THE SKILLS CRISIS · Barcode scanners are used to identify ingredients, premixes and sub-batches, ensuring a ... traceability. This is excellent ... chilled food manufacturers have

A crisis is looming in the food and beverage industry. Read how experts plan to solve it.

THE SKILLS CRISISw w w . f p o n t h e n e t . n e t

B E T T E R P L A N T , B E T T E R P R O D U C T I V I T Y , B E T T E R P R O F I T

FOOD PROCESSING

JAN 2013

★ A SPECIAL REPORT

INSIDEMeat processingMetal detectionEnergy efficiency

3401 - FP Jan13 Edn_Layout 1 02/01/2013 09:58 Page 1

The new Mitsubishi Electric MELFA food safe robot is designed for use in a wide range of applications across the food & beverage industry. With an IP65 rating enabling water washdown, the innovative ceiling mounted robot offers high speed performance, accuracy and power with the ultimate in reliability and flexibility.

With an increased working area and the shortest movement path available, it offers a competitive alternative to a delta robot, with the additional benefit of being a fifth of the mass through its compact design allowing for easy installation.

The MELFA food safe robot can be fully integrated with the Mitsubishi Electric iQ PLC and are supported by a full range of easy to use software and simulation programs.

IP65 rating (Designed to withstand water washdown)

Uses NSF* H1 approved food-grate grease

No risk of contamination by chipping paint (Robot body is made of anodised aluminium)

High speed, up to 180 picks per minute

For more information on our robot solutions call: 01707 288 780, email: [email protected] or visit: robots.mitsubishielectric.co.uk

Consistent Quality - Precise Control

*Sanitation guidelines from NSF (National Sanitation Foundations) USA


EDITOR David [email protected] MANAGER Di [email protected] CLASSIFIED SALES EXECUTIVE Kay [email protected] PRODUCTION MANAGER David May BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Iain [email protected] Dan Jago

CIRCULATION CDS Global TELEPHONE 01858 438 425 EMAIL [email protected] TYPESET BY Origination-Studio.co.uk DESIGN Stuart PritchardIML GROUP PLCBlair House, 184–186 High Street, Tonbridge,Kent, TN9 1BQ TELEPHONE 01732 359990 FAX 01732 770049

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or in relation to material provided forinclusion.’ ISSN 0264-9462 Food Processing is published monthly on a controlledcirculation basis in the UK and Eire.Available on subscription to others in the UK at £127.00 a year. Singlecopy price is £12.00. European rateis £154.00 a year. Overseas rate(outside Europe) is £225.00 a year.

Just before I put this edition of Food Processingto bed, I attended the Food & Drink Federation’s

annual President’s Reception, at which FDFpresident, Jim Moseley, announced that food anddrink manufacturers have trebled the number ofapprenticeships across the industry, beating anoriginal target to double before the end of 2012.

This good – no, great – news was announced inthe presence of secretary of state for environment,food & rural affairs, Owen Paterson. The latest datafrom the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) andthe sector skills council, Improve, shows that sinceAugust 2011 there have been 5,281 apprenticeshipstarts in food and drink manufacturing businessesacross the country. Apprenticeships now make up1.3% of the overall food and drink manufacturingworkforce – up from 0.4% in 2010/11.

Meanwhile, guests at the reception also heardgood news about the launch of the industry’sGraduate Excellence engineering degree course.Half the work placements required for the 40students have already been pledged for the course,which launches in 2014 at Sheffield HallamUniversity.

We couldn’t have introduced our first ‘Skills Issue’at a better moment. Many experts now say thatfailure to act in the face of the skills crisis will almostcertainly hold back the food sector’s undeniablepotential.

Graduate Excellence will be the UK’s firstdedicated food and drink engineering degree and itis currently being developed by FDF in partnershipwith the National Skills Academy (NSA) for food anddrink and Sheffield Hallam University where the

programme will be based. The degree course willbegin in September 2014.

Both the Apprenticeship Pledge and GraduateExcellence aim to build the skills the UK’s foodand drink manufacturing sector needs for thefuture, enabling it to meet its ambition to grow20% by 2020.

Owen Paterson said: “As our largestmanufacturing sector, the food and drink industryhas a key role to play in helping Defra realise its twinambitions of growing the economy and improvingthe environment. That’s why we are committed toworking with FDF to realise its vision of growth of20% for the sector by 2020. Increasing skills andgetting new people into the industry is vital, not justto this ambition but for the future of the sector as awhole. The doubling of the number of newapprenticeships in food and drink over the pastyear is a huge achievement and one of which theindustry should be proud.”

Our special report, starting on page 13, looksat a wide range of issues around the skills crisis;we also feature comments from various industryfigures including food manufacturers andmachinery suppliers.

www.fponthenet.net

Why it’s allabout skills

13 COVER STORYSkills and training

4 CASE STUDYRhokett

6 QUESTIONS & ANSWERSRobert Unsworth of GEARefrigeration

8 FACTORY VISITGilbert's Foods

10 METAL DETECTIONWhitby Seafoods

22 MOTORSGolden Acre

FOOD PROCESSING

contentsJanuary 2013 Vol 82 No 1

Follow FP on @FPEditor

Find us onsearch for Food Processing

David [email protected]


4 – Food Processing January 2013

MANDY HART, new MD forMarco, recently said that thechallenges specific to producingequipment for the food sectorare split broadly betweenfinancial and operationalconsiderations. “In today’sdifficult and fast-moving market,food companies need a strongbasis to be able to justify capitalinvestment,” she said.

“Predicted industry norm ROIsof 12-24 months typically blockmost investments from theoutset. However, we have clearevidence our solutions typicallyprovide zero risk investmentswith ROIs of six months or less.”

That should be music to theears of dessert manufacturerRhokett, which produces arange of bespoke handcrafted

desserts, and which hasimplemented Marco’s RecipeFormulation Module (RFM) inorder to bring a new level ofcontrol to the overallmanufacturing operation.

Rhokett was established withthe support of Michelin Star chefGary Rhodes in 2002, and hasgrown under the guidance of itsdirectors, Chef Patissier MartinDockett and Peter Le Voir. Itsrange of customers includesexclusive restaurants, hotels,airlines and major retail outlets.

According to a Marcospokesman, the RFM system’sprecision and effectiveness setsthe benchmark for maintainingproduct quality, optimising stockmanagement and minimisingcostly waste in processes thatrely predominantly on manualrecipe assembly procedures.

“The Marco RFM systemmanages the whole recipeprocess – from the generation ofa specific Bill of Materials (BOM)through to final mixing,” saysMarco. “Operator friendlyworkstation weighing scales,with clear unambiguous graphicsand touchscreen prompts,guide the operators throughthe formulation process. Thisensures each and everyingredient and each and everysub batch is correctly collated.”

How does it work? Theaccurate weighing of ingredientsis controlled via a visual colouredbargraph system, removing theneed for operators to concernthemselves with actual weightvalues, according to Marco.Operators cannot proceed tothe next addition stage unlesscorrect target weights have been

met for the current ingredient.Barcode scanners are used toidentify ingredients, premixesand sub-batches, ensuring astrict use-by-date regime isfollowed.

“The Line Control Modulecontinues to provide an essentiallevel of control for our finishedproducts,” says Rhokett’s MDMartin Dockett. “This latestinvestment in the RFM systemfurther endorses the confidencewe have in Marco and will, inturn, help maintain the high levelof confidence our customershave with us. The Marco RFMsystem will eliminate recipevariances, optimise date codemanagement, reduce wasteand provide essential electronictraceability. This is excellentnews for our customers andtheir consumers.”

By DAVID STRYDOM

Just desserts for Kent producer

S P O T L I G H T www.fponthenet.netC A S E S T U D Y

The RFM system’s precision and effectiveness setsthe benchmark for maintaining product quality

Rhokett, a dessert manufacturer based in Cranbrook, Kent, has followed up its implementationof Marco’s Line Control System in 2011 with that company’s Recipe Formulation Module (RFM)


+44 (0)1732 782380 or email [email protected]


If you thought you knew everything you need to know about how much energy your plant is wasting –think again! In this compelling interview, David Strydom speaks to Robert Unsworth, GEA Refrigeration’sdirector of sales & product development, about unnecessary costs many food manufacturers may beoverlooking in their factories. He also provides several farely obvious solutions.

What is a bugbear with respect toenergy waste in food factories?I could spend hours talking about that! Untilrecently, part of my job has been to go aroundsolving ‘issues’, whether it’s how to increaseproductivity in certain processes, problemswith improperly installed refrigeration systemsor – more often than not – reduce someone’sutility bills. A big culprit with respect to energywaste is door management. Staff membersleave refrigerated storage doors open, whichis a problem, particularly in facilities with lowtemperature cold stores or processes. Mostchilled food manufacturers have to keep theenvironment at which they’re cooling thefacilities at, say, 2 or 8˚C. But when doors areopen, it increases the amount of energy beingused to maintain the required temperature.Quite often when one calculates the totalthermal load on a room, one large heat sourceis air ingress from outside. It’s simple – heatand moisture travels toward cold (simple heattransfer). Warm air coming into a cold roomneeds to be cooled down to roomtemperature but it also ‘carries’ moisture. Theair coolers act as dehumidifiers and condensethe moisture or freeze it depending on thetemperature in the air cooler. This takes evenmore energy than cooling the air stream. The

ice then insulates the cooler and decreases itsperformance so the refrigeration plant has to‘work’ harder to achieve the original amount ofroom cooling. One then ‘adds’ more energy into defrost the ice!

How much does this cost manufacturers?I calculated several years ago – with electricalcost at 8 pence per KWhr – that if the door toa cold storage facility is left open only fiveminutes an hour, it will cost the client morethan £9,000 a year in ‘additional’ or ‘lost’energy. That’s before you even get to the otherissues. In a ‘chilled’ application, this wouldamount to about £2,500.

What is the solution to such a problem?Shut the doors! I’m not being funny but itwould be cheaper to employ someone to doit. His or her job would be solely to walkaround and shut doors. Good doormanagement is key to solving so many issues,not only energy reduction. The problem is, it isdifficult to quantify. When you see fog comingout or going inside a cold door, unless youcan ‘attach’ £ signs to it, people just don’tknow. Any way of limiting air transfer throughdoors or any gap (and there are many) isgood news.

How does a refrigeration plant’s designimpede its potential to use less energy?There are an infinite number of ways thedesign of the (refrigeration) plant effects itsperformance. Actually, it’s embarrassing for

Q U E S T I O N S & A N S W E R SO P I N I O N


‘SHUT THE COLDSTORAGE DOOR!’

Robert Unsworth (right and above) wasrecently appointed director of sales &

product development at GEA Refrigeration


me, speaking on behalf of the refrigerationindustry, to mention the percentage ofsystems that we look at which have perfectlygood or suitable components that areimproperly installed for optimal/properperformance. We rarely see condensersinstalled properly and this is a crucialcomponent in the refrigeration system withregards to performance and efficiency. Thisis a large failing in The ECA scheme, as youcan buy any number of ‘efficient’ productsfrom the list, which when installed incorrectly(and many are) won’t save any energy, in factquite the contrary!

