That being said, the deconsolidation of EDP Russia and Horizon Organic Wallaby had a negative impact on sales on a reported basis, down by 4.1% and a strong negative impact from scope.

In North America, sales increased by 5%, with strong performances from Oikos yogurt, International Delight creamers and Stok. China, North Asia and Oceania saw improvements of 8.4% in like for like sales growth, with specialised nutrition strongest.

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Ice cream, which amounts to 15% of the group turnover, continued to focus on operational improvements, according to the company. Underlying sales growth was 0.6% with volume down by 1%, driven by weak sales in China and a softer start to the summer season in Europe.

Separation activity for ice cream is underway and on track to complete by the end of 2025. “We are working at pace on the legal entity set up, the standalone operating model and carve-out financials. In July, we communicated internally on the planned changes to simplify our business and further evolve our category-focused operating model. We have started consultations with the respective works councils,” Unilever said in its statement.

Wall’s grew mid-single digit with positive volume and price, Ben & Jerry’s was slightly up, while sales of Cornetto were adversely affected by the decline in China. Magnum launched its new Pleasure Express range with three variants: Euphoria, Wonder and Chill.

Underlying operating profit for the ice cream was €0.7 billion, which was flat versus the prior year. The underlying operating margin declined -40bps as gross margin improvement was offset by an increase in brand and marketing investment. The cost inflation of key commodities continued, driven by cocoa and sugar.

Hein Schumacher, CEO at Unilever, notes, “We are focused on driving high-quality sales growth and gross margin expansion, led by our power brands. Over the first half, we made progress on those ambitions.

“Underlying sales grew 4.1%, driven by a third consecutive quarter of positive, improving volume growth, while pricing continued to moderate in line with our expectations. Strong gross margin progression fuelled increased investment behind our innovations, and resulted in a step-up of our profitability.

“We continue to embed the growth action plan, doing fewer things, better and with greater impact. The implementation of a comprehensive productivity programme and the separation of ice cream are key to delivering on that commitment and we are progressing at pace.

“There is much to do, but we remain focused on transforming Unilever into a consistently higher performing business.”

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In 2023, the competition saw six entrants from five countries facing each other in Trondheim, Norway, resulting in 21-year-old Lily Morris from Wales, winning the title. She said, “Winning really boosted not only my confidence in my mongering abilities, but it also helped build up the shop’s reputation. It has inspired me to keep on exploring the ever-changing cheese world, which never fails to amaze me.”

Free to enter, the competition is open to any cheesemonger under the age of 30, with applicants being asked, initially, to provide a short biography and submit recommendations for their perfect cheeseboard.  New for 2024 is the “Perfect Pairing” round, which asks applicants to present to the panel of judges their ultimate combination of one cheese, one Peter’s Yard cracker and one complementary accompaniment.  Six shortlisted entrants will be invited to attend the World Cheese Awards and compete against their peers across five rounds.

The Academy is delighted to have Peter’s Yard on board as sponsors of the competition for the first time this year. As well as sponsorship, it is offering finalists £300 each (€357) in funding to support their travel and accommodation costs.   Yona Ellis, marketing director at Peter’s Yard, added “We’re delighted to be supporting the Academy of Cheese in their search to find the freshest talent in the Young Cheesemonger of the Year award. We can’t wait to see what innovative pairings the contestants create with our award-winning crackers.”

Peter’s Yard is joined by the Guild of Fine Food as co-sponsors of the competition, with the winner of the award being announced on the same day at the World Cheese Awards.

Key dates for Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2024:

Open for entry: Monday 22 July

Deadline for entry: Monday 30 September

Finalists announced: Thursday 10 October

Finals & Results: Friday 15 November

Established to promote cheese knowledge and provide career development within the industry, the Academy of Cheese aims to build greater respect for the industry, with Young Cheesemonger of the Year showcasing the skill, knowledge and talent of its members.

As well as a bright future and the coveted title of Young Cheesemonger 2024, the winner will receive a trophy, feature in Fine Food Digest, and secure a place on the Academy of Cheese Level Two Member Certification course. They will also be invited to judge at the World Cheese Awards 2025.

