Food and drink business europe – jan 2014

January 2014

Streamlining and revitalising Premier Foods

Food & Drink Business Website:

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C o n t e n t s

R EGULARS

- 3 C OVER S TORY Streamlining and revitalising Premier Foods.

- 4 S NACKING & B EVERAGES Mondelez International to invest $290 million in new plants.

Processing & Manufacturing . . . . 9-10, 15-18 Bakery Equipment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-11 Pavan Group – Providing technology to feed a growing world . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 High Pressure Processing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17-19

PAGE 3

Gavin Darby, CEO, Premier Foods.

Bottling & Packaging . . . . . . . . . 11, 47 & 48 Ibonhart – The leader in bread slicing and packaging equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Ballantine’s updates image for Finest with glass evolution . 47

P AGE 35

Theo Muller Snr, owner of Muller Group.

Materials & Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . . . 20-25

- 7-11 B AKERY

New European Guidance Notes on the Classification of Colouring Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Nuts & Raisins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23-25

Product innovation keeps bakery market fresh.

Quality & Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-33

PAGE 43

Top 100 Bakery Manufacturers in Europe, 2013.

Control & Automation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 PAGE 13

- 13 I TALIAN F OOD

Guido Barilla, Chairman, Barilla Group.

Barilla Group plans to double revenues by 2020.

Information Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 36-42 Thermo Scientific LIMS play a key role in food and beverage safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 IFS Applications – Creating a lean and agile supply chain network. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Aspera Solutions – The ERP specialist for the food & drink sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

PAGE 45 Energy & Environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

- 27 S OFT D RINKS

Group Operations Manager: Sylvia McCarthy Advertising: John Bent & Ian Stewart

PAGE 14

Production Manager: Sylvia McCarthy

Claudio Colzani, CEO, Barilla Group.

Food & Drink Business Europe is published by Premier Publishing Limited, 51 Parkwest Enterprise Centre, Nangor Road, Dublin 12.

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Muller Group comes of age in the UK and Ireland.

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- 43 & 45 D AIRY Irish Dairy industry to increase capacity by 50%.

Dale Farm opens new £20 million cheese and whey plant.

Jim Woulfe, CEO, Dairygold.

Managing Director: Colin Murphy Editor: Mike Rohan

Britvic creating a simpler operating model.

- 35 D AIRY

Jim Bergin, CEO, Glanbia Ingredients Ireland.

Design, Origination and Separations by Fullpoint Design (057) 8680873

PAGE 27

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Simon Litherland, CEO, Britvic.

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

1

COVER STORY

Streamlining and Revitalising Premier Foods UK convenience food group Premier Foods is examining the strategic opportunities for its low-margin Bread division while simultaneously implementing improvements across its Grocery operations to restore trading margins.

T

he measures being introduced include consolidating Premier’s grocery logistics network, reducing the number of SKUs and forging strategic partnerships with fewer suppliers. Indeed, the Grocery business, which operates from seven factories, is starting to show the benefits of the ongoing re-engineering programme with EBITDA margins in the high teens (1718%), which compare favourably with its peers.

Premier is simplifying its supply chain and reducing complexity across the business in order to fund further investment behind growing its ‘power brands’ as it pursues its ‘The Best in British Food’ vision. Premier Foods spends £1.2 billion on raw materials, products and services each year, wherever possible from UK suppliers.

supply chain. However, there is ample scope for more efficiency gains through further simplification and streamlining of operations.

For example, Premier is attempting to improve productivity and overall operational efficiency by continuing to rationalise its product range – 600 of the group’s 1700 SKUs have been earmarked for removal or appraisal. Similarly, Premier is also looking to trim its supplier base.

The convenience group’s ‘Invest to Grow’ programme has identified new opportunities to strengthen and grow relationships with key suppliers. For instance, Premier has just selected AarhusKarlshamn as its long-term co-development partner for the supply of vegetable oils, fats and related food ingredients as part of a new, three-year collaboration.

Gavin Darby, chief executive of Premier Foods.

Improving the Performance Mark Hughes, group procurement director Armed with a strong products portfolio, of Premier Foods, says: “We need the best encompassing popular household brands such as Ambrosia, suppliers to help us achieve our vision to be ‘The Best in British Batchelors, Bisto, Loyd Grossman, Mr Kipling, Oxo and Food’. The development of long-term partnerships is an excellent Sharwood’s, Premier is one of the leading players within the UK way to ensure we can continue to innovate in support of our grocery market. In addition to these ‘power brands’, the portfolio brands.” also includes a number of support brands, like Angel Delight, McDougalls, Homepride and Cadbury cakes (produced under Turnaround Strategy Starts to Deliver licence), which offer the potential for further development.

After undergoing a year of major restructuring in 2012, Premier is The manufacturing base of the Grocery business incorporates starting to reap the benefits of its turnaround strategy as reflected three cake facilities at Moreton, where Cadbury cakes are pro- in the underlying performance of the core business. Premier duced, Carleton, the main centre for Mr Kipling, and Stoke. increased underlying business trading profit by 50% to £47.4 milPremier’s savoury products are manufactured at Ashford and lion although underlying business sales slipped 0.9% to £621.2 Worksop. Sweet line million during the first half of 2013. Premier has already delivered production is centred the promised £20 million of overhead cost savings for 2013 and at Knighton, where continues to keep a tight control over costs. The restructuring of Angel Delight and the problematic bread and milling business is also ahead of plan as Bird’s custard are Premier attempts to create a more sustainable platform for the produced, and an business. aseptic plant at “A 50% increase in trading profit is a very encouraging result Lifton, which makes given the highly comAmbrosia. petitive environPremier has been ment,” points out steadily improving Gavin Darby, chief the performance of its executive of Premier Grocery operations Foods. “This shows for a number of years that our turnaround through closer busi- strategy is delivering ness integration and at the bottom line. improvements to the We have now grown FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

3

sales in our Grocery ‘power brands’ for six consecutive quarters as we continue to build partnerships with our customers, deepen our understanding of consumers and invest more effectively in supporting our brands.”

Premier is continuing to grow its power brands in the second half along with working to deliver an additional £10 million of cost savings that have been identified from its efforts to reduce complexity, which should further boost trading profit Gavin Darby continues: “Looking further forward, we will continue to drive profitable top-line growth by focusing on growing our categories supported by ongoing cost savings from reducing complexity. At the right time, we will address our capital structure from a position of growing strength given the delivery of our turnaround plan and the performance of our power brands. I am excited by the potential offered by Premier Foods in the longer term.”

Bread Business Although Premier has made progress in revitalizing its ailing bread and milling operations, it recently appointed Ondra Partners to assist in developing investment options for the business. Premier’s Bread division is the largest vertically integrated baker and flour miller in the UK. The Bread business operates principally in the wrapped bread market although it also produces morning goods, a wide range of bulk and branded flours and a variety of own-label bread and other bakery products. The Charnwood pizza base operation is also part of this business. The division’s flagship brand, Hovis, is amongst the top five grocery brands in the UK. Other brands include Mother’s Pride and Granary.

Possible options open to Premier include a spin-off of the Bread business or coinvestment by a partner. J

I SNACKING & BEVERAGES

Mondelez International to Invest $290 Million in New Plants ondelez International is continuing its M twin strategy of accelerating investments in emerging markets to deliver profitable growth over the long-term and is financing this process primarily by expanding margins in its mature markets of North America and Europe.

For example, the global snacking and beverages group recently announced plans to invest $190 million in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to establish the company's largest manufacturing plant in Asia Pacific.

The 134-acre multi-category food campus in Sri City will have annual capacity of 250,000 tons and will be the largest chocolate manufacturing plant in India. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by 2015.

“This investment in India is part of our ongoing supply chain reinvention plan,” says Daniel Myers, executive vice president, integrated supply chain. “We're implementing a number of initiatives around the world to capitalize on the growing demand in emerging markets while also aggressively reducing costs and improving productivity. We're pleased with our progress in the regions where we've already begun to invest.”

Mondelez International has identified numerous initiatives to 4

redesign the company's supply chain to deliver $1 billion in annual productivity savings over the next three years. These savings will be a primary driver of significant improvements in the company's base operating income margin in the near term.

Investment in Europe In Europe, Mondelez International is investing over $100 million in a state-ofthe-art biscuit manufacturing plant at its Opava site in the Czech Republic. The new facility will produce Oreo cookies and belVita breakfast biscuits to meet growing consumer demand. It will be capable of producing over a million Oreo biscuits a day. Since 2009, net revenues for Oreo and belVita have grown 25% and 18% respec-

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

tively in Europe.

The plans for the new biscuit factory are in line with Mondelez International's commitment to invest in advantaged assets to drive sustainable and profitable growth. It builds on $240 million investment across its European biscuits network since 2010, including sites in France, the UK and Central Europe.

A world leader in chocolate, biscuits, gum, candy, coffee and powdered beverages, Mondelez International owns nine billion-dollar brands such as Cadbury, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Milka chocolate, Jacobs coffee, LU, Nabisco and Oreo biscuits, Tang powdered beverages and Trident gum. Mondelez International was created in October 2012 after being separated from Kraft Foods’ North American grocery business Mondelez International has set long-term targets of 5-7% organic net revenue growth, high single digit growth in operating income and double digit EPS growth. However, after performing below expectations in the first nine months of its 2013 financial year, Mondelez International has lowered its annual organic net revenue growth outlook to approximately 4%. It has also moderated its top-line growth target in 2014 to 4-5%. J

I BAKERY

Product Innovation Keeps Bakery Market Fresh Despite continued pressure on profit margins due to rising input costs, Bakers in the UK and across Europe are striving to maintain consumer interest through continual investment to develop new, healthy and interesting bakery products to spur growth in what is a mature market. or example, in the UK, which is the fourth largest bakery market in Western Europe after Germany, France and Italy, volume sales are in decline due to decreasing consumption, but value sales are rising because of price increases and the development of new added value products.

Key Note projects that UK household expenditure on bread and bakery products will continue to rise over the next five years to reach £5.61 billion by 2016, driven by the price of wheat, and the demand for speciality breads, foreign bakery goods and healthier options (especially gluten-free products), as well as part-baked bread.

However, Key Note expects manufacturers’ value and volume sales to remain squeezed by intense competition, promotional activity and rising input costs.

Similarly, Key Note expects the UK biscuits and cake market, fuelled by consumer indulgence, encouraged by manufacturers continuing to introduce different packaging and product formats for all occasions, will continue to increase in value and be worth approximately £4.78 billion by 2016.

F

European Industry The bakery industry in continental Europe remains relatively fragmented and localised with over a quarter of the market still controlled by small scale artisanal producers (baking their own-products for own sale), in stark contrast to the UK where craft bakers have been in decline for many years and where their market share has dwindled to about 3%.

According to international food and drink consultancy Food For Thought, the top ten European bakery manufacturers account for 28% of the market, while the top twenty companies hold 40% (see Table). Food For Thought’s analysis covers 22 countries and six product categories – flour (retail only), bread products, crispbread, industrial pastry, biscuits, and frozen pastry products.

Leading Players With a market share of 7.5% and annual sales of Eur4 billion, Italian group Barilla is the leading baker in Europe (see ‘Barilla Group Plans to Double Revenues by 2020’ in this issue).

Three biscuit manufacturers feature within the top ten players within the European bakery market - Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods), United Biscuits (owned by Blackstone and PAI) and Bahlsen.

Now focused on biscuits following the sale of its KP Snacks business in December 2012 for £500 million to German-based Intersnack, United Biscuits is the leading manufacturer and marketer of biscuits in the UK and second largest in the Netherlands, France, Belgium and Ireland, and also has as a rapidly growing international business outside Europe.

Bahlsen is the market leader in biscuits FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

and cakes in Germany, and is the largest family-run biscuit business in the world.

United Biscuits is one of three UK-based groups to feature in the top thirty companies. Bread and bakery products manufacturers ABF (Allied Bakeries) and Warburtons are the other two. Allied Bakeries and Warburtons only have a manufacturing presence in the UK and have only limited export sales.

By contrast, ninth ranked Lantmannen Unibake is an international baker employing 3,700 people in 18 countries.

Specialising in frozen and fresh bakery products for both the food service and retail markets, the Swedish owned group operates 23 bakeries across Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Poland, Belgium, Germany, Russia, the UK, Hungary and USA. New Entrant A relative newcomer to the European bakery market and ranked fifth in the Top 100 is Mexico’s Grupo Bimbo, following its recent purchase of Sara Lee’s operations in Spain and Portugal. The deal includes all Sara Lee’s fresh bakery brands in Spain and Portugal as well as seven manufacturing facilities.

