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Food & Beverage Reporter June 2018

Food & Beverage Reporter, South Africa's leading B2B mag for the foodbev manufacturing sector and allied industries

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JUNE <strong>2018</strong><br />

Processing <strong>Reporter</strong><br />

<strong>Reporter</strong><br />

WHERE’S<br />

WOOLIES<br />

GOING?<br />

CEO ZYDA RYLANDS<br />

TALKS THE WALK ...<br />

Could you<br />

live in<br />

a world<br />

without<br />

chocolate?<br />

(You might have to)<br />

CANNABIS-INFUSED FOODS ARE SMOKIN’ HOT<br />

GO SOCIAL: THE POWER OF INTERACTIVE LABELS<br />

THE TRUTH ABOUT ‘PORTION DISTORTION’


JUNE <strong>2018</strong><br />

HIGHLIGHTS<br />

GOING TO POT<br />

Cannabis + foodbev<br />

= big bucks 14<br />

SWISS CHEESE & LISTERIA:<br />

HOW TO PREVENT A DISASTER 20<br />

SUNSPRAY’S DAVID WATSON<br />

BIDS INDUSTRY FAREWELL 10<br />

COVER STORY<br />

ZYDA’S MISSION<br />

Woolies’ CEO on the<br />

challenges ahead 6<br />

INTERACTIVE LABELS<br />

The future is (VERY) social 32<br />

FINDING THE SWEET SPOT<br />

OF NEW PRODUCT DEV 26<br />

PORTION DISTORTION:<br />

YES, IT’S TRUE 34<br />

OUR WORST NIGHTMARE<br />

A WORLD WITHOUT CHOCOLATE<br />

16


EDITORIAL<br />

“Best Before” has gone<br />

way past its sell-by date<br />

&<br />

<strong>Reporter</strong><br />

Wasted food is just criminal in<br />

a society like ours where so<br />

many people live on the edge of<br />

subsistence, or have fallen right through<br />

the cracks.<br />

Each year, some 1.3 billion tons,<br />

or one-third of all the food produced,<br />

is thrown away, according to the<br />

United Nations’ <strong>Food</strong> and Agriculture<br />

Organization. Recovering just 25 percent<br />

of that wasted food could feed 850<br />

million hungry people – effectively ending<br />

world hunger.<br />

Slowly but surely, the food waste<br />

wheel is beginning to turn. In 2016, for<br />

example, France became the first country<br />

in the world to pass a law forbidding<br />

supermarkets from throwing away<br />

their expired foods, compelling them to<br />

donate the food to charities.<br />

It’s a powerful intervention that, you’d<br />

think, would be embraced in this country.<br />

But I ain’t heard anything, have you?<br />

A few weeks ago, UK supermarket<br />

giant Tesco pushed the anti-food-waste<br />

trolley a little further when it announced<br />

it was removing "Best Before" labels from<br />

many of its fresh produce lines.<br />

It will affect about 70 pre-packaged<br />

produce lines, including apples, potatoes,<br />

tomatoes, citrus fruits and onions.<br />

Tesco will be asking their<br />

customers to start using their eyes to<br />

evaluate the freshness of their produce.<br />

It’s a welcome return to sanity.<br />

The best before label has always been<br />

a middle-class conceit that supermarkets<br />

have pandered to for far too long, and it’s<br />

time our supermarket groups adopted<br />

the same strategy as Tesco.<br />

Talking about waste, on Page 23 of<br />

this issue we share the good news about<br />

the remarkable recycling achievements<br />

of PETCO.<br />

It really is impressive, with over<br />

2 billion PET bottles recycled in 2017,<br />

putting SA among the world leaders with<br />

a 65% PET recycling rate.<br />

Great work!<br />

Bruce Cohen<br />

editor@fbreporter.co.za<br />

Publisher & Editor<br />

Bruce Cohen<br />

editor@fbreporter.co.za<br />

Advertising<br />

Wendy Breakey<br />

wendy@fbreporter.co.za<br />

Tel: (011) 026 7311<br />

Mobile: 083 653 8116<br />

Administration<br />

Alice Osburn<br />

admin@fbreporter.co.za<br />

Tel: (011) 026 8220<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za<br />

Published by AO Media<br />

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Or call Alice on (011) 026 8220 or email admin@fbreporter.co.za<br />

2 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


Selected news items provided by www.foodstuffsa.co.za and www.drinkstuff-sa.co.za<br />

KERRY BUYS SEASON TO SEASON<br />

By BRENDA NEAL<br />

Ireland’s Kerry Group continues to<br />

expand its South African presence<br />

with the purchase of the super-successful<br />

Jo’burg-based flavour company, Season<br />

to Season.<br />

Kerry says: “The acquisition<br />

will enable Kerry to draw on<br />

Season to Season’s R&D<br />

capabilities and technical<br />

expertise in snack seasonings to<br />

help customers meet the demand<br />

for innovative snacks.<br />

“The unique offering and<br />

technical know-how of Season to<br />

Season also fortifies Kerry’s Taste<br />

portfolio, allowing the company<br />

to deliver authentic, wholesome<br />

and delicious snacking<br />

experiences to consumers in Sub-<br />

Saharan Africa and beyond.”<br />

This statement belies<br />

the fabulous feminocentric<br />

entrepreneurial success story<br />

that is Season to Season, and<br />

the very reason it has surely spent<br />

many undeclared millions in acquiring<br />

the business.<br />

It began in 2003 when founder Ronel<br />

Venter decided to go out on her own<br />

after a successful seven-year stint with<br />

McCormick as its sales director that<br />

developed her flair for sales, business,<br />

the savoury snacks game and the<br />

creation of winning flavours.<br />

Her one-woman enterprise had a<br />

lowly genesis: hiring production time<br />

from a factory at night to blend her<br />

seasonings and then doing sales calls and<br />

stock deliveries by day.<br />

Over time, the business grew and<br />

she secured her own 600 m2 factory. It<br />

did not take long for Season to Season to<br />

outstrip this space and 15 years later it<br />

resides in two ISO 2200 certified-factories<br />

in Northriding, Jo’burg.<br />

Venter was joined in 2006 by<br />

business partner, Anneke Potgieter, a<br />

food tech-nologist and close colleague<br />

from her<br />

McCormick<br />

days.<br />

Potgieter,<br />

she says, is a<br />

gifted flavour<br />

R&D expert,<br />

and she credits<br />

her immense<br />

contribution<br />

as crucial in<br />

their growth<br />

and success.<br />

Clearly, Kerry<br />

values her, too,<br />

as Potgieter<br />

is already<br />

ensconced in the new mother ship, based<br />

in Durban with the Kerry R&D team.<br />

Season to Season boasts a headcount<br />

of 74, and it produces several hundred<br />

tons of flavours and seasoning<br />

monthly, serving an impressive clientele<br />

that includes the likes of Nando’s,<br />

Woolworths, Simba and Willards, among<br />

many others.<br />

As Venter comments, the snacks<br />

business is seriously and surprisingly big,<br />

with many big players falling under the<br />

mainstream radar.<br />

Venter credits Season to Season’s<br />

success on getting the basics right; good<br />

Anneke Potgieter & Ronel Venter,<br />

architects of Season to Season.<br />

relationships with clients and delivering<br />

on the necessities of taste, price, quality<br />

and service, and doing that consistently,<br />

irrespective of their growth tangent.<br />

“Apart from our technical strengths,<br />

we have built a strong sensory analysis<br />

team, and this has proved a very valuable<br />

tool in terms of flavour development and<br />

consistency,” she adds.<br />

And all the while, Venter has kept her<br />

focus on keeping her growing contingent<br />

of staff both satisfied and motivated:<br />

“Within the complexities and challenges<br />

of running our company, we strive to<br />

keep things simple. ‘Happy team equals<br />

happy company’,” Venter quips.<br />

An important factor in selling to<br />

Kerry, she hastens to stress, was that the<br />

deal would be “business as usual”, with<br />

no-one in Season to Season losing their<br />

jobs. “So much business success rests on<br />

people – and if people are comfortable,<br />

they feel happy and work hard.”<br />

She and Potgieter are delighted at the<br />

prospect of joining an international stable<br />

of companies within the Kerry Group, and<br />

all the benefits and resources it offers.<br />

She says Kerry is already investing in<br />

upgrades to the Northriding plant.<br />

“Kerry is brilliant, it has wonderful<br />

people, technologies and factories. It’s so<br />

exciting to be part of this international<br />

group, to have the backing to take this<br />

business to new heights,” says Venter<br />

And 15 years later, from bakkie to<br />

big time, from start-up to international<br />

flavour house, how do she and Anneke<br />

feel: “We have built a lovely company and<br />

we hope, in time, to prove to be one of<br />

Kerry’s worthiest acquisitions.”<br />

www.seasontoseason.co.za<br />

4 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


BRIEFS<br />

RHODES ON A BILLION RAND ROLL<br />

The Rhodes <strong>Food</strong><br />

Group is gearing up<br />

for mega-growth<br />

with a committment<br />

to spending more<br />

than R1-billion over<br />

the next three years to expand production<br />

and improve efficency.<br />

In announcing its half year financials<br />

last month, the company said the<br />

investments include the installation of<br />

a clear-juice-concentrate plant at its<br />

Groot Drakenstein hub, commissioning<br />

a new baked beans production facility in<br />

Gauteng, upgrading production facilities at<br />

Pakco and Ma Baker, as well as a new food<br />

technology laboratory and<br />

product development centre.<br />

CEO Bruce Henderson<br />

said Rhodes <strong>Food</strong>, which owns<br />

15 production facilities across<br />

South Africa and Swaziland,<br />

wanted to gain more market<br />

share through acquisitions and<br />

organic growth.<br />

The group would also increase brand<br />

shares and extract benefits from recent<br />

acquisitions and major projects. “We will<br />

maintain the momentum in sub-Saharan<br />

Africa and expect to benefit from the<br />

addition of the Pakco brands to our<br />

product offering.”<br />

Rhodes <strong>Food</strong> acquired Durban-based<br />

Pakco in 2016 for R197m after the<br />

acquisition of Ma Baker Pies for R212m.<br />

Other RFG<br />

brands include<br />

Bull Brand,<br />

Magpie, Squish,<br />

Bisto and Hinds,<br />

which along<br />

with Pakco grew regional sales by 19.5<br />

percent and 7.6 percent, excluding<br />

acquisitions, for the period. The regional<br />

business accounts for 84 percent of<br />

RFG’s revenue.<br />

Henderson said Pakco performed<br />

ahead of expectations in its first full year<br />

in the group.<br />

“Pakco products are gaining good<br />

traction in the market, and the relaunch<br />

of the brand portfolio in March will<br />

add further sales momentum.<br />

“We have introduced<br />

extensive product innovation,<br />

new pack formats and<br />

refreshed packaging designs<br />

across the Bisto , Hinds,<br />

Pakco and Southern<br />

Coating brands,” he said.<br />

INTENSE SNACKING<br />

If you were at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in Chicago last<br />

month, your taste buds would have been dazzled by the<br />

direction the US market is heading. Cauliflower, chickpeas<br />

and lentils were among the ingredients cropping up in<br />

new snack products as veg/vegan lifestyles capture<br />

increasing consumer attention.<br />

But there was also a big focus on intense flavours<br />

such as blackberry habanero and fire-roasted chillies.<br />

New products at the show included coconut<br />

caramels in flavours such as ginger rum, Thai iced tea<br />

and Vietnamese coffee. A line of marshmallows included<br />

flavours like<br />

blood orange hibiscus, roasted walnut pecan and black<br />

salt coconut.<br />

Unique flavours are definitely the name of the game,<br />

with products like ginger lime milk chocolate and a banana<br />

rum snack mixes coming on to the market.<br />

LISTERIA: NOW IT’S SWEDEN<br />

Listeria is a truly global problem. In May, seven people died from an<br />

outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes in Sweden. The outbreak has<br />

been linked to ready meals from food company i Lidköping AB.<br />

The pathogen was detected on processing equipment used to<br />

make mashed potato for the ready meals.<br />

Samples of the ready meals showed the same variant of Listeria<br />

serotype: IVb.


THOUGHT FOR FOOD<br />

PROUDLY<br />

PRIVATE<br />

LABEL<br />

Over 20 years ago, Zyda Rylands started a career at Woolworths, steadily climbing the corporate<br />

ladder in finance (she is a chartered accountant), operations, human resources and as head of<br />

foods before taking on the CEO role at Woolworths SA in 2015. Whilst the overall Woolworths<br />

business has been tough going in recent times, food has been a bright light of sustained growth<br />

and innovation under her watch. Marisa Spiros caught up with Rylands recently and asked her<br />

about the challenges she and Woolies face at the very top of the South African food chain.<br />

