Food & drink business europe, january 2016 by Colin Murphy

January 2016

Nestlé is ‘world leader’ in environmental sustainability

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C o n t e n t s

- 2 M ERGERS & A CQUISITIONS

- 25 D AIRY

Glanbia opens new €15 million UHT milk processing facility.

Coverage of British and international deals.

PAGE 2

- 5 S OFT D RINKS

Mark Allen, CEO, Dairy Crest.

- 37 C ONVENIENCE F OODS The continuing rise of Wrights Food Group.

P AGE 21

Benoit Testard, CEO, Tangerine Confectionery.

Britvic begins next phase of development.

R EGULARS Bottling & Packaging . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 & 34

- 9 M EAT P ROCESSING Cranswick brings home the bacon.

Energy & Environment. . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 PAGE 5

Simon Litherland, CEO, Britvic.

PAGE 25

Yvonne Kerrigan, Operations Manager, Glanbia.

Processing & Manufacturing . . . . . . . . 28-33 Storage & Logistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39-41 Quality & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-47

- 11 C OVER S TORY

Materials & Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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Henry Corbally, Chairman, Glanbia.

Nestlé is ‘world leader’ in environmental sustainability. Managing Director: Colin Murphy Editor: Mike Rohan Group Operations Manager: Sylvia McCarthy

PAGE 9

Martin Davey, Chairman, Cranswick.

- 16, 17, 19 & 21 C ONFECTIONERY

Advertising: John Bent, Ian Stewart & Rachel Howard Production Manager: Sylvia McCarthy

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Top five players dominate €78 billion European confectionery market. Top 100 Players in the European Confectionery Market, 2015. Mondelez International is confectionery market leader in Europe.

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PAGE 11

Tangerine Confectionery continues its fruitful development.

Paul Bulcke, CEO, Nestlé.

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

M E E R R G G E E R R S S M $13.9 Billion Beverage Deal Keurig Green Mountain, a USbased personal beverage system company, is being acquired by a JAB Holding Company-led investor group for a total equity value of approximately $13.9 billion. JAB is acquiring Keurig

Green Mountain in partnership with strategic minority investors who are already shareholders in Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE), the largest pure-play FMCG coffee company in the world, including Mondelez Intern-ational and entities affiliated with BDT Capital Partners. At the close of the transaction, Keurig Green Mountain will be privately owned and will continue to be operated independently by the company's management team and employees. JAB Holding Company is a privately held group focused on long-term investments in companies with premium brands, attractive growth and strong margin dynamics in the consumer goods category. The group's portfolio includes a controlling stake in Coty, a global leader in beauty, and controlling stakes in luxury goods companies including Jimmy Choo, Bally and Belstaff. JAB also has controlling stakes in Peet's Coffee & Tea, a premier specialty coffee and tea company, Caribou Coffee Company, a specialty retailer of high-quality premium coffee products, Einstein Noah Restaurant Group, a leading company in the quick-casual segment of the restaurant industry, Espresso House, the largest branded coffee shop chain in Scandinavia, and Baresso Coffee, the first and largest branded coffee shop chain in Denmark. Bart Becht, chairman of JAB, comments: "Keurig Green Mountain represents a major step forward in the creation of our 02

& &

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global coffee platform. It is a fantastic company that uniquely brings together premium coffee brands and new beverage dispensing technologies like the famous Keurig single serve machine."

Beam Suntory to Sell Spanish Brandy & Sherry Business to Emperador Beam Suntory has agreed to sell its Spanish brandy and sherry business to Emperador. The allcash transaction is valued at Eur275 million. The deal includes the Fundador, Harveys, Terry and Tres Cepas brands, as well as production operations in Jerez and Tomelloso, Spain. Emperador is the world’s largest brandy producer through the Emperador brand. It is part of Alliance Global Group of the Philippines. Last year, Emperador acquired Whyte and Mackay, the world’s fifth largest Scotch whisky company. Beam Suntory was created in 2014. Headquartered in the US, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Japan, and is the world’s third largest premium spirits company.

General Mills Expands in Brazil General Mills has acquired Brazilian yogurt maker Carolina Administracao e Participacoes Societarias, a privately-held dairy products company headquartered in Ribeirao Claro, Parana, Brazil. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Operating primarily in southern and south-eastern Brazil, Carolina sources highquality milk from farmers in the dairy-rich region of Parana, and markets more than 20 different dairy product lines.

Yogurt is an attractive category within the Brazilian market. Not only is the yogurt category growing strongly, but there is ample room for additional growth, with Brazilian yogurt consumption per capita still well below other key markets in Latin America.

PepsiCo and Muller Terminate US Yogurt Venture PepsiCo, the global beverages and snacks giant, and German dairy company Theo Muller Group have ceased production at their US joint venture yogurt plant in New York State, due to weak sales, with the loss of 66 jobs. PepsiCo and Muller have agreed to sell the dairy plant at Batavia to US farmers co-operative, Dairy Farmers of America, for an undisclosed price. Mulller and PepsiCo formed their yoghurt joint venture – Muller Quaker Dairy – in 2012. Having launched the Muller Corner, Muller Greek Corner and Muller FrutUp brands, Muller Quaker Dairy opened a $200 million state-of-the-art yogurt manufacturing plant in 2013. According to PepsiCo, the joint venture had been terminated “after determining that the business was not meeting expectations in a competitive and dynamic marketplace.’’ The US yogurt market is dominated by Chobani, General Mills and Danone.

Dairy Crest Completes Sale of Dairies Operations Dairy Crest has completed the £80 million sale of its Dairies operations to Müller UK & Ireland Group. Dairy Crest’s Dairies operations comprise the fresh liquid milk, flavoured milk including the FRijj brand, bulk and potted cream, bulk butter and milk powder businesses, including dairy facilities at

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Severnside, Chadwell Heath, Foston and Hanworth together with around 70 depots. Müller UK & Ireland Group is wholly owned by Germany-based Unternehmensgruppe Theo Müller. "This is a transformational moment for Dairy Crest and the wider dairy industry and helps bring much needed stability to the UK dairy sector,” says Mark Allen, chief executive of Dairy Crest. "Dairy Crest can now focus on growth, through both our branded cheese and spreads operations and new revenue streams from manufacturing products for the fast-growing global infant formula market."

Mark Allen, chief executive of Dairy Crest.

Tonnies Takes Over Danish Company Tican Tonnies, the German meat and food group, is acquiring Danish slaughterhouse and meat processing company Tican subject to antitrust approval. The purchase price has not been disclosed. Operating five production locations in Denmark, the UK and Poland, Tican currently has a capacity of about two million pigs per year and employs about 2,300 people. In the financial year 2013/2014 Tican achieved sales of Eur737.1 million. Tonnies has four business divisions - Meat, Convenience, Ingredients and Logistic. Tonnies employs approximately 10,000 people across eight German and one Danish production facility. Exports account for about 50% of the group’s production.

Lotus Bakeries Expands Healthy Snacking Portfolio Belgium-based Lotus Bakeries has acquired 100% of Urban Fresh Foods, the innovative

M E R G E R S

A C Q U I S I T I O N S

since July, 2011. The Parmalat generated revenues of Eur5.6 billion in 2014. British healthy food company, which makes natural fruit snacks and cereals with 100% natural ingredients, under the BEAR and Urban Fruit brands. Net revenue of UFF for the year 2016 is estimated to be at least £27 million with strong profitability of 18% earnings before taxes. Hayley and Andrew GaitGolding (founders) and Giles Brook (partner) will continue to run the business from its London offices. Lotus wants to make exciting, healthy snacking options more readily available to a large consumer base of both adults and children in Europe and beyond. That is why four months ago, Lotus Bakeries entered into a strategic partnership with the British wholefood company, Natural Balance Foods, makers of bars and snacks with 100% natural ingredients, sold under the Nakd and Trek brands. Lotus Bakeries has production facilities in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Sweden. In 2014, Lotus Bakeries achieved a turnover of Eur347.9 million.

Parmalat Expands in Australia Italian dairy group Parmalat is acquiring Fonterra’s yoghurt and dairy dessert business in Australia, including two production facilities (Tamar Valley in Tasmania and Echuca in Victoria) with approximately 250 employees. Fonterra’s yoghurt and dairy dessert business reported pro forma revenues of Eur95 million in its last financial year. The enterprise value of the acquired business is approximately Eur10 million. Listed on the Italian Stock Exchange, Parmalat has been controlled by the Lactalis Group

Glanbia Completes $217 Million Acquisition Glanbia, the global nutrition group, has completed its $217 million acquisition of thinkThin, a US-based producer of protein enriched bars targeted at lifestyle consumers. ThinkThin primarily distributes its products in food, natural and mass retail channels in the US. Net sales for the twelve months to the end of September 2015 were $84 million, with a compound average growth rate for the previous three years of 31%. The deal strengthens Glanbia’s portfolio of market leading performance nutrition brands.

ThinkThin will increase Glanbia Performance Nutrition's (GPN) presence in the bar category and provide exposure to the rapidly expanding nutrition bar segment, which is currently valued at $2.8 billion in US retail.

Ornua Sells Majority Stake in Non-core US Business Ornua (formerly the Irish Dairy Board) has sold a majority stake in its US specialty foods distribution business, DPI Specialty Foods, to Arbor Investments for an undisclosed amount. Ornua will maintain a minority stake in the DPI business.

The sale of DPI is consistent with Ornua’s strategy of reallocating capital and assets to support Ornua’s continuing investments in enhanced routes to market for Irish dairy products through its businesses across global markets including the US, UK, Germany, Middle East, Africa and China.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I SOFT DRINKS

Britvic Begins Next Phase of Development Having made sound progress in implementing its sustainable profitable growth strategy, unveiled by chief executive Simon Litherhead in May 2013, Britvic is starting the next phase of its development and has just announced a business capability programme for 2016, which will see capital spend increase to between £120 million and £130 million, as the UK and international soft drinks group continues to focus on driving growth in the kids, family and adult categories, where it has market-leading brands. ritvic is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks and the second largest producer of branded carbonated soft drinks in Great Britain. Britvic is also a leading player in Ireland and in France. Britvic owns leading brands such as Robinsons, Tango, J2O, Fruit Shoot, Teisseire and MiWadi and also produces PepsiCo brands like Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew Energy in Great Britain and Ireland under licence.

Fruit Shoot is the number one kids’ soft drinks brand in the UK and is at the heart of Britvic’s international expansion.

ness and accelerating international expansion as it focuses on building sustainable profit and margin improvement through continued disciplined cost management. The 100 basis points improvement in EBITA margin to 13.2%, for the 52 weeks ended 27 September 2015, indicates that this approach is working. EBITA margin growth is a key performance indicator for Britvic.

Simon Litherland, chief executive of Britvic.

