Monthly Archives: May 2015

Dutch retailer introduces produce ‘happy hour’

Dutch supermarket HEMA, which entered the UK market last summer, has introduced a ‘happy hour’ to boost sales of its increasing range of fresh foods, including fruits and vegetables.

Traditionally HEMA has focused on home wares, but is expanding its food offering. By offering 25 per cent off certain fresh products during the last hour of trading each day the company should also reduce waste while highlighting its expanding fresh food offer.

The company said it was responding to the trend of customers making the most of increased opening hours and shopping more towards the end of the day. A spokesperson explained, “The aim of the strategy was to highlight the company’s expanding fresh offering as well as to reduce food wastage. Customers are still not sufficiently familiar with the fact that we offer fresh produce and one of our strategic goals is to focus on fresh and honest food that we want to make more accessible to people.”

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AIPH re-brands and redefines its purpose

The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH), which represents national trade associations such as the NFU and HTA, has redefined its purpose and renewed its brand with a clear Strategic Plan which has been supported by its members.

AIPH has clarified its role as ‘The world’s champion for the power of plants’. It says that, ‘AIPH strives to reignite and uphold an appreciation of plants that we believe is a basic human instinct.’ The organisation believes that by supporting the work of grower associations globally it can champion a prosperous industry which ‘grows plants that enhance lives, advance societies and sustain the planet, for this generation and the next.’

Vic Kahn, AIPH President, explained the thinking behind the rebrand: “As a global industry our relationship with nature was pivotal in our past. It is fundamental to our future. The state of the world dictates that AIPH is more important today than ever in its history. Tomorrow, it will be more so. With an ambitious, determined and optimistic narrative and a clear Strategic Plan, AIPH can achieve more and build a stronger international community.”

To communicate this purpose visually the Association has developed new branding that includes a fresh look logo and a new website at www.aiph.org.

Krahn continued, “I am delighted that our new brand captures the spirit of global cooperation and the beauty of plants. With the hope for a world made healthy and prosperous by plants, AIPH can unite people worldwide, both inside and outside the industry. With the tools to campaign effectively, AIPH will continue to earn global recognition for the essential work it does in sustaining our planet for future generations.”

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New cleaning unit from Tong Peal

Tong Peal Engineering has launched what it calls a new innovation in crop cleaning with the EasyClean Hydro-Sep unit.

The EasyClean Hydro-Sep has been designed for processing lines to give growers, processors and packers exceptionally effective cleaning results, while helping to reduce wear and tear on packhouse equipment by removing potentially damaging sand, stones and debris from the crop at the beginning of the handling process.

Incorporating the proven EasyClean separator, which is fitted to Tong Peal’s Caretaker grader, the EasyClean Hydro-Sep combines the separating capabilities of the EasyClean with the company’s best-selling destoner. This unique combination of a traditionally dry separator, with a Jacuzzi-style water-filled destoner creates a wet cleaning, destoning and debris removal process that allows extraction of soil, stones, haulm and debris from a wide variety of root crops including carrots, parsnips, potatoes, red beet, celeriac and more.

Crop and debris is fed into the water-filled destoner tank where stones and large clods are instantly removed as they sink to the bottom of the Jacuzzi-style tank whilst crop and other floating debris pass over to the EasyClean separator. The wet crop is then separated from any remaining debris and straw or haulm, as it is effectively extracted by the finely-tuned configuration of the EasyClean’s deformable fluted rollers and clod rollers. This initiates a pre-wash process, resulting in an exceptionally clean load of crop ready for processing, with all stones and debris removed.

The machine has been successfully trialled on carrots, parsnips and potatoes by MH Poskitts Ltd in Yorkshire.

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New odour-based pesticide trialled

Scientists from Cardiff University’s School of Chemistry and Rothamsted Research have created tiny molecules which mirror a natural occurring smell known to repel insects.

Experiments showed that in all but one case, the smells repelled insects. The isolated scent actually attracted the pests, leading researchers to believe it could play a role in trapping and monitoring.

“We know that many organisms use smell to interact with members of the same species and to locate hosts of food or to avoid attack from parasites,” said Professor Rudolf Allemann who led the research. “However, the difficulty is that scientifically smell molecules are often extremely volatile, chemically unstable and expensive to re-create. This means that, until now, progress has been extremely slow in recreating smells that are similar to the original.

