Food and Drink Business Europe - Carlsberg Group invests in sustainable growth 25th Edition 2020

Volume 25 Issue 1

Carlsberg Group invests in sustainable growth

Food & Drink Business Website:

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C o n t e n t s

- 27 C ONVENIENCE F OODS

- 3 C OVER S TORY

Refocused Greencore shows resilience.

Carlsberg Group invests in sustainable growth.

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- 13 D AIRY European dairy companies dominate top global rankings.

Philip Hodges, EVP, Integrated Supply Chain, Carlsberg Group.

- 33 P OULTRY

P AGE 21

Stefan Descheemaeker, CEO, Nomad Foods.

Atria planning €130 million investment project to increase poultry production in Finland.

HKScan to invest in the growing poultry market.

Global Dairy Top 20, 2019

R EGULARS

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Ibrahim Najafi, CEO, Froneri.

- 15 M ARKET F OCUS

Materials Handling . . . . . . . . . . . 8 & 9

Global dairy ingredients market to be worth $81.4 billion by 2025.

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Cees ’t Hart, CEO, Carlsberg Group.

Bottling & Packaging . . . . . . . 10, 11, 25, 34

Processing & Manufacturing . . . . 16, 23, 24, 28, 29 & 31 PAGE 27

- 17 E VENT

Materials & Ingredients . . . . . . . . . . 35 & 36

Patrick Coveney, CEO, Greencore.

10 Reasons to Visit Foodex 2020 - March 30th-1st April - NEC Birmingham.

Managing Director: Colin Murphy Editor: Mike Rohan Group Operations Manager: Sylvia McCarthy

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Peder Tuborgh, CEO, Arla Foods.

- 19 I NNOVATION

Unilever opens new €85 million Global Foods Innovation Centre.

Advertising: Ian Stewart and Rachel Howard Production Manager: Sylvia McCarthy

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- 21 F ROZEN F OODS European frozen foods revival.

PAGE 14

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FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, VOLUME 25 ISSUE 1

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COVER STORY

Carlsberg Group Invests in Sustainable Growth Carlsberg Group is making strong progress in implementing its ambitious Together Towards ZERO sustainability programme at its breweries.

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n important element of the sustainabiland employs more than 600 people. ity programme is the move towards ZERO carbon emissions and ZERO Big Investment water waste at its brewing sites, includ“This is a big investment for us, but also a necing a target to halve water usage. To achieve its essary next step on our journey towards ZERO water reduction goal, Carlsberg Group has to water waste across all our breweries. By recyreduce water usage from 3.4 hl of water per hl cling 90% of all process water, the Fredericia of beer at the 2015 baseline to 1.7 hl of water brewery will halve its current average water per hl of beer by 2030. consumption for brewing beer, taking it below Following screening and evaluation by our 2030 target,” says Philip Hodges, EVP, Carlsberg Group’s Integrated Supply Chain, Integrated Supply Chain at Carlsberg Group. the Fredericia brewery in Denmark was selectHe adds: “The Fredericia brewery has coned as a test site for the global brewer’s first total sistently focused on resource management and water recycling plant. This plant will reduce water reduction, but we need better use of average water consumption at the brewery advanced water recycling technologies to reach from the current 2.9 hl of water per hl of beer the ambitious targets in our Together Towards to 1.4 hl of water per hl of beer, which will ZERO programme.” make it the first brewery to virtually eliminate The state-of-the-art total water recycling water waste. plant is a partnership project initiated through It is estimated that the total water recycling the public-private partnership DRIP (Danish plant will also reduce the brewery’s energy partnership for Resource and water efficient consumption by 10% through own biogas Philip Hodges, EVP, Integrated Supply Chain at Industrial food Production). The project production and recirculation of hot water, fur- Carlsberg Group. involves universities, technology providers and ther contributing to the Together Towards the Danish veterinary, environment and food ZERO sustainability programme. Established in 1979, the Fredericia authorities in order to ensure that it meets Denmark’s high food and site incorporates a brewery, bottling plant and warehouse terminal, environment standards.

Innovative Technologies The new water recycling plant at Fredericia uses innovative technologies. Philip Hodges explains: “The total water recycling plant at Carlsberg’s brewery represents a new and innovative approach for safe reuse of cleaned process water. The project introduces new technologies to improve water efficiency and builds on the long-standing tradition of co-operation with Danish environment and food safety authorities as well as leading Danish universities. Technically, the recycling process involves - in broad terms – a standard waste water treatment plant which removes nutrients and organic material, from

An important element of Carlsberg Group’s Together Towards ZERO sustainability programme is the move towards ZERO carbon emissions and ZERO water waste at its breweries, including a target to halve water usage.

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25% reduction at all breweries by 2022, increasing to a 50% reduction by 2030.

Carlsberg Group is pioneering ground-breaking innovations to reduce plastic waste. For example, it has introduced Snap Pack, which replaces the plastic wrapping used around Carlsberg’s six packs with a pioneering technology that glues the cans together.

First Carbon-neutral Brewery As part of its ‘Together Towards Zero’ sustainability strategy, Carlsberg Group’s brewery at Falkenberg in Sweden is now 100% powered by biogas and green electricity, making it the country’s first big brewery with zero carbon emissions from its energy consumption. By 2022 all of Carlsberg Group’s breweries will be using 100% renewable electricity and will have eliminated coal as a source of energy.

Carlsberg Group is currently investing up to Eur100 million in its Kronenbourg brewery at Obernai in France. “It is a multi-year programme aimed mainly at modernisation, capacity and capability improvements and advances within Environment, Health & Safety, which is also a priority in our sustainability programme. We pursue a reduction in the number of accidents year on year, with the ambition to reach zero lost-time accidents by 2030,” Philip Hodges points out.

the water, followed by cleaning the water through a sterile filtration membrane which removes all bacteria. The sterile water is then rinsed through a second tighter membrane which removes the salts. The result is water with purity greater than the standard for Danish drinking water. Furthermore, the water distribution will be continuously monitored to always ensure a safe and reliable water quality throughout the brewery.”

The Fredericia brewery will serve as a learning platform for all of Carlsberg Group’s breweries. In Western Europe, Carlsberg Group operates 24 breweries, with output capacities ranging from small micro breweries up to 7 million hl/a.

Together Towards ZERO Targets Carlsberg Group has set specific targets for its breweries under the Together Towards ZERO sustainability programme as it moves to eliminate carbon emissions and waste water, and halve water usage.

The 2022 targets for the breweries include: 50% reduction in carbon emissions; 100% electricity from renewable sources; zero coal; and a 15% reduction in the beer-in-hand carbon footprint. By 2030, Carlsberg Group is aiming to achieve zero carbon emissions at all of its breweries and a 30% reduction in its beer-in-hand carbon footprint. With regard to water usage, Carlsberg Group is aiming for a

Cees ’t Hart, CEO of Carlsberg Group.

The Obernai brewery has reduced its carbon emissions by 50% since 2007 and runs on 100% renewable electricity, generating parts of its energy from an on-site biogas retrieval plant. Some of the initiatives successfully introduced at Obernai will be introduced to other Carlsberg Group breweries across Europe.

Carlsberg Group’s brewery at Falkenberg in Sweden is now 100% powered by biogas and green electricity, making it the country’s first big brewery with zero carbon emissions from its energy consumption.

Sustainable Packaging Carlsberg Group is also pioneering groundbreaking innovations to reduce plastic waste.

For example, it has introduced Snap Pack, which replaces the plastic wrapping used around Carlsberg’s six packs with a pioneering technology that glues the cans together. A world first for the beer industry, it will reduce the amount of plastic used in traditional multipacks by up to 76%.

Other sustainable packaging solutions developed by the Danish brewing giant include: a

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switch to Cradle-to-Cradle Certified silver inks on its bottle labels to improve recyclability; a new coating on refillable glass bottles to extend their lifespan and therefore their environmental footprint; and new caps which remove oxygen to make the beer taste fresher for longer.

Carlsberg Group is also seeking to create the world’s first ‘paper’ beer bottle made from sustainably-sourced wood fibres that is both 100% bio-based and fully recyclable (see Panel).

Progress Being Made So what progress is Carlsberg Group making in implementing its sustainability strategy across its breweries in Europe? “I’m pleased with the progress since the launch of our sustainability programe in 2017,” Philip Hodges replies. “It’s in our DNA never to settle for immediate gain, when we can create a better tomorrow, and, especially, our young employees are energised by our targets and ambitions.

Equally important, the new, recycled shrinkwrap, the Snap Pack innovation, the Swedish

The Together Towards ZERO programme is an important element of Carlsberg Group’s seven-year SAIL’22 development strategy designed to drive sustainable, long-term value creation for the business.

margin improved by 100bp to 15.9% and reported net profit jumped by 23.7% to DKr6.569 billion, while adjusted net profit rose by 14.9% to DKr6.160 billion.

beer made from recycled water, and the recently launched Green Fibre Bottle prototypes demonstrate our ability to also launch consumer-relevant sustainability innovations. At the same time, the Young Scientists Community that we have established supports us in delivering on the more long-term 2030 ambitions.”

Regional Priorities Carlsberg Group also made solid progress during 2019 in delivering against its regional priorities of increasing revenue and operating margin in Western Europe and driving growth in Asia through premiumisation. In Western Europe, organic revenue grew by 0.3%.

The operating margin improved by 200bp to 17.0%, while operating profit grew organically by 12.8%.

In Asia, organic revenue growth was 12.3%, driven by +6% price/mix and 6.0% organic volume growth. Organic operating profit growth was very strong at 23.4%. However in Eastern Europe, the brewer failed to achieve its priority of strengthening its market leadership in the region, and volumes declined disappointingly by 5.2% and organic revenue fell by 0.4%.

2019 saw Carlsberg Group complete a number of structural deals to strengthen its global presence. It acquired a non-controlling stake

Financial Performance The Together Towards ZERO programme is an important element of Carlsberg Group’s seven-year SAIL’22 development strategy designed to drive sustainable, long-term value creation for the business. Indeed, executing its SAIL’22 priorities is central to ensuring that the brewer captures the growth opportunities for its key strategic priorities – craft & speciality, alcohol-free brews and Asia – as well as strengthening its core beer brands.

During 2019, Carlsberg Group made steady progress in delivering its 2019 Funding the Journey financial priorities of driving organic revenue growth, maintaining tight cost control and continuing to exercise strict cash discipline.

The group reported a 5.4% increase in revenue to DKr65.902 billion (Eur8.819 billion) and a 12.2% rise in operating profit to DKr10.465 billion (Eur1.400 billion) for the year ended 31st December 2019. The global brewer was able to generate solid and sustainable organic revenue growth of 3.2% in 2019 and achieve 10.5% organic growth in operating profit which helped drive a 70bp improve- In Western Europe, Carlsberg Group ment in ROIC to 8.8%. Group operating micro breweries up to 7 million hl/a.

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operates 24 breweries, with output capacities ranging from small

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in the Chinese craft brewery Jing-A Brewing Co, purchased the remaining 1.2% of Carlsberg Ukraine, giving it 100% ownership, and bought the remaining 25% of Cambrew in Cambodia. The Danish brewing giant also completed the disposals of the former brewery sites at Trondheim in Norway and at Hamburg in Germany during the year.

Sustainability During 2019, Carlsberg Group continued to improve its performance relative to the ambitious targets of the Together Towards ZERO sustainability programme, which has clear priorities and ambitions within the areas of carbon, water, responsible drinking and health & safety. For example, the group reduced its CO2 emissions by 13% and its water usage by 3% in 2019 “In 2019, the Carlsberg Group delivered a strong set of results, including healthy topline growth, strong margin improvement and strong cash flow. This success enables us to invest in the technology, innovation and efficiency needed to meet the targets of Together Towards ZERO at this critical time for the planet,” comments Cees ’t Hart, CEO of Carlsberg Group.