Robinsons has long been the UK’s number one squash brand and J20 is the number one premium juice brand. Fruit Shoot is the number one kids’ soft drinks brand in the UK and is at the heart of Britvic’s international expansion. In France, Teisseire is the leading syrup brand and Teisseire Fruit Shoot is now the number one kids’ juice drink. In Ireland, Ballygowan is the number one water brand, while MiWadi squash and the Club range are leaders in their categories. Britvic also exports its brands to over 50 countries, working with carefully chosen franchise partners. Since 2013, Britvic has concentrated on improving efficiency, streamlining the busi-

Financial Performance Despite a 0.6% drop in revenue to £1.30 billion Britvic increased EBITA by 7.1% to £171.6 million in its last financial year. The company sold over 2.1 billion litres of soft drinks during the period, an increase of 0.9% on the previous year, but the Average Realised Price (ARP) of 60.5p declined by 1.5%. The poor summer weather in Great Britain and Ireland hit overall consumption of soft drinks and contributed to a revenue decline in both markets in the final quarter and impacted on the full year performance. This was only partly offset by a strong performance in France where the summer weather was much better. Good Progress “In May 2013, I laid out a new strategy for the group, with a focus on driving growth in the kids, family and adult categories, FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

where we have market-leading brands. In 2015 we continued to make good progress against this strategy,” says Simon Litherland, chief executive of Britvic. “We have delivered another strong set of results, with margin growth and profit significantly ahead of last year, despite challenging market conditions.” The strategy launched in May 2013 was designed to not only to drive growth, but also deliver significant cost benefits to the business. “The competitive retail landscape, deflationary pricing and rapidly evolving consumer trends have made it increasingly difficult to generate profitable growth in the food and beverage sector in our core markets. However, we have successfully demonstrated our ability to do just that,” he points out. In its core markets, Britvic has succeeded in returning the Irish business to profit, while its activities in Great Britain continue to deliver a significant part of group profits. In France, Britvic has succeeded in doubling the profitability of its business five years after acquiring it. He adds: “We have taken both volume and value market share in our core markets as we see the benefits of our investment in marketing and innovation capability, the successful execution of new product launches and strong marketing campaigns.” Although Britvic’s core markets will remain

Britvic is well on track to deliver its £30 million of cost savings per annum target by 2016.

challenging in the short to medium term, Simon Litherland sees many opportunities to drive profitable growth. Major New Investment Programme Britvic is well on track to deliver its £30 million of cost savings per annum target by 2016. Having largely completed this programme, Britvic has just announced further major investment in Great Britain to deliver further efficiencies and flexibility in its supply chain. The three-year business capability programme will see a major increase in the level of capital investment in order to exploit revenue, margin and profitable growth opportunities. Britvic plans to invest an additional £70 million to £80 million in its GB business in 2016 to create a best-in-class supply chain, generating a minimum annual cash return of 15% on an on-going basis. This will allow Britvic to respond even more quickly to the rapidly changing needs of customers and consumers through increased levels of innovation and the development of different pack format types to meet the needs of the various market channels. “As the retail environment continues to evolve, there is an increasing need for greater flexibility, agility and efficiency” Simon Litherland points out. “Today we have capacity constraints in key growth packs, and limited pack flexibility to maximise channel opportunities. Investing in new equipment and utilising the latest technologies will allow us to overcome these constraints, and enable lower ongoing production and warehousing costs as a result.” International Expansion Britvic’s international expansion plans are also developing to plan with strong sales

Robinsons has long been the UK’s number one squash brand and J20 is the number one premium juice brand.

growth in the US and other markets. Britvic recently entered the world’s sixth largest soft drinks market and the largest concentrates market globally following its £120.8 million acquisition of Empresa Brasileira de Bebidas e Alimentos (ebba), the leading supplier of liquid concentrates and the number two supplier of ready-todrink nectar drinks in Brazil. The UK-based soft drinks group is successfully exploiting the global potential of its Fruit Shoot brand. Fruit Shoot single serve is now available nationally in the US, where it has become the number two single-serve kids’ juice drink. Fruit Shoot has also been launched in India. About 40% of Fruit Shoot sales are now generated outside of Great Britain compared to 30% two years ago. Innovation Britvic has a strong track record of innovation. “Our innovations are based on our insight into consumer trends to unlock category growth opportunities, whether this is a fast-growing category, where we may be under-represented and can increase our participation, or a category where we are already well represented but expand it with new concepts,” he says. The Britvic chief executive adds: “Given the breadth of our portfolio, we believe that

we are the best placed soft drinks company to meet consumer demand for ‘better for you’ soft drinks, and continue to innovate with low-calorie offerings.” For instance, the Fruit Shoot core range is being reformulated to offer a ‘better for you’ proposition. This entails the addition of multi-vitamins as well as the reduction in sweetness, and flavour improvements, and will build upon the removal of the added sugar variant last year. Britvic also intends to improve its participation in the water and water plus categories, which are both showing strong growth. For example, in Ireland Britvic has just launched Ballygowan’s Sparklingly Fruity, while in Great Britain it continues to build on the launch of Ballygowan, which has more than doubled its share in the last 12 months. Outlook Britvic is well placed to continue on its growth path. “As I look at the business today, I see a strong organisation with market-leading brands and exciting, domestic and international growth prospects, underpinned by a cost-conscious culture. We are well positioned to embark on the next phase of our development and to drive further shareholder value,” he says. In the short-term, the current financial year is expected to be as challenging as the last. “We have seen a slow start to the year, reflecting the continued challenging market conditions. However, with our compelling marketing and innovation plans and our continued focus on disciplined cost management we are confident of increasing our profitability in 2016,” says Simon Litherland. Britvic expects 2016 EBITA in the range of £180 million to £190 million, including Brazil. J

Development of the 1881 Range Offered by Esterform ince its launch in 2013 Esterform’s extensive market leading S range of 1881 PET preforms has helped their customers to reduce the weight of their plastic bottles, cutting their costs without compromising on quality. Companies have chosen the 1881 range to help their business achieve a range of goals, such as; responding to consumer pressure for products with a decreased environmental impact, reducing packaging overheads, reducing transportation costs, and being able to offer their products at a competitive price in an increasingly crowded market. Previously available up to 37.5gm the range has now been expanded to include weights up to 55.2gm. The versatile range is suitable for drinks from juice to sparking water and can help any company whether they are large scale fillers or beverage entrepreneurs to produce unique, functional bottles with an environmental edge. The continued expansion of Esterform’s 1881 preform range is

only part of a multi-million pound investment program currently in progress. Significant investments have been made in injection moulding capacity, blow moulding capabilities as well as the acquisition of Constar UK and the formation of a new distribution centre in Yorkshire. Under the private ownership, Esterform has been transformed into a ‘Best in Class’ supplier of PET Preforms and Containers. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I MEAT PROCESSING

Cranswick Brings Home the Bacon Having broken through the £1 billion turnover barrier last year, Cranswick, the UK-based meat and convenience food processor, is continuing to make significant capital investment across its asset base to support future growth. ranswick’s core market is the United Kingdom where it provides a range of fresh pork, gourmet sausages, premium cooked poultry, charcuterie, traditional hand-cured, airdried bacon, gourmet pastry products and sandwiches through retail, food service and manufacturing channels. It also has a rapidly developing export business serving the European, US, Australasian and West African markets. Cranswick operates from twelve well invested, highly efficient production facilities in the UK and employs over 8,000 people. Indeed, Cranswick operates some of the most efficient production sites of their type in the UK. Cranswick is the third largest pig producer in the UK and represents 6% of the total UK pig herd. More than 80 per cent of the pigs produced from the two herds are bred outdoors providing a complete farm to fork solution for the premium pork ranges of the group’s two largest retail customers.

ment is expected to reach £35 million for the full year. Indeed, investing to maintain its competitive edge has helped Cranswick to protect its profit margins in the present challenging trading environment.

£1 Billion Turnover Business Cranswick increased adjusted operating profit by 10.1% to £58.7 million for the year ended 31 March 2015 on revenues up 1% to £1.003 billion and has continued to make strong progress in the first half of its current financial year.

Hull-based Benson Park is a leading producer of premium British cooked poultry products serving the fast growing ‘food to go’ sector. Acquired in October 2014, the business has now been successfully integrated and its capacity expanded.

Martin Davey, non-executive chairman of Cranswick.

For the six months ended 30 September 2015, Cranswick reported a 10% rise in revenue to £529.1 million with adjusted group operating profit growing by 21.4% to £31.8 million. Growth was supported by the contribution from Benson Park, which was acquired in the second half of the last financial year. Underlying revenue grew by 7%, with corresponding volumes ahead 10% as the benefit of lower input prices continued to be passed on to the group’s customers. Hull-based Benson Park is a leading producer of premium British cooked poultry products serving the fast growing ‘food to go’ sector. Acquired in October 2014, the business has now been successfully integrated and its capacity expanded. Distinctive Feature A distinctive feature of Cranswick has been constant reinvestment in its production sites and it now has some of the most advanced and efficient facilities in the industry, having spent £137 million over the past five years to March 2015. Cranswick has since invested a further £13.4 million across the asset base of the business in the first half of its current financial year to increase capacity and drive further operating efficiencies. Capital investFOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Competitive Market “The company continues to work closely with its customers and to maintain its focus on service, quality and innovation to deliver attractive, competitively priced products in market conditions that are expected to remain competitive through the second half of the year,” comments Martin Davey, non-executive chairman of Cranswick. “This approach, allied to a broadening product portfolio and an anticipated strong Christmas trading period, means the business remains very well placed to deliver further growth in this financial year.” He adds: “With experienced management at all levels of the group, a strong range of products, a well invested asset base and a robust financial position, the board remains confident in the continued long term success and development of the business.” J

Established by farmers in the early 1970s to produce pig feed and later to market pigs, Cranswick has emerged as one of the UK’s leading processors of fresh pork, bacon, sausages, cooked meats, charcuterie and sandwiches.

COVER STORY

Nestlé is ‘World Leader’ in Environmental Sustainability As the world’s biggest food and beverage processor, Nestlé has taken a strong leadership role in tackling climate change by continuously improving the efficiency of energy use and reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its products, services and processes.

n implementing its ‘Caring for Climate’ strategy, Nestlé has been successfully mitigating the environmental impact of its business operations. Nestlé has also been working closely with suppliers, farmers and consumers to encourage resource efficiency, responsible product sourcing and environmental stewardship. Indeed, Nestlé has been recognised over the years as an industry leader by a variety of organisations and NGOs, such as Oxfam, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and CDP, the sustainability ratings agency.

Industry Leader Nestlé was recently acclaimed as a ‘world leader’ for its work to tackle climate change by CDP, with the Swiss food and drink giant one of only 64 out of over 2,000 companies to claim the highest possible score in the prestigious annual ranking. Nestlé heads CDP’s (formerly Carbon Disclosure Project’s) prestigious Climate A List with a 100 A score, for actions including the introduction of technologies to further optimise energy use to reduce emissions, including GHGs. Nestlé is working with farmers to help them use water more efficiently, and has lent financial support to buy biogas digesters at dairy farms, to generate renewable energy and cut methane emissions. The company is also committed to preserving natural capital, and ensuring suppliers respect its ‘No Deforestation’ commitPaul Bulcke, chief executive of Nestlé. ment. Tackling Food Waste Nestlé has further strengthened its commitment to reduce food waste, which is a major generator of GHG emissions, by announcing that it would achieve zero waste for disposal at its sites by 2020. For instance, Nestlé has installed an anaerobic digestion system at its confectionery factory at Fawdon in the UK that turns confectionery waste into renewable energy and clean water. The new anaerobic digestion system, which was completed in

September 2014, converts solid and liquid sewage waste into clean water and methane gas using natural biological digestion processes. The facility will save 1000 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, cut solid waste by 4000 kg per day, and reduce effluent discharges by 95%. Across the group, Nestlé water discharges per tonne of product have dropped by 52% since 2005. Water Stewardship CDP also commended Nestlé separately on the ‘excellent’ results of its water stewardship activities. Over the past decade, Nestlé has invested almost SFr400 million (Eur370 million) in water-saving projects at factories, and a further SFr62 million on community water projects with international agencies. One example of Nestlé’s commitment to achieving water efficiency and sustainability across its operations is the introduction of 'zero water' technology at its dairy factory in Jalisco, Mexico, which allows the plant to operate without using any local groundwater. High Stakes “The stakes are high. What I see in the communities around our 450 factories and in our agricultural supply chain is that the consequences of climate change are already clearly with us: farmers struggle with changing crop cycles; communities migrate; and extreme weather events proliferate. And the most immediate we see is water; not enough of it, too much or not in the right place,” says Paul Bulcke, chief executive of Nestlé. He elaborates: “No water, no food. The future capacity of the world to feed its nine or ten billion inhabitants, will be highly influenced by our capability to tackle the water and climate issue. So it is time to act. No one institution, government, company or NGO can tackle these challenges on their own. All of us need to work together. All of us need to play our part.”

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

One example of Nestlé’s commitment to achieving water efficiency and

its energy use but to cut packaging by an average 25% across the ‘Buxton’ and ‘Pure Life’ ranges. Rated ‘Excellent’ by BREEAM, the world’s leading design and assessment method for more sustainable buildings, Buxton is one of Europe’s most innovative and efficient bottling facilities. Meanwhile, in Spain, Nestlé is currently investing Eur102 million on a new energy efficient line for Nescafé soluble coffee at its Girona factory to boost production by 30% with the additional coffee produced being exported, primarily to other European countries. Technological advances mean that the line will use 40% less energy and 33% less water per kilogram of product manufactured than existing lines at the Girona site, which produce Nescafé Dolce Gusto capsules as well as Nescafé soluble coffee.

sustainability across its operations is the introduction of 'zero water' technology at its dairy factory in Jalisco, Mexico, which allows the plant to operate without using any local groundwater.

Environmental Dimension The CDP award comes after Nestlé received an industry-leading score of 99% in the ‘environmental dimension’ of the 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Index. The DJSI is a globally recognised independent benchmark that measures company performance across three dimensions: economic, environmental and social. With an overall score of 89 out of 100 in the DJSI ranking, Nestlé was among the top performing food product companies. In the Index’s 'environmental dimension', Nestlé’s score of 99 is the highest in the industry, underlining the group’s commitment to water stewardship and environmental sustainability. Paul Bulcke comments: “At Nestlé, we have integrated environmental sustainability as one of the foundations for our business. We have been around for almost 150 years; we want to be around for another 150. So sustainability does make business sense. Just one example - we have saved US$1.35 billion over the last 20 years, just by reducing packaging.” For example, Nestlé Waters’ new £35 million factory in Buxton in the UK, has not only allowed the business to significantly lower

Nestlé received an industry-leading score of 99% in the ‘environmental dimension’ of the 2015 Dow Jones Sustainability Index.