What are the specifics of the refrigerationsystem and how it saves energy?A refrigeration system moves energy (coolingcapacity) from the cold end (process) to theoutside (in most cases). It takes more energy(power) to move that cooling capacity to‘outside’ (in a freezer, about half the thermalenergy removed will be added to therefrigeration system as power to drive theprocess and about one quarter for chill). Thecooling capacity and the power used to drivethe system is discharged as heat to theambient at the condenser. As explained, heat(or energy) travels from high to low (‘hot’ to‘cold’) so if we want to discharge this energyin the form of heat to the outside, therefrigeration plant’s temperature must behotter than the ambient air otherwise it won’ttransfer. So the temperature in the condenseris always hotter than the ambient. If thetemperature outside (ambient) is +20˚C andwe size our condenser to have a temperaturedifference of 10k (it’s only a heat exchanger

after all) then the refrigeration plant willdischarge this energy at +30˚C. If thecondenser surface is fouled, a fan isn’tworking or the condenser is improperlyinstalled, it will be less effective and thecondensing temperature will rise. Each degreethe condensing temperature rises, the plantuses about 3% more power.

What is the deal with the refrigerationcompressor with respect to energywaste?Fixed speed compressors fall in performancewhen they’re not running at 100% capacity.Screw compressors are particularly inefficientat part-load. If you fit speed control to a screwcompressor, its performance still falls off –

however, just not as much as it would witha fixed speed system. If you have areciprocating compressor however and fitspeed control, its performance at part-loadactually increases. To simplify theunderstanding of this, compare it with drivinga car – you get more mpg at low rpms thanat high. Ultimately, a reciprocating compressoris pretty much the same as a diesel engine!(Typically a line I use to upset our R&D guysin our compressor factory!) The speed-controlled reciprocating compressor is theonly one that increases its performance atpart-load. So, if you have a refrigerationrequirement that has load variations, areciprocating compressor can often be thebest type of compressor to install. Even whenlooking at lifecycle costs, it’s still the best. Ifyou look at servicing costs over 12 years, it’seven cheaper than a screw, which is a bit ofa shock to most people.

Do you have an ulterior motive byrecommending reciprocatingcompressors?If the average running capacity on acompressor under chill is 50% where a screwwould have a coefficient of performance (COP)of 4.5 at 100%, it would have a COP of 3.7 at50% (3.6 with fixed speed) capacity even withspeed control. A reciprocating compressor atthe same condition has a COP of 5.0 at 100%and 5.3 at 50% – over 30% difference at part-load. So if your system runs for the majority ofits life at part-load (and most do) this is thecompressor to use (and they’re generallycheaper and less complicated to install andservice). Obviously, both types of compressorhave their ‘ideal’ applications; fortunately weat GEA make very good examples of both,so this advice is technically independent ofany ulterior motives.

www.fponthenet.net

January 2013 Food Processing – 7

What should food manufacturers know about howtheir plants are designed in terms of temperature?

Robert Unsworth: Half theyear is night-time and the restis divided into seasons,meaning there’s greatvariations in outsidetemperature. Although theplant should be designed torun at 100% on the hottestday, it’s actually only warmoutside for about 1% of theplant’s annual life. For themajority of its life, it’s less than+10˚C outside, so therefrigeration plant goes downto part-load. But the

condenser is still running onthe summer setting, ie thecondenser fan stops or slowsdown at night, for instance, butthe refrigeration system is stilldischarging heat at +30˚C.Even if its -10˚C outside, thecondenser will still becontrolling at +30˚C. Thismakes no sense and can berectified by simple controlchanges although – dependingon the system installed – someminor modifications may berequired. System modifications

like this can easily lead to25%-30% efficiencyimprovements. As mentioned,every 1˚C lowering of thecondensing temperatureproduces 3% increase inperformance! (Take a look atthe size of your compressormotors and do the Math).One of the most importantcomponents in the systemwith regards to efficiency isthe condenser but for mostof the year, it’s turned off.This makes no sense!

Energy waste is one of food manufacturers' biggestcosts, and also one of its most avoidable costs


G I L B E R T ’ S F O O D SF A C T O R Y V I S I T


GILBERT’S FOODS’headquarters is located nearMorecambe in the deepnorthwest. When I arrive, rain islashing down outside but themood inside the factory –exemplified by the friendly staffand MD Peter Smith – is farwarmer than the weather.

The company specialises inmanufacturing pasteurised meatproducts. Designed for re-heating via microwave, oven,boil-in-the-bag, grill or rotisserie,these products are said to offerthe caterer a safe, efficient wayto serve meat.

“Our products undertake apasteurisation process duringmanufacture that removes therisk of the product being

undercooked and thereforereduces any risk associated withfood safety,” the companywebsite says. “Introducing thepasteurisation process to themanufacture of our products alsoenhances flavour, texture andtenderness to the meat.”

I ask Peter for somebackground on the company.“We’re a family business foundedby my father in 1970. He cameinto the industry from engineeringon passenger liners so he looksat things differently. He passedthat on to me – we look at theindustry from a different angle.”

Gilbert Smith took over abutcher’s shop in a busy littlevillage but when tourism peteredout in 1975, he had to sell meatsoutside the shop instead. Thislaid the seeds of today’s

business. Gilbert’s Foodsemploys 65 people and has setup a tradition in which Peter’sson, now 20, may one day headup the business – although at themoment he has his sights set onbeing a professional golfer. So noambition in this family, then!

“The direction of where we gowith our product constantlychanges,” Peter says. “My dadwas doing all the meat that wentinto McDonalds burgers when ithad only two or three shops inthe country. Then somebodyasked him if he knew how tomake hams, to which heobviously said yes, and wenthome to read up on it!”

I ask Peter what day-to-daychallenges he faces. He explainsthat the reliability of equipmentsuch as thermo-formers, box

erectors and packaging lines isa challenge because they’recomplicated machines. “They’renot unreliable but if any were tobreak, it would be a problem.”

Peter says staffing used to bea challenge but “immigration fromEastern Europe has really easedour problems in filling vacancies.We’ve gained a lot of reliable andhard-working individuals. Wefind our employees tend tomake a life for themselves hereso high staff turnover isn’t reallya problem.”

Peter sings a familiar – andrefreshingly blunt – tune withrespect to the lack of engineeringskills. “We’ve bred commonsense out of our kids over thepast 30 years. The kids comingout of school have no groundingin anything basic such asMathematics. Nowadays youget jobs such as ‘outreachcoordinator’. Well, excuseme, what is that? Nobodycan tell me!”

Peter is less thanimpressed at currentlevels of education in theUK. “A lack of skilledengineers in the UKmeans machinery hasto be de-skilled. I thinkwe’re sitting on a timebomb in terms ofengineering skills in thiscountry.”

It’s refreshing to speak to somebody who actually tells it like it is. And there are few more straight-talking people than Peter Smith, MD of Gilbert’s Foods, as David Strydom discovered during anentertaining interview focusing on lamb prices, meat processing and legislative bureaucracy.

By DAVID STRYDOM / Morecambe

Cooking with character: La GardeGeneral manager of Gilbert’sFoods, David Wilcox, says theplant specialises in cooking. “Wemake meal centres and readymeal components. We usethermo-forming technology forour sauvé process but the mostimportant machine onsite is thecooker. We have two sterilisationcookers and we’ve got three four-wrack pasteurisation cookers.”

The cookers used by Gilbert’sFoods come from a Frenchcompany called La Garde. themain reason for buying thisparticular brand was that therewasn’t anything as efficientavailable in the UK and La Gardehas a great network of UK agentswhich makes communicationeasier if there are anymaintenance issues.

What would be the perfectthermo-former? “There are manyexpensive solutions but ourproblem is you can’t buy theexpensive solution until you’resure there’s going to be arequirement for the product.Many of the most costly solutionsare difficult to modify so weuse machinery but are stillreliant on people.”

THE LAMBTHAT ROARED


Peter has similarly strongopinions on EU legislation. “Iwent to a factory in Germany afew years ago where the guyexplained the German idea of thelegislation that comes out ofBrussels. If, say, EU legislation issix pages long, the Germanscondense it to two pages. InBritain, we get six pages andturn it into 32. And we insist onapplying every last page. That’sthe problem – the stuff comingfrom Brussels is only huge by thetime we’ve finished with it. We’re

complicating simple things.”With respect to the economic

uncertainty of the past fewyears and how this has affectedwhat customers buy, Peter saysprices have gone up but therecession isn’t to blame. “Formany reasons in 2011, lambprices increased – after we’dsigned our annual contracts.That wasn’t recession related.

“One reason for the increasewas that the kill rate was cutby six million in New Zealand –the biggest player in the lambindustry – so inevitably pricesincreased. Fuel, animal feedand wages also went up. Theresult was the cost of lamb inthe UK went up a third. Sothere was trouble in 2011but we held our own and

turned things around.”Is Gilbert’s Foods far more

successful than its competitors?Peter isn’t so sure. “Anysuccess we’ve had is just uskeeping things tight. For us,it’s about offering the bestprice point we can to ourcustomers withoutcompromising on service orthe quality of our product.”

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Gilbert’s Foods’ Lamb Henry ‘is flavour of the month’

Gilbert’s Foods has reported a25% increase in demand for itsLamb Henry joint in Rosemaryand Mint sauce. A traditionalLamb Henry dish useseconomical cuts such as shanksand shoulder and with cost-effective cuts of meats seeing asurge in popularity within thefoodservice sector, Gilbert’sFoods aims to build on thisgrowth during the winter months.

The traditional, slow-cooked,individual lamb joints aremade using New Zealandlamb, to a recipe designed

by the team ofdevelopment chefs atGilbert’s Foods. Quick

and easy for busy chefsto prepare, the individualportions of lamb can becooked using the sous-vide

method for 20-25 minutes or inthe microwave on full power for

six minutes. The portions areready to be heated from frozen orfrom room temperature. Oncecooked, chefs simply cut acrossthe top of the bag then pour themeat and its sauce onto aserving plate.

Available in 1.8kg cases,with six individual 300g portionsper case, the fully-cooked LambHenrys are available in frozen orambient format so are ideal forchefs to store. Plus, the quality,taste and texture of eachproduct is said to be guaranteedfor up to 12 months when keptin a freezer or cold store.

Chefs can experiment withpresentation techniques andaccompaniments or serve withroasted or mashed potatoes andgarden vegetables, as the saucegives the dish a flavoursomegravy. Lamb Henrys from Gilbert’sFoods will add appeal to menus

in hotels, restaurants, pubs andbars, catered events and otherfoodservice outlets.

Peter Smith, managingdirector at Gilbert’s Foods, says:“There are many under-used andunder-valued cuts of meat thatdeserve more attention, not leastbecause they can be cost-effective and versatile withoutcompromising on taste. OurLamb Henry is a great exampleof this and our customers in thefoodservice sector understandthe benefits of offering quality,yet economical dishes onthe menu.

“We put the popularity of ourLamb Henry down to the factthat consumers want foodsthat combine traditional farewith quality, modern flavourcombinations as well as valuefor money, and our productdelivers on all these aspects.”