“We have made steady progress on our ambition of ZERO carbon. In 2019, we reduced relative emissions at our breweries by 13% and increased renewable to 56% of our total electricity use, while five of our sites are now carbon-neutral. We are making good progress with sustainable packaging innovations, including breakthrough technologies such as Green Fibre Bottle, which reached the next stage of its development when we unveiled two research prototypes. We were delighted to welcome more leading companies and brands as partners in advancing paper bottle technology and cutting the carbon impact of packaging.”

The Carlsberg Group chief elaborates: “We need to move faster to achieve our ambition of ZERO water waste and our target to halve water usage at our breweries by 2030. In 2019, we reduced relative consumption by 3% to 3.0 hl/hl. To go further, we need to invest in state-of-the-art water-recycling technology. We were pleased to announced that the Fredericia brewery in Denmark will be the first to virtually eliminate water waste, moving from 2.9 hl of water per hl of beer to just 1.4 hl/hl. This project has been made possible through a progressive public-private partnership and will provide learnings for our other breweries around the world.”

Outlook Cees ’t Hart continues: “In recent years, we’ve strengthened our business considerably, and we’ll continue to execute on our SAIL’22 priorities and further reinforce our Funding the Journey culture to support long-term growth and value creation for shareholders.” For 2020, he expects Carlsberg Group to achieve mid-single-digit percentage organic growth in operating profit. J

Green Fibre Bottle Update Carlsberg Group has given an update on its journey to create the world’s first ‘paper’ beer bottle made from sustainably-sourced wood fibres that is both 100% bio-based and fully recyclable. Carlsberg has unveiled two new research prototypes of its Green Fibre Bottle, which are the first ‘paper bottles’ to contain beer. Carlsberg has also announced it has been joined by other leading global companies who are united in their vision of developing sustainable packaging through the advancement of paper bottle technology.

These developments are a continuation of Carlsberg’s sustainable packaging innovation journey and a key part of its sustainability programme, Together Towards ZERO, including its commitment to ZERO carbon emissions at its breweries and a 30% reduction in its full value chain carbon footprint by 2030.

The two new research prototypes are made from sustainably-sourced wood fibre, are fully recyclable and have an inner barrier to allow the bottles to contain beer. One prototype uses a thin recycled PET polymer film barrier, and the other a 100% bio-based PEF polymer film barrier. These prototypes will be used to test the barrier technology as Carlsberg seeks a solution to achieve its ultimate ambition of a 100% bio-based bottle without polymers.

Myriam Shingleton, Vice President Group Development at Carlsberg Group, says: “We continue to innovate across all our packaging formats, and we are pleased with the progress we’ve made on the Green Fibre Bottle so far. While we are not completely there yet, the two prototypes are an important step towards realising our ultimate ambition of bringing this breakthrough to market. Innovation takes time and we will continue to collaborate with leading experts in order to overcome remaining technical challenges, just as we did with our plastic-reducing Snap Pack.”

New partners on Board Carlsberg kicked off the project to develop a bottle made from sustainably sourced wood fibres, the ‘Green Fibre Bottle’, in 2015 alongside innovation experts ecoXpac, packaging company BillerudKorsnas, and post-doctoral researchers from the Danish Technical University, supported by Innovation Fund Denmark. These combined efforts have resulted in the emergence of Paboco, the Paper Bottle Company – a joint venture between BillerudKorsnas and bottle manufacturing specialist Alpla.

Carlsberg has now been joined by The Coca-Cola Company, The Absolut Company and L’Oréal in a paper bottle community. The community unites leading global companies and experts with the vision of advancing sustainable packaging, offering high-quality products while reducing their environmental impact.

Myriam Shingleton continues: “We’re driven by our constant pursuit of better, to create more sustainable packaging solutions that help people to live more sustainable lives. Sometimes that means completely rethinking how things are done – pushing the boundaries of existing technologies and overcoming technical challenges as they present themselves.”

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I CONVEYING SYSTEMS

Safe, Clean and Green – Run Dry

By Rexnord ith more than 20 years of experience in W run dry solutions, Rexnord offers sustainable advantages for drinks companies with regard to their can, PET or glass (returnable or one-way) production lines.

Water and lubrication use for conveyor belts is minimised by using Rexnord’s premium DRY-PT™ and advanced PSX® materials.

Dry-PT® is a plastic compound developed specifically for conveying PET bottles.

PSX® has been developed for conveying glass bottles and cans. Both Dry-PT® and advanced PSX® materials are designed to run without (dry) lubrication and provide low constant friction between chain and container that can be maintained and restored to a required low level. They are also hygienic. Dry-PT® is bright in colour to help operators see when cleaning is required. PSX® generates

Rexnord has helped Heineken achieve their goal to reduce water consumption by 30% in 2020.” – Rexnorrd Account Manager Heineken.

very little dust forming when running dry.

Benefits Rexnord’s Run Dry conveyor solutions offer benefits for all container types resulting in a more sustainable working environment, while allowing manufacturers to maximise safety, optimise productivity and increase hygiene.

Thanks to Run Dry by Rexnord, conveyors save up to 9 million litres of water and up to 27 thousand litres of lubricant each year. Furthermore, dry production floors and low noise levels help to achieve a safe working environment. Minimal container damage and no unscheduled downtime will increase productivity. Without lubrication, conveyors are less sensitive to develop mould growth and allergic reactions to

Benefits of Running Dry Environment * Water consumption is reduced or eliminated * Reduction of pollution in waste water Safety * Dry, non slippery floors * Low noise levels Productivity * Improved rejection rate from bottle inspector * Eliminate the carry-over of lubricant and moisture into trays and foils Hygiene * Reduction of the need for drip trays * Cleaner finished products

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lubricants are eliminated.

Engineered Sustainability™ by Rexnord Like its customers, such as HEINEKEN, The Coca-Cola Company, Carlsberg Group and AB InBev, Rexnord is committed to sustainability and to creating and manufacturing environmentally-friendly conveyor equipment. Selecting the right conveyor equipment can deliver impressive energy reduction, water reduction and improved conveyor safety for users in comparison to more traditional conveyor concepts.

Engineered Sustainability™ by Rexnord

Thanks to Rexnord, AB InBev reduced their energy usage by another 10% per hectoliter of production.” - Rexnord Account Manager AB InBev.

is a product program to help customers design durable conveyor systems with components that guarantee optimal product handling without compromising the ability to meet targets on safety improvement, increased productivity, water reduction and energy savings. Rexnord’s skilled engineers will help customers obtain the lowest Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), resulting in significant cost savings by improving operational safety, efficiency and productivity.

Reliable Partner Rexnord offers the industry’s most complete portfolio of conveying chain, conveyor components, gear, bearing, coupling and industrial chain for the beverage industry.

From durable products like plastic bottles, to more delicate product like glass bottles, Rexnord works to ensure the sustainability of its customers’ products through production and distribution.

Employing about 7,000 people globally and operating 71 principal manufacturing, warehouse and repair facilities, including 13 locations in Europe, Rexnord has successfully helped leading beverage companies around the world implement economical solutions to run their conveyors more effi-

ciently and environmentally safe, using its MatTop® and TableTop® products in a wide selection of available materials.

Drawing from its unmatched experience in the beverage industry, Rexnord offers customers proven solutions for any run dry application Rexnord’s Application Engineers can: survey existing filling lines; help with the selection of chains and components; make full Run Dry recommendations, including impact on TCO; and train operators. In addition, Rexnord’s Application Engineers can carry-out a Premium Service, including trouble shooting (root cause analysis). J

Coca Cola reduced the required amount of dry lubrication by 75% thanks to Rexnord Dry-PT® Material.”” Rexnord Account Manager Coca Cola.

I CONVEYING SYSTEMS

Cutting It Down to Size traditional breweries are located in beautiful, timeless Many buildings that carry a lot of history. Nobody wants to risk

doing anything that could potentially damage them in any way.

This creates problems though, when new and updated machinery needs to be installed to keep the brewery competitive. AmbaFlex, having the smallest footprints in combination with its modular design, had the perfect solution.

AmbaFlex recently got an opportunity to show their innovative thinking skills when an order came in from one of these types of breweries. The customer needed to upgrade an existing layout.

They wanted to connect a new-glass depalletizer to an additional line, essentially giving the depalletizer the option to feed both of them at the same time. To accomplish this, they had to elevate their new glass to a higher level.

Depending on the surroundings, getting new equipment in safely can be difficult. A common way to do this when access is limited is by opening the roof and using a crane to lower in the parts. But because of the delicate, traditional factory roof, this wasn't an option. Meaning the parts had to go through the regular factory doors.

Besides having a smaller footprint than other spiral manufacturers, the AmbaFlex SpiralVeyors are genuinely modular. While other manufacturers are forced to build the whole machine inside, easily taking weeks to finish, AmbaFlex is done in two days. They first build and test the spiral in the assembly hall, making sure everything works perfectly. After which the spiral can be cut in smaller sections and quickly reassembled at the customer. Through this method, the AmbaFlex SVm found its way into the hall without any issues and was up and running in no time. J

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I CASE STUDY

Schubert Packs 720 Yakult Bottles Per Minute

By Bernd Göhringer, Area Sales Manager at Gerhard Schubert GmbH, Crailsheim, Germany oday, more than 39 million people in 39 countries worldwide enjoy the probiT otic drink. For the European market, a large part of the bottles is packed into cardboard boxes and display cartons using a Schubert machine. The compact TLM packaging machine guarantees highly efficient processes with high packaging quality.

Yakult founder Dr Minoru Shirota’s vision has always been to improve the health of everyone around the world. Over 80 years of research have gone into this Japanese drink. The scientist succeeded in selecting and cultivating the lactic acid bacterium, which was later named after him.

This led to the development of the Yakult fermented drink in 1935. Every small bottle contains at least 6.5 billion of these lactic acid bacteria, which reach the gut alive.

Secondary packaging: paper instead of plastic for Europe The probiotic drink is produced for the European market in Almere in the Netherlands. The plant has increased its production capacity and, with the new Schubert machine, it can pack 43,200 bottles per hour. The factory is supplying 13 European countries with Yakult. “We wanted to change the secondary packaging from film to cardboard in the European market. That’s why we commissioned Schubert to develop a machine,” said Ronald Jacobs, plant manager at Yakult Europe. “Together with Schubert's experts, we developed an environmentally-friendly and practical form of packaging.” In the easy-to-open display carton, the bottles

Depending on the selected order, the small bottles are pre-grouped into 6- or 8-bottle formations.

containing the unique Shirota bacteria are now available in supermarkets for Yakult customers. The bottles can be safely and securely stored in the box in the fridge at home.

Sophisticated packaging and machine design The specifications for the packaging system were varied: flexible format options, high performance and a small predefined footprint were on the wish list. The machine also had to offer the option of inserting a leaflet between the bottles in the pack for customer information purposes. Schubert’s

The TLM system packs the bottles in cardboard boxes of six or eight units each and then in display cartons.

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engineers achieved maximum performance in the smallest possible space with a combination of several F2 robots, four Transmodul sections and image recognition systems. The machine packs 720 Yakult bottles per minute. The fast format conversion supports secondary packaging in 6- or 8-packs.

Packaging of six or eight bottles in cardboard boxes The carton blanks are picked up by F3 robots in the magazine and made available in a horizontal position. The F2 robots pick up these blanks, glue them as they pass through the gluing station, press them through the folding unit and place them directly on a Transmodul, which transports the erected cardboard boxes to the next work steps. At the same time, the transport chain guides the bottles from the upstream machine into the TLM system.

