Akzente News from Nordzucker | Issue 1 | September 2016
Nordzucker in the starting blocks Preparing. Changing. Improving.
“Too soon to sit back and relax�
Into the new financial year with positive figures
Interview with Hartwig Fuchs Page 6
Interview with Dr Michael Noth Page 10
LEAN management Small things lead to big improvements Page 11
2017 ‌ is looming on the horizon
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| EDITORIAL |
“Our main priority is to ensure that our employees, as well as our shareholders, suppliers and customers, are on board for a journey that will undoubtedly bring uncertainties, but also many opportunities.”
Dear readers, Autumn is fast approaching and with it, the campaign. Things are looking good out in the fields at the moment. We estimate an a verage of 110 days across the group when we will process beet – significantly longer than in the p revious year. This year’s campaign will be the last under the old sugar market regime. Nordzucker is ready for the systemic change that will happen in October 2017 and is actively shaping the transition – in all areas of the company. This includes new flexible and market-driven beet contracts as well as sustainable investments and the introduction of efficiency measures in our plants or the successful continuation of our 20 · 20 · 20 project to increase beet cultivation yields. Last but not least, we are addressing the critical debate on “sugar and nutrition” and actively focusing on educational work. The EU will be the only fully liberalized internal market in the global sugar world. This will lead to many changes. Our main priority here is to ensure that our employees, as well as our shareholders, suppliers and customers, are on board for a journey that will undoubtedly bring uncertainties, but also many opportunities. We are already seeing a significant increase in competition for customers and market shares. We do not believe that expanding cultivation in order to provide our farmers with short-term opportunities for income is a sustainable strategy. Our planning is driven by the market – sales volumes are determined by the customer. This is the only way to achieve adequate prices in the long term. Nordzucker is in a solid position financially and in terms of its human resources. We are one of the major players in the European sugar market and will continue to grow, develop and play to our strengths. Please enjoy reading this issue of Akzente. It looks at what is currently happening at Nordzucker and provides a bit of inspiration to try out some autumnal recipes using our sugar products. Best regards,
Hartwig Fuchs
Akzente September 2016
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| CONTENTS |
Annual General Meetings 2016: Shaping the transition – “Standing still is not enough”
20 · 20 · 20: 5T team – closing the yield gap in the field
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PANORAMA
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20 · 20 · 20: New additions to the 5T team in Germany
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20
Flexible contracts well received by beet growers
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Staff changes at Nordzucker Agribusiness
8 10 11 12 13 13
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Cover story – Hartwig Fuchs: “Too soon to sit back and relax” Shaping the transition: Annual General Meetings 2016 Starting the new financial year with positive figures – interview with Dr Michael Noth LEAN management: “It’s often the small things that lead to big overall improvements” Penalty tax on sugar is the wrong approach Book review: Detlef Brendel and Sven-David Müller – “Die Zucker-Lüge” (“The Sugar Lie”) “Whipping Boy” campaign: Successful pro-sugar campaign in Poland
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Sugar – A multifunctional ingredient
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“Baking is the new yoga”
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Nordzucker puts several new plants into operation for the campaign New plant managers in Schladen and Örtofta Construction begins at the Örtofta plant in Sweden: New sugar silo to go online in 2017 “Welcome to Nordzucker” – sugar plant as a visitor magnet Ambitious new energy and climate targets
CLOSE-UP
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New on the horse feed market: BETFOR from sugar beet cossettes
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Tasty ingredients: High-quality animal feed: Illuminated pumpkins, sugar-sweet BETFOR from sugar beet cossettes plums, crunchy apples – autumnal add variety to horses’ diets recipes from SweetFamily and Dansukker
Successful photo competition at Nordzucker SWEET STORIES
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A tasty autumn! Wonderfully fruity temptations made with SweetFamily and Dansukker Tommi Haikonen // Säkylä
IN BRIEF
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Company news
Szymon Kusmierek // Chełmża
PEOPLE AT NORDZUCKER
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Patrick Heuer, Packaging Shift Leader, Nordzucker Service Center Uelzen (NSC)
Boris Kuster // Klein Wanzleben
CLICKED ON
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A look online
Sandra Ulbricht // Schladen Peter Sünder // Klein Wanzleben
RECIPE
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Mini coconut peaks with chocolate
Lots of employees took part in the Nordzucker photo competition for the campaign in December 2015. More than 100 photos were submitted with a diverse range of themes: beet fields at sunrise, brightly illuminated plants at night time and staff members doing their jobs. The pictures clearly show a certain pride in the campaign and production at Nordzucker, and picking the winners was a very difficult task. You can see the five winning photos here. Many of the photos were so good that they are used again and again in our publications. � ed
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
“Too soon to sit back and relax” 2017: Nordzucker in the starting blocks The beet contracts are signed and sealed, sugar prices are showing a slight upward trend, programmes to increase efficiency and implement change are taking hold, the company’s financial basis is solid and a significant improvement in earnings is expected. Nordzucker is ready for the liberalization of the market next year. We asked Hartwig Fuchs how the company is positioned and which challenges the company will face in the future. Hartwig Fuchs, after a tough year, Nordzucker has made important preparations and laid the necessary groundwork for the period after the market is liberalized. What were the main challenges for you during this demanding phase?
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I am particularly pleased that we have been able to agree on sustainable contract models for the 2017 cultivation year, and in some cases beyond then, with our farmers in almost all countries – admittedly after at times difficult negotiations. We offered our beet farmers attractive conditions based on a combination of variable and fixed beet prices as well as long and short-term contract durations, which were well received. This is good news for beet cultivation and represents an important milestone. We strongly believe that the best way to keep beet included in crop rotation is with a good price – and not by expanding cultivation. In addition, we have managed to set the entire company in motion in recent months. I would like to draw particular attention to the extensive measures to increase efficiency and
optimize workflows and organizational structures. The whole company continues to be fully focused on preparing, changing and improving. I have the greatest admiration for this level of dedication and perseverance. The sugar market seems to be recovering slightly at present. What are the predictions in terms of earnings for the current year and – no doubt more interestingly – for the 2017/2018 transition year?
Things are looking up. We increased our revenues in the first quarter and recorded quarterly earnings of around EUR 16 million. We expect to close 2016/2017 with clearly positive earnings up significantly on the previous year.
In the current circumstances, it is difficult to make more long-term predictions about the future. The sugar market is facing systemic change. It will presumably take a while until a new market equilibrium is established. Nevertheless, the global market is producing less sugar than it is consuming and so we are seeing a slight rise in prices. On the other hand, higher prices are an incentive for increased exports from Brazil as well as investments in cultivation. What we know is that the EU will be one of the most liberal sugar markets in the world after 2017, and this is directly linked to increasing volatility in volumes and prices. It can also be expected that price changes in the global market will have a stronger and more direct impact on the EU sugar market.
What do you believe is crucial to the company’s success going forward?
Companies with production facilities in the favourable regions for beet cultivation in Europe should actually have a clear competitive advantage in the future. Unfortunately, however, this situation is undermined by linked payments in some EU countries. Germany is not one of them and is therefore currently among the disadvantaged producers in the EU. A lot will be decided by the cost structures. We have made very good progress here with our projects to increase efficiency and create clear cost awareness. But the key factor will be who can assess the market the best – by which I mean the global sugar market, as well as the re-
gional market for wheat, rapeseed and other crops that compete with beet. We are working intensively on this. It’s too soon to sit back and relax. We will benefit from the anticipated consolidation in the EU market. We are debt-free and have capital to invest. Our aim is to grow in our core business – inside and outside of Europe or into related agricultural markets. We will closely examine opportunities that arise here from a commercial perspective and try to take advantage of them where it makes sense and where possible under competition law. � bdl
Expected production growth in Europe Current deficit areas Significant production growth expected Production growth expected Production stable
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Shaping the transition Annual General Meetings 2016: “Standing still is not enough”
Hans-Christian Koehler
“Lean processes and fast decisionmaking are more important than ever in the work of the Supervisory Board members.”
The market environment in the 2015/2016 financial year was strained and competition intensified as expected. Under the motto of “Shaping the transition”, Nordzucker has been rigorously preparing for the new era after the current sugar market regime expires.