What's your primary focus as CEO?<br />

It is on creating clarity of direction,<br />

building an enabling environment for<br />

the delivery of our strategy, and<br />

strengthening our leadership capability<br />

through a combination of high<br />

challenge and high support.<br />

Have you had mentors in life?<br />

I have been fortunate to work with<br />

incredible people and some exceptional<br />

leaders, who have mentored, encouraged<br />

and believed in me. Simon<br />

Susman, the current Chairman of<br />

Woolworths Holdings, is one of these.<br />

He was the first CEO I worked for<br />

when I joined the Woolworths Board,<br />

and he has guided me throughout my<br />

career at Woolworths. He has been an<br />

invaluable sounding board and advisor.<br />

I also need to acknowledge my<br />

family. They have anchored me<br />

throughout my life and have supported<br />

me in all of my endeavours.<br />

You were born in Cape Town in 1964<br />

during a volatile chapter in South<br />

Africa’s history. What were your early<br />

thoughts for your future?<br />

I realized early on in life that I had to work<br />

hard and stay focused on what I wanted<br />

to achieve. There are no free lunches.<br />

My motto in life has always been that<br />

6 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


THOUGHT FOR FOOD<br />

“you suffer the pain of<br />

sacrifice or suffer the<br />

pain of regret” and I<br />

did not want to regret<br />

anything in life.<br />

What made you study<br />

accountancy?<br />

Interestingly, my first<br />

job was in retail as a<br />

shop floor assistant,<br />

but I did not know<br />

then that my career<br />

and long-term passion<br />

would be in the retail<br />

sector. I had always<br />

had a good grasp of<br />

numbers, so I decided<br />

to study accountancy.<br />

I received a study<br />

loan from a business<br />

associate of my father<br />

and worked every<br />

weekend and holiday<br />

to repay the loan.<br />

I completed<br />

a B Comm at the<br />

University of Cape<br />

Town and completed<br />

my Honors degree<br />

through the University<br />

of the Western Cape.<br />

I was very proud to<br />

complete my articles<br />

at Kessel Feinstein<br />

and qualified as a<br />

chartered accountant in 1993.<br />

In a nutshell, how do you describe<br />

your job as Woolworths CEO?<br />

In my role as CEO and custodian of<br />

this amazing brand, which covers our<br />

operations in South Africa and the rest<br />

of Africa,<br />

I am accountable for ensuring that<br />

our brand remains relevant for our<br />

customers and our people in a fastchanging<br />

retail world. That’s so that<br />

we can continue to deliver value to all<br />

our stakeholders.<br />

I am clear that I cannot achieve<br />

this on my own, and I am privileged<br />

to lead an incredibly passionate and<br />

talented team.<br />

You were once Woolies Director of<br />

People and Transformation. What a<br />

re your plans to develop your<br />

company's human resources?<br />

My executive team and I are passionate<br />

about people and committed to their<br />

growth and development.<br />

As a private label business, we<br />

have a reliance on specialist skill and<br />

deep appreciation for the strategic<br />

differentiation and value our people<br />

bring, as well as the key role they play<br />

in enabling our customer experience<br />

vision.<br />

Furthermore, as a business deeply<br />

rooted in South Africa, we are also<br />

conscious of the role we need to play in<br />

our country’s transformation journey.<br />

Our people development strategy<br />

therefore encompasses “the company<br />

and the country”.<br />

Our focus and investment are<br />

not only in the people development<br />

“It’s really great that<br />

what I am passionate<br />

about is aligned to what<br />

has been important<br />

to Woolworths for<br />

”<br />

many years.<br />

required to deliver our strategy,<br />

but also includes the creation of<br />

development and work experience<br />

opportunities for young, unemployed<br />

South Africans.<br />

It’s really great that what I am<br />

passionate about is aligned to what<br />

has been important to Woolworths for<br />

many years.<br />

As a business, Woolworths<br />

contributes to South Africa’s socioeconomic<br />

transformation and touches<br />

many lives through all the BB-BEE and<br />

transformation programmes – from<br />

direct shareholding participation,<br />

people empowerment, supporting,<br />

developing and growing SMMEs, and<br />

the difference we make in communities<br />

through education programmes and<br />

addressing food insecurity.<br />

Woolworths has carved a very<br />

profitable niche in the RTE (readyto-eat)<br />

category, with constant<br />

innovation around take-home meals.<br />

That comes at a huge packaging price<br />

in terms of waste. What is Woolies<br />

doing about the avalanche of RTE<br />

plastic it is creating?<br />

Through using recycled material in our<br />

packaging, Woolworths is dedicated<br />

to reducing the consumption of virgin<br />

raw materials in our operations.<br />

Packaging reduction is an important<br />

environmental factor that we are trying<br />

to address, but it needs to be balanced<br />

with the need to ensure that our<br />

products are appropriately protected.<br />

It is essential that our food is kept<br />

safe and hygienic, and that the shelf<br />

life is optimised so that food waste<br />

is not created. To us, this is using<br />

packaging responsibly. We also support<br />

the growth of South Africa’s green<br />

economy through waste recycling<br />

initiatives and making it possible for<br />

customers to recycle more easily.<br />

Woolies still uses non-compostable<br />

plastic bags at check-out. Isn’t it time<br />

to walk your talk about sustainability<br />

and eco-friendliness?<br />

We have recently addressed the issue<br />

of non-recyclability of our <strong>Food</strong>s plastic<br />

shopping bag and are happy to report<br />

that our new, 100% recyclable bags, are<br />

currently in store.<br />

This is a journey and we have taken<br />

several steps to reduce the impact of<br />

single-use plastic bags throughout our<br />

operations. Customers are encouraged<br />

to buy our cause-related reusable<br />

shopper totes, and we continue to<br />

promote the use of recycled content<br />

within our single-use plastic bags.<br />

By selling reusable bags we support<br />

140 jobs and skills development at<br />

two main reusable bag suppliers –<br />

Isikhwama, based in Cape Town, and<br />

Gusco, based in Uitenhage – both small<br />

black-owned businesses supporting<br />

our Enterprise and Supplier<br />

Development drive.<br />

In 2010, Woolworths introduced<br />

limited edition reusable bags that offer<br />

customers the opportunity to help save<br />

our endangered wildlife and marine life<br />

and support community development<br />

programmes such as Operation Smile<br />

and Qubheka. With our customers’<br />

To Page 8<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 7


THOUGHT FOR FOOD<br />

ZYDA<br />

From Page 7<br />

support, we have raised over R10-<br />

million for these efforts.<br />

How do you strike the balance<br />

between own brand and branded<br />

products? Is there a formula?<br />

We are a proudly private-label retail<br />

business. This means we make<br />

products, not just buy them. Therefore,<br />

the partnerships that we have with<br />

our suppliers are a key element of our<br />

business model.<br />

Woolworths has always enjoyed<br />

significant market share in our fresh<br />

produce and prepared food categories.<br />

In addition, to offer our customers the<br />

convenience of being able to do a wider,<br />

more complete shop with Woolies, we<br />

have steadily extended the breadth and<br />

depth of our range, particularly in longlife<br />

and most-wanted national brands.<br />

This is aligned to our strategy of<br />

becoming a bigger foods business and<br />

making it more convenient to shop at<br />

Woolies. However, the vast majority of<br />

products we sell are private-label.<br />

Similar to the partnerships we have<br />

built over many years with our privatelabel<br />

suppliers, we also have strong<br />

relationships with our branded suppliers.<br />

Ultimately, the objective of our<br />

partnerships is to give our customers<br />

the very best shopping experience at<br />

Woolworths. As such, we work closely<br />

together, sharing insights and data to<br />

better satisfy our customers’ needs.<br />

Woolies has led the way in removing<br />

sweets and other junk from checkout<br />

snake aisles. The rest of your<br />

stores still sell lots of total junk food<br />

– like Nestle Bar One cereal. Even<br />

under your own brand, there are<br />

lots of sugar-drenched beverages<br />

and products. I see sugar in the most<br />

unlikely products, including soup and<br />

sauces. Why the inconsistency? Time<br />

for Woolies to take a stand and clear<br />

ALL your aisles of junk food?<br />

As part of our ongoing nutrition<br />

commitment, we are working to reduce<br />

the sugar and salt content of our<br />

private- label food products. By the<br />

“Our product development<br />

is guided by principles that<br />

address salt reduction;<br />

saturated fat reduction;<br />

reduction in added / free sugar;<br />

assisting our customers in<br />

energy control through portion<br />

control; as well as encouraging<br />

fruit and vegetable intake, and<br />

more whole grains, legumes<br />

and pulses ...<br />

end of <strong>June</strong> 2017, we had removed<br />

29,3-million teaspoons of sugar and<br />

a further 1.9 tonnes of salt from our<br />

Woolworths <strong>Food</strong> products.<br />

We promote a holistic approach<br />

by providing delicious, nutritionallybalanced<br />

food solutions to our<br />

customers, while also promoting<br />

sustainable food production systems.<br />

What principles guide your product<br />

development?<br />

Our product development is guided by<br />

principles that address salt reduction;<br />

saturated fat reduction; reduction<br />

in added / free sugar; assisting our<br />

customers in energy control through<br />

portion control; as well as encouraging<br />

fruit and vegetable intake, and more<br />

whole grains, legumes and pulses<br />

Our sugar reduction approach<br />

across all food categories is to “Reduce,<br />

Remove, and Replace”, and forms<br />

an integral part of our long-term<br />

nutrition strategy.<br />

We actively promote healthy and<br />

informed choices through customer<br />

communications, clear nutrition<br />

labelling, practical tools such as<br />

product information lists, healthy<br />

food promotions and partnerships,<br />

such as Discovery Vitality Healthy<br />

<strong>Food</strong>.<br />

What is WW doing to support<br />

smaller suppliers? There is an<br />

argument that your quality standards<br />

are just too high for small suppliers to<br />

comply with?<br />

The Woolworths Supplier and<br />

Enterprise Development (SED)<br />

programme has been designed<br />

primarily to introduce, support and<br />

grow black- and black women-owned<br />

emerging small and medium sized<br />

businesses in the Woolworths<br />

supply chain.<br />

Investing resources in this space has<br />

allowed Woolworths to meaningfully<br />

contribute to building the small- and<br />

medium-sized business sector. Support<br />

is provided to these enterprises for<br />

a period, after which it should be<br />

demonstrated that the enterprise has<br />

reached a certain level of sustainability.<br />

The partnership we have with our<br />

established suppliers is extended to this<br />

programme and augments our efforts<br />

in growing sustainable SMMEs.<br />

We currently have a total of 48<br />

suppliers as part of this programme.<br />

Over the last three years, Woolworths<br />

has had an accumulated procurement<br />

spend of R1-billion with enterprise<br />

development beneficiaries and<br />

disbursed R25.6-million in loans.<br />

Over 381 people jobs have been<br />

created and conservatively, 3 632<br />

people are positively impacted by these<br />

small enterprises. This is testament to<br />

how the programme is contributing<br />

meaningfully to socio-economic<br />

transformation in South Africa.<br />

How important is online shopping in<br />

your retail footprint? Does it really<br />

have legs in the SA market, or is it<br />

just a nice to have for those timechallenged<br />

wealthy few?<br />

Investment in our digital capabilities<br />

continues to be a core focus for us.<br />

8 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


THOUGHT FOR FOOD<br />

The face of global retailing is evolving<br />

quickly. Globally, online shopping is<br />

experiencing growth rates in excess<br />

of in-store shopping. Within online<br />

shopping, mobile is experiencing the<br />

strongest growth.<br />

Online shopping has created<br />

more price-savvy consumers who<br />

expect the in-store experience to add<br />

value, be relevant, personalised, and<br />

entertaining, while experiencing<br />

an efficient and effective online<br />

shopping alternative.<br />

Mobile and related technologies<br />

are enabling consumers to interact<br />

with each other and with global<br />

retailers directly.<br />

A mobile phone is our customer’s<br />

remote control, enabling and<br />

enriching their lives. With these<br />

technologies, our customers have the<br />

opportunity to choose from a huge<br />

selection of retailers, both locally and<br />

internationally. And they can compare<br />

us to the best in the world, so the<br />

expectation is massive. This affects<br />

every part of the customer journey –<br />

from browsing products and prices<br />

before purchase, to post-purchase<br />

feedback.<br />

However, along with the rise<br />

in online shopping, customers are<br />

also increasingly directing their<br />

spend towards experiences and<br />

entertainment.<br />

I have been a Woolworths customer<br />

for years and have one of those black<br />

loyalty cards. In truth, I hardly get<br />

much value from it considering the<br />

small fortune I empty into your tills<br />

every month. Is loyalty important to<br />

you? What plans, if any, do you have<br />

to take it to the next level?<br />

Yes, loyalty is an important part of our<br />

business. We have built an incredibly<br />

valuable emotional connection with<br />

our customers over the years – they<br />

love our brand – and this needs to<br />

be protected and nurtured. We are<br />

working hard to ensure we continue<br />

to deliver on their expectations in<br />

what we sell and how we sell to them<br />

(their experience).<br />

Developing a richer understanding<br />

of our customers and building stronger<br />

customer relationships is fundamental<br />

to being a customer-centric business.<br />

Our customer insights and data drive<br />

and inform all our business decisions to<br />

ensure that we offer our customers a<br />

compelling proposition and better serve<br />

their needs.<br />

We use loyalty tools to drive more<br />

personalised interactions with our<br />

customers. We also leverage our<br />

WRewards loyalty programme and<br />

undertake marketing initiatives that<br />

convey our price competitiveness and<br />

our difference to customers.<br />

We continue to invest in price,<br />

using data analytics to tailor price and<br />

promotions profitably. We will continue<br />

to enhance our loyalty proposition<br />

and offer our customers a connected<br />

retail experience<br />

You’ve led the way in mainstreaming<br />

organic foods into the retail channel.<br />

Has it been worth it? What are your<br />

plans for organic? Would you agree<br />

that organic is an over-used and<br />

abused word in SA?<br />

We focus on providing options for our<br />

customer to Live and Eat Well. This is<br />

more than a focus on organic foods.<br />

The Good <strong>Food</strong> Journey is the name<br />

we have given to our on-going pursuit<br />

to offer South Africa food that is better<br />

for our customers, better for the<br />

environment and better for the people<br />

who produce it.<br />

It encompasses everything from<br />

avoiding additives like tartrazine and<br />

all other azo-dyes, MSG, aspartame,<br />

saccharine and cyclamate in our foods,<br />

switching to natural colourants and<br />

flavourants, never using mechanically<br />

deboned meat, labelling ingredients<br />

from potentially GM crop sources and<br />

offering more organic and free-range<br />

choices, to caring for the welfare of<br />

animals and promoting healthy eating<br />

as part of a healthy lifestyle.<br />

Ever read a life-changing book?<br />

I found Nelson Mandela’s Long Walk to<br />

Freedom incredibly impactful and his<br />

capacity for forgiveness and his ability<br />

to bring together a nation inspires<br />

me daily<br />

What are you reading now?<br />

I am currently reading Almost is Not<br />

Good Enough: How to Win or Lose in<br />

Retail by Andrew Jennings<br />

What is the best advice anyone ever<br />

gave you?<br />

As a senior leader, always be conscious<br />

of how you make others feel in your<br />

presence.


