Tesco retain their crown as category winners of the ‘Range of the Year’ award in the 2024 Free From Christmas Awards.

Retaining this coveted awards title, COO Nicki Clowes commented: “Retaining the ‘Range of the Year’ crown, with their rather impressive FFCA24 medal haul, has been awarded for the fourth consecutive year to Tesco.

“Their comprehensive range of entries demonstrated just how much consideration is given to free from when developing products across their extensive portfolio, whilst their bespoke free from range impressed judges with products such as their new Mint Thins and the return of their Honeycomb Bauble.”

The Free From Christmas Awards champion Christmas or seasonally relevant free from food and drink products and are part of the annual Free From Food Awards, with free from companies large and small returning to compete in the Free From Christmas Awards 2024. Free From Award judges include chefs, developers, manufacturers, health professionals, bloggers and influencers, many of whom are coeliac or managing complex food allergies.

Oakland International, the sponsor of the ‘Range of the Year’ category, has been supporting the Free From Food Awards for over a decade. As a business providing consolidation, contract packing, and distribution, they have observed significant retail growth in the free from food sector across all service platforms. Major supermarkets now recognise the need for innovation in this sector, and the Free From Food Awards reflect the increasing demand for free from foods.

Sponsor Oakland International Co-Founder, Sallie Attwell said: “We were delighted to once again continue our support of the Free From Christmas Awards and send our many congratulations to Tesco, and to all Free From Christmas Awards 2024 category winners.”

A Certified B Corporation business Oakland International is a total supply chain solutions specialist and a leader in direct to consumer, case consolidation, contract packing, storage and distribution, food tempering and brand development support for all types of food, servicing diverse markets across the UK and Ireland.

Full details of all category winners can be found on their website www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk

Liverpool based Supply Chain Solution Ltd, will visit Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam to establish and improve Supply Chains for UK Food and Drink Exporters.  They will visit Importers, Distributors plus warehousing and logistics companies in South East Asia.  They are representing members of the UK food and drink exporters association along with members of the UK Frozen Food Federation.

 

In addition to these visits, they will be creating mini vlogs about the trip and a comprehensive report on their findings which will be published as a company presentation.  The aim is to provide a “deep dive” into the facilities and logistics services per country so that exporters can not only see the facilities, but can have access to data, storage and distribution services on a national level.

 

On the 27^th November 24 , Supply Chain Solution Ltd’s  Director Les Wright will deliver a digital presentation to representatives of the Easyfresh group who are established in 220 Countries.  Les said “ It’s a great privilege to be asked to deliver this presentation, and am really looking forward to it. Am determined to promote the best of UK Food and Drink Exporters and come up with solutions to increasingly difficult logistics issues. We are taking samples of British products out there and have arranged meetings with Key importers from these countries to see if they like the products. If so this is the first stage of the process of securing International trade from the UK to these developing markets and providing the logistics platform for exporters to succeed”

Managing director Shaun Nugent founded Emissis in a bid to tackle climate change by drawing upon his electrical mechanical and cooling engineering background to develop energy-saving devices that would cut energy usage and promote sustainability.

 

But what was Shaun’s inspiration for Emissis? This article will explore Shaun’s passions for nature, innovation and sustainability and look at what the future holds for the Stokesley-based company.

 

The Beginning

 

‘Emissis’ is a blend of Greek and Latin, with central themes like emissions, energy, and reduction, a fitting name for Shaun’s vision.

 

The British Bluebell is a symbol of the fragility of nature in the face of climate change. Source: The Guardian

 

The visual representation of the Emissis brand took its inspiration from the natural environment. While hiking, Shaun was drawn to the British Bluebell and was immediately impressed with the richly coloured flower. To Shaun, the flower was more than just a part of the landscape; it symbolised an urgency in addressing climate challenges.

 

British Bluebells are sensitive to temperature increases and may face extinction due to global warming. Source: Science Daily.

 

By linking its identity to the colour of this emblematic flower, the Emissis brand was positioned to reflect its mission for fostering a sustainable future.

 

The Journey Towards Net Zero

Emissis began its journey towards reducing carbon emissions, with the development of several innovative energy-saving devices that would significantly reduce energy use and help its clients combat climate change.

 

Since its inception in 2020, Emissis has helped many private and public sectors, save energy costs and unlock the benefits of reducing carbon emissions across their operations.

 

The Emissis client base stretches across many sectors including: BAE, BP, Hays Sodexo, Network Rail and Virgin Media.

