Trends in food logistics and chilled foods trade conference

Workshop on trends in food logistics

“Trends in food logistics” was the name of the workshop at the 12th Logistics and Dispatch Managers’ Conference which was held in Bonn under the direction of Thomas Klann (DACHSER Food Logistics). Three food manufacturers presented their views on the current legal position and market requirements.

Oliver Wittig, who is responsible for logistics at Haribo, talked about trends in German retailing. He believes that cooperative logistics concepts will be needed to cope with the future demands of retailers.

Andreas Schlingmann from the Versmold sausage manufacturer Reinert talked about food safety in relation to the sensitivity of meat and sausage products. He used his own company as an example, showing how it had responded to the EU regulations on traceability and gap-free temperature documentation. In his view, reliable information logistics and compliance with the IFS Logistic standard are two key ways in which a company can set itself apart from its competitors.

Hans-Jürgen Schunck of the brand joint venture CFP (Fisherman’s Friend, Mentos, Smint, Chupa Chups), finally, underlined the importance of IT for logistics. He focused in his presentation on the contradiction between claims and reality in terms of the classical ECR issue of “zero warehouse versus optimal forecasting procedures”. He urged all participants to solve problems in the fields of order management and master data in a constructive and pragmatic manner. The contribution was rounded off with a question and discussion session.

In the view of the organizers, the talks and the following discussions dealt with the issues that really mattered to the 50-plus participants. The presentations in themselves threw up a number of interesting questions that will play an important part at subsequent events organized as part of the series of workshops held by the German BWVL industrial association in Bonn. The series is a neutral platform that fosters the exchange of experience and ideas, as well as lobby activities. It is open to all parties involved in the market, and is staged twice a year. It is run by the BWVL and DACHSER Food Logistics. At the present time, some 30 companies from the food and logistics industries take part. The next meeting is scheduled for 4 September in the North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament in Düsseldorf. Registrations can be made at: http://www.bwvl.de (only German). During the workshop, a number of further interested parties announced that they will be attending.

Trends in food logistics and chilled foods trade conference

Trade conference “Chilled food – High-class convenience from the freezer shelf”

At the same time, IIR Deutschland (a leading conference organizer) held its trade conference under the title of “Chilled food – High-class convenience from the freezer shelf” on 18/19 April 2007 in Cologne. Specialists representing various manufacturing industries (foods, packaging, refrigeration equipment) as well as retailers and service providers (logistics, consulting) discussed solutions to meet the challenges currently posed by chilled food.

The market for chilled food – high-quality fresh products that do not contain preservatives or artificial flavouring, that are available at different levels of readiness, and that can only be stored for a short period – has been growing strongly for some years now. The conference in Cologne came to the conclusion that the days of packet and tinned foods are over in the retail sector: the only way the industry can earn money nowadays is with chilled foods. The latest figures on consumer behaviour published by the GfK consumer research organization clearly demonstrate this. And it is not only the products themselves that are important: the right packaging and logistics also play a key role in ensuring freshness and quality.

In the field of logistics, other countries are setting the pace. Particularly in the United Kingdom, more and more logistics providers are offering chilled food services.

Stefan Krautwurst-Leister of DACHSER Food Logistics spoke on that very subject. In a talk entitled “Optimizing delivery logistics in the chilled food segment” he explained the specific characteristics of the ultra-fresh segment from the point of view of the logistics company, touching on such issues as consignee groups, temperature requirements, time specifications, etc.

He also talked about the possible areas of activity for companies offering refrigerated transport services, time restrictions in regional and supraregional transport, and the ensuing critical relationship between the standardized (synergetic) and individual (faster but more expensive) handling of ultra-fresh consignments. Despite the strong focus on speed, providers should not lose sight of product safety, commented Krautwurst-Leister. Traceability, hygiene, temperature and gap-free refrigeration chains are, and remain, crucial – especially in handling these foods.

Trends in food logistics and chilled foods trade conference