Just 24% saw a fall – an improvement on 27% and 30% in March 2013 and June 2012.

MYOB NZ general manager, Business Division, James Scollay, says the Monitor is painting a positive picture for the New Zealand business community.

“Over the last year, we have seen the health of the small and medium business sector transformed from a stop-start recovery to a far more dependable, consistent level of growth,” he says.

“This is fantastic news for those New Zealanders who have worked so hard over the post-recession period to invest in growth and consolidate gains. It validates their determined resilience through one of the most challenging periods of our economic history.

“Over the next 12 months, the revenue picture is even brighter; 43% of local SMEs expect their results to improve in the coming year, while a further 41% expect steady revenue. Only 10% are forecasting a fall – the lowest proportion we have seen since March 2010,” he says. ●

AN FMCG CATEGORY FIRST!

After extensive consumer research Van Dyck Fine Foods has created an entirely new product category Marcel’s Tandems.

An irresistibly fluffy indulgence in five yummy flavours, Chocolate, Strawberry, Passionfruit, Caramel and Mango.

Marcel’s Tandems were created for export and the national Route Trade, C-Stores, Schools, Airlines, Caterers, Cafes, Fastfood outlets and all Convenience stores.

Contact Van Dyck Fine Foods 06 755 0905 / www.vandyck.co.nz

the business of liquor reselling

Wine label d A designer’s guide to effective packaging.

Design has a simple goal, to create something that’s worth noticing, encourage people to seek it out and pay just a little more for it, then tell a friend.

Good design starts with a brief. “I’ll know it when I see it” is not a brief.

You know your product, so when embarking on new labels or new packaging have the patience to spend 30 minutes distilling what your product or its brand stands for and what it will not compromise on. This helps a designer build a foundation of knowledge, a base that a great design can be built on.

Your product, its origins and the stories it tells need to be put under the microscope. The market needs to be assessed, gaps searched for and the competition examined.

Find what makes your product

different, what makes it worth talking about.

Few designs please everyone so find some edges, some points of difference and state them proudly.

When considering your product’s brand and packaging, ask what can be added and what can be taken away. Can including less help you convey more? Can packaging be more minimal, or can messaging be refined to the truly important?

The cost to refine ideas and explore unconventional paths at the beginning of a project is minimal, the cost for changes at the end is not. Leverage this.

When you are presented with design concepts from a creative team, consider them carefully, take your time and be thoughtful and concise in feedback. Speak

l design of feelings, impressions and how you perceive the work. Allow the creative the time and permission to come up with solutions to the elements you don’t like, rather than stating specifically what you want changed. Remember that a design that meets your strategic goals, is positioned correctly in the market and is appealing to the right people is more valuable than a design that fits your personal taste.

Take the concept to the market, invest in a mockup or short production run and show it to the few people that matter. People in general want to be liked and tend to tell you what you want to hear: this is dangerous. When presenting concepts to retailers and distributors, don’t ask them if they like it. Show them the mockup,

speak of costs and timings and then ask will they buy it. If the answer is ‘yes’, ask them to put it in writing and produce the product you have just sold.

If they won’t buy, don’t accept a vague response, dig in and find the information that will become an asset. Remember that the people you are asking have personal taste too. Taste that may differ from the consumers that matter. So demonstrate your understanding

of the market, the value of the product and thoughtfulness of the design, then ask again.

Design concepts can be modified, refined or repositioned and that’s the value of a mockup. Find what changes are required to meet your strategic goal and help your creative partners to understand issues, then have the courage to ask them to find a solution.

You might be delighted with the result. l

Ben Johnston is the founder of London Studio, a creative design agency that helps businesses improve their product sales by designing product packaging and branding that appeals to their target market. www.londonstudio.co.nz

NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

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Big plans for 10th Central Otago Pinot Noir celebration New events and venues have been announced as part of the annual Central Otago Pinot Noir Celebration, held from January 30 to February 1, 2014, ensuring the event showcases the wine, food, people and places of Central Otago like never before.