Over the past decade, Nestlé has invested almost SFr400 million (Eur370 million) in water-saving projects at factories, and a further SFr62 million on community water projects with international agencies.

New Bottling Plant in Italy Sanpellegrino Group, part of Nestlé Waters, is investing SFr17 million (Eur15.7 million) to build a mineral water bottling plant in Italy. The plant in Castrocielo, Frosinone province, which is due to open in mid-2016, is expected to produce around 220 million litres for sale under the Nestlé Vera brand in its first year. In line with Nestlé’s commitments to environmental sustainability, the factory will only use green energy from renewable sources such as solar power. It will also incorporate LED lighting and systems for heat recovery and storage. All packaging materials used will be recyclable Sustainability “Our success or failure as a global food and beverage company is directly linked to the society in the countries in which we work,” says Paul Bulcke. “This is why we have committed to sustainability in our direct operations, and why we work with our suppliers to help them mitigate and adapt to climate change. We aim to procure 100% of our electricity from renewable sources within the shortest practical timescale, and to reach zero deforestation by 2020. Eliminating deforestation is key to tackling climate change.” J

KitKat Makes Global Pledge to Use Only Sustainably Sourced Cocoa KitKat is the first global chocolate brand to announce that it will use only sustainably sourced cocoa to manufacture all of its products, and will do so from the first quarter of 2016. The brand already uses only sustainably sourced cocoa, accredited by independent third-party bodies, in products sold in certain markets, but this new announcement extends the practice worldwide, including the United States. Sandra Martinez, Head of Confectionery for Nestlé, says: “We’re delighted to be a flag bearer for the industry, as the first global chocolate brand to announce such a move. Sustainable cocoa

sourcing helps safeguard the livelihoods of farming communities and delivers higher quality cocoa beans. This announcement will only strengthen consumer trust in KitKat as a responsible brand.” The initiative, which coincides with KitKat's 80th birthday, is part of Nestlé’s commitment to source 150,000 tonnes of sustainably produced cocoa by 2017 via the Nestlé Cocoa Plan. The Nestlé Cocoa Plan aims to improve the lives of cocoa farming communities and the quality of the cocoa Nestlé purchases.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I CONFECTIONERY

Top Five Players Dominate €78 Billion European Confectionery Market Five manufacturers – Mondelez International, Mars, Nestlé, Lindt & Sprungli and Ferrero - control half of the €78 billion confectionery market in Europe (23 countries).

ondelez International (see page 19) is the clear leader with a market share of 17.7% ahead of Mars (12.7%) and Nestlé (8.4%). Switzerland-based Lindt & Sprungli ranks fourth with a market share of 7.1% and Italian confectionery company Ferrero (4.4%) is in fifth position. According to international food and drink consultancy Food For Thought, the top ten European confectionery manufacturers (including CFP brands, Haribo, Guta Group, Cloetta and Alfred Ritter) account for 66.1% of the market (see Table). Other key players within the market include Storck, Fazer, Toms, Elah Dufour, Thorntons, Udarnista, Tangerine Confectionery (see page 21), CVC Capital, Orkla and Ricola. The European confectionery market consists of three distinct segments – chocolate, gum and sugar confectionery (candy) – which are popular among all consumer age groups. Chocolate confectionery (including countlines) is by far the largest segment ahead of sugar confectionery and chewing gum.

In contrast to many other food markets, which are dominated by the supermarket multiples, confectionery is characterised by a relatively low level of penetration by private label products and a high proportion of sales through other types of retail outlets. Smaller shops and other convenience outlets, where confectionery is bought by consumers on 16

growing importance of Fairtrade products and the increasing importance of transparency in ingredient labelling.

impulse rather than as part of a planned shopping trip, still account for a significant portion of sales. However, manufacturers’ branded products are coming under increasing pressure from the growing popularity of retailers’ own label confectionery, which has been steadily making market inroads.

Eastern Expansion Many of the major confectionery manufacturers in Western Europe have expanded into Eastern Europe, where the market is expanding far more rapidly. For example, Mondelez International, which has establish a strong presence in Eastern Europe, has just installed a new $30 million state-of-the-art chocolate production line at its plant at Skarbimierz in Poland to meet growing demand for its confectionery products. Opened in 2010, the plant in Skarbimierz is one of the most modern chocolate factories in Europe.

Innovation Innovation remains crucial to driving growth in developed markets where premium and ‘better-for-you’ products have been growing in popularity. Confectionery is still regarded as an affordable treat despite the recessionary economic environment and fragile consumer confidence which have characterised most European markets in recent years. Indeed, Confectionery manufacturers have resorted to new product development and promotional activity to defend market share. Innovations designed to spur market growth include extension of shelf life, enhancement of sensory appeal through varied flavours, textures and colours, and the introduction of heat-tolerant chocolate for certain regions. A major challenge facing confectionery producers is the increasing health consciousness of consumers and the current focus on sugar as a major contributor to the growing obesity problem. This has resulted in a sharp rise in demand for dark chocolate, which is perceived by consumers as having health benefits. Other key market trends include the

Market Prospects According to Food For Thought, the confectionery market in Eastern Europe (7 countries), worth Eur19.83 billion in 2014, is forecast to grow by 24.67% by 2017 to reach a value of Eur24.72 billion. The much larger confectionery market in Western Europe (16 countries), valued at Eur58.19 billion in 2014, is expected to expand by 12.04% and be worth Eur65.19 billion by 2017. Food For Thought predicts that the European confectionery market as a whole will increase by 15.24% between 2014 and 2017 to generate value sales of Eur89.91 billion. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Top 100 Players in the European Confectionery Market, 2015

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I CONFECTIONERY

Mondelez International is Confectionery Market Leader in Europe Mondelez International has been the largest confectionery producer in Europe since its $19.5 billion acquisition of UK-based Cadbury in 2010. ondelez International heads the chocolate confectionery and biscuits markets in Europe and also holds leading positions in gum and sugar confectionery. Spanning 33 countries and employing 26,000 people, Mondelez International’s European business generated net revenue of $14 billion in 2014. Globally, Mondelez International had sales of $34 billion and it is the world leader in biscuits, chocolate and candy, and holds second position in gum. The US-based snacks giant owns four billion-dollar confectionery brands - Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate, and Trident gum.

Mondelez International has just opened a new ‘Line of the Future’ at its Skarbimierz chocolate plant in Poland.

UK Remains Central Reflecting the acquisition of Cadbury, the UK remains central to Mondelez International’s European and global confectionery operations. The UK business employs more than 4,000 people and operates five manufacturing plants, which produce iconic confectionery brands such as Cadbury, Bassett’s, Maynards and Trebor, as well as belVita, Oreo and Ritz biscuits. Since acquiring Cadbury in 2010, Mondelez International has invested more than £130 million in its UK operations. It is currently investing £75 million on new state-of-the-art production facilities at its chocolate factory at Bournville near Birmingham, the home of Cadbury, which produces around 45 million Easter Eggs, and more than 300 million bars of Cadbury Dairy Milk annually.

Global Centre of Excellence Bournville also houses Mondelez International's Global Centre of Excellence for Chocolate research and development, so every new chocolate product created by the company anywhere in the world starts life at the Birmingham plant. This resource is complemented by the Reading Science Centre, based on the University of Reading campus, which is the only global Mondelez International science centre outside of the US and focuses on the science behind the creation of new products. The centre researches and tests new and improved products, ingredients and processes for Mondelez International markets around the world. The UK is part of Mondelez International’s Northern Europe business which has a workforce of 6,000 spread across six countries including ten manufacturing sites and three research and development facilities. Mondelez International is the leader in the Nordic chocolate confectionery market with local brands such as Marabou and Freia. Employing close to 7,000 people, Mondelez International’s operations in Western Europe encompass 19 production plants and a European Biscuit Research and Development Centre at Saclay in France. In Southern Europe, Mondelez International operates across 15 countries, employing 3,500 people at 19 locations, including ten manufacturing sites. Chocolate production is centred at Svoge in Bulgaria and in Greece, while candy is manufactured at Valladolid in Spain. Strong in Central Europe Mondelez International has developed a strong industrial footprint in Central Europe, where it currently operates 19 manufacturing sites and employs almost 10,000 people. The company’s plant at Bern in Switzerland produces the iconic Toblerone brand, which is exported to more than 120 countries globally. The Milka brand is produced at plants in Bludenz in Austria and Lorrach in Germany, which make over 1 billion FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Mondelez International is investing £75 million on upgrading the Cadbury factory and headquarters at Bournville in the UK.

chocolate bars a year. Central Europe also plays a key role in product innovation with a global Research & Development Centre for Gum & Candy located in Munich. Mondelez International has also recently invested $15 million to establish a global research and development centre in the Wroclaw area of Poland. This centre’s focus ranges from chocolate and biscuits, to consumer science and package design. Line of the Future Also in Poland, Mondelez International has just opened a new ‘Line of the Future’ – one of 30 planned worldwide – at its Skarbimierz chocolate plant. The new $30 million state-of-the-art chocolate production line is designed to capitalise on growing demand in Mondelez International’s European confectionery business. It increases capacity, operates more efficiently and offers greater flexibility through its modular design. The new ‘Line of the Future’ will support Mondelez International’s growth plans for its chocolate and biscuit categories by enabling production of innovative snacking product formats for brands such as Milka, Oreo, Cadbury and Terry's Chocolate Orange, as well as the local Polish brand 3Bit. The investment is part of Mondelez International’s ongoing strategy to create a global best-in-class integrated supply chain by transforming its manufacturing assets and processes to reduce costs and improve productivity. J 19

I CONFECTIONERY

Tangerine Confectionery Continues its Fruitful Development Established ten years ago, Tangerine Confectionery has developed into one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of sugar confectionery. ased at Blackpool in the UK, Tangerine Confectionery owns some of the Britain’s favourite sugar confectionery lines including Sherbet Fountains, Dip Dab, Refreshers, Blackjacks and Fruit Salads, which are incorporated in the Barratt brand, Henry Goode’s liquorice, Princess marshmallows as well as the Butterkist popcorn brand. Having increased its turnover from less than £40 million to over £170 million through organic growth and acquisitions since being created in 2006, the company has emerged as the UK’s leading independent manufacturer of sugar confectionery and branded popcorn. Following recent rationalisation, which included the closure of one of its factories in Blackpool, Tangerine Confectionery currently operates six factories, which use a mix of traditional and cutting edge techniques and technology to create a wide range of confectionery, and employs over 1,000 people. Tangerine Confectionery is the result of the 2006 management buy-in at the UK confectionery division of Toms of Denmark, which operated three facilities in Blackpool, Liverpool and Poole manufacturing boiled sweets, marshmallows, gums, jellies and toffees. Subsequent acquisitions have diversified the product portfolio and added scale to the business.

Capital Partners, the UK private equity firm which had backed the original MBI with an investment of £8 million, sold out to Blackstone Group, one of the world’s leading investment and advisory firms, in a deal worth £115 million. Blackstone purchased a majority stake in Tangerine Confectionery, alongside management which re-invested significantly in the business.

Acquisitions Spree The acquisitions spree commenced later in 2006 when the confectionery division of Burtons Foods, which also operated a factory in Blackpool making gums and jellies

Wham, Refreshers and Fruit Salad are now being produced in soft gum formats following the launch of Tangerine Confectionery’s Softies range.