LEADERSHIP<br />

What does it take for a<br />

company to grow from small<br />

beginnings into a thriving<br />

enterprise? Ask outgoing<br />

Sunspray MD, David Watson...<br />

NEW ERA FOR<br />

SUNSPRAY AS<br />

Watson, a chemical engineer by<br />

profession, retired recently<br />

after 39 years in the food<br />

industry, 28 of them at Sunspray. In his<br />

farewell speech at a cocktail function at<br />

the Wanderers Club recently, he gave<br />

an insight into the company's intriguing<br />

provenance and background.<br />

Sunspray started operating as<br />

Nutritional <strong>Food</strong>s (NF) way back in 1944<br />

in Industria, Johannesburg, initially<br />

producing food products for World War II<br />

refugees.<br />

The name change only happened in<br />

2006. But in the interim and in effect,<br />

Sunspray <strong>Food</strong> Ingredients has been<br />

the country’s spray-drying innovator for<br />

more than 50 years. The company is now<br />

also South Africa's largest independent<br />

producer of spray-dried food ingredients<br />

and provides for all spray-drying needs.<br />

At the time of inception, the<br />

company’s flagship product was a<br />

“Protone” soup that Watson described<br />

as "extremely nutritious" but horrible<br />

tasting. Nowadays, he says, customers<br />

are far fussier.<br />

The company erected its first spraydrying<br />

tower on the Industria site in 1958,<br />

and it was initially used to manufacture<br />

Mahewu powder for the mines.<br />

Thereafter, the company did contract<br />

or toll manufacturing of ingredients<br />

for other companies and installed a<br />

second spray dryer in the 1960s. It later<br />

expanded its spray drying portfolio to<br />

include spray-dried fruit and vegetable<br />

powders.<br />

In the 1970’s, NF became the first<br />

company in South Africa to produce<br />

coffee creamers on contract for other<br />

companies. It also bought Clifton, makers<br />

of cooldrink powders and other retail<br />

products. By that time, NF was involved<br />

in social catering markets, retail and food<br />

ingredients.<br />

Watson had enjoyed a thriving<br />

corporate career. However, in the 1980s<br />

he decided that he would rather travel<br />

the entrepreneurial road. Together with<br />

business partner Charles Akeroyd, they<br />

WATSON EXITS<br />

bought NF, bankrolled by Merhold (now<br />

known as Sabvest).<br />

Initially, Watson and Akeroyd focused<br />

on creating their own brands to make the<br />

company less reliant on contracts. Among<br />

product ranges developed, manufactured<br />

and successfully marketed were Caramel<br />

Powder 48000, Meaton, tomato powders<br />

and cheese powders - all fully spray dried.<br />

That allowed the food ingredients<br />

division to start thriving. "We grew the<br />

business organically during the first<br />

10 years," Watson said. "This included<br />

the erection of three new spray drying<br />

towers."<br />

Farewell to David Watson,<br />

who hands over the Sunspray<br />

leadership to René Cross.<br />

In 1998, Watson and Akeroyd bought<br />

Funa <strong>Food</strong>s and became the largest<br />

player in the social catering market.<br />

By 2004, they decided to exit the retail<br />

market as "we were too small a player",<br />

he said.<br />

In 2005, they purchased and<br />

assimilated Ovipro, that is now the<br />

company's Bronkhorstspruit division.<br />

Through this acquisition, NF became a<br />

major force in the egg industry.<br />

However, 2006 was "the watershed<br />

year", Watson said. That was when NF<br />

sold its social catering division and with it,<br />

the company name.<br />

10 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


LEADERSHIP<br />

Sabvest and Watson bought out his partner and rebranded<br />

the business as Sunspray <strong>Food</strong> Ingredients. At the same time,<br />

René Cross, his successor as Sunspray MD, joined the company.<br />

It's something of an understatement to say that Sunspray<br />

has done exceptionally well over the past 12 years. In 1989 it<br />

achieved R1-million turnover a month.<br />

Now, despite selling off half<br />

the company in 2006,<br />

Sunspray is achieving<br />

The definition of<br />

success changes<br />

through one’s life<br />

- David Watson<br />

sales of around<br />

R1-million a day!<br />

Watson says<br />

that translates to<br />

his initial investment<br />

increasing<br />

1000-fold in<br />

28 years.<br />

The final turn in his<br />

Sunspray journey was the<br />

decision with Sabvest in 2015<br />

to sell just over half the business to a black empowerment<br />

company within RMB Corvest,<br />

with the provision that he stayed on for three years.<br />

There were a few good reasons for that decision, Watson<br />

said: Firstly, it would radically improve BBBEE accreditation.<br />

Secondly, he would have a guaranteed exit strategy. And finally,<br />

selling to a financial institution meant that the company could<br />

achieve "good succession planning without external operational<br />

interferences" and not be in competition with customers.<br />

The three-year period is now over and Watson bid his<br />

farewell at the Wanderers Club function.<br />

Sunspray is clearly a success story and Watson said he was<br />

proud of what was achieved over the 28 years that he was at<br />

the helm (during this period he was also a director<br />

of the Consumer Goods Council of SA and is a past President<br />

of SAAFoST)<br />

However, he said, "success can mean different things<br />

to different people, and the definition of success changes<br />

through one's life".<br />

All businesses have stakeholders and the relationship<br />

between the business and its stakeholders is crucial to its<br />

success, Watson said.<br />

Critical to success are customers, suppliers and other<br />

service providers. Many of those who attended Watson’s<br />

farewell function fell into those categories, and he<br />

thanked them all for the excellent relationships and<br />

friendships nurtured over many years.<br />

Watson ended by saying that the most important<br />

stakeholders are the employees of a company. He<br />

thanked them all for their loyalty and dedication. And in<br />

handing over to Cross, he expressed confidence that Sunspray<br />

would continue on the successful road "for at<br />

least another 28 years".<br />

Cross has had extensive experience in the food and<br />

flavour industry, having worked for Nestlé, Simba and IFF<br />

in various management positions covering QA/QC, production,<br />

operations and marketing.<br />

Sunspray has an impressive list of clients that include DD<br />

Williamson, for toll spray-drying and various other multinational<br />

and global clients for contract manufacturing, packing<br />

and customised spray dried products.<br />

The activities of Sunspray <strong>Food</strong> Ingredients are split into<br />

three categories: <strong>Food</strong> Ingredients, Contract Manufacturing and<br />

Toll spray-drying and blending. By far the largest division is that<br />

of <strong>Food</strong> Ingredients. Sunspray is the appointed agent for DDW<br />