For the first time the celebration will officially begin on the Thursday night with delegates able to enjoy a warm welcome at Josh Emett’s Rata restaurant in the heart of Queenstown.

The highly-anticipated Friday night Winemakers’ Party will be hosted at a “magnificent new retreat” which will remain top secret until the event itself.

During the festivities, which celebrate the success and diversity of Central Otago Pinot Noir, delegates will have the opportunity to meet a comprehensive range of Central Otago winegrowers, with 40 producers collaborating to host the event.

The notable faces will extend to more than local wineries as the event has drawn the attendance of one of Burgundy’s most revered figures, Aubert de Villaine.

Co-owner of Domaine de la

Central Otago wine region.

Romanée-Conti, de Villaine’s influence is undeniable. Named Decanter’s Man of the Year in 2010, he is known not just for his excruciatingly rare and sought-after wines but his great character and “his complete integrity and his willingness to involve himself in the wider community.”

While luminaries of the wine and food world will gather in Queenstown for the celebration, the focus is on entertainment for all wine lovers.

“This will be the best opportunity

for all people to meet the great characters of the Central Otago wine industry face to face, over spectacular food and a glass of wine, at their incredible vineyards, or for the brave, on the dance floor late at night,” says a spokesperson.

With early bird registration open until November 30, 2013, people are encouraged to get in early to guarantee participation at what will be the “liveliest Pinot Celebration yet.”

Registrations can be made online at pinotcelebration.co.nz l

New launch for Jameson range Jameson Irish Whiskey, one of the world’s fastest-growing international whiskey brands, has hailed in a new era of taste with the addition of Jameson & Ginger Beer to its readyto-drink range in New Zealand, continuing its quest to grow the category with a premium offering.

The cleverly crafted Jameson & Ginger Beer joins Jameson & Cloudy Apple and Jameson & Raw Cola, with only the finest ingredients selected to be blended with Jameson’s triple distilled smooth Irish whiskey.

Jameson & Ginger Beer has launched in time for the New Zealand summer and delivers on Jameson’s dedication to quality, giving consumers an opportunity to try Jameson in a different and convenient format.

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FMCG NOVEMBER/december 2013

“After generating a fantastic response on the taste from consumers following the release of our first two Jameson flavours, diversifying

the sophisticated range was a simple decision,” says Kathryn Love, marketing manager for Jameson in New Zealand.

“We have remained dedicated to continually delivering products with superior quality and constantly seek innovative ways to keep refreshing the whiskey category,” says Love.

Jameson & Ginger Beer is now available from leading liquor retailers throughout New Zealand (RRP $18.99 per 4 x 333mL pack at 5% ABV).

Jameson Irish Whiskey is the world’s No.1 selling Irish whiskey. Since John Jameson started producing his triple distilled whiskey in 1780, Jameson’s success has been fuelled by a desire to constantly produce whiskeys that deliver on quality and taste. l

Taylors Wines and Brown Brothers join forces Two of Australia’s leading wine families, Taylors Wines and Brown Brothers, have announced they will join together as distribution partners in New Zealand, effective March 1, 2014.

Both founding members of Australia’s First Families of Wine (AFFW), Taylors Wines and Brown Brothers have forged a business partnership exclusively in New Zealand as part of an ongoing strategy to grow the profile of Australian wine in this important export market.

Trading under the name Taylor Brown Ltd, the partnership will enable both family wineries greater control of their wine distribution, with Dean McHenry leading the NZ sales team for both brands.

Mitchell Taylor, managing director of the third-generation Taylors Wines and AFFW chairman, acknowledged the many years of successful business partnership with the New Zealand, family-owned, Hancocks Wine, Spirits and Beer Merchants.

“The team at Hancocks have been valued business partners over the

last four years. We are thankful to them for their professionalism and dedication to helping us grow our brand in New Zealand,” he says.

