The Global Miller: February 2016

February 29, 2016

29/02/2016: Boosting animal welfare with phytogenic products

https://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1601_w1/50

by Monika Korzekwa, Dr Eckel GmbH, Niederzissen, Germany

First published in Milling and Grain, January 2016

Animal welfare in turkeys is a huge challenge. When the talk is of animal welfare deficiencies, attention focuses above all on turkeys. High antibiotic doses, cannibalism, high stock densities and inflamed foot pads are influences stated in connection with low animal welfare levels.

Even if it is not yet possible to solve all problems simultaneously today, initiatives and research studies are showing initial signs of being able to reduce some of these negative influences successfully for the future.

It is possible to influence the wellbeing of the poultry favourably, in particular by feeding, especially by adding phytogenic ingredients to the feed. Since 2013 the binding establishment of a health monitoring programme plays a central role in Germany. The objective of the programme is to enable the participating farmers to assess the health and animal welfare of their turkeys continuously.

The health monitoring programme uses indicators that can be surveyed at the slaughterhouse in the context of conducting the official meat inspection. If the health monitoring programme shows indications of deviations from the target ranges, an individual health plan is drawn up for the farm jointly by the veterinarian looking after the flock and the turkey farmer.

Healthy foot pads: a must for animal welfare
In turkey fattening, the health status of the sensitive foot pads represents a key criterion for animal welfare, for the foot pads carry the weight of the birds. Inflammation restricts their mobility and has a critical effect on overall condition and feeding behaviour.

This can lead to negative effects on growth and mortality and thus reduce the profitability of turkey farming substantially. Consequently, commercially successful poultry keeping goes hand in hand with applied animal welfare.

As foot pad diseases are a multi-factorial problem, they indicate deficiencies in both keeping conditions and farm management (diarrhoea diseases, population density, climate management, weather protection, litter material, littering frequency). Furthermore, the frequency of foot pad damage correlates with the occurrence of painful changes in the skin and subcutaneous tissue referred to as ‘breast blisters’.

The direct connection between litter moisture content and foot pad diseases is undisputed. The wetter and stickier the litter/excrement mixture, the higher the occurrence of foot pad skin alterations or injuries. Moisture and excrement attack the skin of the sole and lead to lesions, which are the entry gates for dirt and germs.

Read the full article in Milling and Grain HERE.

The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine GFMT
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.

For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com

Imeco company profile

Imeco is based in the very heart of the main agricultural area of Northern Italy, in Cremona, around 100km south east of Milan, which is also in the middle of one of the most advanced industrial areas of Europe.

This unique position blends the most modern hi-tech production and design compatibilities, with an understanding of the subtleties of nature and of its products.

Firstly research, then manufacturing and, last but not least, design make Imeco a leading specialist in dosing, weighing and packaging systems for bulk products.

Visit the company site HERE.

29/02/2016: ONE Vision of 2050 to be depicted in virtual reality exhibit at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference; Early bird deadline TODAY

Discover how individual decisions today can propel us toward a world of plenty in 2050

Register now at one.alltech.com to learn how to make your ONE small change; early bird deadline is February 29

Within the next 34 years, the world will have an extra three billion mouths to feed. What will that mean for humanity, or, perhaps even more importantly, the agriculture and food sectors responsible for nourishing them? Is it a future full of gloom and doom, or of abundance?

According to Alltech, the choice is yours. A future of plenty is ours if individuals, the private sector, agriculture and governments make meaningful choices today that harness the power of technology, conserve resources and encourage innovation.

Step into what’s possible—a planet of promise—at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference, on May 22-25 in Lexington, Kentucky, USA.

In order to visualise 2050, Alltech has commissioned an Ireland-based agency to create a virtual world entitled ONE Vision. ONE Vision will allow attendees of ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference to experience a planet of plenty, where technology and science align in order to produce nutritious food for the world’s nine billion inhabitants.

“Most of us, if we are honest, simply cannot picture life in 2050, or if we can, our ideas are perhaps predictably negative,” said Dr Pearse Lyons, founder and president of Alltech.

“We need to think differently.”

“At ONE this coming May, you and up to 5 000 attendees will be able to experience our ONE Vision of this world, which sustainably produces healthy food, ensuring the future of our planet for generations to come,” continued Dr Lyons.