“From 2017, there will be no more minimum beet prices set by the EU or any sugar quotas,” emphasized the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Nordzucker AG, Hans-Christian Koehler, to shareholders at the very start of the Annual General Meeting on 7 July 2016. Planning and preparations in the company in recent months have centred on the upcoming changes: “Safeguarding beet cultivation and continuously improving
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economic efficiency were the key points,” continued Koehler. Extensive package of measures to prepare Nordzucker for 2017 The joint presentation by the four members of the Nordzucker Executive Board began by addressing the situation in the sugar market in Europe and worldwide and the considerable impact this had on the company’s performance. Having remained profitable in 2016/2017 as a result of extensive optimization and costsaving measures and a slight stabilization in the market at the end of the financial year, Nordzucker’s outlook for the current financial year was much more positive. The measures to prepare for the new market situation were a recurring theme
in all of the other presentations. These included the new contract system for beet cultivation from 2017, the planned investments of some EUR 82 million to expand storage capacities and save energy, and the further streamlining of processes and workflow optimization. Taking advantage of growth opportunities In his detailed outlook, Chief Executive Officer Hartwig Fuchs presented the company’s clear growth strategy and emphasized that standing still would not be enough for the company to succeed in the long term in a sugar market that is becoming more global. The company should therefore closely examine growth opportunities in its core business
inside as well as outside of Europe and take advantage of them if this makes commercial sense to do so. He said that potential expansion into related agricultural areas where Nordzucker’s expertise can be transferred is also a possibility. Annual General Meeting approves creation of authorized share capital Growth also requires the necessary financial flexibility. As Chief Financial Officer Dr Michael Noth explained, Nordzucker is debt-free and has the necessary capital for investments. The creation of authorized share capital will boost the company’s flexibility, and there is the option of increasing the share capital of Nordzucker AG by 11.1 per cent if needed. This ensures that Nordzucker Holding AG will continue to hold significantly more than 75 per cent and Union-Zucker Südhannover GmbH will have a share of more than ten per cent in Nordzucker AG. In the event that an actual capital increase is needed, this will be resolved by the Supervisory Board and Executive Board on the basis of the authorization granted by the Annual General Meeting. Supervisory Board of Nordzucker AG to be reduced in size “Leaner processes and faster decisionmaking are more important than ever in the highly professional work of the Supervisory Board members,” said HansChristian Koehler. The proposal to amend the Articles of Association, which includes some adjustments and modernizations to the Articles of Association as well as a reduction in the size of the Supervisory Board from 21 members to 15 from 2017 onwards, was approved by a clear majority. � bdl
Dr Carin-Martina Tröltzsch joins the Supervisory Board Gerhard Borchert (farmer, Brome), Hans Theo Jachmann (agricultural engineer) and Matts Rosendahl (consultant) stepped down from the Supervisory Board at the Annual General Meeting as scheduled. Gerhard Borchert and Hans Theo Jachmann offered their services for another year and were re-elected. Dr Carin-Martina Tröltzsch is a new member of the
Supervisory Board. She is Managing Director of DuPont Deutschland Holding GmbH & Co.KG and DuPont de Nemours (Deutschland) GmbH and is head of DuPont’s crop protection business in Germany and Austria. She has a PhD in phytomedicine and studied agricultural science at the University of Bonn.
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Starting the new financial year with positive figures Interview with Dr Michael Noth
Dr Michael Noth
Earnings in the first quarter of 2016/2017 Consolidated revenues in EUR m 374
3 month 2015/16
lidated revenues
nth /16
Nordzucker closed the first quarter of 2016/2017 with healthy revenue growth of around six per cent and significantly improved net income for the period of EUR 16.3 million. In the same quarter of the previous year, the company recorded a loss of almost EUR 7 million. Chief Financial Officer Dr Michael Noth outlines the company’s financial expectations and plans.
398
398
3 month 2016/17
Consolidated net income for the period in EUR m
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-7 3 month 2016/17
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3 month 2015/16
3 month 2016/17
Dr Noth, we already saw signs of an improvement in earnings in the final quarter of the last financial year. The result from the first quarter Consolidated net 2016/2017 point to an upward income for of the period trend. What are your predictions? in EUR m
We are16expecting substantially positive earnings that should be much better than last year. The market has stabilized as a result of the restriction on acreage in the EU last year and the more upbeat trend in the global market. The current low energy prices and the savings from -7 our FORCE efficiency programme will lead to a further improvement in earn3 month 3 month So we can be optimistic for the 2015/16ings. 2016/17 current financial year, even though it will be a long time before we are as profitable as in recent years. Part of the next financial year 2017/2018 will fall under the old period and part of it, from 1 October 2017, in the new period without minimum beet prices and quotas. What do you expect to happen?
We have to assume that the cards will be reshuffled once again at that stage. As soon as volumes are uncapped, there will be an increase in production, leading to greater price pressure. We have been working intensively on our competitiveness at Nordzucker in recent years – and must continue to do so. We will redouble our efforts to reduce costs and increase
efficiency. We have already achieved a lot with our FORCE project and the introduction of LEAN management. A large number of projects are in the implementation phase, having been developed from good ideas provided by employees on the ground. We need to embed cost awareness even further at all levels. There may also be market distortions, particularly in the period immediately after the sugar market regime ends – we simply have to wait and see what happens here. If we rigorously implement all of the measures, we will continue to enjoy long-term success – with a strong agricultural base and an efficient company. Nordzucker is debt-free and the last Annual General Meeting approved authorized share capital by a large majority. Why do we need authorized share capital?
Authorized share capital allows us to respond much more flexibly if capital is needed or we have an opportunity to work together with a strategic partner. It ensures that we are even better prepared for potential growth opportunities that arise from market consolidation in the EU or in the global market. Authorized share capital makes it possible to include our own shareholders or third parties as shareholders. This gives us leeway when it comes to specific projects. The Executive Board and Supervisory Board have to jointly decide on the actual implementation of the capital increase. It goes without saying that the interests of all the existing shareholders are protected by law. Incidentally, authorized share capital is an instrument commonly used by listed companies. It has already been used once at Nordzucker but expired in 2010. The newly authorized share capital is a further step as we prepare for the future. � Interview conducted by Bianca Deppe-Leickel
LEAN management:
“It’s often the small things that lead to big overall improvements” Axel Aumüller
Nordzucker’s stated aim is to strengthen the company for more competitiveness and uncertainties of the market from 2017 onwards. For this to happen, a long-term optimization and improvement process is needed. The willingness and ability to methodically rethink existing structures and adopt new, simpler and more resource-efficient approaches should become second nature for all employees. The instruments of LEAN management will help us to achieve this.
“LEAN management gives us the tools to analyse, review and improve workflows in a simple way,” explains Sven
Buhrmann, whose job is to establish LEAN methods in the company through training and workshops together with a small team. “Responsibility is the key word here,” says Chief Operating Officer Axel Aumüller, and adds: “Everyone in the company has to have a common understanding of and commitment to their own working practices and to continually improving these across all areas – and this applies equally to administrative and technical processes. It is essentially about creating awareness of cost savings and optimal workflows. It is not about generating further cost savings through additional investments.”
Sven Buhrmann
The LEAN approach means strictly focusing on the benefits for external or internal customers, involving all employees in the improvement processes and creating transparency and clarity with regard to workflows and the division of tasks. The aim is to cast off old ways of thinking and routines, rethink priorities, make decision-making processes leaner and question existing structures. “The advantage of LEAN methods is that they make it possible to easily hone in on problem areas and find solutions. It’s important to remember that it’s often the small things that lead to big overall improvements,” summarizes Sven Buhrmann. � bdl
An overview of our LEAN principles 1. Increasing value for external and internal customers 2. Having a customer orientation 3. Focusing on people 4. Understanding and improving the provision of services on site 5. Thinking holistically 6. Fighting the causes not the symptoms 7. Striving for improvement 8. Valuing small and continuous improvements
The fishbone analysis. LEAN offers simple and effective methods for improving work methods.
9. Realizing large initiatives and measures
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Axel Aumüller
“A penalty tax on sugar will not make anyone thin. It patronizes and misguides consumers.”
Penalty tax on sugar is the wrong approach Information is needed, not pseudo-solutions It’s about the calories, not any one individual ingredient – this sentence cannot be repeated often enough. And even though scientists have confirmed this and there is absolutely no evidence that sugar is responsible for obesity or illness, public debate often focuses on one thing: making sugar the scapegoat.