Grupo Bimbo is one of the largest baking companies in the world in terms of production and sales volume. Now the leading branded bread company on the Iberian Peninsula, Bimbo operates throughout North and South America and Asia. J 7

I BAKERY

Top 100 Bakery Manufacturers in Europe* 2013 Company Ultimate Holding Company Ranking

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Barilla Agrofert Mondelez Limagrain Bimbo Martinez Blackstone & PAI Bahlsen Norac Lantmännen Kainos Capital Unichips Int'l Brioche Pasquier Griesson Inter Europol Harry-Brot Apax Partners HM ABF Roberto Orkla Coppen. & Wiese IBIS Lotus Bakeries Colussi Wessanen Schar ECM Equity Capital Warburtons NPM Capital Pågens Lion Capital Vivescia Canadian Imperial Fazer Kornmark Rudolf Ölz Oetker Kamps Artal Group Lambertz Boparan Broadhurst Stauffenberg Berkshire Mestemacher Andros Dobrogea United Bakeries Bake Five Polar Bröd

Market Shares West Europe Cumulative

7.53% 3.92% 3.69% 2.92% 1.90% 1.88% 1.81% 1.51% 1.49% 1.44% 1.42% 1.36% 1.33% 1.28% 1.25% 1.20% 1.16% 1.04% 0.98% 0.68% 0.67% 0.60% 0.58% 0.58% 0.57% 0.56% 0.53% 0.52% 0.50% 0.47% 0.47% 0.44% 0.43% 0.42% 0.42% 0.42% 0.41% 0.40% 0.39% 0.38% 0.37% 0.37% 0.36% 0.36% 0.35% 0.35% 0.35% 0.35% 0.32% 0.32%

7.53% 11.45% 15.13% 18.06% 19.95% 21.84% 23.65% 25.16% 26.65% 28.08% 29.50% 30.86% 32.19% 33.46% 34.71% 35.91% 37.07% 38.11% 39.09% 39.76% 40.43% 41.03% 41.61% 42.19% 42.76% 43.32% 43.85% 44.37% 44.87% 45.34% 45.81% 46.24% 46.68% 47.10% 47.52% 47.94% 48.36% 48.76% 49.15% 49.52% 49.89% 50.26% 50.62% 50.98% 51.33% 51.67% 52.02% 52.36% 52.68% 53.01%

Company Ultimate Holding Company Ranking

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Blumhoff Kronenbrot Migros Schulte Unilever Norges Gruppen Fazer Konfektyr Vision Capital Nutrexpa Warburton's Filippou Group Kohberg Bunting Galbusera Arla Balviten Olayan Bottoli Coop Givesco Trevisan General Mills Vicenzi Meggle Lorenz Snack Mago Merlini Balocco Beck Blackstone Bisca Europastry LLI Euromills Mercapital Manner East Balt Sinnack Greencore Koopmans Pambac Coop Norge Nestlé Finsburry Food Group Patroba Bakeries Segulah Greggs Baeko Steinecke's Delicato Bakverk Permira Ostendorf

Market Shares West Europe Cumulative

0.32% 0.32% 0.30% 0.30% 0.30% 0.29% 0.29% 0.27% 0.26% 0.26% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.25% 0.24% 0.24% 0.22% 0.21% 0.21% 0.20% 0.19% 0.18% 0.18% 0.17% 0.16% 0.16% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.15% 0.14% 0.14% 0.14% 0.13% 0.13% 0.13% 0.13% 0.12% 0.12% 0.12% 0.12% 0.12% 0.12% 0.12%

53.32% 53.64% 53.94% 54.24% 54.54% 54.83% 55.11% 55.38% 55.64% 55.91% 56.16% 56.41% 56.66% 56.90% 57.14% 57.38% 57.60% 57.81% 58.01% 58.21% 58.40% 58.58% 58.75% 58.92% 59.08% 59.24% 59.39% 59.54% 59.69% 59.84% 59.99% 60.14% 60.28% 60.43% 60.57% 60.72% 60.86% 61.00% 61.13% 61.27% 61.40% 61.53% 61.65% 61.77% 61.90% 62.02% 62.14% 62.26% 62.37% 62.49%

* Countries covered (22): Austria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland/Eire, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK. * Products covered (6): Flour (retail only), Bread products, Crispbread, Industrial pastry, Biscuits, and Frozen pastry products † Market shares are for retail and foodservice markets by value, and based on weighted averages of value market data.

Source: Food for Thought

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

I BAKERY EQUIPMENT

Rademaker Provides Innovative Solutions For the Bakery Industry ademaker has managed to transform bak- goes well beyond the delivery and installation R ery traditions of the past into robust, of bakery production lines and turn-key solustate-of-the-art industrial bakery production tions alone. lines that meet and exceed customer requirements all over the world.

Founded in 1977, Rademaker was one of the first companies to specialize in the development and supply of innovative solutions for the bakery industry. Today, Rademaker is one of the front runners in the bakery industry, with global presence and a service that

Rademaker Universal Make-up line.

Rademaker solutions are geared towards the customer’s specific dough process and products. The development process starts in the Rademaker Technology Centre, here production processes are tested in an optimal testing environment. Customers product demand are translated into a Rademaker production line that will yield maximal results in terms of product quality and return on investment, with a focus on ingredient and waste reduction.

The Rademaker portfolio contains a wide range of dough processing machines.

Rademaker incorporated its bread know-how into the flexible Crusto bread line, which is designed to produce a wide bread variety. The Flatbread line is able to produce a wide variety of high quality flatbreads to lusciously topped pizzas.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

Rademaker Bread line.

Rademaker is the recognized leader in flexible croissant lines, guaranteeing large quantities at high quality. The secret of good croissant dough and pastries originates in the laminator process. Rademaker is an expert in stress-free dough sheeting and handling and itsr Laminators guarantee high output and the very best quality.

Rademaker’s Universal Make-up line is able to produce a wide range of pastry products.

Production solutions for pie and quiche products are offered by Rademaker’s Pie line.

A unique combination of proven and new technology plus attention for detail, all based on customer requirements, guarantee Rademaker to be the perfect partner in the bakery industry. J

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I BAKERY EQUIPMENT

Spiromatic Offers Sustainable Total Solutions For the Food Industry ith over 50 years of expeW rience in automated storage, dosage and conveyance of dry and liquid raw materials Spiromatic can unarguably be called the specialist in sustainable total solutions for the food industry. Thanks to its integrated approach Spiromatic is the preeminent partner for actors in the food industry that are looking into further optimizing their production process.

Spiromatic has built up a rock-solid reputation in terms of GRP silos for dry materials, but the company also provides solutions for storing various types of liquids: storage tanks will be constructed – depending on the size and range of application – in GRP or stainless steel. Spiromatic also offers peripheral equipment for silos: from extremely accurate silo weighing over dedusting systems to even air drying for temperature and moisture-sensitive products.

And there is more: Spiromatic has the knowledge, technology and equipment in house for the further handling of the stored raw materials. It offers conveyance, weighing and level measurement systems, dosage systems for micro components and liquids, water dosage systems, water and flour cooling installations and automation solutions.

In the current business context automation is becoming increasingly important, which is why Spiromatic has acquired the necessary expertise and knowhow to be able to answer this growing demand. Next to the freely programmable systems (PLC Siemens, Allen-Bradley, Spido2B) Spiromatic also offers a range of “all-in-one” controllers that are ideal for simple applications, but at the same time offer all the basic functionalities.

A team of highly qualified and experienced consultants, project managers and engineers continue to create innovative solutions within every segment of the pre-food process, and help clients to develop comprehensive integrated and optimized installations.

Briefly, Spiromatic offers sustainable total solutions in pre-food processing, which makes the company absolutely unique.

Spiromatic will be exhibiting at stand 4E91 in Hall 4 at Europain between 8th-12th March 2014 at Paris-Nord Villepinte, France.

For more information contact Spiromatic on Tel +32 (0)9 381 87 00, Fax +32 (0)9 386 01 43, E-mail info@spiromatic.com or visit www.spiromatic.com. J 10

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

I BAKERY EQUIPMENT

Ibonhart – The Leader in Bread Slicing and Packaging Equipment t is widely known that Ibonhart have been Iaging industry leaders in bread slicing and packequipment for over 30 years. More recently Ibonhart has refined its core products to provide user friendly, efficient and durable machines to excel in industrial environments for many years to come.

Ibonhart aims to meet all slicing and packaging needs for bakeries, ranging from sliced and bagged burger buns to large bloomer loaves. They currently have many machines installed in the UK and international exports are growing year on year, currently representing 80% of the company’s sales. This success story has not gone unnoticed and the UK governments Trade and Investment web site refers to Ibonhart’s global success. Dealing internationally has also widened their product knowledge, due

to the varying types of bread from all around the world; this allows new projects to be approached with great confidence.

Major Systems Investment Since changing ownership 4 years ago the company has gone through a period of expansion and major systems investment.

Managing Director Chris Barfe has a simple philosophy based firmly on customer satisfaction and product development.

Over the last 12 months, they have upgraded their business management software to a new system that links Design office to Parts, Purchasing and Accounts.

This has allowed the company to modernise its production system, allowing them to shorten lead times for its customers.

In addition to this the Computer Aided Design system has been upgraded from a 2D package to a full 3D design suite, this is allows them to create drawings that

are easy for suppliers to understand as well as giving them the ability to show customers a 3D view of a spare part they are enquiring about to ensure the supply of parts is accurate and efficient.

This advanced 3D system has also benefited the company by allowing them to design and test new concepts on screen before putting them into production and testing. This has already resulted in a new dynamic inline in-feed which has helped achieve higher bagging speeds.

Ibonhart continually seeks to grow as a business; one way in which they have achieved growth is through employing and training young apprentices. Over the last four years new apprentices have been trained in both the mechanical and electrical departments of the business, this has allowed knowledge from experienced members of staff to be transferred to apprentices maintaining the vast expertise the company has, plus ensuring the latest techniques and products are utilised in production.

Advancements in Bakery Technology In addition to this input they have been working with suppliers to source innovative parts to bring their machines to the forefront of bakery technology. Advancements have been made in reducing air consumption for the bagging machines, Ibonhart has adopted in the design of all new packaging machines. Ibonhart’s bagging machinery by design is energy efficient due to their being multiple loaves inside of the bagging system during production. This is achieved by loaves being sliced, bagged and sealed at the same time as opposed to bagging and sealing one loaf in one sequence, which is not energy efficient.

Ibonhart prides itself on the quality manufacturing of machines, constructed from

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

parts manufactured in the UK. As well as sourcing precision engineered parts Ibonhart also have an in house machine and fabrication shops allowing them to make their own parts. Having in house facilities to manufacture has been the secret of its outstanding spare parts service which allows them to normally fulfil orders within 24 hours.

Research and development of new and existing technologies is key to Ibonharts success, their most recent development is the IB420 Band Slicer with fully automatic slice thickness adjustment. The slicer will be able to change slice thickness in one minute and slice with less than 0.5mm of variation. This fully automatic band slicer is undergoing final bakery testing and will be launched in early 2014 providing the market with the most advanced bread slicer to date.

The next stage in this development journey is to incorporate air sterilisation technology into the bagging machines to reduce the risk of bacteria entering the loaf as it is sliced and packaged. The system uses existing technology used in operating theatres to create a completely sterile atmosphere within the machine, as well as inflating the bag with sterile air. 2014 will see bakery trials take place and we are confident you will be reading a lot more about the company in coming months.

So whether you are a small bakery looking to take its first steps toward automation or a large plant bakery installing a new line or building a new plant Ibonhart can work from to design to installation through to spare parts and after sales servicing all based on the company’s customer focused philosophy. J 11

I ITALIAN FOOD

Barilla Group Plans to Double Revenues by 2020 Having recently disposed of its Lieken business, a leader in the German bakery market, Italian food group Barilla is now concentrating on developing its pasta, sauces and ready meals worldwide, and strengthening its branded bakery business in core countries. amily-owned Barilla Group is a world leader in pasta and pasta sauce in continental Europe, bakery products in Italy, and crisp bread in Scandinavia. Currently, the Barilla Group owns 30 production sites (14 in Italy and 16 abroad) of which nine are directly managed mills that provide most of the raw materials for the production of its pasta and bakery products, and exports to more than 100 countries. In addition to Barilla, the group’s other brands include Mulino Bianco, Voiello, Pavesi, Academia Barilla, Wasa, Harrys (France and Russia), Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), Yemina and Vesta (Mexico).

Barilla Group had net sales of Eur3.996 billion in 2012 with recurring EBITDA of Eur433 million and consolidated net profit of Eur60 million. However, the group’s financial performance is being adversely impacted by escalating raw materials costs and by the continuing recessionary conditions across global markets, especially in Italy, which generated about 40% of its 2012 revenue. Sales growth – 2% in 2012 – is being fuelled by the group’s progress outside Europe.

“Despite the difficulties that continue to affect the European economy - and Italy in particular - we are confident that the soundness and competitive force of our group will allow it to continue growing, also thanks to its international development,” says Guido Barilla, chairman of the Barilla Group.

Revenue is expected to have grown by a few percentage points in 2013, driven

F

Guido Barilla, Chairman of Barilla Group.

chiefly by stronger volumes in the Americas and Asia, where Barilla Group plans to expand its presence in pasta, sauces and Italian meal solutions.

Transformation Barilla was established in Parma in 1877 as a shop producing bread and pasta. Pietro Barilla, a grandson of the company founder, who joined the family business in 1947, is credited with masterminding the transformation of Barilla from just another small Italian pasta producer into the world’s largest and best-known pasta brand.

A trip to New York after the Second World War convinced Pietro Barilla of the importance of marketing and communication. He adopted stylish designs for the first pasta packaging in the 1950s and pioneering promotional campaigns featuring Italian singers, actors and film-maker Federico Fellini.

However, the business left family hands in the early 1970s when it was sold to US multinational firm Grace. Pietro Barilla managed to buy back the company in 1979, when his focus turned to growing the business by bringing pasta to all of Italy, then to Europe and beyond under the belief that ‘pasta is the soul of Italian cooking’.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

Rapid Growth The turnover rose tenfold during the following decade and the number of factories increased from five to 25 and employment from 2,000 to 8,500 people as Barilla began to internationalise the business.

Following Pietro Barilla’s death in September 1993, the presidency of the company passed to the elder son, Guido, with Luca and Paolo becoming vice-presidents.

Barilla Group continued its rapid internationalization process throughout the 1990s and the first decade of the new Millennium, growing its presence in European and US markets, opening new production plants and acquiring important brands such as Pavesi (Italy), Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), Wasa (Sweden), Yemina and Vesta (Mexico), Lieken (Germany) and Harry’s (France).

The Italian group’s assault on the US pasta market commenced in 1996; and within three years Barilla had become the leading US brand. Its current market share is close to 30%. Indeed, Barilla is attempting to emulate its success in the US in other international markets.

Initially, Barilla imported product from Italy and packaged it in Syracuse, New York. Barilla constructed its first US production plant at Ames in Iowa in 1998.

