Tues 18th Nov, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, London

FSA PUBLISH TWO NEW FOOD CRIME REPORTS

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

The Food Standards Agency has published two research reports, one estimating that food crime costs the UK economy up to £2 billion a year and another which makes recommendations on food crime prevention.

‘The Cost of Food Crime’ research revealed that overall the combination of the very high degree of awareness of food safety, quality and fraud among large UK businesses, local authorities and enforcement agencies, and the extensive use of objective diagnostic testing means that the sector has built resilience to fraud. However, small, and medium sized businesses in the UK are more vulnerable, and there is a real impact on the economy from frauds that occur.

The second report entitled ‘What works to prevent food fraud’ was undertaken to guide the FSA and the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU) on the development of future strategies and operational activities to improve food fraud prevention.

Its aims were to:

(1) Investigate successful initiatives and strategies for fraud prevention and especially food fraud prevention;

(2) understand what has worked well in preventing commodity-based fraud (including food fraud) and the lessons learned from these initiatives and strategies;

(3) provide recommendations which could be adopted by the NFCU and incorporated into the unit’s key strategies; and

(4) provide recommendations for any future research required within this area.

 

More information and links to download both reports can be found here.

FREE DEFRA WORKSHOP ON EPR MODULATED FEES

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

Members may be interested to hear that Defra are running a FREE Workshop on 24th October 2023 in London on the EPR Modulated Fees.

This event is your chance to meet with colleagues across the whole value chain and work together to co-design a short, medium, and long-term approach to modulated fees under Packaging Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).

‘Modulated fees’ means fees which are adjusted compared with the base fee, the latter being reflected of local authority costs of managing it, where that adjustment is dependent on the environmental characteristics of the packaging.

The day will start by sharing progress and then the rest of the afternoon will be spent creating a shared vision on:

  • The packaging that should be incentivised and disincentivised, now and in the future.
  • The preferred approach and timescale for modulating materials and integrating modulation with labelling recyclability assessments.
  • The way progress can be made while ensuring innovation isn’t stifled in new sustainable packaging.
  • The desired speed of movement from recyclability being the main criterion for modulation into wider sustainability considerations.
  • The preferred granularity of reporting – what will be needed for labelling recyclability assessments and for the Scheme Administrator to make decisions about modulation, and what would be supported by industry

You can register for tickets to the event here but hurry as places are limited and going fast!

You are reminded to apply for the ticket type that most closely describes your organisation. If tickets have run out for your type of organisation, you are asked not to apply for a different type as it will be declined. There will be other opportunities to engage. Please review all the ticket types before choosing which one most closely fits your organisation type.

Only one application is allowed per organisation. In case of query, please email CPREnquiries@defra.gov.uk and reference the modulated fees visioning event.

DATA OVERLOAD: COULD EVEN MORE DATA BE A GOOD THING?

Posted on by Rob Sherwin

We are awash with data. Digital technologies of all kinds are generating and capturing data at ever-increasing speed and volumes. But is this a good thing? Warehouse operators large and small have long realised that there is value in their data. Artificial intelligence (AI) and business intelligence (BI) tools are helping them release it but are themselves generating more data. If data is useful, could there be an argument to produce more of it to create opportunities for greater efficiencies and innovation?

The total amount of data created, captured, copied, and consumed globally reached around 64 zettabytes in 2020 and is predicted to grow to more than 180 zettabytes by the end of 2025. To put this into context, one zettabyte is 2 to the power of 70 bytes and it would take around one billion terabyte or one trillion gigabyte hard drives to store. By comparison a typical PC or laptop hard drive is around half a gigabyte. Headline figures like these are rarely broken down into industry sectors such as the supply chain but there is no doubt that applications such as warehouse management software (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) are generating and processing vast amounts of data globally.

The amount of data generated by such systems is going to increase. The global warehouse management systems market size was worth around $2.79bn in 2021 and is estimated to grow to about $7.52bn by 2028, according to one report. A separate report, covering a slightly different timeframe, suggests the warehouse management system market will grow from $3.2bn in 2023 to $9.9bn by 2030 . Either way this represents significant annual growth. And more systems will inevitably generate more data but individual installations and applications will also create more as they become increasingly sophisticated and interconnected with other systems including automation equipment.