“Through the power of novel biochemical techniques we have been able to make insect repellent smell molecules which are structurally different but functionally similar to the original.”

Dr Michael Birkett, Head of Chemical Ecology research at Rothamsted Research added, “Odour detection in animals is an essential, sophisticated and highly selective biological process and this phenomenon can be exploited in the behavioural control of insect pests, whereby deployment of pesticides is mitigated or better targeted. I am really excited that this novel rational approach to discovering behaviour-modifying substances (aka. semiochemicals) is already unearthing molecules with unexpected activity, and that we can modify precisely the enzymes to enable clean, efficient production. This has major implications for practical deployment of semiochemicals in crops.”

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New partnership for EBtech

Dutch manufacturer of greenhouse systems and parts Alumat Zeeman BV and Hull-based EBtech Solutions Ltd have announced a formal partnership to supply screening and ventilation equipment to the UK greenhouse market.

EBtech described the move as a “great opportunity,” adding that it would allow the company to offer growers a complete and competitive alternate option when choosing a screening supplier and installer. The partnership means that Alumat Zeeman’s products and services can be provided to all UK growers together with the support and advice from a local agent.

“We look forward to a very fruitful cooperation with Ebtech providing value to the growers in the UK by combining the strengths of both our companies” said Robert Vink, Sales manager of Alumat Zeeman.

Tony Walker of EBtech Glasshouse Systems added, “Having this partnership with Alumat Zeeman strengthens our portfolio of providing the complete package to the UK Horticultural industry.”

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Extending shelf life of leafy greens

A novel way to extend the shelf life of leafy crops including lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach and parsley has been presented at the recent 19th Agritech Israel exhibition in Tel Aviv.

Invented by Dr. Rivka Elbaum of Hebrew University’s Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Quality Sciences in Rehovot and being brought to market by the University’s Yissum technology transfer company, they system uses a solution into which the produce is dipped, which then delays deterioration of the produce.

Yissum CEO Yaacov Michlin said, “The novel method invented by Dr. Elbaum is a simple, low-cost solution for delaying senescence in leafy greens, thereby increasing their shelf life. The method, which has been tested on lettuce, could considerably increase the profitability of leafy greens, which comprise a large fraction of the fresh vegetable market.”

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Double layer growbag brings benefits

Coco-peat substrate supplier Dutch Plantin says that it has demonstrated the advantages of its new double layer growbag during recent visits to several European clients.

According to the company the special growbag has two layers: a layer of coco chips at the bottom (5-15mm) and a layer of coco pith at the top (sieved> 1mm). The advantage of this double layer growbag is that it results in the same humidity on the bottom and at the top (e.g. 69-72%).

“When using other substrates, a lot of the water drops down while the top is much drier, compared with stonewool (100-30%), full pith (85-60%) and full crush (70-30%). The double layer growbag ensures optimal growth conditions,” said the company in a statement. “In addition, this growbag can be used in various crops of vegetables, soft fruit and flowers.”

Research at Plant Research International in Made in the Netherlands has also shown ‘remarkable advantages’ when using Dutch Plantin Optima growbags, which are made at a dedicated production site which operates solely to produce the growbag planks.

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HRS helps Muntons slash 1159 tonnes of CO2 pa

Malted ingredients company Muntons (Stowmarket, Suffolk) is putting the finishing touches to its £5.4m on-site anaerobic digestion (AD) plant which will help reduce the firm’s CO2emissions from 27,264 to 26,605 tonnes pa. Integral to the success of the 499 kW facility is a 3 Tank Batch Sludge Pasteuriser System with Energy Recovery from HRS Heat Exchangers, which will help convert up-to 80,000 tonnes of Muntons’ liquid malt waste into quality organic fertiliser (known as digestate). This will be used on local farmland, helping the company’s network of growers to produce some of the 250,000 tonnes of barley needed to make Muntons’ malt, around 180,000 tonnes pa.

Muntons is a company with sustainability at its core. It became interested in AD after analysis showed that 60% of the carbon footprint of its supply chain came from the artificial fertiliser used by its barley growers. The firm realised that using its liquid malt waste as feedstock for an on-site AD plant would not only produce a high quality digestate for its farmers to use instead of artificial fertiliser, it would also cut 3,000 tanker movements per year and generate 25% of the site’s electricity demand.