FROM LEFT: General manager David Wilcox (also see David below left),financial controller Charmaine Shaw, Robert Smith and MD Peter Smith

Essentialfacts

The team is founderGilbert Smith, MD PeterSmith, general managerDavid Wilcox, NPD managerLeann Norris and financialcontroller Charmaine Shaw

Gilbert’s has capacity for35,000 units per day

Machinery used includes along-life ambient cooker, afreezer, marinating machines,mixers, an injector, baggingmachines, metal detectors andcheckweighers, box erectorsand packaging lines


M E T A L D E T E C T I O NF E A T U R E


WHITBY SEAFOODS in North Yorkshireannounced a 30% increase in productivityafter installing a Fortress Technology metaldetector. “The Fortress machine runs likea dream and has revolutionised ourpackaging and control processes, and ithas paid for itself already,” said PatrickThomas, projects co-ordinator at WhitbySeafoods.

“Our previous metal detector worked byscanning the packed product rather thaninspecting it loose as the Vertex does,”he said. “This caused us difficulties as thepackaging medium is foil, so if there was aslight difference in any of the packs suchas a thicker seam or seal, the machine

recognised it as contaminant, resulting inlots of false rejects. With the Vertex thereare far fewer rejects. This has allowed usto increase throughput by about 30% andwe’ve improved quality standards forcustomers.”

The Vertex inspects up to 2,000 kilosper hour of seafood products – and this isset to increase to between 2,500-3,000kilos. It is located between a multiheadweigher and vertical form-fill-seal machinefor inspection of free-falling product. Thispositioning saves space in the factory.

So metal detectors are clearly effective ina food factory. We asked a few experts justhow effective, starting with Sarah Ketchin,MD of Fortress. “Metal is still the biggestand most likely contaminant risk within afood factory. As a result, inspection isessential in order to apply ‘due diligence’and avoid the risk and cost of litigation.Today’s producers also have strategicgoals and objectives to improve efficiencyand reduce waste in line with their CSRpolicies.

“Frequently, the metal detector has beeninstalled to comply with the food producersown internal quality standards and/or thatof their customer. Not only are thesestandards and guidelines in place toensure the setup of the detector is correctto ensure metal contaminated productdoes not go out the door, but also that

sufficient and appropriate failsafes are inplace.”

Bob Ries, lead product manager formetal detection and x-ray inspection atThermo Fisher Scientific, says metalforeign object contamination from theenvironment, the production process itselfor from people involved along the way canfind its way into food products. “Becauseof the industrial nature of large-scale foodproduction, it’s accepted that most oftoday’s food products have beensubmitted to multiple metal checks beforereaching the retailer/consumer.

“Given the accepted importance of metaldetection, the only remaining question is‘What must be done to make thisdetection 100% effective?’ This is wheretechnology meets policies, procedures andtraining. No random contaminant detectoris effective if not installed, operated,protected and audited in the propermanner.

“It also must be failsafe, guarded fromintentional sabotage and sufficientlysensitive to find a minimum size object ofany metal type without false rejects whichcreate scrap, rework and loss ofconfidence. These are the best practicesthat are widely followed by leading foodcompanies today.

“Because metal foreign objects are stilla relatively common occurrence, the foodplant can’t relax. Doing so could result incostly recalls, lost retail sales and/orconsumer lawsuits. In addition to foodsafety and brand protection, the creationof industry standards such as theGlobal Food Safety Initiative, theBritish Retail Consortium standardsand the US Food Safety ModernizationAct, are reinforcing the requirement forprotection against physicalcontaminants in food. An effectivemetal detection programme is thecornerstone of high quality outputin all well run food plants today.”

Jonny Leeson, UK marketingprofessional for product inspectionat Mettler Toledo, says that metaldetection solutions have advancedto form part of an essential elementof any quality assurance process infood production, and that they arerecognised by food manufacturersglobally as one of the most effectiveproduct inspection processes.

“Manufacturing in this highly

MEET THE SCAN FANS

David Strydom asks metal detection experts why thistechnology is so important to food and beverage plants,using a recent installation at Whitby Seafoods as an example

By DAVID STRYDOM

Why Whitby Seafoodschose the Vertex

Easy maintenance; hygienic to use sincethere are no moving parts, less dirt trappoints to clean

Only one programme setting on the metaldetector allays confusion; it doesn’t need tobe calibrated after every use

Only one day’s training required formachine operatives

A Vertex metal detector from Fortress Technology


regulated and competitivemarketplace, foodmanufacturers must placea greater emphasis onimplementing the most robustand effective inspectionprocesses throughout theirproduction process.

“As well as maintainingcompliance to industrystandards such as BRC,IFS and HACCP installingmetal detectors alone will notsafeguard manufacturerscompletely against costlyproduct failures or recalls –the key to maintainingcontaminant-free foodmanufacturing is thedevelopment of an effectivemetal detection programme.

“Advances in technology andproduct development meanmetal detection is an effectiveinspection solution across arange of products including

liquids and pastes as well asbulk food goods and finalpackaged products.

“The process of simplyinspecting end-of-the-lineproduct has developed to onewhich is incorporated at criticalpoints of the production line tomaintain the quality throughoutthe manufacturing scenariotaking place, which onlystrengthens the argument formanufacturers to adopt thesetechnologies into their everydaymanufacturing.

“By adopting an effectiveprogramme food manufacturerscan ensure the full protectionof their brand and productreputation as well retailer andcustomer confidence in theirability to provide a productof the highest quality andintegrity.”


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ABOVE and BELOW: Metal detectorsin action in food factories in the UK

Pressure-tight connections in stainless steel, or painted/hot-dip galvanised mild steel

Mass-produced in 1, 2 or 3mm wall thicknesses in 19 standard diameters from 60mm to 800mm.

JACOB (UK) LTD., Unit 2, Laundry Bank,Church Stretton, Shropshire SY6 6PH, England.

Tel: +44 (0)1694 722841 Fax: +44 (0)1694 723473www.jacob-uk.com

140-page priced technical manualavailable now!

HYGIENIC, FAST-ASSEMBLY AIR CONVEYING -NORMALLY FROM STOCK!



S K I L L S & T R A I N I N G

PREMIER FOODS RECENTLY WON theJohn Sainsbury Award for Learning andDevelopment, a national food industry awardfor its Breakthrough leadership programme.This was developed in partnership with KBASolutions and equips key managers with theconfidence and skills to lead the businessthrough the acceleration of its turnaround.The programme forms a significant part ofits leadership and development training.

“Premier Foods Breakthrough leadershipprogramme is using highly robust methodsand content to prepare leaders for biggerroles, to build effective cross functional teams,and to shift the company from being trading-driven to be marketing-led,” said Justin King,CEO of J Sainsbury.

Indeed, like many other prominent food andbeverage producers, Premier Foods is takingaction to ensure it avoids a skills crisis – andwinning plaudits for its efforts.

Graham Thomas, engineering manager for

Greencore Cakes & Desserts, says foodcompanies are attempting to draw peoplefrom an ever-decreasing market. “Somecompanies aren’t taking on engineeringapprentices like they used to because of thecost of training. Also, minimum wages haverisen, and will continue to rise. What we do istake on apprentices, train our own and recruitfrom other industries. If people have aptitudeand willingness, we take them on becauseskills can be trained but a good work ethicnot so easily. At the Greencore site westruggle to get people, especially if you wantquality engineers with sound knowledge.”

Graham believes the reduction in UKmanufacturing may be to blame for the skillsshortage. “We tend to get younginexperienced people applying for jobs, orothers in their 60s who want a steady positionto see them into retirement. The experiencedengineers in their late 20s, 30s and 40s seemto be ever more difficult to recruit because of

reducing numbers and their ability tocommand high salaries.”

A projects manager at Warburtons saysshe also bemoans the lack of skills in herindustry. “I had an engineer who left to gotravelling in the US – the first engineer we’vehad leave in four years. Unfortunately, theCVs that came in didn’t meet our standards.Initially we thought the money we wereoffering was too low, but that turned out notto be the case. We’re offering a pretty goodwage but maybe the top-end engineers arejust really loyal to their present companies.”

But it’s not just food companies that arepulling out all the stops to ensure they don’tsuffer an engineering black hole. Machinerymakers – including those who build machinesfor food producers – are also doing everythingthey can to innovate and stay ahead of thecompetition. Take Avery Weigh-Tronix: it hasrecruited 10 apprentice service technicians aspart of its apprenticeship initiative. Thecompany intends to offer this opportunity onan ongoing basis, by taking apprentices oneach year for the foreseeable future.

The 2-3 year program offers people acrossthe UK the chance to develop skills in therepair and maintenance of weighingequipment. The course combines a mixture of

S P E C I A L R E P O R T www.fponthenet.net


A VIEWTO ASKILL

Food and beverages manufacturers are more keenly awarethan ever that the skills shortage in engineering could betheir biggest danger. But how should they deal with it?DAVID STRYDOM compiled this special report.



on-the-job training with formal academiclearning. “We’re pleased to be able to run theapprenticeship scheme. In doing so, we’reinvesting in the future of Avery Weigh-Tronixby harnessing talent, and we’re alsosupporting the demand for a new generationof skilled technicians in the UK,” said PeterBranston, general manager for service.

“As well as receiving product specific

training, apprentices will be assigned a seniormentor, enabling them to benefit from theknowledge and expertise of the company’s200-strong team of experienced servicetechnicians.”

“Having started my career as anapprentice, I believe apprenticeships are anexcellent way of gaining qualifications andpractical workplace experience while also

being paid a salary,” added Mike Scott,general manager.

“As a company with a long history inthe UK, we recognise the importance ofon-going training and investing in people.The apprenticeship scheme is a positiveinvestment in the future of Avery Weigh-Tronixand the wider economy.”

Maureen Bott, service product manager atAvery Weigh-Tronix says, “This is a problemfaced across a number of industries. We haveto face facts and consider how we overcomethe loss of crucial skills as our ageingworkforce reaches retirement. More training isof course one answer, but it is not thesolution on its own.

“The food industry also has to consider thesize of the workforce needed and the diverseskill set it requires as processing gets moresophisticated. Often it is not possible tosimply employ more people, not onlybecause there is a skills shortage, but alsoowing to the cost of adding extra headcount.

“I believe a food processing companyneeds to ask itself what are the core skills thatneed to remain within the company and whatcan be outsourced? It is often more efficientto outsource certain highly skilled andspecialist jobs to specialist contractors whenthose skills are needed.

S K I L L S & T R A I N I N GS P E C I A L R E P O R T

FDF: Graduate Excellence in September 2014

National newspaper headlines over recentmonths have highlighted the critical shortage ofengineering graduates and nowhere is thatshortage being felt more acutely than in the foodand drink manufacturing sector.

But industry has taken the skills challenge intoits own hands and has developed a partnershipbetween business and academia to launchGraduate Excellence, the UK’s first food and drinkmanufacturing engineering degree. The new MEng level course, which opens to students inSeptember 2014, benefits from active industrybacking and companies have been quick to getbehind the course with offers of support includingplacements for the year-long spell in theworkplace that students will receive.

Graduate Excellence was borne out ofcollective concerns that food and drinkmanufacturing faced serious challengesfrom other sectors for a diminishing pool oftalented individuals. In late 2010, the Foodand Drink Federation (FDF) began work inearnest to change perceptions of careers infood and drink manufacturing through itsTaste Success careers campaign.