All of the self-appointed saviours and prophets are jumping on this bandwagon. So it is no wonder that Foodwatch recently called for the introduction of a penalty tax on soft drinks containing sugar in an effort to cajole consumers in the right direction via their wallets. Axel Aumüller, Chief Operating Officer and Chairman of the Sugar Industry Association (VdZ), stresses that demands like these are merely pseudo-solutions in the fight against obesity. “A penalty tax
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on sugar will not make anyone thin. It patronizes and misguides consumers.” Based on the experiences of other countries, there is no evidence that special taxes on individual food substances, in particular sugar, are effective. Energy balance is what matters Instead, information is needed. Together with the Sugar Trade Association (WVZ), Nordzucker is working to increase awareness of the issues based on facts and scientific findings with its “Schmeckt Richtig!” (“Tastes Great!”) initiative (www.schmecktrichtig.de). “The focus needs to be on solid, scientifically based facts if progress is to be made in preventing obesity and other lifestyle illnesses,” stresses Aumüller. It is also important to talk about lifestyle in conjunction with nutrition, since the exercise pattern of
large sections of the population has changed considerably in the last 40 years. What is certain, however, is that we are not eating more sugar. On the contrary, per-capita consumption has fallen by over 15 per cent. “There has to be the right balance between energy intake and energy consumption. There is no point in demonizing sugar,” is his summary. Consumers in particular must be made more aware of the importance of their personal energy balance. The debate about sugar is not just a German phenomenon. In Scandinavia and Eastern Europe, too, similar discussions are taking place. Nordzucker is rising to this challenge: “We are being pro-active on this issue in all of the Nordzucker Group’s countries,” says Aumüller. � tsd
Book review:
Detlef Brendel und Sven-David Müller:
Die Zucker-Lüge (The Sugar Lie) Don’t let scaremongers scare you
In their book “Die Zucker-Lüge” (“The Sugar Lie”), Detlef Brendel and co-author Sven-David Müller confront the trend to portray sugar as a drug, a fattening ingredient and a health hazard. Alarming studies about the supposed dangers of food appear relentlessly: wheat makes people stupid, and sugar is addictive. But who decides which foods are good and which are bad? The two authors
talk about a group of opinion-makers who claim to know the truth about precisely this. Detlef Brendel and SvenDavid Müller challenge them using common sense and fact-based research, exposing the strategies and interests of the opinion-makers. The authors say that their aim is to inform so that consumers can form an opinion based on information and facts. � tsd
Informing readers using fact-based research.
“Whipping Boy” campaign: Successful pro-sugar campaign in Poland
Debunking myths about sugar.
Record number of clicks for bold “Whipping Boy” pro-sugar campaign in Poland.
Innovative and bold – Poland’s verdict of the “Whipping Boy” information campaign, which was launched in February by the Polish Association of Sugar Producers (Związek Producentów Cukru w Polsce). It focuses on the reputation problems that sugar has faced for many years and achieved a high level of awareness from the beginning. The advertising banners generated a lot of interest from the outset. The campaign received more than 32 million clicks during its initial phase,
followed by 29 million clicks in the second phase. The banners directed many users to the campaign website (www.chlopiecdobicia.pl), which features expert articles by doctors, nutritionists and researchers from the Institute of Life Sciences at the U niversity of Warsaw. It also has tips and publications that debunk the myths about sugar. The lead articles that were accompanied by the campaign advertisements caught the attention of almost half a million users. The primary aim was to create a positive image of sugar and appeal to the common sense of the Polish people. In addition to other successful PR activities in women’s magazines such as the Polish edition of Cosmopolitan, Claudia and others, partnerships with cooking and lifestyle bloggers resulted in original articles about the characteristics of sugar. � tsd
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Sugar – A multifunctional ingredient Over the years, we have learned that sugar offers many advantages besides the sweet taste. Sugar has a range of unique properties that, either individually or in combination, make it an important ingredient in modern food production.
Sweetness The primary functions of sugar in food products are to provide sweetness and energy. Sugar has a uniquely clean sweetness that is entirely free from off-taste or aftertaste.
Volume Sugar gives weight and volume to food. In bread it increases the volume as the yeast breaks down all or part of the sugar/syrup and transforms it into various components, including carbon dioxide. This carbon dioxide increases the volume of the bread and makes it more porous.
Fermentation Sugar is a raising agent. In breadmaking, a small quantity of sugar added to the dough kick-starts the yeast as it begins creating carbon dioxide. In baking, sugar feeds the yeast; the yeast’s enzymes transform the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide. For this reason, sugar is not always present in the end product. A little sugar (or syrup) makes the yeast ferment faster and more effectively than when no sugar is added. The carbon dioxide makes the dough raise and the bread porous. Texture Sugar gives texture - the sensation in the mouth- by providing volume and consistency in many products such as bread, jam and beverages. In bread, it affects the volume of dough by speeding up the fermentation process. This gives the bread a more porous structure and softer crumb. When combined with the fruit pectin and acids in the correct proportions, sugar brings the jelly, marmalade or jam to the correct consistency. Sugar also gives body to beverages. This affects the sensation in the mouth, and hence the sense of taste.
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Moisture retention Sugar prolongs shelf life. In products such as biscuits and boiled sweets, which contain small amounts of water and large amounts of sugar, the relative moisture level is lower than the ambient humidity. Because sugar binds water, reactions that need water are delayed if sugar is present. The shelf life of bread is extended because sugar causes water to be retained for longer in the bread. Bread and cakes baked with syrup will be more moist and have a longer shelf life than products made with sugar.
Shelf life The preservative properties of sugar are exploited in products such as jams, juices and pickling solutions. Foods are preserved to avoid or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Microorganisms need water in order to grow. If the concentration of sugar in food is raised to a certain level, all water is bound by the sugar. This inhibits the growth of microorganisms, because the availability of water is reduced and water activity drops.
Reducing the freezing point Sugar affects the freezing point of foods. The higher the concentration of sugar, the lower the freezing point. A low freezing point is important in ice cream and frozen desserts as it reduces the risk of large crystals of ice forming. Small ice crystals have a positive effect on the sensation in the mouth, and hence on the taste.
Colour Sugar gives an appetising colour. This may be through caramelisation, the Maillard reaction, or because sugar is able to preserve colour. The Maillard reaction gives rise to browning and flavouring in products such as bread, coffee, heated desserts and cakes. Caramel browning is a food colorant used in soft drinks, beer, confectionery products, soups and sauces. A certain content of sugar ensures that jams and marmalades retain their colour.
Taste & Aroma Sugar is a flavor enhancer. It enhances tastes and aromas both above and below the sweetness threshold value. For example, a small amount of added sugar can enhance the taste of nutritious, but sour or bitter foods. A small amount of added sugar can enhance the taste of cooked vegetables and meat without making them sweet. In other words, sugar as a flavouring can be used in such low concentrations that it falls below the sweet taste threshold value, i.e. below approx. 1per cent sugar.
So, without sugar, jam would soon go off, ice cream would crystallise, and bread would lose its freshness and dry out. In addition, the taste of foods would be disappointing without the ability of sugar to round off and enhance natural taste components. The big range of positive sugar properties often is neglected in the discussion about sugar and nutrition. It’s Nordzucker’s concern to provide awareness training for this topic too. � mm
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
“Baking is the new yoga” Make-it-yourself is more popular than ever There is no doubt: baking is in fashion and has got “younger”. It is fun, relaxing and the results are perfect for sharing with family and friends.
These were the recent findings of Nordzucker’s own research as well as a study by mafowerk. The surveys showed that all age groups, the 18 to 29-year-olds as much as the 60 to 69-year-olds, want to experiment in the kitchen and spend more time doing so in the future. Baking is seen as a hobby and a challenge that sometimes requires a little more effort. “Of course, it can be creative and a little challenging. However, we are also seeing that difficult things such as puff pastry can easily be purchased.
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The results should look good and be individual in some way,” stresses Ulrich Stieler, a market researcher at Nordzucker. The new zeal for baking represents a clear shift compared with findings made a few years ago. While baking was defined by simplicity, speed and ingredient price in 2011, these very factors are becoming less and less important. The focus is on high-quality, fresh ingredients, particularly fruit. Special equipment also features and bakers are increasingly using alternative sweeteners like honey and cane sugar. “In addition to conventional white sugar, our product range includes brown sugar and cane sugar, providing consumers with the freedom to choose depending on their tastes,” emphasizes Ulrich Stieler.