caramel colours and natural colours in South Africa.<br />

The company also serves the retail sector with its own<br />

brands marketed by Stafford Bros. These include spraydried<br />

products Country Pasture Blend, Bravo Gravy<br />

Powder and Housewives Cheese. Sunspray also<br />

manufactures house brands for leading chain stores.<br />

The latest addition to the company’s food ingredient<br />

product portfolio is a 60% creamer to complement<br />

an already comprehensive range of creamers.<br />

Sunspray has an R&D department run by<br />

qualified personnel. The facility is used for the<br />

development of new products, the improvement of<br />

existing products, testing of new and alternative raw<br />

materials and the cost optimisation of products. The pilot plant<br />

tower is utilised by customers for toll spray-drying trials.<br />

At the farewell, Cross paid tribute to Watson, saying that he<br />

left a "remarkable legacy" and put in place the very foundations<br />

that made the business such a success.<br />

"This company, particularly the marketing and R&D<br />

departments, will be somewhat emptier without him," she said.<br />

However, Watson has ensured that he leaves Sunspray with<br />

a new foundation for growth, aptly named Project Sunrise. The<br />

company has bought the property next door for the construction<br />

of a new warehouse, staff training facilities and a clinic.<br />

www.sunspray.co.za


WELLNESS<br />

THE TRUTH<br />

ABOUT<br />

‘PORTION<br />

DISTORTION’<br />

NEW RESEARCH PUTS PRESSURE ON INDUSTRY TO SHRINK PORTION SIZE<br />

By MARISA SPIROS<br />

<strong>Food</strong> and beverage makers often<br />

stand accused of contributing<br />

to obesity and type 2 diabetes<br />

epidemics worldwide by increasing<br />

portion sizes of their products. It's a<br />

phenomenon that dietitians refer to as<br />

"portion distortion".<br />

Just how real is "portion distortion"?<br />

Will forcing the industry to reduce<br />

portion sizes really contribute to<br />

reducing the skyrocketing prevalence<br />

of both obesity and type 2 diabetes<br />

worldwide?<br />

New research by psychologists at<br />

the University of Liverpool believe so.<br />

They say the food industry can and<br />

should make a contribution by reducing<br />

portion sizes.<br />

The research, published recently in<br />

the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,<br />

highlights the benefits of reduced<br />

product portion sizes, claiming it will<br />

make "healthier eating more normal".<br />

The researchers say that historical<br />

increases in the portion sizes of<br />

commercially-available food products<br />

cause "passive" overeating and this has<br />

contributed to the growing worldwide<br />

obesity crisis. This has led public health<br />

bodies to promote the idea that the food<br />

industry needs to reduce portion sizes.<br />

The Liverpool study looked at<br />

whether reducing portion size can<br />

“renormalize” perceptions of what<br />

constitutes a normal amount of that<br />

food to eat. It also investigated whether<br />

this would lead to people selecting and<br />

consuming smaller portions in future.<br />

Says study leader Dr Eric Robinson:<br />

“The present findings indicate that if<br />

portion sizes of commercially-available<br />

foods were reduced, these smaller,<br />

more appropriate portion sizes may<br />

recalibrate perceptions of what<br />

constitutes a 'normal' amount of food to<br />

eat and, in doing so, decrease how much<br />

consumers choose to eat.”<br />

But co-author Dr Inge Kersbergen<br />

added some caveats: “It is unclear from<br />

our research how long the effect would<br />

last. The effects we observed were larger<br />

when we examined food intake the next<br />

day in the laboratory than when we<br />

looked at portion size preference one<br />

week later.”<br />

Based on the idea that the<br />

immediate environment influences<br />

people's perceptions of what a “normal”<br />

portion size is, Kerbergen said that it<br />

was likely that the effect would only<br />

last if consumers encountered smaller<br />

portion sizes more often than supersized<br />

portions.<br />

That has led the authors to<br />

recommend that food manufacturers<br />

begin the process by reducing<br />

portion sizes.<br />

It's an interesting conclusion and<br />

recommendation, given Robinson's<br />

earlier thoughts on reduced portion<br />

sizes – and the idea that one way to<br />

achieve this is by telling people to use<br />

smaller plates.<br />

In an article in The Conversation<br />

in March 2017, he speaks of plate size<br />

recommendation as his "pet hate". In it,<br />

he takes exception to a "commonly held<br />

belief that using smaller plates reduces<br />

the amount of food that people eat".<br />

His team reviewed all the available<br />

research addressing this question and<br />

concluded: "The evidence for the magic<br />

of smaller plates was very unconvincing.<br />

There were more studies that had found<br />

no benefit on calorie consumption of<br />

dining with smaller plates than there<br />

were studies that supported the smaller<br />

plates equals eat less hypothesis.<br />

"Also, the studies that did support<br />

the smaller plate idea all came from the<br />

same research group.”<br />

Robinson and his team conducted<br />

their own study examining whether<br />

giving participants smaller bowls to<br />

serve themselves popcorn reduced the<br />

amount they ate.<br />

If anything, he writes, participants<br />

ate even more when using a smaller bowl<br />

compared to a larger bowl.<br />

One reason, he suggested, is that<br />

smaller bowls allowed people to give<br />

themselves more permission to go back<br />

for "seconds". That tended to offset<br />

any benefit from a reduced portion size<br />

flowing from a smaller bowl.<br />

12 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


TRENDS<br />

BY MARISA SIPROS<br />

A<br />

"pot of gold" with a difference<br />

is beckoning the global foodbev<br />

industry: dagga, pot, cannabis,<br />

marijuana, weed, grass …<br />

The fast-growing market for cannabisinfused<br />

foods, snacks and drinks is being<br />

driven by the legalisation of marijuana<br />

around the world, not just for medical<br />

use but also for recreational use. In<br />

these countries, especially the USA,<br />

cannabis edibles and drinks are already<br />

generating millions of dollars in revenue<br />

for entrepreneurs.<br />

And as more countries come on<br />

board, analysts predict big changes in<br />

the market. Some say cannabis-infused<br />

drinks could one day be “bigger<br />

than wine”.<br />

Gone are the days of homemade,<br />

gritty, chocolate brownies<br />

containing powdery cannabis grains<br />

that were popular in the flowerpower,<br />

hippie era of the 1960s.<br />

In its place are high-end products<br />

dreamt up by Michelin-star chefs.<br />

Ranges now include cakes, cupcakes,<br />

biscuits and even pizzas. The "candy"<br />

market is proving to be a particularly<br />

rich source, with cannabis-infused<br />

dark chocolate bars, energy bars,<br />

mints and lollipops.<br />

<strong>Beverage</strong>s include cannabisinfused<br />

sparkling waters, herbal teas<br />

and coffees.<br />

The growth of the market is also<br />

due to the versatility of the cannabis<br />

plant’s active ingredients, known as<br />

cannabinoids. These can be integrated<br />

successfully in just about any food<br />

and drink product. Cannabinoids are<br />

responsible for pot’s myriad effects, both<br />

recreational and medicinal. The most<br />

well-known cannabinoid is THC.<br />

In the USA, 29 states and the<br />

country's capital, Washington, DC, now<br />

allow cannabis for medical purposes,<br />

although their approaches differ<br />

significantly. Some states allow<br />

medical cannabis dispensaries and<br />

home cultivation, while others allow<br />

home cultivation only. Still others<br />

allow dispensaries but proscribe<br />

home cultivation.<br />

Nine states in the USA, including<br />

California and the District of Columbia,<br />

have legalized cannabis for both<br />

medicinal and recreational use, and more<br />

are expected to follow by year end.<br />

GOING TO<br />

POT - AND<br />

COINING IT<br />

This has opened up the floodgates<br />

for entrepreneurs to offer marijuanainfused<br />

foods, snacks and drinks. Forbes<br />

magazine estimates that it is already a<br />

multi-million dollar business set to grow<br />

by up to 25% annually in the USA. It's no<br />

surprise that the American Specialty <strong>Food</strong><br />

Association (SFA) has identified cannabisinfused<br />

"edibles" as one of its Top 10<br />

food trends for <strong>2018</strong>.<br />

“As more states legalize recreational<br />

marijuana, the varieties of pot-enhanced<br />

food and beverage will increase,” the<br />

SFA’s Trendspotter Panel said late last<br />

year. “Look out for continued interest and<br />

acceptance in a host of snacks, treats and<br />

beverages with a little something extra.”<br />

Another market report says cannabis<br />

is "seducing the specialty food makers<br />

and marketers serving high-end retailers<br />

and well-heeled bellies across the<br />

Internet and America".<br />

One reason for the explosive<br />

growth in the USA, and California<br />

in particular, say analysts, is that as<br />

the cannabis market expands, it is<br />

reaching people who don't want to smoke<br />

the weed, but still want to experience the<br />

“high”. Edibles provide a "discrete, smokefree<br />

experience", Forbes says.<br />

Producing cannabis edibles/<br />

drinkables has its challenges. <strong>Food</strong><br />

and beverage makers face a slew of<br />

safety issues, mostly dose-related, and<br />

complications that could occur from<br />

combining THC with other addictive<br />

substances, chiefly caffeine and alcohol.<br />

This also raises the issue of the need for<br />

responsible marketing and, in particular,<br />

transparent labelling of ingredients.<br />

There's a long way to go before a legal<br />

cannabis edibles market could take root<br />

in South Africa. Attempts to have the drug<br />

legalised for medical use, never mind<br />

recreational, have stalled.<br />

In part, that's due to safety concerns,<br />

and the ongoing debate and controversy<br />

about just how addictive dagga can be<br />

and whether it presents a high risk as<br />

14 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


TRENDS<br />

a "gateway" drug that<br />

leads to use of harder<br />

substances.<br />

Medical doctors and<br />

psychologists involved in<br />

legalising dagga in South<br />

Africa believe that the<br />

benefits far outweigh the<br />

risks. Cape Town GP Dr<br />

Keith Scott says that South<br />

Africa is “lagging far behind<br />

the international trend<br />

towards dagga legalisation<br />

or decriminalisation”.<br />

Dagga has been unfairly<br />

demonised,” he says, "and<br />

is no more a gateway drug<br />

than tobacco and alcohol".<br />

Scott says that dagga is<br />

not even as toxic as either<br />

alcohol or tobacco."It is far,<br />

far safer, and it is definitely<br />

safer than harder drugs, such as heroin<br />

and morphine."<br />

Under current legislation, medical<br />

practitioners are still legally denied the<br />

right to prescribe cannabis or any of the<br />

commercially-produced cannabinoids<br />

that are approved for the treatment of<br />

cancer-related side effects in the US and<br />

other countries.<br />

That hasn’t stopped a burgeoning<br />

underground market emerging in SA,<br />

with a “whisper-economy” of cannabis<br />

oil (for medical use) as well as a variety<br />

of edibles and drinkables on offer.<br />

Globally, the biggest problem<br />

with dagga, and drugs in general,<br />

says Scott, is that they are mired<br />

in politics and outdated international<br />

treaties formed in the wake of drug<br />

criminalization. These treaties are<br />

collectively known as the “War on Drugs”.<br />

Argues Scott: “The war has been<br />

lost, and it has exacerbated drug<br />

problems worldwide because drugs<br />

by themselves generally don’t make<br />

people addicts.<br />

No drug is free from harm,” he<br />

says, “but any harm must be seen<br />

in perspective”.<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 15


CONFECTIONERY<br />

By MARISA SPIROS<br />

Warnings that rising temperatures<br />

are threatening the cacao tree,<br />

which produces the pods and<br />

beans from which chocolate is made, are<br />

raising the spectre of a global chocolate<br />

shortage.<br />

In part, that's because of the fragility<br />

of the cacao plant that can only survive in<br />

humid, rainforest conditions. One of the<br />

effects of global warming, say scientists, is to<br />

suck moisture from the soil in which the plant<br />

can grow best and finally become a tree.<br />

As a result, scientists now predict that<br />

by 2050 it will be impossible for farmers<br />

to grow cacao trees. They say that is<br />

particularly the case in the Ivory Coast and<br />

Ghana regions, where farmers currently<br />

produce more than 50% of the world's cocoa.<br />

The experts say that rising temperatures<br />

and droughts will force farmers to move<br />

their trees to higher ground. That won't<br />

be an instant solution and is one filled with<br />

challenges, not least because competition<br />

for land will be fierce and many upland<br />

areas are already protected and restricted<br />

to wildlife.<br />

Cacao trees also take up to four years<br />

to grow and harvesting the pods is timeconsuming<br />

and labour intensive.<br />

That's bad news for makers of chocolate<br />

products because they estimate that there<br />

is a likely chocolate deficit of around<br />

100 000 tons a year over the next few years.<br />

That is a worrying scenario, especially<br />

since the demand for chocolate is already<br />

outstripping supply. The high demand for<br />

the sweet treat has increased in Europe<br />

and North America, with millions on the<br />

Asian and African continents following suit<br />

with a recent uptake of demand.<br />

Another reason for intensified demand<br />

is research into the manifold health benefits<br />

of cacao compared with cocoa, and in<br />

particular, dark chocolate. This has given<br />

chocolate pride of place in the panoply of<br />

health foods and has had a welcome<br />

spin-off for producers of a wide variety of<br />

food and beverage chocolate products.<br />

An aggravating factor, say experts, is<br />

that it is smallholder farmers on subsistence<br />

farms with old-style methods who produce<br />

the majority of the world's cocoa. They<br />

can't afford fertilisers and insecticides<br />

needed to increase supply and fill the<br />

yawning demand gaps for cacao any<br />

time soon.<br />

Could you<br />

live in<br />

a world<br />

without<br />

chocolate?<br />

Continued on Next Page<br />

16 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


CONFECTIONERY<br />

The bean that’s choc full of health<br />

Here's more good reason<br />

to hope that the predicted<br />

shortage of chocolate by 2050 is<br />

just gloom and doom. Research<br />

into the health benefits of<br />

dark chocolate in particular is<br />

growing and its reputation as<br />

a health food is no overnight<br />

sensation.<br />

A report from the Harvard<br />

Chan School of Public Health<br />

says that dark chocolate is<br />

a highly-treasured food that<br />

dates back to 2000 BC. At that<br />

time, the Maya from Central<br />

America, the first connoisseurs<br />

of chocolate, drank it as a bitter,<br />

fer-mented beverage mixed with<br />

spices or wine.<br />

Today, the long rows of<br />

chocolate squares sitting neatly<br />

on your store shelves are the<br />

end result of many steps that<br />

begin as a cacao pod, larger than the<br />

size of your hand. Seeds (or beans) are<br />

extracted from the pod and fermented,<br />

dried, and roasted into what we<br />

recognize as cocoa beans.<br />

The shells of the bean are then<br />

separated from the meat, or cocoa nibs.<br />

The nibs are ground into a liquid called<br />

chocolate liquor, and separated from<br />

the fatty portion, or cocoa butter. The<br />

liquor is further refined to produce the<br />

cocoa solids and chocolate that we eat.<br />

After removing the nibs, the cocoa<br />

bean is ground into cocoa powder that<br />

is used in baking or beverages.<br />

The Harvard report goes on to<br />

explain the essential differences<br />

Raw cacao powder, which is in demand for its health<br />

benefits, is made by cold-pressing unroasted beans.<br />

This process keeps the enzymes in the cocoa and<br />

removes the fat. Ordinary cocoa powder looks the<br />

same but has been made from roasting the beans<br />

at high temperature.<br />

between dark and milk chocolate: Dark<br />

chocolate contains 50-90% cocoa solids,<br />

cocoa butter and sugar; milk chocolate<br />

contains anything from 10-50% cocoa<br />

solids, cocoa butter, milk in some form,<br />

and sugar.<br />

Dark chocolate, by definition, is not<br />

supposed to contain milk. Depending<br />

on the quality, lower-quality chocolate<br />

products may also contain added<br />

butterfat, vegetable oils, artificial<br />

colours and flavours.<br />

It goes without saying that white<br />

chocolate doesn't really deserve to be<br />

called chocolate at all, as it does not<br />

contain any cocoa solids. Its constituents<br />

are just cocoa butter, sugar and milk.<br />

It is in its dark versions that<br />

chocolate comes into its own and<br />

can truly claim to be a health food.<br />

The Harvard report notes that<br />

cocoa is rich in minerals, chiefly<br />

iron, copper, magnesium, and zinc.<br />

It is also rich in plant flavanols<br />

that are shown to be heart<br />

protective. Dark chocolate<br />

contains up to two to three<br />

times more flavanol-rich cocoa<br />

solids than milk chocolate.<br />

Flavanols support the<br />

production of nitric oxide in the<br />

endolethium (the inner cell lining<br />

of blood vessels). That helps<br />

to relax the blood vessels and<br />

improve blood flow, thereby<br />

lowering blood pressure, the<br />

Harvard report says.<br />

Short-term studies have also<br />

shown that flavanols in chocolate<br />

can increase insulin sensitivity. This<br />

has led to dark chocolate's reputation as<br />

an aid to managing diabetes.<br />

And like all the good things in life,<br />

too much can be bad. Dark chocolate<br />

is yet another case where less is more<br />

when it comes to health benefits.<br />

The Harvard report notes that dark<br />

chocolate can be high in calories<br />

(150-170 calories per ounce) and can<br />

contribute to weight gain if eaten in<br />

excess.<br />

However, just as with nuts, dark<br />

chocolate can induce satiety and in<br />

that way contribute to weight control.<br />

Overall, eating modest quantities of<br />

dark chocolate may offer "the greatest<br />

health benefits".<br />

From Previous Page<br />

A report in Forbes magazine last year<br />

notes that cultivation of cacao has always<br />

been a risky venture. It cites aging trees<br />

as one limit to productivity. Another is<br />

disease that decimates about 30% of<br />

annual production.<br />

And then there's climate change. The<br />

Forbes report quotes research showing<br />

how rising temperatures will adversely<br />

affect the crop.<br />

But Forbes notes a "looming, more<br />

immediate threat" that is confronting<br />

producers of chocolate products globally.<br />

It is one that is "economic and more<br />

personal": young farmers in West Africa,<br />

who do most of the growing of the world's<br />

cocoa, no longer want to grow the crop<br />

that becomes chocolate, because it<br />

doesn't pay them to do so.<br />

As the Forbes report notes, the price<br />

of commodity cocoa has dropped from<br />

$3 000 to $2 000 per ton in the last year.<br />

A 2014 report by the International Labor<br />

Rights Forum noted that the majority of<br />

cocoa producers earn roughly $2 a day.<br />

Little has changed. There are also serious<br />

concerns about the use of child labour.<br />

In a speech at the World Cocoa<br />

Foundation Partnership in Washington<br />

last year, Ghana Cocoa Board chief<br />

executive, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, noted<br />

that prices "send signals to farmers as<br />

to the amount of time and labour to<br />

invest in cocoa production". Therefore,<br />

low prices continue to constitute a<br />

"major threat to the cocoa industry's<br />

sustainability and do nothing to entice<br />

the youth to become farmers.”<br />

That's all about the problems, but<br />

what of solutions? Experts say that<br />

modernising farming techniques is only<br />

To Page 19<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 17


CONFECTIONERY<br />