Full details, along with the application form, can be found on the Academy’s website, www.academyofcheese.org/young-cheesemonger-of-the-year/.

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With the new, environmentally friendly packaging, Epiros achieves a 15% reduction in plastic. At the same time, the new packaging of feta and white cheeses in brine 400g have a new optimised shape, which ensures the reduction of discarded brine by 34% and atmospheric pollutants by 3.6%, compared to the previous packaging of the products*.

The main pillars of the ESG strategy that Epiros SA has set for the next five years, include the drastic limitation of waste and plastic use, as well as the reduction of carbon emissions and water consumption. The company’s objective is to contribute in tackling the climate crisis, as well as in the improvement of the quality of every person’s life.

The director of Epiros Production Units, Nikos Tsiliberdis, commented: “In Epiros we have now entered a new era where the main concern is the production of top quality & taste cheese products, with as little impact on the environment as possible. We know we still have lots to do. We are moving forward, step by step, towards the goal of zero carbon footprint.”

*It is noted that the above calculations have been based on an LCA study, according to the ISO 14040:2006 and ISO14044:2006 standards, and specifically for the scenario of the EPIROS FETA PDO 400 g packaging.

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France occupies a select place in world dairy, as a large producer of cow milk and its products, but also other small ruminant milks such as goats and sheep. It accounts for 16 per cent of total cow milk intake, but also 14 per cent of the total intake for sheep milk, and 30 per cent for goat milk, according to the report. The last number makes it the top EU country for goat milk production. While overall milk production has dropped for cow milk, both the sheep and goat milk production went up in 2023, according to the IDF.

PDO milk supply

The amount of PDO products shows its importance to the industry there, with 51 different dairy PDOs, including 46 cheeses, according to Benoît Rouyer, economic outlook director at CNIEL, the French Dairy Inter-branch organisation. It is also home to five mountain areas which amount to 13 million hectares of farming. Additionally, five large processors – Lactalis, Danone, Savencia, Sodiaal and Bel – have products that are known globally and operate in many countries.

In a way, President Macron, who last month noted that the young chefs of France should be heading out to the world to upgrade and move French cuisine forward (having been outdone by Denmark lately), perhaps should look at all the dairy giants that quietly and persistently spread their products globally.

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine

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Recent falls in milk prices have previously been attributed to the “spring flush” – when cows naturally produce more milk as they are let out into fields – leading to oversupply. Yet with retailers set to slash the price of milk, plus soaring industry energy bills and rampant labour shortages, milk processing lines need to be doing more to ensure they cut waste costs and save every penny to remain agile.

Mark Andersen, CCO of Lyras, a Danish company specialising in sustainable pasteurisation technology, commented. “The UK dairy industry is facing significant challenges, where intervention is needed to cut waste costs and streamline processing lines. Dairy producers must find ways to reduce the cost of their operations as soon as possible in order to respond to slashed consumer prices.

“In recent years, renewable processing technology has become a reliable alternative to more traditional processing methods. However, the dairy industry remains conservative when it comes to abandoning tried and tested methods for a modern, future-proof alternative. Despite their chosen methods lasting for hundreds of years, producers should not be afraid to turn to a newer, cleaner alternative, especially when the threat of an industry-wide squeeze might push out those unwilling to adapt and eclipse smaller dairies entirely.

“Renewable technology used in the production and treatment of dairy products aids in reducing operational costs, meaning production lines have a greater processing efficiency and can be more financially flexible in the long-term. Ultimately, dairy producers, like any other business, need to act in their best interests to protect themselves, and using sustainable methods means protecting the planet while future-proofing themselves during times of difficulty.”

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Around 234 farms with a production of around 58 million kilograms of milk are taking part in KlimaStaR Milch. The first evaluations show that the greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of milk are lower than expected, as they are on average 0.885kg of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilogram of milk.

In the first year of the project, greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of milk were reduced by an average of 1%.

In terms of food competition, the milk producers involved were able to reduce their food competition by 9% in the first year of the project by reducing the amount of concentrated feed and by specifically adjusting the feed ration. Food competition arises, when edible products are fed to livestock.