Ask mum, Google or a book Recipes and suggestions for baking come from many sources. Cookery books are frequently consulted. Younger target groups use online sources almost as frequently, while older target groups usually have a tried and trusted repertoire. Recommendations from friends are also in hot demand. More and more baking enthusiasts also download recipes from corresponding portals. Even those in the 60 to 69-year-old group google recipes. Online channels are also catching up for another reason: in conjunction with the purchase of essential baking dishes and utensils, online channels are becoming increasingly popular and convenient. In addition to the usual baking dishes such as baking trays, springform
How often do you bake during the year?
Every week
pans and loaf pans, a seemingly endless number of attractive baking dishes in all sizes and materials are now available. Social media platforms are also becoming much more relevant in this context. Weekend time is baking time. It’s little surprise that the most popular time to bake is on (long) weekends. Most goodies are created between Friday and Sunday. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a special occasion, like the traditional holidays of Christmas and Easter. “For no particular reason,” “when guests visit” or “for my family” are the most commonly mentioned reasons for heating up the oven. Christina Kahrs, product manager at Nordzucker, emphasizes: “Traditionally, the period around Christmas is a strong sales period for castor sugar, as well as icing sugar, of course. We are increasingly seeing the preferences of hobby bakers, such as the use of cocoa and cane sugar, and we are developing special products here.” Normal-sized cakes continue to be a favourite, although smaller baked goods are also seeing a surge in popularity. Taste is important It goes without saying that the baker and their guests want to enjoy the finished product. The perception that there are many more clever baking ideas out there has grown thanks to Google and YouTube. No trick or tip stays secret for long; it is quickly shared and further developed by the community. “Baking has become much more attractive in the last five years, and people are baking much more frequently. It is no longer a chore that needs to be done quickly, but rather it offers relaxation – a new type of yoga, you could say,” emphasizes Christina Kahrs. Which recipes quicken bakers’ pulses? Sponge cake and tray bake cake are the clear front-runners. A little further behind them are fruit cake and cheese cake, followed by muffins. Cup cakes have also established themselves on the list of the most popular baking creations. You will find some sweet treats in this issue of Akzente and at www.sweetfamily.de or www.dansukker.co.uk. � tsd
2011
2013
2015
21.7 %
28.7 %
33.0 %
1 to 3 times a month Less than once a month
22.5 %
55.8 %
9.5 %
61.8 %
7.1 %
59.9 %
Do you bake more often now than in the last few years?
I bake more often
2011
2013
2015
35.1 %
48.3 %
54.4 %
On what occasions do you bake most often or prefer to bake? (Multiple answers possible) Figures as % of respondents; 1,000 people were surveyed
For my family or for no particular reason
93.1 %
On birthdays
75.2 %
When guests visit
74.2 % 62.5 %
At Christmas
41.5 %
At Easter At Pentecost
23.5 %
Mother’s Day
23.2 %
Which particular baking ingredients do you use? (Top 2 box; often / very often) Figures as % of respondents
77.4 %
Cocoa Chocolate
75.4 %
Quark
74.4 %
Flavourings (Bourbon vanilla, etc.)
73.0 % 72.7 %
Nuts / almonds
56.4 %
Pudding
53.8 %
Orange / lemon zest
36.8 %
Marzipan
34.9 %
Coconut
33.9 %
Rum / arrack
25.0 %
Poppy seed Aniseed
11.1 %
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Dr Kathrin Bornemann is cultivation adviser at the AgriCenter Clauen. Her duties include intensive management of two selected farms which grow sugar beet in Rössing and Salzgitter-Reppner. All of the farmers who work under similar conditions will benefit from the extensive analysis results in the future.
20 · 20 · 20: New additions to the 5T team in Germany
Closing the yield gap in the field using every tool available 5T is short for “together to twenty tonnes in twenty twenty”. “5T is an exciting 20 · 20 · 20 project that was launched in 2013 by Nordic Sugar, the farmers’ associations in Sweden and Denmark as well as the Nordic Beet Research Foundation in Scandinavia,” explains Dr Andreas Windt, Manager of Agri Consulting. Eleven beet farmers from Sweden and Denmark are longstanding members of the 5T team. In 2016, Nordzucker added two German farms to the project, which are coached by cultivation adviser Dr Kathrin Borne mann at the AgriCenter Clauen.
“We have been growing sugar beet here for 150 years,” says 5T newcomer Stephen Baumgarten, nodding towards the chimney of the nearby Nordstemmen sugar plant. Together with his father, the farmer runs his farm as part of a civil law partnership (GbR). The company consists of
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four farms and sows 280 hectares in the Rössing area. Wheat, maize, rapeseed and sugar beet make up the crop rotation on the good-quality loamy soil. Since spring 2016, his sugar beet fields have been under special observation. The aim is to increase the yields among selected good farmers using everything in the sugar beet researchers’ tool box. Weather station, soil tests, interim harvests and crop analyses “As well as Stephen Baumgarten, we have been able to secure Birgit Lütgering and her farm in Salzgitter-Reppner as a 5T team partner,” says Kathrin Bornemann from the AgriCenter Clauen, pleased. The 5T set-up includes a solar-powered weather station that records the wind, precipitation and temperature, nutrient analyses, soil-borne diseases and various types of nematodes, three interim harvests up to the main harvest, and crop analyses.
Calculating the potential yield “We collect data and use it to calculate the theoretically possible yield. A comparison with the actual yield results reveals the yield gap,” explains Katrin Bornemann, who worked on a sugar beet research project for two years in the USA after obtaining a PhD at the Institute for Sugar Beet Research. “Our aim is to close this yield gap by working closely with our 5T growers. That means calculating the area yield and maximizing it by keeping cultivation-related losses to a minimum. This involves close observation: what impact do weather and crop cultivation measures have on yields?” Exchanging experiences – sharing successes The aim of this work is to share successes on the 5T farms with all of the farmers who produce under similar conditions. The data from all 13 5T farms is collated
▲
Göran Olsson is one of our Swedish 5T farmers. His farm is located in southern Sweden. Last year, more than 500 farmers visited his farm and test fields.
Membership of the 5T team places considerable demands on the farms: in addition to regular field inspections, the focus is on cultivation techniques and the acreage index.
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Hier steht eine Bildunterschrift.
by the Swedish 5T coordinator Robert Olsson, Senior Project Manager at the Nordic Beet Research Foundation (NBR) (www.nordicbeet.nu). NBR is the link to the German ARGE NORD (www.argenord.com) and operates stations in Holeby, Denmark and in Bjärred, Sweden. As well as English, openness is required 5T places considerable demands on the participating farms, including the requirement that they converse in English in the 5T WhatsApp group and allow regular visits by its cultivation adviser. “I make cropland available for cultivation trials,” reports Stephen Baumgarten. “We con-
duct regular field inspections. A “field day” was held on Birgit Lütgering’s field in Reppner in May. And, of course, the focus is on economic efficiency,” he stresses. He must also be prepared to open his acreage index to the 5T experts. “The University of Osnabrück also visited recently,” reports Stephen Baumgarten. “They were here to calculate a leaf area index, which should make it possible to draw conclusions about the yield.” He is waiting with anticipation for the first meeting with the 5T team members from Denmark and Sweden, which will be held in France in autumn as part of BeetEurope.