Benoit Testard, chief executive of Tangerine Confectionery.

and Liquorice Allsorts, was acquired for an undisclosed sum. 2008 was a transformational year for the company with the purchase of Monkhill Confectionery from Cadbury (now part of Mondelez International) for £56 million. The Monkhill acquisition added popcorn to the product range while also significantly expanding Tangerine’s sugar confectionery range, which already included favourites such as Princess Marshmallows, Taveners and MOJO. Monkhill Confectionery manufactured the popular Butterkist popcorn brand, the iconic Barratt Sherbet Fountains and Jameson’s chocolate confectionery along with an extensive range of branded boiled sweets, gums and jellies at its three factories in Yorkshire at York, Cleckheaton and Pontefract. The integration of Monkhill into Tangerine Confectionery created one of Europe’s biggest sugar confectionery businesses with a turnover well in excess of £100 million. It also increased Tangerine Confectionery’s workforce from 600 to 1,500 people as the new factories were added to the company’s existing sites at Poole, Liverpool and two sites in Blackpool. Change in Ownership In 2011, Tangerine Confectionery changed its ownership structure when Growth FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Innovation Through continual innovation, Tangerine Confectionery has been able to expand along with the UK confectionery market and has also developed exports sales. As an international branded and retailer own brand business, the company currently trades in key markets including Australia, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. In the year ended December 2013, Tangerine Confectionery posted pre-tax profits of £4.9 million, up from £3 million in the previous year, on turnover up marginally to £169.7 million, reflecting intense market competition. Recent product innovations include the successful extension of the company’s British chew classics Wham, Refreshers and Fruit Salad into soft gums, and the introduction of bold new flavours for Butterkist, the UK’s number one popcorn brand. Wham, Refreshers and Fruit Salad are now being produced in soft gum formats following the launch of Tangerine Confectionery’s Softies range. Available under the Candyland brand, Softies are available in three flavour variants and the range is intended to grow incremental sales of Wham, Refreshers and Fruit Salad, while rejuvenating the market and driving category growth by tapping into the strong and positive associations consumers have with the company’s heritage brands. The launch of new flavours for Butterkist is also designed to grow incremental sales for the brand. Butterkist Discoveries has been developed to meet consumer demand for more adventurous flavour fusions. The new flavours of Hickory BBQ Pulled Pork and Sweet Chilli & Zesty Lime have joined the already successful Salted Caramel. J 21

ENERGY

ENVIRONMENT

I ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Tangerine Confectionery – A Customer’s Perspective angerine Confectionery is a leading UK T independent manufacturer of sugar confectionery and branded popcorn. The reasons behind their success include commitment to excellence, innovation, product quality, dedication to the customer and a determination to protect and promote traditional skills in UK manufacturing.

Rob Overton, Engineering Manager at Tangerine Confectionery, explains: “We were increasing our capacity of the factory which meant building some new stoves to cure the product. The boiler we had was from 1925 and had in the past only been working single shifts, whereas now it was going to be working 24hours a day. It was going to cost money whatever we did so we thought now’s the time to get a new boiler for the extra capacity we needed and have something we could leave unattended for long periods.” Rob, while researching possible suppliers found that: “Other manufacturers don’t necessarily do all the manufacture in this country – particularly the shell, the most critical part of the entire boiler. I wanted everything from a well-regulated country like Britain.” The Benefits and Beyond One of the real benefits Rob has already identified was the automatic closing of valves, and linking the extensive scheduling options to what their stoves are doing over the weekend (when he doesn’t have many people in the factory and the steam demand profile is different). Rob can envisage opportunities in the future whereby the 22

stoves could tell the boiler when to start. Unity, while significantly ahead of its competitors, remains in continual development. With each Unity customer, Byworth gains new insight into how they can develop the platform further, adding yet more value to the end-user. Service – A Long-Term Support Unity’s remote accessibility options add a whole new dimension to service support. The shift from a largely mechanical system to a fully digital system offering a wealth of new information could be daunting but with remote access, Byworth’s engineers can see exactly what the site personnel are seeing and offer much more meaningful phone support. The year-round remote monitoring means that Byworth are aware of problems at the same time as the engineers on-site, and with the trending of data there has actually been a couple of occasions that Byworth have been able to give advice that avoided significant down-time. Rob Overton makes the point that with Unity, it is much more likely that we can foresee the events that would lead to a problem and stop it before the problem transpires.

Tangerine produce the popular Butterkist brand.

Technological Advantages Unity can be used on multiple devices to ensure optimum operation and visibility of your process. Rob Overton is logged into Unity via his smartphone: “It means that if something’s happening over the weekend or if there’s a few people in the factory, I can just look at it to see what it’s doing and when there is a

problem I receive an email alert.” Unity can be connected remotely either by LAN, WAN or via a 3G M2M connection. Machine to machine (M2M) devices exchange information and perform actions without manual intervention as an integral part of the ‘Internet of Things.’

Summary Unity offers unprecedented levels of visibility and fingertip control of every aspect of boiler house technology. It supports the rapid development and worldwide adoption of the Internet of Things as well as the continued growth of M2M technology offering a more meaningful service visit through: • A - predictive maintenance and • B - pre-accessing problems as they develop - Thus, avoiding costly unplanned downtime or abnormal running conditions. From a central user interface, a built-in touch screen, or remotely via PC, tablet or smartphone, Unity operators can view processed boiler house data and trends relating to numerous boiler and ancillary values. All alarms and tests conducted are logged and can be exported to a network printer if required; whilst a straightforward ‘traffic light’ warning system keeps users up-todate with any changes in plant conditions and draws focus to areas requiring attention or adjustment. This comprehensive, ‘joined up’ approach to the management of multiple processes gives Unity its unique advantage over other control systems, which typically employ third party applications to control each aspect of the boiler house. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

ENERGY

ENVIRONMENT

I ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Power Prices: Where are They Heading and What Can Companies do to Lock in Recent Windfall Savings? CHP systems provider BasePower consider some of the issues that food and drink manufacturers should be aware of as we head into 2016. ince 2014 there has been a windfall in UK projected power prices caused by recent S softness in the global gas price.

However the underlying story is complicated, as large falls in the wholesale price have masked rises in other components of delivered power cost. To understand the future, let us look at how the three components of retail power price are going to change: Wholesale Power Costs The recent slump in wholesale power prices was caused by falling gas prices; gas fired power stations set the marginal cost of generation in the UK. Any increase in global gas prices is soon reflected in the power price. As the UK’s ageing and depreciated fleet of generation plant retire, the higher costs of new plant will start to drive up prices once more. Transmission and Distribution The national grid and local distribution networks are currently going through major overhauls to adapt to a more distributed generation model and to catch up after years of under investment. This investment of over £15 billion will be reflected in higher charges (TNUoS and DUoS) that make up approximately 20% of current delivered costs.

Carbon Taxes and Government Programmes The UK has signed up to legally binding CO2 reduction targets and operates a system of carbon budgets to fund their strategy. These result in a host of added components in power bills – such as the Renewable Obligation, Feed in tariffs, CfDs, EUETS and the Capacity Mechanism. The cost of all these programmes are paid for by the consumer and are set to rise by some £41 to £56/MWh by 2030. The future of Climate Change Agreements (CCAs) and the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC) are currently under consultation. If these disappear the costs are likely to shift to the Climate Change Levy, thereby adding £5/MWh to bills. Locking in the Windfall In light of the projected rises what can food and drink companies do to lock in the recent windfall? The first step should be to invest the recent savings in energy efficiency opportunities to reduce your future demand. If you are a heavy electricity user, consider LED lighting refits, voltage optimisation or installing variable speed drives. If heat represents a high proportion of your energy use, focus on boiler economisers, insulation and heat recovery. If you consume large enough quantities of both electricity and heat and have already addressed these ‘low hanging fruit,’ then Combined Heat and Power (CHP) could be the answer. Through generating low carbon

electricity and heat on-site through CHP, you will be exempt from transmission, distribution and green taxes, locking in financial gains and reducing your CO2 impact by up to 30%. CHP Takes Hold in the Food Sector There are an increasing number of operational CHP schemes in the food and beverage sector; every part of the supply chain is represented from growers, through to processors and distributors. Until recently they were scarce and typically only adopted where the grid was weak or security of supply was critical, but now they have become economic in their own right. A manufacturer in the dairy sector has received a windfall of 12% in power costs since working with BasePower. They can now lock in an additional 13% savings by implementing their CHP scheme. And those CHP savings will continue to grow when power prices increase, embedding a real competitive advantage whilst others see their bills rise.

On-site CHP plant – Edina UK Ltd.

About BasePower BasePower combines proven technology with a comprehensive supply and service chain to develop, fund and operate CHP systems. These create significant savings for large energy users, and help them meet environmental obligations at no capital expenditure or operating risk. For more information visit www.basepower.com or email info@basepower.com J FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I DAIRY

Glanbia Opens New €15 Million UHT Milk Processing Facility Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland, which is a leading supplier of branded consumer products to the Irish market, has opened a new state-of-the-art UHT (Ultra-Heat-Treated) milk processing facility that will play a key role in further developing international sales of Irish liquid milk and cream products. ocated at Lough Egish in County Monaghan, the new facility L has a processing capacity for up to 100 million litres of milk per annum and involved investment of Eur15 million, with support from Enterprise Ireland. A range of long-life liquid milk and cream products suitable for export to global markets including Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia will be produced at the site, while value added milk and cream will also be produced at the facility in the near future.

Located at Lough Egish in County Monaghan, the new UHT facility has a processing capacity for up to 100 million litres of milk per annum.

Pictured at the launch of the new Eur15 million UHT milk processing facility were (left to right): Yvonne Kerrigan, operations manager, Glanbia; Colin Gordon, chief executive of Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland; Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; Henry Corbally,

ed in the sector globally,” points out Yvonne Kerrigan, operations manager at Glanbia Lough Egish. “The facility has a number of innovative features, developed bespoke for our requirements in conjunction with Glanbia’s Innovation Centre and GEA Group, an international leader in technology solutions for the food processing industry. These include dual processing capabilities, using direct and indirect heating technology, allowing us to target near

chairman of Glanbia Group; Ged Nash TD, Minister for Business and Employment at the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation; and Michael Cantwell, Divisional Manager – Food, Enterprise Ireland.

Products will primarily be exported under Glanbia’s market leading brand, Avonmore. Other brands produced include Premier and Snowcream. Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland is also working with its international customers to explore own label brand opportunities. Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland is part of Glanbia Group, the global nutrition company, which has a turnover of over Eur3.5 billion, employs almost 6,000 people and has a presence in 34 countries worldwide. Advanced Technology The new UHT facility incorporates a number of advanced technological innovations such as dual processing, resulting in a fresher UHT product, and a unique double homegenisation system for the production of cream. “The technology at Lough Egish is among the most sophisticat-

To ensure the integrity of the quality of its milk throughout the supply chain, Glanbia is working with Tetra Pak to supply the best in UHT packaging and route to market solutions.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

At the opening of the Glanbia UHT milk plant were (left to right): Ged Nash TD, Minister for Business and Employment; Yvonne Kerrigan, operations manager, Glanbia; Henry Corbally, chairman of Glanbia Group; Heather Humphreys TD, Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht; and Colin Gordon, chief executive

parts of the world.” Yvonne Kerrigan elaborates: “With the lifting of EU milk quotas earlier this year; our milk supply volume has the potential to increase, while the island’s population remains stagnant. UHT products dominate dairy consumption in many international markets, particularly those countries with warmer climatic conditions or poor retail infrastructure. Our new UHT facility allows Glanbia Consumer Foods to expand our product offering, reaching international markets with our brands and increasing our customer base.” China is a key export market as consumers continue to adopt a more ‘western diet’. Chinese milk consumption is currently growing by approximately 20% per annum. Indeed, UHT milk now makes up a significant portion of Chinese milk, especially in the east of the country. “Our UHT milk products are responding to the growing health and wellness trends of our target markets,” she explains. “The health conscious consumer does not want to purchase reconstituted product and would prefer to opt for fresh produce prepared to the highest quality standards. From using the latest innovative technologies, we can achieve a great flavour profile for our UHT milk portfolio which is testament to the quality of our UHT milk.”

of Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland.

and distant consumer markets.” These technological innovations have led to the development of a pipeline of high end, premium products which deliver enhanced culinary performance to global food customers. Yvonne Kerrigan adds: “Our Monaghan location is close to our year-round liquid milk suppliers in Louth and Meath, ensuring that we have a constant supply to the plant. Milk is processed at its freshest for a unique and premium quality UHT product.” Sustainability As a certified member of Bord Bia’s Origin Green programme, Glanbia is committed to ensuring that its milk supply base for Lough Egish is sustainably sourced and fully traceable from grass to glass. Bord Bia (Irish Food Board) has developed its ‘Origin Green’ sustainability programme with the aim of underpinning Ireland’s green image abroad. The programme sets out Ireland’s ambition to become a world leader in the delivery of sustainable, high-quality food and drink products. “We also make every effort to ensure that our practices and processes are energy efficient. The recent installation of an eight tonne gas boiler at the plant replacing a diesel boiler has resulted in significant carbon reduction on site,” comments Yvonne Kerrigan. “In our office block we have installed lighting control systems to maximize energy savings. As part of our process we have incorporated an energy and utilities monitoring system, which monitors our efficiency on-site overall and this encourages energy saving behaviours across our business.” Market Entry The development of its new facility at Lough Egish marks Glanbia Consumer Foods Ireland’s first entry into the global UHT dairy market and is a key part of its business strategy to develop an international business for Irish liquid milk products. “It is a significant investment in our future growth,” she says. “It represents the next step in the evolution of the Avonmore brand as we bring the goodness of Irish dairy to other