To satisfy growers’ need for a high quality fertiliser, the digestate will be pasteurised to meet stringent PAS 110 standards using the HRS Heat Exchangers 3 Tank Batch system. As well as a comprehensive proposal, the Muntons’ team was impressed by the HRS system, which can save up to 70% of heat required, as well as its ability to run at a half flow rate, should the volume of digestate stock reduce. Additionally, the equipment’s monitoring feature enables Muntons to track every batch of digestate back to the feedstock from which it was produced. “The fact that the HRS system offers batch reporting was also a big draw; traceability is very important to us,” remarks Lawrence Howes, Project Engineer at Muntons. SONY DSC

Matt Hale, International Sales Manager at HRS: “For Muntons, this whole project has been about maximising efficiency. Although they have an abundance of heat, they still wanted to recapture what they could – our heat exchangers will provide at least 40% heat regeneration.”

The HRS system works on a three tank principle; while one tank is being filled, the second tank holds the sludge at 70°C at the same time as the third tank is being emptied (each process lasts one hour). Waste cooling water from the CHP engine is used to heat the sludge in corrugated tube-in-tube heat exchangers, which is more efficient than heating an entire tank of digestate. HRS has also incorporated an energy recovery section into the process to make it even more efficient: energy is transferred from the hotter (pasteurised) sludge to the colder (unpasteurised) sludge, reducing energy consumption by up to 70% compared to normal systems and using heat which would otherwise be wasted.

Lawrence comments on his equipment decision making process: “We were already aware of the quality and reputation of HRS Heat Exchangers in the food production industry – using their solution enables us to make use of an abundance of waste hot water. Not only does the tube-in-tube technique deliver improved performance, they’re also more resistant to fouling, which means less downtime and maintenance. In addition, we had a short deadline – just 16 weeks – which HRS was able to meet easily.” HRS kit has helped Muntons reduce their CO2 emissions by 1159 tonnes pa.

The AD plant is currently undergoing commissioning and will become fully operational in late spring. For Muntons, the benefits are clear – better waste management, a reduction in tanker movements, energy generation, and a PAS 110 quality pasteurised digestate. All in all Muntons has significantly reduced its carbon footprint saving 1159 tonnes of CO2 pa (from 27,264 to 26,605) – the emission equivalent of 300 average family cars (approx.).

This post first appeared on The Sustainable Engineer in March 2015.

Wellpack to enter salad market

Evesham-based fruit and vegetable supplier Wellpak has announced it is launching a new salads business unit to supply products such as cucumbers, tomatoes, garlic and peppers.

Rebecca Quiney has been appointed as Commercial Manager to head up the new unit. Rebecca previously spent over 12 years as Trading Director at Samsara, based in Evesham, where she was responsible for procurement and category management of all accounts including sales and development of new business.

Wellpak, which has previously focused on berries, exotic vegetables and legumes, grapes, exotic fruit and cherries, together with a bespoke service called Wellpak Complement, has also recently employed a new national account manager.

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G’s trialling more efficient lettuce production

Major salad and vegetable producer G’s Fresh has revealed trials into a new lettuce propogation method during a visit to its Barway site near Ely in Cambridgeshire by members of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI).

The company operates a propagation unit at Second Willow farm and has traditionally used a typical peat block system with seeds being germinated in individual peat blocks before being packed and subdivided in trays by machines for transfer to the greenhouses.

According to the Eastern Daily Press, this season, the farm is trialling an alternative system to improve efficiency. The traditional operation grows up to 170 plants per tray, while a new “plant tape” system can sustain 900 plants per tray, using much less peat and reducing labour costs. The young lettuces are grown on paper strips which are eventually fed through the planting machinery – making it possible to plant up to a million lettuces in a day.

Charles Shropshire said: “We are always looking at our efficiency and sustainability. Because we are using massive amounts of peat in the blocks, we are being asked questions about what we are doing to reduce our peat usage.

“These trays hold five times the amount of plants in the same area, so the amount of peat is greatly reduced. It makes it faster, with less labour. We have been using plant tape in Spain for two years, and we are trialling it on 5pc here this year. If it is successful, we will want to grow many more, and I think all the little gem in the group will be from plant tape in the coming years.”

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