Page 7 - Food&Drink Magazine August 2019

Amatil, Made Group strike new distribution deal
Fonterra says no to coal, sets new waste targets
FONTERRA will shave 11 years off its coal target by reducing its reliance on coal, the company said. Fonterra COO for Global Operations, Robert Spurway said that, “from today [18 June] Fonterra has put a stop to installing any new coal boilers or increasing capacity to burn coal”.
Fonterra has 32 manufacturing sites across New Zealand, with roughly 40 per cent of its current processing energy coming from coal. Spurway says exiting coal was not “as easy as flicking a switch” and would happen in a staged approach.
Fonterra’s manufacturing operations were on track to meet its targets to reduce
emissions by 30 per
cent across all its
operations by 2030
and achieve net zero
by 2050. The
company has also
set a number of
ambitious targets.
“One of the
emerging themes in
our strategy review
is that sustainability
will be at the heart of
everything we do. As
part of this, we want to step up our efforts to help New Zealand transition to a zero-carbon economy,” says Spurway.
Meanwhile, the company also announced two new targets to tackle waste. It said it will send zero solid waste to landfill by 2025 and 100 per cent of packaging will be recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025.
Fonterra director of sustainability, Carolyn Mortland, says: “Around ninety per cent of our products sold in New Zealand already recyclable, which is great progress.
“But this new packaging target stretches across our global footprint, which means we are taking a good look at finding new ways to make, collect, recycle and reuse packaging.” ✷
MADE Group has agreed to a new distribution deal with Coca-Cola Amatil, which will see its beverage brands Rokeby Farms and Impressed expand into 50,000 restaurants, cafes and convenience stores around the country.
The latest distribution agreement follows Amatil and The Coca-Cola Company’s joint acquisition last October of 45 per cent of Made Group.
Amatil managing director, Australian beverages, Peter West said there were a number of growth opportunities planned with Made Group and Amatil will be continuing to expand its chilled distribution capacity in 2019.
“The distribution of Rokeby Farms Whole Protein Smoothies and the Impressed Juice range will give us an opportunity to distribute the products to more customers, faster,” said West.
“There is a continuing market trend toward healthier choices
in beverages. We’ve heard the message on consumer wellbeing, and we’re delivering with a broader range of options.
“We’re all about providing beverage choices for any occasion and I’m delighted that we are able to offer Made’s excellent products.”
Made Group co-founder Matt Dennis says the agreement was well-timed with
the opening of the
company’s new facility in Dandenong, Victoria, and also represents a significant advance for Made Group’s business.
“It coincides with the opening of our new manufacturing facility in Melbourne which will
allow the Made
Group to continue to grow momentum in delivering more products to Australian consumers,” Dennis says.
“We are excited to have two of our key brands, Rokeby Farms and Impressed, being distributed through Amatil’s expansive distribution network as it will allow even more Australians to enjoyourbeverageseveryday.” ✷
NEWS
WHO targets baby food market
THE World Health Organisation’s (WHO) European division has criticised the region’s baby food market as it found a large proportion of products are high in sugar and incorrectly marketed for children under the age of six months. WHO has developed a draft Nutrient Profile Model (NPM) as a result to combat misleading marketed products.
WHO Europe developed a methodology for identifying commercial baby foods in retail settings, as well as collecting nutritional content data on labels, packaging and promotions, across 516 stores in four cities: Vienna, Austria; Sofia, Bulgaria; Budapest, Hungary; and Haifa, Israel.
WHO regional director for Europe, Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab,
says: “Good nutrition in infancy and early childhood remains key to ensuring optimal child growth and development, and to better health outcomes later in life – including the prevention of overweight, obesity and diet-related noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
“High sugar levels are of concern, as well as concentrated fruit juice and sweetening agents, which were found in around a third of products included in the study.”
WHO suggests theses added flavours and sugars could affect the development of children’s taste preferences by
increasing their liking for sweeter foods, with the very high level of free sugars
in puréed commercial products also cause for concern.
The study found sugar to make up an average of 70 per cent of total energy intake in fruit purées in the baby food market, despite the WHO recommending free sugars should account for less than 10 per cent of total energy intake for children
The NPM is designed to guide decisions about foods promoted for children aged 6–36 months. The NPM has been sent to member states and stakeholders for consideration anddiscussion. ✷
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