“Distributing bottles from a single-path infeed to two paths at high speed was quite a challenge,” said Georg Koutsogiannis, the Sales Account Manager at Schubert responsible for the project. A grouping chain distributes the bottles on two tracks to the two infeed screws, which individually transfer the products to two toothed belt conveyors.

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From there, the bottles enter the receiving areas of two F2 robots, each of which removes 48 bottles from the conveyor and places them on a Transmodul of the system’s second Transmodul section. This Transmodul transports the bottles to two further F2 robots. The robots each grip 24 bottles simultaneously, push them together to carton size and place them in the erected cardboard boxes on the first Transmodul section.

Koutsogiannis reported: “In ten days, the system was built, set up and ready for the first production runs.” Ronald Jacobs confirmed: “We are very satisfied and can operate the system easily. It is our first machine sourced from Schubert.” The high 97 per cent efficiency of Schubert’s packaging machine significantly increased production capacity at Yakult Europe. Moreover, the system offers flexible format options for future requirements in secondary and tertiary packaging.

For more information visit www.schubert.group. J

Quality control through an The F2 robots place the pre-grouped formats into the erected cardboard image processing system boxes.

Depending on the format, either twelve or 16 cardboard boxes are filled simultaneously. If required, a leaflet is boxes in the system and transported to the inserted between the bottles before a cam- filling area via a fourth Transmodul secFacts and Figures era checks the packaging for completeness tion. Schubert solved the upward discharge • Packaging of 6 or 8 bottles in cardboard and it is closed by the next two F2 robots. of the filled display cartons with an inteboxes The sealing robots place the cardboard grated elevator. Another special feature of • Capacity of 720 bottles per minute boxes on a Transmodul of the third the new Schubert packaging machine is the • Fast format conversion Transmodul section in the line. Along the central glue refilling station for erecting • Secondary and tertiary packaging on one line, a printer provides the cardboard boxes and closing the cartons. machine with an expiry date. The sealed cardboard “We are proud that we were able to • 90 to 120 cardboard boxes per minute • 19 to 24 display cartons per minute boxes are then placed in a display carton by achieve the desired performance in the • 97 % efficiency two further F2 robots, each with five units. given space,” said Georg Koutsogiannis.

• Transmodul in use.

The display cartons are also erected follow- The installation which took place at the ing the same principle as the cardboard beginning of 2018 ran smoothly. Georg

I LABELLING

Nestlé Announces Industry-leading Push to Use Nutri-Score in Europe estlé has announced that it will use Nutri-Score nutrition labelN ing in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Switzerland, starting in the first half of 2020. The company will implement Nutri-Score across brands of its wholly-owned businesses over a twoyear period.

Cereal Partners Worldwide, the international breakfast venture between Nestlé and General Mills, will also implement Nutri-Score on its product packaging in the same countries. In total, more than 5000 products in the five countries will feature Nutri-Score.

Nutri-Score is a voluntary front-of-pack scheme that classifies foods and beverages according to their nutritional profile. It is a color-coded system with a scale ranging from A (healthier choices) to E (less healthy choices).

Marco Settembri, CEO of Nestlé for Europe, Middle East and North Africa, says: “Our ambition is to have one of the healthiest options in every product category we offer. Nutri-Score will motivate us and help track our progress. I am proud that Nestlé is the first company to roll out Nutri-Score at this scale in Europe. We now want to move quickly as we are sure this is the right way forward.”

Nestlé and Cereal Partners Worldwide are beginning the roll-out of Nutri-Score in those European countries that already support the system. The two companies are ready to implement it in further countries that request it or notify it to the European Commission.

Nestlé brands on which Nutri-Score will appear include plantbased products from Garden Gourmet, Nesquik chocolate-flavored milk, Buitoni pizzas, Nescafé coffee, Maggi culinary products and KitKat chocolate. Cereal Partners Worldwide will use Nutri-Score on its breakfast cereals, including Fitness and Chocapic. Some products such as infant formula are out of scope or fall under separate regulations. J

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I DAIRY

European Dairy Companies Dominate Top Global Rankings Despite a volatile global trading environment, Europe’s major dairy processors are consolidating their positions in both domestic and international markets, while continuing to invest in developing value added products to meet changing consumer tastes, and focusing on improving overall efficiency and sustainability. haracterised by a high level of merger, acquisition, joint venture and strategic alliance activity, the European dairy industry is highly concentrated with over 70% of the continent’s milk processed by just twenty dairy companies. The industry is becoming increasingly global in nature.

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Global R&D Centre at its Wyeth Nutrition manufacturing plant in Ireland. The new R&D facility will focus on scientific research to support innovations in the development of milk-based maternal and infant nutrition products for the global market.

The new centre will benefit from Nestlé’s global R&D network and help to position the Swiss food giant at the fore of infant and maternal nutritional product development, one of the group’s most important growth drivers. It will increase the pace of Nestlé’s innovation capacity by enabling scientists to explore new nutritional solutions for the crucial first 1,000 days of life.

European Dairy Top 10 and Global Top 20 The top ten European dairy companies ranked by turnover – Nestlé (Switzerland), Lactalis (France), Danone (France), FrieslandCampina (Netherlands), Arla Foods (Denmark/Sweden), Unilever (Netherlands/UK), DMK (Germany), French Giants Sodiaal (France), Savencia (France) and The two French giants, Lactalis and Danone, Müller (Germany) - also feature in are the next largest dairy companies in both Rabobank’s Global Top 20 ranking for 2019 Peder Tuborgh, chief executive of Arla Foods, European and global terms. Reflecting its (see Table). Nestlé, Lactalis and Danone are which is ranked 7th in Rabobank’s Global Top 20. international acquisition spree that has resultalso the leading three global processors, while ed in further expansion in the Middle East, FrieslandCampina has now moved into 5th place and Arla Foods Africa, South America and Asia, Lactalis has now overtaken ranks 7th.

Danone, which recently opened a Eur240 million Nutricia speIncluding its Froneri ice cream joint venture, Nestlé remains cialised infant formula plant in the Netherlands. The Eur240 milEurope’s and the world’s largest dairy group. Nestlé’s dairy business lion project is one of Danone’s largest investments in its European is being chiefly driven by organic growth from its infant nutrition production network in the last ten years. activities. Indeed, Nestlé has just opened a new Eur27 million Royal FrieslandCampina of the Netherlands is the fourth

Global Dairy Top 20, 2019

Reflecting its international acquisition spree that has resulted in further expansion in the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia, Lactalis has now overtaken Danone to become the world’s second largest dairy company.

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European dairy company in the global top five, placed just behind New Zealand-based Fonterra.

Arla Foods (Denmark/Sweden) and Netherlands/UK-based Unilever, which is the world’s largest ice cream producer with a global market share of about 27%, are ranked 7th and 12th respectively in the RabobankGlobal Top 20. Sodiaal (15th) and Savanecia (formerly Bongrain - 17th) take France’s representation in the Top 20 to four companies. Germany has two companies – farmers’ co-operative DMK (13th) and privately-owned Muller Group (20th).

Other leading dairy European companies include: Valio, the market leader in Finland; TINE, the leading dairy co-operative in Norway; Hochwald and Molkerei Ammerland of Germany; Berglandmilch, the Austrian dairy co-operative; and Mlekovita, Poland’s largest dairy group.

capacity in Branderup and upgrades to a newly acquired production site in Bahrain, as well as significant investments into capacity increases at the group’s Arla Foods Ingredients business.

The two German companies in the Global Top 10 are also investing for future growth.

DMK recently opened a new Eur145 million high-tech baby food facility at Struckhausen in Germany, while Müller is currently spending £400 million to transform the £11 billion UK dairy sector.

New Entrants Canada-based Saputo Group, which is the ninth biggest dairy processors in the world, has now re-entered the European dairy industry following its £975 million acquisition of Dairy Crest, a leading British branded dairy products business with a growing presence in Ingo Müller, chief executive of DMK Group, which functional ingredients. Dairy Crest (now is ranked 13th in Rabobank’s Global Top 20. rebranded Saputo Dairy UK) is a well invested business, which having recently opened a £45 million deminerHeavy Capital Investment The European dairy industry is characterised by a high level of cap- alised whey powder facility and spent £20 million to manufacture ital expenditure across all major sectors, ranging from yoghurts and galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) at its cheese making factory at Davidstow in the UK, now plans to invest a further £85 million in growing the capacity of its cheese business.

The latest newcomer to Europe is Shanghai-based Newbaze Industrial Group, which specialises in infant formula manufacture.

The company has just opened its new dairy formula plant in Ireland, marking the completion of a two-year building programme with a capital investment of Eur20 million. The new facility will supply milk powder products to consumers in China along with

The European dairy industry is characterised by a high level of capital expenditure across all major sectors, ranging from yoghurts and desserts to cheese, whey and infant nutrition.

desserts to cheese, whey and infant nutrition. For example, the increasing global demand for mozzarella has prompted the expansion of Arla Foods’ Branderup Dairy in Denmark. Arla Foods will invest Eur80 million to more than double the production of mozzarella at the plant. At the same time, production is being enhanced with the use of new and more sustainable technology.

Arla Foods is also investing more than Eur40 million in a new innovation centre which is designed to take dairy and whey ingredients to the next level to meet the need for nutritious and sustainable food. Located at Nr. Vium, Denmark, the innovation centre will be in close proximity to Arla Foods Ingredients’ key production site - Danmark Protein.

Expected to open in summer 2021, the new the centre will employ up to 90 scientists, technicians and innovators, and will cover all aspects of research and development within whey and milk – from advanced separation technologies to isolate specific components of the whey or milk, to heat treatment and pasteurisation technology to improve functionality and shelf-life.

Arla Foods plans to invest a record Eur619 million during 2020 in major projects to expand capacity in growth sectors such as milk powder for the international markets by continuing the completion of a powder tower in Pronsfeld, Germany, expansion of mozzarella 14

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emerging markets such as Africa, south-east Asia and the Middle East.

Foundation Ireland (SFI) has opened the VistaMilk SFI Research Centre at Teagasc Moorepark in County Cork, following investment of Eur40 million. Covering the entire dairy production chain, the new agri-tech research facility received State agency funding of Eur26 million with industry funding of Eur14 million. VistaMilk’s objective is to support the Irish dairy industry in being a world leader in fundamental and translational research for precision pasture-based dairying, with particular emphasis on the environment, animal well-being and the health of consumers.

Expansion in Irish Dairy Ireland is witnessing a surge of investment in its dairy industry. The country’s largest dairy processor, Glanbia Ireland is spending over Eur160 million to expand its infant formula capabilities at its Belview site as part of a Eur250-300 million strategic capital investment programme covering 2017 to 2020.

Carbery Group is constructing a new Eur78 million manufacturing plant at Ballineen in County Cork that will enable the company to diversify its range of cheeses and produce mozzarella. Having already invested Eur86 million Interest From Overseas at its Nutritionals Campus at Mallow, also in Overseas players are also investing in Ireland.

County Cork, Dairygold is now planning to Royal A-ware, a leading global cheese and install a new milk dryer along with additional dairy producer in the Netherlands, has formed production and storage facilities.

Jim Bergin, chief executive of Glanbia Ireland, a strategic partnership with Glanbia Ireland to Another Irish agribusiness co-operative, which is Ireland’s largest dairy processor. build a new Eur140 million continental Aurivo has just invested Eur26 million to cheese manufacturing facility at Belview. expand its dairy ingredients plant at Ballaghaderreen in County TINE, Norway’s largest farmer-owned dairy co-operative, has Roscommon as part of a Eur48 million development plan. joined forces with Dairygold to developing a Eur77 million Jarlsberg cheese plant at Mogeely in County Cork. Elsewhere in Ireland, Dairy Research Glanbia Cheese, a joint venture business between Glanbia plc and To help maintain Ireland’s pre-eminent position in global dairy Leprino Foods, is building a new Eur130 million mozzarella cheese research, the Irish Government in conjunction with Science facility at Portlaoise. J

I MARKET FOCUS

Global Dairy Ingredients Market to be Worth $81.4 Billion by 2025 alued at US$53.8 billion in 2019, the global dairy ingredients market (incorporating proteins, milk powder, milk fat concentrate, lactose and its derivatives) is projected to be worth US$81.4 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.1% during the period, according to Research and Markets – the world’s largest market research store. Market growth is being fuelled by rising consumption of ready-to-eat and functional foods as well as the increasing consumer awareness about healthy eating.