The 30-year-old agricultural scientist has not finished with sugar beet just yet. At the Institute for Agricultural Technology in Göttingen, he focused on hoeing technology and mechanical weed control. After three years in sales at a sugar beet seed company, Stephen Baumgarten works alongside Kathrin Bornemann since 1 September as a cultivation adviser in the Nordzucker AgriCenter Nordstemmen. � sdp
Akzente September 2016
19
| PANORAMA |
Majority of contracts signed and sealed Flexible contracts well received by beet growers The negotiating partners in the countries of the Nordzucker Group have had a challenging few months. Their task, after all, was to negotiate robust new supply contracts for beet farmers from 2017. Not an easy undertaking for Jannik Olejas, Head of Raw Materials Procurement. All of the new contracts under negotiation had to be based on flexible and fixed models as well as durations of one and more years. “We were certain from the outset that, despite all the cultural differences, our farmers would welcome a high degree of flexibility for their own farm,” explains Olejas. Most of the new sugar beet supply contracts are now signed and sealed. The contract systems in Germany, Denmark, Lithuania and Poland have been negotiated. In Sweden, they will soon be finalized. In Finland and Slovakia, other underlying conditions mean slightly more generous timeframes, p utting Nordzucker in a good position as regards timing. The contract models offered were well received in all of the countries. In Germany, the volume offered for the three-year contract as well as for the free volume was oversubscribed. In Lithuania, the preference among farmers was for the one-year variable contract and the volume was also oversubscribed, while in Poland, the one-year fixed contract came out on top. Across all countries, all versions were generally well received. “We have passed the litmus test. The real success is that our farmers have signed the new contracts,” says Olejas. The fact that it took longer to finalize the contract systems in some countries – such as Germany and Denmark – came
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as no surprise to the experienced negotiator: “The departure from the current sugar market regime is a radical systemic change that will involve losses. Different opinions are therefore only normal. The important thing was to have an attractive new contract on offer in the end. And we and our negotiating partners managed to do this.” Overall, Jannik Olejas is confident that the farmers will continue to show a strong interest in beet cultivation: “They have the necessary expertise, beet is a valuable crop with many advantages for farms, and our new contract models have enabled us to fulfil expectations.” Dr Lars Gorissen, Chief Agricultural Officer, emphasizes that Nordzucker’s overall priority is sustainable, market- oriented production and that the old era of set quotas is a thing of the past. “We have now entered a new era. However, we must continue to be flexible, alert and agile.” This includes taking the right steps, remaining open to new things and making readjustments where necessary. � tsd
Dr Lars Gorissen, Chief Agricultural Officer
“We are leaving the old era behind us. In the new era, we must remain flexible, alert and agile.”
Jannik Olejas Head of Raw Materials Procurement, Nordzucker
“We have passed the litmus test. The real success is that our farmers have signed the new contracts and were able to make their choice.”
Baton change at Nordzucker Agribusiness Claus Friso Gellermann (38) will succeed Dr Gerd Jung (58) as Head of Grower Relations & Agri Consulting on 1 November. Gellermann studied agricultural science in Osnabrück and has been working for Nordzucker since 2007. Having held positions as Assistant to the Chief Agricultural Officer, at Holding Management and as AgriLog and AgriBackend Project Manager, his most recent role was as Head of AgriCenter Deutschland. “I am very much looking forward to the new role,” says Claus Friso Gellermann, whom the AgriCenters in all Nordzucker countries will report to in future. His responsibilities will include managing the AgriCenters, enhancing communication with farmers, coordinating beet-related consultation and research and development activities across all countries and ensuring that the requirements of the Sustainable Agriculture Initiative (SAI) are met. After 21 years at Nordzucker, Gerd Jung is entering the passive phase of his partial early retirement at the end of the year. The farmer’s son from Rheinhessen was Head of the Beet Management division for over eight years, where he was ultimately responsible for twelve Nord-
Claus Friso Gellermann (left) will take on the responsibilities of Dr Gerd Jung as Head of Grower Relations & Agri Consulting.
zucker plants in Germany. In 2003, he moved to Nordzucker International, where he was in charge of M&A projects as well as beet management for the Nordzucker plants in Poland, Slovakia, Hungary and Serbia. In 2012, Gerd Jung became Managing Director of Nordzucker Eastern Europe GmbH in Vienna.
As part of the reorganization, he managed the agricultural part of the sugar cane project in Zambia. In 2014, he assumed the new Group position of Head of Grower Relations & Agri Consulting, which his successor will now take up. Claus Nørgaard (43), currently Head of Agri Center Denmark, will succeed Christer Sperlingsson (67) as Head of Agri Sourcing Negotiations in Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden on 1 October. Claus Nørgaard obtained his Master of Agriculture in 2000 in Copenhagen. He worked in crop cultivation consultation, before moving to Nordic Sugar in 2012 and holding the position of Head of AgriCenter Denmark for four years. Christer Sperlingsson began his career in sugar as Manager of Beet Trials and Beet Growing Development in 1975 at the Swedish sugar company Sockerbolaget. After more than 40 successful years, he is leaving Nordic Sugar to begin his retirement at the end of the year. � sdp
Claus Nørgaard (left) will succeed Christer Sperlingsson (right) as Head of Agri Sourcing Negotiations in Denmark, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden. Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Going into operation in 2016: the new white sugar VCT in Clauen.
Extended: multi-year programme to modernize the process control technology.
Litmus test for efficiency and customer benefits Nordzucker puts new equipment into operation for the campaign It’s early September and excitement is growing in the sugar plant: Bit by bit, the red and white cordons, scaffolding, tools and old equipment parts are disappearing. The construction companies are moving out of the plant buildings and off the premises. It’s time for final trial runs, inspections, hygiene and safety checks, and cleaning and test cycles. The transition from maintenance and repair work to 24-hour campaign operation is a concentrated routine. The first beet deliveries will be a litmus test for newly installed equipment in particular.
Sustainable investments Nordzucker is investing a total of EUR 82 million in 13 sugar plants this year. That’s EUR 22 million more than last year. Efficiency and customer benefits will be the priorities in the future. In 2016, almost a quarter of the capital is being used for profitable investments: Equip22
ment which will quickly pay for itself through greater energy efficiency – like the newly installed pulp press units in Uelzen and Nakskow. Finished: new beet processing facility in the Opalenica plant The biggest sub-project this year was the foundation work for the new sugar silo at the Örtofta site. With an investment volume of EUR 20 million, Sweden’s new 80,000-tonne silo will come online for the 2017 campaign. At the Opalenica plant in Poland, Nordzucker is completing another two-year construction project and putting the new beet processing facility into operation. All of the equipment parts have been renovated – from the beet pre-washing facility to the beet washing facility – including all of the transport belts up to the slicer. At the Clauen plant, the vertical crystallization tower (VCT) for white sugar
has been renovated. The multi-year programme to modernize the process control technology has also been extended. The mandatory programme, which Nordzucker had to implement in 2016 in order to comply with legal requirements, included continued measures to optimize noise protection, component parts for water basins and extensive fire protection measures. An additional sugar cooling facility has also been installed in the Nakskov plant to prevent dangerous clumps and bridges from forming in the silo. Particularly good news is that the number of workplace accidents at Nordzucker fell for a fourth year in a row. In terms of health and safety, Nordzucker’s performance is very good by industry standards. “However, this does not happen by itself,” emphasizes Nordzucker’s Chief Operating Officer, Axel Aumüller, and stresses the need for continuous vigilance.
New pulp press units increase energy efficiency at the Nakskov plant.
After two years of construction, the completely renovated beet processing facility at the Opalenica plant is to go into operation.
New plant managers in Schladen and Örtofta
Switching to campaign mode “The sugar warehouses have been cleared. In calendar week 37, we switch to campaign mode,” says Axel Aumüller. “Nordzucker currently estimates that processing will last for an average of 110 days.” While employees in the Nordzucker plants are moving into their campaign stations, the engineering team is already planning investments for 2017. “In every thing we do, our focus is on the benefits that can be achieved for our external and internal customers,” he emphasizes. “Nordzucker wants to perform well against its competitors, while also continuing to systemically increase awareness of the potential for cost savings at Nordzucker.” The question must be asked of every activity: “Can we manage without it?”. � sdp
Dr Jörg Vietmeier
Olof Dahlgren
Dr Jörg Vietmeier became the new Head of Sugar Factory Schladen on 1 September. The 44-year-old process technician has a PhD in exhaust gas purification from TU Dortmund University and started his Nordzucker career in 2003 at InnoCenter Braunschweig. After ten years as Manager of Production & Technology at the Schladen plant, he moved to the Investment & Maintenance department, where he was in charge of Major Investment Projects for Nordzucker. Jörg Vietmeyer is replacing Burkhard Jahn (63), who is retiring in autumn 2016 after 40 sugar campaigns. Burkhard Jahn began his career in sugar in 1971 at the Haldensleben plant in Saxony-Anhalt and has worked in various positions for Nordzucker AG since the reunification of Germany.