Distinct Advantages According to Yvonne Kerrigan, Glanbia’s UHT milk and cream products have a number of distinct advantages over their rivals. “We collect and process our milk daily, which results in a UHT product with unique freshness,” she explains. “Our state-of-the-art technology allows us to produce milk that has a longer shelf life than any of our main competitors. To ensure the integrity of the quality of our milk throughout the supply chain, we are working with Tetra Pak to supply the best in UHT packaging and route to market solutions.” The new premium packaging can withstand heat of up to 50 C and the re-sealable screw cap helps to maintain the product quality once opened. Furthermore, Glanbia’s direct and indirect heat processing means that it can produce a product that lasts for up to 12 months. “The extra shelf life means that our product can be shipped further and builds in a flexibility that is valuable to us when exporting product overseas. Our unique homogenisation process for cream ensures that it is as fresh as possible and delivers the best culinary performance,” Yvonne Kerrigan concludes. J

Henry Corbally, chairman of Glanbia, speaking at the opening of the new facility at Lough Egish.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I MIXING & BLENDING

Getting the Mix Right or all food manufacturers, quality is F key. Only by providing foods of consistently high quality can they build markets, keep increasingly discerning customers happy, and protect the vitally important image of globally recognized brands. The ability to mix powders and liquids homogenously is a key requirement. In this article, GEA looks at the key factors for achieving the uniform mixing of liquid and powder food products to ensure product safety, efficacy and lasting customer appeal. Powder Mixing

Most powders, such as infant and adult formulas, are a combination of major, minor and micro ingredients that must be mixed in a precise ratio, in accordance with the required recipe. As these products are often consumed by the most vulnerable members of our society, ensuring product safety, ease of use and maximum nutritional benefit, is essential. However, achieving a uniform mix can be difficult. Many micro ingredients, such as pro and pre-biotics, can represent only a small fraction of total product volume yet must be evenly dispersed throughout the product. Minor and micro ingredients

often have a different mass and particle size to the major product and so homogeneity can be difficult to achieve and separation can occur during packing and storage. Some products can be dangerous to the consumer if the dose is wrong. It is also essential to achieve this homogeneity quickly, to maximize productivity and avoid damaging the product. All manufacturers have rigorous quality control testing procedures that will identify if a product has failed to achieve the required uniformity of mix. Should this happen, entire batches can be rejected wasting time, money and valuable product. Key Factor

According to GEA one of the key factors in achieving a uniform mix is the operation and integrity of the mixer itself. Mixing is the last possible point in the production process at which the customer can guarantee the accuracy of the product recipe and ensure that it meets regulatory guidelines. If the tolerances within the machine are insufficiently tight there will

be an increase in ’product hang’ where product gets stuck in ‘dead’ areas of the mixer and not mixed properly. This potentially changes the recipe from that prescribed and can allow insufficiently mixed clumps of product to be discharged into the finished product. To combat this problem GEA has invested heavily in recent years to ensure the rigidity of its mixers, thereby allowing extremely tight manufacturing tolerances therefore ensuring that the products can be mixed fully. GEA also favours a counterrotating twin paddle mixing system that mechanically fluidizes the different powders as they are introduced, dragging them towards the centre of the mixer to create a light, fluffy, aerated fluid that ensures powders of different densities and particle size are mixed homogenously. Fast Mixing

The twin paddle system also ensures fast mixing with product requiring only 60-90 seconds residency time compared with up to 15 minutes for other systems. This is important to reduce the stress on the product itself that can cause the breakdown of the powder’s agglomerated particles. If the particles are severely damaged during mixing, the wetting properties of the final product will be adversely affected so it will not dissolve as easily in use. Damage also affects the bulk density of the product so it coagulates at the bottom of the retail pack creating half-filled cans, making it unattractive and harder to use. The GEA twin paddles are controlled by a unique synchronizing shaft, rather than by separate belt or chain drives, which ensures that the paddles always rotate as designed and can never experience a catastrophic, and potentially dangerous, failure. The process of ensuring a uniform mix does not stop, however, with the mixing itself. Care must be taken to ensure that

GEA Twin paddle system.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

the throughput of the mixer matches the capacity of downstream processes, such as conveying and packing. Product kept for long periods in bulk storage hoppers can begin to separate with heavy particles migrating under gravity. Similarly, conveying and filling operations must be performed carefully and gently to prevent damage and product separation. It is, therefore, important for the whole production system to be designed to work together to ensure the best possible security of outcome. Liquid Processing and Mixing

Many food powders such as whole and skim milk, whey protein concentrates (WPC) and cocoa are used as ingredients in liquid suspensions and products such as milk-based drinks, yoghurt and food applications. These too have to be introduced into the mixer and homogenized carefully and effectively to ensure the stable shelf life and product characteristics manufacturers require. Here too the integrity of the mixer is critical. Fundamental to the MIXING

FORMULA™ mixers from GEA is a high sheer device that reduces oil and powder particles down to microns by forcing them through the narrow gap between the rotating (Rotator) and fixed (Stator) components, then homogenizes them under extreme pressure. Tolerances are small so the mixer’s design and rigidity is critical to achieving the desired result. The key, for both the INLINE FORMULA™ and BATCH FORMULA™ systems from GEA, is to ensure that all the products are forced through the high sheer device with tolerances so tight that there is no opportunity for any product to pass by. To control the mechanical stress that’s applied to the product when passing through the High Shear Device – the stator is interchangeable and is chosen carefully for each application. Larger particles, such as fruit or vegetables, are added to the mix later as required, as part of a low shear blending process. Vacuum System

The MIXING FORMULA™ concept,

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

is often equipped with a vacuum system that draws powders into the mixing vessel, under the surface of the liquid. This ensures that: the powder is wetted instantly; no powder sticks to the sides of the vessel or agitator; and all powder is homogenized into the final product. By contrast, systems in which the powder is introduced onto the top of the liquid often suffer from ‘fish eyes’, clumps of powder that cannot be wetted even with long periods of agitation and will not, therefore, be fully homogenized. Mixing is the most demanding unit operation in today’s process industries – and a high-quality end product is dependent on efficient, successful mixing. Choosing the right mixing technology is crucial - as the mixing process not only has an impact on the processing - but also on the batch cycle times, shelf life, plant efficiency, total cost of ownership (TCO) and the working environmental of employees.For further information visit www.gea.com. J

I REFRIGERATION

EC Fans to Improve Refrigeration Efficiency he energy cost associated with operating T refrigeration is a major overhead to companies in the food sector. To many it represents more than 50% of their electrical consumption and is often considered to be an unavoidable expense. According to an Institute of Refrigeration publication on Refrigerant Selection and System Design even selecting the highest efficiency refrigerant in an appropriate system is unlikely to improve system efficiency by more than 5%. Poor design, controls, installation and maintenance can reduce efficiency by 20% to 50% which is staggering when you consider the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) estimate refrigeration plant should last 20 to 25 years. Gareth Holden, managing Director of Excalibur Energy, explains that in many instances improvements in efficiency of 3035% can be achieved by optimising existing refrigeration systems, making a review a very sensible business decision. Generally improvements in efficiency come as a result of increasing and optimising the control of heat rejection through the condenser, this reduces refrigeration compressor absorbed power and increases refrigeration capacity. Improvements in fan and motor design mean that the replacement of existing AC condenser fans with the latest EC fans will increase airflow through the condenser while consuming less power. The increased airflow allows a lower discharge pressure to be maintained increasing compressor efficiency.

Typical AC condenser fan.

An EC (electronically commutated) motor has lower losses and is considerably more efficient than an equivalent AC motor, particularly if that motor has been selected for a low speed/low noise application, as motors below 7.5kw have been exempt from motor efficiency regulations, and so provide a good opportunity to improve energy efficiency.

High efficiency EC fan.

Serious Energy Savings

But the serious energy savings come from improving refrigeration efficiency. Upgrading refrigeration condensers with EC fans which incorporate the latest aerodynamic design, including winglets similar to those on the tip of an aircraft wing, a saw tooth trailing edge to reduce drag and a fully optimised bell mouth design can have a drastic effect. These features increase airflow, rejecting more heat from the condenser, to improve both resilience and cooling capacity particularly at high ambient temperatures, while reducing compressor energy consumption by 15-25%. Typical condenser control is poor, switching fans on and off to maintain operating conditions, EC motors incorporate technology which allows speed to be accurately modulated between 0 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 100%, FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

when intelligent control strategies are applied, refrigeration efficiency can be continually optimised for changing load and ambient conditions. Eurovent Certification

Since 2012 condenser and dry coolers have been subject to Eurovent Certification to rate their performance according to European and international standards. Efficiency is divided into 6 classes with E being the lowest rating poor and A+ the most efficient. The replacement of AC fans with high efficiency EC fans can take an existing condenser from an E rating into the highest A+ band.

Dry Cooler Project.

A recent project to upgrade 108 dry cooler fans with the latest EC fan technology in a large data centre doubled the heat rejection capacity. The EC fans achieved the same airflow as the existing AC fans with a 75% reduction in absorbed power, and at full speed delivered twice the airflow. This resulted in a 500,000 kwh/year reduction in power consumption and improved resilience, particularly at high ambient temperatures. Companies benefiting from Excalibur projects include Vion Foods, 2 Sisters, Kerry Foods, Cargill, Samworth Bros, Orchard House, Paradise Food, Greencore and many others. For more information on how EC fans could improve refrigeration efficiency contact the Excalibur Energy sales office at 01980 626490 or Lawrence@excaliburenergy.co.uk. J

I REFRIGERATION

Azanechiller 2.0 Sets New Benchmark in Air Cooled Ammonia Chiller Performance tar Refrigeration’s Azanechiller S 2.0 range raises the bar in chiller efficiency with headline seasonal efficiency figures that are 50% higher than the Eco-Design Directive requirement and 20 per cent higher than competing high efficiency chiller solutions. With COPs up to 3.63 at 100% load and 350C ambient, increasing to 11.9 at 50% load and typical UK ambient temperatures of 100 C, the new Azanechiller 2.0 is 15% more efficient than its screw compressor counterparts at design conditions. The Azanechiller 2.0 technology represents a new era for packaged ammonia systems in the chiller industry. It has been brilliantly engineered to deliver consistent efficiency throughout its whole life-cycle. The zero carbon, low charge ammonia

package also achieves refrigerant volumes as little as 0.18kg/kW. Through the combination of variable speed reciprocating compressor technology, EC fans, close approach evaporator design

and in-house PLC software, the new Azanechiller is a future proof solution. It avoids the uncertainty of synthetic F-Gas Refrigerants such as R134a and seriously reduce chiller related energy costs. The high and medium temperature Azanechiller family supply cooling capacities ranging from 200kW to 1200kW for secondary fluid supply temperatures from -10 C to +10 C. This makes the Azanechiller suitable for temperature controlled storage and distribution, food processing, beverage production, HVAC, data centres, ice rinks, pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. To find more about making the natural choice with the enhanced range of Azanechillers 2.0, visit www.starref.co.uk. J

I FOOD AUTHENTICITY

RSSL Accepted as a Centre of Expertise as Part of the Virtual Food Authenticity Network SSL has been recognised as a Centre of Expertise in food R authenticity testing by DEFRA (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs). This development comes after DEFRA established its Virtual Food Authenticity Network project in line with the Elliott recommendations following on from the horsemeat scandal of 2013. The network is overseen by DEFRA’s Authenticity

Steering Group which comprises of industry members including Barbara Hirst, Food Safety and Quality Consultant at RSSL. During the crisis, RSSL played a key role in advising and assisting the food industry with rapid testing of meat supplies, using DNA

techniques to establish the authenticity, or otherwise, of beef and other meat samples. RSSL's other areas of expertise in authenticity include species identification of meats (>20 species), dairy and fish (>50 species); expertise in oils and fats authenticity; expertise in botanical identification by microscopy, and in specific areas such as coffee, GMO, free-from authenticity and marker compound identification for other food materials. In a letter from DEFRA, dated October 26th 2015, RSSL is acknowledged as fulfilling ‘the recommended criteria for Centres of Expertise as endorsed by the Analytical Methods Working Group’. The evaluation of organisations wishing to become Centres of Expertise was carried out by an independent Authenticity Methods Working Group (AMWG). RSSL will now be included on the web portal foodauthenticity.uk. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I PIGGING SYSTEMS

Baby Food Maker Optimizes Production With URESH-pigging Systems or over 80 years Alete has been known as F a manufacturer of children's nutrition. The products are made maintaining the highest standards in the dimensions of quality, sustainability, ethics and social responsibility. In addition to the stringent requirements of the raw materials used a rigorously controlled and hygienic production process is important. As part of the continuous improvement of the production process, Alete uses the

Detailed view of the pig sending station at ALETE. Picture: URESH AG.