  • WMS market to grow from approximately $2.79bn in 2021 to up to $9.9bn by 2030
  • WMS market to grow at compound annual growth rate of over 15% over next seven years
  • Total global data produced predicted to treble by end of 2025

WMS generally captures and processes two types of data. The first, and the basis of all WMS, is broadly data about real-world operations and the characteristics of the items being handled. This might include an item’s identity and physical location as well as its weight and dimensions or other attributes chosen by stakeholders. The second type of data is created or processed as the item passes through the supply chain or warehouse. This can include where it came from, who delivered it, the date and time it arrived, the number of times it was handled between various parts of facility, whether or not it needs to be processed or prepared for delivery to its next destination, when and where it was packed, and by whom, and so on. These are probably the areas where warehouses are generating the bulk of new information.

All of this data is useful, essential even, for maintaining routine operations in the warehouse. Operators and developers realised years ago that this information was also valuable. WMS and other applications evolved to include analytical tools to identify patterns and trends and so on that release this value, for example by enabling process and performance improvements or supporting innovations and new ways of working. Analytics plays a pivotal role in running a more successful business, and new capabilities exist within today’s WMS to deliver a wide range of performance analytics and reporting that highlight how successful or unsuccessful your team is at delivering goods to your customers.

What is the significance of this? If data analytics can release value and enable innovation, it follows that the businesses that do this the best have the potential to be the most successful. But this could present an intriguing opportunity. If warehouses are generating more and more information about everyday operations, they have more that can provide insights and add value to their operations. As this type of information becomes easier (and less expensive) to capture, process, and store might it not be a good idea to deliberately capture more data and more often to generate and release even more value?

This is the concept of granularity: the more frequently you capture data about an item in the warehouse, the more you know about it. Tracking an item with high granularity as it moves through a warehouse, for example, can help reveal behaviour that might not otherwise be easily identifiable. As an illustration, imagine a WMS that instructs a pallet be handled to a specific aisle P&D station for placement into a racking location. In a traditional operation, the completion on this task would be seen as a “success” – a good thing – with little need for further thought.

But recording more information about the various stages will enable better and more useful analysis. Knowing how long each step took or how much time an item spent moving or was stationary, for example, could reveal whether any delays or bottlenecks occurred. Further analysis might show whether these had impacts elsewhere, for example by locking out the P&D space or delaying a lift truck movement and so on. That information could be used to introduce improvements to the process, such as prioritising specific actions over others or configuring the WMS to minimise the number of handling movements and distances and so on. This type of insight is useful in a conventional warehouse. But it could be even more critical when automation is involved because operations are faster and small changes have the potential to create big performance improvements.

Some of this analysis is already within the capabilities of WMS applications. Those with AI and BI capabilities (or the ability to integrate with specialist third party applications) go further by enabling even greater levels of insight. The challenge ahead may be to align data collection with required outcomes: collecting too little will lead to missed opportunities for improvement but collecting too much will be wasteful and complex with no additional insight or benefit.

Benefits of having more data to analyse:

  • Improved decision-making
  • Better customer service
  • Increased efficiency
  • Enhanced security
  • Improved forecasting

Negative aspects of having too much data:

  • Data overload
  • Increased risk of data breaches (more data sources could mean more potential weak spots)
  • Increased costs
  • Difficulty in managing data quality and data privacy

New and emerging technologies such as AI and BI will change the data and business landscape in the next five years by:

  • Increasing efficiency and productivity
  • Improving decision-making processes
  • Enhancing customer experience
  • Reducing costs
  • Providing better insights into customer behaviour

In addition to these benefits, having more data generated by automation of business applications such as warehouse management systems can lead to:

  • Improved inventory management: With more data available, businesses can better track inventory levels and make more informed decisions about when to order new stock.
  • Better supply chain management: By analysing data from across the supply chain, businesses can identify areas where they can improve efficiency and reduce costs.
  • Improved customer service: By analysing customer data, businesses can gain insights into what customers want and need, allowing them to provide better service.
  • Improved safety: By analysing safety data, businesses can identify areas where they need to improve safety procedures.