This was followed in 2011 by the launch ofthree important policy ‘lighthouse’ projects, ofwhich Graduate Excellence was one, todetermine the industry’s skills needs and futureambition. FDF’s employment and skills directorAngela Coleshill explains: “Faced with decliningnumber of graduates, possibly a 14% fall by2020, we felt that it was important to takecollective industry action now. We initially felt thatindustry need would be in the food science areabut discussions with members quickly revealedthat engineering was their key concern.

“There is currently no provision in the UK forengineering with an application in food and drink.Food and drink engineering is very specific butcompanies were being forced to take studentswith general engineering degrees and then investfurther years in additional training. GraduateExcellence will deliver students who are asclose to the ‘finished article’ as possible.”

To develop the degree FDF worked closelywith the National Skills Academy for Food andDrink (NSA) to scope an outline of therequirements and then engage in a competitiveprocess to select a partner university. SheffieldHallam University was the successful applicantand since then, all three partners, supported by

UKCES funding, have been working throughproject groups to develop the curriculum andmarketing for the course.

The curriculum scoping has been fullysupported by FDF members with seniorengineers from member companies closelyinvolved with the process. During tougheconomic times, the degree will have importantadvantages over those promoted by competitorsectors including its delivery of an MEng withinfour years rather than the conventionallyaccepted five. As part of the process, the projectgroup hopes to gain accreditation for the courseleading to chartered status.

Industry support is critical to the success ofthe degree. Coleshill explains: “At a time whenuniversity fees are rising, students and theiradvisors are seeking reassurance that the degreewill be of a high quality with confirmed industrybacking. There are many ways in whichcompanies can help us deliver this support.Members have already helped us in thedevelopment of the degree, have offeredplacements for the year that the 40 students willspend in industry, and committed to classroomsupport including guest lectures.

“This involvement brings benefits to the

By NICKI HUNT

Adam Bailey and Adam Sparrow have been offered full time engineering positions at Xylem and will be involvedin the mechanical fitting of Xylem's Flygt and Godwin brand pumps at Highbridge Service & Rental Centre


“Weighing technology is a case in point.A company has to have accurate weighingsystems to meet its legal obligations and alsoto examine where efficiency improvementscan be made. Maintenance and calibration ofsuch machines and systems is highlyspecialised, but it isn’t a daily or even aweekly task, so it is best outsourced.

“As a nation we need to train moreengineers and hopefully the government’spush to re-establish apprenticeship schemeswill help. In addition however, as systemsbecome more complex, I believe that theflexibility and different skills offered byoutsourcing will become even more importantin the future.”

Meanwhile Xylem Water Solutions hasoffered nine of its apprentices from the lastintake, full-time engineer positions. Thecompany does extensive work in the foodand beverage sector, and has won awardsfor its work.

Worldwide, it employs about 12,000people and is dedicated to training newengineers to bridge the skills gap. In theUK, the company offers 3-5 year tradeapprenticeships across a number ofdisciplines. While the majority of theseare as electricians, Xylem also offersapprenticeships in mechanical fitting.

The candidates learn basic skills in thecollege classroom following an establishedNVQ syllabus before putting these skills togood use in Xylem workshops or onsubsequent site visits. An initial tradequalification can be obtained within threeyears but those wishing to obtain a highertechnical qualification train for up to fiveyears.

“The Apprenticeship Scheme providesan opportunity for individuals to learn anddevelop while gaining vital on-the-jobexperience with Xylem,” says Gary Fitchett,Xylem service & rental operations manager.“It has been successful in ensuringappropriate skills are available to us inour specialised field.

“There is a lack of skilled engineers in theUK and one way of ensuring we have anaccomplished and expert workforce is totrain them ourselves. Completing anapprenticeship is only the beginning withXylem as there are many opportunities toprogress careers within the organisation.A number of our employees who wereappointed after completing the scheme nowhold supervisor and managerial positions.”

Peter Lewington, MD, said: “Having astrong employee development programme inplace across our business is critical to oursuccess, ensuring we have motivated andhighly skilled people throughout our business.The apprenticeship scheme is a great way forus to introduce talented new people into thebusiness. They can train and develop thenecessary skills to meet our high standards,while starting their working life as part of agreat team.

“We currently have five more apprentices inour organisation who we hope to be able tooffer full-time positions on completion of theirtraining. As our business continues to grow,we hope to be able to extend ourapprenticeship programme.”

Simon Cutler, learning and developmentmanager with Ishida Europe, which marketsits weighing machines to food plants, saysthe career and skills development of Ishidastaff has always been an important activityand is even more so in the competitive worldin which we operate today.

“As a result,” he says, “we have this yearchanged our performance review processto ensure we continue to focus on thenecessary skills for our business. This isreflected in a new title for the process,a “Professional Development Review”,which underlines our concentration onthe continuing development of colleagues.

“To support this, we have introducedand rolled out across all departments andterritories a new training programme. The aimis to encourage people to take ownership of


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companies as they havethe opportunity to engagewith potential futureemployees at an earlystage and to be closelyconnected to the deliveryof the course. And it’s not just the very largecompanies that can help. A bright and ablestudent could bring a whole new perspective toa small company and in turn, they may havegreater opportunity as part of a smaller team.”

As FDF and NSA move towards inclusion ofthe course in Sheffield Hallam’s UCASprospectus, a formal launch of GraduateExcellence is planned for February 2013. Guestspeakers at the event will include the new chiefexecutive of Nestlé, Fiona Kendricks and FDFdirector general Melanie Leech. It’s hoped thatcompanies will come along to the event to findout more and pledge their support to the futureof UK food and drink engineering and the brightyoung people that will deliver the nextgeneration of innovative food and drinkproducts.

Nicki Hunt is marketing and commercialservices manager at FDF

SKILLING UPGREENCORECAKES & DESSERTS‘Some companies aren’ttaking on engineeringapprentices like theyused to because of thecost of training. Also,minimum wages have

risen, and will continue to rise. What we dois take on apprentices, train our own andrecruit from other industries. If people haveaptitude and willingness, we take them onbecause skills can be trained but a goodwork ethic not so easily.’ - Graham Thomas

AVERYWEIGH-TRONIX‘The food industry has toconsider the size of theworkforce needed andthe diverse skill set itrequires as processinggets more sophisticated.

Often it is not possible to simply employmore people, not only because there is askills shortage, but also owing to the cost ofadding extra headcount.’ - Maureen Bott

ROCKWELLAUTOMATION‘Part of the job appealfor skilled engineerswill always be aboutfurthering their knowl-edge and acquiringskills. When seen as

part of a holistic approach to getting thebest from the workforce at all levels, itmay be beneficial to utilise outsourcedservices to supplement and developin-house skills.’ - Mark Crawford

FESTO‘In the food industry fast-moving technology andthe fact many operatorsare becoming responsiblefor first line maintenanceis combined with anaging workforce creating

a potential skills timebomb. Attracting talent-ed young people into the industry is criticalfor its future.’ - Andy Macpherson

YAMATO‘It is imperative manufac-turers recognise itsemployees are one of itsmost valuable assets andmaintaining their trainingand development skillsshould never be anything

less than a priority. Engineering teams thatare confident and competent, understandthe challenges of the industry and are betterpositioned to address and support cus-tomer and machinery needs.’ - Lee Smith

3401 - FP Jan13 Edn.e$S_Layout 1 02/01/2013 09:19 Page 15


their own skills development and seek toalign these with the company’s requiredcompetencies.

“The programme covers subjects suchas management and leadership skills,compliance training, product training, andHealth & Safety at work as well as generictechnical training. For example, we’recurrently providing upskilling and refreshertraining for all our service engineers.”

The government is also getting in on theact. According to an announcement made byBusiness Secretary Vince Cable in a speechto the Confederation of British Industry,budding engineers now have the chance tobe talent-spotted by some of the country’sbiggest and most innovative engineeringcompanies thanks to the extension of anindustry-led scheme.

Speaking ahead of the Confederation ofBritish Industry’s annual conference, BusinessSecretary Vince Cable said: “Business andgovernment are working hard together tosolve the current shortage of engineers.The talent retention solution put in place byindustry is an important part of helping to fixthis by making sure the skills and experienceof our engineers are not lost to other sectorssuch as financial services where jobs are ingreater supply.

“I’m pleased the scheme is being extendedbeyond those already established in theprofession, to help engineering students andgraduates get their big break. By matchingpeople with real jobs, we’re ensuring there isa pipeline of talented engineers of all levelsplugging the huge demand for a skilledworkforce in the sectors at the forefront ofdriving our recovery.”

There sometimes seems to be moresolutions than you can shake a stick at.Take the High Growth Academy whose StuartRoss recently spoke to Food Processing.What exactly do they offer foodmanufacturers? “High Growth Academyfocuses on growing companies,” says Stuart.“We provide businesses with the skills toachieve and sustain a state of high growth.Areas we focus on are leadership, building ahigh performance team, creating a strategythat will keep you ahead of your competitorsand implementing that strategy efficiently andeffectively. The principles we teach work in allbusiness sectors.”

Stuart, whose roles have encompassedbuying, marketing, business development,e-commerce and being a MD, as well asheading up the Boots Lunchtime andShapers brand, says there are somecharacteristics of the industry that arecommon across all businesses within it, whichcan affect growth unless managed. Theseinclude pressure on margins to achieve price

points, management of low-skilled workforces, the seasonality of production andlegislative requirements.

“Challenges specific to food manufacturersinclude the ability to achieve ever more withthe same resources, margins squeezed byretailers trying to hit price points and theincreasing pressure to perform and attractshoppers. Margins are also squeezed byingredients suppliers, with rising costs suchas fuel and labour. There are alsoenvironmental points to think about,particularly with the costs of specialisedwaste disposal.”

When asked what he advises foodmanufacturers to do with respect to the skillsshortage, Lee Smith, after-sales manager atYamato which sells weighing equipment tofood processors, says technicians areexpected to have a good understanding ofthe basic engineering, electrical and

mechanical principles required by foodprocessing industries. “However, as wehave seen over the past few years, there isa growing skills gap when it comes to thedevelopment of specialist, industry specificexpertise,” he adds.

“It is imperative manufacturers recogniseits employees are one of its most valuableassets and maintaining their training anddevelopment skills should never be anythingless than a priority. Engineering teams thatare confident and competent, understandthe challenges of the industry and are betterpositioned to address and support customerand machinery needs. This means happycustomers with longer lasting, more efficientmachinery that operates with less downtime.

“I’d advise manufacturers to assess theequipment they have on their packagingand production lines in order to highlightthe problems that occur most commonly.

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Avery Weigh-Tronix has recruited 10 apprentice servicetechnicians as part of its apprenticeship initiative


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Once identified, engineers should receive thespecialist training that will allow them to dealwith these problems. It’s important that alltraining programmes are developed withemployees’ current skill levels in mind whilefocusing on the fundamentals of theequipment or issue in question.

“Good suppliers will consult with theiremployees or customers in order toaccommodate their training needs, eitherthrough site visits or by organising relevanttraining sessions. There’s no denying that thisis a large commitment for companies tomake, but the benefits and savings achievedin the long term will be even moresignificant.”