URESH-double-pigging- system. The customer-specific designed system ensures a secure and efficient transport of the baby food from the processing tank to two filling systems which are operated alternately. The first pig is positioned in front of the pipeline outlet of the used filling system and is held in place without mechanical elements. It prevents unintentional filling of the unused pipeline section and avoids unnecessary material loss and possible quality problems. At the end of production, the valuable "rest product" is discharged without any loss using the second pig. Subsequently, while the entire system remains enclosed, it is fully automatic, fast and reliable cleaned and disinfected. The decision to employ a URESH-pigging system was, according to Bartholomäus Hoisl, Project Manager at Alete, based on a number of criteria, which were fully met by URESH. “Due to our high quality and hygienically sensitive products, the employed pigging system must not use any internal elements such as pig stopper or holding rods in the stations or pipelines. Moreover, the use of hygienically problematic ball valves is not desired. In addition to high-quality pigging system components the supplier must offer additional support for system planning, design, programming as well as system installation, commissioning, qualification and operator training. Equally important is a good after-sales support for future system and process optimization in order to adapt the system to any future requirements,” he says. The URESH single or double-pigging sys-

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

The pig is pushed with a propellant medium (eg water or compressed air) through the pipe and expels the residual product gently and without quality loss. Picture: URESH AG.

tems allow a gentle and loss free discharge of the products from the pipelines. The product can be used further without any loss of quality. Simultaneously, the pipes are precleaned and can be cleansed with minimal use of detergent and water. The availability and efficiency of the system is significantly increased. The economy of the production process is optimized and the investment costs are amortized in the shortest possible time. The design of the pigging system is patented and EHEDG certified (sending station, receiving station and pig). It has been specifically designed to meet the hygiene and quality requirements of the food processing and related process industries. Pigging systems are versatile. For optimum operation, the system must be adapted to the needs of customers, products and processes. This reduces the investment, operating and maintenance costs. URESH-pigging systems take this into account with a modular design. Based on basic stations, manual systems are easily realized. By expanding the base stations, these can be upgraded to fully automatic, qualified, validated and into process controls integrated systems. Thus, the production process adapts future-proofed to constant changing requirements. For further information visit www.uresh.ch. J

I TANKS, VESSELS & PUMPS

Stainless Steel Solutions From G&S Stainless Services ince being established in 2001, G&S Stainless Services Ltd have been supS plying the highest quality stainless steel solutions to hundreds of clients in Ireland and the UK. G&S work with clients to ensure the best possible solutions are delivered and the team are highly recognised for their efficiency, capabilities and consistently high standard of quality. G&S Stainless specialise in the fabrication, installation and maintenance of stainless steel vessels, process pipework, mechanical installations and bespoke fabrications across many industries including chemical, food & dairy, pharmaceutical, oil & gas and manufacturing. G&S also offer mechanical maintenance contracts

on a 24hr basis. With clients ranging from large multinational corporations to locallybased companies, G&S Stainless understand the necessity to constantly maintain and surpass rigorous industry standards at all levels of operation. Some of the recent projects completed by G&S include the manufacture of a 42,000 litre pressure rated (PED) stainless steel vessel for a well known global manufacturer of water, hygiene and energy technologies, welding and fabrication on-site at the Corrib Gas

Pipeline and the decommissioning of a chemical plant in Swords, Dublin. For more information on any of the company’s projects, services or products, please visit www.gandsstainless.com or call +353 (0)42 937 7840. J

Kecol – The Home of Viscous Pumping Solutions K-based Kecol Pumping Systems is a U leader in the design and manufacture of piston pumps and pumping systems for the transfer of high viscosity products from 200 litre drums, IBC’s, process vessels, planetary mixing vessels and similar containers. As an ISO9001 certified company, Kecol’s aim is to consistently provide the very highest standard of products, service, advice and support to every customer, every time. The company has over 20 years of experience in handling all types of viscous products in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic markets, as well as general industrial applications. Kecol can transfer virtually any type of viscous product, from

shear sensitive creams and gels, concentrated fruit pastes through to high viscosity pastes as used in today’s hygienic industries around the world. All of Kecol’s hygienic piston pump ranges are manufactured from 316L stainless steel, are available in clamp construction and have been designed for fast dis-assembly and re-assembly as required in today’s fast turn-around production environments.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Kecol provides many pump solutions, which deliver Health & Safety benefits to the user and improvements in hygienic handling of the products with lower risk of contamination. These include portable pumps mounted on trolleys or lifts, articulated arm lifting and priming systems, which enable up to four drums to be emptied directly from a pallet, without having to remove the drums from the pallet. Kecol can offer static or mobile systems with safety guards and integrated safety controls designed to meet today’s highest safety standards. For further information contact Kecol Pumps on Tel +44 (0)1746 764311, E-mail sales@kecol.co.uk or visit www.kecol.co.uk. J

PA Increase Efficiencies at Branston recent installation of PA’s A Revolution tray sealer at Lincoln-based Branston has dramatically improved the efficiencies and reduced costs of their potato tray sealing line. Branston supply a wide range of fresh potatoes, seed potatoes, processing potatoes, ready prepared potatoes to customers, from retailers and wholesalers to some of the UK's favourite snack brands. The Revolution is the fastest most energy efficient single lane tray sealing machine on the market and features PA’s PowerdriveTM fully electric technology. Interpolated multi axis robotic motion ensures a continuous flow of trays through the machine from infeed to outfeed eliminating any need for

pauses or buffering allowing the throughput of up to 150 packs per minute. The

seal force has been increased by 300% compared to pneumatic systems however PA’s novel technology allows the tool lift mechanism to be deactivated during the seal process therefore significantly reducing the energy usage. Richard Heppleston, General Manager at Branston, says: “PA have helped us to change our business, we have a great partnership. Their approach to the project made it possible; we have already increased our efficiencies and lowered our cost per unit with very little downtime on the machine. The operating system is easy to use, we have a number of none English speaking workers and they have no problem using the equipment, I would recommend PA to other companies.” J

Advanced Dynamics’ New Pots Technology is a Cost Effective Solution For Rod and Ben’s leading supplier of quality organic soups and pot meals, Rod A and Ben’s, is one of the first food manufacturers in the country to take possession of innovative new labour-saving technology available from Advanced Dynamics Ltd for the de-stacking of pots and tubs. Pack Leader’s automatic Pot Dropper, exclusively available from Advanced Dynamics, removes manual intervention by ensuring a fast, uninterrupted flow of containers, whether filling viscous or semi-viscous products, delivering significant cost benefits for food to go and ready meal companies, while meeting stringent food preparation and labelling regulations. This new equipment, supplied to Rod and Ben’s along with a Pack Leader PL-501D wrap around labeller specifically designed for conical pots, ensures an accurate, efficient, automated labelling system for its range of delicious, fresh organic chilled soups and pot meals which are produced on the company’s own farm in Devon. Rod and Ben’s managing director, Tim Wigram, says: “The Pot dropper and labeller combination have had a major effect on our operation, significantly reducing production and labour costs. Ease of use and simplicity in operation has allowed the equipment to fit in seamlessly with our current production line with no extra labour costs.” Suitable for the de-stacking of pots and tubs for filling of hot or cold food ranging from soups, stews and sauces to ice cream, the Pot Dropper eliminates a time consuming manual process, allowing employees to be deployed on more productive tasks. The system accommodates a range of pot diameters and is capable of running up to 60 pots per minute. Oscillating stability jaws catch the pot on the conveyor, open end up, to ensure a stable transfer into the production line. This solution can also be supplied with a 34

bulk infeed rack of 15 full stacks of pots to keep the Pot Dropper topped up without operator intervention for a long period of time. Advanced Dynamics, which specialises in automated, high quality systems for the food and beverages industry, is offering manufacturers a free audit for replacing manual intervention with systems such as the Pot Dropper. Automating repetitive processes can save time, money and significantly boost output without making much of a dent in a company’s capital budget. For further information visit www.advanceddynamics.co.uk. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

McVeigh Projects Ltd are specialists in the manufacture and installation of industrial Cold Stores, Chill Rooms and Food Production Areas. We offer easy clean, hygienic wall cladding and walk-on ceilings and doors to food production, packaging and storage areas. Other services include Blast Freezers, Provers, Hot Rooms, Stainless Steel Kerbs, Protection Posts/Barriers, Coldstore Flooring and Kerbing, PVC Hygienic Cladding, Repairs and Maintenance. McVeigh Projects Ltd have worked for some of the leading food manufacturers throughout the UK.

McVeigh Projects Ltd Unit G1, Adamson Industrial Estate, Croft Street, Hyde, Cheshire. SK14 1EE

Tel: 0161 368 7700 Website: www.mcveighprojects.com

I CONVENIENCE FOODDS

The Continuing Rise of Wrights Food Group Wrights Food Group, the English family business, which has developed from a small scale pie bakery into a fully fledged food group, celebrates its 90th birthday this year. he business was established in 1926 when Jack Wright and his first wife Lizzie started selling pies to their neighbours. Currently employing more than 470 people, Wrights produces an extensive range of savoury products, cakes and ready meals from its food manufacturing plants in Crewe for the retail and food service sectors. In the past few decades the business has grown from a turnover of £2 million to £44 million. Wrights also operates 18 retail shops across the Potteries and North Staffordshire region selling a full range of Wrights pies, savouries, sausage rolls, sandwiches and cakes. Wrights’ company ethos is to ‘Produce Quality Food using the Best Ingredients, The Best Equipment and The Best People’. Indeed, Wrights is a well-invested and technologically advanced food processor. In the past 14 years, it has invested Wrights produces an extensive range of around £30 million in savoury products, cakes and ready meals attaining this technological from its food manufacturing plants in edge, including £20 million Crewe for the retail and food service to establish a state-of-thesectors.

Pictured (from left to right): Peter Wright, chairman and chief executive of Wrights Food Group, with fellow directors Lisa Smith, Alison Harding and Neville Carruthers.

The new 40,000 sq ft confectionery factory is capable of producing up to 900,000 doughnuts a week.

art bakery complex at Crewe, which is capable of producing more than 5 million savoury products every week. During the last five years, Wrights has invested a further £10 million in enhancing the capabilities of its food manufacturing and distribution facilities in Crewe, where it now also produces confectionery and ready meals in addition to its traditional savoury products. Recent Developments The most recent developments have entailed the opening of a new £6 million confectionery factory in early 2015 and the installation of a new pie line at the bakery in Crewe, which came on stream last November. Capable of producing up to 900,000 doughnuts a week and 22 million cookies a year, the new 40,000 sq ft confectionery factory features low and high care production facilities as well as first floor offices, staff training facilities and a canteen. The new, purpose built factory incorporates fully automated, state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment including new VMI mixers, depositor lines, proofers, automated in-line fryers, ultrasonic robotic cutting equipment, and new rack ovens. A new dry store for ingredients and expansive freezer facilities has also been installed. Benefits “We are already seeing the benefits of our investment in the confectionery plant with improved efficiencies, less waste, better consistency and the flexibility to produce a much wider range of quality products for our growing customer base,” points out Peter Wright, chairman and chief executive of Wrights Food

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

supplies. Wrights currently produces 150 million savoury products per annum and the latest investment will enable additional capacity as the company expands its food service and retail customer base.

Although Wrights new confectionery factory is highly automated, a number of products are still hand-crafted.

Group. “The factory will bring numerous advantages as the business develops, giving us the flexibility to diversify in the future and work with customers to manufacture innovative products to their bespoke requirements and specification.” Although Wrights new confectionery factory is highly automated, a number of products, such as éclairs and cakes, are still hand-crafted providing what Peter Wright described as a competitive advantage.