To meet rising consumer demand, Barilla opened its second US facility at Avon in New York in 2006. Capable of producing 130 tons of long pasta and 165 tons of short pasta daily, the Avon site is characterised by technical expertise derived from Barilla’s Italian operations coupled with lessons learned from its first factory in the US, to create a state-of-the-art production facility featuring technology supplied by Pavan Group, a world leader in the design and engineering of integrated product lines for cereal-based food.

Future Development Strategy In 2013, Barilla completed the sale of 13

“Our strategy,” explains Guido Barilla, “focuses on developing pasta, sauces and ready meals on a global level – from the Americas to the Far East – and strengthening the bakery products that carry our own brands in Italy and in the main European countries.”

Lieken, its German bakery product business, to Czech group Agrofert. Lieken had net sales of approximately Eur780 million in 2012 and employs 4,700 people. It was bought by Barilla Group in 2002, as part of the acquisition of Kamps.

The sale of Lieken is in line with Barilla’s new development strategy, announced in June 2012, which is to focus on growing in pasta, sauces and ready meals worldwide, and to strengthen its branded bakery business in Italy and other key European markets.

The transaction has allowed the Parmabased company to further strengthen its financial standing and to concentrate on developing its core business, consolidating its leadership in the European and US markets, and to take advantage of new opportunities in emerging markets, particularly Brazil.

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Doubling Revenues “Our main goal is to double revenues by 2020, focusing on our core business,” says Claudio Colzani, chief executive of Barilla Group. Following the disposal of Lieken, this will entail doubling revenue from around Eur3.2 billion to Eur6.4 billion.

Most of the anticipated growth will emanate from the Americas and Asia, where the company aims to boost its presence in pasta, sauces and Italian meal solutions.

Claudio Colzani adds: “We want to aggressively grow in emerging markets, taking Italy’s most symbolic dish from Asia to the Americas, adjusting our product offer to the requirements of local consumers without losing our Italian identity. In 2013, we started doing that in Brazil, with a production of pasta and sauces designed to meet the taste and requirements of Brazilian consumers.”

For example, a new range of locally produced Barilla pasta and sauces has been launched in Brazil. The company aims to

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

increase revenues in Brazil from Eur18 million in 2012 to Eur200 million by 2020.

Barilla Group is also continuing to develop its European operations. To improve efficiency and customer service, Barilla recently opened the world’s largest automated warehouse with LGV technology, built at the group’s historic headquarters on the outskirts of Parma.

To facilitate its ambitions of taking Italian-style main courses to every corner of the globe, Barilla Group established a new Eur40 million dedicated pasta sauce factory in October 2012. The opening of the new facility marked an important strategic step.

After 40 years in which its sauces were produced with external partners, the new sauces plant underlines the company’s desire to concentrate on its core Italian pasta dish business. The factory has the potential to produces 60,000 tons of sauces per year. J

Claudio Colzani, chief executive of Barilla Group.

Pavan Group – Providing Technology to Feed a Growing World avan Group is among the worldwide leadP ers, in the design and engineering of technologies and integrated product lines for cereal based food. The Group has strong and solid organization, operating in the food industry as global suppliers of industrial solutions, from the handling of raw materials to the final packaging.

Pavan incorporates eight prestigious brands - Golfetto Sangati, Pavan, Mapimpianti, Montoni, Toresani, Stiavelli, Dizma and Pizeta - all leading Italian brands in the food processing industry. Today, these companies can operate on individual basis or jointly under an interlacing strategy covering all the production process.

Pavan Group offers the widest range of solutions for the production of all types of pasta: long and short-cut dry pasta, nest shaped, pre-cooked pasta, couscous, as well as machineries for filled, flat, and extruded fresh pasta, convenience food and gnocchi. Pavan Group can also provide dies, cutting systems, die washing equipment, packaging lines for pasta, baked goods, snacks and the food industry. Thanks to this integrated and highly specialized supply chain, joining technology, flexibility and reliability all under the same name, Pavan Group can give its outstanding engineering services, all tailor-made to each client’s requirements.

Full Service Strategy

The Group provides a full service strategy that goes from the research and development of new products, to the project and design of manufacturing plants, to the final after-sales training and client services. Over the years, Pavan Group has strengthened its positioning

and brand image thanks to its top quality standards and product performances.

With over 60 years of experience and knowhow, its wide portfolio covering eight different specialized brands, its consistent R&D investments, Pavan Group can provide highly sophisticated processes and automation solutions, both for single technologies and for a multidiscipline turnkey approach.

The most important and complex industries of the PHP Press by Pavan. The total vacuum technology assures the best world, work with a tailor- quality of pasta. made solution developed by Pavan, with great results from all point of tion in the water content of the pasta and views: cost controlling, efficiency and product the progressive temperature increase block the expansion of the starches and activate quality.

All technological solutions are characterized proteinic coagulation. The result is a prodby extremely creative and highly personalized uct with improved colour and cooking perprojects. Today in fact, in the food industry, formance. excellence is not measured only by the product taste, but also and mainly by the compa- Total Vacuum – Each stage under vacuum. ny capability in creating innovation and ful- Pioneers in research, in 1953 Paven was first filling their customers’ continuous demand to apply and patent the total vacuum techfor new, more efficient and more profitable nology for the production of dried pasta, from the pre-mix phase to the extrusion. solutions.

Paven found out how to obtain a product Industrial Solutions with high performance in cooking, with Pavan Group provides industrial solutions bright colors and with an excellent texture. for: Thanks to the vacuum, the hydration of the • Cereals handling and milling flour is more homogeneous and the forma• Dry pasta tion of the gluten network is emphasized.

• Snacks The effect of evaporation reduces the tem• Unconventional pasta perature of the dough, therefore preserving • Ready meals intact the organoleptic properties during the • Fresh pasta forming phases.

• Breakfast cereals • Packaging.

Excellent Pasta From Any Type of Raw Material Technology & Research

Stripper saw unit removes the pasta from the sticks and cuts it to the desired length.

Pavan technology has revolutionized the way pasta is made.

Thermo Active System - An avant-garde system yelding higher quality pasta in less time.

TAS technology includes drying and stabilisation stages. It maintains the product in a plastic and porous state throughout the process and keeps the development of the Maillard reaction under control. The rapid reduc-

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

The technology developed by Pavan facilitates the use of any type of ingredient. The percentage of protein present is fundamental to the quality of the pasta as it gives strength to its texture. By applying technologies such as TAS, climatic zones and vacuum, it is possible to make excellent end products even from flours with low protein contents. High temperatures are excellent for processing products made from weak flours and bread wheat flours with low protein contents because they facilitate coagulation and improve the quality of the pasta. J 15

Food Processing Solutions From ALIT ince 1999, ALIT has been developing S new solutions in externally driven spirals: ALIFLEX and SPINFLEX, each made with unique ALIT patented technology. Innovative designs are possible: Low-in/Low-out in the same tower or oval design (race-track) to minimize the footprint of the units, optimizing the floor space used.

SPINFLEX, the plastic chain model, grants an incredibly low noise level and the ultra-low friction of the chain allowed ALIT to cut 40% on the motor size, down to an amazing 2.2-3kW on an

average capacity unit.

SPINFLEX and ALIFLEX spirals are carefully designed to minimize maintenance time.

For the peace of mind of customers ALIT’s After Sales Team provides fast reaction and together with its Warranty Extension Plan offers Long Term Maintenance Packages.

The Open design of ALIT spirals allows full control of the air Air Treatment Unit inside the spiral. direction in freezers, coolers and proofers. It is consequently possible to use wire-mesh belt and three with plastic vertical, horizontal and mix air mesh are available. flow in the freezers with optional System integration and automated food automatic sequential defrosting. products handling and thermal processThe option to position the Air ing like proofing, cooling, freezing and Treatment Units inside the spirals pasteurizing are the areas where ALIT is a (see picture) is another amazing trusted partner for customer all over the feature that grants the freedom to world. design the most optimized line lay To satisfy its most demanding cusout for customers! tomers ALIT offers a READY TO ALIT designs and produces in- LINE with pre-defined solution to fit house all its products and most of perfectly in the most popular production the critical components like the schemes and a CUSTOM LINE to spiral belt. This is the reason why design ALIT’s units around the cusa wide selection of three different tomer’s products, making the most of all stainless-steel bar-type belts, ALIT’s experience in the baked products five models with stainless steel industry. J

STORAGE

LOGISTICS

Yearsley Logistics to Establish Third Superhub earsley Logistics has now received Y detailed planning permission to build a 150,000 pallet cold store at Peterborough in England. This third Superhub is planned to be built in phases, commencing in 2014 in the Great Haddon Employment Zone.

As the UK’s largest cold storage and logistics company, Yearsley Logistics has 13 sites nationwide including its head office and key distribution facility in Heywood, Lancashire.

The successful planning permission follows on from the Yearsley Logistics’ integration of the Hams Hall development late last year and the recently opened Phase 5 extension at the Heywood head office. The three Superhubs together will service the whole of the UK with a consolidation service for manufacturers into retailers.

The £65 million total investment will provide a 385,000 sq ft. part mobile rack and 16

part automated crane cold store. Automated crane stores require significantly less energy (up to 30% less) to operate due to their

Yearsley Logistics recently took delivery of 26 new Mercedes Actros units and 50 new trailers to help support growing business operations across the group.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

design, reduced door openings and minimal lighting requirements. The whole of the new building will also be super insulated, fitted with LED lighting and solar panels, making it probably the most energy efficient in the country and ensuring Yearsley Logistics continues to lead the industry in building cost effective, sustainable solutions.

For example, solar panel installations have now been completed, by renewable energy specialist Solar Choice, at ten of the logistics group’s sites since 2011.

Managing director Harry Yearsley comments: “Several years ago we saw that the frozen industry was moving to shorter lead times. Our strategy to embrace this by investing in Superhubs in strategic locations, as well as implementing new systems and processes should comfortably deliver this and maintain our industry leading position.” J

I HIGH PRESSURE PROCESSING

Food Industry Moves Towards HPP he food industry is increasingly moving T toward new product development and innovative propositions through new processing methods. One of the most successful developments made to date is High Pressure Processing (HPP).

High Pressure Processing is a cold pasteurization technique which consists of subjecting food, previously sealed in flexible and water-resistant packaging, to a high level of hydrostatic pressure (pressure transmitted by water) up to 600 MPa/87,000 psi for a few seconds to a few minutes. It is the same effect as subjecting the food to an ocean depth of 60 Km deep -if an ocean this deep existed.

Although the Non-Thermal Pasteurisation effect of high pressure on foods has been known since the 19th Century, it was not until the 1990´s that the first HPP products were developed. Since 2000, High Pressure Processing has been successfully implemented in all type of food industries worldwide.

High Pressure Processing is a natural, environmentally friendly process that

respects the ingredient and helps maintain the fresh food characteristics like flavour and nutrients. It is a real alternative to traditional thermal and chemical treatments.

Thermal methods, traditionally used in the food industry for food preservation, carry disadvantages like vitamin destruction or flavour changes that can be avoided with HPP. HPP’s main advantages include: * Characteristics of the fresh product are retained, sensorial and nutritional properties remain almost intact: Greater food quality. * Destroys pathogens (Listeria, Salmonella, Vibrio, Norovirus, etc.): Food safety and exportation. * Extends product shelf life: Lower returns, improved customer satisfaction. * Reduces drastically the overall microbiological spoiling flora: Higher quality along shelf life. * Avoids or reduces the need for food preservatives: Clean label foods (Natural/Additive Free). * New innovative food propositions.

Products that can not be thermally treated can now be High Pressure Processed: Innovation and competitive advantages. * Able to shuck molluscs or extract crustacean meat without boiling: Higher

yields, fresh flavour, minimum hand labour. * Only needs water (which is recycled) and electricity: Environmentally friendly.

US-based Hiperbaric is a world leading manufacturer of HPP equipment for the food industry. From its very beginning, in 1999, Hiperbaric has been involved in the design, technological development, production and commercialisation of high pressure processing equipment.

Its reliability, customer support, team work and continuous innovation due to its strong R&D&I effort, are the ingredients for a world leading high tech company.

There are operative Hiperbaric High Pressure Processing equipments in the food industries of Europe, America, Asia and Oceania; processing meat products, fish and seafood, fruit and vegetables, juices and beverages, dairy and all type of ready to eat meals. J

I APPOINTMENT

Avure Technologies Names Jeff Williams CEO of High Pressure Processing Equipment and Services Division s demand for HPP continues to gain momentum in application support,” says Jan Soderstrom. “Although A the marketplace, Avure Technologies, the world’s the Industrial Division and HPP Equipment and leading supplier of HPP equipment and related services, Services Division share many attributes, they are much has experienced rapid growth in 2013. A major miledifferent in purpose and scope. Our industrial cusstone has now been reached with the separation of tomers have very different needs than our HPP cusAvure Technologies into two distinct operating units: tomers, so we felt it necessary to realign ourselves to Avure Industrial Division, and Avure HPP Equipment better suit their needs. Jeff Williams will play a key role and Services Division. Both divisions will be operated as in steering our HPP division to the next level.” separate strategic business units.

Jeff Williams, who has held various roles at RA Jones Jeff Williams has been named Chief Executive & Company for 25 years, most recently as Vice Officer of the HPP Equipment and Services Division.

President of Sales and Marketing (2009-2013), has a Jan Soderstrom will assume the position of CEO of the Jeff Williams, CEO – HPP rich background in the global food and beverage Avure Industrial Division, having directed the strategic Division, Avure Technol- industry that spans his entire career. With vast experidivision of Avure Technologies into two separate enti- ogies. ence in packaging, automation, and product and busities. ness development, Williams will lead Avure HPP as it “Dividing Avure Technologies allows each group to focus its continues to serve existing markets, along with entering less tradistrengths on customer service, new product development, and tional, emerging sectors. J FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

17

I HIGH PRESSURE PROCESSING

Delivery of High Volume HPP Innovation Meets Demand By Fresh Juice and Beverage Producers

By Tim Hunter, Avure Technologies Incorporated p until about 25 years ago, heat was choU sen as the pasteurization standard because it was practical and easy to apply to large volumes of product. But when heat is applied to juices and other beverages, shelf stability and sterilization come at the expense of flavor, nutrition, and texture.