Participating farms received a specific and practical analysis of the greenhouse gas emissions from their milk through the project. On this basis, in cooperation with the cantonal advisory institutions and the University of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL), they have developed individual emission reduction strategies adapted to their location. It is up to the dairy farmers to decide which measures they implement. An impact-oriented premium model should provide positive incentives for implementation.

In the first year of KlimaStaR Milch, the project sponsors built up a competence network, which is broadly anchored in research, politics and practice. It brings together 15 organisations with a total of 30 employees along the entire value chain: cantonal advisory institutions, the Federal Office for Agriculture, the HAFL University of Applied Sciences, the milk trade, milk processing, milk production, control organisations and the animal feed industry.

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“Thanks to the dedicated work of minister of agriculture, Norbert Totschnig, a long-awaited milestone was set for farmers in Austria. Consumers can finally be certain of the origin of many of the foods that they eat out of the home every day. With the regulations on voluntary labeling in community catering, we are also making the catering industry responsible,” says the president of the Farmers’ Association, Georg Strasser.

Around 2.2 million meals and thus almost two-thirds of the meals eaten outside Austrian homes every day are consumed in public or private canteen kitchens.

“We tried to find a good solution for everyone involved. The canteens are also very interested in consistent labeling, which the regulation corresponds to. Every guest must be able to see at first glance, where the schnitzel, butter or fried egg comes from. We can guarantee this through mandatory controls,” Strasser says.

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World Cheese Awards: Call for final entries

The entry closing date is Friday 8 September 2023. Spaces are filling up quickly, with cheese entries coming in online from over 40 countries around the world. Cheesemakers shouldn’t delay in submitting their entry forms, as the closing date will be brought forward if capacity is met.

This year will be the 35th edition of the World Cheese Awards, the largest ‘cheese-only’ event of its kind globally. The awards will be held at Trondheim Spektrum, Trondheim, Norway on Friday 27 October 2023. Staging the cheeses will begin on 26 October and cheese tastings, tours and the accompanying World Cheese Market will take place across 27 – 28 October.

John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food, organisers of the competition, said, “We’re already seeing entries coming in from all over the world and have recently spoken to cheesemakers in South America, Spain, Italy, UK and Norway about their submission as part of our programme of entry webinars to help even the smallest producer take part. We’re proud of our network of 18 consolidated shipment points around the world, which enable cheeses from over 40 countries get to us with minimal cost to the producer.”

“Whether you’re a cheesemaker, cheese buyer, or cheese seller, join us in Trondheim, Norway at the World Cheese Market for an extraordinary opportunity to immerse yourself in a huge variety of cheeses and connect with industry experts from across the globe. We are excited to be returning to Norway, this time to discover Trondheim’s food and drink culture, rich history, and breathtaking natural beauty.”

Oste V-M Cheese Festival and World Cheese Market

As the World Cheese Awards judging unfolds, Trondheim Spektrum will also play host to the Oste V-M Cheese Festival and World Cheese Market across 27 and 28 October. Featuring cheese tastings, talks and activities for families, Oste V-M is open to cheese experts and cheese lovers alike. The World Cheese Market will take place around the judging arena, consisting of over 30 trade stands showcasing cheesemakers, affineurs and a range of cheese accessories, so visitors can take in all the action of the judging arena and witness the World Cheese Awards Super Jury decide the World Champion Cheese 2023. Attracting judges and visitors from 35+ countries across the world, the market provides an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other industry professionals. Cheesemakers and affineurs exhibiting at the market will include Isle of Mull Cheese, Godminster Vintage, Savencia Fromage & Dairy and The Fine Cheese Co.

For any trade wishing to attend Oste V-M and World Cheese Market, visit: ostelandet.no/oste-vm-2023/ to purchase your tickets.

Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2023

Organised by the Academy of Cheese, the Young Cheesemonger of the Year competition will take place within the World Cheese Market this year in Norway. An innovative competition to find the brightest, freshest talent in the world of cheese retail. The competition has been established to celebrate rising talent, promote cheese knowledge, and provide career development opportunities to a younger generation within the industry.