“It is absolutely possible to balance sustainable food production, whilst protecting the earth’s most valuable resources. By peeling back the curtain on the future and allowing you to glimpse what’s possible, we hope to energise individuals to make choices today for our future. Positivity powers possibility.”

ONE attendees will be guided through a ONE Vision virtual tour to witness a world in harmony with its three essential elements: land, air and water. Given that UN predictions place 66 percent of the population in urban areas by 2050, ONE Vision will allow attendees to step into vertical farms in the centre of a city.

Attendees will also find themselves in sub-Saharan Africa where advanced soil management solutions have trebled crop production, or in Asia’s paddy fields where upland planting is producing sustainable harvests in flood-prone areas. Across the globe, the farms of the future are thriving as their animals achieve their genetic potential, producing more with less, all while reversing soil degradation and reducing water use, waste and emissions.

Not only will ONE attendees be able to immerse themselves in this fascinating virtual world, but they will also have opportunity to hear from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, former CEO of Ford Alan Mulally and renowned author and water expert Seth M Siegel amongst others at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference. The annual international conference draws nearly 5 000 attendees from more than 60 countries to network and discuss world-changing ideas.

Watch the video HERE.

Registration is open now for ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, from May 22-25.

Conference registration is US$1 095; save US$400 if you register on or before February 29.

For more information or to register, visit one.alltech.com.

Join the conversation online with #ONEBigIdea.

29/02/2016: New airlock/double-dump valves feed and measure

Roto-Disc® airlock/double-dump - feed hoppers &
funnels are available per application requirement

Roto-Disc® Airlock/Double-Dump valves are now able to feed and measure product into and/or out of pressure or vacuum environments in four modes.

Through the development of the Roto-Disc Cycle Timer (RDCC™) and enhancements to its accumulator chambers, applications now have volumetric and gravimetric measuring capability, in addition to traditional temporal and manual control. Included in this new capability is the option to switch between any of these modes almost instantaneously and then return to operation just as quick, providing measurement flexibility.

The new feeding solutions are accomplished with load-cell mounts and/or level sensor ports, both of which are located on the chamber according to the application requirements. Gravimetric solutions are provided with flexible connections on the assembly for accurate weight measurement. This processing solution can take the place of other feeding devices and make processes more efficient.

Visit the Roto-Disc site HERE.

29/02/2016: Lallemand Animal Nutrition launches a new solution: YANG®

http://www.lallemandanimalnutrition.com/

Lallemand Animal Nutrition is pleased to introduce its new solution for livestock producers: YANG®, the yeast association new generation.

An innovation born of Lallemand research and the expertise of our various divisions — such as oenology, animal and human nutrition — YANG® is a synergistic alliance of specific strains of inactivated yeast. YANG® is a concentrate of defences supporting animals during stressful and challenging conditions such as weaning, feed transitions, and sanitary challenges. YANG® can be used in most feed production processes.

Not all yeasts are equal!
The properties of yeast derivatives (products obtained from inactivated yeast cells) and their ability to 1) adhere to specific bacteria and 2) modulate the immune system, are well known in human and animal nutrition. A collaborative investigation conducted with research institutes has shown that these properties are highly strain-dependent and linked to the yeast genome.

Thanks to cutting-edge technologies applied for the first time in this area, Lallemand R&D teams have selected yeast strains (including Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Cyberlindnera jadinii) with different and complementary properties and combined them in a unique formula: YANG®.

Trials have been conducted in controlled facilities and in commercial farms showing beneficial effects in post-weaning piglets, calves, goats, shrimp and fish. Further trials are ongoing in other animal species.

Learn more HERE.

February 26, 2016

Balaguer Rolls company profile

Founded in 1916, Balaguer Rolls is a family business specialising in the casting and machining of centrifugal rolls for milling and a range of other industries, including compound feed, soybeans, coffee, chocolate, paint, salt, biscuits, chemicals and more.

Throughout the company's history, Balaguer has earned the trust of many of the largest food machinery manufacturers worldwide: Balaguer rolls have been incorporated into roller mills around the globe.

Balaguer also supplies rolls to end-users - flourmills, edible oil factories and such like - in no fewer than 120 countries.

Visit the company website HERE.

26/02/2016: ADM ranked most admired food company by Fortune Magazine

For the second year in a row, Archer Daniels Midland Company has been ranked the world’s most admired company in the food production industry by Fortune magazine.

Considered the definitive report card on corporate reputation, Fortune’s annual list of the World’s Most Admired Companies ranks companies in a number of major industries.