If applied properly to the product, HPP allows processors to maintain freshness, texture, flavor and healthy nutrients that are vital to good health.

The idea of using high pressure to inactivate spoilage organisms was invented more than 100 years ago. High pressure processing, or HPP, applies even amounts of high pressure (usually around 86,000 psi for 1 to 3 minutes) to all sides of a food product in its final packaging, inactivating harmful bacterial such as listeria, salmonella, and E-coli, as well other spoilage micro-organisms, without harming healthy enzymes or removing vitamins. If applied properly to the product, HPP allows processors to maintain freshness, texture, flavor and healthy nutrients that are vital to good health.

Today, HPP has become more practical,

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cost-effective and accessible to processors.

HPP systems manufacturers, such as Avure Technologies, work to drive broad acceptance of HPP, and continue to increase volume and make HPP more efficient and affordable for every food and beverage supplier. From early systems that could process

With the arrival of the Avure 525L-600, juices and other beverages can be processed at a rate of up to 525 liters per cycle, and 10 cycles per hour (translating to more than 4 tons of processing in an hour). only a few liters of product per cycle, to the very latest large-volume Avure QFP 525L-600 system, HPP is more and more attainable for food and beverage processors of all sizes. With the arrival of the Avure 525L-600, juices and other beverages can be processed at a rate of up to 525 liters per cycle, and 10 cycles per hour (translating to more than 4 tons of processing in an hour).

With increasing consumer demand for healthy and delicious foods and FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

beverages, processors are working to keep up with demand, either with their own equipment or that of HPP tolling service providers who pressure pasteurize their products before distribution. Many food and beverage manufacturers use a combination of both.

Along with the high capacity, reliability and low operating costs desirable in HPP equipment options, processors will need food science knowledge, lab services and assistance with HACCP planning, trials and recipe formulations. Avure, the global leader in HPP solutions, provides this breadth of expertise to help processors of all sizes deliver successful HPP products.

A short video presentation on the benefits of HPP to juices and other beverages can be viewed at http://info.avure.com/foodbevbiz.

To learn more about HPP and the 525L600 from Avure, go to http://info.avure.com/0114FBB525. J

With increasing consumer demand for healthy and delicious foods and beverages, processors are working to keep up with demand, either with their own equipment or that of HPP tolling service providers who pressure pasteurize their products before distribution.

I COLOURING & FLAVOURS

EU Adopts Guidance Notes on the Classification of Colouring Foods he European Commission’s Standing T Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health has adopted new European Guidance notes for the classification of food extracts with colouring properties.

“This decision closes the remaining gap in the legislative regulations on Colouring Foods and paves the way for more transparency and consistency in the food and beverage industry,” says Paul Collins, board member of the GNT Group, who has supported the Guidance notes process. Since 2007 the Guidance notes were elaborated

by Commission services after consultation with the Member States' experts on food additives and the relevant stakeholders.

As a supplement to the existing EU regulations on the classification and declaration of products used to provide colour, the

objective of the Guidance notes is to provide simple and practical criteria for the differentiation between foods with colouring properties (so-called Colouring Foods) and additive food colours within the EU. Based on an easily applicable decision tree, they serve as an important working and decision tool for the food industry and enforcement authorities of the EU member states.

All colouring products that do not meet these criteria for Colouring Foods will be

classified as food additives that need legal permission and have to be designated by the name of the category “colour”, followed by their specific name or E number. Colouring Foods, by contrast, are food ingredients with colouring properties and do not need permission. As a result, food and beverage manufacturers will have to review their labelling or even their formulation.

All GNT products, which are sold worldwide under the brand name EXBERRY®, are in compliance with this new guideline.

EXBERRY® Colouring Foods are made from edible fruits, vegetables and plants.

They are manufactured by physical processes resulting in concentrates in which the pigments have not been selectively extracted. For more information about the GNT Group visit www.gnt-group.com. J

Frutarom Expands in the Beverage Flavours Sector rutarom Industries, one of the world’s F ten biggest companies in the flavours and fine ingredients industry, is continuing to implement its rapid growth strategy, following its fourth acquisition in 2013.

Frutarom is purchasing US-based Hagelin for a cash consideration of $52.4 million.

This acquisition strengthens Frutarom’s foothold in the US market, which is the world’s biggest flavour market, and accelerates its penetration into the developing and fast growing markets of Central and South America and Africa, which are of high strategic importance to Frutarom. The

acquisition substantially expands Frutarom’s business activity in the growing and profitable beverage flavour sector.

Hagelin specialises in the development of advanced flavour solutions for the reduction of salt, sugar and calories and improvement of the taste experience. This acquisition expands Frutarom’s global range of advanced products and technologies, which also covers soft drinks, functional drinks (which offer nutritional value), alcoholic beverages, and savory solutions (the non-sweet spectrum).

Frutarom has completed four acquisitions in 2013, with a total sales turnover of $147 million in 2012, investing a total of $120 million. Frutarom’s other acquisitions in 2013 were JannDeRee in South Africa, PTI in Russia and Aroma in Guatemala.

This follows eight acquisitions between January 2011 and January 2012. J

Industry Poll Indicates Natural Red is a Technically Challenging Hue arket research from Innova and Mintel M cites a higher share of recent food and beverage launches with colouring derived from natural sources. Manufacturers are creating more products that achieve visual appeal without using synthetic colour addi-

20

tives. For those employing natural colours, a recent poll suggests that red is the most challenging hue.

To gain customer insight, DD Williamson polled 31 industry technologists at the recent Food Ingredients Europe exposition. Only those with technical credentials participated in the poll that featured the following question: “Which [one] hue from natural sources is the most technically challenging for [your] new product development?” Red, selected by 39% of respondents, ranked highest. Green and FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

blue scored 19% and 13%, respectively.

Other technologists voted for black, purple, yellow, brown or orange, but none selected white from the list.

“The poll’s data reveal natural red’s challenge, particularly in the meat, dairy and bakery sectors,” observes Campbell Barnum, vice president, branding and market development. “Few choices can deliver a heat-stable, naturally derived, customized red hue in products with neutral to higher pH.”. Only 3% of the technologists selected either brown or orange. J

I COLOURING & FLAVOURS

New European Guidance Notes on the Classification of Colouring Foods – Market Leader GNT Group Welcomes New Working Tool ood additives are increasingly F grabbing headlines and studies have proven that consumers today actively avoid products that include artificial colours and additives, especially those identified with E-numbers. Yet, when it comes to food colouring products, European legislation has lacked clear, unambiguous definitions for the classification of Colouring Foods (i.e. food ingredients with colouring properties) as opposed to food colours (i.e. food additives).

To close this gap, the European Union has now adopted Guidance Notes on the classification of food extracts with colouring properties as a supplement to the existing EU regulations. Based on an easily applicable decision tree and simple, clear and practical criteria for the differentiation between Colouring Foods and food colours, the Guidance Notes provide clarity, consistency and transparency for food and beverage manufactures. As the pioneer

22

and global market leader in Colouring Foods, the GNT Group has always promoted a transparent declaration and classification of Colouring Foods and has therefore supported this process from the very beginning.

Clear Definition of Colouring Foods According to the Guidance Notes, Colouring Foods have to be obtained exclusively from food like fruits, vegetables and edible plants and must be manufactured by physical and/or chemical processes resulting in concentrates in which the pigments have not been selectively extracted.

Whether a product is selectively extracted or not depends on the so-called enrichment factor. The enrichment factor in this context reflects the relationship between the ratios of pigment(s) content to the nutritive or aromatic constituents in the colouring product compared to the corresponding ratio of pigment(s) content to the nutritive or aromatic constituents of the source material.

If a product exceeds an enrichment factor of 6, it can’t be declared as Colouring Food anymore. GNT’s Colouring Foods, which are marketed worldwide under the brand name EXBERRY®, are in compliance with this new guideline.

As of 1st January 2014, all colouring FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

products introduced to the market that do not meet these criteria will be considered as food additives that need legal permission and have to be designated by the name of the category “colour”, followed by their specific name or, if appropriate, E number. Colouring Foods, by contrast, are food ingredients with colouring properties and do not need permission. They can be declared on product labels simply as what they are, e.g.

Colouring Food (concentrate of carrot, cherry). This consumerfriendly and transparent labelling provides information on the origin of the Colouring Food at a glance and makes clear that the colour was made of foods. All food products placed on the market after 29th November 2015 have to be in line with the Guidance notes (end of the so called transition period). As a result, food and beverage manufacturers will have to review their labelling or even their formulation.

More Clarity and Transparency Serving as a recommended decision tool for the food and beverage industry as well as for enforcement authorities, the Guidance Notes pave the way for more consistency and clarity when it comes to the classification of food colouring products and are an important step towards a transparent application and declaration of food ingredients.

Offering food and beverage producers more certainty in their decisions, the Guidance Notes help to provide today's health conscious consumers with the natural but nevertheless colourful products that they demand. Accordingly, the GNT Group expects the market to grow by more than 10 percent per annum as customers and clients embrace the general trend of increased demand for natural products.

EXBERRY® Colouring Foods meet the requirements of vegetarian, vegan, kosher and halal diets. J

I NUTS & RAISINS

Chocolate and Almonds: A Sweet Sensation For Global Consumers he confectionery combination of T almonds and chocolate is gaining tremendous momentum with consumers and capturing the attention of manufacturers worldwide. Over a five-year period (2007–2011), confectionary product introductions with almonds jumped an impressive 113 percent. Thirty three percent of the global almond introductions in 2012 occurred in the confectionery category.

Research shows that including almonds in either dark or milk chocolate is an appealing combination for consumers’ globally. Twenty-nine percent of all chocolate consumption occasions around the world included almonds – a significant proportion considering the variety of products and ingredients that are consumed across countries and cultures.

Of course, the popularity of chocolate products with nuts is nothing new, but the fact that almonds are included in

more than half of chocolate and nut consumption occasions worldwide is impressive. Favorite foods and flavors may vary across the globe, but almonds have transcended borders as a consistent confectionery favorite inclusion for consumers around the world.

What does this mean for manufacturers? Kate Thomson, director of insights and strategy for the Sterling-Rice Group, believes the opportunity for creative almond and chocolate pairings is strong and growing. “Manufacturers that are including almonds in their chocolate products can be confident they are already developing to meet consumer demand for this flavorful, nutty combination,” she says. “Looking forward, if current consumer preferences are any indication of future demand, almonds and chocolate will continue to spur product innovation as manufacturers develop new ways to offer this tried-and-true pairing.” J

Raisins – The Classic in a New Shape which supplies natural fruit Bolasco, ingredients to the European food

industry, has extended its portfolio of raisins.

Raisins from California are dried grapes of the Thompson Seedless variety. Raisins will be either dried on the vine (DOV) or on the ground. Contrary to sultanas, which are sweet in taste and have a light brown colour, raisins are rather dark brown and have a slight taste of caramel.

This results from the sugar in the fruit which caramelizes during the drying process in the hot Californian sun. This taste is especially interesting for the

chocolate and baking industry.

Raisins are baking stable and are suitable for use as an ingredient in trail mixes, salads, cereals and cookies. Due to their low pH value, the natural sugar inside the fruit and the low water activity raisins are less fragile than sultanas regarding microbiology and also comply with the most challenging quality standards in customer specifications.

Californian raisins are available in two

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

standard sizes SELECTS (800-1.200 berries per lb/0.4536 kg) and MIDGETS (1.600-2.000 berries per lb/0.4536 kg) or as per customer's request.

New in the portfolio are soft raisins for the bakery and dairy segment. Despite a moisture of 24-28% they have a very low microbiology and do not need to be soaked before baking.

Raisins are also available as a raisin juice concentrate and a paste as a natural preservative in the bakery field or also ingredients for the flavour industry.

Bolasco is part of the Bosch Boden Spies group which was founded in 1913 and specialises in marketing natural fruit ingredients.

In addition to the marketing of functional fruit ingredients, bolasco offers a wide service portfolio in the field of documentation, market research, logistics, R&D and application support as well as packing is part of its business activities.

The company draws from its closelymeshed network of manufacturers and customers to be able to discover and analyze trends, ideas and developments in the food industry at an early stage. J 23

I NUTS & RAISINS

Eating More Nuts Improves Mortality and Reduces Cancer Risk n the largest study of its kind, researchers Ialmonds, have found that eating nuts, including was associated with a 20% reduction in total mortality, independent of other predictors for death. Published in The New England Journal of Medicine in the US, this new epidemiological study examined the relationship between consumption of nuts and mortality, finding that eating more servings of nuts each week was associated with lower causes of death due to cancer, heart disease and respiratory disease.

Participants were part of either the Nurses’ Health Study, a longitudinal study assessing various health aspects of female registered nurses, or the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, a similar study of all-male health professionals. The sample size was 118,962 (76,464 women and 42,498 men). Compared with those who did not eat nuts, individuals who consumed nuts (serving size of 30 grams) seven or more times per week had a 20% lower death rate from all causes. This association was dose-dependent, which means the more nuts the participants ate, their total mortality rate decreased accordingly.

Almonds, along with other tree nuts reviewed in the research, provide a powerful nutrient package including protein, fibre, important vitamins and minerals.

Moreover, gram for gram, almonds are higher in protein, fibre, calcium, vitamin E, riboflavin and niacin than any other tree nut.

This study suggests that eating nuts, such as almonds, daily may provide health benefits and be part of a dietary and lifestyle pattern that supports long-term health.