On the other hand, there are also negative aspects of having too much data generated by automation of business applications such as warehouse management systems:

  • Data overload: With so much data available, it can be difficult for businesses to know what information is relevant and what is not.
  • Increased risk of data breaches: With more data being generated, there is an increased risk of cyber attacks and data breaches.
  • Increased costs: Collecting and analysing large amounts of data can be expensive.
  • Difficulty in managing data quality: With so much data being generated, it can be difficult for businesses to ensure that the quality of the data is high.
  • Difficulty in managing data privacy: With so much data being generated, it can be difficult for businesses to ensure that they are complying with privacy regulations.

New technologies such as AI and BI are changing the way that businesses operate. By generating more data through automation of applications such as WMS, businesses can gain valuable insights into their operations. However, there are also negative aspects of having too much data. As we move forward, it will be important for businesses to find ways to manage this data effectively while still reaping the benefits that it provides.

Article provided by Principle Logistics, for more information click here

THE FROZEN FOOD REVOLUTION IS HERE!

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

The Frozen Food Revolution is here! Independent research, commissioned by the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF), has unveiled that 2 in 5 consumers are now buying more frozen food than they did just a year ago.

Kantar data from the second quarter of 2023 shows that frozen food sales are growing steadily. For the 12 weeks to 11 June, we have seen a 1.6% growth rate, surpassing the 0.5% seen in the first quarter.

The demand for value is evident, due to the UK facing skyrocketing food prices. Inflation hit 19% in March this year, the highest since 1977. While it did slow down to 13.6% in August and further to 12.2% in September, these rising costs continue to strain household budgets. As the entire food industry passes on these price increases to consumers, frozen food is emerging as an increasingly cost-effective option.

Switching from fresh to frozen on supermarket staples such as pizza and veggies can bring huge savings. For example, you can save approximately 80% when buying a frozen meat feast pizza and 56% when buying frozen broccoli over their fresh counterparts.

Having said that, consumers aren’t just looking for savings; they are also seeking knowledge. The research uncovered that 42% of consumers are willing to buy more frozen food if they have a better understanding of its sustainability, waste reduction, and nutritional benefits.

Capitalising on these findings, the BFFF is launching The Frozen Food Revolution, a consumer facing campaign aimed at informing, educating, and engaging consumers about the numerous benefits of frozen food. This includes waste reduction, cost savings, sustainability, quality and nutrition. The campaign is running from October 16th to 25th 2023.

Frozen food has managed to weather the economic storm but it’s crucial to re-engage and grow the customer base which was established during the pandemic. As the availability of fresh and ambient foods returns to pre-pandemic levels, consumers might be swayed by the pricier produce often placed at the front of store. The Frozen Food Revolution aims to remind shoppers that the lower price of frozen food is not indicative of inferior quality. In fact, it’s more a result of the intricate logistics involved in stocking fresh produce.

Frozen food is generally cheaper due to factors such as reduced transportation costs as a result of its extended shelf life and less food spoilage meaning producers and retailers don’t need to account for this in the cost.

The campaign will not only benefit consumers by highlighting the advantages of frozen food but will also provide support to federation members, frozen food manufacturers, foodservice providers, and retailers.

Frozen food is an excellent choice, irrespective of its lower price point. With food prices expected to remain high, it’s in everyone’s interest to promote value, quality, and reduced waste, benefiting both the environment and our society.

 

More information can be found at FrozenFoodRevolution.co.uk.

NFUM COMMERCIAL RISK DAY

Posted on by Georgia Oxspring

This week NFUM invited other British Frozen Food Federation members to a commercial risk day at their premises in Stratford Upon Avon.

The Federation have a long term strategic relationship with NFUM, James Jordan facilitated a very insightful day with the wider NFUM team.

We covered many topics including the NFUM Proposition, ESG, Refrigeration & Ammonia, Composite Insulated Panels, Fire, Lithium-Ion Technology, Electrical Risk and the current landscape in the world of corporate claims. We were also joined by NFUM’s legal partners DWF Law who gave us an update on changes in legislation and many case studies how recent cases had been settled.

With any NFUM event they always go the extra mile in terms of their preparation, planning and delivery, we all came away with a plethora of information.

