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BIRDS EYE PROGRESSES JOURNEY TOWARDS 100% RECYCLABILITY ACROSS VEGETABLE PORTFOLIO

  • Birds Eye is making a number of changes to the packaging of its vegetable range, starting with its Natural Vegetable lines
  • The move forms part of Birds Eye and Nomad Foods’, pledge to make 100% of its consumer packaging recyclable by the end of 2022
  • The packaging revamp comes at a time when the frozen vegetable category is currently worth £455m[1].

Birds Eye, the branded leader in the frozen vegetable category [2], is taking a step closer to achieving its sustainability targets by moving to recyclable packaging on its Natural Vegetable products. As part of a phased approach across December 2020 and the start of 2021, the update will remove 379 tonnes of plastic and will be the start towards ensuring all of the brand’s vegetable lines will have recyclable packaging.

Jess Ali, Senior Marketing Manager Vegetables at Birds Eye, said: “Shoppers are increasingly looking for brands that are making a positive difference on issues they care about, and we’re committed to ensuring all of our vegetable lines will have recyclable packaging by the end of 2022. The new packaging across our Natural Vegetable and Peas portfolio will make a significant difference to our sustainability commitment by removing approximately 379 Tonnes of non-recyclable material from the market annually.

“This is the culmination of a thoroughly thought-out process, balancing our sustainability targets while retaining the elements that shoppers look for in our products. We know consumers want to see a reduction in plastic used by brands, yet also value the practical, resealable functions of our bags. We’ve therefore made a deliberate effort to find a more sustainable solution, adopting a press-to-close function, which will help shoppers to keep their freezers tidy while reducing the amount of plastic we use across the range.”

The update will see new recyclable materials and components replace the existing packaging used, across all Natural Veg products whilst also reducing excess packaging by reducing the size of the bags but keeping the same amount of vegetables. The recyclable packaging will launch into stores from mid-December, across the following lines:

  • Field Fresh Supersweet Sweetcorn
  • Field Fresh Garden Peas & Sweetcorn
  • Field Fresh Select Mixed Vegetables
  • Field Fresh Country Mixed Vegetables
  • Birds Eye Garden Peas (2021)
  • Birds Eye Petis Pois (2021)

[2] Nielsen Scantrack 52weks WE 31.10.20 – Market Share 26.1%

NEWCOLD: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL DEEP FREEZE PHENOMENON

NewCold Advanced Cold Logistics strives to increase global food security by providing leading food companies with the most innovative cold storage and transportation services. The company has an international network with 8 locations on three continents, holding 730,000 pallet positions worldwide.

Always striving to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment and local communities, NewCold optimise existing and new innovative concepts in the cold chain to achieve the best for their customers and the industry at large.

Country Manager Jon Miles explains:

“Our company believes that the efficient usage of natural resources together with healthy local community and employee relations are key elements which lead to outstanding financial results and business prosperity.”

In keeping with this philosophy, NewCold incorporates a Triple Bottom Line framework in its core operations which enables the evaluation of company performance from different perspectives while creating greater overall transparency.

The company’s unique Triple Bottom Line approach embraces three distinct criteria: Planet, People and Profit. Firstly, NewCold recognise that all their facilities consume energy and use air and water for cooling purposes and so employ sustainable solutions wherever possible.

Then, in regarding their people as their greatest strength and most valuable asset, the company encourage all employees to focus on creating customer satisfaction, to promote long term customer relationships and sustainable revenues.

Thirdly, NewCold employ the simple formula whereby efficient operations combined with satisfied customers contribute to a competitive advantage, which in turn leads to commercial success.

This sustainable methodology is the driving force behind the success of NewCold’s existing Wakefield site and already is providing the operational foundations for a new deep-freeze facility due to open in Corby later next year.

“As with each of our sites world-wide, our focus at the new Corby facility will be on sustainability.” Continues Jon. “Both the Wakefield and Corby sites are fashioned on our unique cold store design and use around 50% less energy than conventional stores. This, coupled with our ability to reduce food miles by using high-volume trailers, will greatly reduce CO2 emissions and energy use.”