Mark Crawford from Rockwell Automationsays the company has picked up on a fewtrends recently from the way its services andproducts are used

which may help show how forward-thinkingfood processors are approaching the skillsissue at the moment. “Of course, in a marketthat has seen high profile redundancies, payfreezes and some stagnation, and one whichis often not appreciated for the diversity ofengineering fulfillment possible and whichsuffers a ‘less glamorous’ tag as a result,the challenges are there to see.”

Mark says that from a perception point-of-view, attracting skilled engineers is abouttelling the market how rewarding it can be todeal with engineering challenges in anindustry that is among the most innovative,consumer driven and responsive.

“It’s also about differentiation within themarket – showing a level of commitment tostaff in terms of career progression can helpset your business apart. There are schemesthat can help with this process, such asapprenticeship programmes or becomingaccredited in one of many potential‘Employer of Choice’ programmes.

“Part of the job appeal for skilled engineerswill always be about furthering theirknowledge and acquiring skills. When seenas part of a holistic approach to getting thebest from the workforce at all levels, it maybe beneficial to utilise outsourced services tosupplement and develop in-house skills. Skillscan be gained on the job, externally and/orthrough formal training and nationallyrecognised TUV certified or City & Guilds

qualifications.”Mark says that many such servicesoffered by Rockwell Automation

have seen a marked increase inpopularity recently, which points

to the fact companies arelooking to up-skill fromwithin. The benefits to thecompanies taking thisapproach are threefold.

“First a better skilledworkforce is an asset thathelps businesses be moreefficient and betterpositioned to beresponsive to the needsof the market.

“Second, showingclear career prospectsto engineers will attractambitious and dedicatedstaff, while third, giving

prospective engineers theopportunity to perform

value-add functions benefitsadoption of progressive

manufacturing principles thatcan give your company an edge

in a competitive market.“The final element is important.

By taking a proactive approach to processissue management, rather than engineersspending all their time fixing problems, theproactive organisations are investing in theirtalent. Getting engineers to spend more timeidentifying problems at root cause, reducingrisk and using predictive maintenanceenables them to contribute positively towardsproductivity. This investment increasesengagement and job satisfaction ofemployees.”

This, says Mark, improves uptime andadds to the bottom line. “At RockwellAutomation we are keen to exploreopportunities to work closely with businessesin this area and have been piloting schemeswith UK based and global companies wheretraining and apprenticeships are at the heartof a collaborative approach to skillingengineers for the future of automatedmanufacture.”

Andy Macpherson, food and beverageteam leader with Festo, which sells pneumaticsolutions to the food and beverage sector,says a skills shortage in industry is not new.“The UK has been researching skills gaps inindustrial society since 1867 and is still doingso. The Leitch Review of Skills in 2006highlighted that the average French workerproduces 20% more per hour, the Germanworker 13% more and the US worker 18%than the average UK worker.

“In the food industry fast movingtechnology and the fact that many operatorsare becoming responsible for first linemaintenance is combined with an agingworkforce creating a potential skillstimebomb. Attracting talented young peopleinto the industry is critical for its future. Fortoo long the science of food manufacturinghas been hidden away, the industry need tobe proactive in explaining the exciting anddiverse career opportunities that exist andengage with the education system to developthe skills and knowledge required.”

Andy says Festo is involved in deliveringtraining on pneumatic technology in anexample of this cooperative approach.“Known as the ‘Eden’ programme and runby Reaseheath College this groundbreaking,award-winning education initiative wasdeveloped in close collaboration with its dairyindustry partners and through Dairy UK andthe National Skills Academy for Food andDrink. It is aimed at addressing specific skillsshortages and to enable the UK industry tobe at the cutting edge of hi-tech dairyprocessing and manufacturing.”

Talking about the NSA, it has namedthe first firms to step forward to supporta groundbreaking recruitment initiativedesigned to help food and drinkmanufacturing firms attract more local

S K I L L S & T R A I N I N GS P E C I A L R E P O R T www.fponthenet.net


Lee Smith fromYamato


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employees and get more young peopleinto the industry.

Meat producer McIntosh Donald, Scottishbeef processing company AK Stoddart andchilled seafood producer Blue Earth Foodsalong with catering butcher Fairfax Meadowand producer of fresh prepared foods andproduce Yorkshire Fresh Fruit (part of theBakkavör group) have pledged support for theTasty Jobs pilot project which aims to ensurelocal unemployed people have the right skills,experience and knowledge to be job-ready forvacancies at the companies.

Under the scheme, candidates whosuccessfully complete the training areguaranteed a job interview. While firms retainselection rights, the vast majority of traineesare expected to secure long-termemployment at the company where they havetrained. The pilot programme for Tasty Jobsstarted in October and is intended to put atleast 600 currently unemployed local peoplethrough pre-employment training that ensuresthey’re industry-ready and job-ready.

Tasty puts employers in charge of trainingso potential employees are trained in exactlythe skills each individual business needs sothat the learners are company and job ready.

Each firm taking part commits to host a mixof on-site and classroom training lasting up tosix weeks. Candidates train in a “live”environment at company premises but awayfrom main production lines and always underthe guidance of Academy trainers.

“There’s no disruption of normal factory

routine but all the skills and experiencelearned will be tailored to the firms that havetaken part giving them a much betteropportunity to recruit locally,” said Tasty Jobsproject manager Faith Castle.

“There’s no cost to participating companiesand all the trainees will be there because theywant to be. They’ll still receive their normalbenefits while training and thanks to the helpof the Department for Work and Pensions,they may also have their travel and childcarecosts covered.”

Tasty Jobs is designed to give local peoplethe chance to gain the skills and experiencethat local employers want without any fear ofcompromising unemployment benefitentitlement

Faith Castle explained: “Our researchshows many local unemployed people arewary of taking on the kind of part-time ortemporary jobs that build experience and actas a gateway back into work because theirbenefits are affected. That’s furthercompounded by the fact that jobs in food anddrink manufacturing are simply off the radar ofmany local young unemployed people.

As a result, many firms in the food sectorhave had to resort to taking on migrant andtemporary workers. In some sectors of theindustry, skilled foreign workers now accountfor over a third of the workforce – higher forsome individual firms.

Through Tasty Jobs, we aim to level theplaying field by increasing the size of the poolof local people ready, able and willing to step

straight onto the job and make a positiveimpact from their first day.”

Then there’s the Food Advanced TrainingPartnership (Food ATP), an opportunity forfood industry professionals to develop skillsand specialist knowledge and accelerate theircareer. This Government funded partnershiphas, it is said, expertise to span the wholefood supply chain from primary production toconsumers.

Led by the University of Reading, the FoodATP brings together the UK’s food researchand training providers to offer flexible, modulartraining to build towards ProfessionalDoctorate and Masters qualifications or singlemodules to address specific skills gaps.

The Food ATP programmes offer mid-career professionals and ‘high fliers’ anopportunity to accelerate their careerdevelopment through flexible training todeliver the skills that will support theircompanies in the future.

These unique training programmes,designed in partnership with the University ofBirmingham, Leatherhead Food Research andRothamsted Research and the food industry,focus on the needs of the food chain. TheUniversities of Reading and Birminghamjointly accredit qualifications.

The Food ATP aims to attract professionalsfrom all areas of the food industry, offeringparticipants a unique learning and networkingexperience. The modular nature of theprogrammes offers participants the benefitof total flexibility to fit study around work

Almost three quarters of TalentScotland GraduatePlacements result in permanent employment SINCE ITS LAUNCH IN OCTOBER 2010,almost three quarters of graduates that havecompleted the TalentScotland GraduatePlacement Programme have securedpermanent jobs as a result of their paid workexperience with a Scottish company.

Over the last two years, 235 individualcompanies have employed 355 graduates toaccelerate their business growth, withgraduates working on specific growth projectplacements.

The Scotland-wide TalentScotland GraduatePlacement Programme matches skilledgraduates with growing Scottish businesses toimplement innovative projects which thecompanies would otherwise not be able toprogress.

The projects are designed to benefit thecompany’s growth plan, with graduatesundertaking projects to design and develop a

new product, adapt products for overseasmarkets, introduce new processes andsystems for the company, undertake marketingand market research, create a new website oronline presence for the company, target newinternational markets, and improveenvironmental management for businessbenefit.

As a result of these placements, 112graduates have completed their companygrowth placements, with 73% securing apermanent job, with either their host companyor a different company, as a direct result of theprogramme’s work experience. There arecurrently 243 graduates on active placements,with the expectation that a similar percentagewill find jobs on completion.

Lena Wilson, chief executive of ScottishEnterprise, said on behalf of all programmepartners, “Across the public and private sector,

we all have a responsibility in these tougheconomic times to seek innovative ways ofcreating employment opportunities, especiallyfor our young people who are the businessleaders of tomorrow.

“With the Graduate Placement Programme,not only are we seeing jobs created as a resultof placements, but the companies themselvesare reaping the benefits of having fresh talent intheir organisation to drive growth for Scotland’seconomic benefit.

“Although almost three quarters of ourgraduates have secured a permanent job withtheir host company, we believe that anadditional 20% of graduates have secured apermanent job with a different company. Thiswould mean almost all of our graduates are inemployment at the end of their placement,which is exactly what we wanted thisprogramme to achieve.”

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commitments and allowsparticipants to work towards aqualification at their own pace.

The Food ATP moduleslaunched in September 2012with a programme of modulesincluding Sustainable SupplySystems, Diet Quality & Healthand Fundamentals of FoodProcessing. “Our vision is todevelop the skills of the foodindustry leaders of tomorrow todrive forward innovation andstrengthen the competitivenessof the food industry” RichardFrazier, director of The Food ATP

Karen Bevan, senior capabilitydevelopment controller atBridgethorne, a consultancyworking with blue-chip FMCGbrands, suppliers of other retailproducts and retailers acrossCategory Development, ShopperMarketing and CustomerManagement, says: “It’sbecoming more evident there aremany suppliers who may beproducing great products butwho simply don’t have the in-house knowledge of retailersand how they work.

“From our regularconversations withretailers and theirbuyers we knowthat there isfrustration amongthem that, when itcomes to trying toget products listed,they often aremissing solidcategory basedrationales. They areoften awash withdata but aren’textracting the bestinsights from it and,in the currentclimate, many eitherdon’t have or can’tbring in the kind ofexpertise that willenable them tocreate an effectiveretailer relationship.

“Suppliers mustget to grips withhow best tomanage their sideof the retailerrelationship. So, forexample, how they

can assist with range andcategory reviews or demonstratethat they understand key areaslike category development andshopper marketing. This includesoften technical issues to addressfrom including how to introducenew products to the tradeeffectively, how to buildincremental business with themultiples and even how, as anexisting supplier, you counter apotential de-list threat based onrobust evidence.

“We share up-to-date and bestpractice tools and processes thatwe know work, that will help asupplier show how their productswill not just lead to growth fortheir brand but how they willgrow the overall category,thereby adding value to theretailer. And that means helpingthem understand why the pointof purchase interface is so criticalto success and the importance ofappreciating both the product’scommercial journey and theshopper’s journey to that pointof purchase.”


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Karen Bevan fromBridgethorne

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MOTORS ARE AS CRUCIAL to a food plantas they are to several other industries inmanufacturing. But while a motor is a motoris a motor, there are certainly pertinent pointsthat need to be made with respect toselecting the right motor for the task at hand.