Innovation Innovation has been one of the foundations upon which Wrights’ success has been built. The Wrights team of development chefs constantly create new ideas and bespoke products for customers to keep their menus fresh and individual, so maintaining the company’s reputation for innovation, quality, service and competitive pricing which has been built up over 90 years. For example, in response to the growing popularity of food on the go and street food, Wrights recently launched a new street pie range. The Street Pie is available in three flavours - piri piri chicken, Cajun BBQ pork and beef adobo. The pie comes in an easy-to-eat handheld packaging and can be easily microwavable. Wrights is also expanding its ready meals portfolio. The company recently introduced its Select ready meals range – a step up from its Classic line – which features several American-inspired dishes. The seven-strong range includes: Louisiana squash and black bean lasagne, chunky slow cooked chilli and pit beans, chorizo and meatball pomodoro with macaroni cheese, boneless beef rib on Boston pit beans, goats cheese and sweet potato pasta, Sicilian lemon chicken and mascarpone, and lamb kofta tagine.

Expanded Pie Production Wrights Food Group has also recently stepped up output of its extensive range of pies following a £1.2 million investment in a new Rademaker production line. The installation of the new line has provided Wrights with the capacity to double pie production, expand the product range and further improve quality and efficiency. Features of the new pie line include an option to double deposit with two different fillings into the same pie, which provides greater originality, allowing the company to produce a far more varied range of products. Individual weight controls on each depositor lane also provide more accurate measurement, reducing spillage and wastage, whilst an automatic seeder at the end of the line enables herbs and seeds to be added to the product. In between the lanes, operatives are able to manually add other toppings such as oven roasted root vegetables or crumb based toppings, providing extra added value to the pies Wrights Broccoli Cheese Bake.

Offering foodservice businesses, including restaurants, pubs and cafés, a variety of delicious and quality meals to add to their menus, each Select dish is made using traditional slow-cooking methods combined with the latest manufacturing technology. The company will shortly release its Premium range.

Wrights Food Group has also recently stepped up output of its extensive range of pies following a £1.2 million investment in a new production line.

Unwavering Focus “Wrights remains a family run business with an unwavering focus on producing food to the highest quality,” says Peter Wright. “Alongside our investment in the latest food processing equipment, Wrights continues to focus on producing food which can be individually crafted by our staff. For example, a number of our cakes are hand finished.” Looking ahead, Wrights plans to expand across all of its markets following ongoing investment in its production facilities. The 90-year-old business will continue to service its growing number of customers across the food service, retail bakery and grocery sectors, often working in partnership to develop bespoke products which are unique to the marketplace. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS

Navman Wireless Technology Delivers Wright Result For Top British Baker Out of sight, out of mind’ is not an option for today’s managers of ‘bined refrigerated fleets. Valuable time-sensitive perishable cargo, comwith a strong need to increase efficiency and mitigate risk, requires that companies who transport refrigerated and frozen product, know what is happening, when, and to which of their vans and trucks, along every mile of road — all in real time. Last year telematics specialist Navman Wireless launched a temperature monitoring and tracking solution for refrigerated transport industry, largely in response to a growing demand from managers of refrigerated fleets to find new ways to maximise efficiency and simplify records, while doing everything possible to ensure temperature-controlled goods remain within set conditions. Wrights Food Group has been one of the early adopters of the Navman solution and says it has “significantly improved” operational efficiency across its business after fitting temperature monitoring and vehicle tracking technology to their main fleet of refrigerated trailers and trucks. Complete Visibility Six months after signing up with Navman, the well-known baker and food-service supplier says it is making savings in fuel and manpower as well as improving customer service, and have extended the use of the technology across its 20 strong local delivery fleet. “The critical extra variable provided by temperature monitoring and tracking is the ability to see the so called “complete picture,” says Wrights Food Group Logistics Manager, Nic Cuthbertson. “Improving operational efficiency across our entire fleet is the main driver for investment in the technology, but it is the knowledge and visibility the system data gives us that is of critical importance.” Nic Cuthbertson says clear visibility of exactly where drivers are at any given time and accurate knowledge of trailer temperature, allows him to keep the customer ‘in the loop’ in real time, so the whole process of delivering time sensitive product is a transparent and efficient as possible. “We found that Navman offered the best combination of features and that the data was presented in a really usable way. There is also a long list of operational benefits,” he explains. According to Nic Cuthbertson, having the knowledge of when engines are idling when they should be switched off has enabled Wrights

to save a significant amount of fuel. “The system also provides us with knowledge of when a door is open/closed, for example, and having this real-time visibility into our vehicles will also help prevent cargo theft,” he adds. Improved Driver Behaviour “We also wanted to reduce our environmental impact and improve driver behaviour. Previously, we sent drivers out and just assumed they were doing their jobs properly.” With the Navman system, Nic Cuthbertson says any examples of bad driving are flagged up so he can immediately deal with problems such as harsh braking and errant behaviour. “We have clear visibility of what routes are being taken, enabling us to improve routes, reduce delivery miles and avoid, if we can, traffic accidents and other issues. This improves our response to customers by identifying where vehicles are compared to their own loading/ unloading schedule. Nic Cuthbertson continues: “We can also see how drivers are interpreting the working time directive by taking breaks, observing bad practice and drivers dragging the day out, allowing hours to be tightened up.” For further information visit navmanwireless.co.uk. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS

Data Management in Food & Beverage: Connecting Your Suppliers ew industries are as dependent upon their supply chains as food and beverage manF ufacturers. Delivering good quality food in time to consumers requires all stakeholders in a food and beverage supply chain to be connected. In order to comply with regulations, guidelines and consumer expectations, a lot of data needs to be gathered and stored in order to gain insights into the supply chain. Companies approach this in a number of ways, including keeping paper-based records, maintaining details in Excel or even using fully-blown ERP systems to store data. However, many such solutions store data at best just one-up/one-down in the supply chain, without providing insights across the whole supply chain. A specialized online platform is needed which integrates data from stakeholders

across the whole supply chain, allowing data to be shared when necessary and analysed as a whole. Advanced mapping and business intelligence software allows you to visualize the supply chain and turn gathered data into actionable information. For each individual stakeholder, data such as yield, quality, water usage, carbon footprint, pesticide usage and other quality or environmental related KPIs can be recorded. Data management in food & beverage supply chains is key to creating insight and improving the triple bottom line. In a recent webinar, KPMG and ChainPoint detailed the four main reasons for creating sustainable supply chains, combined with a practical example of mapping a supply chain and registering key metrics for

all stakeholders using ChainPoint’s software platform. One of the unique advantages of using an online solution is its connectivity with other systems, offering multiple ways of gathering data, including using mobile apps with offline and online data capture technology. To watch a recording of the webinar, please use the following link: http://info.chainpoint.com/request-recording J

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I SUPPLY CHAIN & LOGISTICS

Partner Logistics Looks at the Bigger Picture ver the last ten years the way the frozen O food supply chain operates has changed significantly as a result of a number of factors such as increased consumer demand, a bigger focus on sustainability and pressure to keep costs low. Partner Logistics, along with many other warehouse providers, has traditionally been independent within the supply chain, focusing on optimising its primary storage service rather than linking with others and having an overview of the supply chain as a whole. However, the benefits that come from collaborating with other parties to offer an integrated solution are undeniable. Whilst offering an individual service made business sense ten years ago, the solutions that customers increasingly require can now be provided in the most productive way when stakeholders in the supply chain work together with a common goal and in an integrated way. With prices currently at their lowest ever level due to the economic recession in

Partner Logistics is an integrated logistics service provider offering storage, transport and value-added logistics services

Europe, logistics service providers are facing the constant challenge of reducing empty mileage, optimising transport movements and looking closely at network density to drive up efficiency and lower costs further. Collaboration plays a key role in overcoming these challenges as logistics providers can share vital information which leads to customers receiving the best possible supply chain solution available. In order to support its integrated logistics

service, Partner Logistics has established an in-house supply chain development team tasked with creating partnerships and maximising the efficiency of customers’ supply chains. It offers three added-value services for customers: • Transport – reducing carbon emissions and road miles through collaborating with carefully-selected transport and distribution companies to consolidate shipments. • Warehousing – incorporating valueadded logistics service capabilities such as re-palletisation, stickering and re-packing as well as storage. • Supply chain development – combining transport, warehousing and value-added services to redesign and optimise the endto-end supply chain. By implementing solutions that utilise the above, Partner Logistics is looking to the bigger picture. For further information visit www.partnerlogistics.eu. J

NFT Distribution Doubles its Volume of CHEP Pallets FT Distribution, the UK’s leading partner to the chilled food and drink sector, N has signed a five-year contract renewal with CHEP, the world’s leading provider of pallet and container pooling solutions, for managed pallets in the UK and Ireland. The new deal will see CHEP supply around 1.1 million of its industry standard B1210A pallets (12000x1000mm) every year into the NFT Distribution network by next summer. The pallets will supply NFT Distribution’s existing shared user warehouse in Daventry, Northamptonshire, along with other NFT customers, helping to deliver multiple products to the UK and Ireland’s network of Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) retailers as part of NFT expansion plans. CHEP’s supply of pallets will also play a pivotal role in supporting NFT’s new handling and distribution centre located at the Port of Tilbury. It will have capacity for 25,000 pallets within the 230,000 square

feet facility and be able to handle a throughput in excess of 2.5 million cases per week. The innovative temperature-controlled facility is strategically positioned to provide optimum inbound solutions for importers, regardless of the point of entry into the UK’s South East. As such, the facility represents a significant investment for NFT Distribution, and is strategically very important to its ambitious expansion plans. This new agreement between NFT Distribution and CHEP is a culmination of a trusted and growing relationship that has been built over the past six years. CHEP UK & Ireland Managing Director, Rod Francis, says: “This deal represents a natural progression for our partnership. Clearly, there are strong synergies between our two organisations, and we’re delighted that NFT Distribution has placed its trust in CHEP to support its rapid expansion plans. I’m hopeful that we can FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

also progress with the transport collaboration opportunity to help drive down costs and carbon emissions.” J

CHEP UK & Ireland Managing Director, Rod Francis.

I SEAFOOD TRACEABILITY & CERTIFICATION

Control Plan on Labelling of EU Fishery Products he European Commission has published the results of the first T EU-wide control plan to assess the prevalence on the market of mislabelled white fishery products (ie white fishery products that do not match with the declared species on the label). Agreed with the Member States in February 2015, the control plan was implemented over the summer and has resulted in the testing of nearly 4,000 white fish samples of 150 different species, taken from all stages of the food production chain. These tests confirmed that in 94% of the cases the species declared on the label were correct. As for the 6% of samples that were found to be mislabelled, it is for the Member State to identify on a case-by-case basis the causes and motives of the noncompliances. They may be the result of a

bad or ill-informed practice and not necessarily of a fraudulent one. Member States have already been taking appropriate action to end violations, including through the application of penalties, in accordance with national rules. The

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Commission will monitor the situation and continue its awareness-raising campaigns on labelling requirements for fishery products. It is also carrying out a series of fact-finding missions on labelling and traceability of fishery products that started in December 2015. This co-ordinated control plan on fishery products is part of the Commission's action against fraudulent practices in the food chain. Recent activities in this area include the launch, earlier this year, of a dedicated IT tool (the Administrative Assistance and Cooperation (AAC) system), intended to facilitate the exchange of information regarding possible cross-border violations of food chain rules between national enforcement authorities. J

I SEAFOOD TRACEABILITY & CERTIFICATION

Feel Confident in Your Seafood Products Below are a number of responsible questions to ask about your fish. leading towards MSC accreditation, for sources where certified material is yet to be available. Are you getting what you think you are buying?

Sustainably sourced?

Retailers and buyers need to be sure that their fish are sustainably caught from stocks that are not overfished and are responsibly managed. MRAG has provided assurance on this based on risk assessments of the fishery or fish farm and their management, leading to a simple measure of the status of the fishery and the risk to the buyer’s sustainability policy or commitment. MRAG also facilitates MSC fisheries certification and Chain of Custody audits along with Fisheries Improvement Programs

Many buyers now specify their requirements relating to sustainable or responsible sources and some pay a premium for this. Supplies are often provided without any evidence-based assurance to the buyer that the material provided was that specified. A mixture with non-specified material can end up being embarrassing when it finds its way onto the retailers’ shelves. MRAG can provide that crucial evidence-based traceability from net to shelf using a 36 point audit process based on the methodology of the

MSC and ASC Chain of Custody. Is your fish legally sourced?

This audit process also contains points to check the likelihood of illegal fish entering

the supply chain. Again, MRAG has a simple indicator system showing the risks to the buyer of receiving illegal fish. From socially responsible sources?