NESTLE RAISES THE BAR<br />

By MARISA SPIROS<br />

AS the war against sugar gains<br />

increasing momentum, the<br />

world’s confectionery giants are<br />

aggressively seeking out novel solutions<br />

to the challenge of reducing sugar<br />

without compromising taste. Leading the<br />

way is Nestlé.<br />

The world's largest food company<br />

recently re-launched its iconic Milkybar<br />

chocolate with a whole new look,<br />

rebranded as Wowsomes, with 30% less<br />

sugar.<br />

Nestlé says that Milkybar Wowsomes,<br />

available in the UK and Ireland, are<br />

the first chocolate bars in the world to<br />

use the breakthrough sugar-reduction<br />

technology that it describes as "a<br />

completely new way to use a traditional,<br />

natural ingredient".<br />

The Wowsome bars contain under 37<br />

grams of sugar per 100 grams.<br />

That's 30% less than similar<br />

chocolate products, according to<br />

Nestlé – a significant reduction by<br />

any standards.<br />

It makes good on the promise<br />

by Nestlé chief technology officer<br />

Stefan Catsicas in 2016 that the<br />

technology really is breakthrough<br />

and can change the structure of<br />

sugar to make it more aerated,<br />

so that it safely "dissolves more<br />

quickly on the tongue".<br />

This allows people to<br />

"perceive an almost identical<br />

sweetness" even when much less<br />

sugar is used.<br />

Nestlé isn't resting on any laurels.<br />

It believes the technology can reduce<br />

sugar content by up to 40% in the not too<br />

distant future.<br />

The product launch is a big nod to<br />

the health and wellness trend that is one<br />

of the biggest and growing global trends<br />

in the industry. It's also an answer to<br />

the question on the lips of public health<br />

policy makers worldwide – and one that<br />

Nestlé asks on its own website: What is<br />

WOOLIES WINS LABEL COMPLAINT<br />

The controversial issue of labelling added sugars came into<br />

sharp focus recently when Woolworths “sweet talked” its<br />

way out of a complaint about one of its confectionary lines.<br />

Customer Sally Baikie reported Woolies to the Advertising<br />

Standards Authority (ASA) because she felt that the label on<br />

its Smooth Milk Chocolate Hearts was misleading.<br />

Baikie's complaint was that the front label of the<br />

product stated "NO SUGAR” with the words “ADDED”<br />

in a smaller font, whereas the print on the Nutritional<br />

Information panel indicated sugar content of more than<br />

7%. She further argued that this was not only misleading<br />

but also presented a potential health risk to consumers.<br />

Woolworths is not a member of the ASA. The company<br />

nonetheless responded to the complaint “in the spirit of<br />

responsible advertising”.<br />

Woolworths submitted that its Smooth Milk Chocolate<br />

Hearts did not contain any “added sugar” as defined in<br />

terms of Regulation 146 of the <strong>Food</strong>stuffs Cosmetics and<br />

Disinfectants Act 54 of 1972 because the sugar present<br />

in the product was from lactose naturally present in milk<br />

solids. Therefore, sugar had not actually been added during<br />

the processing of the product.<br />

The ASA ruled in favour of Woolworths by finding that<br />

the statement “NO SUGAR ADDED – WITH MALTITOL” was not<br />

misleading in terms of its code. Its reasoning was that the<br />

ingredient list was clear and unambiguous to consumers<br />

with special dietary needs.<br />

While the ASA’s ruling takes into consideration that<br />

consumers with strict dietary requirements are unlikely<br />

to be misled by the “NO SUGAR ADDED – WITH MALTITOL”<br />

claim, attorney Karen Kitchen of Kisch IP says it is still<br />

questionable why Woolworths saw the need to use a<br />

smaller font for the word “added”.<br />

It is not just by chance that the Draft Guidelines to the<br />

Draft Regulations Relating to the Labelling and Advertising<br />

of <strong>Food</strong>s (R429 of 29 May 2014), provides that “legal font<br />

sizes … shall … be easily legible and sufficiently prominent<br />

to help consumers make their choice in full knowledge of<br />

the facts”, Kitchen says.<br />

The ASA ruling therefore, does not appear to consider<br />

instances where, for example, a non-diabetic person, who<br />

may not be as educated about strict dietary requirements,<br />

can also purchase these products on behalf of a diabetic<br />

person/consumer and is less likely to take the additional<br />

step of inspecting the product and ingredient list more<br />

vigorously prior to purchasing it.<br />

"Nonetheless, the ASA’s ruling should alert those in<br />

the business of food packaging to ensure that food labels<br />

are not only in compliance with the Advertising Codes,<br />

but that they also comply with the <strong>Food</strong> Labelling Laws<br />

and Regulations, along with Consumer Protection Laws,"<br />

Kitchen says.<br />

18 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


CONFECTIONERY<br />

ON SUGAR REDUCTION<br />

your company doing to reduce<br />

sugar in your products?<br />

It's a savvy move, although<br />

it may not be sufficient to<br />

stave off all calls and moves to<br />

regulate products containing<br />

sugar with the same heavy<br />

hand as alcohol and tobacco<br />

products are regulated.<br />

According to Nestlé, the<br />

technique involves spray<br />

drying a mixture of sugar, milk<br />

powder and water to form a<br />

porous, aerated sugar. While<br />

normal sugar comes in crystal<br />

form, this amorphous sugar<br />

dissolves faster in the mouth,<br />

the company says. Sugar structured in<br />

this way is only stable in dry products.<br />

In beverages, the sugar would dissolve<br />

before anyone drinks it. Nestlé UK and<br />

Ireland CEO Stefano Agostini says the<br />

technology is the fruit of "an unrivalled<br />

research and development network, and<br />

the experts at our product technology<br />

center in York".<br />

Nestlé teams in Switzerland, the<br />

United Kingdom and the Czech Republic<br />

took just over a year to turn the<br />

structured sugar innovation into a new<br />

product. Milkybar turned out to be "a<br />

natural fit for the structured sugar", the<br />

company says. Launched in the UK in<br />

1936, Milkybar has retained its status in<br />

the intervening years as one of Nestlé’s<br />

most iconic chocolate brands and a<br />

popular choice with parents for their<br />

children thanks to its mild, creamy taste<br />

and high milk content.<br />

In 2007, the brand moved to allnatural<br />

ingredients. In 2017, milk became<br />

the No. 1 ingredient in the recipe. With<br />

the launch of Milkybar Wowsomes this<br />

year, milk is still the main ingredient,<br />

with a crispy oat cereal that is a source<br />

of fibre. The chocolate also contains<br />

no artificial sweeteners, preservatives,<br />

colours or flavourings.<br />

Nestlé say the Wowsomes launch is<br />

the latest step on a sugar journey that the<br />

company began in 2000. It established a<br />

formal policy on sugars in 2007. Nestlé's<br />

policy goal is to reduce sugars added<br />

in its products by an average of at least<br />

5% over four years (2017–2020). That<br />

includes desserts and ice cream.<br />

However, the policy is not unlimited<br />

and specific areas are excluded.<br />

Nestlé says that it "actively supports<br />

scientific advancements in the area of<br />

sugars and their effects on health".<br />

The company has vowed as part of<br />

its cereal joint venture with General Mills<br />

to reduce sugar in breakfast cereals<br />

marketed to children and teenagers to<br />

9g per serving.<br />

A world without chocolate?<br />

From Page 17<br />

a partial answer to improving yields.<br />

Mapping the genetic code of cacao trees<br />

may be another. Most cacao trees grown<br />

in Ivory Coast and Ghana descend from<br />

the same few plants in the upper<br />

Amazon, say scientists.<br />

To that end, USA chocolate giant<br />

Mars pledged $1-billion late last<br />

year towards sustainability efforts<br />

to save chocolate from future harm.<br />

According to media reports, the<br />

corporation has recruited University<br />

of California researchers to develop<br />

a sturdier cacao plant that won't wilt in<br />

drier climates.<br />

The hope is that these hybrids will<br />

be able to withstand rising temperatures<br />

from climate change and still produce<br />

high-quality cacao.<br />

That prompted one of the world's<br />

largest chocolate manufacturers, USA<br />

giant Hershey's, also to rise to the<br />

occasion. The Hershey Company has<br />

pledged to invest $500 million by 2030<br />

on cocoa-sustainability initiatives in<br />

Ghana and Ivory Coast. In a recent<br />

announcement, the Pennsylvania-based<br />

confectionery and snack company said<br />

that its "Cocoa For Good" programme will<br />

focus on "poverty, poor nutrition, at-risk<br />

youth and vulnerable ecosystems".<br />

“A sustainable cocoa supply depends<br />

on a multi-stakeholder collaborative<br />

approach to find solutions to the social,<br />

environmental and economic challenges<br />

facing cocoa-growing communities,”<br />

Susanna Zhu, Hershey's Chief<br />

Procurement Officer, said in a statement.<br />

“As a critical player in the cocoa value<br />

chain, we are committed to doing our<br />

part,” she said, adding: “The Hershey<br />

Company has been partnering with key<br />

stakeholders in the cocoa sector for more<br />

than 100 years. Under Cocoa For Good,<br />

we continue to work toward a future<br />

where there’s a long-term, sustainable<br />

cocoa supply, the natural environment is<br />

protected, and we are creating better<br />

lives for everyone.”<br />

Within all the hype, there is also<br />

hope and lessons to be learned from<br />

history. Some analysts say that fears<br />

of a world without chocolate need to<br />

be seen in proper perspective. After<br />

all, initial dire predictions envisioned<br />

a chocolate-less world by 2020. That<br />

has been pushed back to 2050.<br />

The reality is that shortages in the<br />

face of massively increased demand don’t<br />

always end up in complete scarcity of a<br />

product. Instead, the scarcity tends to<br />

drive prices up into the stratosphere and<br />

consumption spiralling downwards.<br />

The law of gravity aside, what goes<br />

down, sometimes goes up even higher.<br />

And next to diamonds, chocolates remain<br />

a girl's best friend the world over.<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 19


<strong>Food</strong> & <strong>Beverage</strong> <strong>Reporter</strong> has partnered with <strong>Food</strong> Focus to bring you enhanced<br />

coverage of food safety/compliance issues. <strong>Food</strong> Focus addresses the full range<br />

of compliance factors which South African food businesses have to face, including<br />

occupational health and safety hazards, environmental demands and corporate social<br />

responsibility. Find out more at www.foodfocus.co.za<br />

By Linda Jackson<br />

Having spent the last 20 years of<br />

my life invested in food safety<br />

management systems in the<br />

South African food industry, I have to say<br />

the Listeriosis outbreak has caused some<br />

self-doubt. What have we done wrong?<br />

What have we missed? Seems I am not<br />

the only one.<br />

Although nothing we can do now<br />

will change the tragic outcome of this<br />

outbreak, it is imperative that in the<br />

root cause analysis of the incident,<br />

collectively as an industry we apply the<br />

learnings.<br />

It is my opinion that multiple failures<br />

have led to this incident. In addition to<br />

the company in question, other authors<br />

have commented on the potential role<br />

of the supply chain, the regulators,<br />

the certification bodies and even the<br />

auditors.<br />

Given the prominence of the brand,<br />

it is likely that many of us have been<br />

involved in some capacity over the<br />

years. Perhaps we have all contributed<br />

in some way to this incident too. It is<br />

clear from the update below from the<br />

NICD that we still face a number of<br />

challenges. LmST 6 does seem to be the<br />

tip of a very very big iceberg:<br />

“Whole-genome sequencing analysis has<br />

been performed on 521 clinical isolates to<br />

date. Of these, 85% (443/521) were identified<br />

as sequence type (ST) 6. The remaining isolates<br />

(15%, 83/521) represented 19 sequence types<br />

including, ST1, ST54, ST876, ST2, ST5, ST204,<br />

ST219. ST224, ST71, ST101, ST121, ST155, ST3,<br />

ST403, ST515, ST7, ST8 and ST88.<br />

Whole genome sequencing has been<br />

performed on 595 food and environmental<br />

isolates. Of these, 13% (79/595) were identified<br />

as ST6. The remaining isolates (87%, 516/595)<br />

represented 26 sequence types, including ST20,<br />

ST1, ST121, ST5. ST321, ST9, ST155, ST2, ST3,<br />

ST87, ST120, ST378, ST101, ST108, ST2288,<br />

ST31, ST7, ST11, ST122, ST14, ST37, ST4, ST54,<br />

ST76 and ST88.”<br />

What controls should be in place?<br />

Although we cannot generalize in<br />

all sectors of the food industry, as a<br />

manufacturer you should have the<br />

following levels of<br />

protection in place:<br />

1. Minimum<br />

compliance<br />

A valid certificate<br />

of acceptability<br />

issued by the local<br />

municipality in terms of<br />

Regulation 962 of the<br />

<strong>Food</strong>stuffs, Cosmetics<br />

& Disinfectants Act.<br />

Its general hygiene<br />

requirement is as low<br />

as you can go. This<br />

certificate should<br />

ensure your facility is<br />

adequately designed<br />

and constructed to<br />

handle food. The<br />

waste systems should<br />

conform to municipal<br />

requirements and<br />

the National Building<br />

Regulations.<br />

This regulation does place emphasis<br />

on the training and behavior of food<br />

handlers – often a weak link in any food<br />

safety chain. It also places the full legal<br />

liability on the person in charge.<br />

There are many other regulations<br />

under the FCDA that relate to the<br />

composition of your product.<br />

There is the letter of the law and then<br />

there is the spirit of the law. Although our<br />

approach of our National Department of<br />

Health is reactive, the intention is that<br />

you as a responsible manufacturer<br />

should be proactive.<br />

2. Pre-requisite programmes<br />

Call them PRPs, GMPs or whatever you<br />

like, but make sure you have the basics<br />

in place. The focus of many retail and<br />

hygiene audits are the basic building<br />

blocks of cleaning and sanitation,<br />

preventive maintenance, supplier<br />

controls, storage and preservation of your<br />

product and personnel hygiene practices.<br />

The new draft regulation R364 which<br />

will hopefully soon replace R962, will<br />

include more of these requirements as a<br />

legal foundation.<br />

And with these requirements comes<br />

LISTERIA &<br />

THE SWISS<br />

CHEESE<br />

MODEL OF<br />

DISASTER<br />

the need for documentation to defend<br />

your systems and the effective daily<br />

implementation of the right practices.<br />

3. HACCP<br />

Once the basics are covered, we should<br />

be engaging in a formal risk assessment<br />

of the product and processes. What is it<br />

about YOUR product and process that<br />

could go wrong and in so doing harm<br />

the consumer? What makes ready-to-eat<br />

products such a high risk in comparison<br />

to handling ingredients like dry rice?<br />

What are YOUR specific hazards in<br />

the process and how can you be sure you<br />

are controlling these? And control means<br />

you can reduce, eliminate or prevent<br />

them – not manage them as best you can!<br />

We have seen this as a voluntary<br />

requirement in most sectors of the food<br />

chain. It’s time to revisit that thinking.<br />

Ensuring you as a manufacturer fully<br />

understand and control hazards to<br />

consumers health is not a nice to have –<br />

it’s your legal and moral obligation.<br />

Along with this goes the processes of<br />

validating and verifying those processes<br />

– can you trust them, and can you prove<br />

they work?<br />

20 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


4. Certification<br />

Taking the next step to comply with<br />

customer requirements can be seen<br />

as a grudge purchase. Surviving the<br />

plethora of audits has not been seen to<br />

add value in many companies. Having all<br />

the right certificates does not guarantee<br />

your systems, as we have seen. Ensuring<br />

robust internal audits are in place that<br />

fully interrogate your food safety activities<br />

should be the focus. Competent external<br />

auditors can then verify implementation,<br />

but you should be validating your science.<br />

Relying on external auditors during a brief<br />

announced visit will not be an adequate<br />

assessment of your system’s health.<br />

5. The next step<br />

CLEANING?<br />

The Swiss cheese model of accident<br />

causation illustrates that, although many<br />

layers of defense lie between hazards and<br />

accidents, there are flaws in each layer that,<br />

if aligned, can allow the accident to occur.<br />

If you have it all in place, where do you go<br />

to from here? The next step is open and<br />

transparent sharing of information in the<br />

food chain to ensure we do have food<br />

safety from farm-to-fork.<br />

Confidentiality agreements have<br />

hampered the progress in identifying the<br />

source of the outbreak. Is it time to revisit<br />

this thinking? Do we need a forum where<br />

we can share results without fear of<br />

litigation in order to improve our response<br />

times to the next outbreak? We need to<br />

build a bridge with the regulators not<br />

higher walls in order to regain consumer<br />

confidence.<br />

But we have all that in place? What<br />

went wrong?<br />

Given that we have so many layers<br />

of protection in place, how could an<br />

outbreak of this magnitude occur? Given<br />

what is in place, it would seem that<br />

company, auditors, labs and retailers all<br />

missed something.<br />

Seems we may have to consult the<br />

WATER TREATMENT?<br />

LAB TEST PROCEDURES?<br />

BUDGET CUTS?<br />

rocket scientists on this one. The Swiss<br />

cheese model of accident causation is<br />

a model used in risk analysis and risk<br />

management, including aviation safety,<br />

engineering and healthcare. It is often<br />

used as the principle behind layered<br />

security such as cybersecurity systems.<br />

In the Swiss cheese model, an<br />

organisation's defenses against failure<br />

are modeled as a series of barriers,<br />

represented as slices of cheese.<br />

As we have seen in food safety, we<br />

rely on a series of barriers previously<br />

discussed. The holes in the slices<br />

represent<br />

weaknesses in<br />

individual parts of<br />

the system and are<br />

continually varying<br />

in size and position<br />

across the slices.<br />

When an<br />

incident occurs,<br />

it is a result of a<br />

gap or failure in a<br />

barrier. A gap or a<br />

failure produces<br />

a weakness in<br />

our food safety<br />

management<br />

system.<br />

If we do not<br />

address this gap,<br />

with time it can,<br />

along with other<br />

gaps, cause a<br />

crisis. This would<br />

be when a hole in<br />

each slice (barrier)<br />

momentarily aligns,<br />

permitting (in<br />

Reason's words) "a<br />

trajectory of accident<br />

opportunity", so that<br />

a hazard passes through holes in all of the<br />

slices, leading to a catastrophic failure<br />

Each failure on its own would have<br />

been minor, but the cumulative act effect<br />

can have far reaching consequences.<br />

The model includes both active and<br />

latent failures. Active failures encompass<br />

the unsafe acts that can be directly<br />

linked to an incident. Latent failures<br />

include contributory factors that may lie<br />

dormant for days, weeks, or months until<br />

they contribute to the accident. Latent<br />

failures can be organizational influences,<br />

supervision, preconditions, and specific<br />

acts or omissions.<br />

In the application of HACCP and FSSC<br />

22000, we are required to analyse our<br />

hazards and the consequences. Do we<br />

do this in relation to the series of controls<br />

we apply and the potential simultaneous<br />

failure of one of more of these control<br />

measures? Is it time we also reviewed the<br />

effectiveness of organizational influences<br />

and supervision in the same way as we<br />

calibrate temperature probes?<br />

Do we truly understand our processes<br />

and are we reviewing the hazards and<br />

how they can change and adapt with the<br />

right level of scrutiny?<br />

I would respectfully suggest that we<br />

need to take a good look at our cheese.