“I am deeply proud of our ADM teams for the work they’ve done to earn this distinction,” said Juan Luciano, ADM chairman and CEO.

“Our people work tirelessly each day to deliver exceptional value to our customers and shareholders, and the Fortune ranking is a tremendous validation of their efforts.”

A total of 652 companies from 30 countries were evaluated by 4,000 executives, directors and security analysts. Survey respondents were asked to rate companies in their industry on nine criteria: innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value, quality of products and services and global competitiveness.

Visit the ADM site HERE.

26/02/2016: Rice-fish integration for high saline, coastal areas of Bangladesh

Learning from the Challenge Program for Water and Food (CPWF)

The Southwestern coastal zone of Bangladesh is agro-based and one of the world’s most populous, poverty-stricken and food-insecure regions, with high vulnerability to climate change, The Global Aquaculture Advocate says.

Shrimp aquaculture rapidly expanded in this tidal floodplain but shrimp is highly susceptible to disease, has less contribution in local consumption, and its profitability depends on international market prices, leading the demand for improving the farming system.

There is an opportunity to diversify and increase system productivity by integrating rice with aquaculture during the monsoon season through adoption of some water management practices at an individual and community level. This also minimizes the effluent load of aquaculture intensification.

http://advocate.gaalliance.org/rice-fish-integration-for-high-saline-coastal-areas-of-bangladesh/

Image: Paul Hamilton

Background

In Bangladesh and for centuries, local people have practiced traditional coastal aquaculture to grow shrimp, fish and rice in ghers, which are modified, low-lying rice fields with raised dikes. This farming is very extensive, producing shrimp at ~250 kg/ha/year and with a few brackishwater fish coming in with the tidal water, and local rice varieties yielding ~1,500 kg/ha/year. In the last decade, drainage systems both inside and outside the polder (low-lying tract of land enclosed by dikes) deteriorated and challenged rice production. Farmers were also more interested in continuing shrimp farming, as this requires very low investment and gives higher economic return. However, low shrimp production, wide disease outbreaks, losing several crops in a year due to disease and flooding by coastal tidal surges have made the current farming system vulnerable. Coastal aquatic agricultural productivity also needs to increase to improve national food security.

The CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research) research program on water and food (CPWF) engaged local farmers and carried out farmers’ field research in high saline areas of southwestern Bangladesh since 2012, to seek ways of making coastal brackishwater aquatic agricultural system more productive, profitable, diversified and resilient. Experiments were designed to test changes in saline regimes to refine existing brackish water aquaculture systems and make them more environmentally friendly, through adopting rotational monoculture and polyculture integrated with aman rice to allow crop rotation and risk reduction.

Read the full article HERE.

26/02/2016: A breakthrough test for iron deficiency

Nestlé has assisted in and helped fund the development of the first iron deficiency test that does not require taking a blood sample. The work could benefit millions of people by making it easier and cheaper to detect the condition.

Iron deficiency affects more people than any other health problem, according to the World Health Organisation. Women and children are particularly at risk, and left untreated it can cause serious mental and physical harm.

Most iron-deficient individuals are unaware that they need more iron. This is because current tests require taking blood and laboratory facilities to analyse it.

The new test for iron deficiency, described in research published in Nature Communications, takes about a minute and provides immediate results.

It involves using a small optical fibre to shine a blue laser light onto the lower lip. If zinc protoporphyrin – a chemical compound found in the blood of iron deficient people – is present, then it gives off a fluorescent light in response.

In addition to supporting such research, Nestlé is committed to reducing the risk of iron deficiency through micronutrient fortification, and provided more than 183 billion servings of fortified food worldwide in 2014.

Read more about how Nestlé are fortifying Maggi bouillon cubes with iron HERE.

26/02/2016: EU grains-to-pork value chains must leverage country strengths

https://far.rabobank.com/en/home/index.html

Strong price volatility in the grain & oilseed market, stagnating feed and animal protein demand in the EU, and the consolidation of global G&O traders have increased the pressure in the value chain. This has resulted in the geographical expansion of European compound feed players and the ongoing consolidation of the animal protein industry in the EU, according to Rabobank report 'Where is the upside in the European grains-to-pork value chains? Leveraging country strengths.'

These factors will not weaken in the coming decades, forcing the industry to re-evaluate its position.