Dairy ingredients are highly versatile in their application. Indeed, food and beverage manufacturers choose dairy ingredients for their functional and nutritional properties such as adding flavour, richness, texture and colour to products. Dairy ingredients are typically used in the production of infant formulas as well as sports, nutrition and dairy products. Further applications include bakery, confectionery, convenience foods, beverages and other processed foods.

Asia Pacific is the largest market for dairy ingredients and is projected to experience the fastest growth but Europe and North America are also expected to exhibit steady expansion over the forecast period to 2025. Indeed, the dairy ingredients market is being aided by regulatory support from the FDA in the United States and the UK Government to encourage the incorporation of proteins in food and drink products.

The willingness of consumers to pay a higher price for products perceived to offer health or nutritional benefits is a key driver of market growth. Rising demand for protein supplements has prompted product innovation by food and beverage manufacturers, which is increasing demand for whey and milk powders.

While high-concentrate ingredients, such as whey proteins and milk protein isolates, are chiefly used in developed markets like the

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Dairy ingredients are typically used in the production of infant formulas as well as sports, nutrition and dairy products.

US, Germany, France and the UK, low concentrate dairy ingredients are more prevalent in developing regions. Increasing disposable incomes combined with rising birth rates in the Asia-Pacific region will result in increased demand for dairy ingredients.

Leading manufacturers in the global dairy ingredients market include: FrieslandCampina (Netherlands), Groupe Lactalis (France), Arla Foods (Denmark/Sweden), Saputo (Canada), Fonterra Co-operative Group (New Zealand), Dairy Farmers of America (US), Ornua (Ireland), AMCO Proteins (US), Prolactal (Austria), Valio (Finland), Glanbia (Ireland), Hoogwegt Group (Netherlands), Batory Foods (USA), Ingredia (France), Agropur (Canada) and Euroserum (France). J

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Unique Digital Weighing Solution For Mobile Processing Tanks food, pharma and biotech indusIarentries,theusing an increasing number of companies single-use totes, mixers, and mobile vessels equipped with a weighing system for measuring and controlling the process. These are typically smaller tanks with volumes from 50 to 300 litres that are used between different processes or locations which, in turn, is why the tanks are constructed as mobile solutions.

The mobile tanks are usually equipped with instrumentation to be able to measure and control the process, and the weighing system is often one of the central components. Today, companies within food, pharma and biotech demand reliable and flexible automation solutions, as downtime or scrapped product often entail high costs.

Customer Challenged by Existing Analog Solution

A collaborative partner approached Eilersen Electric with a wish to integrate a reliable and accurate weighing solution into a number of mobile tanks for a large American food company.

The customer had been relying on a solution based on conventional analog strain gage load cells, which were unable to retain the required accuracy when the mobile tanks were moved from one location to

Mobile hygienic vessel with Eilersen load cells.

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another.

Analog load cells require a mechanical installation kit to protect the load cells from overload and sideload. The challenge was that when the mobile tanks were moved, the mechanical parts in the kit were easily misaligned, causing the per- Hygienic capacitive load cell. missible error of the weighing system being exceeded. As a result, the cusThe weighing terminal and load cells can tomer had to calibrate and adjust the optionally be supplied with a proprietary weighing systems each time the mobile battery backup solution which powers the tanks were moved, which led to significant weighing system if it is necessary to move costs and doubts about the validity of the the tanks to other locations. data from the analog weighing solution.

The weighing systems are also available The customer wanted a digital solution in ATEX and IECEx-certified versions for that could solve these challenges and at the use in hazardous areas. same time provide better data collection for The end customer initially chose to conoptimizing the process. An additional vert one of the existing mobile tanks from request was that future weighing systems be using analog weighing solution to using a provided with battery backup, in order to digital weighing solution from Eilersen. collect weighing data while moving the After a trial period of several months, the mobile tanks. customer decided to use only digital load cells from Eilersen, resulting in significant Reliable Digital Solutions From Eilersen sales of this solution in recent years.

Eilersen has many years of experience developing and supplying weighing solu- Digital Capacitive Technology Provides tions for the food, pharma and biotech Increased Reliability and Improved industries. The solution for this customer Bottom Line was based on the hygienic digital beam load All Eilersen load cells are based on a reliable cells (type BL). capacitive measurement principle and are Digital load cells from Eilersen do not laser welded in stainless steel, making them require mechanical overload and sideload accurate, robust and tolerant to overload. protection, thereby eliminating the risk of Eilersen load cells can withstand up to ten the mechanical installation becoming mis- times overload and work in even the most aligned. This simple installation and the challenging industrial manufacturing envihygienic design of the load cells provide the ronment with daily cleaning, vibrations, great benefit that the mobile tanks are easi- shocks and bumps. er to clean.

The digital technology enables diagnosGenerally, Eilersen hygienic load cells tics to be integrated in the load cells, which offer great advantage when working with assures users that the weighing system the design of processing plants, as a simple, always works flawlessly. hygienic installation is ensured that does Eilersen digital load cells are pre-calibratnot require maintenance which, ultimately, ed from the factory in Denmark and are fitmeans significant cost savings and ted with a cable which may be changed onimproved up-time. site and which does not affect the calibraThe Eilersen instrumentation can be con- tion of the load cell, thereby facilitating easfigured with either EtherNet IP, ier assembly and commissioning while PROFINET or EtherCAT interfaces to ensuring a maintenance-free solution.

Eilersen weighing solutions provide cusensure a fully digital measurement chain, allowing weighing data from each load cell tomers with a stable production flow with to be collected and analyzed. A further fewer shutdowns, lower costs and an advantage of using a digital measurement improved bottom line. chain is that the load cell signal and comFor more information, contact Eilersen munication is not sensitive to electrical Electric A/S on Tel +45 49 180 100, Email noise, as is often the case with the output info@eilersen.com or visit www.eilersen.com.J from analog load cells.

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I EVENT

10 Reasons to Visit Foodex 2020 – March 30th-1st April – NEC Birmingham Registration is now open for the UK's premier trade event for food and drink manufacturing, processing, packaging and logistics – Foodex 2020. he show returns from March 30th to1st April at NEC Birmingham with a remit of providing 2020’s most comprehensive deep dive into the trends, products, challenges and opportunities that will set the agenda for the coming year. Visitors can go to www.foodex.co.uk to register for their completely free badge.

Below is a tantalising glimpse of just some of the highlights that visitors can expect to see at the event.

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1. Innovation, Innovation, Innovation (30th March-1st April 2020) The Foodex show floor will be alive with over 40 brand new launches and a raft of innovative thinking, meaning visitors will get 2020’s clearest and most comprehensive snapshot of the market-atlarge.

A new precision, robotic food handling system (Colin Mear Engineering Ltd – stand M161); a revolutionary high density EPP series of containers for hot or cold food items (Catering Equipment Ltd - stand T219); a user friendly Technifoamer (QJS – stand G258) and plug and play nitrogen generation system (MSS Nitrogen Limited – stand K171) are just some of the innovative new products to be featured at the show.

To see more of what is on offer ahead of Foodex 2020 and plan ahead, visitors can go to www.foodex.co.uk, and select the ‘Innovation@’ product category, which aggregates every new launch at the show.

2. Meat the 21st Century Craft Butcher and Celebrate Young Turks (31st March and 1st April 2020) The bright spotlight of competition is set to shine on the Foodex Competition Theatre as it plays host to one of the biggest dates in the butchery calendar - Premier Young Butcher 2020. Recognised as one of the most demanding UK butchery craft skills tests on the

circuit, the competition is open to 18-28-year-old young butchers from across the UK and is sure to provide an entertaining, nervejangling showcase for the talents of some of the country’s finest young masters.

Held for the very first time, the Craft Butcher Awards in association with National Craft Butchers (NCB) will showcase the skills of the 21st century craft butcher in product development and innovation. Covering Barbecue, Charcuterie, Kitchen Ready, Meat in Pastry, Ready to Heat and Sausage categories, competitors will have the opportunity to demonstrate traditional skills in manufacturing as well as originality and innovation competing for Bronze, Silver and Gold awards.

3. What’s Next for Meat-Free? (2.20pm, 30th March 2020) So that’s the meat, but what about the plant-based revolution? An expert panel will be looking ahead to debate meat’s future in light of a raft of innovative, plant-based substitutes coming to the fore over the past 12 months. Dr Michael Betz, Food Technologist for Handtmann Group will be joined by Tiia Mörsky, Ingredient Research Team Leader, Production and Processing Research Department at Campden BRI Group and Policy Director at the Sustainable Food Trust, Richard Young, in what promises to be a fascinating keynote debate, chaired by the highly respected editor of Food Manufacture, Rod Addy.

4. Industry 4.0 (30th March-1st April 2020) It’s no exaggeration to say that manufacturing is on the cusp of a fourth industrial revolution, centred on technology, automation and sustainability. Foodex will be the place to learn more about ‘Industry 4.0’ and meet the innovators – speakers and exhibitors – helping make sense of it all.

On the centre stage a fascinating look at upgrading the workforce through technology, debating if humans could be largely surplus to requirements within the next decade will take place, while a panel of experts will be asking if artificial intelligence could be the Holy Grail for forecasting.

On the show floor, dozens of companies specialising in automation and robotics are waiting to introduce Foodex visitors to seriously game changing tech.

5. The Quest for Better Bread (30th March 2020) Also taking place on the Foodex competition theatre, the search for Britain’s Best Loaf culminates in a live judging session, followed by a glittering awards presentation. Already a key date in the baking industry calendar, the impartial stamp of excellence takes in categories including Gluten Free, Innovation, White and Wholegrain with two categories for Sourdough – Traditional and Commercial (sourdough produced by the addition of cultivated yeast and/or the addition of a commercial sourdough product) reflecting its now stratospheric popularity with British consumers.

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6. The Engage Lounge (30th March-1st April 2020) Visitors in need of brief respite from the bustling aisles of Foodex can call in at The Engage Lounge Engage Lounge, in partnership with Reconomy Group & Valpak; an interactive visitor lounge, highlighting all sectors of the industry and offering a place to meet, interact and plan the day, accessible throughout the three-days show.

7. Sustainable Soul Searching (12.40pm, 30th March 2020) Amid the countless sustainable drives and initiatives brought about by the food and drink manufacturing, processing and packaging and logistics industry, this debate will question if it is all really enough to meet Government targets and ultimately help curb global warming. The not-to-be-missed debate will feature prominent strategists and experts in sustainable practice, offering visitors actionable, real world solutions to take back to their places of business.

8. Witness a Mayo Masterclass in VR (1.30pm, 31st March 2020) One of the world’s leading companies in the processing, laboratory and analytical industry, IKA is partnering with sister brand realworld one, to whisk visitors off to a virtual production plant for an interactive virtual reality lesson in mayonnaise making.

The informal and fun session will present practical ways to harness virtual and augmented reality in production, which could revolutionise the way training is delivered in the manufacturing space.

9. Rethinking Waste and the Problem with the ‘P’-Word (1.30pm, 1st April 2020) While there’s a growing awareness of the environmental impact some plastics can have when discarded irresponsibly – most notably single use variants – reducing or removing them completely can mean businesses face significant technical challenges. This keynote panel debate will explore alternative materials with practical case studies and consumer insights on attitudes to managing waste.