IT’S BIGGER<br />

& BETTER<br />

THAN EVER!<br />

Our <strong>2018</strong> Supplier<br />

Directory is packed with<br />

info on South Africa’s<br />

leading foodbev industry<br />

suppliers.<br />

This year’s 40-page<br />

edition has more<br />

categories, more<br />

companies. It’s got<br />

whatever you’re<br />

looking for, from<br />

ingredients & flavours<br />

to packaging and<br />

processing equipment,<br />

consumables and key<br />

industry services.<br />

If you missed the<br />

print edition, the<br />

Directory is always<br />

available online (a PDF<br />

file you can quickly<br />

download) at:<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za<br />

Get it at www.fbreporter.co.za


GREEN ECONOMY<br />

REMARKABLE YEAR FOR PETCO<br />

Despite tough trading<br />

conditions and a 13% fall<br />

in the total PET market,<br />

the South African plastic industry<br />

recycled a record 2.15 billion PET<br />

plastic bottles in 2017, setting a<br />

post-consumer recycling rate of<br />

65% to put the country on par<br />

with international standards.<br />

The 93 235 tonnes of<br />

collected PET exceeded the<br />

industry target of 58% for the<br />

year 2017 and created 64 000<br />

income-generating opportunities<br />

for waste pickers, collectors and<br />

recyclers, saving 578 000m3 of<br />

landfill space and 139 000 tonnes<br />

of carbon in the process.<br />

This was announced by<br />

national industry body, PETCO,<br />

which is responsible for fulfilling<br />

the sector’s mandate of extended<br />

producer responsibility (EPR).<br />

PETCO said the 3% yearon-year<br />

increase in tonnage<br />

(versus 90 749 tonnes in 2016) was particularly significant against<br />

the backdrop of the political and economic instability, volatile<br />

exchange rates and industrial strike action, which had affected<br />

some of the major industry players in 2017.<br />

According to the organisation, water shortages in the Western<br />

Cape had seen an increased consumer demand for bottled water<br />

during the latter part of the year, which grew the waste volumes<br />

available for recycling in this region.<br />

PETCO chief executive officer Cheri Scholtz said the<br />

organisation was thrilled with the latest figures, which<br />

demonstrated both the industry’s commitment to recycling<br />

and the economic value of post-consumer PET in the<br />

circular economy.<br />

“Through the remarkable network of people, companies and<br />

organisations we work with, 5.9 million PET bottles were collected<br />

for recycling across South Africa every day during the course of<br />

2017, creating thousands of income-generating opportunities for<br />

small and micro-collectors, and changing their lives and those of<br />

their families in immeasurable ways.”<br />

Scholtz said PETCO members paid a voluntary recycling fee on<br />

every tonne of raw material purchased, which funded their efforts<br />

and supported a sustainable recycling industry.<br />

Since the organisation’s incorporation in 2004, a total of R2.3<br />

billion has been paid by contracted recyclers to collectors for<br />

baled bottles, with a total of 609 306 tonnes of PET recycled to<br />

date. This has saved more than 900 000 tonnes of carbon and<br />

almost four million cubic metres of landfill space.<br />

PETCO chairman Casper Durandt, who is also head of<br />

technical for Coca-Cola’s South African franchise, said the<br />

organisation’s accomplishment could not have been achieved<br />

without its dedicated partners.<br />

www.petco.co.za<br />

• SA’s PET industry hits new high with 2.15 billion bottles recycled.<br />

• 65% recycling rate on par with international standards.<br />

• 64 000 income-generating opportunities created.


& Processing <strong>Reporter</strong><br />

Finding the<br />

sweet spot in<br />

new product<br />

development<br />

In developed and maturing markets, food and beverage<br />

manufacturers are struggling with slowing growth and are therefore<br />

seeking new growth opportunities. The challenge is establishing the<br />

right consumer space to identify the right customers and create the<br />

right kind of products. It’s a similar story for emerging markets where<br />

the challenge is to provide relevant consumer products, and service<br />

areas where there’s unlocked potential.<br />

Markus Boehm, Chief Market Officer at SIG, one of the world’s leading<br />

solution providers for the food and beverage industry, discusses<br />

what product innovation and differentiation really mean now and in<br />

the future.<br />

Why is product innovation becoming<br />

so important?<br />

Boehm: The way we live, work and<br />

consume is changing. From digitalisation<br />

and urbanisation to faster on-the go<br />

lifestyles, a whole series of megatrends<br />

are transforming the way people think<br />

of products.<br />

What we’re seeing is that mobile<br />

and connected consumers want more<br />

from their products of choice. They want<br />

high-quality, authentic and convenient<br />

packaging that’s easy to use, enhances<br />

their experience and scores in terms of<br />

sustainability. This means consumers<br />

are willing to pay premium prices for<br />

innovative, sustainable and differentiated<br />

products with real benefits.<br />

What are the challenges of developing<br />

new products?<br />

It’s clear that consumers are no longer<br />

driven purely by price. So, to gain a<br />

competitive edge, producers are battling<br />

it out to offer products that can offer<br />

better health, quality, and experience.<br />

But achieving greater product novelty<br />

requires the right consumer insights<br />

to realise new opportunities. All while<br />

meeting individual consumer needs<br />

and ensuring products stand out at the<br />

point of sale.<br />

What can producers do to overcome<br />

these challenges?<br />

Producers need to develop products for<br />

the next generation that enable them to<br />

meet changing needs and capitalise on<br />

market trends. But to do this, they need<br />

more creative design concepts, more<br />

filling potential for products and more<br />

unique packaging possibilities.<br />

To Next Page<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 25


PEOPLE<br />

NEW MD FOR TETRA PAK SOUTHERN AFRICA<br />

Stefan Fageräng has taken over as MD<br />

of Tetra Pak Southern Africa, replacing<br />

John Strömblad.<br />

“It gives us great pleasure to<br />

welcome Stefan as the head of Tetra<br />

Pak Southern Africa as we celebrate the<br />

company’s 60th anniversary in South<br />

Africa,” says Penny Ntuli, Tetra Pak’s<br />

communications director for SA.<br />

Fageräng is an industry stalwart who<br />

rose through Tetra Pak’s ranks, from<br />

management trainee in Sweden to<br />

senior management, during his 27 years<br />

of tenure.<br />

He has been MD of Tetra Pak North<br />

West Europe, Benelux and Eastern<br />

Mediterranean, to name a few, as well<br />

as VP of Sales and Marketing in the<br />

company’s Processing Division.<br />

Fageräng has served the<br />

company in 12 different<br />

countries in nearly every<br />

department of its global<br />

portfolio.<br />

He graduated from<br />

Uppsala University in<br />

Sweden where he earned<br />

his Bachelor’s degree in<br />

Business Administration<br />

and Economics.<br />

Fageräng also<br />

completed several<br />

executive programmes<br />

in leadership and management<br />

at IMD in Switzerland.<br />

www.tetrapak.com<br />

Markus Boehm<br />

From Previous Page<br />

<strong>Food</strong> and beverage manufacturers<br />

need to find that product “sweet spot”<br />

that enables them to open up new<br />

segments and reach new target groups,<br />

while also growing their existing and wellestablished<br />

core markets.<br />

How can brands stand out in a<br />

crowded market?<br />

Creating more convenient or premium<br />

products is one thing. Making them<br />

authentic and unique is something<br />

else. To truly stand out from the crowd,<br />

producers can be the first in the market<br />

with real product innovation. They can<br />

broaden their portfolio and open up new<br />

consumer segments. And they can move<br />

beyond standard offerings, which in turn<br />

will help them reach attractive margin<br />

levels. Examples of how SIG is enabling<br />

this is with combismile, combidome and<br />

drinksplus. These solutions can help meet<br />

the demand for unique products and<br />

position brands in a competitive market.<br />

What product and packaging<br />

innovations can we expect in<br />

the future?<br />

Well, we can expect product innovations<br />

to come to life faster than ever. But<br />

a growing trend for the future is the<br />

development of more individualised<br />

products with smart packaging – ones<br />

that can be perfectly tailored to fit a<br />

consumer’s personality, lifestyle,<br />

and image.<br />

This move from mass production to<br />

mass personalisation will gather pace<br />

and have a significant impact on<br />

producers, from driving new technology<br />

and business models to unlocking<br />

value-rich data. It will require investment<br />

but the rewards will be great. In fact,<br />

according to Deloitte research, one in five<br />

consumers interested in personalised<br />

products are willing to pay a 20%<br />

premium.<br />

How is your company positioning itself<br />

for these new trends?<br />

SIG aims to drive product Innovation<br />

and differentiation in the beverage<br />

and food industry. With consumerfocused<br />

insights and marketing<br />

intelligence, the company delivers<br />

innovative product and packaging<br />

solutions that enable businesses to<br />

satisfy ever-changing needs. SIG is<br />

currently expanding its offering with a<br />

growing team of product and technical<br />

engineers, while developing test facilities<br />

to prototype product ideas.<br />

• SIG is one of the world's leading solution<br />

providers for the food and beverage<br />

industry within the field of carton packs<br />

and filling technology. In 2017, the<br />

company achieved a turnover of 1.66<br />

billion Euro with more than<br />

5 000 employees.<br />

www.sig.biz<br />

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Or call Alice on (011) 026 8220 or<br />