A typical example of motors being used tosave money for food producers was whenABB high efficiency IE3 class motors savedmanufacturer Golden Acres Pet-foods, basedin Lancashire, £26,000 on energy costs fora new odour control facility.

The company built an extraction plant thattakes odours from the process lines as well asproviding general extraction for the productionbuildings. Three fans were placed in apurpose-built fan house. Two of these fanshandle the extraction of the process gas andare powered by two ABB IE3 motors, one of250 kW, the other of 185 kW. All the buildingventilation volumes are brought together to asingle fan powered by a 250 kW ABB IE3motor.

Jim Whittaker, engineering director ofGolden Acres, explains how he came torecommend ABB IE3 motors for the fans:“Our fan suppliers Halifax Fan originally offeredstandard efficiency motors. With energy usageof 908 kW, the total running cost per yearwould be £411,860.

“We were keen to save as much energy aspossible, so Halifax Fan re-quoted to includeABB IE3 motors. The higher efficiency of theIE3 motors gave a lower energy usage of 851kW, producing a total running cost per year of£386,013, a saving of nearly £26,000 a yearover the standard efficiency solution. Thepayback is just under three years when the

ECA is taken into account.“With the high electrical demand of the new

production lines, the new facilities will requirea 6 MVA supply,” says Barnes, “so we areobviously keen to keep our electricity useas low as possible.”

Brian Bannister of Lafert Electric Motors hasa few opinions with respect to motors in thefood industry. “Generally speaking the foodand beverage industry’s requirements formotors fall into a few different categories, allof which depend very much on the particularplant and even the process area within thatplant that is being considered,” says Brian.

For example, he points out, if you have adry, packaging area that is indoors anddoesn’t come under a strong hygieneprogramme, a conventional alloy finnedpainted motor will suffice. In this area the twomain considerations would be cost (purchaseand lifetime running) and reliability.

“There are several motor manufacturerswho are able to fulfil these expectations withLafert Electric Motors being one of them. Theintroduction in June 2011 of IE2 as a minimumefficiency has ruled out the lower cost, lower

efficiency motors that seemed to be populara few years ago. Now the majority of plantshave woken up to the idea the real cost inan electric motor is running it and thereforeefficiency is vitally important.”

If, however, at the other extreme of thescale, the motor is to be sited in a high-careprocess zone with heavy wash-down andcleanliness programmes, the most criticalareas are likely to be reliability and hygiene.This is where stainless steel-motors come intotheir own, Brian believes, as they have a veryhygienic smooth body design with no paintto flake off and contaminate product.

“An additional benefit is the higher thannormal IP rating meaning that they are farmore reliable in washdown situations.Therefore re-starting plant machinery isgenerally more successful. In this area LafertElectric Motors seems to be leading the waywith a broad range of stock, affordable pricesand a good history of problem solvingapplications.”

Stirling Morley, technical director ofMicromech, also has strong views on whichmotors are best. “The AKM washdownservomotor is a flawless hygiene version forthe food and drink industry,” he says. “It has ahighly effective protective 2-K coating and isIP67 rated having a clever seal configurationand stainless-steel hardware on all precisioninterfaces.”

The applications benefiting from thesemotors, Stirling says, are those subject tostrict hygiene regulations to avoid germformation, corrosion and situations whereperiodic cleaning is imperative.

Resistant to many chemicals, particularlycleaning products with pH values of between>2 and <12, the novel design with its roundedand flat surfaces prevents dirt getting intoareas where germs could form. The coatingmaterial complies with the requirements of theFDA and is also available in a stainless-steeldesign, thus resistant to alkaline solutionsand acids.

“The bearing design is also in accordancewith FDA regulations using only lubricantscompletely suitable for foodstuffs,” Stirlingsays. “The PTFE shaft seal in the AKMwashdown meets the crucial requirementsof the FDA.

“Supply and feedback connections areboth standard European sizes 1.0 with specialstainless-steel finish (straight connectoroptions) and cables are also available withspecial stainless-steel mating plugs if required.Frame sizes are two through six with statictorques from 1 to 25Nm. The motors operatein an environment temperature of 0 to 60ºCand accommodate standard refrigeration.The range meets international standardsof UL, CE, FDA, RoHs and USDA.”

MOTORS AHOY!

What types of motors are best suited to the food industry?David Strydom asked a few experts for their opinions anduncovered some thought provoking replies.

The expansion of pet-food manufacturer GoldenAcres in Lancashire involved the use of ABB motors

Motors being used in a UK food factory



Information on this page provided by suppliers FOODFocus

ENHANCE FOOD SAFETY WITH EXPERTGUIDANCE ON HYGIENIC DESIGN

Failure to maintain, clean oroperate equipment or useequipment that has not beenhygienically designed can havecatastrophic results for bothconsumers and food producers.Hygienically designed foodprocessing equipment can helpmanufacturers avoid food poison-ing outbreaks and reducespoilage.METTLER TOLEDO’s white paperHygienic Designed Good Scales:Less Contamination andEnhanced Profits demonstrateshow well-designed food scalescan help avoid costlycontamination errors and improvefood quality and safety. The whitepaper addresses key issues toreduce contamination, achieve

fast andthoroughcleaning,simplifyoperations,improvethroughput andenhance profitmargins. Also,selecting theright hygienicallydesigned equipment for the jobwill help you meet internationalrequirements based on EHEDG,NSF and 3-A standards.

For more information contactMETTLER TOLEDO UKTel: 0116 234 5095Web: www.mt.com/uk-ind-hygienic-design

<

LINX CASE CODER BRINGS HOME THEBACON FOR SCOTTISH SUPPLIER

Leading Scottishbased bacon suppli-er Quality Foods ofAberdeen hasinstalled a LinxIJ355 high definitioncase coder afterbeing impressedwith its reliabilityand performance.Low cost ofownership and clear printingwere among other factors thatled the company to choose themachine from coding andmarking specialist Linx PrintingTechnologies. The Linx IJ355’srobust construction is ideal forQuality Foods, where bacon ispacked by hand into browncardboard boxes, which then govia conveyor past the printer.

Information including the productname, pack size, product codeand best before date is codedonto one side of each box, withprints measuring 205x40mm and183x45mm. The machine codes2.8 boxes/min with the line oper-ating 50 hours per week.

For more informationcontact LinxWeb: www.linxglobal.com

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NORDSON EFD 781S-SS PRECISION SPRAYSYSTEM APPLIES UNIFORM COATS OFSCENTS, FLAVORS AND COLORINGS

• Applies accurate, consistentamounts of scents, flavors, color-ings and similar fluids used infood and consumer productmanufacturing and packagingprocesses.

• Compact, pneumaticallyoperated spray valve that usesLow Volume Low Pressure (LVLP)technology to apply a uniformcoating of material withoutwaste, mess or overspray.

• Material consumption reducedby as much as 70%.

• Rugged stainless steel construc-tion and reliable, low-maintenance design

• Suitable for upgrades to existinginline automation equipment aswell as new production lines

EFD International Inc. –Phone +44 1582 666334Email: [email protected]

<

EXAIR’s Ion Air Gun removesstatic electricity, contaminants anddust from three-dimensional partsprior to labelling, assembly,packaging, painting or finishing.It is engineered for safe operationand is recognised to componentsafety standards. The shock-lessIon Air Gun neutralizes staticelectricity and cleans at distancesto 4.6 metres. The Ion Air Gunincorporates a high velocity air jetthat uses a small amount ofcompressed air to entrain 80% ofthe total output airflow from thesurrounding room air. Anelectrically energised emitter atthe discharge end fills the entireairstream with positive andnegative ions capable ofneutralising high static charges ina fraction of a second. An optional

regulator allows infinite adjustmentof the air volume and velocity.

For more information contactGood Hand UK LtdTel: 01908 221151Email: [email protected]: www.goodhanduk.co.uk

<

ION AIR GUN REMOVES BOTH STATICAND DUST

FOUR MONEY SAVING WATER SAVERS FOR INDIVIDUALAPPLICATIONS

The Lonn Water Saver is aunique, efficient and costeffective solution to the problemof water wastage caused byopen hose lines. The four modelsare different in their types ofspray to meet any applicationrequired by industrial andcommercial users. All these unitscan be used on hot or cold waterlines that need never be shut offas the water will only passthrough the unit when pressureis applied to the hose end. As aresult of this, water consumptioncan be substantially reduced.

Ozark SystemsRoundhill, Hollins Road,Waterhead, Oldham OL4 3SG,Lancashire, England

+44 (0)161 627 4479+44 (0)161 678 [email protected]

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ANDON LIGHT WIRELESS MONITORINGMonitor machine/workstation activityand efficiencyQuick and easy toinstall without hard-wiring or complexprogramming, the WIN systemfrom WERMA provides a simplelow cost means of monitoringshop-floor efficiency. Use as ameans to monitor idle time andrunning time of a machine, or asa “call to action” system forworkstations.

The kit can be fitted to existingWERMA signal towers (KS 71/70series), or it can be installed as astand alone device withoutlights.

A transmitter unit fitted to thesignal tower sends any signallight status change immediately

to a wireless receiverplugged into theUSB port of your pc.This data is present-ed as differentvisuals with which

allows you to monitor theoperation and performance ofthe machine or workstationbeing guarded by the signaltower.

WERMA (UK) Ltd. Linnell WayTelford Way Industrial EstateKetteringNorthamptonshireNN16 8PS+44 (0)1536 486 930+44 (0)1536 486 [email protected]

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FOODFocus

IMPROVE PROFITS WITH EXPERT GUIDANCEON MANUAL PORTIONING

Manual portioning ensures theright portion every time, reducesdowntime, increases throughputrates and reduces productgiveaway, protecting your profit.However, ergonomics in theseproduction environments arecritical. By enhancing workingconditions, there is reduced risk oferror due to employee strain andexhaustion. When you improvecomfort and reduce strains foryour employees, everyonebenefits through increasedemployee satisfaction, reducedemployee downtime and greaterthroughput. METTLER TOLEDO’swhite paper Ergonomic ManualPortioning & Checkweighing toIncrease Profits, explainsergonomic considerations for

manualcheckweighingand portioning inthe food industry.The paper offerssuggestions forinstalling benchscales in anergonomicallyappropriate way. It con-siders issues including taskmanagement, reading screensand employee posture, aiming tosatisfy employees and enhanceprofits.

For more information contactMETTLER TOLEDO UKTel: 0116 234 5095Web: www.mt.com/uk-ind-hygienic-design

<

4B INCREASES CAPACITY OF STARCOSTEEL ELEVATOR BUCKETS

4B has invested in tooling toincrease the capacities oftheir popular STARCO steelelevator buckets; as a result,all 4B’s STARCO steelbuckets now have the sameor greater capacities thancomparable buckets of theircompetitors. The Starcobucket, originally invented by4B Braime’s French subsidiarySETEM in the 1980s, was thefirst low profile elevator bucketto use centrifugal discharge on aparabolic elevator head toachieve much higher capacitieson a given elevator leg. As such,the STARCO bucket hasrevolutionised the elevatorbuckets market. The Starcoelevator bucket has been

engineered to provide perfect fill& discharge for a wide range ofproducts. It operates at widespeed range, up to 4.55m/s.