“Based on the structure and characteristics of the various value chain models, lessons can be learned for the companies that are active in it”, says Vito Martielli, Rabobank analyst Grains& Oilseeds.

“Over the past 30 years, the European value chain—spanning from grains & oilseeds (G&O) via feed to pork—has developed into three main business models: specialisation, semi-integration and full integration. Each model has positive aspects and aspects it could improve on.”

The specialised model—as seen in the Netherlands—is driven by high efficiency and competitive raw materials at all levels in the value chain. This value chain should work on further integration and cooperation—not only at each individual level, but also upstream and downstream in the chain. This will likely limit additional costs.

Image: Heather Paul

The semi-integrated model keeps the links in the value chain close together through strong competitiveness, but leaves them independent, with sufficient added value at each level. This model is seen in Germany, where G&O and feed are often strongly integrated, followed by a specialised, but independent farming-slaughtering-processing sector. This model should further leverage its competitive advantage at all stages of the value chain in the international markets. The downstream part of the chain could further integrate and optimise economies of scale.

The integrated model was developed in countries where structural disadvantages need to be offset by the available margins downstream. The model is seen in Spain, for example, where high feed costs upstream are compensated by the added value of the ham production downstream. The integrated model could increase the efficiency in the upstream market to lower the costs of raw material supplies.

The German grains-to-pork chain is best positioned to capture long-term growth. But in order to ensure long-term profitability each of the business models should leverage the country’s strength and focus on improving key success factors in the G&O-feed-pork chain. Looking at the countries analysed, it can be concluded that each should include some parts of the other models in order to strengthen its position without losing current strengths.

Visit the Rabobank site HERE.

February 25, 2016

26/02/2016: Loaves and Fishes - A new charity for milling and aquaculture

“Milling for Life" is the proud charitable partner of Aquaculture without Frontiers CIO that operates jointly under the name of "Two Loaves and Five Fishes Foundation, which is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation in the UK with the registered charity number 1165727

A new UK charity has been set up with the dual objective of assisting the development of both milling and aquaculture in developing countries. This unique program created under Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF UK), has this week been confirmed as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered under the UK Charity Commission.

Initially called ‘Two Loaves and Five Fishes Foundation,’ the charity will attract donators, sponsors and supporters to engage in either milling and/or aquaculture programs as they are established.

Roger Gilbert is the inaugural Chairman and Trustee for AwF (UK) CIO. He is publisher and CEO of Perendale Publishers Limited which produces Milling and Grain magazine (first published in 1891) and its sister publication International Aquafeed along with The International Milling and Grain Directory. All three publications focus on storage, processing and transportation technologies, and nutrition, as they relate to milling and animal feeding.

Mr Gilbert says, “Milling is pivotal to affordable, safe and plentiful food supplies - from flour, cereal and rice-based foodstuffs to animal feed rations, our publications deal in technological advancement throughout the transport, storage and production chain and in nutritional developments that improve the efficiency and safety of food production globally.

“As the industry’s oldest magazine, we are particularly keen to see the continued and timely transfer of that information to the developing countries of the world where it can make a significant difference in protein food supplies. We plan to base our activities around the name 'Milling for Life'.

“From my long career in running the International Feed Industry Federation to my current position as publisher of a magazine that has assisted industry in meeting food challenges of the past, I consider milling as a cornerstone to sound, safe and affordable food for all. Helping millers advance in developing countries is the goal of this new charity and we look forward to receiving industry and individual support for our programs as they are formulated and introduced.

The charity will also address aquaculture and its development in developing countries through the organisation Aquaculture without Frontiers, he adds.

‘International Aquafeed magazine is committed to supporting AwF through AwF UK CIO."

Executive Director, Roy Palmer, who is also a trustee of the new charity, and director of AwF globally says of the UK development, “Our first actions will be to establish a strong, skilled Board and to start the process to undertake project work which is consistent with AwF (UK)’s objects.

“Now that we have the approval in place we can start getting our plans moving. The UK will allow us to have that north-south type of arrangement, through which we can utilize connections that are already there in the UK with Africa and build relationships.

“Cliff Spencer, CEO of the United Nations-backed Global Biotechnology Transfer Foundation and goodwill ambassador for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) has agreed to join the charity’s new board. We are also very thankful for the effort of Simon Birks, Director, Sherbornes Solicitors Limited, in being very thorough with the administration involved in setting up a charity and we are pleased to report that he will be working with us into the future. ”

The news came through whilst both Messrs Gilbert and Palmer were attending the Aquaculture 2016 in Las Vegas and in good time for the US-Global AwF Board meeting which is being held in Boston on March 7, 2016.