"We’re excited about this new chapter and eager to maintain the longstanding relationships we have forged. We will be working closely with all stakeholders involved to ensure a seamless transition and good growth,” adds Mitchell.

Ross Brown, executive director of Brown Brothers and third-generation family member says, “Both Brown

Brothers and Taylors Wines are absolutely committed to creating great quality Australian wines and our shared philosophy has created the foundation of this exciting joint venture.”

Brown Brothers has a market-leading Australian wine portfolio in New Zealand, bringing over 25 innovative products to trade and consumers.

Taylors Wines is one of the top five selling Australian wine brands in New Zealand and the leading red wine in the $14-20 category. l

Riesling joins Brancott Estate’s Flight range Riesling lovers can enjoy an exciting new lower alcohol wine from Brancott Estate this summer, with the launch of Brancott Estate Flight Riesling.

Using the same natural winemaking techniques as Brancott Estate Flight Sauvignon Blanc and Brancott Estate Flight Pinot Gris, Brancott Estate Flight Riesling is a wine that exhibits all of the flavour profiles and complexities expected from the varietal, with an alcohol by volume (ABV) of just 9%.

“When we released Brancott Estate Flight Sauvignon Blanc and Brancott Estate Flight Pinot Gris in 2012, we were overwhelmed with the reception the wines received. It is clear that consumers are looking for wine styles that are naturally lighter

in alcohol but without compromising on the taste and flavour complexity,” says Patrick Materman, chief winemaker at Brancott Estate.

“Of all grape varieties Riesling is perhaps the most suited to making

a low alcohol style, reaching flavour ripeness at low sugar levels. With the resurgence of Riesling in recent years, we were curious to explore a naturally lighter Riesling for our Brancott Estate Flight range.”

Brancott Estate Flight Riesling is an approachable wine with subtle sweetness and spicy aroma. It displays citrus and nectarine flavours, balanced by juicy acidity. Brancott Estate Flight Riesling works well with Asian cuisine, including sweet and sour, spicy Thai chicken and pork, or sushi and sashimi. It also works well with less conventional dishes such as guacamole or creamy pasta dishes.

Brancott Estate Flight wines are available in New Zealand from leading liquor retailers (RRP $26.99). l NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

61

More than 100 gold medals at Air New Zealand Wine Awards New Zealand wineries have again impressed judges at this year’s Air New Zealand Wine Awards with wines of outstanding quality making up the 111 gold medal winners.

Pinot Noir was the strongest performer, winning 22 gold medals, while 20 gold medals were awarded for Sauvignon Blanc and 17 for Chardonnay.

The aromatics classes, consisting of Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Viognier and Albariño, also shone in this year’s competition, bagging a total of 25 gold medals. The judges were impressed by the sparkling class, which was awarded 19 medals, including six gold.

Chair of Judges, Michael Brajkovich MW, said New Zealand winemakers are producing world-class wines across an exciting and diverse range of varieties.

“The bar is always being raised in the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and this year is no exception,” he says. “The wines in this competition seem to improve year on year, and this year there were some truly

outstanding entries. It's a good reflection of the evolution of the New Zealand wine sector.”

This year's competition saw 1379 wines entered across 16 different classes. A total of 655 medals were awarded – 111 gold, 196 silver and 348 bronze. New Zealand’s largest wineproducing region, Marlborough, led the way in the gold medal count this year with its wines winning 55 gold medals. One hundred and nine silver and 180 bronze medals were also awarded to Marlborough wines, bringing the region’s total medal tally to 344.

Hawke's Bay also had a strong showing with a total of 117 medals – 22 gold, 39 silver and 56 bronze.

Central Otago won 82 medals –18 gold, 21 silver and 43 bronze.

Organised and owned by New Zealand Winegrowers, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards competition is well known for its rigorous judging process. It is considered the country's most prestigious wine competition and is regarded as the official competition of the New

Senior judge Jim Harre at the Air NZ Wine Awards.