Olof Dahlgren succeeded Bengt Högberg (65) as Head of Sugar Factory Örtofta on 1 March. The 42-year-old studied mechanical engineering in Linköping, Sweden and started his career in sugar in 2003 at the Köpingebro plant in Sweden. Having worked at the Örtofta plant, as Investment & Maintenance Manager for Nordzucker Eastern Europe in Vienna and for Nordic Sugar in Copenhagen, his most recent role was Production & Project Manager at the Nykøbing plant in Denmark, which he held for two years. Bengt Högberg retired after more than 40 years at Nordic Sugar and its predecessor company. He became a Plant Manager as far back as 1985, was Production Director of all Swedish plants for six years from 1992, and held the position of Plant Manager in Örtofta from 1998, and then also the position of Managing Director in Sweden from 2014. He played a key part in shaping the restructuring and future sugar production in Sweden by implementing numerous important investments for the energy-efficient expansion of the Örtofta sugar plant. � sdp
Akzente September 2016
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| PANORAMA |
Construction begins on the big Swede: At the Örtofta plant, a new sugar silo is to come online in 2017 At the Örtofta site in spring, Nordzucker began building the largest sugar silo in the whole of Scandinavia. With an internal diameter of 48 metres, the big Swede will hold 80,000 tonnes of sugar and come online for the 2017 campaign. “With this investment, Nordzucker is increasing security of supply for its customers in Scandinavia,” says Dr Thomas Mörle-Heynisch, Head of Major Investment Projects in the Nordzucker Group. The short transport routes by truck and via the rail link at the Örtofta plant will benefit customers in the Copenhagen/Malmö area in particular, whom Nordzucker serves from Örtofta and from the Danish plants in Nakskov and Nykøbing. “We are connecting the new silo to the existing silo and loading facilities via a bridge,” says Thomas Mörle-Heynisch. A ventilation system inside the silo will ensure that the sugar is continuously flowing. All of the component parts have to meet Nordzucker’s stringent requirements. Work on the foundations is almost complete. 260 stakes are currently being driven deep into the ground amid a large volume of concrete for the base plate. The concrete mixers will be removed in time for the start of the campaign, before work on the slip forming for the silo wall resumes in spring. � sdp
Well grounded for the campaign: Work on the new silo will continue in spring.
“Welcome to Nordzucker” – sugar plant as a visitor magnet curious visitors start to gather at the gate like clockwork: As well as groups interested in agricultural or domestic matters, they include local associations, schools, universities, government agencies and politicians. Sugar customers, neighbouring companies, local fire services and Nordzucker employees and their families also contact the plant management to request visits. Depending on the location, between 35 and 140 groups take the guided tour from beet to sugar. The Uelzen plant is the biggest visitor magnet, receiving up to 3,500 visitors during the campaign months.
Did you know? Nordzucker welcomes up to 20,000 visitors a year for tours of its plants. In other words, a mediumsized town that wants to know more – about sugar, about the work done in the plant and about Nordzucker.
As soon as production is up and running smoothly, it’s time to say “Welcome to Nordzucker”. From October onwards, 24
Seeing Nordzucker in action The strong interest is easy to understand: In the rural communities where they are usually based, Nordzucker plants are seen not just as an attractive employer. They are also a strong partner for the agricultural sector and a committed trainer of qualified experts. Their contracts with local businesses strengthen the economy in the region. And as an important tax payer, they are a major contributor to the
local budget. The open gate of the plant is a tradition at all sites. In the age of WhatsApp, YouTube, Twitter and others, direct contact with plant visitors is more important than ever. Anyone who sees Nordzucker in action understands the company better, and therefore develops an understanding of what the company does. This helps to promote the strong local relationship. New video: “From beet to sugar” Dedicated employees and veteran tour guides provide lasting experiences at Nordzucker. Tips and media equipment for the two-hour visitor tour are provided by the media kit that the Nordzucker Communications Team currently uses for the plant tours. In 2016, this includes the new information video “From beet to sugar” with the latest pictures from the world of Nordzucker. In addition to visual, tasting and olfactory experiences, visitors’ questions about the sustainability of sugar extraction and beet cultivation as well as sugar and nutrition are a central part of the plant tours. � sdp
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Ambitious new energy and climate targets Cutting costs – improving the climate Sugar production is energy-intensive. Reducing energy consumption is therefore both an environmental and a cost issue for Nordzucker. Producing sugar will inevitably involve the emission of CO2, which has a direct impact on the climate. A fundamental aspect of Nordzucker’s sustainability strategy is to continuously reduce emissions and conserve natural resources.
Extensive investment, for example in energy-efficient evaporation dryers, has enabled Nordzucker to massively cut energy consumption per tonne of sugar in recent years. As a result, the target set for 2020 was already reached in 2014. Now Nordzucker has set an ambitious new course: It is aiming to reduce energy consumption per tonne of sugar by a further ten per cent by 2020 compared with 2014. Ten per cent is also the target for CO2 emissions in the same period. A specific investment plan is expected to make a considerable contribution here. Since a reduction in energy is closely linked to a decrease in CO2 emissions, it is possible to make a great deal of progress in both areas. Axel Aumüller, Chief Operating Officer, views the challenge ahead as positive: “It will allow us to play our part in protecting the global climate and in meeting the EU climate targets. And we firmly believe that every financial and organizational effort in the area of sustainability will have a positive impact on our competitiveness.” � bdl
Energy targets achieved ahead of schedule – CO2 emissions falling simultaneously CO2 emissions
Energy consumption index
105
500
100
475
95 428
90 85
2015
90
Energy con
2010 – 2015, kg per tonne of sugar
2011– 2015, index 100 per cent (2010 = 100 per cent)
495
105 100 446
450
92 89
Target for 2020: 88
88
425 400
82
2011– 2015, ind
95
434
428
436 397
90 85
Target for 2020: 380
80
375
80
75
350
75
70
325
70
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Source: xxxxxx
90
Target f
2011 Source: xxxxxx
Akzente September 2016
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| CLOSE-UP |
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Handy package: BETFOR in a 15-kg sack.
▲ ▲
Sugar beet cossettes are an exceptional animal feed that provides horses with a varied diet. As a 15-kg sack, B ETFOR is easy to carry and transport by car. ▲
New on the horse feed market BETFOR from sugar beet cossettes in a handy paper sack Handy, practical and packed full of high-quality ingredients – it’s Betfor, Nordzucker’s new animal feed for horses. It recently hit the shelves in bright green 15-kilogramme sacks. A top seller at Nordic Sugar for many years, it is now available in the attractive market for animal feed in Germany. Andreas Tollkühn Market Manager
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There is no doubt that the dried pulp of the beet is a high-quality animal feed, including for horses. That’s because sugar beet cossettes are ideal as part of a combined diet for these discerning animals. Sugar beet cossettes are also a regional product: The Uelzen plant produces the
unpelleted sugar beet cossettes from local sugar beet during the campaign from September to January. They are particularly low in molasses and are carefully dried in their own steam in evaporation dryers. The animal feed is GMP+-certified. Horse owners can therefore be assured of a high level of quality and safety when feeding their animals. Growing niche market for animal feed The animal feed market is also a growing market that offers strong margins. Nordzucker is deliberately venturing into new territory with Betfor for horses
in a handy package. There is a growing demand among consumers for smaller package sizes. The Betfor brand was successfully introduced in Scandinavia a number of years ago. “The practical aspects of the new package size in particular are a key selling point. As a 15-kilogramme sack, Betfor is easy to carry and transport by car. Inside the green sack is an exceptional animal feed that provides horses with a varied diet with a combination of top product qualities,” says Market Manager Andreas Tollkühn. The benefits of feeding hoofed animals with a product made from
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The daily portion is easy to prepare in the evening for the morning and vice versa. Sugar beet cossettes which are low in molasses are an ideal horse feed. ▲
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The GMP+ certification means that horse owners can be assured of a high level of quality and safety when feeding their animals.