I would just like to say thank you to all the speakers provided today including Chris Greaves, Chris Leonard, Kate R. Emma Bracewell, Nina Lewis, Steve Paylor, Jade Devlin. We had a great attendance from BFFF members including Susan Rowland GradIOSH, Nicky Brewer at Brakes UK, Vytautas Pilinkus and Jay Taylor from Fresh Direct (UK), Millicent Holdsworth from Holdsworth Foods, Scott Irwin CMIOSH and Phil Lane from Greggs, Paul Lockyer from Harvest Meats & Fine Foods and Ovidijus Barkauskas COOK Trading Ltd.

SOLAR EXPANSION FURTHER REDUCES CARBON EMISSIONS FOR OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL

Posted on by hayley.smith@oakland-international.com

With a longstanding commitment of integrating sustainability into their business strategy, total supply chain solutions provider Oakland International has further extended their investment in solar technology to achieve almost 27% of their energy requirements across three UK sites of Redditch, Bardon and Corby.

The Redditch site is now in the region of 660,000 kWh/annum, with the overall generation expected to be in the region of 25% of the current Redditch electricity demand.

The new solar system at Corby has a capacity of 639.87 kWp with an annual yield of 458,000 kWh/year and will result in a reduction of 23.73% in imported electricity, with 100% of generated electricity used inhouse and a CO2 reduction of 96,552 kg annually.

Oakland International Strategic development Manager Peter Vaughan said: “Oakland International is fully committed to a journey which supports innovation in working practices which are ambitious and positive disrupters intended to drive down our carbon footprint.

“We strongly believe that a focus on environmental initiatives is not only good for the planet but will also provide an important amount of energy resilience.

“With significant changes and fluctuations in energy pricing our desire is to reduce our reliance on the energy grid whilst also minimising our impact on the local and wider environment.”

Oakland International is a leading D2C/B2C/B2B specialist in contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution and brand development support covering ambient, chilled, and frozen food, and services retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and food service markets in the UK and Ireland. They are also BRCGS AA accredited and have taken the first step to becoming B Corp certified and working towards becoming the first business within their sector to achieve net-zero.

BeBa Energy Managing Director Stephen Palmer commented: “We are very proud to be Oakland International’s chosen solar PV provider and to be a part of their decarbonisation journey.

“It is incredible to think that so much green energy can be produced from the unused roof space across all 3 sites. Oakland International have a large power demand across their sites and it is great to see that the solar PV installations are not only having a real positive impact on their carbon footprint, but also on their reliance on the grid and fossil fuels.

“Oakland International are true leaders in driving a sustainable future and we are very excited to be a part of this journey with them.”

BIDFOOD UNVEILS THE FOOD AND DRINK TRENDS SET TO HIT THE OUT OF HOME MARKET IN 2024

Posted on by Billy Moone

One of the UK’s leading foodservice providers, Bidfood, has announced the latest food and drink trends set to dominate the out of home market in 2024.

This year it’s all about creating a sense of adventure and providing consumers with the opportunity to try something new, as well as focusing on authenticity and provenance. From interesting flavour pairings, to creative, playfully presented dishes, a twist on British cult-classics and an increased focus on health and wellbeing – this year’s trends are tipped to be more exciting than ever!

To support with the unveiling of these trends, Bidfood has launched its 2024 interactive guide, designed to help operators navigate the changing market and consumer behaviours, adapt their menus and fully explore the latest cuisines and flavours taking hold of the industry.

The report also comes with a range of useful support tools, including new additions to the trends video series, expanded web content, tasty new recipes and much more.

Bidfood’s 2024 Trends:

Flavours Less Travelled: Authenticity is one of the key drivers behind this year’s report with 56% of consumers saying they would pay more for a dish if they perceive it as more authentic1. This is heavily reinforced in our Flavours Less Travelled trend, giving consumers the opportunity to feed their sense of adventure by exploring global cuisines in their most original format. Research has shown that the three global cuisines gaining momentum are:

  • Authentic Caribbean – Expanding across UK cities in the form of restaurants, pop ups and food stalls, there is growing demand for Caribbean comfort dishes like rich, spicy stews that feature seafood, indigenous vegetables and meats such as goat.
  • Authentic Mexican – Although 44% of consumers have already tried Mexican cuisine, they now want to elevate their passion with traditional flavours and ingredients2. Familiar TexMex dishes will continue to be popular, but operators should look towards authentic classics like marinated pork belly tacos or charred corn elotes with chicken.
  • Eastern European – From hearty stews to delicious cakes, Eastern European food is becoming more well-known and appreciated. With their array of flavours and familiar UK formats, these dishes offer countless culinary opportunities and unique experiences.