email admin@fbreporter.co.za<br />

26 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


M&A<br />

Spain’s Iberchem snaps<br />

up SA’s Versachem<br />

Spain’s Iberchem Group is acquiring<br />

a majority stake in Versachem, the<br />

Pretoria-based specialist in food<br />

flavours and colours.<br />

Rina Wulfsohn, founder and CEO of<br />

Versachem, will continue to run<br />

the business.<br />

"We are glad to be welcoming<br />

all of Versachem's employees within<br />

the Iberchem Group's family," says<br />

Ramón Fernández, CEO of Iberchem.<br />

"Versachem's portfolio and expertise,<br />

as well as its corporate culture, are<br />

highly complementary to the ones of<br />

the Group. This acquisition will help<br />

us to quickly expand our offer in what<br />

represents a key market for both our<br />

flavour and fragrance divisions. It will<br />

definitely accelerate our commitment to<br />

developing unique products tailored to<br />

local preferences and characteristics.<br />

Our team looks forward to leveraging<br />

on Versachem's expertise.”<br />

Fernández said the deal comes as<br />

a first milestone in Iberchem Group's<br />

2020 strategy of accelerating its<br />

organic growth through mergers and<br />

acquisitions. The Group is also currently<br />

focusing on the expansion of the<br />

footprint and capabilities of its flavour<br />

division, Scentium, within key fastgrowing<br />

markets.<br />

"We are delighted to be teaming<br />

with the Iberchem Group," says<br />

Wulfsohn. "This alliance will highly<br />

benefit our trusted customers in<br />

the region, mostly by strengthening<br />

our existing capabilities and abilities in<br />

the development of innovative flavour<br />

solutions. It will allow both companies to<br />

broaden their offering in South Africa and<br />

its neighbouring countries."<br />

With a commercial presence in over<br />

120 countries and counting on 12 R&D/<br />

production facilities strategically located<br />

around the world, Iberchem has become<br />

a leading reference in the flavour and<br />

fragrance industry since its foundation<br />

in Spain in 1985. In 2017, the group<br />

reported sales of €125m.<br />

www.versachem.co.za<br />

www.iberchem.com<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 27


ANNIVERSARY<br />

BUCKLE’S 40 YEARS OF BAG<br />

CLOSING EXCELLENCE<br />

When Buckle Packaging<br />

started in 1979, it was<br />

with the aim of supplying<br />

the agricultural sector with quality<br />

end-of-line packaging machinery.<br />

As sole agents for Fischbein-Saxon<br />

from the USA and UK, this familyrun<br />

packaging company was able<br />

to supply a solution to the bag<br />

closing needs of the agricultural<br />

industry.<br />

Fast forward to <strong>2018</strong>, one year<br />

short of their 40-year anniversary,<br />

and Buckle Packaging can boast<br />

of being one of South Africa’s<br />

leading importers and distributors<br />

of packaging machinery. Still family<br />

run, they continue to follow their<br />

steadfast mission of supplying<br />

only the best quality machinery.<br />

Buckle Packaging’s range of<br />

machinery spans from machines to<br />

close bags for nuts, spices, sugar,<br />

and fertilizer; basically any product<br />

that needs to be sealed or sewn<br />

into an open mouth bag.<br />

Its bagging solutions cover an array<br />

of different industries including grain,<br />

flour and sugar milling, animal feed and<br />

fertilizer to name a few, and is a leading<br />

supplier of packaging machines to the<br />

fruit and vegetable sector.<br />

Within the potato farming fraternity,<br />

one of Buckle Packaging’s most soughtafter<br />

items is the Fischbein range of bag<br />

stitching machines. From portable handheld<br />

units for lower production runs,<br />

through to the heavy-duty, high-speed<br />

in-line stitchers, this equipment is sturdy,<br />

durable and designed for working long<br />

hours.<br />

The high-speed stitcher is adaptable<br />

to all makes of carousel units, and<br />

uses a self-lubricating system which<br />

makes it reliable and sturdy for the<br />

tough job of packaging potatoes daily.<br />

The machine comes standard with a<br />

variable-speed pulley which allows for<br />

easy synchronisation to the speed of the<br />

conveyor or carousel. The stitch length is<br />

also adjustable depending on the specific<br />

bags being used.<br />

The Fischbein Auto-Bag<br />

Stitcher, one of Buckle<br />

Packaging’s range of machines.<br />

This packaging system is designed<br />

to work at high speeds, making sure the<br />

volumes of potato pockets are closed<br />

securely and within the fastest time. The<br />

Fischbein stitcher is completely sealed<br />

in oil against dust and dirt allowing for<br />

smooth operation.<br />

This system would be just as efficient<br />

for the bagging of other fruit and<br />

vegetables such as macadamias, maize,<br />

groundnuts, sorghum and popcorn to<br />

name a few. Stitching and heat sealing<br />

does away with wire ties and taping of<br />

bags which is labour-intensive and not<br />

as secure. Stitching and sealing of bags<br />

has also proven to be tamper-proof;<br />

product cannot be removed from the<br />

bag as easily.<br />

If it's nuts that you’re farming, Buckle<br />

Packaging can assist nut farmers and<br />

packers throughout the country with<br />

Fishbein-Saxon bag closing equipment.<br />

The larger 25kg and 50kg woven poly<br />

bags are sewn closed and in many cases<br />

bagged for export.<br />

If nuts are being packaged in smaller<br />

stand-up pouches, polyethylene or foil<br />

packets, Buckle Packaging recommends<br />

heat sealing these bags with the Saxon<br />

SH1000 continuous heat sealer for a<br />

neat closure.<br />

Buckle Packaging's services and<br />

expertise do not stop here. The company<br />

has years of experience in helping and<br />

advising you on the best system to solve<br />

your individual bagging problem.<br />

They have a large range of premium<br />

quality bag sewing thread. This ring-spun<br />

polyester product is available in various<br />

cone sizes for portable bag stitching<br />

machines, as well as industrial sewing<br />

systems with cones up to 10kg. The<br />

standard colour range is white with an<br />

option of six other colours. Inferior quality<br />

thread with knots and flaws leads to<br />

machine downtime and low productivity.<br />

This also poses the danger of product<br />

loss during transportation and handling.<br />

Buckle offers installation of their<br />

systems, machine servicing and repairs,<br />

and provides spare parts needed to<br />

maintain these important machines.<br />

www.bucklepack.co.za<br />

28 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


SMART IDEAS<br />

FLEXICON’S BAG<br />

CONDITIONER<br />

NOW LASER SAFE<br />

A new BLOCK-BUSTER Bulk Bag Conditioner from Flexicon<br />

Corporation features a laser safety curtain that automatically<br />

stops the system's hydraulic rams, scissor lift and turntable if<br />

the laser beam is obstructed, eliminating the need for safetyhinged<br />

doors and interlock switches for operator safety.<br />

The conditioner loosens densely-packed bulk solid<br />

materials in bulk bags by means of hydraulic rams with<br />

specially contoured end plates that press and release<br />

opposing sides<br />

of the bag. A<br />

hydraulicallyactuated,<br />

variableheight<br />

scissor lift<br />

with accordionstyle<br />

dust skirt and<br />

turntable allows<br />

conditioning of the<br />

bag on all sides at all<br />

heights.<br />

The number<br />

and pressure of<br />

hydraulic ram<br />

actuations, the<br />

height of the<br />

turntable, and<br />

the number of<br />

90-degree rotations<br />

are user adjustable.<br />

The system<br />

controller and<br />

hydraulic pump can<br />

be mounted on the exterior of the frame or remotely.<br />

The new conditioner is intended for bulk bags containing<br />

hygroscopic chemicals, certain types of spice blends, heatsensitive<br />

products, and other materials prone to solidifying<br />

to the point at which pneumatically-actuated flow promotion<br />

accessories integral to bulk bag dischargers are inefficient or<br />

completely ineffective.<br />

Available as a stand-alone unit or integral component of<br />

a bulk bag discharger, the unit measures 2210 mm H X 3378<br />

mm W X 1981 mm D, accommodates bulk bags of all popular<br />

sizes, and requires only an electrical power connection for<br />

operation.<br />

The company also manufactures bulk bag dischargers,<br />

bulk bag fillers, flexible screw conveyors, pneumatic<br />

conveying systems, tubular cable conveyors, manual<br />

dumping stations, drum/box/container tippers, weigh<br />

batching systems, and automated plant-wide systems<br />

integrated with new or existing process equipment.<br />

www.flexicon.co.za<br />

ISHIDA SOLVES<br />

PROBLEM OF<br />

WATER INGRESS<br />

Ishida Europe has introduced an internal moisture sensor<br />

and monitoring system for its latest multihead weighers,<br />

which will enable fresh and frozen food producers to more<br />

easily control and prevent water ingress into their critical<br />

production equipment.<br />

Coupled with Ishida’s advanced Sentinel monitoring and<br />

reporting system, this will ensure an enhanced performance<br />

and longer term reliability.<br />

Water ingress is a common problem in the fresh and<br />

frozen weighing and packing environment. While models<br />

for these applications typically have appropriate IP ratings<br />

and waterproof washdown designs, these cannot prevent<br />

incidents such as doors and drive weigh units being loosely<br />

torqued, or doors being inadvertently left open, even if just<br />

for a short while.<br />

In addition, air purge systems designed to push out moist<br />

air may be poorly maintained and lead to humid air being<br />

used. Excessive water or humidity within a multihead weigher<br />

will cause loss of machine performance and significant<br />

damage that can result in expensive downtime and repairs.<br />

The Ishida solution is three dew and temperature sensors<br />

placed at key points within the weigher, providing a constant<br />

monitoring of humidity levels and sending out a series of<br />

escalating alerts to operators if levels become too high.<br />

There are three stages of alerts. A humidity level of<br />

between 70% and 79% triggers a yellow alert. This humidity<br />

can typically be cleared by use of the air purge system.<br />

Humidity levels between 80% and 89% - which could occur<br />

if the air purge system itself is compromised - create a red<br />

alert that results in the weigher’s power being automatically<br />

switched off. It cannot then be switched back on until<br />

moisture levels have dropped below the 80% threshold.<br />

Anything above the 90% critical level will see a bespoke<br />

input/output module come into operation. This can be<br />

configured to customer requirements such as an audible<br />

alarm or a series of beacon warning lights to indicate that<br />

critical moisture levels have been reached.<br />

“Our multihead weighers are renowned for their reliability<br />

and efficiency, but the downside to this is that the machines<br />

can still continue to operate for a long time even in harsh<br />

environments where their levels of protection have been<br />

compromised,” explains Ian Atkinson, Ishida Europe’s<br />

Business Manager EMEA – Multihead Weighers.<br />

As a result, says Atkinson, “operators may be unaware of<br />

major faults until it is too late to take remedial action, leading<br />

to unwanted downtime and frustration. The availability of<br />

our moisture sensors, together with the real time reporting<br />

capabilities of Sentinel, eliminates this problem.”<br />

torsten.giese@ishidaeurope.com<br />

www.ishidaeurope.com<br />

30 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


CASE STUDY<br />

THE POWER OF<br />

INTERACTIVE LABELS<br />

How does a young, dynamic brand<br />

like Thirsti increase sales volumes<br />

over their summer campaign by a<br />

massive 45% year-on-year in an intensely<br />

competitive market?<br />

Look to the use of a ground-breaking<br />

interactive label concept that links the<br />

world of print with a mobile digital<br />

platform.<br />

The interactive label, the brainchild of<br />

Uniprint, was the face of the 2017/<strong>2018</strong><br />

“Thirsti 4 Summer” campaign. This<br />

scannable label, which carried Facebook<br />

Messenger codes, allowed consumers to<br />

connect directly to the Thirsti Facebook<br />

Messenger page via their smartphone,<br />

and to interact with a sophisticated<br />

“chat bot”.<br />

The “bot”, which was driven by<br />

artificial intelligence (AI) software, was<br />

able to offer a personalised, immediate<br />

engagement with consumers using their<br />

Facebook Messenger profile. At the<br />

same time, the “bot” was able to advise<br />

on hydration and sipping frequency<br />

and facilitate entries for a Spin and Win<br />

competition on the uWina platform.<br />

The Thirsti project, the first of its<br />

kind in South Africa - and possibly<br />

worldwide - integrated print, digital<br />

technology and social media to offer<br />

the brand the ability to handshake with<br />

the client without the requirement for<br />

full variable data printing to achieve<br />

personalisation.<br />

The project was designed, developed<br />

and implemented in a mere three<br />

months and has paved the way for<br />

interactive labels to change the face of<br />

marketing forever.<br />

Design Wizardry<br />

The existing Thirsti label features a clean,<br />

contemporary, one-colour design that<br />

reflects the youth and dynamism of the<br />

company. The digital campaign required<br />

that the label carry promotional text, a<br />

scannable code and a unique number<br />

for the competition entry, while still<br />

maintaining the brand’s clean look<br />

and feel.<br />

The design team, in tandem<br />

with the digital team, set to work to<br />

creatively maximise the existing<br />

label space. Blue and white<br />

promotional graphics were inlaid<br />

into the existing design along<br />

with space for the scannable<br />

Facebook Messenger code. The<br />

team recognised that the label<br />

design had to make consumers<br />

feel confident they could easily<br />

navigate through to the Facebook<br />

page as well as handle the<br />

competition entry.<br />

The size and placement of the<br />

scannable code and the sequential<br />

numbering involved late nights,<br />

extensive trials and plenty of<br />

technical knowledge and skill. Placing<br />

a scannable code on a curved bottle<br />

surface that could be read by any<br />

smart phone was by itself a huge ask.<br />

Software Wizardry<br />

Behind the scenes, further work<br />

was going on at UNIPRINT and its<br />

partners. While the “chat bot” was being<br />

developed, so that it could successfully<br />

engage with consumers, the Spin and<br />

Win competition was also evolving.<br />

Crucial to the promotion was a<br />

system that could process the unique<br />

number found on each bottle via the<br />

Facebook Messenger page.<br />

This ensured that consumers could<br />

only enter the competition by purchasing<br />

a bottle but also provided a database for<br />

tracking and delivering prizes as well as<br />

valuable marketing information.<br />

The competition team had to ensure<br />

that the prizes, which varied from<br />

cellular data to shopping vouchers, were<br />

purchased, recorded and delivered<br />

correctly. The campaign attracted over<br />

12 000 entries over a three-month<br />

period, which was unusually high for such<br />

a promotion.<br />

32 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


Printing Wizardry<br />

The decision to print the label flexographically required<br />

plenty of technical know-how from Uniprint. The promotional<br />

label design, which anticipated a cmyk print, was reproduced<br />

in three spot colours to ensure tight registration and<br />

therefore, perfect “scannability”. The Facebook Messenger<br />

codes were reproduced using barcode-printing technology<br />

and, critically, any gain in the print process was compensated<br />

for in the repro stages.<br />

It was essential to ensure that the flexo plates were<br />

sufficiently durable to maintain the accuracy over the long<br />

print runs that were required by the customer.<br />

The messenger codes and label design were printed in-line,<br />

in blue, onto the white ink - as opposed to directly onto<br />

the substrate. Ink choice and compatibility were critical.<br />

The white background had to be sufficiently opaque in<br />

order to prevent the Messenger code’s scannability being<br />

compromised by light reflections through the bottle. The fine<br />

type on the clear label is testament to the quality of the<br />

flexo printing.<br />

“Success is no longer about who<br />

has the biggest factory or the<br />

largest range of equipment.”<br />

- Uniprint MDGrant Hubbard<br />

The chosen substrate was an ultra clear polypropylene<br />

so that the self-adhesive label would have a “no-label” look,<br />

critical to the established brand identity of Thirsti.<br />

The unique variable number for the competition was<br />

ink-jet printed during the final rewinding process, as opposed<br />

to on press. This was to ensure that no numbers were lost in<br />

the set-up stages and roll changes through the process.<br />

The “Thirsti for Summer” campaign was so successful that<br />

Uniprint had to produce a second run of labels.<br />

To ensure success of the promotion and drive awareness<br />

of the new engagement technology and competition<br />

possibilities, Uniprint’s partners at Hirt & Carter reproduced<br />

the concept design on in-store, point-of-sale stands,<br />

wobblers, banners and shelf talkers. Ultimately, the campaign<br />

drove a surge in sales for Thirsti.<br />

Uniprint MD Grant Hubbard puts it in a nutshell, “Success is<br />

no longer about who has the biggest factory or the largest<br />

range of equipment. The market is challenging us to combine<br />

technologies in new and innovative ways, so that we can<br />

offer customers new and innovative solutions in order to<br />

differentiate themselves in the market. In the past, media<br />

and print technologies were often seen as rivals but now they<br />

are in partnership. They complement one another. We’ve<br />

taken full advantage of our partners’ capabilities to harness<br />

complementary technologies and create unique solutions.”<br />

Adds Hubbard: “We are continually up-skilling our<br />

workforce and our technology so that what was considered<br />

impossible just yesterday is a reality today. It’s a very exciting<br />

time for everyone.”<br />

www.uniprint.co.za


FOOD SAFETY<br />

PATHOGEN CONTROL FOR MEAT/POULTRY<br />

ANTIMICROBIAL SPRAYS:<br />

EFFECTIVE & VERSATILE<br />

In the aftermath of the Listeria disaster, Josh DeVoll looks at the benefits and<br />