AwF (UK) CIO will have a few differences to AwF (USA-Global) and AwF (Australia) in that it will connect with both the milling and grain industry as well as its usual connections with the seafood industry.

They discussed the new organization, following the announcement, in a short video which can be viewed HERE.

25/02/2016: Feed enzymes and efficiency

https://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1601_w1/46

First published in Milling and Grain, January 2016

Today the food production industry faces an ever-increasing challenge to feed more, both people and animals, with tightening antibiotic regulations and less land, labour, time and costs. This demand has placed a concentrated importance on livestock feed utilisation as a vital role to achieve future, sustainable global food security.

“Animal production involves tight margins with costly inputs, with feed being the most expensive,” says Simon Hall, director of operations and development for Elanco Animal Health.

“Improving feed efficiency strengthens production, performance and profitability throughout the supply chain.”

Feed enzymes and feed efficiency
The need for better animal feed utilisation has created enzyme adoption and integration throughout the industry. The feed enzymes global market is valued at $899.19 million in 2014, and this figure is projected to reach $1,371.03 million by 2020.

Feed mills are the nexus for integrating enzymes. Creating more responsibility for mill operators, potential for complication and the need for new equipment, technology and support. Some enzymes manufacturers have taken the opportunity to lead this transition with feed mill partners.

To support Hemicell®, the energy-sparing feed enzyme, Elanco Animal Health developed a specific mill integration program. The Hemicell Application System (HAS), includes both onsite and remote expert technical support during installation as well as ongoing, facility-specific needs.

“Enzyme efficacy is only as good as its applied at the mill,” says Marco Martinez, Ph.D., global poultry nutrition adviser for Elanco.

“It’s imperative to both Elanco and our feed mill partners that application equipment and ratios are precise and correct, there is a shared interest to help the producer get the best return on their feed investment.”

Read the full article in Milling and Grain HERE.

Ocrim company profile

http://www.ocrim.com/site/inglese/index.html

The important investments made by Ocrim are the demonstration of its will to grow. Many are its activities all around the world - in particular, milling plants, feed mills, bio-ethanol plants, silos, cereal conveying lines and electrical installations; but the underlying factor in all this is the industrialisation - in other words the standardisation - of production processes in order to cut primary costs, thus offering competitive prices without jeopardising product quality.

This is an efficient policy on which Ocrim will go on concentrating its efforts in the future, attaining trust, loyalty and consolidating its market share. The challenge is to further improve itself but in a manner consistent with its strategic and commercial plan.

Ocrim’s partnership with Paglierani and long-standing collaborations with sub-suppliers complete the added value that Ocrim is able to offer its Customers, demonstrating the Italian spirit in a determined search for product quality without compromise.

Visit the website HERE.

25/02/2016: Two new records set for 2016 IPPE

The 2016 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) had another great year with 30 277 poultry, meat and feed industry leaders from all over the world in attendance. There were also 1 301 exhibitors, a new record, with more than 464 750 square feet of exhibit space.

The Expo is the world's largest annual poultry, meat and feed industry event of its kind and is one of the 50 largest trade shows in the United States. IPPE is sponsored by the US Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and North American Meat Institute.

There were 7 280 international visitors from 141 countries represented at the Expo, setting another new record for international attendance. The largest group from a single country outside the United States was Canada with 1 041 visitors. The largest region represented was Latin America and the Caribbean with 2 805 visitors.

“This year’s attendance numbers were on par with last year. The feedback from attendees has been extremely positive regarding the time spent on the trade show floor and in the education programs. We anticipate next year will be even more valuable for attendees and exhibitors alike as we move to the B and C Halls,” the three organisations said.

A week-long schedule of education programs, which updated industry professionals on the latest issues and complemented the exhibit floor, helped drive attendance.

This year’s educational line-up featured 25 programs, ranging from a conference on challenges and opportunities in meat product traceability, to a program on the Veterinary Feed Directive, to a technical seminar on maximising the efficiency of the poultry industry conducted entirely in Spanish.

Next year’s International Production & Processing Expo will be held January 31 – February 2, 2017, at the Georgia World Congress Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Learn more HERE.