10. Five Shows Under One Roof The UK Food Shows unite five shows under one roof, covering the complete supply chain in three comprehensive days of insight, innovation and inspiration. Foodex joins Food & Drink Expo, The Ingredients Show, National Convenience Show and Farm Shop & Deli Show, to create an unmissable proposition for progressive food and drink professionals across the industry.

While the content of each show has been tailored to meet the exacting requirements of its respective audience, The UK Food Shows are united by four overarching themes: Health & Nutrition, Sustainability, Technology and Consumer Insight - issues faced unilaterally that will filter down into every part of the show discourse. J 18

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I INNOVATION

Unilever Opens New €85 Million Global Foods Innovation Centre nilever has opened a new global Foods Innovation Centre on U the campus of Wageningen University, the leading global agrifood research hub. Unilever has invested €85 million in the new centre, named ‘Hive’ for its location amidst leading academic research centres, start-ups and external partners.

From Hive, Unilever will lead its global Foods innovation programs for brands like Knorr, Hellmann’s, The Vegetarian Butcher and Calvò. Areas of research will include: plant-based ingredients and meat alternatives, efficient crops, sustainable food packaging and nutritious foods.

Together with its partners, Unilever aims to transform the food industry into a healthy and sustainable system, driving innovations that are healthier for people and for the planet.

Alan Jope, chief executive of Unilever, says: “We need a fundamental transformation of the food system if we are to feed more than 9 billion people sustainably and nutritiously. Malnutrition, obesity, climate change and food waste are issues that can only be addressed if we work in partnership to accelerate technology and innovation. Having a global research and development centre in Wageningen will enable us to do exactly this.”

The Wageningen area in the Netherlands is often nicknamed ‘Food Valley’ – a nod to Silicon Valley – in recognition of the breakthroughs in agri-food tech being generated by start-ups, science institutes, NGOs and companies located in the area.

King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands officially opening ‘Hive’ with Alan Jope, chief executive of Unilever (pictured on the right).

Unilever’s Hive has the highest certification for sustainable buildings - ‘BREEAM-NL Outstanding’. Large parts of the fully circular interior are accessible to the public. Earlier this year, the building won two prestigious design awards: the Global Design Award for Commercial Projects and the Global Public Award. J

Danone Launches Baby Formula Track & Connect anone has launched its baby formula Track & Connect service D – a digitally-enabled service giving consumers and retailers greater transparency on the product’s farm-to-fork journey.

Furthermore, through Danone’s Track & Connect service, consumers and retailers will eventually be able to access new data-driven, personalised after-sales support and services for its baby formula brands like Aptamil, Karicare, Laboratoire Gallia and Nutrilon.

Shoppers will be able to access this new service through their smart phones by scanning two QR codes on baby formula packs.

This dual-QR code packaging innovation will see one QR code laser printed on the outer pack as well as a second, inner QR code

laser printed behind a tamper-resistant seal, which can only be scanned after purchase. The dual QR code system will let shoppers verify the quality and authenticity of the formula, while providing a new way for consumers to connect with the brand for after-sales support and services.

Once the service has been rolled out, shoppers will scan a QR code on a baby formula pack to access a brand page containing verified information such as where and when the formula was manufactured and the product’s journey through the supply chain. After purchasing and opening the sealed pack, shoppers will then be able to scan a second, inner QR code – triggering a one-time, initial message, verifying the product is authentic.

Ultimately, Danone aims to leverage this dual-QR code packaging innovation to introduce customised after-sale support and services that consumers value – such as health and nutrition apps and information, useful ‘how to’ parenting videos, and access to customer helplines or online e-commerce services. Shoppers would access such support and services after opening their baby formula pack and scanning the inner QR code. The Track & Connect service will also allow Danone and its distributors and retailers to more easily forecast consumer demand and consumer preferences.

The new service is powered by blockchain, serialisation and aggregation technology. Danone has combined these technologies with its dual-QR code packaging innovation to offer its unique baby formula Track & Connect service.

Danone is initially launching its baby formula Track & Connect service in China for its Aptamil and Nutrilon brands. The company plans to roll out the service starting in 2020 in France for its Laboratoire Gallia brand, and in Germany, Australia and New Zealand for its Aptamil and Karicare brands. J

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I FROZEN FOODS

European Frozen Foods Revival The €100 billion frozen foods market in Europe is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of 4.3% at current prices during the five year period to 2023. hanging consumer perceptions about the benefits of frozen foods coupled with innovation by manufacturers are driving market growth. The UK frozen food market is now worth over Eur5.5 billion while sales in Germany are valued at over Eur10 billion.

Frozen food manufacturers have been successful in address growing consumer concerns about health and waste reduction while meeting the over-arching demand for convenient and value for money products.

According to the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), frozen food is often fresher that ‘fresh’ food and contains no preservatives.

Freezing prevents the loss of sensitive vitamins and nutrients from fruit and vegetables during transportation from the farm to the shop. Frozen food also offers consumers the convenience of eating different seasonal types of foods, fish, fruits, and vegetables throughout the year. Frozen food manufacturers have also been improving the quality of convenience foods such as ready meals.

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Changing consumer perceptions about the benefits of frozen foods coupled with innovation by manufacturers are driving market growth.

Indeed, frozen food with year-on-year value growth of 2.1% in 2019, is now out-performing chilled, with growth of 0.5%, in the UK market, according to Kantar.

Continued Growth “The frozen food sector continues to demonstrate long-term growth, boosted by outstanding performances in the ice cream and pizza categories,” points out Richard Harrow, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation. “However, the picture is far less positive for meat and poultry. That said, I’m confident these figures can be mitigated by ongoing innovations in plant-based meat substitutes and vegan options over the longer term.”

He continues: “In terms of volume, frozen is growing faster than the total market and it is interesting to see value growth ahead of volume, which is possibly driven by the increasing propensity of premium lines being merchandised in cabinets. Looking at the frozen market over a longer period, massive growth can be seen in

both value and volume, with an increase in value of 41.6% since 2005.”

The British Frozen Food Federation chief executive identifies significant scope for manufacturers to position frozen foods as a means to help consumers to minimise food waste by employing clear marketing messaging Richard Harrow, chief executive of about preserving pro- Frozen Food Federation. duce at its peak when harvested and facilitating portion control when cooking.

the British

Investment in Innovation, Efficiency and Sustainability The major European frozen food processors across all major sectors, such as Dr Oetker, McCain Foods, Nomad Foods, FRoSTA, Nestlé, Ardo Group and Agristo, are investing in innovation to meet changing consumer demands, while focusing on improving overall efficiency and sustainability.

For example, Nomad Foods has launched Green Cuisine, a new range of meat-free products, under the famous Birds Eye brand in the UK, drawing on the brand’s heritage in peas and its marketleading position in frozen food. The introduction of Green Cuisine in the UK follows the successful launch of Pease, a range of peaprotein products sold under the Findus brand in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

“Backed by the power of our European infrastructure and its unique market positioning, Green Cuisine will fulfil consumers’ growing appetite for frozen meat-free food products that are not only better for the planet, but also better for them,” explains Stefan Descheemaeker, chief executive of Nomad Foods. “We expect Green Cuisine to be highly complementary to our existing frozen fish and vegetable businesses and to generate at least Eur100 million in revenue by 2022.” Nomad Foods is now the largest frozen foods company in Western Europe, after its Eur240 million acquisition of Aunt Bessie’s, a leading frozen food brand in the UK, and the purchase of the Goodfella’s Pizza business for Eur225 million, both in 2018.

Stefan Descheemaeker, chief executive of Nomad Reflecting the buo- Foods.

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yancy of the UK frozen pizza market, Dr Oetker, which produces brands including Chicago Town, has recently doubled the capacity of its English manufacturing site at Leyland following investment of £30 million. Also in England, McCain Foods, the world’s largest manufacturer of frozen potato products, is investing £100 million to renew its production facility at Scarborough.

Further Expansion in Belgium The addition of new production capacity is also continuing in Belgium, which following heavy investment has become the largest exporter of frozen potatoes in the world, selling to over 150 countries. Agristo has been at the forefront of this expansion, having recently invested over Eur200 million in a new, highly automated French fries factory at Wielsbeke, as the family owned company seeks to double its annual turnover to over Eur650 million by 2023.

The new facility has the capacity to produce 200,000 tonnes of frozen product and is “the most innovative French fry plant in the world,” according to Filip Wallays, chief executive of Agristo.

Already one of the top ten French fry manufacturers in the world, Agristo’s ambition is to increase its market share from 4% to 7% and to become a top five player.

Elsewhere in Belgium, Aviko Group, Ibrahim Najafi, chief executive of Froneri. which is one of

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The global market for frozen potato products is growing at around 4% per year.

Europe’s biggest producers of fresh, frozen, dried and specialty potato products, is investing in a new production facility for frozen French fries and potato flakes for markets in Western Europe, Asia and South America, at its plant in Poperinge. Expected to commence in September 2021, the new plant will have the capacity to produce 175,000 tons of frozen fries and 11,000 tons of flakes annually.

The global market for frozen potato products is growing at around 4% per year, according to Aviko Group. The additional processing capacity will allow the company to take full advantage of this rapidly growing market and realise its ambitious growth tar-

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gets. With production locations in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Poland and China, Aviko Group is the fourth biggest potato products company in the world.

Ice Cream Froneri, the international ice-cream manufacturer created in 2016 as a joint-venture between PAI Partners and Nestlé, is continuing to invest significantly in innovation and enhancing its capability having spent Eur193.7 million during 2018 in order to optimise performance by introducing the latest technologies available in the international market with twelve new lines established.

Froneri has also been expanding its international presence through acquisitions and is now the second largest manufacturer of ice cream in Europe and the number one private label producer worldwide. The European ice cream market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 4.87% in the period 2019 to 2024, driven by consumer indulgence and new flavour innovations by manufacturers.

Froneri has just announced plans to

Unilever is the world’s largest ice cream producer with a global market share of about 27%.

expand into North America by acquiring Nestlé’s USA ice cream business for US$4 billion. The acquisition includes iconic and well-loved ice cream brands including Dreyer’s, Häagen-Daaz, Outshine, Skinny Cow, Edy’s, Nestlé Ice Cream and Drumstick.

Ibrahim Najafi, chief executive of Froneri, comments: “This is another milestone acquisition for Froneri as we drive towards becoming the world’s best ice cream company.

We’re delighted to be bringing such wellloved US brands into the Froneri family.”

The acquisition marks Froneri’s first entry into the US, the largest ice cream market in the world with a value of more than $10 billion per annum, and will make the European group the second largest manufacturer globally. Unilever is the world’s largest ice cream producer with a global market share of about 27%.

The transaction follows Froneri’s recent acquisitions of Tip Top Ice Cream in New Zealand and Noga Ice Creams in Israel, which gave the company entry to those markets for the first time. J

I VEGETABLE PROCESSING

Automatic De-coring With Vision Technology inis||Eillert are developing a fully automatic, hands-free operated F de-coring machine. Using the latest camera techniques, the CABRO removes the core of vegetables quickly and efficiently.

Patrick Jansen, International Sales Representative at Finis||Eillert, is sitting across the table in the conference room above the new and modernly equipped demonstration center. The huge 8 meter glass wall offers a good view on the machines down below.

Patrick Jansen says: “In the demonstration center machines can be tested thoroughly to meet the client requirements. The first CABRO we designed could only de-core and cut broccoli and cauliflower into florets. Working closely with our clients we developed an improved version of the CABRO executed with interchangeable

core heads to process leafy vegetables like iceberg lettuce and cabbages.”