“The findings from our study and others suggest a potential benefit of nut consumption for promoting health and longevity,” says Charles Fuchs, MD, MPH, and one of the study’s authors.

The study also suggested that participants who consumed more nuts were also leaner, and tended to have a healthy lifestyle, such as smoking less and exercising more. This adds to the strong body of evidence suggesting that people who regularly eat almonds have healthier lifestyles.

The researchers followed prospectively

the same group of women within the Nurses’ Health Study and identified 466 subjects (with no previous history of cancer). After adjusting for age/height and potential risk factors for pancreatic cancer (ie smoking, physical activity and energy intake), the researchers determined that women who consumed one 30-gram serving of nuts two or more times per week had a significantly reduced risk of pancreatic cancer compared to those who did not eat nuts regularly. Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause for cancerrelated death in the UK, yet very few modifiable risk factors have been identified.

According to the study, the impetus for examining the association between nut consumption and pancreatic cancer is because consuming more nuts, like almonds, has been associated with reduced risk of diabetes, which is a risk factor for pancreatic cancer.

Although there has been a misconception that frequent nut consumption may result in weight gain and thereby increase the risk of developing pancreatic cancer, the opposite appears to be true. The study found that subjects with more frequent nut consumption were leaner.

To learn more about incorporating almonds into a healthy eating plan, please visit Almonds.co.uk. J

I CHOCOLATE

Cargill to Double Capacity at Belgian Chocolate Facility argill’s cocoa and chocolate business has C broken ground on a $48 million (€35 million) investment to double the capacity of its Belgian chocolate production facility in Mouscron over the next two years. The additional capacity will meet growing demand for chocolate in confectionary, bakery, dairy and artisanal applications from European customers.

Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business provides its customers with a large variety of Belgian chocolates, including custom made recipes and chocolate of sustainable origin.

The investment will increase capacity of both liquid dark or milk chocolate and solid chocolate drops and chunks. The new facility will source raw materials like cocoa butter from Cargill’s integrated cocoa processing

plants in The Netherlands and in France.

“With this investment, Cargill demonstrates its commitment to providing our customers with a broader and more bespoke service and enlarged range of chocolate recipes to meet their individual needs,” says Jos de Loor, president of Cargill Cocoa & Chocolate. “The extension of our state-ofthe-art facility in Mouscron along with our food ingredient expertise will support our cocoa and chocolate growth strategy.”

The new production lines will be operational in summer 2014 and will lead to the creation of approximately new 40 jobs over the next two years.

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate facilities in Belgium are part of its wider cocoa and chocolate network in Western Europe, Africa, Brazil, Canada and the United States.

Cargill has been supplying quality cocoa and chocolate products to customers around the world in the chocolate, confectionery and food industry for over 50 years. J

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I SOFT DRINKS

Britvic Creating a Simpler Operating Model UK and international soft drinks group Britvic is on track to deliver £30 million of cost savings per annum by 2016. rmed with a strong portfolio of brands including Robinsons, Tango, J2O, Fruit Shoot, along with PepsiCo brands such as Pepsi, 7UP and Mountain Dew Energy (produced under license), Britvic is the largest supplier of branded still soft drinks in Great Britain and the number two supplier of branded carbonated soft drinks. Britvic is also an industry leader in Ireland with brands such as MiWadi and Ballygowan, and in France with brands such as Teisseire and Fruite.

Britvic is also expanding rapidly in other international markets like the US, Spain and India through franchising, export and licensing.

Under chief executive Simon Litherhead, Britvic is currently pursuing a new development strategy of improving efficiency, streamlining the business and accelerating international expansion.

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New Operating Model “Over the last six months, we have made a strong start to redefining our operating model in order to create a simpler, more focused organisation with clear accountabilities. We have been aligning resources and capabilities behind our strategy and the growth opportunities, and we have been focusing on being more efficient and effective in how we work, thereby reducing cost at the same time,” he explains.

Simon Litherhead adds: “This is a significant piece of work that is a top to bottom exercise, touching every function in the business that covers our culture, values, ways of working, processes, systems and structures. The program will continue over

By reconfiguring its manufacturing base, Britvic is reducing the number of production lines required by 7%.

the next two years, but much of the heavy lifting and core people changes will be complete by quarter two 2014.”

The measures to increase operational efficiency and to simplify the organisational structure will lead to an overall reduction in the headcount of between 10% and 15%.

Britvic has already created a single GB and Ireland business unit and installed a new executive team with clearly defined accountabilities to drive the changes.

Streamlining Manufacturing The manufacturing base and supply chain in Great Britain and Ireland are being streamlined with the closure of factories in Chelmsford and Huddersfield planned for the first quarter of 2014, along with a warehouse in Belfast which has already been shut.

Capacity from the Chelmsford plant will be redistributed elsewhere in the group.

The Fruit Shoot production line will be transferred to Britvic’s factory in the South of France, to supply both France and Spain from next spring. J2O production is being transferred to the Leeds factory where investment has been made to improve existing lines capacity. Other non-core small volume product lines are being outsourced to co-packers.

As the Huddersfield site is closed, Britvic will delist its two GB water brands (Drench and Pennine Spring. Water), and will promote Ballygown, the leading water brand in Ireland, as the single water brand for GB and Ireland by spring 2014.

“The reconfiguration of our manufacturing base means we are reducing the number of production lines we require by 7%, whilst maintaining our capacity to produce the brands that will deliver growth for Britvic in the future. This significantly improves our cost base and our asset utilization, both in GB and Ireland,” Simon Litherland points out.

In Ireland, Britvic has separated its licensed wholesale activities into a separate business, which has been re-branded Counterpoint. Servicing over 7,000 customers in the Irish on trade with both soft FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

Simon Litherland, chief executive of Britvic.

drinks and alcohol, Counterpoint is now rolling out a new model of customer engagement. It is also expanding into other categories to provide a one-stop shop. For example, it is partnering with PepsiCo to offer the Walkers snacks range, and has entered into an exclusive agreement with Findlater Wine & Spirit Group, one of Ireland’s largest wine and spirit distributors, to significantly expand the range of wines offered to the drinks trade.

Procurement Strategy Britvic has also implemented a new procurement strategy focused on cost reduction, ensuring greater forward visibility of costs and an improved assurance of supply.

“On cost reduction, we have identified an opportunity to consolidate our supplier base and so far have reduced the number of suppliers in GB by 16%, and in Ireland by 29%,” he says. “We are also successfully implementing a number of product and packaging optimization initiatives that simplify our purchasing needs, or leverage our scale on a group-wide basis more effectively. For example, we are now procuring juice as a group, and have reduced the number of caps we use across the portfolio.” £10 million of the envisaged £30 million of cost savings will be invested by Britvic into exploiting international growth opportunities. J 27

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LABVANTAGE Brings Business Benefits to Britvic or the last 75+ years, Britvic has been F making and supplying fruit and other soft drinks to the UK market. Today this includes some of the most well-known household brands like Robinsons, J20, Pepsi and drench. As the company has grown and

expanded its product portfolio, the Central Quality Assurance Laboratory in Widford played a key role in the manufacturing and supply process.

Every batch of drink produced has to pass

stringent quality standards before it is released from the factory. These include physical, chemical and microbiological testing, which all have to be managed, assessed and reported as appropriate. This level of quality assurance ensures the drinks are contaminant free, which combined with testing for yeast isolates, also guarantees fruit-based soft drinks remain alcohol free.

For over 10 years, Britvic has been managing these critical laboratory operations and processes using a LIMS from LABVANTAGE. Initially the LABVANTAGE personnel worked closely with the Britvic Team to implement and configure the LIMS to meet Britvic’s requirements, a relationship that has continued through a number of upgrades to the latest version of the product. This working knowledge and partnership, along with the inherent flexibility of the solution, laid the foundation for the LIMS to continue meeting Britvic’s needs as their processes evolved and new product lines were introduced.

Also important to this market sector, the flexibility and efficiency of the LIMS has enabled Britvic to plan and react to the seasonal nature of their testing during the fruitpicking seasons.

Going forward, as the Britvic brand continues to display strong growth and market performance, LABVANTAGE is committed to ensure the business benefits of the Central Quality Assurance Laboratory are maintained and extended into the wider Britvic Group. J

1000 Foreign Bodies at RSSL SSL's microscopy laboratory handled R its 1000th foreign body identification project for the food industry in 2013 during the Christmas period. RSSL relaunched its routine, 5-day turn-round foreign body identification service at the start of 2013, and also offers a more indepth investigative service.

The Christmas period often sees a peak in foreign body incidents. People are often buying, receiving and preparing food that is unfamiliar, or serving/consuming it in unfamiliar places. This brings potential for the domestic accidents that can introduce foreign bodies into foods. Surprisingly, consumers even identify unfamiliar ingredients as foreign bodies. Inappropriate storage can also lead to precipitation of ingredients, leading consumers to suspect contamination.

“The food industry has done a lot to reduce foreign body incidents,” notes Tom Ray, Head of RSSL's microscopy laborato28

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

ry. “However, despite their best efforts, consumer complaints, both genuine and contrived, continue to arise. Our routine service is a low-cost, high value service that can identify foreign bodies and give manufacturers the information they need to respond to any complaint in the appropriate way. Instead of merely responding with refunds, it is better to understand a foreign body and respond properly. Consumers appreciate a proper explanation of an incident rather than mere refunds or vouchers.”

For further information contact RSSL on Tel +44 (0)118 918 4000, Fax : +44 (0)118 986 8932, Email enquiries@rssl.com. J

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I FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

Food Industry Flooring Needs Packaged With Total System ith more than 30 years’ experience of W flooring in the sector, Flowcrete floors are trusted the world over to deliver fit for purpose systems, designed specifically for food and drink processing and packaging environments.

Now, under Flowcrete’s integrated flooring system, specifiers can select a total floor ‘build-up’ for their premises, which offers the next generation in flooring choice.

Carried out with one warranty and under one point of contact, works can include the repair and restoration or relaying of the concrete slab, the supply and installation of a damp proof membrane, and the supply and installation of a polymer modified screed.

Flowcrete can then undertake the design, supply and installation of a stainless steel drainage system and durable resin floor finish, including the choice of Flowcrete Flowfresh – a unique offer for the industry with its inclusion of the silver-based Polygiene® agent within the resin matrix, for the ultimate in hygiene performance.

Using patented technology, Polygiene® helps to protect surfaces against harmful microbes by building silver – which is one of nature’s own antimicrobial agents - into the flooring mix.

Polygiene® was brought to market after a three year research and development process. It is capable of controlling MRSA, C.Diff, salmonella and E-Coli – as well as other types of bacteria and fungi on contact. Harmful microbes deposited onto these surfaces become incapable of sustaining themselves.

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Only extremely small amounts of silver are used, which makes Polygiene® an environmentally friendly technology.

Furthermore, Polygiene® is an inorganic additive and therefore environmental issues relating to the use of organic antimicrobial additives do not apply to the system.

Flowfresh can be laid to falls to increase the run-off and water and other fluids in a wet processing environment and graded aggregates can also be selected to ensure a slip resistant finish.

The works are completed with durable, antimicrobial wall cladding, which offers a complete sealed surface that is easy to clean and maintain and meets even the most stringent demands for a total solution to prevent bacteria build-up.

Furthermore, this completed integrated floor to wall system can be delivered

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

through Isocrete Project Management, from Flowcrete UK, which offers a complete turn-key flooring solution to food processing and packaging clients looking to simplify the procurement of a new system underfoot.

Isocrete Project Management offers a single source route, extending from the initial project consultation process, through to warranty and aftercare.

Of major appeal to both main contractor and end user client, it operates throughout the key stages of a project, offering a bespoke service from initial consultation, product specification, product manufacture and logistics management, through to product installation from a trained Flowcrete approved contractor – and all backed by a comprehensive product and installation warranty.

Alan Dean, Managing Director of Flowcrete UK, says: “We have been meeting the needs of food and drink clients for more than 30 years and, to retain our position in the marketplace, we’ve constantly brought in new features and products to meet the needs of the industry, such as the project management service and the inclusion of stainless steel drainage into our integrated flooring programme.”

He adds: “The end result ensures specifiers get more from their floors, and can rely on us to deliver a system that meets their exact needs.” For further information visit www.flowcrete.co.uk. J

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FLOORS, WALLS & CEILINGS

Over 3/4 million Tiles Laid by Kemtile at AG Barr G Barr’s new canning facility at A Milton Keynes used over 770,000 Argelith tiles for the floor of the new bottling plant. Kemtile of Warrington was the chosen contractor and the tiles were laid using the Kagetec vibration method of installation.

The system was engineered in Germany by Van Koetsveld & Grimberg, and is regarded as the best tile installation system around for hygienic flooring in food and beverage manufacturing areas. The system vibrates the tiles into an epoxy bed, eliminating any air pockets and providing an even surface and thus ensuring complete integrity of the finished floor. The system has stood the test of time and is quoted as the installation system of choice by most food & drink manufacturers. There is only one company that has the licence to install tiles using the Kagetec system in the UK and Eire and that is Kemtile of Warrington.

The system used at AG Barr was the Kagetec GFK which is used on the many of Kemtile’s projects. The combination of vibration tiling and a plastic mesh reinforced epoxy membrane/adhesive between the tiles and the bedding medium makes GFK one of the toughest floors available. Every tile is vibrated into position encasing it in an epoxy resin; if the grout is damaged the tile bedding is protected. It is ideal for very wet areas due to its totally impervious substrate.

A typical Kagetec GFK floor is between 80 and 90mm thick including the tile. Kemtile has been the exclusive Kagetec installer in the UK and Eire since 1998.

Kemtile also installed the Wiedemann-Technik stainless steel drains and gulleys on the site. For further information visit www.kemtile.co.uk. J FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

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HYGIENIC STEEL EQUIPMENT

Made in Britain’ Tag Not Just About Patriotism ood health scares always make the news F and lead to calls for increasing regulation in the industry. So what can hard-pressed food processors do to make sure that problems don’t occur in their supply chain?

