Food Industry Centre

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UNIVERSITY OF WALES INSTITUTE, CARDIFF

AT H R O FA P R I F Y S G O L C Y M R U, C A E R D Y D D

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FOOD INDUSTRY CENTRE

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HISTORY The Zero2five Food Industry Centre has been created to support food businesses in both a technical and operational capacity, enabling them to compete more effectively in the global market place by providing the knowledge, facilities and resources to help companies push their boundaries, achieve their goals and drive their businesses forward.

INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED EXPERTISE Zero2five is able to draw on expertise within University of Wales Institute, Cardiff UWIC, which includes Food Science, Nutrition and Dietetics as well as Environmental Health, Trading Standards and Biomedical Sciences.

Our team of internationally recognised food industry experts is available to assist our clients across a variety of food disciplines including baking, dairy and meat technologies, hygiene management, packaging design, technical management systems and new product development.

IMPROVING SKILLS & MAXIMISING PROFITS The expertise of the UWIC Business School is also available to provide additional advice and support for companies requiring help in areas such as marketing and finance. We can also assist companies in sourcing funding to minimise the financial burden usually associated with innovation change management in the private sector, a factor that for many companies is the major stumbling block in their efforts to develop their businesses.

Combining our team of experts with an already enviable track record of success, the Zero2five Food Industry Centre is here to help food businesses achieve world-wide recognition for excellence and, as a result, economic success.

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FOOD INDUSTRY CENTRE

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FACILITIES In such a competitive industry standing still is not an option.

Access to state-of-the-art facilities that assist companies with their research and development programmes or, in some cases, make it possible for them to implement R&D for the first time, is essential if companies are to expand and grow.

The Centre provides just such facilities enabling companies to undertake sophisticated testing and product development making it easier and more cost-effective for companies to proceed with previously prohibitive R&D projects.

All aspects of new product development, from concept, kitchen trials, sensory evaluation, pilot scale production and market research analysis, are catered for in the Centre along with the technical expertise to develop HACCP controls and specify operational costs for potential new product launches.

Food Processing Areas The ground floor of the Centre houses four distinct food processing areas: low risk area, high risk area, baking centre and confectionery centre. These allow food companies to undertake pilot scale production runs thus minimising losses incurred by upscaling new products directly to the factory floor.

The facility houses a range of processing equipment covering a variety of food processing sectors, e.g. ready meals, meat, fish, dairy (including milk, cheese and yogurt production).

The baking and confectionery facilities are available for new product development, recipe reformulation (particularly in relation to profit optimisation) baking technology training (bespoke training courses developed to industry needs) and pilot scale production trials.

The first floor of the building has been designed to be the ideal environment in which to develop trial products, investigate their suitability for market and objectively evaluate the sensory and physical properties employing scientific methods.

Training Kitchen This facility allows for new product development, validation of cooking instructions and is an ideal environment to evaluate new products through focus groups, all of which are facilitated through our technical experts on site.

Sensory Evaluation Suite This Centre houses one of the largest sensory evaluation suites in the UK and the only facility of its type in Wales. Designed to enable a more objective approach to new product evaluation this will ensure partner companies are equipped with an independent analysis of their new products when they are presenting to potential customers, including major retailers.

The sensory suite can also be used to evaluate the efficacy of taste panel tests/panellists. An increasingly important area for product evaluation, the need for verification and validation of sensory techniques within the food sector has never been greater.

Following the successful development of new products, the Zero2five Food Industry Centre places our clients with organisations, who work closely with major retailers, to encourage capacity building, job creation and minimise overhead costs.

New Product Development Kitchen A fully equipped new product development kitchen similar to those found in major food processors is the ideal location to create new product ranges.

This links with our ground floor facilities to allow a seamless transition between new product concept, design, development and pilot scale production.

This facility is sited adjacent to our sensory evaluation suite which facilitates the new product development process and objective evaluation of new product ranges.

Click on the Food Industry Centre rooms for a virtual tour www.uwic.ac.uk/virtualtours/ health

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EXPERTISE Bakery

Dairy

Hygiene

The range of bakery products are many and varied, from fresh to par-baked and vacuum packaged.

We have the expertise to assist companies across the whole range of product types.

Process streamlining and innovation are key to success for dairy businesses. The services provided by the Centre will enable companies to experiment in developing new products and also receive assistance in bringing them to market.

The Centre is able to offer world class expertise in the field of hygiene management through research, education, training, troubleshooting at food processing sites and risk assessment of the hygiene operation.