The CABRO is built according to the highest hygienic standards and can be cleaned easily. In the semi-automatic version of the CABRO, products are placed manually on the feeding belt with the core up. By using laser technology, the cabbages are aligned with precision after which they are de-cored. An additional cutting unit, positioned behind the de-coring head, cuts the product in 2, 4 or 8 pieces depending on the blade type. The CABRO comes in two version: the CABRO SL (single line) and CABRO TWIN (double line).

While downsizing labor cost is becoming more important and food safety and hygiene are becoming stricter, Finis||Eillert are building a fully automized CABRO. “This automatization can be added as an expansion to an existing CABRO and processes vegetables even faster and more accurately,” states Patrick Jansen.

Using vision technology, the cameras analyze characteristics of each product and place it in the correct position. Products are then de-cored and cut. This new expansion is expected to be launched on the market in 2020. J

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I GEARBOXES

Northern Lift For APEX Dynamics With Further Investments Including Appointment of Topflight Sales Manager PEX Dynamics, has appointed a dediA cated Northern Sales Manager, Malcolm Hillary to further strengthen its profile in the north of England, Scotland and Ireland. He will be responsible for promoting the firm’s planetary, spiral and bevel and rack and pinion gearboxes to a fast-growing customer base comprising engineering companies, system integrators and automation houses.

Malcolm brings to the role over 30 years of engineering experience, having cut his teeth as an apprentice marine fitter with Smiths Dockyard, following technical college. Prior to joining APEX Dynamics, he worked as a technical sales manager for a small number of companies involved in the linear motion sector, making him an ideal match for his latest role.

Following intensive training in the US, Malcolm is now actively visiting existing and potential customers to promote amongst other items APEX Dynamics’ fiveyear product warranty. With a passion for a challenge, Malcolm takes a keen interest in all things engineering and when not working likes nothing better than playing around with cars.

Commenting, Malcolm says: “I am an engineer through and through and this background enables me to win the customer’s trust. It also allows me to bring a

Malcolm Hillary.

technical perspective to the challenges our customers often face, ultimately enabling APEX Dynamics to bring innovative solutions to the different sectors it serves.”

The appointment of Malcolm follows hard on the heels of the recent recruitment

by APEX Dynamics of a new National Sales Manager, Andrew Parsons, who is responsible for overseeing the entire UK and Irish sales operation. Both men will also be promoting a new range of stainless steel, planetary servo gearboxes, which

APEX Dynamics believes will be a gamechanger for the food, pharmaceutical, packaging and automation sectors.

These latest appointments by the Uttoxeter-based company coincide with the launch of an exciting new comprehensive 28-page colour brochure which outlines the entire range of products. This new literature encompasses inline planetary gearboxes, right angle planetary gearboxes, gearboxes with hypoid gear, new line, economic line, bevel gearboxes, racks and pinions along with lubrication systems.

APEX Dynamics is a global leader in the design, manufacture and supply of precision servo gearboxes, and these two top appointments and new catalogue are part of an ongoing strategy by the business to strengthen its position as a major player in the UK by investing in experienced and dynamic people to further expand its operation.

In addition to a five-year warranty APEX Dynamics UK is offering a three-week lead time on all standard products, which is an industry first. A key selling point for APEX Dynamics is that its precision products are capable of backlash accuracy down to less than one arc minute as well as being cleverly designed for easy cleaning and sterilising in an environment involving food grade materials or pharmaceuticals. J

APEX Dynamics to Showcase New Stainless Range at Drives & Controls 2020 PEX Dynamics UK will make its A debut appearance at Drives & Controls 2020 in April, consolidating its presence in the UK as a leading supplier of planetary servo gearboxes including dedicated product ranges in stainless steel, for the food, pharmaceutical, packaging and automation sectors.

Visitors to the NEC on April 21-23 should head for Stand D452 to witness the latest in high precision, planetary servo gearbox technology available from APEX Dynamics, the exclusive and only authorised distributor of this equipment in the UK. As a global leader in the design, supply and manufacture of servo gearbox and rack and pinion technology, APEX Dynamics’ precision products are capable of backlash 24

accuracy down to less than one arc minute as well as being cleverly designed with patented design features around the gearbox seals and bearings, making them ideal for use in food grade applications.

In addition to promoting its planetary servo gearboxes, which are available in in-

line, right angle and a wide variety of frame sizes and ratios, the Uttoxeterbased company will also be showcasing an entire range of related servomotor solutions, including rack, pinion, rightangle helical and spiral bevel gearboxes.

APEX Dynamics Managing Director Mike Gulliford says: “We’re so confident in the quality and reliability of our products that we are able to back this up with a five-year warranty. Companies in these sectors are always looking for an edge, a way to stand out from the competition and offer a service just that bit better, quicker and more attractive to potential customers. Commercially, it makes perfect sense to use all tools available to optimise the manufacturing process and increase productivity.” J

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, VOLUME 25 ISSUE 1

Retailers Feeling the Pressure From Consumers to Prioritise Sustainable Packaging ood and drink retailers face increased F consumer pressure to provide sustainable packaging options, according to new research from Tetra Pak, which polled major retailers in the UK and Ireland on their attitudes and factors driving packaging choices. Almost nine in ten retailers admit that climate change concerns are affecting the packages they’re choosing to put on their shelves and Tetra Pak’s statistics indicate this pressure is largely consumer-driven.

97% of respondents believe their customers are taking action to reduce their ecological impact and this same number believe it is affecting purchasing decisions.

Responsible packaging has consequently become a major issue for almost all retailers, with 97% also saying it is a chief consideration when choosing a supplier.

Tetra Pak’s research sheds light on the driving factors behind retailers’ packaging priorities and decision-making. The most

common concern for retailers is having a package that comes from low carbon sources, with 45% citing this as a primary consideration. This is closely followed by whether packaging comes from renewable sources (41%) and contains less plastic (38%).

However, the survey also highlights a lack of understanding on the part of retailers as to what constitutes ‘low carbon’ packaging. For example, 40% of retailers erroneously believe that aluminium is the

material with the lowest environmental impact, when in reality, the metal’s carbon footprint is greater than that of many plant-based alternatives.

Although 77% of respondents agreed they could be doing more to offer products with packaging that has a low environmental impact, Tetra Pak’s results suggest progress will continue to be made. Almost half of respondents plan to stock products with sustainable packaging in the next two years, 43% in the next 12 months.

Johan Rabe, Managing Director of Tetra Pak North Europe, says: “We will continue to collaborate with the industry and work to find innovative packaging solutions that will help retailers offer more sustainable packaging choices to their customers. For example, by the end of 2020, Tetra Pak aims to launch the first tethered cap solution in Europe on a Tetra Rex Plant-based package as part of a broader programme to help address the issue of plastic waste.” J

Food Business Has a New Line in Cheese Due to PFM’s Solutions ward-winning business Extons Foods A brought PFM Packaging Machinery on board to help further the firm’s dramatic expansion, from a sole trader selling products to local shops in and around Stockport, to the UK’s largest independent cheese slicing company.

Due to an increasing order book from sandwich manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers and food service providers across Europe, family-run Extons Foods, which had previously supplied only sliced cheese, is now churning out around 80 tonnes of the grated variety every week after investing in PFM’s solutions in a new state-of-the-art production line at its purpose-built Manchester facility.

PFM installed a line featuring a product elevator, cross feeder, support gantry, multi-head weigher with a 14 head rigidised finish C2 weigher, as well as a Vetta bag maker with rotating crimpers, tape and zip applicators.

Vetta allows easy changeover of bag styles by the operator, rather than engineers, in less than 30 minutes. Many of the bags feature a series of folds that make

set up difficult on conventional machinery. This machine meets food industry hygiene requirements, with elimination of flat surfaces and dirt traps, easy access for cleaning and stainless-steel construction.

Grated cheese is being packed in a variety of bag styles, branded and plain, including 2kg pillow packs, 200-220g stand-up Doy style bags with a zip reclose system and 200-220g Easy Pack bags with a tape re-close system.

Having a grated line has helped the cheese business widen its customer base, as managing director and founder of the company, Liz Parkinson, explains: “We chose PFM because they have a great reputation in our industry and specialise in grated cheese. The new line is boosting output and has helped the business to grow by delivering more of our products.

“They are great to work with and always have a very positive attitude. We were primarily just a slicing company before PFM put the new line in which has enabled us to expand into grating cheese. Production is flat out so it’s been a good step for us and the business is

going from strength to strength and continuing to grow.”

For more information visit www.pfmuk.com. J

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I CONVENIENCE FOODS

Refocused Greencore Shows Resilience Greencore has refocused its business on its UK convenience foods activities following the $1.075 billion sale of its US interests in late 2018. eadquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Greencore has strong market positions in a range of categories including sandwiches, salads, sushi, chilled snacking, chilled ready meals, chilled soups and sauces, chilled quiche, ambient sauces and pickles, and frozen Yorkshire Puddings. Greencore manufactures around 717 million sandwiches and other food to go products annually, along with 123 million chilled prepared meals, and 231 million bottles of cooking sauces, pickles and condiments.

Supplying all the major supermarkets along with other retailers, Greencore operates 21 production units in 16 world-class manufacturing sites in the UK, with industry-leading technology and supply chain capabilities. Indeed, Greencore has invested about £300 million in its current network over the past five years. This includes £94.6 million on capital expenditure at its UK and Ireland convenience foods business in the past two years.

The convenience food manufacturer is continuing to make progress in developing its Greencore Excellence efficiency programme. In line with its Greencore Manufacturing Excellence programmes, the group is now deploying analytical and data technology solutions to support operating activities, and is also accelerating work on its automation programme.

H

Financial Performance Despite a subdued UK trading environment, Greencore delivered a resilient performance in its 2019 financial year and anticipates another year of profitable growth in 2020. Greencore reported a 3.5% decline in revenue from continuing operations to £1.446 billion for the year ending 27 September 2019, primarily reflecting the impact of site disposals and closures as the group exited the UK cakes and desserts sector and shut its longer life ready meals facility at Kiveton.

Although the consumer demand remained cautious due to the uncertainty around Brexit,

Greencore delivered pro forma revenue growth of 2.6%, increased adjusted operating profit by 0.9% to £105.5 million and improved adjusted operating margin by 30bps to 7.3%.

Food to Go Part of Greencore’s strategy is to continue to expand its food to go business, which accounts for about two-thirds of revenue, while also deepening its relevance with customers. Revenues from Greencore’s food to go categories (comprising sandwiches, salads, sushi and chilled snacking) totalled £962.5 million and accounted for approximately 66% of group revenue. Reported revenues grew by 3.6% in these categories, aided by a contribution from the £56.0 million acquisition of Freshtime in September 2019 that extended Greencore’s presence in meal salads and chilled snacking.

The group’s other convenience categories comprise activities in the chilled ready meals, chilled soups and sauces, chilled quiche, ambient sauces and pickles, and frozen Yorkshire Pudding categories, as well as Irish ingredients trading businesses in Ireland. Reported revenue across these businesses declined by 15.0% to £483.6 million. Pro forma revenue increased by 1.2%, when excluding sites that were either sold or ceased trading.

Commenting on the results, Patrick Coveney, chief executive of Greencore,

Part of Greencore’s strategy is to continue to expand its food to which accounts for about two-thirds of group revenue.

Patrick Coveney, chief executive of Greencore.

comments: “Over the past twelve months we have fundamentally reset our business, anchored by a clear strategy to drive shareholder value by expanding our category and channel capabilities within the diverse, growing and attractive UK food to go market. The evidence of this can be seen in the launch of multiple commercial and innovation projects with key customers, and in the recent acquisition of Freshtime.”