25/02/2016: Tornum build grain elevator in Ukraine

A similar project installed by Tornum for the Latraps company in Latvia

Tornum Ukraine, a fully owned subsidiary of Tornum AB in Sweden, signed a contract with Rentcom LLC in Lviv, Ukraine for grain elevators with total capacity of 90,000 tons. The contract includes project work, equipment and installation.

Rentkom LLC is a relatively young, but successful, market player in the agricultural sector.

The company is processing soybeans into soybean oil and soybean meal for animal feed purposes.

“This set of elevators will be one of a kind in Western Ukraine, being the biggest and most modern,” says Alexander Kuvila, Rentkom LLC.

“Tornum has a good reputation on the market and technology and custom-designed solution to a competitive price. The operating costs will be low and give us a reliable quality in production,” continues Alexander Kuvila.

“Tornum Ukraine is grateful for the confidence and are pleased Rentcom has selected us as the main supplier,” says General Manager Vyacheslav Kovalenko.

Visit the Tornum AB site HERE.

25/02/2016: Sysco agrees to acquire Brakes Group

Transaction expected to be immediately accretive to Sysco earnings

Sysco Corporation, North America’s leading foodservice distributor, announced today that it has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Brakes Group, a leading European foodservice distributor with operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Sweden, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg.

Brakes Group is owned by Bain Capital Private Equity. The transaction is valued at approximately US$3.1 billion (approximately UK£2.2 billion) and includes the repayment of approximately US$2.3 billion of Brakes Group’s financial debt.

Unanimously approved by Sysco’s Board of Directors, the transaction expands Sysco’s footprint in the UK and Ireland and further into Europe and positions the company for potential future expansion in these markets. The deal is subject to customary regulatory review by European Union competition authorities. The companies expect to complete the transaction before the end of Sysco’s fiscal year in July 2016.

Headquartered in London, Brakes Group will operate as a standalone company within Sysco. The Brakes Group business will continue to be led by chief executive officer Ken McMeikan. His management team and the rest of the employee base will remain in place.

Image: 드림포유

“We look forward to welcoming Brakes Group, its 15 000 employees, and Ken McMeikan and his highly respected leadership team to the Sysco family of companies,” said Bill DeLaney, Sysco chief executive officer.

“This transaction will unite Sysco with a leading foodservice distributor in Europe with demonstrated capability to sustainably grow its business over time. Beginning with a common customer-centric mindset, our companies are strategically aligned with compatible cultures and similar business models.

"We expect to retain key members of Brakes Group’s talented leadership team and to experience little distraction from integration given the minimal overlap of the businesses. Sysco’s management team remains confident in and committed to achieving our previously announced three-year plan financial objectives."

“Since we bought Brakes Group in 2007, the business has been transformed with capital investment of more than 100 million British pounds in an e-commerce platform, multi-temperature distribution infrastructure, and customer service enhancements,” said Dwight Poler, a managing director of Bain Capital Private Equity.

“There is still a huge market opportunity ahead that I am confident Brakes Group is very well placed to deliver with Sysco.”

“It’s very exciting for Brakes Group to be joining the recognised worldwide leader in foodservice distribution,” said Mr McMeikan.

“Last year we said we would look for the best strategic option for Brakes Group’s next stage of development. We are delighted to have now concluded this process by joining Sysco. Our mission is simple: to help businesses who serve food to thrive, and becoming part of the Sysco family will help us get closer toward achieving that great outcome for our customers, colleagues and suppliers.

"Similar to Sysco’s approach, Brakes Group serves thousands of customers across Europe every day, including pubs, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, schools, contract caterers and more. We have continued to flourish in recent years, and the significant investment that has been made in Brakes Group provides us with a very solid platform for further growth as part of Sysco.”

Visit the Sysco site HERE and the Brakes Group site HERE.

February 24, 2016

24/02/2016: Reflecting back on 2015

https://issuu.com/gfmt/docs/mag1601_w1/30

by Chris Jackson, Export Manager UK TAG

First published in Milling and Grain, January 2016

As we move forward into another year I would like to wish all of our readers a very happy and prosperous New Year.

Reflecting back on 2015, a year that has seen me hugely privileged in visiting many countries around South East Asia, Australia, China, Europe, India and the USA. This has helped me gain a greater understanding of the vastly different farming techniques and systems, ranging in diversity from industrial-scale, fully-integrated business to subsistence farming.