British Fusion: More and more restaurants are starting to merge different cuisines with each other, but although consumers are becoming more adventurous with new flavours, they are still reluctant to spend money on cuisines they are unfamiliar with. In fact, 68% of consumers find British fusion appealing with over a third (35%) feeling this is because it bridges the gap between the exciting flavours of global cuisines and the familiarity of British classics3. Try mixing up your Sunday roasts, English breakfasts and even desserts such as crumble with interesting global flavours.

Mind, Mood and Body: This trend centres around consumers shifting priorities when it comes to their health and wellbeing, focusing not just on their physical health but also their mental health and state of mind. Almost half (48%) of consumers are looking for foods that directly impact their physical wellbeing, and 71% feel the aroma of food and drink can help boost their mood4. Take consumers on a sensory journey with appealing and colourful products to enrich their healthy lifestyle experience, but be mindful when it comes to making specific health claims on your menu.

Rustic and Rural: Consumers are making more mindful choices about where and what they eat when out of home. Farm to fork concepts, provenance and menu stories are becoming increasingly popular. Cosy decor, handmade pasta and bakery products, garden salads, heritage produce and open flame cooking are ways operators can tap into this trend.

Let’s Play: During a cost of living crisis, consumers are looking for something to cheer them up, and provide them with something exciting and out of the ordinary. Colour, playful presentation, novel styling and a touch of theatre will certainly tick the boxes to offer the experience desired. Mixing flavours is another way of adding novelty and can really elevate a dish. In fact, 70% of consumers find the idea of flavour contrasts appealing, with sweet and sour being the most popular5.

  • Playful Drinks: With social media taking the world by storm, consumers can’t resist taking a picture of their cocktail to post on their accounts, with 43% of 18-35 year olds doing this every/almost every time6. To leverage this trend, operators are starting to take their cocktail offerings to the next level, creating imaginative, theatrical and themed serves. Incorporating dry ice, colour-changing ingredients and even sparklers will really give it that wow factor!

 

Catherine Hinchcliff, Head of Corporate Marketing and Insight at Bidfood said:

“This year we’re excited to see that the trends and flavours surfacing are around adventure and trying something new, as well as comfort, authenticity and provenance. All of which will allow chefs to be creative and have fun when planning their menus for 2024.

“Sustainability remains a prominent factor to us as a business, and continues to influence consumer decision-making. This year, instead of being a standalone trend, we’ve incorporated it into all our trends which reflects the way many chefs weave sustainability into everyday ways of working.

“Once again we worked with CGA by NIQ to conduct our own bespoke survey and exclusive research. We also worked with a semiotician and futurist, Dr Rachel Lawes, to get a steer on how food and drink trends will evolve over the next two to three years, as well as visiting and interviewing restaurant operators in London and Manchester to see how they are manifesting on the high street.”

Check out our dedicated webpage for all things trends here: https://www.bidfood.co.uk/food-and-drink-trends-2024/

MYBRAKES REWARDS CUSTOMERS WITH £1.7M CASHBACK

Posted on by Seamus.Gallamoy@brake.co.uk

Brakes has announced that mybrakes rewards, the personalised rewards programme it launched in January 2023, has delivered £1.7m in cashback to independent customers since its launch.

Now the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler has taken things a step further with a new campaign for Christmas that offers independent foodservice operators the opportunity to unlock a bonus reward of up to £1,000, alongside hundreds of seasonal promotions and cashback ideas.

mybrakes rewards has proved hugely popular with Brakes’ customers, with more than 10,000 customers signing up. For each redemption made in the mybrakes rewards store, Brakes has planted trees with the Eden Reforestation Project and more than 12,000 trees have been planted since launch.

Leon French, Brakes’ Customer Director, commented: “We’ve worked hard to support our customers over the past few years, starting with our groundbreaking Help for Hospitality campaign. This year we’ve gone even further, creating a really personalised programme with mybrakes rewards, which we’ve enhanced with Christmas offers.

“With challenges across the industry, we hope that the offers that we’ve created for Christmas, including up to £1,000 bonus cashback for independent customers, will make a real difference and help offset some of the additional costs they’ve been facing.”