sugar beet cossettes are clear: With their easily digestible fibres and carbohydrates, they taste great and increase the horse’s performance. They also stimulate the horse’s appetite and contribute to its hydration balance, since the feed must be soaked before use. This can be very helpful during competitions and physical exertion or during transport. Due to the particular swelling properties of the sugar beet cossettes, they cannot be fed dry and must be soaked in water first. Since Betfor is not pelleted, the soakage time is far shorter than for pellets. “This is a major benefit
and makes it easier to prepare the feed,” recommends Tollkühn. The green sacks of pellets are already available on the market. Andreas Tollkühn is certain that the product will become quickly established. “The key factors will be distribution and the sales network. Partnerships with retailers will help us a lot in this regard.” In addition, targeted marketing measures such as flyers and trial packets, which will be distributed in stalls, at tournaments and at points of sale, will help to make customers aware of the new product. � tsd
Nutritional information (analysis values) ●
Digestible energy
10.72 MJ/kg
●
Water
10.10 %
●
Crude protein
7.60 %
●
Raw fat
1.60 %
●
Calcium
7,100 mg/kg
●
Potassium
5,500 mg/kg
●
Magnesium
1,600 mg/kg
●
Phosphorous
735 mg/kg
Akzente September 2016
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| SWEET STORIES |
A tasty autumn Wonderfully fruity temptations made with SweetFamily and Dansukker Illuminated pumpkins, sugar-sweet plums, crunchy apples – these are just some of the delicious vitamin bombs from the abundant fruit and vegetable garden. As the days get shorter again and the summer tans slowly start to fade once more, autumn begins its charm offensive with juicy fruit and vitamin-packed vegetables. A beautiful season, when the last sunny days give way to cool, damp evenings, mist sets in and the leaves start to fall. Colourful and resplendent, loud and quiet, stormy and calm – all of this can now be felt. However, autumn means one thing in particular: more leisure time spent at home. A wonderful opportunity to get busy in the kitchen. We would like to recommend two delicious recipes to you here that are easy to follow. Plum cake from Scandinavia, with its fully ripened fruit that slowly melts on the tongue, tastes great with icing sugar,
a little whipped cream or some custard. It takes next to no time to bake and – we are certain – will quickly find fans. Our second recipe will add some variety to meal times and is just the thing for those with a sweet tooth. It is a unique marriage of fruit and vegetables, provides some much-needed vitamins and simply tastes great. This sweet bake can also be prepared as a creative dessert. If you are looking for even more recipe ideas for autumn and want to whip up some fruity cakes, sweetand-sour chutneys or delicious jams and preserves, simply go to www.sweet-family.de or www.dansukker.co.uk. � tsd
Sweet pumpkin and apple bake Ingredients (for four people): 20 80 50 150 150
g g g g g
butter rusks raisins apples pumpkin (Hokkaido or Muscat pumpkin) 3 eggs 400 ml milk 50 g SweetFamily caster sugar Pulp of a vanilla pod 1 tsp lemon zest (organic) 50 g almond slivers 3 tbsp SweetFamily Zuckerträume cinnamon flavour
Preparation: 1. Grease an ovenproof dish (around 1.5 litres) with butter. Place rusks inside. Sprinkle with raisins. Peel apples and pumpkin and remove the core. Cut apples into slices ½ cm thick and pumpkin into cubes around 2 cm big. Place both in the dish. 2. Whisk eggs with milk, sugar, vanilla pulp and lemon zest and pour on top of the ingredients. Sprinkle with almonds and cinnamon sugar and place on middle rack in preheated conventional oven at 180°C. Bake for around 45 minutes until golden brown. Tip: Dust the sweet bake with SweetFamily Zuckerträume cinnamon flavour and serve with custard.
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Plum cake Ingredients (makes around 10 portions): Dough 125 g 180 g 25 g 30 ml
soft butter or margarine flour cane sugar water
Filling 150 g blanched almonds 140 g caster sugar 2 eggs 300 ml crème fraîche Zest of half a lemon Covering 500 g fresh plums Decoration Icing sugar
Preparation: Perfect for autumnal delicacies: Zuckerträume cinnamon and caster sugar.
Mix butter or margarine, sugar and water briskly to form a smooth dough. Roll out the dough and place in a greased cake tin with a diameter of 28 cm, covering the side of the tin as well. Pierce the dough with a fork. Leave to cool for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, finely grind the almonds. Destone the plums and halve them. Mix all the ingredients for the filling together and
place the mixture on the dough. Press the plum halves into the filling and bake for 30 minutes at 225°C in the lower half of the oven. Lightly dust the finished cake with icing sugar and serve lukewarm with custard, ice cream or lightly whipped cream. Damsons or other fruit or berries can be used instead of plums.
Akzente September 2016
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| IN BRIEF | Seminar
Nutrition seminar focuses on blood sugar and glycaemic index In the debate on nutrition, it is sometimes difficult even for experts to decide which discussions are scientifically based and which are not. Nordzucker wants to play a part in clarifying these issues and therefore regularly invites nutritional experts, customers, associations and industry organizations to seminars where current information about nutrition is discussed.
Site visit at test farm
Successful summer event about beet There was a lot of interest in the performance of beet at the Swedish summer event. Around 400 beet farmers, beet advisers and sales staff visited the test farm in Gretelund during the two-day event in June. The Head of Agri Center Sweden, Ola Cristiansson, opened the meeting with a presentation on the Swedish sugar market and the regional performance of the crop and its production. His summary was that the Swedish beet farmers, the production facilities in Örtofta and the growing demand for locally produced sugar form a strong basis for a competitive and sustainable sugar business in the future. As the event continued, the latest research findings by Nordic Beet Research were presented, and best practice demonstrations on weed control, crop rotation and fertilizer were held, followed by fruitful discussions about the various new ideas presented. � mm
On 2 November, a nutrition seminar organized by Nordzucker will take place in Copenhagen. The main topics are blood sugar levels and glycaemic index (GI). The topics will be presented under the headings of “Blood sugar – correct and incorrect statements” and “Glycaemic index and its significance for weight and weight control – preventing diabetes”. The experts are PhD Kasper Aaboe, Departmental Doctor at Copenhagen Hospital, and Professor Anne Raben, Chairwoman of the Adipositas Group at the University of Copenhagen. Metabolism is an important topic in the debate on nutrition. Foods with a low GI are often seen as healthy because they only increase blood sugar levels slightly. However, in contrast to what many people believe, sugar is not one of the carbohydrates that cause the biggest rise in blood sugar, due to the fact that sugar is a combination of glucose and fructose. While glucose causes a sharp rise in blood sugar, the increase with fructose is low. “Blood sugar fluctuations are natural, and nothing for people to worry about if they are otherwise healthy. That’s because the body regulates the fluctuations by producing insulin. Only diabetics, who cannot regulate their sugar levels, have to make a conscious effort to keep them stable,” says Anne-Mette Nielsen, who is in charge of the seminars and nutrition communication at Nordzucker, and adds: “I am delighted to welcome two respected researchers in this field to our seminar, who will provide us with scientific explanations for the subject matter of this debate.” Well-attended seminars The seminars have been held since 2003, alternating between Copenhagen and Stockholm, and are usually very well attended. Around 100 participants are expected this time. � mm
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Education
Tracing the production of sugar – educational activities at International Schulbauernhof Hardegsen
Pop-up store
The “little sugar plant” Sugar enriched the streetscape of Helsinki city centre in May thanks to the “Pieni sokeritehdas” (“little sugar plant”) pop-up store. The aim of the pop-up store, a small temporary business, is to stage and present sugar in a way that gets people’s attention. This unusual idea wasn’t just being used to market Dansukker’s new, Finnish granulated sugar, but the long history of the Finnish sugar industry is also presented in the showroom. Creative ideas focusing on sugar were also passed on through workshops. The initiative was a great success and several hundred people visited the “little sugar plant” in the course of the five-day campaign. Coffee and muffins for free, baking tips from the confectioner as well as displays of old packaging and an exhibition on the history of sugar enticed lots of people in from the street. On the family day, children could also add sugar decorations to Mother’s Day biscuits and enjoy tasty candy floss. � ed