Outlook Greencore has entered its 2020 financial year with a clear set of strategic objectives to drive growth in an expanding food to go market, to deepen its relevance with customers, and to adopt a distinctive and repeatable Greencore Way of working. These are underpinned by an economic model of disciplined growth and investment.

The company is making solid progress in its current financial year. “Following a steady start to 2020, we look forward to delivering a year of profitable growth,” says Patrick Coveney.

Greencore’s medium term financial goals are for mid single-digit organic revenue growth, high single-digit adjusted EPS growth, the conversion of half of its go business, adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow and for mid-teen ROIC. J

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I REFRIGERATION

BRS Supplies Refrigeration System Replacement at Greencore Northampton have a cooling coil per AHU to maintain a set temperature setpoint.

Cooling is provided by the existing DX refrigeration set up over 25 years ago. The refrigerant system has been converted to a drop-in replacement R422d resulting in a loss of capacity and a system prone to leaking refrigerant due to age, wear & tear and subject to the F-Gas 2020 refrigerant service ban.

BRS was commissioned for the audit, design and installation of a replacement 350kW Air Cooled Chiller and to incorporate a turnkey electrical and mechanical solution. The key requirement was to ensure minimum downtime and reduced energy consumption.

BRS recommended a bulk glycol system in order to meet cooling capacity requirements using a glycol solution would reduce sites CO2 footprint and provide flexibility of future changes onsite. The design took account of energy efficiency requirements and included detailed documentation demonstrat-

reencore is a world-class manufacturer of ‘on the move’ food G products, such as pre-packed sandwiches, wraps, prepared salads and sushi for many of the UK’s major retailers. In 2011 Greencore acquired the Northampton site when it bought Uniq, formerly Unigate. BRS was tasked with providing an FGas compliant & energy efficient replacement which allows flexibility of production locations, loads and plant reliability.

The Sandwich Production area consisted of 3 x Large R422d refrigerant volume DX (Direct Expansion) Systems serving 7 x AHU (Air Handling Units) cooling coils, 2 x Refrigerated Area’s (Toastie), Bread Corridor and Process Chilled Water for Salad Washing. The AHU’s are designed for production areas with a positive pressure fresh air system, the existing AHU’s ing the savings to be made through deploying inverter compressors and VSD ring main pumps. The products selected were a duty/standby solution using 2 x Daikin EWAD380TZ-SS B2 Air Cooled Inverter Chillers.

With confidence in cooling capacity restored onsite and the removal of ongoing DX refrigeration and high refrigerant costs, Greencore Northampton sandwich production areas are now achieving optimal temperatures for each of their processes. This in turn is enabling both the production team to confirm with temperature legislation and meet new targets and the project team to focus on developing the overall business.

“It’s been a pleasure working with BRS, and the installation team has been excellent and self-managed, the installation and quality of work exceeds the quotation provided and must be demonstrated to the rest of the Greencore group,” according to the Greencore Engineering Department. J 28

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MIXING & BLENDING

Munson Rotary Continuous Bulk Solids Mixer For High Volume Applications new sanitary Model RCM36X9SS A Rotary Continuous Mixer from Munson Machinery blends dry bulk solids with or without liquid additions, in-line at low cost over long production runs.

Intended for dust-free mixing of bulk materials in large volumes, it blends primary bulk ingredients, minor ingredients, and/or liquid additions and coatings uniformly with little or no degradation.

It features a stationary inlet, a stationary outlet, a rotating drum with smooth interior surfaces and proprietary mixing flights that impart a gentle tumbling action, distributing particles with each degree of drum rotation, imparting no shear or energy into the material.

Unlike mixers with agitators that are forced through stationary material, the rotary continuous design has no internal moving parts and lower power requirements; a 2.24 kW electric motor rotates the drum at 8 to 10 RPM. Optional stainless steel piping with nozzles allows uniform spraying of liquid additives onto a wide expanse of cascading

Munson Rotary Continuous Mixer RCM36X9SS blends dry materials uniformly with or without liquid additions, rapidly and at low cost over long production runs with little or no degradation.

material produced by the internal flights, minimising the time required to coat all particles uniformly.

A weir (dam) at the discharge end of the drum creates a build-up of blended material that overflows the weir and discharges the mixer at rates determined by the residence volume of the rotating cylinder and the rate of material inflow.

A reversing discharge weir is available to

fully evacuate material at the end of production runs, allowing cleaning or sanitising. Other models are offered in diameters from 40 to 180 cm, in lengths from 120 to 730 cm.

Typical applications include bulk foods such as cereals, powdered drink mixes, snack foods and pet foods, and bulk chemicals such as detergents, catalysts, polymers, pesticides and fertilisers.

Other mixing and blending equipment produced by the company includes Rotary Batch Mixers, Ribbon/Paddle/Plough Blenders, VeeCone Blenders, Fluidised Bed Mixers and Variable Intensity Blenders. Size reduction equipment includes Pin Mills, Attrition Mills, De-Clumper™ Lump Breakers, SCC™ Screen Classifying Cutters, Rotary Knife Cutters, HammerHead™ Hammer Mills and Titan™ Shredders.

For further information contact Munson Machinery Company at Email info@munsonmachinery.com or visit www.munsonmachinery.com.

Winkworth Claims Hygienic Mixer/extruder Design is a World’s First s the result of an intensive 3-year design A programme, Winkworth, the UK designer and manufacturer of industrial mixing and blending machinery, says that it has produced the world’s most hygienic kneader mixer extruder machine to suit the most demanding application requirements.

Built to match a client’s exacting needs high-powered, totally reliable and in a compact design which could be fully integrated within ancillary equipment - the machine also had to be cross-contamination free. For this particular application, a high level of automation was also demanded, covering full control of the mixing process, precision and control of the blade and screw speeds, full integration with inlet systems, mixing durations, vacuum levels and duration, temperature control, zone management during mixing and, critically, during discharge.

Despite the need for all product contact services to be cleaned between formulas, downtime due to cleaning had to be min-

imised. To meet this requirement, the machine has been designed to the latest pharmaceutical GMP standards - more stringent, though similar to EHEDG which supports a simple yet effective independent verification of ‘clean’. Providing access to allow ergonomic safe cleaning behaviours was critical, the human factors of reach, touch, line of sight, lifting, pulling, pressing and trip hazards - all were considered.

To facilitate these requirements, the machine is fully retractable, thus allowing kneader blade access. Simultaneously the extruder screw is retracted, allowing full 360° access to the screw itself. A pivoting, hinged, non-drive end door to the mixer chamber, allows full access from the end of the mixer chamber and full access to the inside surfaces. Closure after cleaning and

inspection is an automated reversal of opening, allowing for a fast and verifiable process that promotes high levels of productivity.

All of this operation is fully automated using electrics, hydraulics, pneumatics and optical control sensors with safety guards, incorporating proximity sensors, fitted to verify safety systems are intact

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I MIXING & BLENDING

When Choosing a Mixer, the Proof is in the Pudding ith over 30 years in the mixing equipW ment business, the experts at Admix are often asked to help bring a product formulation concept to the next level of smallscale manufacturing. Some manufacturers have a solid formula for their products, some are still formulating, but regardless of that, they all have the same valid concerns when it comes to manufacturing their product. Will they: • make quality product consistently?

• produce product that doesn't separate?

• create stable emulsions?

• fail on any of the above & lose money?

Try It at Your Facility Before You Buy It

One manufacturer that was developing a new product, contacted Admix for a sani-

tary mixer that would be appropriate for their application and they had the same questions. Having worked with other manufacturers developing similar products or using some of the same ingredients, Admix recommend a specific mixer to accomplish their goals. But some manufacturers prefer to see it with their own eyes and the best way for them to know for sure is to “Try It Before They Buy It.” An equipment trial program enables manufacturers to try a mixer at their own facility, using their own formulations and their own operators. Admix equipment trials are initially set for a period of two weeks or more if necessary. This manufacturer took advantage of the trial program and tried both a low shear and high shear mixing head on the Benchmix lab mixer so they could witness firsthand exactly what effect each head had on ingredients.

In under an hour of product testing, a batch was created, and every requirement was met or exceeded expectations. The test was successful and backed with guaranteed scalability, they purchased the Benchmix before trial period concluded. These inplant trials are not limited to just lab scale equipment – Admix in-tank batch mixers, inline emulsifiers, wet mills and powder induction and dispersion systems can also be trialed.

Test Lab Convenience

Another option is to send ingredients to the Admix lab for mix-testing where it can be witnessed in person or conveniently videotaped by request. A large beverage manufacturer who came to Admix looking for a smarter way to mix, decided on a lab test.

They were using a 400-gallon liquefier to make a fruit drink base but even after mixing for long periods of time, the xanthan gum never adequately dispersed. It was clear that in order to make higher quality bases and reduce mixing time, the liquefier had to go.

From experience, Admix knew their Rotosolver high shear batch mixer was capable of out-performing any other mixer on the market, even for those difficult-todisperse xanthan gum brands. Even so, the manufacturer was encouraged to send their ingredients to the lab for testing dispersion using the Rotosolver.

The results? The first phase of testing (xanthan into water phase) with the Rotosolver resulted in complete 100% dispersion in 1 minute, down from 30 minutes with the liquefier! The second phase (adding the balance of ingredients i.e. syrups, citric acid powder, flavors and colors) was also successful – all were incorporated and dispersed quickly and efficiently.

The proof was in the pudding as the saying goes and the Rotosolver was purchased.

The drink manufacturer combined both mixing phases into one with excellent and fast results. Lumps and agglomerates were no longer a problem and total mixing time were drastically reduced!

Process Assurance Warranty and Guaranteed Scalability

As part of their goal to fulfill customer process expectations and assure performance results, Admix offers a Process Assurance Program in addition to a standard mechanical performance warranty.

The program is based on a performance evaluation and thorough analysis of the customer’s product as it relates to Admix mixing equipment. Based on the analysis, Admix guarantees that their equipment will do the job for which they recommended it.

Admix can help you on your path to manufacturing, too. Contact them to to learn about testing your ingredients in their lab for free, or about setting up an equipment trial at your own facility.

More information on the company’s wide range of mixers or programs noted in this article can be obtained from www.admix.com. J

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I POULTRY

Atria Planning €130 Million Investment Project to Increase Poultry Production in Finland tria, which is one of the leading meat and food companies in A the Nordic countries, Russia and Estonia, is focusing on the growing its poultry segment and is starting to plan an expansion in production. According to preliminary estimates, the value of the investment is approximately Eur130 million. The investment project includes the renovation of existing production facilities and the construction of new production facilities and lines at Atria’s Nurmo plant in Finland.

Consumption of poultry meat has been growing strongly in Finland for several years. Since the beginning of 2019, the consumption has increased by about 4% in value. Atria is responding to the growth in consumer demand. The planned investment project will strengthen Atria’s position as a market leader in poultry products.

“We will initiate the project planning based on preliminary studies. If implemented, the investment would be one of the largest single investment projects in Atria’s history. We have a strong belief in Finnish food production and the fact that the Finnish meat industry will succeed in international competition, as long as we have courage to invest in it,” says Juha Gröhn, chief executive of Atria.

The first step is to start the application process for regulatory approvals and to complete them as soon as possible. After the planning phase, the decision on the implementation will be made. The project is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2024 at the earliest. Atria been listed on Nasdaq Helsinki since 1991 and its sales exceeded Eur1.45 billion in 2019. J

HKScan to Invest in the Growing Poultry Market KScan, the Nordic meat and food group, will invest Eur6 milH lion in a new slaughter process for its poultry unit at Rauma in Finland. The investment will significantly improve raw material yield, productivity and operational reliability and ensure the capacity required for strongly growing demand. The investment will be implemented in stages at the end of 2020.

Tero Hemmilä, chief executive of HKScan, explains: “We will renew the whole first part of the poultry unit’s production process in Rauma since the slaughter line introduced in 2017 does not

meet the standards required by the group’s current management.