 New Product Development (NPD)  Project consultancy  Development of consumer educational programmes  Product development testing  Marketing support for SMEs  Access to equipment e.g. spray drier, ultra-filtration unit  Market testing.

Our services include:  Evaluation of existing hygiene practices  Education of contamination points and cross contamination risks  Validation and verification of cleaning practices  Listeria tracking  Assessment of hygiene development  Reduction of bacterial levels through innovative de-contamination techniques e.g. ozone friendly technology.

For example, we undertake:  New Product Development (NPD)  Existing Product Development (EPD)  Shelf-life studies  Sensory evaluation studies  Enzyme reaction testing  Waste reduction assessments  Project consultancy and management  Texture analysis.

Confectionery

Meat and Fish

Within the confectionery sector, the services provided by the Centre will cater for all: a new manufacturer looking to develop a high-end chocolate product to an established manufacturer looking at ways to re-vitalise sales of an already existing product.

The services that we are able to provide to meat manufacturers and processors are many and varied and draw on the knowledge of our experts.

      

New product development Market research studies Market penetration support Product innovation testing Shelf-life studies Quality control processes Sensory evaluation.

They include:  New Product Development (NPD)  Microbiological advice  Advice on factors affecting meat quality (chemical and biochemical)  Food safety and hygiene in the meat sector  Cost reduction  Meat quality issues – texture, flavour, appearance  Modified atmosphere packaging e.g vacuum packaging and its effect on meat quality and shelf-life  Advice on PGI accreditation  Meat legislation.

Packaging Our services include:  Shelf-life evaluation of packaging  Focus group analysis of re-branding  Development and objective evaluation of innovative packaging design concepts  Sign-posting to relevant packaging suppliers  Assessment of packaging impact  Evaluation of product use instructions on packaging.

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PROJECTS Food Industry Skills Project (FISP) Aim  To increase the number of people going into the food sector in Wales and retain them.  To up skill the food manufacturing and processing industry in Wales.

Achievements  MSc in Food Technology for Industry  Foundation Degree  Student Placement Bursary Scheme  Careers advisors training day on careers in the food industry  FT and HE food teachers training day on careers in the food industry  Short Courses  FoodWise publication  More work-based Learning opportunities

FOOD INDUSTRY CENTRE

Attended organised and hosted events to disseminate FISP messages including:  7 careers fairs (Neath x2, Blaenau Gwent, Tredomen, Torfaen, Margam Park, Caerphilly)  6 food festivals (Abergavenny, Cowbridge, Cardiff, Pembrokeshire, Wrexham and Anglesey Seafood Festival)  5 conferences (IAFP, UKAFP, IFST, BCCC, Gums and Stabilisers, Food Safety CPD (Highfield))  4 shows (RWS, Good Food, Welsh Business Show, Start up Wales Business Show)  2 events (Meet the producer event hosted by UWIC and Meet the Buyer hosted by Levercliff)  3 regional FISP industry meetings  2 student lunch meeting to promote bursary  2 teacher/careers advisor training days.

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Knowledge Innovation Technology Exchange (KITE)

PARTNERS

The knowledge and experience offered by our professionals across the two centres is highly beneficial and profitable. Welshbased SME food companies exploit this resource for their own economic success. Clients achieve measurable outputs and clear financial, environmental and skillbased benefits.

These include:  Development of companies’ technical expertise to international standards e.g.

BRC  Reduced waste production at source, resulting in reduced environmental impact and costs and increased profits  Enhanced skills and knowledge of employees  Improved operational efficiency  Development of new and innovative products  Increased competitive advantage through improved technical control The ultimate objective for the KITE programme as a whole is to increase sales of Welsh based food products by £10 million by 2015.

The KITE programme is designed to minimise disruption to your food business whilst optimising the potential for increased process control and maximising profits.

The programme focuses on developing companies’ technical expertise over a medium to longterm basis. This can be from as little as three months to two years via both full time and part time programmes. FNW representatives will perform a technical gap analysis of your company to identify areas that could benefit from greater technical control.

The subject areas covered by the programme are varied and extensive, such as developing a company to BRC standards, new product development and efficiency analysis of the processing operation.

All programmes are goal and time managed and progress is monitored through a structured project management process overseen by the Centre’s Food specialists.

The programme is open to Welshbased, SME food companies that would benefit from accessing the knowledge and expertise housed at the Centres.

For more details www.kite-programme.org.uk

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Contact: David Lloyd, Director Western Avenue Llandaff Cardiff CF5 2YB

Telephone: 029 2041 6306 Email: dclloyd@uwic.ac.uk Web: www.zero2five.org.uk www.kite-programme.org.uk