 

Expansion in Europe

In 2024, Emissis opened a second office in Switzerland to help European organisations benefit from its range of innovative energy-saving devices.

 

By extending its reach into Switzerland, Emissis aims to leverage the country’s strong commitment to sustainable practices and robust environmental regulations. This initiative promises to bring proven, effective energy solutions to Swiss companies, empowering them to reduce their carbon footprint while optimising energy use significantly.

 

What the Future Holds

 

Fuelling their vision is the strategic partnership with Univers. This collaboration is much more than an alliance; it is a powerhouse combining decades of expertise and forward-thinking solutions.

 

Together, they have launched enPact, an energy-saving solution to revolutionise energy efficiency. The new groundbreaking solution combines the world’s most comprehensive decarbonisation system with the unique energy carbon saving technology from Emissis and promises to reduce energy consumption by up to 20%, steering companies closer to zero-carbon operations.

 

Organisations adopting Emissis solutions will not just be participating in reducing carbon emissions; they will be part of a broader movement towards a sustainable future that will benefit present and future generations.

 

Emissis is a leading energy and cleantech company helping private and public sector businesses to unlock the benefits of reducing carbon emissions and energy use. Helping organisations to understand how to use proven modern technology, and support services, to transition to net zero carbon operations.

 

www.emissis.co.uk

Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, has won the prestigious Foodservice Operator of the Year at the Quality Food Awards (Q Awards).

 

The company also picked up ten product awards including two for its Birchstead range of meats, six for Sysco own label products and a Gold award for its Shredded Mushroom Meat, which was also Highly Commended in the Foodservice Product of the Year category.

 

Paul Nieduszynski, CEO at Sysco GB, said: “Once again, our investment in product development has paid dividends. We won awards in eight different categories, showcasing the breadth of our NPD. What’s particularly pleasing is that we won two awards for our newly expanded Birchstead range.

 

“As a business, we’ve made it clear that we will continue to innovate to lead our sector in delivering the products that customers want, and that help them create menus that stand out from the competition.”

 

The complete list of award-winning products:

 

• Cakes and Desserts – Sysco Premium Burnt Basque Cheesecake
• Meat – Birchstead Reserve 28 Day Dry Aged Beef Ribeye Steak
• Meat – Birchstead 28 Day Aged Beef T-Bone Steak
• Meat – Sysco Classic Cooked Chicken Teriyaki
• Vegan Products and Alternatives – Sysco Premium Fishless Fishcake
• Beverages – Sysco Premium Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice with Bits
• Condiments and Dressings – Sysco Tomato Ketchup
• Cooking Sauces, Dry Goods and Pre-Prepped Ingredients – Sysco Classic Spiced Garlic & Herb Seasoning
• Pizza, Pies and Pastries – La Boulangerie Doughball with Sourdough
• Fresh Produce – Gold Award and Highly Commended Foodservice Product of the Year – Shredded Mushroom Meat

 

Sunswap, a UK clean-tech startup decarbonising cold chain logistics, has today announced that leading transportation services business, DFDS, has ordered the first 10 of its zero-emission ‘Endurance’ transport refrigeration units (TRUs).  DFDS recognised the enormous potential of Sunswap’s technology and committed to ordering the first 10 of the firm’s Endurance units to be manufactured in Surrey, UK.  The order marks the official commercial launch of Sunswap’s technology into the global cold-chain market.

 

Sunswap Endurance combines battery and solar panels mounted on refrigerated trailers to keep temperature controlled goods cold during transport. This zero-emission system replaces traditional diesel-powered transport refrigeration units, offering a sustainable solution for cold chain, while ensuring a range of consumer products – from foodstuffs to pharmaceuticals – stay within critical temperature bands.

 

The order follows a highly successful trial process DFDS undertook with Sunswap in 2022, which demonstrated that with 10 Endurance solar and battery TRUs on fleet, DFDS could remove 895 tonnes of CO2 and save around 500,000 litres of diesel fuel over a ten-year unit lifetime, compared with a traditional TRU.  The trials also indicated that on one of DFDS’s longer routes, 22 hours of cooling could be provided from one full charge – typically taking 80 minutes – of the TRU battery unit.

 

Based on findings from the earlier trials, DFDS established that switching to Sunswap Endurance would save 71% of the operating costs compared to running a diesel refrigeration unit. This amounts to a 13% saving in total cost of ownership – making solar and battery electric power a more sustainable and commercially viable option.