Tracey Colley, director of the Academy of Cheese, commented, “The Academy is delighted to continue its support to find the Young Cheesemonger of the Year. This esteemed award aligns with the Academy’s core values of promoting expertise and understanding within the industry. We intend young cheesemongers nurture their passion for this field through our accreditation programme in the years ahead. It is worth noting that past contenders have achieved remarkable success in the cheese industry, securing positions such as senior buyer, head cheesemaker and cheese grader.”

Open to all cheesemongers under the age of 30, the competition is free to enter with applicants being asked to provide a short biography and submit recommendations for their perfect cheeseboard under the value of £50. Shortlisted entrants will be invited to attend the World Cheese Awards in Norway and compete against their peers across four testing rounds. The rounds will comprise of delivery of the rationale behind their cheeseboard selection; demonstration of their “cut and wrap” skills; a cheese identification round using the SATC model, and the final round – MasterRind – a quiz about cheeses from around the world.

The winner of the award will be announced in the World Cheese Awards Oste-VM on Friday 27 October. Full details of this, along with the application form, can be found on the Academy of Cheese’s website: academyofcheese.org/young-cheesemonger-of-the-year/

As well as a bright future and the coveted title of Young Cheesemonger of the Year 2023, the winner will receive a trophy and will also be invited to judge at the World Cheese Awards 2024. International contestants are welcome, and all entries are to be submitted by Friday 15 September 2023.

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In a federal survey, a 1% increase in participation in the central animal welfare requirement BTS/RAUS was registered in 2022. Currently, 91% of dairy farms meet these requirements and 95% of the dairy cows are included.

As cheese milk producers also have registered for the Grüner Teppich, animal welfare in Swiss milk production will continue to increase in 2023.

Participation in the BTS and RAUS programmes is a central element of the first phase of the Grüner Teppich.

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Bretagne Manutention, part of the Fenwick Group, specialises in the sale and maintenance of handling equipment such as forklift trucks, electric pallet trucks and aerial platforms. Its head office in Rennes, France and the eight branches spread across Brittany and Mayenne, comprise 200 people. Some branches employ lifting equipment specialists, from the time when Fenwick offered hoists, and work in partnership with Verlinde. This is the case of the Laval branch, which has been working for 30 years in a cheese dairy plant for the maintenance and equipment of handling products, which has around 50 items.

The Mayennaise cheese plant, which produces several varieties of cheese, is equipped with a brining room. This process consists of soaking the cheeses in a brine bath so that they absorb the salt. The room has seven dipping tanks, each equipped with a hoist that handles the cheese-filled trays. These are soaked in the brine baths in several stages, then sent to the maturing cellar.

The cheese plant used chain hoists from a rival manufacturer but had problems of corrosion on the lifting chains despite regular lubrication. This oxidation was causing numerous production stoppages. During a customer visit, Dominique Denou, sales manager at Bretagne Manutention Laval, recommended Verlinde Eurolift BH electric belt hoists to replace those using traditional chain hoist technology.

Verlinde Eurolift BH electric belt hoists meet the strictest hygiene standards in the food industry. The special feature of these hoists is that they are equipped with a high-strength, rot-proof lifting belt and a dirt-free guide system for use in all kinds of environments. The mechanically variable two-speed lift motor and the two-speed steering motor, together with a sealed gearbox, provide the movement of loads from 500 to 5,000kg.

The cheese maker asked Bretagne Manutention for a complete study, as it wanted to optimise the entire lifting solution to increase the load capacities of the hoists from 1,000 kg to 1,200 kg. Verlinde assisted Bretagne Manutention with these offers.

In addition to optimising the lifting part, the project also involved specific structural constraints: as a general rule, a Eurolift BH hoist moves on an IPN rail, but the configuration of the brine room did not allow the hoist enough travel with this type of rail. The existing structure had to be changed and the loads of the suspended structure recalculated, which was expensive, or the hoists had to be adapted. Verlinde proposed to move the hoist motor to a different location in order to gain height and thus reuse the existing galvanised hollow section rails.

The first Eurolift BH hoist was installed in 2020. Within three months, the test proved successful: maintenance and lubrication operations were reduced and corrosion problems were eliminated. The other six hoists were then replaced, reducing breakdowns and production downtime. The installation is maintained by Bretagne Manutention Maintenance. Monitoring is regular, with a visit every six months.