A great starting point is to get the basics right and make sure that all food contact materials are fit for purpose; being hygienic, durable and easy to clean. And unsurprisingly, stainless steel is the material of choice for food processing equipment.

Teknomek is one of the UK’s leading manufacturers of stainless steel hygiene furniture and equipment. Steve Mallet, managing director of Teknomek, notes: “There’s stainless steel and stainless steel – we only use 304 and 316 grade, so customers know they’ll get quality corrosion resistance with products that’ll deliver great longevity.”

He continues: “The ’Made in Britain’ tag isn’t about patriotism, it’s about practicality – from order to manufacture in our Norwich factory and delivery anywhere in the UK can be no more than 5-10 days, with low transport costs an additional and important benefit.”

Despite the recurring media activity on food safety, there are no specific European or UK regulations for the use of stainless steel in the food industry in the UK. However the Food Standards Agency, in

partnership with local authorities, is rolling out the national Food Hygiene Rating Scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Food Hygiene Information scheme in Scotland. The schemes also encourage businesses to improve hygiene standards. The overarching aim is to reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.

Teknomek is a member of the British Stainless Steel Association and also follows guidelines produced by The European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), a consortium of equipment manufacturers, food industries, research institutes as well as public health authorities. The principal goal of EHEDG is the promotion of safe food by improving hygienic engineering and design in all aspects of food manufacture.

For Teknomek, this means making sure that all products are designed for ease of cleaning and manufactured with hygienic TIG welds.

During production, great care is taken to protect all surfaces to ensure no pits or scratches that could lead to future hygiene problems. All cut edges are deburred and polished.

Steve Mallett concludes: “If the grade of stainless steel is correctly specified for the application, corrosion should not be encountered. Surface finish and condition is very important to the successful application of stainless steels. Smooth surfaces not only reduce the risk of corrosion but also stay hygienically cleaner for longer. Stainless steel is naturally hygienic as it has an inert surface and can be cleaned easily.”

Teknomek has a standard range of more than 1,500 products covering personal workplace, mobile and static storage, waste bins, dispensers, sinks, wash troughs and taps. A bespoke service is also available from its in-house design service. The company’s experienced customer service team is always on hand to advise either over the phone or in person, to make sure that customers get the most cost-effective high quality stainless steel solutions to meet their hygiene requirements. J

Syspal’s Range of Vertical Goods Elevators yspal’s range of Vertical Goods Elevators S has been designed specifically with customer requirements in mind. Their modular construction allows every elevator to be individually tailored to suit the site requirement, whilst all elevators are 100% HSE compliant - the stainless steel construction allows low maintenance and fast clean down.

So when Dairy Crest needed heavy cheese blocks storing on several levels, the company turned to Syspal.

“The Syspal Vertical Goods Elevators matched our needs precisely, because we wanted to improve our current procedures, 32

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

whilst maintaining high standards for health and safety within the workplace. The installation of the goods lifter was perfect and helped us remain at the forefront of continuous improvement. Ease of operation, and a speedy installation produced virtually no downtime, whilst delivering greater efficiencies in the workplace - to the point that we have added another Syspal elevator within the same factory,” says Paul Piper, the Projects Team Leader, Syspal designs and manufactures a wide range of lifting equipment to suit most requirements. J

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HYGIENE

Stainless Steel Products For Hygienic Environments n food factories and specialist dairy industries, hygiene is major Idistribution. factor when manufacturing, processing and packaging goods for In 2012, ASPEN Stainless secured a contract for a super dairy in Aylesbury to manufacture and install thousands of metres of their stainless steel kerbing range and several large, high level gantries. Working hand in hand with other companies to ensure a seamless installation in all of the specialist working areas, today the super dairy is now up and running, with its first distribution leaving the super dairy only weeks ago.

As well as the food and drink industry, ASPEN enjoys a close working relationship with its clients from many different industrial sectors including; industrial kitchens, pharmaceutical manufacture; health services, and general construction. With the demands for hygienic plant and equipment increasing and changing to meet regulations, ASPEN has provided countless product engineering solutions to meet the specialist requirements year on year.

Products by ASPEN are designed and manufactured in the UK and installed throughout the UK and abroad. By using their own installation teams, there is only one company you need to rely on.

In addition to stainless steel kerbing and gantries, ASPEN boasts an extensive range of high quality, durable, stainless steel, industrial drainage systems, wall cladding, and protection products for a complete hygienic workplace.

For more information about ASPEN visit their website www.aspen.eu.com for a complete range of stainless steel products and technical data sheets. If you have a specialist project that needs an ASPEN touch, contact the technical sales team today; 0115 986 6321, aspen@canalengineering.co.uk. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

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New Generation Robotic Palletiser is Top of the Class ANUC has launched a new universal F palletising robot that boasts best-in-class speed, payload, energy-efficiency and reach.

The M410-iC/185 palletiser combines FANUC’s proven 99.99% reliability with tangible improvements in performance,

FANUC’s new M410-iC/185 universal palletising robot that boasts best-in-class speed, payload, energy-efficiency and reach.

allowing food and beverage manufacturers to palletise heavier loads faster and stack pallets higher.

Thanks to advancements in servo drive and motor technology, the M410-iC/185 delivers a 16% higher wrist load and 13% greater throughput than its predecessor, the M410-iB/160 with installs of over 1600 units across Europe. A 185kg payload coupled with an average speed of 1700 cycles per hour results in heightened productivity and more efficient palletising of heavier loads. The four-axis robot has highest in class wrist load inertia, making it suitable for handling bulky items like sacks of flour using very large grippers, and compact, heavy items, like bottle crates.

The M410-iC/185 stacks pallets as high as 2.4m and the robot’s footprint is just 610 x 806mm. Energy consumption is as low as 3kW/hr. Two versions are available: a pedestal base with integral controller or a compact base with remote controller, pro-

STORAGE

The M410iC/185 palletising robot is quick and easy to install and comes with 15+ gripper options making it versatile for the food and beverage industry.

viding design options where ceiling height and footprint are key considerations.

The M410-iC/185 is the lightest duty model inthe new M410-iC generation of robots. J

LOGISTICS

Partner Logistics Wisbech Invests in Work-based Training artner Logistics is assisting staff to P reach their full potential by offering National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) to help consolidate and develop existing skills into formal credentials.

Thirty four out of the forty members of staff at the Wisbech site are in the process of completing NVQs thanks to Partner Logistics’ investment in continuing professional development programmes.

Having a highly skilled, knowledgeable and loyal workforce ensures Partner Logistics is able to consistently deliver services to the highest possible standard for the benefit of customers, maintaining excellent service and reliability.

Mark Mattless, a planner at Partner Logistics, who is in the process of completing his NVQ in Business Information 34

Technology, comments: “Having the opportunity to progress in the trade and get recognised qualifications has boosted my confidence and made me more determined to succeed. The support Partner Logistics is giving me to develop to my full potential has been great in building my knowledge and skills in the industry.”

Jon Miles, Head of UK operations at Partner Logistics, says: “As a market leader, we are always looking to continuously progress and improve. Through nurturing our staff and helping them gain professional qualifications, we are actively encouraging personal growth both within the business and as individuals within a team.”

Employees who are currently taking their NVQs at Partner Logistics include FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

Six of the 34 staff at Partner Logistics Wisbech who are currently studying for their NVQs.

Multi-skilled staff who are completing NVQ2s in Warehouse Operations; Planners, Engineers and Administrative staff who are completing NVQ2s in Business Information Technology and Shift leaders who are undertaking NVQ2s in Shift Management. The staff are all looking to complete their qualifications by March 2014. J

I DAIRY

Muller Group Comes of Age in the UK and Ireland According to Theo Muller Snr, owner of Germany-based Muller Group, the opening of a major new butter manufacturing plant in Shropshire is a sign of his company’s optimism and confidence in the UK dairy industry. he formal opening of the £17 million state-ofthe-art plant at Market Drayton is symbolic of the sterling progress Muller Group has made in the UK, particularly since accelerating its expansion over the past two years.

Muller Group first entered the British yoghurt market in 1987 and later established a desserts factory at Market Drayton in 1991. Armed with major brands such as Muller Corner, Mullerlight and Muller Theo Muller Snr, owner of Muller Group.

Rice, and equiped with a local production facility, Muller became leader ments by Muller Group are evidence of his of the UK yoghurt market in 1995. company’s ambitions in the UK. The acquisition of Wiseman and Ministerley are allowTransformational Acquisition ing the UK business to emulate the strategy The acquisition of liquid milk specialist adopted by Muller in continental Europe, Robert Wiseman Dairies for £279.5 mil- where it has a broad portfolio of dairy prodlion in 2012 transformed Muller’s UK ucts. Of course, Muller Group is one of leadbusiness, substantially increasing its scale ing dairy processors in Europe with an annuand broadening its dairy portfolio. Muller al turnover of around Eur4.7 billion. now processes and delivers around 30% of The establishment of the UK’s largest the fresh milk consumed in Britain every butter plant has further diversified Muller’s day. product portfolio in the UK. The new facilMuller subsequently further strengthened ity is capable of producing 45,000 tonnes of its position in the UK dairy industry with butter a year, and will allow Muller to optitwo strategic acquisitions - a chilled desserts mise returns on the 90,000 tonnes a year of facility at Minsterley in Shropshire, and surplus generated by its fresh milk, cream, private label yoghurt producer Nom Dairy yoghurt and chilled deserts operations.

UK with its state-of-the-art manufacturing “It is almost 21 years since our initial facility at Telford, also in Shropshire. investment in the yogurt factory here in The purchase of the Minsterley facility Market Drayton and the introduction to gave Muller access to the Cadbury chilled the UK of Muller Corner and whilst there desserts range, including Cadbury Mousse, is a lot to do, I feel that we are now coming Trifle and twin-pot products, which are sold of age in the UK and Ireland,” comments under an exclusive licence from Cadbury. The acquisition of the Nom Dairy UK facility, which has a turnover of £43 million per annum, provided a platform for Muller to develop its presence in the UK private label yogurt market.

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UK Ambitions According to Theo Muller Snr, these recent, acquisition investFOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

Theo Muller Snr: “By investing in new products and highly efficient manufacturing facilities, we aim to offer customers the means by which their consumers can access great dairy products made in Britain with milk produced by British dairy farmers.”

Import Substitution Indeed, the new butter plant will help to replace dairy imports into Britain while also supplying export markets.

Ronald Kers, chief executive of Muller UK & Ireland Group, comments: “Britain is one of the world’s great milk producing nations yet it is reliant on more than £2 billion of dairy products sourced from continental Europe and Ireland. This represents a major opportunity for well invested dairy companies in the UK and for dairy farmers in Britain.”

Ronald Kers adds: “We know that there is domestic and international demand for great British butter produced with cream from Red Tractor Farm Assured British milk and this new facility will allow us to add value and satisfy this demand.”

Muller is already planning to extend the range of products made at the butter plant, which will initially manufacture 25kg and 10kg blocks of salted, unsalted and lactic butter for the food manufacturing and food ingredient industries. Interest from customers has been such that the company is accelerating plans to install a packet butter operation so that it can also offer 250 gram products to the retail and food service sectors from early summer 2014.

Reflecting recent acquisitions, Muller UK & Ireland increased group turnover from £450 millioin in 2011-12 to £1.5 billion in 2012-13. Muller UK & Ireland Group operates 19 sites nationwide and employs almost 6,000 people across four business units: Muller Dairy, Muller Wiseman Dairies, Muller Minsterley and TM Telford. J 35

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FIELD TO FORK TRACEABILITY. WITH END-TO-END SUPPLY CHAIN CAPABILITIES. Our industry-leading ERP software suite, IFS Applications, gives you a 360-degree view of your supply chain and production capacity, allowing you to make informed decisions and meet challenging customer demands — on a daily basis. IFS Applications can be used in the office, on the shop floor, in the warehouse and by your mobile workforce.

FOR AGILE BUSINESS

Find out more at: IFSWORLD.COM /UK /FOODANDBEVERAGE

I ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING

IFS Applications – Creating a Lean and Agile Supply Chain Network FS Applications™ for Food and Iindustry Beverage provides companies in the with the functionality and agility to achieve faster return on investment, greater business efficiency and enhanced customer relationships.

With IFS Applications you can balance efficiency with responsiveness to create a lean and agile supply chain network. Its integrated planning environment provides you with an instant overview of the entire supply chain so you can react quickly to customer and market demands.

Case Study William Grant and Sons use IFS Applications within their business, this is their story…

William Grant and Sons (WGS) is an independent, family owned spirits business.

Established in 1887, the company counts several award-winning premium brand names in its portfolio, including Glenfiddich single malt whisky, Grant’s Blended Scotch Whisky, Hendrick’s Gin and Sailor Jerry spiced rum. With UK headquarters and two major distilleries in Scotland, the company also operates its First Drinks Brands drinks distribution

division from offices in Hampshire.

William Grant and Sons (WGS) continues to set itself some ambitious targets—to grow demand for its premium brands and maximise opportunities in emerging markets. WGS embarked on a thorough program to replace its legacy systems to enable it to access a cross-business chart of accounts, take a global perspective of its business processes and develop an information platform to enable its future growth.

In the end, great quality of service during the procurement process and the userfriendliness of IFS Applications made the choice easy. IFS offered the strong, lasting relationship WGS was looking for from its ERP provider. Now WGS gets a consistent view of business information across all its sites worldwide, resulting in a better connected business with accurate, transparent, real time data to take the company forward.

“IFS really stood out as being a great fit for us, in terms of working culture and practices,” says John Brown Programme Director for the Global Business Model (GBM) roll-out project.