The new Corby facility sits on a 23-acre plot which, says NewCold, is a prime location in the logistics ‘golden triangle’. The site is in proximity with frozen distribution centres of retail and food service customers and perfectly located to help minimise consignment handling and logistics costs.

Key to the delivery of NewCold’s energy efficiency is the company’s state of the art warehouse management systems and fully automated handling equipment. These include FEFO handling (First Expired, First Out); shipment buffer zones to minimise truck waiting times; automated storage and racking; bespoke picking floors with automated replenishment and pallet discharge. All of which combine to increase efficiency and reduce energy consumption.

For example, the Wakefield facility, with a footprint of 129m x 170m and storage height of 41m., handles 4,000,000 pallets annually and in one, 24-hour, day can receive and dispatch up to 18,000 deep frozen pallets.

To help control this colossal, non-stop operation NewCold uses a proprietary WMS which is produced by daughter company Davanti Warehousing. Working in the company’s eight facilities around the world, the cloud-based system, called CORAX, employs Saas (Software as a Service) to control all movements in the operation, while providing constant real-time information regarding consignments and equipment performance.

OAKLAND INTERNATIONAL’S DISTRESS LOAD MANAGEMENT SERVICE READY FOR 2021

With additional resources deployed across its UK sites in Redditch, Corby, and Bardon, Oakland International’s distress load management (DLM) solution is prepared to handle the much-anticipated increase in demand as they head into 2021.

Oakland International was the first DLM registered and recognised service to offer inspection and sortation of consignments where product safety was potentially challenged through clandestine infiltration or other contamination issues and encompassed approved scientific methods for measuring surface contamination.

Oakland International’s Lee Whiting Chief Operating Officer commented: “By investing in a dedicated facility for distress load management, which incorporates a CCTV monitored rework area as well as dedicated multi-temperature chambers, means we can store work in progress and in quarantine product.

“Brand owners and insurers are quite rightly very aware of the potential risks associated with stowaways damaging or contaminating stock in transit, and the approach of simply throwing away the whole consignment and then seeking to claim off insurers was commonplace and resulted in an ever increasing burden on insurers and hauliers with significant food waste, which otherwise would be fit for human consumption. “

BRC accredited and an EHO approved solution for same day or next day treatment of distress loads, the company typically recovers more than 85% of product and is trusted by major insurers because they can attend Oakland’s sites to witness the distress load management process in action and verify exact waste and consignment recovery levels.

A total supply chain solutions specialist Oakland International offers contract packing, storage, picking, food distribution and is a brand development support provider for ambient, chilled and frozen food to the retail, convenience, discount, wholesale and food service markets in the UK, Ireland and via their partner in Spain.

Oakland’s DLM solution works with and treats damaged loads, metal contamination, shot loads, temperature abuse and pest contamination such as flies as part of its service offering, and with the onset of Covid-19 the company installed sanitising facilities which offer additional reassurances for brand owners, and removes the potential for secondary risks of pandemic transfer via stock, with instant digital reports ensuring rapid information transfer flows to key stakeholders.

Added Lee: “Commonly accepted risks of clandestine infiltration increase sharply when trucks are queuing or stationary near to the ports of loading. Delays in crossing times brought about by slower than normal border control checks and customs entries may result in increased numbers of clandestine activity, and with winter temperatures kicking in, the urge to use trucks rather than risk sea crossings is compelling.

“By offering a de-branding solution for brand owners it allows stock to be re-distributed through to discount wholesale, foodservice and foodbanks so that good quality food does not go to waste.

“Covid-19 hasn’t impacted demand for our DLM service but it is anticipated that Brexit will have a major impact depending on delays caused at ports which handle UK-bound traffic, and throughout the transition period into Q2 of 2021 before falling away as borders become more orderly and summer temperatures make the sea crossing more tempting.”

BRC AA accredited, Oakland International is a double Queen’s Award for Enterprise recipient for International Trade and Sustainable Development and they are working towards becoming the first carbon-neutral business within their sector.