For more information, visit: www.verlinde.com

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In Africa, Arla’s Kaduna dairy farm recently took delivery of 216 Danish Holstein heifers in Nigeria, The Nation reports. The farm is set to open later this month, and is the first state of the art facility in the country, with space for 400 milking cows. Production should commence in the third quarter of 2023. Arla has been involved in Nigeria for years, and earlier this year, it signed a new five-year memorandum of understanding, further committing to it helping and developing the local dairy sector in the country.

In India, dairy giant Amul has opened a research laboratory for the testing of organic products of all types. As the industry there becomes more organised, Amul is leading the way with food safety testing in the organic sector.

In multinational news, Danone is seeing positive prospects as China reopens post-pandemic, according to its first quarter 2023 report. A recovery in tourism and hospitality, along with a reopening economy, may aid dairy demand, which is Danone’s second largest market, after the US.

Here in the UK, Dairy Crest’s Davidstow creamery is looking to expand production at its Camelford site, and has applied for a permit variation to the UK’s Environment Agency to up its output to 11.4 tonnes per hour from 9.6 tonnes. This site was fined in 2022 for environmental offenses, and part of the application is to update operations and make improvements, including to the treatment works. (via southwestfarmer.co.uk)

• Suzanne Christiansen, editor, Dairy Industries International.
  Keep in touch via email: suzanne@bellpublishing.com
  Twitter: @dairyindustries or LinkedIn: Dairy Industries International magazine

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Nestlé and private equity firm PAI Partners have agreed to set up a joint venture for Nestlé’s frozen pizza business in Europe. Nestlé will retain a non-controlling stake with equal voting rights alongside PAI Partners. The transaction is subject to employee consultations and the approval of regulatory authorities and is expected to close in the second half of 2023. Financial details are not being disclosed.

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For organic Kesselmeister cheese, fresh pasture milk from the region of north-eastern Germany is used. The cows graze on an average of 220 days a year: With this alone, the Gläserne Molkerei significantly exceeds the minimum pasture milk standard.

“Traditional craftsmanship and natural cheese are valued at the cheese counter. Healthy nutrition and the desire for species-appropriate animal husbandry are more than just a short-lived trend. With our Kesselmeister we have exactly the right answer to the wishes at the cheese counter,” claims Bettina Voss, marketing manager at Gläserne Molkerei.

Kesselmeister semi-hard cheese is now available with an improved recipe in the three varieties Goldstück, Pfefferecke and Kleekorn (gold piece, pepper corner and clover grain).

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“As we marked Kerry’s 50th year in 2022, we achieved record organic revenue growth against the backdrop of an exceptionally dynamic operating environment. I am proud of the broad-based volume growth we delivered across our end use markets, channels, regions and emerging markets despite the macroeconomic conditions,” says Edmond Scanlon, CEO of Kerry. “Our teams worked closely with our customers to actively manage through the inflationary environment, while continuing to innovate and develop their offerings to meet evolving marketplace needs.

“We completed a number of acquisitions aligned to our strategic priorities of taste, nutrition and emerging markets, and since year-end we announced the potential sale of our sweet ingredients portfolio, as we continue to enhance and refine our business to areas where we can add most value.

While recognising the current market uncertainty, we believe we are strongly positioned to continue to grow our business through this period. In 2023, we expect to achieve 3% to 7% adjusted earnings per share growth on a constant currency basis, before the dilution from the potential sale of the sweet ingredients portfolio.”

Group EBITDA increased by 12.9% to €1.2 billion, with an EBITDA margin of 13.9% (2021: 14.7%), as the dilution from the impact of passing through input cost inflation was partially offset by accretion from portfolio developments, operating leverage, mix and efficiency initiatives.

Constant currency adjusted earnings per share increased by 7.3% to 440.6 cent (2021: 12.1% increase). Basic earnings per share was 341.9 cent (2021: 430.6 cent) as the prior year included a credit from the sale of the Consumer Foods Meats and Meals business.

Research and development expenditure amounted to €303m (2021: €297m) and net capital expenditure was €217m (2021: €315m) as the group continued to invest in its strategic priorities.