During year-round educational events and topic-related class trips, students can find out all about sugar beet cultivation, from sowing to harvest, at International Schulbauernhof Hardegsen (Hardegsen International School Farm). Local beet farmers are also involved, ensuring that an authentic picture about production methods is provided. In discussions with the farm managers, the students learn about things such as sowing densities and potential harvest yield. They also find out about the agricultural technology used and how it has developed in recent years. In addition, they obtain first-hand information about increased sugar content as well as the successes and purposes of plant strains, as seen from the farmers’ perspective. In the adjoining learning kitchen, sugar is used in the context of a balanced diet. Students learn about its preservative properties while making marmalade. In addition, baking takes place on an almost daily basis. In the stall, the students learn about the use of beet cossettes as animal feed. On an excursion to the nearby biogas facility, they find out how beet is used as an energyproducing plant in a variety of forms. The activity-based holistic approach at the school farm is centred on the objectives of sustainable development, which is implemented directly on an interdisciplinary and integrated basis by closely linking it to the curriculum. Each week, students learn specific details about sugar beet at the school farm, depending on what type of school they are attending and what form they are in. Since many consumers no longer see for themselves how food is produced, we believe that our extra-curricular activity helps to support school education in this regard. The school farm team has been supported by Nordzucker for many years, and without this involvement many educational activities would not be offered with this activitybased approach and level of authenticity. Further information is available at: www.internationaler-schulbauernhof.de. � ed
Akzente September 2016
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| IN BRIEF |
Competition
Sugar Cup 2016 Sugar Cup 2016 was again this year a big success. 450 young riders from all over Sweden have been competing in races in several places during summer. The final took this year place at Skurups Country Club in the Scaniaregion where five best riders received the precious Betfor-blankets. � mm
Fairs
Sweet eye opener for bakers and confectioners Syrup-inspiration in focus at Nordzucker’s stand at the Scandinavian Bakery Fair Nordzucker participated earlier this year and for the first time at the Scandinavian Bakery Fair in Copenhagen, Denmark. The fair offered Nordzucker alongside the 80 other exhibitors plenty of opportunities to meet and discuss with the close to 1,800 professional bakers and confectioners visiting the fair. “As Nordzucker markets several products and solutions for the bakery and confectionary segments a fair like this provides a good platform for showing our full product palette and also for talking directly to our customers, in this case the bakers and confectioners, about their needs and how we can contribute to make their work easier”, says Ulrik Hvidt, Industry sales in Denmark. Focus on syrup At the Nordzucker stand our six varieties of bakery syrups each with its own flavor, colour and application was presented and demonstrated by our dedicated team. “As an add up”, says Louise Stenberg, marketing, “we had engaged Denmark’s most talented pastry apprentice 2016 Blyp Knudsen who created a beautiful sugar creation”. The Scandinavian Bakery Fair is organized by the association of Master Bakers and Confectioners in Denmark (BKD) and two supplier associations for the Danish bakers and pastry industry. � mm
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AgriLog
Step by step to peak performance In Germany, Nordzucker is coordinating more and more beet transportation using AgriLog. Following the project launch three years ago, the new Nordzucker logistics portal AgriLog is making great progress. “In 2016, we will plan around half of our beet transportation in Germany using AgriLog,” reports Project Manager Markus Reiners, who is developing Nordzucker’s new logistics portal together with the IT team. Together with its first supplier communities, Nordzucker has been obtaining valuable user experience in live operation for two years. “The group of participating supplier communities has grown rapidly in 2016,” says Reiners. All of the partners are now linked into the new system via mobile tablets, including when they are on the road. To ensure that the switch is easy, Nordzucker conducts AgriLog training courses for all participants up until the start of the harvest. The smart MIR successor AgriLog aims to achieve one thing above all else: to perfectly interlink all participants and all processes from the field to the plant so that harvesting, clamp maintenance and loading activities as well as transportation can be coordinated with each other more conveniently and efficiently than before. � sdp
Rally
Nordzucker takes part in the Baltic Sea Circle On 18 June 2016, two Nordzucker staff members, Frank Kruppe and Thomas Gehrecke, both of whom work at the Klein Wanzleben plant, set out on a very special kind of rally. A classic car rally took the “Sugar” team to every country with a Baltic Sea coast and therefore through almost all of the countries where Nordzucker operates: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland – with the entrants themselves left to work out the route. The competitors crossed the finish line in Hamburg on 3 July. The vehicles used in the rally had to be at least 20 years old. As an entry fee, the competitors agreed to raise and donate EUR
750 to selected charities. Nordzucker supported its “team to beet” – who competed with the number 113 – in this regard. Half of the starting fee went to charitable organizations that are permanent charity partners of the organizer (e.g. Autonome Jugendwerkstätten Hamburg e.V., Moebius Syndrom Deutschland e.V. and Sage Hospital e.V.) and the other 50 per cent went directly to two institutions chosen by Frank Kruppe and his team (50 per cent each to Verein Moebius Syndrom Deutschland e.V. and Arche e.V.) The Baltic Sea Circle Rally 2016 generated a total of EUR 382,000 in donations from the starting fees. � ed
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| PEOPLE AT NORDZUCKER |
Patrick Heuer, Packaging Shift Leader, Nordzucker Service Center Uelzen (NSC) To become Packaging Shift Leader at 27, having started your career as an apprentice retailer, is certainly unusual. Patrick Heuer set out on this path at Nordzucker in June 2011 and is now Shift Leader in the NSC. His position involves a wide range of duties and challenges: “My job is incredibly varied. Each day is different. This means that it is difficult at times to keep track of everything, but that is what I enjoy about it and how I succeed. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” Patrick Heuer’s duties include coordinating and planning the production orders at the packaging machines, ensuring that enough sugar is available in the correct grain sizes to fulfil each individual order, and responding to difficulties that arise: “When problems occur, I have to quickly find solutions together with my team to ensure that production is not interrupted. Working together, we usually manage to do this very well.” � bdl
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| CLICKED ON |
A look online Sugar Academy – educational program for professionals to be To support and continuously improve the knowledge around sugar and its functional properties Nordzucker provides educational material for students within the food, baking, chefs and confectionary segments. Starting around ten years ago Nordzucker developed an educational program around sugar to promote the knowledge around sugar amongst food professionals to be within the food service segment. The program – Sugar Academy – has been running for ten years in Denmark and 7 years in Sweden and it is very popular, as far 11 266 students in Denmark and Sweden have run the program.
Ann-Louise Hallgren, marketing, project leader for Sugar Academy says: “The material is developed to increase the knowledge about sugar and its’ functionality properties”. The material focus’ “round the beet” highlighting the properties, taste and nutritional aspects combined with information about the production of sugar. Nordzucker also provides training for teachers. The trainings are conducted as a “train the trainer concept” giving
the teachers a solid platform to work from in their class rooms. Improved looks As the ambition, in the long run, is that students and teachers use the sugar academy-website in an as large extent as possible, the web site’s user friendliness is crucial. The teaching material had a makeover some years ago and a new and more modern version of the Sugar Academy-film was launched earlier this summer. � mm
Sugar Academy – a training programme in sugar
Student- and teacher’s courses Knowledge about sugar is a part of the schools ordinary education program and it is in these classes the Sugar Academymaterial is used. The material consists of a study book, a film, sugar samples for sensory use and teaching material and can be retrieved from our web page www.sugaracademy.com.
Imprint Published by: Nordzucker AG, Küchenstrasse 9, 38100 Braunschweig, Germany, Tel. +49 (0)531 2411 0, ir@nordzucker.de; Editorial team (ed): Bianca Deppe-Leickel (bdl), Susanne Dismer-Puls (sdp), Lubomir Fischer, Mariann Mellström (mm), Tanja Schneider-Diehl (tsd), Marion Stumpe, Björn Windfall; Layout: Sieler Kommunikation und Gestaltung GmbH, Frankfurt; Printed by: Leinebergland Druck GmbH & Co. KG, Alfeld Image credits: CEFS, Boris Kuster, Nordic Sugar (Apelöga, Sebastian Åkesson, Lasse Davidsson, Falkenbergs Foto, Thomas Hägnefelt , Victoria Johansson, Christer Kristiansson, Ulrik Larsen, Åke Månsson, Ingrid Riis, Guoda Šulcaitê, Lars Thornblad), Nordzucker, Nordzucker Polska, Shutterstock, Sandra Ulbricht
Akzente September 2016
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s k a e p t u n o c o c i Min with chocolate Ingredients
makes about 40 ❱ 75 g butter, warmed to room temperature ❱ 225 g Dansukker Cane Sugar Granulated ❱ 245 g desiccated coconut ❱ egg whites from 3 large eggs ❱ grated peel of 1 lime Topping ❱ 100 g dark chocolate ❱ coconut flakes
Preparation
1. Set the oven temperature to 200°C. 2. Beat the margarine and sugar together until soft. 3. Add the coconut and egg whites and mix thoroughly. Stir in the lime peel. 4. Spoon the mixture out onto a parchmentlined baking sheet, forming into small peaks. Bake in the middle of the oven for 8 – 12 minutes. 5. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Melt the chocolate and dribble over, and finally sprinkle with coconut.
www.dansukker.co.uk