 

NEW LOW LIFTING PALLET TRUCKS BY UNICARRIERS

UniCarriers introduces three new low lifting pallet truck models with a special focus on ergonomics and a multitude of customisation options. The global manufacturer of industrial trucks now offers the PLF, PLR and PLS models in three distinct lengths and with two different load capacities. The trucks were designed to assist loading and unloading, cross-docking, internal transports and order picking processes. Thanks to the TDS concept, for which a patent is already pending, the models also achieve high performance in sub-zero temperatures and other challenging conditions. Long service intervals result in low total costs of operation and maximum uptime.

http://unicarrierseurope.com/

THE BEST NEW PIZZA/SAVOURY BREAD RETAIL PRODUCT SHORTLIST SPONSORED BY KANTAR

Welcome to the announcement for the Best New Pizza/Savoury Bread Retail Product in the 2020 – 2021 British Frozen Food Awards sponsored by Kantar.

The First Shortlisted Company

Congratulations to the Chicken Tikka Pinsa from the Carlos range at Aldi. Our judging panels thought; the taste was very innovative, a good base and flavoursome topping, good spicing and overall enjoyable eat.

Julie Ashfield the Managing Director of Buying from Aldi comments; “We are extremely proud that Aldi’s frozen food range has been shortlisted for nine categories at this year’s BFFF Awards. The frozen food category continues to be important to our customers and working together with the UK’s best suppliers, our Buying team has developed some incredible quality products at amazing prices to meet the ever-evolving needs of shoppers. We are honoured that this effort has been recognised by the British Frozen Food Federation.”

The Second Shortlisted Company

Congratulations to the Smoked Provola Cheese & Roasted Garlic Flatbread from the Gino D’Acampo range at Iceland Foods. Our judging panels thought the product had; excellent cheese flavour, good golden colour and good packaging.

The Third Shortlisted Company

Congratulations to the Delizia Italiana Ham, Mushroom and Mascarpone Flatbread from the Delizia Italiana range at Heron Foods. Our judging panels thought the product had; a good crisp base, packaging and flavour was very appealing.

The Fourth Shortlisted Company

Congratulations to the My Nonna’s Pizza Margherita from the Gino D’Acampo Range at Iceland Foods. Our judging panels thought the product had; fresh flavours, the crust was well coloured and a good visual appeal.

Congratulations to all our shortlisted companies and commiseration to the rest of the category product entries. The BFFF look forward to announcing more category shortlists, they will be released once a week until early march 2021.

Thank you to our Category Sponsor Kantar.

SIG – PACKAGING GROUP

On Friday, 11th December the Steering Group of the Special Interest Group on Packaging had their first meeting.

At the meeting we agreed the objectives for the group and a guide on the ‘ways of working’.

We then had a presentation by two of the group members, who had represented the BFFF at some workshops run by INCPEN on behalf of the Government, BRC and FDF, on details around the Extended Producer Responsibility on Packaging. There were some interesting points raised and it was important that our Industry had a voice on the workshops.

We were then joined by Paul Vanstone of INCPEN who gave us a very informative overview of the recently published Environmental Bill update. It is clear going forward that members will see a significant increase in costs for the recovery and recycling of packaging under the EPR system with Government transferring the costs back into industry.

This makes it vital that we support members in both the reduction of materials and finding materials deemed ‘good’ which could well attract lower costs.

Details of the meetings will be circulated to the wider packaging group in the next couple of weeks.

Member Benefits

Exclusive Partnership deals on key products and services:

  • BFFF energy deals and rates
  • Vypr member deals and introduction
  • Defib Plus deals
  • Company Shop – membership
  • Mentor – MHE training health check

Exclusive access to networking opportunities and events:

  • Meet the Buyer events (retail & foodservice)
  • Annual Business Conference with networking dinner
  • Specialist H&S and Technical Conferences
  • Special interest groups (packaging, frozen food temperatures)
  • Annual Lunch
  • Awards Night
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Sponsorship Packages

We offer a range of sponsorship opportunities to BFFF members across our events throughout the year, with flexible packages that can be tailored to suit your business objectives.

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