Good progress was made in the year against the Beyond the Horizon sustainability strategy and commitments. Kerry increased its nutritional reach to 1.2 billion consumers globally. The group achieved a 48% reduction in Scope 1 & 2 carbon emissions, while strong progress was made in reducing food waste in Kerry’s operations by 32%, the company says.

“The overall demand environment remained robust through the year despite the macroeconomic backdrop. Consumers continued to seek new taste experiences, cleaner labels and added functional benefits through food and beverages. The cost-of-living crisis has resulted in many consumers looking for relative value options to meet their purchase preferences, depending on their available resources,” the firm noted in its summary.

“Customers continued to prioritise the resiliency of their supply chains through this period of inflationary pressure. Innovation has become increasingly more targeted, as they seek to meet various consumer preferences within different price ranges. Customers are working with and looking for supplier partners to support them in addressing these current market challenges and opportunities, as they navigate through this dynamic operating environment.”

At the outset of 2023, while market conditions are currently uncertain, Kerry remains strongly positioned for growth ahead of its markets, it says. The group will continue to manage input cost fluctuations with its well-established pricing model. Kerry will continue to invest capital aligned to its strategic priorities and strategically evolve its portfolio.

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Automatic milking is continuing to grow across the world. At the same time, DeLaval has seen a positive customer response on the DeLaval VMS V300-series of automatic milking robots. These two factors have led to DeLaval making an investment to increase its production capacity of automatic milking systems by 50%.

“We are grateful for the trust our customers have put in us and our solutions,” says Paul Löfgren, president & CEO at DeLaval. “With this investment we will be able to meet the growing customer demand and increase our production capacity while shortening lead times. This will also ensure that we can keep our focus on continued product development and quality, every step of the way.”

The new facility for VMS production will be built with increased efficiency using optimised and automated flows. “The VMS focus will be even higher in the Tumba factory in Sweden and our supporting factories and supply chain will also be updated to provide the best support,“ says Löfgren. The planning phase is ongoing, and the ambition is to have the new VMS factory set up and ready in 2024.

Automatic milking has been growing in popularity due to the need for higher productivity on farms as well as increasing labour scarcity. “The high demand we have seen for our VMS V300-series over the past years and the future expected demand allows us to make this investment,” says Löfgren. “We have seen improvements and changes in milk production throughout our company´s many years of history, and the need to produce milk in a more sustainable way is increasingly important. This investment is a fantastic opportunity for us to continue to develop valuable solutions to improve milk production together with our customers – the farmers of the world,” says Löfgren.

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“With differentiated, highly innovative brand concepts, a consistent focus on attractive markets and niches and a sharper strategy based on our strengths, we can look back on a respectable year in a challenging environment with a significant improvement in the second half of the year,” comments Ricarda Demarmels, CEO of Emmi Group, about 2022’s turnover. “Our teams have countered the challenging framework conditions with foresight with accelerated efficiency programs and disciplined cost management, which defended volumes and acted with a view to local market conditions and a sustainable design of the value chain.”

Unavoidable sales price increases due to higher milk prices, as well as sharply increased prices for input, energy, logistics and packaging materials also contributed to the growth in sales.

The share of the Switzerland division in group sales was 40.1% (previous year: 42.2%).

The Americas division generated sales of CHF1.6 billion, which corresponds to its strong growth of 20.1%. Another key driver for the positive development in the Americas is an additional production facility for UHT milk, which is being commissioned in Brazil.

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With processing, finishing and packaging in Zillertal, the dairy is investing around €6 million in the expansion of the new cheese maturing cellar and warehouse, which will be put into operation this year.

The 80m long, 12m wide and 10m high-bay warehouse offers space for 600 pallets and packaging material and 1400 pallets in the cold store on an area of 960 cubic metres.

With the expanded maturing cellar, the dairy can store up to 8,400 cheese wheels and blocks. Another positive factor is that with the new storage areas, production process and the quality can be kept in view right up to the last day. This improves the CO2 balance and reduces truck traffic.

To save energy, the existing photovoltaic system on the company roof has also been expanded. The capacity can be increased to a total of almost 1,000 kWp. This means that the dairy can produce approximately 50% of its entire electricity requirement.

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