Cases exist of significant abuse of workers on fishing vessels and customers increasingly need assurances of fairness towards the people who produce and prepare their fish. MRAG conducts social audits of production systems and processing facilities anywhere in the world based on an SA8000 audit system and the particular concerns of the buyer. J

EFSA Advises on Heat Treatment of Bivalve Molluscs xperts at EFSA have evaluated possible E alternatives to the current heat treatments of molluscs required by EU legislation before they are placed on the market. Such treatments, which are needed to kill possible viruses, may alter the quality of the final products. Bivalve molluscs, such as mussels, oysters and clams can be a source of Norovirus and Hepatitis A infections in humans. They accumulate virus particles in their tissues during filter feeding in contaminated water. In particular, experts of the Panel on Biological Hazards have identified time-temperature combinations

equivalent to the current requirement of exposing molluscs to a heat treatment of ’90 C for 90 seconds’, which would lead to the same reduction of viruses. More importantly, scientists showed that the current heating process of 90 C for 90 seconds can lead to different levels of virus reduction, depending on the process used –

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and in particular on the heat-up and cooldown time (the time needed to achieve 90 C and to return to room temperature). “EFSA experts recommend that risk managers define the appropriate level of public protection. Based on this, risk assessors can define the desired reduction of the virus and the heat treatment that would achieve that goal,” says Marta Hugas, head of EFSA’s Biological Hazards and Contaminants unit. “This will allow business operators to design a process compliant with the legislation and at the same time achieve the desired quality of the products.” J 43

I MYCOTOXIN SCREENING

Revolutionary Multi-Toxin Screening ood consumers globally are becoming F increasingly discerning in selecting produce to fill their fridges, cupboards and, indeed, stomachs. Factors of choice are moving beyond taste, appearance and nutritional content. Public awareness of food safety is highly sensitised and increasingly proliferated through online news and social media headlines and few are immune.

The issue of antibiotic resistance linked to drug residues in food is growing amongst consumers, and there is an expectation for food producers to deal with it appropriately. The problem of mycotoxins in feed and feed components makes fewer headlines, but is no less a problem. The occurrence of contamination in various grain crops is of growing concern, as it has major implications for feed safety, food security and international trade. According to a European Commission report, it is estimated that mycotoxins are responsible for losses of up to 10% of crop production worldwide. The consumption of mycotoxins can adversely affect the health of humans and animals to a significant degree. The effects from mycotoxin ingestion have consequently influenced international food standards, which recommend that food producers screen for mycotoxins.

daily over their lifetime without posing a significant risk to health. Globally, however, the requirement for mycotoxin screening varies. Compliance with internationally acceptable limits for mycotoxins (TDI) can be challenging for the food and feed industry; requiring excellent plant protection, adequate storage and expert manufacturing practices in order to keep levels below the limits. It is therefore economical and efficient to have the ability to test multiple mycotoxins at once. Randox Food Diagnostics offers a range of revolutionary screening tools for the semi-quantitative analysis of mycotoxins, using both the unique patented Biochip Array Technology (BAT) and high quality ELISAs. Randox’s innovative BAT arrays allow fast, comprehensive and sensitive screening of all of the world’s most prevalent mycotoxins in customisable arrays of up to 10 toxins. MycoFlex is the latest innovation in mycotoxin screening from Randox Food Diagnostics. MycoFlex gives you the flexibility to test only those mycotoxins of concern from a single 50µl sample of feed. How MycoFlex Works

Select any combination of toxins from the 10 toxin list below (minimum of 3), and your test menu will be spotted onto a customised chip. This flexibility allows you to accommodate any changes in your screening requirements.

How can food producers tackle the issue of mycotoxins to ensure international food safety standards are being met?

To protect consumers, a Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI) has been established, estimating the quantity of mycotoxins that someone can be exposed to FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

Toxins Detected Aflatoxin B1 Aflatoxin G1/G2 Deoxynivalenol Diacetoxyscirpenol Ergot Alkaloids Fumonisins Ochratoxin A Paxilline T2 toxin Zearalenone

Randox Food’s Biochip Array Technology is quick, giving results in under two hours. Studies also show that there are no false negatives and less than 5% false positives, lowering the cost per sample and eliminating the need for costly single tests, as only positive samples require confirmatory testing. With global controls on food safety and contaminants becoming ever more complex, having the right technology is key to meeting those challenges now and in the future. With over 30 years of experience in the diagnostics market, Randox Food continues to transform the landscape of conventional mycotoxin and drug residue screening. Randox consistently develops revolutionary, high quality detection methods and kits that cover all major antibiotics, growth promoters and anthelmintics used in global food production, such as animal tissue, seafood, honey and milk. Visit www.randoxfooddiagnostics.com today for more information. J 45

I MYCOTOXIN SCREENING

Mycotoxins in Foodstuffs Sampling Guidance he Food Standards Agency has produced T several pieces of guidance and advice to industry including farmers to advise them on the agronomic and storage practices to help to reduce the contamination of cereals with mycotoxins and therefore the likelihood of exceeding the current European legal limits. The guidance provides an overview of EU/UK food safety legislation and describes the official sampling methods for commodities/foodstuffs for which there are EU maximum limits for mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are a group of naturally occurring chemicals produced by certain moulds. They can grow on a variety of different crops and foodstuffs including cereals, nuts, spices, dried fruits, apple juice and coffee, often under warm and humid conditions. The mycotoxins of most concern from a food safety perspective include the aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2 and M1), ochratoxin

A, patulin and toxins produced by Fusarium moulds, including fumonisins (B1, B2 and B3), trichothecenes (principally nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 toxin) and zearalenone. Mycotoxins can cause a variety of adverse health effects in humans. Aflatoxins, including aflatoxin B1 are the most toxic and have been shown to be genotoxic i.e. can damage DNA and cause cancer in animal species. There is also evidence that they can cause liver cancer in humans. Other mycotoxins

have a range of other health effects including kidney damage, gastrointestinal disturbances, reproductive disorders or suppression of the immune system. For most mycotoxins, a tolerable daily intake (TDI) has been established, which estimates the quantity of mycotoxin which someone can be exposed to daily over a lifetime without it posing a significant risk to health. In order to protect consumer safety, rules and strict legislative limits for aflatoxins, ochratoxin A, patulin and Fusarium toxins in certain foodstuffs are set out in European Commission legislation. The legislation applies to the specified foods whether they are imported into the UK or produced in the UK. In addition, there are a number of special import conditions currently in place for some foods from certain third countries where the risk from aflatoxin contamination is increased, which further improves consumer protection. J

Neogen Launches Veratox® HS For Ochratoxin eogen has added to its comprehensive N range of mycotoxin testing solutions with the development of a new, highly sensitive, quantitative test for Ochratoxin. Veratox® HS (high sensitivity) for Ochratoxin has been developed specifically for the European market to allow users to test quickly and accurately for low levels of the mycotoxin in line with the permitted regulatory levels. The European Union (EU) limits Ochratoxin levels in cereal grains such as wheat and corn to three parts per billion (ppb) with other countries looking to possibly introduce similar maximum tolerance levels. This new test delivers precise detection of 2–10 ppb of Ochratoxin after only 30 minutes, allowing users throughout the supply chain to make informed decisions with more confidence when nearing the legislative limit. From grain elevators to food business operators, the responsibility to ensure that food products are compliant with regulations, and therefore safe for consumers, lies with those involved at each stage of 46

the supply chain. Regular testing can help to ensure food products do not contain mycotoxins above the maximum levels. This test also serves those looking to import cereal goods to the EU meeting the legal requirements. Food commodities imported from non-EU countries are required to comply with EU mycotoxin legislation regarding maximum levels. In 2014, twenty percent (20%) of all refused EU food and feed border imports were declined due to overly high levels of mycotoxins.

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“The development of this new test for Ochratoxin was in direct response to customer feedback to modify our existing test to accommodate the changing marketplace needs,” says Steve Chambers, Sales and Marketing Director at Neogen Europe. “Since we first developed rapid mycotoxin tests more than 30 years ago, our tests have constantly evolved to improve their speed, accuracy and ease of use. Veratox HS for Ochratoxin is yet another example of that evolution.” Veratox HS for Ochratoxin is intended for the quantitative analysis of Ochratoxin in corn and wheat. The test is a competitive direct enzymelinked immunosorbent assay (CDELISA) that allows the user to obtain exact concentrations in ppb. For more information on Neogen’s comprehensive range of mycotoxin testing solutions including rapid lateral flow tests and quantitative ELISAs to detect aflatoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON), fumonisin, T-2 / HT-2 toxin and zearalenone simply call +44 (0) 1292 525 625, Email mycotoxins@neogeneurope.com or visit www.neogeneurope.com. J

I HYGIENE

Durable and Hygienic Wall Kerb n food and drink factories, hygiene and cleaning is an important factor when manufacturing, processing, packaging and disItributing quality products, daily. With various processing areas in a factory it is imperative that the construction of the factory will not impede production or fail due to impact or wear. Recently, Aspen Stainless were commissioned to install their UK exclusive range of PolySto hygienic wall kerbing throughout a food factory. Being manufactured from very strong polymer composite with a smooth, natural grey finish, the kerbing is designed to reduce the ingress of liquids and provide protection to walls, columns and door edges, from the floor level. Once installed, the wall kerb was sealed with a high quality, silicone based, food safe joint sealant containing a special fungicide to prevent bacteria and fungi build up. The high strength formula is ideal for food environments due to its high humidity and temperature resistant attributes.

Accompanied by stainless steel wall cladding for the doors, the PolySto wall kerb now provides a completely sealed and hygienic surface between the walls and floor, and provides added protection and support to the walls, from daily factory traffic and potential loading bay collisions. With strict demands for hygienic plant and equipment in all food and drink industries, Aspen has the ability to provide a tailored product package to meet your specialist requirements using its range of drainage, wall kerbing, and protection. Browse the product range online, which has full technical data available to download or discuss your bespoke requirements with the Aspen technical team - 0115 986 6321, www.aspen.eu.com. J FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016

I SUSTAINABILITY

Cargill’s Initiative Wins FiE 2015 Best Sustainability Innovation Award Cargill Cocoa Promise project A addressing access to affordable funding for cocoa farmer cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire, the first of its kind in the cocoa sector, has been named winner of the FiE 2015 Best Sustainability Innovation Award. Provided in partnership with the Ivorian bank SIB and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the initiative provides affordable loans for trucks for cocoa farmer cooperatives in Côte d’Ivoire. The funding is available to graduates of the Cargill Coop Academy, a dedicated educational program for managers of cocoa farmer cooperatives. The main benefit is that cocoa farmers can transport their cocoa beans to market more easily and reliably. Forty-three cooperatives are participating in the initiative and 78 new trucks have been leased in the first year alone. Cooperatives play an important role in empowering farmers and strengthening

communities, as well as fulfilling important social roles such as operating school transport or an ambulance service. In Côte d’Ivoire, Cargill is working with over 80,000 farmers in 100 partner cooperatives. The FiE Awards judging panel stated: “Environmental strategies alone are no longer exceptional but the norm. Actions

that extend beyond the environmental and incorporate social, cultural and economic initiatives embody the true scope of sustainability.” Niklas Andersson, marketing and communications director, Europe Middle East and Africa, comments: “The creation of such an initiative by Cargill represents the real sense of trust and partnership we have with cocoa farmer cooperatives, and as the first such initiative of its kind is a source of real pride for us. We believe our sustainability programs, delivered as part of the Cargill Cocoa Promise, are on a scale and depth unequalled by others in the cocoa industry. Over 10 years’ experience on the ground, a genuine focus on impact and outcomes, transparency in how these are measured, and our emphasis on long-term partnerships are real differentiators that set what we do apart from others in the sector.” J

Glanbia Ingredients Ireland Wins Bord Bia Sustainability Award 2015 lanbia Ingredients Ireland (GII), Ireland’s leading dairy compaG ny, has won the Bord Bia Sustainability Award 2015, the category which received the most entries during the application process. The biennial Bord Bia Food & Drink Awards are designed to acknowledge and reward excellence within the Irish Food and Drink industry. GII’s winning submission focused on the company’s sustainability achievements on farm, in plant and - uniquely to GII - its efforts to protect farm incomes through its fixed milk price volatility programme, delivering on its goal of economic sustainability for milk suppliers. Sean Molloy, Director of Strategy and Supplier Relations at GII, comments: “This award is a very positive endorsement of the sig48

nificant work within our business in the area of sustainability and, in particular, of the combined efforts of our cross-functional teams that ensure sustainability remains a priority for GII.” J

Pictured (left to right): Michael Carey, Bord Bia Chairman; Audrey O'Shea, GII Sustainability Manager; Sean Molloy, GII Strategy Director; and Simon Coveney, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2016