“Commercial discussions and technical dealings ran most smoothly with IFS from day one, and we felt that this was largely down to the fact that we were dealing directly with the vendor instead of a reseller. We were looking to build a strong and lasting relationship with our ERP provider, and we could see that IFS could offer us the insight and service that would turn them into an important and trusted partner for our Global Business Model rollout.”

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

360-degree View For WGS, a benefit of the IFS Applications roll-out is the ability to produce a 360-degree view of the customer, and, more broadly, a consistent view of all business data across all global sites.

“We’ve always looked for the ‘wow’ moments from our suppliers, and the 360degree customer view offered by IFS definitely fits into that category,” John Brown enthuses. “Customer service staff at our First Drinks business love the fact that they now have all the information they need about each customer all together on one screen. It has changed the way they work, and we have no doubt it has had a very positive impact on productivity.”

In addition, the finance department has transitioned seamlessly onto IFS Applications, citing it as a key enabler for group reconciliation with the business achieving a clean accounts audit only four months after implementation.

In addition, WGS has been so impressed with the quality of service and delivery that it has made IFS a first choice partner. “We share many core values with IFS in terms of project delivery, customer service and product quality. They really have gone above and beyond in order to deliver everything we need on time and on budget,” says John Brown.

For further information please visit the IFS website www.ifsworld.com/uk/ foodandbeverage. J

“We share many core values with IFS in terms of project delivery, customer service and product quality. They really have gone above and beyond in order to deliver everything we need on time and on budget.”

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I SERVICE MANAGEMENT

United Biscuits Selects Sunrise Software nited Biscuits has selected UK-headquartered service management company U Sunrise Software to provide its flagship product Sostenuto ITSM to support 4,000 users at more than 15 locations in the UK, Belgium, France, Netherlands and the Republic of Ireland.

Since deploying Sostenuto ITSM and Sunrise Software’s Self-Service portal ‘Iguana’, UB has significantly boosted IT efficiency and expects to save in the region of £25,000 every year. Based at the organisation’s headquarters in Liverpool, the new Sostenuto ITSM Service Desk delivers round-the-clock support to employees

throughout the organisation, with UB’s third party support partners based in India also accessing the central Service Desk to manage incidents around the world.

According to Gary Devaney, IT Service Manager at United Biscuits: “The time had come to create a more dynamic Service Desk environment that could deliver faster, more efficient IT services to help staff tackle the challenges of our expanding international business activities head on. Sunrise was streets ahead of the competition. It met all our requirements for simplicity and flexibility all within a cost-effective package.”

Using Sostenuto ITSM, UB’s IT department can create new fields, develop the right security framework, handle all their own trouble-shooting and then report back on the performance of the Service Desk themselves without accruing additional costs from external consultancy or add-ons.

Sostenuto ITSM now captures 100% of IT incidents ensuring all receive prompt attention. Staff are able to log their own issues via the Iguana web-based Self-Service portal. In addition to saving time and

reducing the number of calls coming into the Service Desk, the introduction of SelfService has given users complete visibility, of how their incidents are being handled and the ability to track progress from beginning to end.

In the short time since deploying Sunrise Software, United Biscuits has reaped considerable benefits. The simplicity and flexibility of the system alone have delivered significant time savings through customisation and self-service. Most striking, however are the tangible cost benefits of Sunrise Software made possible by a single, consolidated platform that is easy to maintain, in a totally virtualised environment without the need for new or additional hardware. Add to this a cost-effective software licensing model and UB’s initial investment in Sunrise technology is expected to yield impressive savings of around £25,000 a year, every year.

For more information on Sunrise Software, its products, services and customers, please visit www.sunrisesoftware .co.uk. J

I MOBILITY SOLUTIONS

Invensys Extends Mobile Offerings With Wonderware InTouch Access Anywhere nvensys has released its Wonderware® Isolution.

InTouch Access Anywhere™ software The new solution enables users to access plant-floor data via Wonderware InTouch® software, the world’s leading human machine interface software. It runs entirely and securely inside a web browser so users can connect to other InTouch applications at anytime from anywhere, using any mobile device, including Microsoft Surface tablets, iPads, iPhones, Androids and others. The software also supports Macintosh and Linux-based computer systems, as well as Microsoft Windows PCs and laptops. And because users are not required to install any software on their mobile device, the offering is remarkably easy to deploy, manage and maintain.

“This new offering complements Invensys’ broader mobile strategy to pro-

vide and improve real-time visualization, collaboration and execution at multiple levels of an organization,” says Craig Resnick, vice president, ARC Advisory Group.

“Along with delivering mobile solutions for reporting, decision-support, dashboards, workflow and workforce execution, this new offering also brings HMI visualization capabilities to mobile devices. These capabilities extend the company’s operations management software portfolio by providing plant operators and other key individuals with modern process optimization tools, regardless of their location or the task being performed, and in real time.”

InTouch Access Anywhere software is the newest capability in the company’s progressive suite of mobility solutions, which now includes workflow, reporting, analytics, visualization, maintenance management, operator training, data gathering and proceFOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

dure management. In 2010, Invensys released its IntelaTrac offering, a mobile reporting and decision support system that enables workflow, data collection and general task management. In 2011, Invensys released its SmartGlance solution, an industrial reporting application that delivers secure, on-demand access to rich, graphical reports from any operations data source via mobile devices. In 2012, the company released its Work Tasks mobile offering, enabling plant personnel, regardless of their location, to respond immediately to assigned work tasks via the company’s ArchestrA Workflow software.

For more information about the new software, please visit the InTouch Access Anywhere HMI site or contact a local Wonderware distributor. J 41

I

ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING

Aspera Solutions Sees Growth Opportunities For ERP in the Food and Drink Sector spera Solutions specialises in supplying, A implementing and supporting ERP and business software solutions for the manufacturing and distribution sectors, with particular focus on the food and beverage industry in Ireland and the UK. Established in 1987, the Irish privately owned company has been operating in the UK for the past five years. The UK office is in Birmingham with the company headquarters located in Dublin, with consultants based regionally to support local implementations. Aspera now has over 70 customers across Ireland and the UK, with the majority operating within the food and drink sector, supported from its customer services centre in Dublin.

About 30% of Aspera’s business is currently in the UK. However, a recently completed acquisition will significantly expand its British footprint and double its business in the UK, increasing total sales by 25%.

Indeed, further investment in its UK business and other acquisition opportunities will result in the company doubling in scale within the next three years, according to Lonan Byrne, Managing Director of Aspera Solutions.

Aspera is the main partner in the UK and Ireland for two of the leading international ERP solutions - Epicor and Aptean Ross.

Professional Competence Aspera’s success, particularly within the food and drink industry, is based on its professional competence and intimate understanding of each customer’s business and individual requirements. This, coupled with its comprehensive support services, has enabled the ERP specialist to develop long-term relationships with its customers.

Aspera’s consulting, implementation and support teams are all manufacturing industry professionals who understand the challenges facing each customer. They work closely with customers’ internal teams from the project champion to the shop floor to equip customers with a project methodology and processes that ensure the success of the implementation at every stage.

Full Cycle Services Aspera provides the full range of services 42

required to support the life-cycle of an IT project from evaluation, through project management, training, consulting, development and support to ongoing customer care. Lonan Byrne believes that the scope of services and experience across a range of selected software products sets Aspera apart from many software vendors.

Lonan Byrne, Managing Director of Aspera Solutions.

With over 70 customers on support, and likely to increase with further acquisitions, the challenge is increasingly on delivering value to the customer over the long-term.

This involves a customer service philosophy which assists ERP users to continually harvest more value for existing systems without costly upgrade services. Indeed Lonan Byrne notes that the average life cycle of its ERP systems has grown to 15 years. This contrasts with an average life cycle of 5 years in the 1990’s.

All Aspera’s customers are mid-tier companies, ranging in scale from £10 million to £500 million in turnover. “We typically implement between 10 to 100 seats of ERP. Many of our customers don’t have an internal IT department,” explains Lonan Byrne. “So once they choose a system from us, we effectively become their IT department.”

He adds: “We recognise that any company implementing an ERP system is undertaking a major project entailing significant investment and change. We help companies through the process of change. We also help customers to capitalise on that investment over the longer-term.”

Aspera’s development team is experienced in delivering sophisticated systems integration services, covering office systems, corporate ERP, plant systems and FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

factory equipment, warehousing systems, transport and third party logistics, customers’ and suppliers’ systems. Training programmes are designed to maximise the value and return on investment as quickly as possible.

Aspera’s customers within the food and drinks sector include Wyke Farms, BV Dairy, and Troy Foods in the UK, Ballyrashane Creamery in Northern Ireland and Glenhaven Foods in Ireland.

Customer Care The effectiveness of the services provided

by Aspera is reflected in an extremely high level of customer retention.

“Everything we do is built around a longterm customer relationship. Many of our customers have been with us 17 or 18 years, many undertaking major upgrades with us,” he points out. “We will never do anything in this company that sacrifices long-term customer retention for shortterm gain. The quality of our customer support is key.”

Aspera operates a Customer Support Desk, providing customers with access to the support team. The Aspera Help Line offers additional local support for each customer’s own system configuration.

New Departure Aspera is well respected throughout Ireland and the UK for its expertise and experience in successfully implementing ERP systems within the food and drink industry. Indeed, it is this specialist knowledge that has prompted Epicor to involve Aspera in the enhancement of its software for specific application within the food and beverage sector. This marks a new departure for Aspera bringing it into product development for the first time.

For further information contact Philip Larragy in our Sales Department at Aspera Solutions, Head Office: 23 Kilcarbery Business Park, Dublin 22, Ireland. Tel +353 (1) 461 1700, Fax +353 (1) 413 8082, E-mail info@aspera.ie, Web www.aspera.ie.

UK Office: Central Boulevard, Blythe Valley Business Park, Solihull, B90 8AG, UK. Tel +44 (845) 862 0864, E-mail info@aspera.co.uk, Web:www.aspera.co.uk. J

I

DAIRY

Irish Dairy Industry to Increase Capacity by 50% Irish dairy processors are ramping up capacity in preparation for a significant increase in milk production following the abolition of EU milk quotas in 2015. he Irish Government’s Dairygold’s €120 Million ‘Food Harvest 2020’ Expansion development strategy for In order to facilitate the expectthe food industry incored increase in milk production porates proposals to increase from its members, Dairygold, dairy production by 50% by Ireland’s largest farmer owned 2020. Food Harvest 2020 envisbusiness and the country’s secages doubling Irish annual ond largest dairy processor, is cheese production to more than implementing a phased invest300,000t and increasing whole ment of Eur120 million over an milk powder production foureight years period to incremenfold to 100,000t. tally expand its weekly processTo support this planned ing capacity by 18.5 million expansion, it is estimated that litres by 2020. Dairygold investment of Eur400 million Glanbia Ingredients Ireland is investing Eur150 million to establish a world-class processes 950 million litres or will be required in extra process- dairy facility at Belview.

20% of Ireland’s milk pool to ing capacity to handle the addiproduce a range of cheese and tional 2.7 billion litres of milk, along with Ireland to establish a world-class dairy facil- dairy ingredients for export to more than almost Eur250 million in working capital, ity at Belview, on the Kilkenny/Waterford 50 countries. finance and the provision of associated border. The Eur150 million project repreFollowing the abolition of EU milk quofacilities such as storage. sents the first greenfield primary dairy facil- tas in 2015, Dairygold’s 3,000 milk supplyIreland’s dairy industry is export orient- ity to be built in Ireland in over 40 years. ing members have forecast to increase ed. Dairy exports were worth Eur2.7 billion Incorporating two 7.5 tonne/hour dryers annual milk production by more than 50% in 2012, almost 30% higher than 2006 lev- with a capacity of 19 million litres per by 2020. This equates to an increase of 500 els, and with further growth evident in week, the Belview plant will be entirely million litres per annum and requires an 2013 they now account for nearly 30% of focused on export markets and will supply expansion in Dairygold’s peak processing Ireland’s total food and drink exports. a range of nutritional powders to an capacity. increasing number of regions including the The projects so far completed include Middle East, Africa, Central America and processing plant expansion and capability Asia. Construction is underway and the improvement at the cheddar factory in new facility is expected to begin production Mitchelstown, the speciality cheese facility in Spring 2015. in Mogeely, the demineralised whey proGIIL is Ireland’s leading dairy ingredi- cessing facilities in Mitchelstown and the ents company – processing 1.6 billion litres commissioning of the new state-of-the-art of milk or 30% of Ireland’s milk pool into Anaerobic Digester in Mitchelstown. a range of dairy ingredients for export to A further Eur33 million is being invested more than 50 countries. “The Belview facil- in upgrading capacity at Mitchelstown to ity is a significant, strategic development cater for additional milk intake up to 2015. for our business,” says Jim Bergin, chief The investment will increase Dairygold’s executive of GII. “By providing this additional processing capacity we will Jim Bergin, chief executive of Glanbia Ingredients be facilitating milk Ireland. suppliers in their ambition to avail of Capital Investment the opportunity The largest single capital investment project presented by quota to expand processing capacity is currently abolition post Dairygold is implementing a phased investment of Eur120 million over an eight years period. being carried out by Glanbia Ingredients 2015.”

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

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Dale Farm Opens New £20 Million Cheese and Whey Plant In Northern Ireland, Dale Farm has recently Africa, markets in which it is developing opened a new £20million cheese and whey good business for its cheese, whey protein processing facility near Cookstown. The and specialist milk powders.

Dunmanbridge plant, one of the most Dr David Dobbin, chief executive of Dale advanced of its kind in Europe, forms part Farm, says: “Our £39 million investment of a £39 million investment supported by programme has transformed Dale Farm’s Invest Northern Ireland, part funded under product range and production capability, the European Regional Development Fund. enabling us to compete successfully on a Dale Farm is the processing arm of global scale.”