For more informationcontact 4B Braime ElevatorComponentsTel: (+44) (0)113 246 1800Email: [email protected]: www.go4b.co.uk

<

OLIVER DOUGLAS ENHANCES HIGH QUALITY CLEANING EQUIPMENT Two adjacent installations fromcleaning equipment specialists,Oliver Douglas are now helpingEurope’s largest manufacturer offresh cream products to optimisea key element of its productionprocess, with clear-cut benefitsarising in terms of cleaning qualityand speed of throughput.

The installation of a separatePanamatic 700 and a Rotary Jet750 at the Newark site of LaurensPatisseries, part of the BakkavorGroup, has been central to arefurbishment of the company’srack and confectionery board clean-ing process.

The two units are now at the heartof a dedicated wash area, whichwas refurbished to coincide with

the Oliver Douglas installations, asRobin Wright, Engineering ProjectsManager at Laurens Patisseriesexplains, “Our cleaning procedureswere centered on equipment whichoperated to a different designprincipal to the Oliver Douglasunits,” he says. “This could have anegative impact on throughput timeto achieve the highest level ofcleaning result and was in a roomwhich did not benefit from apurpose-designed layout – suchas the external ducting fan arrange-ment that is now part of the newinstallation.”

For more information contactOliver Douglas Ltd Tel: (0113) 279 7373Email: [email protected]: www.oliver-douglas.co.uk

<

Fresh fish is delicious but oftenperceived by consumers asdifficult to handle and prepare.

Now, shoppers at Morrisons500 fish counters have a newoption, making it easy to store,cook and clean up after freshfish, with new taste ideas too.

FFP Packaging Solutions aresupplying new Esterpeel Cookdirect-to-oven heat-sealablebags for Morrisons fishmongersto add whole fish or fishportions along with a knob offlavoured butter, sealing in-storeto create a neat cooking pack.

Once home, the Esterpeel Cookpack is placed directly into theoven, with no need to touch orhandle the raw fish. In the oven,

the butter suffuses the fish withdelicious flavours, while thepolyester pack provides aself-contained cooking cellthat keeps the fish moist andmouth-watering.

The bags are manufactured fromheatseal polyester, printed witha two-colour design carrying theMorrisons branding and cookinginstructions. FFP supply thebags pre-made and ready touse; the Morrisons fishmongersimply places the fish into thebag with the knob of butter andseals it in-store using theirexisting sealing unit.

For more informationplease contactFFP Packaging SolutionsTel: 01604 798600

<

NEW COOKING IDEAS FROM FFP PACKAGING SOLUTIONS



Information on this page provided by suppliers FOODFocus

ARE YOU TESTING YOUR METAL DETECTORCORRECTLY? - WATCH OUR FREE WEBINAR

A frequent and full understandingof metal detection system verifica-tion and performance ensures thebest use of equipment. If thesystem is not correctly tested,manufacturers may fail to complywith industry standards whichcould potentially harm theirbusiness.

METTLER TOLEDO’s webinar‘Effective Metal Detector Testingfor Conveyorised Solutions’explains the most effective testmethods available tomanufacturers. It also enablesusers to improve understanding ofcompliance with food safety stan-dards and the codes of practiceadopted by major retailers.

During the short onlinepresentation, attendees will gainan understanding of:1. Key elements required for aneffective metal detection system2. Effective use of failsafe systemsfor greater security and protection3. How to conduct testprocedures to maintain theintegrity of production4. What to do in the event of afailed test to avoid a productrecall

To ensure you are correctlytesting you metal detectionsolution, visitwww.mt.com/uk-conveyor-test

<

ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ON FOODSAFETY & QUALITY CERTIFICATION

Food safety and quality remainstop priority for manufacturers,retailers and consumers alike,with pressure mounting onsuppliers to demonstrate thequality of their operationsthrough certification. To provideguidance on relevant guidelinesand certification standardsMETTLER TOLEDO haspublished a new white paper,“Food Safety and Quality and theTrend Towards Certification.”

This addition to the company’sextensive collection of thought-leadership resources gives anoverview of the regulatory andconsumer pressures behindincreasing food safetycertification. It also explores thedifferent standards currentlyavailable to food retailers andmanufacturers.

The white paper initially looks atthe Global Food Safety Initiative(GFSI) benchmarks, following onto the four accepted standardsmost widely in use, the BRCGlobal Standard, FSSC 22000,International Featured Standard(IFS) and SQF 2000. Throughdetailing the requirements,

reporting, proce-dures andaudits that eachcertificationentails, thewhite paperhelps manufac-tures find thestandard thatbest suits theirmarket needsand customerpreferences. It alsoindicates parameters that can beused to evaluate the mostappropriate certification standardto pursue.

METTLER TOLEDO’s whitepaper points to the launch of thenew Chinese food safety law,and the U.S. Food SafetyModernization Act (FSMA) asexamples of recent legislationaffecting certification processes.It suggests that more and moremanufacturers and suppliers willseek certification to stay aheadof the regulatory curve.

To learn more and obtain acopy of the white papervisit: www.mt.com/uk-foodsafety&quality

<

CAN YOU TICK THE BOXES TOSATISFY CUSTOMER DEMANDS?REQUEST YOUR FREE WHITE PAPER

As a food manufacturer, you’rewell aware that should metalcontaminated product reach theend user, the impact could bedisastrous for both productintegrity and your retailpartnership.

When your retailer comes toaudit your process, they’ll belooking to ensure that youhave the correct criticalcontrol points to minimise therisk of contamination issues.

“Enhancing Levels of DueDiligence”, is a free WhitePaper from METTLERTOLEDO which explainsthe proceduresmanufacturers should havein place to enhance foodmanufacturing. It outlines what isrequired to ensure that documentedevidence of due diligence can beprovided in the event of acontaminated product reaching aretailer or consumer.

Readers of this White Paper willlearn what elements should be

included in the process inorder to safeguard customerwelfare and provide the basis fora robust due diligence defence.

Request your freeWhite Paper:www.mt.com/safeline-duediligence

HOW TO SELECT CRITICAL CONTROLPOINTS – IMPROVE PRODUCT SAFETYWITH X-RAY INSPECTION

Identifying prime locations of X-rayequipment allows manufactures toboost productivity by creatingcritical control points in the produc-tion line. METTLER TOLEDO’s freeonline seminar “What’s the MostEffective Location for X-rayInspection on a production line?”helps food manufacturers improvethis process.

The webinar answers importantquestions for food manufacturers,including: • The best locations for X-ray

inspection equipment?• Where the critical control points

are to ensure the highest levelsof product safety

• The stage at which X-ray inspec-

tion should begin i.e. productionline or arrival of raw materials?

• Would product safety and qualitybe better served by installingX-ray systems at more thanone critical control point?

It also covers the first two of theseven HACCP principles, takingreaders step-by-step along theproduction line. It also explainshow effective X-ray inspectionmakes up a sequential part ofHazard Analysis Critical ControlPoints (HACCP) when consideringproduct safety.

To register for the freewebinar please visit:www.mt.com/uk-critical-points

<<


Products & Services To advertise here, please callKay Killick on 01732 359990


Technical Training Solutions

www.technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Contact us for your copy of our latest brochure

T: 01634 731470E: [email protected]

Providing Practical Engineering Skills Training For The Food Industry

Technical Training SolutionsTraining For The Food IndustryProviding Practical Engineering Skills Technical Training SolutionsTraining For The Food IndustryProviding Practical Engineering Skills Technical Training SolutionsProviding Practical Engineering Skills

E: [email protected]: 01634 731470

ontact us for your copy of our latest bC

technicaltrainingsolutions.co.ukwww.E: [email protected]: 01634 731470

erochurontact us for your copy of our latest b

technicaltrainingsolutions.co.uktechnicaltrainingsolutions.co.uk

Save up to on yourcurrent cost of ingredients

Award winning fresh breadcrumbs,stuffings, toppings, butters, sauces, marinadesand glazes. Our 5 person NPD team will supply

you with the bespoke product YOU want.


Products & ServicesTo advertise here, please callKay Killick on 01732 359990

DRINKS BOTTLING PLANT & EQUIPMENT, BLOW MOULDING MACHINERY, FACTORY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (Formerly used in the production of Soft Drinks and Water)

BAKERY PLANT & EQUIPMENT PACKAGING MACHINERY FACTORY PLANT AND EQUIPMENT (Formerly used in the production of pizza products - two sites)

Timed online bids via www.bidspotter.co.uk

Bidding: Closes from 12 noon Wednesday 13th February 2013

View: Thursday 7th and Tuesday 12th February 2013 or by appointment

At: Park Farm Road, Folkestone Kent CT19 5EA, UK

NB: Private Treaty offers considered for main items prior and all lots offered subject to availability

Rademaker 800mm Sheeting Line c/w conveyors (2011) JBS PLC Controlled Pizza Base Prover c/w conveyors (2011) Schenk FRUP-S 10m x 1m Continuous Stone Baking Oven (2000)

Disval DIVHEN 110 Dough Divider Moulders (2004/8)Disval Four Pocket Intermediate Provers & topping line

(2004/8)Tweedy 280 PLC HS Tilting Auto Dough Mixers

Oase SPK 150 Bottom Emptying Bowl Mixers & EquipmentMultipond Multihead

Weighers (2001) Steck Depositors, Urschel Graters & Cheese Waterfalls

Kliklok, Graham, Soco, Norprint Otem, Ilapak, Linx, Cryovac, Censol etc

NB: Private Treaty offers considered for main items prior and all lots offered subject to availability

Bidding: Closes from 10am Thursday 14th February 2013

View: Thursday 7th and Tuesday 12th February 2013 or by appointment

At: Missouri Avenue, Salford, Manchester M50 2NP 2 & 3 Newtech Square, First Avenue, Deeside Industrial Park, Deeside, Flintshire, CH5 2NT, UK

On the instructions of C P Holder, K J Coates and A C O’Keefe of Zolfo Cooper the Joint Administrators of Silver Spring Soft Drinks Limited (in Administration)

On the instructions of David Whitehouse and Sarah Bell of Duff & Phelps Ltd the Joint Administrators of Paramount Foods Ltd (in Administration)

Piecemeal (subject to Conditions of Sale and unless sold previously by Private Treaty)

For further details contact the [email protected] sandersonweatherall.co.uk

0161 259 7000

Two Major Online Auction Sales

AUCTION SALEGenuine Sale - No reserves - Buyers Premium only 12.5%

Due to a Major finance company repossession

ONLINE AUCTION Wednesday 30th January 2013

(unless sold previously)

Complete refrigeration plant throughout a 30,000 square ft FoodFactory. Complete with the compressors. 3 x Blast Freezers with 2

x Grasso screw compressors on amonia with surge drum 2008. Plus certain items of machinery

Viewing by appointment

For further information or viewing contact the agents:FOOD MACHINERY 2000 LTD

Sue or JackTelephone: +44 (0)1225 444466 Email: [email protected]

www.foodmachinery2000.com

To register, go to: www.bidspotter.co.ukthen login and register your details.Photos and Lots will be available shortly.