Zealand wine industry.

This year the judging panel consisted of 26 judges. They included two international judges, US wine writer Dan Berger and Swedish Master of Wine Madeleine Stenwreth, and 13 senior judges.

For more information visit www.airnzwineawards.co.nz l

New trends at drinktec Among the key themes at drinktec 2013 in Munich, Germany, were energy saving, safety and costeffective and sustainable solutions for process optimisation. The Beverage Innovation Awards saw 27 awards presented in six categories.

The prestigious award for "Best environmental sustainability initiative" was won by Frigoglass from Greece, for its Solar Ice Cold Merchandiser.

There was also a special focus on innovative packaging solutions that use as little packaging material as possible. LamiCan for example, is a paperboard based can, offering 12 months shelf life without the need for costly product refrigeration or preservatives. The aseptic paperboard package is ideal for all types of

ambient distribution.

Another trend theme was digital direct printing on bottles.

Attracting 66,886 visitors from

183 countries this year, the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry exceeded all expectations, say the organisers. l NOVEMBER/december 2013 FMCG

63

snap

launch of Fonterra Milk for new entrant class celebrates the Three Kings Primary School’s ie McCaw. Rich a CEO Theo Spierings and Schools in Auckland with Fonterr

Perise Mulifusi is secret ary of the Savai’i Coconut Farmers Associ ation, which is pioneering a new bus iness strategy in Samo a by adopting Fairtrade cer tification.

Dutch cheeses on displa

y at Anuga 2013.

d an Walker an e manager, St my or Ar st n io nn at Ly lv ey Sa Countdown Gr relations director for The h, ic vl Ra el Micha public lm, territorial tions.

Shane Chisho as food dona tm ris Ch r fo ll ca a ce announ

Has your team been part of a charity event, promotional activity, a great harvest, or moved to new premises?

Send us your favourite snapshot and go in the draw to win Just Juice Pear & Apple combining the juiciness of pears with the crisp, fresh taste of apples. We have five 2.8L bottles to give away.

Just email your high res image with a caption to: editor@fmcg.co.nz

FMCG editor Tamara Rubanowski at Anuga 2013, the biggest trade fair for the global food and beverage industry, in Cologne, Germany.

DIARY FMCG INDUSTRY EVENTS 2014 JANUARY

MAY

26-29

ISM

8-14

The world’s largest trade fair for sweets and snacks Cologne, Germany

Düsseldorf, Germany

www.interpack.com

www.ism-cologne.com

9-11

THE FOOD SHOW

www.foodshow.co.nz

FEBRUARY 5-7

FRUIT LOGISTICA 2014

Berlin, Germany

JUNE

www.fruitlogistica.de/en

22-24

INTERPACK

Westpac Stadium, Wellington, NZ

FINE FOOD NEW ZEALAND

12-15 BIOFACH 2014

ASB Showgrounds, Auckland, NZ

www.finefoodnz.co.nz

Nuremberg, Germany www.biofach.de/en

JULY

MARCH

31-3

THE FOOD SHOW

25-26 NZ FMCG MARKETING SUMMIT

ASB Showgrounds, Auckland, NZ

www.foodshow.co.nz

www.conferenz.co.nz

23-25

PROWEIN

Düsseldorf, Germany

Stamford Plaza, Auckland, NZ

www.prowein.com

AUGUST 30

GROCERY CHARITY BALL

The Langham Hotel, Auckland, NZ

www.grocerycharityball.org

APRIL

NOVEMBER

4-6

THE FOOD SHOW

CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch, NZ

26-28

WORLD OF FOOD BEIJING

China National Convention Centre, Beijing, China

www.foodshow.co.nz

www.worldoffoodbeijing.com

Is your event or trade fair featured here? If you’d like to be included please email: editor@fmcg.co.nz

Best Foods

Aioli Now available from James Crisp Ltd By popular demand as requested by loyal Best Foods consumers!

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