 

The partnership between Sunswap and DFDS comes at a crucial time, as the transport sector faces increasing regulatory pressure and growing consumer demand for more sustainable logistics.   By investing in low carbon technology DFDS is positioning itself at the forefront of more sustainable cold chain logistics, setting a new standard for the industry and paving the way for a cleaner, more environmentally responsible future in refrigerated transport.

 

Depending on conditions, the trailer-top mounted solar panels can typically provide 65 to 100% of the charge needed to operate the refrigeration unit, significantly reducing reliance on grid charging.

 

Matt O’Dell, Managing Director of Cold Chain, UK & Ireland at DFDS, said: “The Sunswap trailers provide a huge opportunity for us to reduce the carbon footprint of our operations and further strengthen our offering to customers. Our team has worked closely with Sunswap on this project and I’m very proud of all the hard work that has gone in to seeing the trailers arrive at our Peterborough depot ready for service.

 

“DFDS has ambitious targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We aim to achieve a 75% reduction in CO2 emissions intensity by 2030 and to be net zero by 2050, and so introducing the Sunswap trailers to our UK fleet is an exciting part of that. I believe it will be a shift away from legacy diesel technology for cold storage transport.”

Michael Lowe, CEO of Sunswap commented: “This is a defining moment for Sunswap and sustainable transport refrigeration. After five years of engineering innovation and extensive trials, seeing the first Sunswap units enter full-time service with DFDS marks the beginning of diesel-free cold chain operations at scale. DFDS has shown true industry leadership by being first to adopt this technology.”

“As we begin to fulfil subsequent orders from our production line in Leatherhead, we look forward to supporting major European retailers and logistics operators in decarbonising their cold-chain operations.”

 

Seymour Manufacturing International (SMI) – the thermal protection perfection specialists – have been saving energy and money for some of the world’s biggest and best-known businesses since the 1980s. It’s all thanks to Tempro®, SMI’s remarkable lightweight thermal insulation material which has been scientifically proven to cut energy loss by at least 25% in chillers, and an amazing 33% in freezers, and with an impressive ROI of less than 6 months. The Telford company’s client list is a who’s who of big-name brands, including leading supermarkets, the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, and more.

 

SMI are currently running a promotion where any orders of Cold-Stop Curtains placed before the end of 2024 will benefit from a 5% discount on the curtains, improving your ROI further still, and helping you save even more money.

 

For all orders or quote requests, please email enquiries@seymour-mi.com and one of the SMI team will handle your requirements.

 

This is a great opportunity for all British Frozen Food Federation members, so why not contact SMI for further information, or visit their website www.seymour-mi.com

The British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF) Health & Safety Expert Group met last week for its final meeting of 2024. In attendance were representatives from BFFF member companies including Asda, Sysco, Bidfood, Morrison’s, Nomad Foods, Holdsworth Foods, StoreLogs, FareShare, Heron Foods and QK Coldstores.

Topics discussed this time were:

 

• Member updates,
• Review of on -18°C,
• Non-integrated forklift platforms/cages
• Food and drink manufacture forum update,
• Fire water management,
• Counterline ovens,
• Rest breaks for Coldstore Workers,
• Managing contractors,
• Primary Authority Update,
• Dock Levellers,
• H&S Software.

 

Our guest speakers was Ray Barnett from A-Safe barriers who took the group through the importance of separating pedestrians and workplace transport. In addition, we were supplied the latest version of PAS13 the recognised standard for safety barriers.

We all gained some continuous professional development (CPD) and witnessed at first-hand the technology involved in the manufacturing process in turning polymer beads into lifesaving industrial (memory) barriers. It seems the future has arrived with A.I and numerous robots being utilised here.

We would like to thank A-Safe for being the perfect hosts and allowing us to use their futuristic facilities in Elland, Yorkshire. Thanks to all our members that dedicate their valuable time to be part of this group.

 

To find out more about the work carried out by the BFFF Health & Safety group please contact: simonbrentnall@bfff.co.uk

 

We would like to remind you that the FSA has published a consultation on the introduction of best practice guidance on providing allergen information for food businesses supplying non-prepacked food.

The focus of the new best practice guidance we have produced is a change to emphasise providing this information in writing, along with having a conversation with the customer.

The guidance document is out to public consultation until 27 November 2024 and will be published, based on stakeholder feedback, in February 2025.

We invite comments and feedback on the proposed changes and any potential impacts that they may have on any other aspects of the guidance.

The new guidance will apply in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. There is separate guidance for Scotland. The FSA is therefore seeking feedback from stakeholders in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The consultation is accessible on the FSA website here.

Please email AllergenInformation.Consultation@food.gov.uk if you have any questions.