Seeing fully-organic systems through to production techniques rely on modern fertilisers, sprays and medicines to achieve maximum outputs. It is within all of these farming businesses that food production begins and is the first stage of the production of food that is both wholesome and safe for consumption.

As more and more people move away from their agricultural roots and into the world’s larger cities, increasing pressure is brought to bear on the farming population of the world to feed them with safe, uncontaminated and nutritious products.

Following Europe’s example, I am pleased to see that the USA has finally banned the routine use of antibiotics and growth promoters in their pig industry, in some other countries this issue remains on-going.

Of course it is not just livestock farming that has to develop systems that can effectively and most importantly, profitably produce food with minimum use of chemicals that can be detrimental to human health, but all of the crop and vegetable production. Once the food, be it wheat, rice and all crops, vegetables and livestock, is produced then it has to be got to the consumer.

Read the full article HERE.

Tapco company profile

Tapco was conceived in the early 1970s by Paul D Taylor, President and Ted W Beaty, Retired, to fill a void in the elevator bucket industry. At that time, there was only one manufacturer of non-metallic buckets in the USA All the other buckets were made from fabricated steel. With the inherent problems of steel buckets and the limited range of the existing polyethylene brand, the time was right for Tapco.

 The company has been in its own 92,500 square foot facility for over 25 years. This has allowed us to bring our injection moulding ‘in house’ for better control and cost effectiveness. Tapco has nine injection moulding machines ranging from a small 150 tonne to a very large 1000 tonne press. This allows us to make our entire range of buckets in the most expedient and quality controlled manner.

 Tapco stocks the largest inventory of elevator buckets and bolts in the world, some 900,000 buckets and 14 million bolts. We also have the largest inventory of abrasion resistant sheeting, drag flights and hanger bearings in North America.  We have the products that you need, when you need them, and at a competitive price! Our shipping department is geared to handle the most urgent of emergencies. We welcome your rush orders. We at Tapco feel the future is unlimited. We have plans for new and different products relating to bulk material handling.

 Our exporting is growing every day. We have exported to more than fifty different countries around the world. Stocking distributors are located strategically in North America, Central America, South America, Australia, Western Europe and the Pacific Rim. This segment of the market is keyed for further growth.

 Tapco is continuously researching new technologies to better serve our customers. Product research has been a priority for many years. Innovations in the company’s state-of-the-art processing enables Tapco to meet the customized needs of its diverse customers. Tapco uses the highest quality material for their buckets; 100 percent prime virgin high-density linear polyethylene, impact modified nylon and thermoplastic urethane.

 Our mission at Tapco is to provide the highest value products and service at the best price. The company's focus is on building and maintaining "Solid and Reputable" relationships with its customers. With our high quality staff, we are able to serve your needs promptly. Most importantly, we appreciate and are proud of you, our customer. We look forward to serving you for many more years, and welcome any suggestions on how we can work more closely in the future.

Visit the website HERE.

24/02/2016: Satake to exhibit at Foodex Japan 2016

http://www.satake-group.com/news/2016/160217.html

Satake booth at Foodex Japan 2015

Introducing the Small-Scale Flour Unit and the Small-Lot Brewery Rice Whitener

Small-Scale Flour Unit

Satake plans to exhibit the Small-Scale Flour Unit along with the Small-Lot Brewery Rice Whitener at the upcoming Foodex Japan 2016 (The 41st International Food and Beverage Exhibition) to be held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba city, from March 8 to 11. (Booth: 8F-23)

The Japan Management Association has hosted Asia's largest food and beverage exhibition every year since 1976. This is its 41st year as a venue to encourage business between exhibitors and visitors.

Small-lot Brewery Rice Whitener

Satake will be exhibiting: the Large-Scale Rice Flour Production System (panel display), Small-Scale Flour Unit (actual display), the Small-Lot Brewery Rice Whitener (panel display) and food (Magic Rice, etc) at the rice flour pavilion with the aim of promoting rice flour systems to rice flour and food manufacturers, the local community, agricultural corporations and breweries.

The Small-Scale Flour Unit enables fine grinding by wet type milling. The Small-Lot Brewery Rice Whitener is being installed due to the popularity of Sake and our customers are more than satisfied with the resulting product. Satake would like to spread its adoption to breweries across the country.

Visit the Satake site HERE.

24/02/2016: Low-dust flours prove their health protection properties

GoodMills Innovation: finalist in German Health and Safety Prize

GoodMills Innovation has enjoyed success in the German Health and Safety Prize 2015. The company’s low-dust technical processing flours achieved second place in the category 'Technological solutions for small and midsized companies'.