BuyersGuide

EXTRUDERS

Kanegrade Limited, Ingredients House,Caxton Way, Stevenage, Herts, SG1 2DF.Tel: +44(0) 1438 742242. Fax: +44 (0) 1438742311. E-mail: [email protected]: www.kanegrade.com

FLAVOUR (LIQUID AND POWDERS)

BELTING (CONVEYORS)

Wire Belt Company Ltd, Castle Road, Eurolink IndustrialCentre, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3RF

Tel: +44 (0) 1795 421771 Fax: +44 (0) 1795 428905Email: [email protected] Web: www.wirebelt.co.uk

Wire Belt Company is a leading manufacturer of Flat-Flex®conveyor belt. We manufacture a wide range of metal

conveyor beltings, including Eye-Flex®, Honeycomb andCompactGrid™ which provide customised open mesh,

hygienic, safe and efficient conveyor solutions.

BOILERS

Tel: 01535 665225www.byworth.co.uk

• Efficient steam boilers to reduce boilerenergy costs

• Fully packaged boiler houses

• Heat recoveryboiler design

• Buy, Lease or Hire

BULK SOLIDS HANDLING

CHILLERS

FOR SALE SECONDHAND/REFURBISHEDWATER CHILLERS WANTED

WATER CHILLERSAIR BLAST COOLERS30KW UP TO 1000KW

Contact Now on 01282 870027Email: [email protected]

www.centralcooling.co.uk

AJAXScrew Feeders, Mixers & IBC Systems

Tel. 01204 386723 www.ajax.co.uk [email protected]

Expert solutions in bulk solids handling

UK BLENDINGLTD• Offering a personal and

friendly ingredientblending service to Foodand Snack Manufacturers.

• Facilities for a wide rangeof applications includingpowders, liquids andsensitive blends.

• Single products to multicomponent formulations.

• Production runs from 50Kilos to full containers.

• Flexible end packagingconfigurations.

• Full washdown facility and quality assurance – We are accredited to the BRC Global Standard

For further information and a competitive quote. Please contact:

UK Blending Ltd.9 Davy Road, Gorse Lane Ind. Est.,Clacton on Sea, Essex CO15 4XD.

Tel: 01255 225002 Fax: 01255 225003www.uk-blending.com

Email: [email protected]

CONTRACT BLENDERS

CONVEYORS

Wire Belt Company Ltd, Castle Road, Eurolink IndustrialCentre, Sittingbourne, Kent, ME10 3RF

Tel: +44 (0) 1795 421771 Fax: +44 (0) 1795 428905Email: [email protected] Web: www.wirebelt.co.uk

Wire Belt Company manufactures conveyors under the tradename ConveyorTec™. All our conveyors are of hygienic

stainless steel construction, have a wide range of optionalfeatures and special variants that ensure the versatility to

satisfy most application requirements.

Food Processing EquipmentNess – Smoking, Cooking and Maturing systems

Frey – Vacuum Sausage Stuffing systems

For further details please contactTel: +44 1302 887566

Fax: +44 1302 887622

Mobile: +44 7778 743909


Web: www.ness-smoke.de

COOKERS & SMOKERS

Beacon Foods Ltd, Unit 2, Brecon EnterprisePark, Brecon, Powys, LD3 8BT. Tel:(01874) 622577Fax: (01874) 622123. www.beaconfoods.co.ukEmail: [email protected] Chargrilled,roasted and caramelised vegetables and fruits,chutneys, relishes, purees, compotes,zests,garnishes and organic and bespoke products.

Freshcut Foods LtdUnits 14-16, Lilac Grove, Beeston,

Nottingham NG9 1PATel: 01159 227222 Fax: 01159 227255

Email: [email protected]: www.freshcutfoods.co.uk

Roasted, chargrilled, blanched andsauteed vegetables; cook/chill pastas;

high-care raw vegetables

COOKED VEGETABLES & PASTA


DOORS


BuyersGuide


FRUITS


FOOD MACHINERY


FRUIT AND VEGETABLE JUICE CONCENTRATES(LIQUID & POWDER)


GARLIC AND GINGER

HERBS & SPICE PRODUCTS

LTD.

Growersand importers offresh herbs. Suppliers

of fresh cut, processed& frozen herbs to the

food manufacturing industry.FRESH PREPARED HERBS

FROZEN HERBS • FRESH & FROZENHEAT TREATED HERBS • PASTES & OILS

ORGANIC ALSO AVAILABLETel : 01386 750734 Fax : 01386 750787Email: [email protected]

HOT AIR SOURCES

LOGISTICS & MATERIALS HANDLING PRODUCTS

MIXERS

OptimumMixing

from John R Boone

T: +44 (0)1260 272894www.jrboone.com

LOGISTICS & MATERIALS HANDLING PRODUCTS

Stamford Products Limited Bayley Street, Stalybridge, Cheshire SK15 1QQ

THE UK’S BEST CHOICE OFINGREDIENTS &FOODHANDLINGPRODUCTS

Tel: 0

161-3

30 5

577

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Request your NEW 124 page Catalogue Today

swiftshop2012

MOTION CONTROL

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NATURAL COLOURS

BE SEEN PUT IT IN THE GREEN Contact Kay Killickon 01732 359990

TO ADVERTISE HERE WOULDCOST YOU £350



BuyersGuide

BE SEEN PUT IT IN THE GREEN Contact Kay Killickon 01732 359990

TO ADVERTISE HERE WOULDCOST YOU £350

PIPEWORK

PUMPS

REFRIGERATED STORAGE

seepex designs and manufactures progressive cavity pumps for the food and

beverage industry. seepex pumps convey lowand high viscosity products, with or withoutsolids, with no pulsation and minimal shear

seepex UK Ltd3 Armtech Row, Houndstone Business Park

Yeovil, Somerset, BA22 8RWTel: 01935 472376

[email protected]

SMI's unique patented thermalinsulation material, Tempro®,is independently tested andproven to be the thinnest andmost thermal efficient of itskind in the world.

That's why SMI's Cold-Stop®

curtains save customers millionsof pounds on their energy costsand slash their carbon emissionsby more than 30% every year.

If you'd like to cut your bills and your carbonfootprint, or to find outmore about our range ofproducts, contact us on01952 730630 [email protected] • seymour-mi.com

CUT YOUR BILLS6,000 KG OF

CARBON. IT’S ANOPEN AND SHUT CASE.

QUALITY SYSTEMS

SACK FILLING

Bosch Rexroth, formerly known as Indramat and Bosch offer:

• Local repairs

• Genuine spare parts

These services are available for control systems, servo drives, servo motors & PLC’s

Contact Service on:

Freephone: 0800 169 6624

Telephone: +44 (0)1285 863049

www.boschrexroth.co.uk

• Field service

• Warranty up to 5 years


Service from Bosch Rexroth

SERVO MOTOR AND DRIVE REPAIRS

SIEVES

TEMPERATURE PROFILING

SWECO EUROPEMarcus House,ParkhallLongton,Stoke On TrentST3 5XAContact: Craig Thomas

Tel: 01782 333884Fax: 01782 801102Web: www.sweco.comEmail: [email protected]

SIEVES AND SEPARATORS

ISO 9001: 2000

X-0

27

8

+44 (0)1782 [email protected]

www.kasoneurope.co.uk

EXACT-FIT REPLACEMENT SCREENSFOR ANY CIRCULAR SCREENER• Industrial weld-mount screens• Food/dairy/pharma epoxy-mount screens• Diameters from 460 to 2540 mm• Meshes from 50 mm to 500 mesh• Optional centre holes, braces

& anti-blinding devices• Low prices, fast shipment


technicaltrainingsolutions.co.ukT: 01634 731470

Technical Training Solutions

Skills Training For The Food Industry

The Industry Preferred Training ProviderOperator TrainingPLCsPneumatics

InstrimentationElectricalMechanical

Fluid PowerMotor drivesWorking at height

Providing Practical Engineering

TRAINING

VIP Code: FKW12243FPA

www.informadl.com/FoodFPACall: +44 (0) 20 7017 5906 Email: [email protected]

Postgraduate Certifi cate, Diploma or Master of Laws (LLM) in

Food LawCourse starts in September

Leading providers of UV-C disinfectionsolutions to the Food industry, including:

Product decontamination systemsAir disinfectionSurface and packaging disinfectionLiquid disinfectionUV-C replacement emitters & consumables

web: www.uvtechnology.cotel: +44 (0) 161 408 0060

-C replacement emitters & consumablesUVuid disinfectionLiq

kaging disinfectionSurface and pacAir disinfectionProduct decontamination systems

, including: ood industrysolutions to the F-C disinfectionLeading providers of UV

1 408 00606+44 (0) 1el:technology.uvtwwww.eb:w

-C replacement emitters & consumables

kaging disinfection

Product decontamination systems, including:

-C disinfection

1 408 0060.coechnology

UV DISINFECTION

Jeros (UK) Ltd supply Utensil washers, Crate

and Box washers and Bakery Tray cleaners

Tel: +44 1302 887677Fax: +44 1302 887622

E mail: [email protected] Mobile: +44 7778 743909

WASHING MACHINES

VISCOSITY AND TEXTURE MEASUREMENT

Unit 5, Southview ParkMarsack Street

Caversham, Reading RG4 5AF England

Telephone: 0118 9461900 Fax: 0118 9461862

www.appliedweighing.co.uk

Leading the way inload cell andprocess weighingtechnology includingplatform scales,recipe systems anddynamiccheckweighingsystems

WEIGHING

WHEELS AND CASTORS

WEIGHING MACHINES

www.sitefindonthenet.net

MOTORS

ABB Drives and Motorswww.abb.co.uk

BOILERS

Byworth Boilers www.byworth.co.ukKings Boiler Hire www.kingsboilerhire.com

REFRIGERATED STORAGE

Seymour Manufacturingwww.seymour-mi.com

WASHING SYSTEMS

Jeros UK ltdwww.jeros.co.uk

STORAGE TANKS & VESSELS/CHIMNEYS

The King Groupwww.thekinggroup.co.uk

PROCESS HEAT

Welwyn Tool Groupwww.welwyntoolgroup.co.uk

WEIGHING

Applied Weighingwww.appliedweighing.co.uk

BOILERS/TANKS/CHIMNEYS

Kings Boiler Hirewww.kingsboilerhire.com


Beacon Foods ltdwww.beaconfoods.co.uk

COOKERS AND SMOKERS

Ness UK ltdwww.ness.de

DRIVES

ABB Drives and Motors www.abb.co.uk

FLOORING

Conren Ltdwww.conren.co.uk

MACHINE KNIVES

Camb Machine Kniveswww.camb-knives.co.uk

BuyersGuide



Watson-Marlow MasoSine Bredel

Food and Beverage Division wmpg.com

01326 370370

Powerful, no shearfood pumpsOur MasoSine pumps combine no shear with high suction lift and are ideal for food processing applications.

• Hygienic flows to 90,000 litre/hour

• One shaft, one seal and one rotor - very low maintenance, easily cleaned and fully CIPable

• Pulse-free flow characteristics benefit flow control, heat transfer and filtration

• Unique Sine pump design provides minimal product damage and higher yields


Documents

THE SKILLS CRISIS · Barcode scanners are used to identify ingredients, premixes and sub-batches, ensuring a ... traceability. This is excellent ... chilled food manufacturers have