United Dairy Farmers, Northern Ireland’s The company achieved sales growth of largest farmer-owned co-operative. As well over 30% last year and is winning new as cheese and whey products, the group business with growing sales across the produces a broad range of dairy products British Isles and in key export markets such including liquid milk, butter and yoghurt. Dr David Dobbin, chief executive of Dale Farm, with Enterprise, as China, Russia the Middle East and Africa.

It also has subsidiary companies in England Trade and Investment Minister Arlene Foster at the opening of the “We are now well positioned to face the new plant. and Scotland. challenges coming out of the ending of Northern Ireland’s largest dairy processor milk quotas in 2015, especially with the has already created a significant market presence in Britain and North West doubling of our cheese and whey processing capacity at Cookstown, which Europe for its cheddar products The company is developing the scale neceswill enable us to significantly increase the amount of milk we can process sary to enable it to compete in global markets such as China, Russia and offering greater security to our members,” he adds.

Jim Woulfe, chief executive of Dairygold.

overall peak processing capacity and represents the conclusion of phase one of the Society’s Processing Capacity Plan to 2020.

“The majority of our milk suppliers wish to expand milk production to avail of the potential for increased farm income offered by the post quota era and Dairygold remains focused on helping them realise those opportunities,” says Jim Woulfe, chief executive of Dairygold. “This is a time of great change and opportunity for dairy farmers and the financial strength we have carefully built up in Dairygold over recent years, together with our expansion strategy, positions us well to reap the rewards that substantial dairy expansion over the next seven years will offer.”

Investment in ‘Milk Mining’ In addition to supporting individual capital investment projects, the Irish Government is also helping industry and academia fund

research that will provide the domestic dairy industry with a competitive edge in global markets.

The Irish Government has just announced a second term of funding worth Eur21 million for the functional foods Technology Centre, Food for Health Ireland (FHI). The Government is investing Eur16 million in FHI with the remaining Eur5 million being provided by the companies involved in the research centre Carbery, Dairygold, Glanbia, Kerry Group, and the Irish Dairy Board.

Promoting a healthy diet for a healthy life, FHI ‘mines’ milk to identify novel bioactive ingredients to develop functional foods which will offer health benefits to consumers. FHI is increasing its focus on infant nutrition, healthy cheese, sports drinks, ‘healthy aging’ drinks and products that can be used to manage Type 2 diabetes and obesity using the Eur21 million it has received for its second research phase.

Jens Bleiel, chief executive of FHI, explains: “The first 5-year term of FHI has shown for example, how milk proteinbased nutritional supplements can assist in the prevention of age-related muscle loss in people aged 50-70 years. We’ve also seen interesting results from our second human intervention study into the effects of a new milk based ingredient on glycemic management in 40-65 year olds that are either overweight but healthy, or have Type 2 non-insulin dependent diabetes.”

ing facility in Wexford.

The Macroom manufacturing facility produces infant milk base powder for sister baby food sites within the Danone group.

The new facility, which commenced production in 2011, has increased the site’s annual capacity from 35,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes. The trebling of capacilty at Macroom has made the site the largest and most technologically advanced manufacturing centre in Danone Baby Nutrition’s global network.

Danone Baby Nutrition has also invested Eur20 million to expand its second production facility in Ireland. The Wexford manufacturing facility produces consumer packs of infant milk such as Aptamil, Cow & Gate, Nutrilon and Bebilon for the Irish, UK, Dutch, Belgian, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish markets. The site also produces infant milk base powder for sister babyfood sites within the group.

Danone Baby Nutrition has spent Eur70 million on expanding the capacity of its baby food

Danone Invests €70 Million in Irish Baby Food Plants Overseas processors are also expanding capacity. Danone Baby Nutrition has spent Eur50 million on tripling the capacity of its baby food manufacturing plant in Macroom, County Cork, and has invested a further Eur20 million to expand its packFOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

manufacturing plant in Macroom and its packing facility in Wexford.

A new processing and packing line has doubled the capacity to 70,000 tonnes annually, making Wexford one of the biggest packing plants within the Danone Baby Nutrition group. J 45

Star’s Cool Performance Nets a 25% Energy Saving For Seafood Firm Scottish seafood processor has cut over A 25% from its annual energy bill by investing in a high efficiency cooling system from Star Refrigeration. Braehead (SFO Enterprises) is a seafood processing company run by the Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation (SFO). The firm operates a large processing facility in the coastal town of Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire, NE

Scotland.

Braehead (SFO Enterprises) is a key producer of high quality whole Scottish langoustine, landed by SFO members. The company processes and supplies the fresh and frozen Scottish shellfish to retail and food service markets across Europe.

The company was looking for an energy efficient and environmentally conscious cooling system to replace aging refrigeration plant at its langoustine processing facility in Fraserburgh. The existing plant operated on R22 gas, a HCFC refrigerant with high global warming potential that is currently being phased out by European legislation.

A world leader in cooling and heating system innovation, Glasgow-based Star designed and supplied a bespoke multi-temperature refrigeration plant for Braehead (SFO Enterprises). The plant supplies a total of 460kW of cooling to three cold

store chambers, an in-line freezing tunnel and a blast freezer.

Star handled the removal of the existing R22 plant and installed a single stage economised pumped circulation cooling system, with two Star built compressors and a surge drum/economiser package, all operating on natural ammonia refrigerant.

The plant provides 270kW of cooling for the three cold store chambers (-25 C), 190kW for the freezing tunnel (-40°C) and 65kW of cooling for the blast freezer (-35 C).

For more information, phone Star Refrigeration on 0141 638 7916, email star@star-ref.co.uk or visit www.starref.co.uk. J

MATERIALS HANDLING

Spiroflow Approach Gives Customers Total Control he best manufacturing equipment in the world will only perT form as well as it is controlled. To help avoid production pitfalls that occur when a mechanical/electrical interface breaks down, world-leading supplier of conveying and weighing solutions Spiroflow has invested heavily in providing the very best control systems design and build facility.

At its fully equipped centre in the UK, Spiroflow designs and builds controls inhouse for customers purchasing any of its Flexible Screw Conveyors, Aero Mechanical Conveyors, Tubular Cable and Chain Drag Conveyors, Vacuum Conveyors, Bulk Bag Dischargers, Bulk Bag Fillers or Ingredients Handling and Weighing Systems.

A team of highly-experienced engineers liaise extensively with customers to identify exactly how they want their equipment to operate and facilitate any requirements to interface with their overall process control system. Using only premium quality PLCs and components, Spiroflow carries out a rigorous testing procedure to ensure control panels perform as expected prior to commissioning. The company also offers complete electrical wiring and installation service and 46

its team will not sign off any job until the system is functioning to the customer’s complete satisfaction.

Whether the equipment is required for efficiently conveying food ingredients such as flour, cereals and coffee granules or regulating the flow of materials for the chemical and construction sectors, Spiroflow can reassure customers that the machines and controls they are planning to invest in will provide optimum performance and value for money.

Exceptional after sales support is also available from the company’s highly qualified programmers and service engineers, who can remotely monitor performance and diagnose problems without having to visit the customer’s site.

The company’s technical and engineering expertise has led to it developing an international reputation for an unrivalled range of products with state-of-the-art control systems. Underpinning this high quality equipment is Spiroflow’s willingness to invest in first-class customer support.

For more information on Spiroflow’s products and services visit www.spiroflow .com or call +44 (0)1200 422525. J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

I GLASS PACKAGING

Ballantine’s Updates Image For Finest With Glass Evolution cotch whisky sales may be soaring in S emerging markets (over 10% a year in some countries) but that does not mean that distillers are taking their feet off the gas when it comes to regular brand repackaging.

Paul McLavin, O-I Marketing Manager for the UK and Holland, knows the Scotch industry well. “Typically, mainstream whisky brands will revamp their packaging over a three to five year cycle. Fashions change and brand owners are quick to realize when refreshing the on-shelf image can help nudge sales upwards. Along with range extensions, packaging redesign is one of the keys marketeers use to persuade new consumers to try the brand, especially in its more mature markets,” he says.

Bold New-look One recent example could hardly be a bigger name. Ballantine’s, the No 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and No 2 in the world, has unveiled a bold new-look bottle for its Finest impression. The new glass pack, designed by Air Innovation, has been made

by O-I, the world’s leading glassmaker, at Alloa in the heart of Scotland’s bottling region.

The new bottle embraces Ballantine’s traditional attributes, such as timelessness, elegance and authenticity, while becoming more contemporary in style. It retains the

result of its unique richness of character and perfect balance. The range, from Ballantine’s Finest to the exclusive 40 Year Old, is the most extensive in the world of Scotch and is maintained by the latest in a tradition of Master Blenders that dates back to 1827.

Peter Moore, Ballantine’s Global Brand Director, says: “The Ballantine’s Finest bottle has changed very little over the years, but we recognised a need for the look to be updated. We are delighted with the result.

The new bottle performed very well in consumer tests within our key markets and outperformed our highest expectations.”

Paul McLavin, O-I Marketing Manager for the UK and Holland.

rectangular shape that Ballantine’s is famed for, but its shoulders have been made more angular, resulting in a sharper, prouder look. With design elements including a chevron-shaped label that echoes the wings of the historic Finest label, the new look gives the bottle a more dynamic, eye-catching appearance on shelf.

Premium quality cues have also been enhanced through a more prominent positioning of the brand’s crest and a simplification of the Ballantine’s seal. The bottle also features a deep chevron-shaped label panel to protect the new label throughout every stage of the supply chain.

Global Leaders The redesign is the result of a partnership between two global leaders. Ballantine’s is owned by Chivas Brothers, the Scotch whisky and premium gin business of Pernod Ricard, which also includes Chivas Regal, Beefeater Gin, The Glenlivet, Aberlour, Plymouth Gin, Something Special and Passport Scotch in its portfolio.

O-I is the world's largest glass container manufacturer and preferred partner for many of the world's leading food and beverage brands. With revenues of $7.0 billion in 2012, the company employs approximately 22,500 people at 79 plants in 21 countries and its Glass Is Life™ movement promotes the widespread benefits of glass packaging in key markets around the globe. J

Evolution Paul McLavin says: “This evolution of Ballantine’s packaging truly emphasises the strengths of glass. Subtle changes to the bottle shape have been made to update the brand image. This encourage fresh consumers to try Ballantine’s Finest, without alienating its loyal consumer base, who love the fact that Ballantine’s is one of the most consistent and recognisable brands in the world. Glass design is highly malleable; it can convey a brand proposition ranging from ultra-modern to nostalgic with an infinite range of possibilities in between.”

Ballantine’s has won more than 120 trophies and medals at international competition in the past 10 years for quality as a FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

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KM Packaging Picked For Premium Ready Meals Range M Packaging Services has helped an K award winning, high street supermarket chain to launch an innovative new range of premium ready meals in unique coloured aluminium trays, by providing a versatile, tailor-made film lidding solution.

KM worked alongside several UK manufacturers to develop the sophisticated range of around 50 different trays with two different lidding solutions for both hot and cold peel. The trays are unique in that they have an attractive cream lacquer both inside and out – a particularly challenging surface for KM to tackle. Nevertheless the lidding

specialist came up with a high clarity ovenable and peelable solution with excellent anti-fog properties and a high oxygen barrier, suitable for ready-to-heat meals.

KM’s unrivalled range of film lidding solutions and proven technical expertise were key to the company’s success in this project, which showcases a solid cream colour on both the inside and outside of aluminium trays for the first time.

Although many of KM’s lidding solutions are designed to extend shelf life, the company’s flexibility and commitment to rapid turnaround mean that it can also meet the supermarket’s demands for fast delivery on short-run seasonal products. For more information visit www.kmpack.co.uk or call 01832 274944. J

Ulma Packaging’s Equipment Makes Poultry Wrapping Untouchable lma Packaging, one of the UK’s leading U suppliers of packaging equipment for the whole fresh bird wrapping market, has in conjunction with a major industry processor launched an exciting new packaging format for poultry that offers attractive presentation, product protection and exceptional hygiene standards by removing human contact with the uncooked item from the supermarket shelf to oven.

The company, which offers poultry processors one of the biggest ranges of

packaging solution choices available anywhere in the UK, adapted a horizontal flowrapper, the Artic Q, to create an enhanced version of the pillow pack style bag, suitable for a whole chicken that can go straight into an oven.

This latest innovative machinery delivers an ovenable polyester film in quad pack format, which also comes with complete modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) for extended shelf-life. It was designed by Ulma following an approach from a cus-

tomer for a cost-effective, high value cookin-the-bag solution for fresh whole chicken.

Ulma’s Artic Quad flowrapper is state-ofthe-art equipment for fresh poultry wrapping. Its high speed long dwell sealing head, characterised by an ‘oval’ motion profile in the jaw, assures perfectly hermetically sealed packs at high production speeds. J

I LABELLING

Denny Bros Reports Rise in Multilingual Labels as Brand Owners Tap into Wider Markets enny Bros - the creator of Fix-a-Form® D the UK’s leading brand of multi-page leaflet labels - is reporting an increase in the

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number of labels it is producing to accommodate European and worldwide product sales. The company is finding that multilingual Fix-a-Forms® have moved from niche to mainstream use among many manufacturers seeking to attract additional business in a growing number of EU countries – and also from around the world.

Where products demand that information is relayed in multiple languages, the multi-page leaflet label is proving the option of choice for many as they allow for the effective communication of large amounts of text on-pack to deliver vital product descriptions, ingredients, recipes, competitions and promotions. One label FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, JANUARY 2014

can include any size of mini-marketing leaflet ranging from 2 to 120 pages in size.

There can be many languages included for products for export without the need for any additional labels which simplifies inventory and logistics.

Explains Natalie Bonner from Denny Bros: “With the ongoing cost challenges facing all manufacturers today, most are still using Fix-a-Forms® to convey multilingual information. With the ability to design the labels to be all shapes and sizes, to suit any pack, there is no need for major artwork changes to the original product packaging. Fix-a-Forms® can be simply overlaid onto the existing pack design.” J