Its processing flours create significantly less dust than comparable products from other suppliers and can help to prevent or reduce problems associated with job-related respiratory diseases.

Prior to the award, a four-person expert panel examined the science behind the flours, as well as their technical aspects and methods of production.

All-purpose flour

The flour
The particular properties of the flours are attributable to the special hydrothermic processes used in their production. These reduce dust development by up to 85 percent compared with all-purpose flour. Thus, significant improvements in room air can be achieved, with positive health benefits for bakery employees.

The flours also score when it comes to hygiene – thanks to their antistatic effect and the fact that enzymes are deactivated by the thermal treatment. Cleaning production plants and machinery becomes simpler and microorganisms, which cause mould growth and mildew spots, are significantly reduced.

Additionally, dough pieces don’t stick to process surfaces such as conveyor belts and proofing trays. Experience has also shown that technical equipment and filter systems require less maintenance.

Process flour

The portfolio
The GoodMills Innovation portfolio of processing flours includes three flagship brands: Ping-Pong 500, Tip-Top Ultra Clean and Tip-Top Ultra Clean Spezial.

Ping-Pong 500 has already won awards. In 2010, a German employer’s liability insurance association honoured it with an award for its disease-preventing properties.

In addition, in a comparable test of nine different low-dust products conducted by the German institute for grain processing (IGV), Ping-Pong 500 came out on top.

“Baker’s asthma is still one of the most common job-related respiratory diseases,” says Kai Wörzler, Product Manager Bakery at GoodMills Innovation GmbH.

“Our products make working life easier for many bakers and can contribute to improved health. We are proud to have been recognised with this award, as it confirms that our investment in R&D is worthwhile.”

Visit the GoodMills site HERE.

24/02/2016: Oxford Farming Conference 2016: Bold Agriculture

The 78th Oxford Farming Conference (OFC) was held from 5 to 7 January 2016 in the impressive buildings of the Oxford University Colleges. Three members of the Young DLG Working Party (Mirko Graff, Jan Frädrich and Henriette von der Leyen) took the unique opportunity to attend this conference. Their visit continued the cooperation between the DLG and OFC, which most recently had taken the form of the Young DLG hosting three British recipients of scholarships to the Agritechnica trade fair in November 2015. This exchange promotes the establishment of an international network of young farmers.

This year’s OFC was held under the motto of 'Bold Agriculture', and the conference events soon fleshed out what this meant: an agriculture that is characterised by dynamic entrepreneurs who take bold decisions, pursue bold visions and take bold action. The conference consequently covered a diverse range of topics presented by national and international speakers representing agricultural practice, science and policy. Just one of the questions examined was how much of an entrepreneurial approach British farmers actually take in their work, and it was found that the percentage of true entrepreneurs is smaller in agriculture than it is in other sectors. However, those who do pursue an entrepreneurial approach are substantially more successful.

Radcliffe Camera and All Souls' College, Oxford (Image: Tejvan Pettinger)

It is therefore important for farmers to know that entrepreneurship is something that can be learned, even though there are certain personality traits traits that make entrepreneurial flair come more naturally to some than for others. On the positive side, the decisive factors of perseverance, tenacity and effectiveness can all be developed and trained.

The conference proceedings on this topic are available for download HERE.

The potential Brexit was another major topic for discussion. Will British agriculture fare better within the EU or outside it? This issue was the subject of a heated discussion between Owen Paterson, MP for North Shropshire and a strong advocate for the UK leaving the EU, and Phil Hogan, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.

However, the OFC also addressed a great number of other important issues, including the questions of whether food will become the new medicine and whether there is equal opportunity in the agricultural sector. Another session dealt with technical progress through digitalisation in agriculture, and Dr Bram Govaerts from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), holder of the World Food Prize, discussed the important question of whether world hunger can be ended by 2050.

A visit by HRH Princess Anne gave the event a royal touch, and the three representatives of the Young DLG were even given an opportunity to speak with her. After the conference, the Young DLG representatives visited two farming businesses near Oxford together with Martin Davies, Chairman of next year’s OFC, and five other recipients of scholarships to the OFC. The hospitality and openness of the 450 OFC participants and organisers throughout this visit ensured that there was plenty of opportunity for meeting new people and making new friends.

Visit the DLG site HERE and the OFC site HERE.

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