challenges of using antimicrobial sprays to keep pathogens at bay.<br />

When it comes to food safety,<br />

there is no room for risk-taking.<br />

The challenge isn’t whether to<br />

protect products against pathogens; it’s<br />

to identify the best approach for your<br />

processing operations. There are many<br />

options available and technology is<br />

changing rapidly.<br />

In this white paper, you’ll learn a<br />

bit about the different approaches<br />

to pathogen control and a lot about<br />

one technology that is highly effective,<br />

versatile and lower cost than other<br />

options: applying antimicrobials to<br />

processed meats/poultry prior to<br />

packaging.<br />

There are four equipment options for<br />

treating meat and poultry for pathogen<br />

protection and each relies on different<br />

technology.<br />

1. Ultra pasteurization<br />

2. High-pressure pasteurization<br />

3. Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP)<br />

4. Spray application of antimicrobials<br />

1. ULTRA PASTEURIZATION is the<br />

process of thermally treating packaged<br />

meats at elevated temperatures. Exposure<br />

to these temperatures must be at<br />

the surface of the meat for a length of<br />

time such that all potential contamination<br />

is exposed to the treatment. Under the<br />

right conditions, this method can be<br />

effective.<br />

This method doesn’t work with<br />

overlapped products because it<br />

requires a prolonged exposure to heat.<br />

Depending on the type of product,<br />

organoleptic properties also become<br />

a concern.<br />

2. HIGH-PRESSURE PASTEURIZATION<br />

(HPP) utilizes high pressure at between<br />

1 000 to 88 000 psi to kill pathogens.<br />

It is extremely effective and typically<br />

achieves 4-8 log reductions, but can limit<br />

production because it is a batch process.<br />

3. MODIFIED ATMOSPHERIC<br />

PACKAGING (MAP) uses specific<br />

packaging in which the internal<br />

atmosphere of the package is flushed<br />

with N2, CO2, CO or a mixture of those<br />

elements. MAP is effective for shelf<br />

life extension and has no effect on<br />

organoleptic properties. However, the<br />

effectiveness of the process is dependent<br />

on the packaging. The use cost of MAP<br />

is generally twice the cost of traditional<br />

vacuum packaging.<br />

4. SPRAY APPLICATION OF<br />

ANTIMICROBIALS is the fourth option.<br />

The antimicrobials are often applied in<br />

the package but it can be done prior to<br />

packaging as well. The system enables<br />

easy adjustment of the volume of<br />

antimicrobial being applied<br />

Antimicrobials come in a variety of<br />

forms and options must be carefully<br />

evaluated. Factors such as ingredients,<br />

efficacy and handling, shelf life, clean<br />

labelling requirements, application<br />

requirements and cost can vary widely,<br />

and will drive the ultimate selection. Keep<br />

in mind that the application equipment<br />

can have a significant impact on the<br />

effectiveness of the antimicrobial.<br />

Most antimicrobials are shipped in<br />

a concentrated form and require mixing<br />

on-site with water at a determined<br />

ratio. The storage temperature of the<br />

concentrate and mixed solution may<br />

differ so be sure to understand the<br />

requirements early in the evaluation<br />

process.<br />

Also, keep in mind that most<br />

antimicrobials have a shelf life after being<br />

mixed, usually one to five days.<br />

Some antimicrobials must be listed<br />

on product labels; some do not. It<br />

34 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


FOOD SAFETY<br />

depends on whether the antimicrobial is<br />

considered a processing aid.<br />

BEST PRACTICES<br />

• Applying antimicrobials in the package<br />

is ideal. The package is the last point<br />

of intervention after exposure to other<br />

potential sources of contamination,<br />

such as conveyors, tables and<br />

personnel<br />

“Applying antimicrobials<br />

with spray equipment<br />

offers many advantages<br />

over other technologies.”<br />

• If spraying just prior to packaging,<br />

choose a point where contact surfaces<br />

of the product are accessible. If the<br />

product comes into contact with other<br />

surfaces after application, be sure<br />

those surfaces have been sanitized.<br />

• Trim and other products that are going<br />

to be ground should be sprayed with<br />

antimicrobial prior to grinding. Exposed<br />

product surfaces that could have<br />

potential contamination are lowest at<br />

this point. The antimicrobial is typically<br />

sprayed into a blender or mixer.<br />

• Any type of equipment that comes<br />

in contact with the products should be<br />

sprayed periodically with sanitizers to<br />

limit the spread of contaminants.<br />

• Consult with experts. Spraying<br />

antimicrobials requires a high-level of<br />

precision and is not attainable with<br />

workers using spray bottles or holes<br />

drilled in pipes<br />

DILUTION, MIXING AND DOSING<br />

Nearly every antimicrobial comes in a<br />

concentrated form and requires dilution.<br />

Antimicrobials can be mixed manually.<br />

However, because manual mixing is<br />

operator dependent, it isn’t very precise<br />

or repeatable.<br />

Automated mixing/refill equipment<br />

eliminates the variations found in manual<br />

mixing and reduces the potential for<br />

contamination. When antimicrobials<br />

are exposed to airborne bacteria<br />

and surfaces such as containers, the<br />

opportunity for contamination exists.<br />

Most processors run a variety of<br />

products on a single line. Each product<br />

may require a different volume of<br />

antimicrobial. Spray equipment should be<br />

able to easily and quickly accommodate<br />

different products. In fact, it should<br />

be as easy as a couple of taps on a<br />

touch screen. If physical changes to the<br />

equipment are required, quality control is<br />

typically compromised.<br />

The efficacy of antimicrobials is<br />

based on the concentration and volume<br />

applied. An automated refill system can<br />

help ensure the proper concentration<br />

is achieved. The volume of antimicrobial<br />

applied is just as important.<br />

Over-application of the antimicrobial<br />

can cause a variety of negative effects:<br />

• Customer satisfaction may decrease as<br />

over-application can create unpleasant<br />

smells or liquid in packages<br />

• Regulatory limits can be exceeded and<br />

result in fines or recalls<br />

• Costs can spiral out of control.<br />

CONCLUSION<br />

Applying antimicrobials with spray<br />

equipment offers many advantages over<br />

other technologies. Cost, ease-of-use<br />

and precision application are attractive<br />

to processors of all sizes. Depending on<br />

which antimicrobials are used, shelflife<br />

extension, cleaner labels, improved<br />

customer satisfaction.<br />

• Josh DeVoll is a Director of Market<br />

Solutions at Spraying Systems<br />

Co, headquartered in Chicago. It<br />

is represented in SA by Monitor<br />

Engineering.<br />

www.spray.co.za<br />

CALL US FOR ALL YOUR EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS<br />

Various machines - ranging from Vacuum Tumblers, Injectors, Sausage Fillers, Vacuum machines,<br />

Clippers and many more....<br />

Pallet washer Brine Injector Vacuum Tumbler Hygiene Station Crate Washer/Sanitiser Bowel Cutter<br />

• Tel: +27 11 664 8212 • Email: info@bmpe.co.za<br />

• www.bmpe.co.za<br />

Branches in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban


DINNERMATES<br />

Tel: +27 11 462 0020<br />

+27 11 032 8600<br />

Fax: +27 11 462 0032<br />

sales@dinnermates.co.za<br />

www.dinnermates.co.za<br />

Suppliers to the hospitality and<br />

food industries of quality portioncontrolled,<br />

chilled, frozen and dried meat products. Service<br />

excellence, innovation and flexibility give Dinnermates the<br />

edge in providing meat and chicken products tailored for<br />

special applications in the food industry.<br />

PHT-SA TRADING<br />

INTERNATIONAL<br />

Tel: +27 861 777 993<br />

info@pht.co.za<br />

www.pht.co.za<br />

PHT, your partner for hygiene and technology, plans and<br />

offers hygiene, food safety and technology solutions for<br />

food and beverage companies of any size; personnel<br />

hygiene equipment, change room equipment, drain<br />

technology, cleaning machines, foam cleaning technology,<br />

consumable goods, ergonomic handling systems, doors<br />

and components, deboning conveyor and racking systems,<br />

stunning and slaughter systems, water treatment systems,<br />

smoking and cooking systems, wood, pan releasing agents,<br />

speciality ingredients.<br />

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY<br />

MATRIX SOFTWARE<br />

Tel: +27 16 423 5537<br />

Fax: +27 86 605 5406<br />

info@matrixsoftware.co.za<br />

• Complete software solution<br />

for the food and meat industry<br />

• Full traceable stock control<br />

• Full MRP and traceability solutions<br />

• Specialists in meat systems (abattoir/debone<br />

/processing)<br />

• Retail point of sale<br />

• Scales, label printing and probes integration<br />

• Recipes and yield control systems<br />

• Integration with most known financial systems<br />

AROMATECH FLAVOURS<br />

Tel: + 27 10 010 6147<br />

+ 27 11 452 1760<br />

admin@aromatech.co.za<br />

www.aromatech.co.za<br />

For the past 30 years, Aromatech has specialised in the<br />

development and manufacture of flavours for snacks.<br />

Today, besides snack seasonings, with the co-operation of<br />

some of the world’s finest French flavour chemists, we now<br />

offer flavours for the whole of the food, dairy, pharmaceutical<br />

and beverage industries.<br />

We are also able to offer single vitamins and vitamin<br />

pre-mixes, of the highest quality.<br />

Aromatech will not compromise on quality, and offer<br />

extremely competitive prices, low minimum order quantities<br />

and outstanding technical and personal service.<br />

We are passionate about what we do. Make us your<br />

next flavour partner.<br />

LAKE FOODS<br />

Unit 2 Galaxy Office Park,<br />

17 Galaxy Avenue, Linbro Business Park, Sandton<br />

Tel +27 11 409 5000<br />

www.lakefoods.co.za<br />

Lake <strong>Food</strong>s is the exclusive<br />

representative for leading<br />

international manufacturers and suppliers of specialty<br />

ingredients and commodities, offering products and services<br />

into the dairy, beverage, wine, meat, poultry, bakery, health and<br />

nutrition industries.<br />

Offering a full service to their customers, Lake <strong>Food</strong>s has<br />

a well-equipped pilot facility at Linbro Park, Sandton, which<br />

enables the technical department to assist customers with new<br />

product innovation, development and product improvements.<br />

Products in our portfolio include bacterial cultures, enzymes,<br />

natural colours, test systems, phosphates, stabilisers,<br />

emulsifiers, baking powders, brines, spice blends, marinades<br />

and various other food ingredients.<br />

STORAGE SOLUTIONS<br />

BARPRO STORAGE<br />

Cape Town Tel: +27 (0)21 552 9190<br />

Johannesburg Tel: +27 (0)11 450 1075<br />

info@barpro.co.za<br />

www.barprostorage.co.za<br />

Double your warehouse and cold store capacity<br />

without adding another square metre.<br />

Storax mobile racking is designed to fit in either new or<br />

existing warehouses and cold stores where space is at a<br />

premium. Mobile racking can double pallet capacity while still<br />

allowing immediate access to every pallet position.<br />

Barpro has offices in both Joburg and Cape Town, can<br />

manufacture locally, has spares and trained technicians<br />

on hand.<br />

36 JUNE <strong>2018</strong> | FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER www.fbreporter.co.za


PRODUCT SOLUTIONS & SERVICE SUPPLIER<br />

ABB SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD<br />

ABB Campus, 2 Lake Rd,<br />

Longmeadow Business Estate (North),<br />

Modderfontein, 1609<br />

Tel: +27 10 202 5000<br />

contact.center@za.abb.com<br />

www.abb.com/africa<br />

ABB’s food & beverage solutions<br />

Plant-wide solutions to optimize productivity,<br />

efficiency and uptime.<br />

ABB’s broad digital portfolio enables increased control and<br />

visibility for better optimisation and productivity with less<br />

energy and water, realize improved food safety and<br />

traceability, and minimise waste. ABB can help you build<br />

the flexible, cost effective production systems needed to<br />

manage your risks and gain the most from today’s trends.<br />

ABB use the Internet of Things, Services and People to help<br />

you get the most out of your assets and improve uptime.<br />

Find out more about our full range of solutions at<br />

www.abb.com/food&beverage, or contact your local<br />

ABB office.<br />

CCS LOGISTICS<br />

PO Box 686, Cape Town, 8000<br />

Vrystaat Road, Paarden Eiland<br />

Cape Town, South Africa<br />

Tel +27 87 350 7350<br />

www.ccslogistics.co.za<br />

www.linebooker.co.za<br />

As the largest cold store operator in Africa, operating since<br />

1971 and a 100% subsidiary of the Oceana Group, CCS<br />

Logistics owns and operates eleven modern refrigerated<br />

facilities in the major centres and harbours of South Africa,<br />

Namibia and Angola. Collectively, CCS offer 140 000 tons<br />

of multi temperature controlled storage and handling from<br />

ambient to minus 60 degrees.<br />

Dynamic warehouse management systems incorporating<br />

radio frequency technology and integration capabilities<br />

support our range of services that include picking, blast<br />

freezing, bonded facilities, bulk vessel quayside operations<br />

and stevedoring. Customised services range from container<br />

consolidation, cross-docking, palletisation, transport and<br />

facilitation of clearing and forwarding.<br />

PRODUCT SOLUTIONS & SERVICE SUPPLIER<br />

CCS LOGISTICS-LINEBOOKER<br />

PO Box 686, Cape Town, 8000<br />

Vrystaat Road, Paarden Eiland<br />

Cape Town, South Africa<br />

Tel: +27 87 350 7283<br />

linebooker@ccslogistics.co.za<br />

www.linebooker.co.za<br />

Linebooker is not a brokerage. Linebooker is an online<br />

business where customers have easy access to the majority<br />

of transport companies is South Africa. How it works: the<br />

customer would publish a load request on our platform<br />

and multiple pre-approved transport companies would<br />

bid for your load. Our customer can then choose to accept<br />

the lowest bid. We take care of the rest. Transporters on<br />

the other hand have access to more customers, thus more<br />

loads which assists in lane balancing and reduces the need<br />

to subcontract. We pay the transporter within 15 days and<br />

take care of all admin.<br />

VEOLIA<br />

Tel: +27 11 974 8161<br />

Fax: +27 11 974 8867<br />

gerhard.burger@veoliawater.com<br />

www.veoliawaterst.co.za<br />

Veolia Water Solutions & Technologies SA is a specialist<br />

provider of complete water and wastewater treatment<br />

solutions and is active throughout southern and sub-<br />

Saharan Africa.<br />

As a subsidiary of the multinational Veolia Water,<br />

the company offers a full range of products and services<br />

to a variety of industries, including food and beverage,<br />

petrochemical, mining, municipalities, and numerous others.<br />

Veolia employs leading technology for disinfection,<br />

filtration and general purification, including environmental<br />

protection.<br />

Solutions are completed by in-house capacity to provide<br />

a speciality chemical treatment range - Hydrex - as well as<br />

SABS-approved hygiene products and services.<br />

ADVERTISE IN OUR<br />

SUPPLIER SHOWCASE<br />

Email wendy@fbreporter.co.za Tel: 083 653 8116<br />

www.fbreporter.co.za FOOD & BEVERAGE REPORTER | JUNE <strong>2018</strong> 37

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