With the investment, the processing capacity of the slaughter line will increase by some 20 per cent and raw material yield by some 10 per cent. The investment will also ensure a significant reduction in the consumption of utilities, such as water and district heating.

Demand for poultry products continues to increase and the investment enables us to better meet this strong demand in the coming years.”

With the investment, the current slaughter line will be dismantled. For this reason, HKScan will record a Eur6.9 million writedown of the residual value of the current line balance sheet. The write-down has no impact on cash flow.

The new slaughter line will be installed in stages at the end of 2020. The investment will improve operational reliability and productivity of the Rauma unit and significantly increase production capacity from the current levels.

Demand and sales of HKScan’s poultry products in Finland have grown faster and stronger than expected. This investment will enable business growth more assuredly in the years to come.

Demand and sales of Kariniemen poultry products, in particular, are expected to grow faster than the market.

HKScan’s strong profit improvement in its poultry business in Finland has been one of the key drivers of the group’s profit improvement in 2019. In the second half of 2019, HKScan returned to its market leader position in poultry category in Finland due to significantly improved service level. J

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PFM’s Automated Solution Rings the Changes For Coffee Packaging ne of the nation’s most renowned O hot beverage suppliers, Ringtons Ltd, brought PFM Packaging Machinery on board as part of a huge capital investment project to automate coffee production at its factory in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Family-run business Ringtons was established 113 years ago and now supplies over 250,000 customers across the country, including cafés, restaurants, hotels, workplaces and other outlets with door-to-door deliveries of tea, coffee, sweet treats and biscuits.

Ringtons sought PFM’s expertise to automate its coffee packaging process and clear a bottleneck caused by the limits that could be achieved by the hand packing operation for the drinks firm’s popular brands of ground and beans. PFM’s solution was to supply two Zenith machines, which have significantly improved output from 300 kilos in an eight-hour shift to 800 kilos per machine every hour in different bag styles.

Head of Coffee & Business Division at Ringtons, Stephen Drysdale, explains: “The PFM equipment was successfully installed as part of a major investment in the factory, moving coffee production from manual to a fully automated system. PFM helped us go to the next level and massively increase our packing rate. I would certainly recommend them and use them again.”

PFM’s Zenith EW and Auger filler packs the client’s ground coffee in 57-170g pillow

bags, 200g Steelo stand-up packs with rigidised corners and block bottom bags of 500g and one kilo. The bags also have a valve applied to allow the gas given off by ground coffee to escape the pack. Another Zenith, the ZC model, is a fully integrated system with a 10-head multihead weigher, for block bottom bags of coffee beans in packs from 125g up to one kilo.

Aimed at manufacturers automating for the first time, the Zenith bagging machines are designed to host filling and weighing equipment with no need for a gantry. The result is a compact unit with bagging and weighing controls integrated within a sin-

gle, user-friendly control system.

Another plus for coffee products is the machine is also equipped with a valve applicator and gas flush system, including flowmeter and alarm supplied in the extra wide (EW) specification allowing a huge range of bags up to one kilo to be produced.

The ZC offers a high degree of flexibility and accuracy and is simple to use.

The absence of a gantry reduces cost and machine footprint compared with a conventional system, while the compact nature of the unit also allows elevators and other support equipment to be downsized for further savings in capital and running costs.

In addition, within the software of the weigher is a new routine that cuts the time needed to replenish each weigh hopper with product, allowing the contents of more hoppers to be combined for a more accurate dose of powder and beans at higher speeds.

PFM is well known across multiple food and non-food sectors for its impressive range of packaging solutions and has the reputation for being a responsive automation partner. Both the UK and Irish Republic are covered from its Leeds headquarters with sales and servicing of a variety of equipment and parts that can help manufacturers cut costs and reduce pack wastage.

For more information visit www.pfmuk.com. J

New Ink Added to Linx Range inx Printing Technologies has introduced an ink specially forL mulated to resist moisture, colour change and transference. It is ideal for consistent coding through pouch and can retort applications where the contents are cooked in the packaging after they are coded.

The new Linx Black retort ink 1077 has been specifically developed for the company’s market-leading Linx 8900 and 8800 Series continuous ink jet (CIJ) coders and is a dye based MEK ink. This specialist ink is specifically designed for use in typical sterilisation and wet retort process conditions. Its special formulation enables the printers to code through a thin layer of oily film or grease. In addition, it contains components that enhance its adhesion under moist and high-temperature conditions, delivering good adhesion and good transfer resistance, as well as excellent durability and legibility on a range of materials after processing.

Typical applications for Linx Black retort ink 1077 include a variety of food packs, such as ready meals, vegetables, beans, fruit, soup, rice, meat and fish products and pet foods. This includes any 34

products that are coded before a cooking process.

The ink is suitable for use on many materials including metal cans, formed aluminium and plastic packaging such as polyester (PET) pouches. J

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FLAVOURS

The Flavour Factor - Innovation Remains Vital as Three-quarters of Consumers ‘Love to Discover New Flavours’

lavour is, on average, the single most F important factor in consumers’ food and drink choices. Interest in novelty and vari-

ety is also high, says a new report from Innova Market Insights revealing that three-quarters of global consumers ‘love to discover new flavours’. It is therefore little wonder that innovators continue to experiment and innovate with taste profiles and to use flavour as a valuable marketing tool.

Such is flavour’s importance in food and drink development that many of Innova’s Top 10 Trends for 2020 are having a clear bearing on its evolution. For example, more detailed flavour descriptors and an emphasis on provenance reflect the #1 trend ‘Storytelling: Winning With Words’ theme, while growing diversity in the produce and botanicals used in flavourings is part of the #2 trend ‘The Plant-Based Revolution’.

‘Hello Hybrids’ is another major theme, with more and more flavours familiar in one category crossing over into others. Also edition and seasonal flavours can help to invigorate brands and are a good way to test new tastes on the public (‘Brand Unlimited’).

Generationally, Millennials are the most adventurous in their attitudes to flavour, while Boomers are the most conventional.

Perhaps surprisingly, Gen Zs are also less interested in mixing it up when it comes to

taste.

“When asked if they like new, mixed or seasonal flavours, Gen Z agreement was generally at least 10 percentage points lower than that of Millennials,” says Lu Ann Williams, Director of Innovation at Innova Market Insights. “But there is still an element of boldness when it comes to genuine novelty, with 45% of Gen Zs agreeing that ‘the crazier the flavour, the better’, a much higher percentage than is found among the over 45s and over 55s.”

Looking ahead, flavour innovation will

remain an essential part of food and drink NPD and key themes will include the diversification of authentic international flavours, further exploitation of the wider plant world, ‘permissible indulgence’ in the health and wellness arena and ongoing hybridization.

Meanwhile, sustainability and the sourcing of flavours, including the raw materials that go into them, will also become a more important issue and could well impact on future consumer choice as well as industry practice. J

Flavorchem’s 2020 Flavour & Trends Forecast lavorchem, an established leader in the F manufacturing of flavour and colour solutions, has released its 2020 Trends & Flavour Forecast. Flavorchem analsed the latest product releases, market intelligence reports, and social media buzz to predict the latest industry and flavour trends,

including: • Sustainability First: Sustainable consumption, supporting small businesses, and getting closer to the brand will be chief concerns in 2020.

• Plant-Based Bloom: Plant-based innovation continues to flourish as a result of consumer interest in health, sustainability and ethics, which ties into the broader consumer lifestyle trend towards cleaner living.

• CBD Everywhere: According to Forbes, the consumer CBD market is estimated to grow to $2.1 billion by 2020 from $202 million in 2015.

• Smarter Snacking: There will be high demand for nutritious foods that are easy

to prepare, convenient, portable, yet still indulgent.

The full report details how industry trends will influence flavours in food and beverage products in 2020. “Our in-house analysts work closely with our Flavourists to create flavours that represent the latest in trends and innovation. Our team has conducted extensive primary and secondary research to ensure our clients have the latest industry intel,” says Laura Dembitzer, Director of Marketing and Communications at Flavorchem.

To receive a copy of Flavorchem’s 2020 Trends & Flavour Forecast or to create a new custom flavour in your own application, please email contact@flavorchem.com. J

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CHOCOLATE

Cargill Introduces Innovative Sugar Reduced Chocolate Capabilities to Customers argill has invested $5 million in its C site at Mouscron in Belgium to enhance its capabilities for producing chocolate with lower sugar levels. The investment allows for the introduction of a range of bespoke and innovative sugar reduced chocolate recipes to meet the increased consumer demand for sugar reduced chocolate products.

The demand for chocolate is growing by approximately two per cent per year[1]. A vast majority of consumers view chocolate as an indulgence, a delightful product that they can enjoy in the moment. A growing group of consumers is on the look-out for chocolate that tastes just as delicious but also contains less sugar. Cargill’s 2019 study[2] on global food and beverage trends shows that sugar is the number one avoided ingredient in food products and that 54 per cent consumers are willing to pay more for chocolate with no or reduced

sugar. According to EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) market data[3], the market demand for sugar reduced confectionery products is growing more than twice (9 per cent) as fast as the general chocolate confectionery market (+4 per cent).

“As more consumers look for reduced sugar chocolate products, our customers are looking for new chocolate recipes that combine an indulgent sensory experience with lower sugar levels,” says Inge Demeyere, managing director of Cargill’s chocolate activities in Europe. “Cargill is able to deliver on that ask thanks to our unique R&D approach. Leveraging a deep chocolate and broad food ingredients expertise, Cargill created a unique sugar reduced chocolate recipe capability using an optimized blend of sugar replacers, while still managing to get all the other elements like taste and texture right.

Our new, bespoke sugar reduced choco-

late capabilities can produce a creamy, rich, indulgent chocolate taste with just the right level of sweetness.”

The investment of $5 million into Cargill’s state-of-the-art chocolate factory in Mouscron includes the option to use a wide range of sugar replacers and the necessary dosing systems to allow Cargill to reduce sugar levels gradually, or up to 30% or higher. This result provides customers the ability to claim sugar reduction on the packaging of consumer products. It is also the latest in a long line of Belgian chocolate investments, focused on responding to and anticipating the demands of the industrial and gourmet segments.

Most recently, Cargill acquired Smet, a leading Belgian-based supplier specialized in chocolate and sweets decorations. With the acquisition, Cargill was able to broaden its product portfolio and services to gourmet customers such as artisans and chocolatiers, bakery, hospitality businesses and food service industries.

Belgium has been a focal point of Cargill’s cocoa and chocolate business for many years and Cargill’s 330 chocolate employees in Belgium are committed to the continued growth of its chocolate business, in the country and worldwide.

1 Euromonitor 2019, mixed category 2 Cargill’s Proprietary Perspective on Global Food & Beverage Trends 2019 3 Euromonitor 2018 J

Barry Callebaut Inaugurates New Chocolate Academy in the UK arry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality B chocolate and cocoa products, has inaugurated its new Chocolate Academy at Banbury in the UK as part of its continuous

want to improve their skills in chocolate and learn about new trends, techniques, and recipes are trained. J

expansion and ambitious growth strategy in one of Europe’s biggest chocolate confectionery markets in volume terms.

The revamped Chocolate Academy Centre in Banbury will provide customers, global and local food manufacturers, as well as artisans and professional chocolatiers, with improved facilities and support for training. In addition, the Chocolate Academy is a hub for exploring and innovating on the latest trends, techniques and recipes in chocolate. This will also help to meet the growing demand for innovative and high-quality chocolate products in the UK. The Centre in Banbury is part of a global network of 23 Chocolate Academy Centres where artisans and professionals who 36

FOOD & DRINK BUSINESS EUROPE, VOLUME 25 ISSUE 1