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Canadian Packaging
Food Safety General Advanta food supply chainMiguel Campos, export sales manager at leading aluminum packaging manufacturer Advanta explains why we need a safe and capable food supply chain more than ever before.
The journey from prototype to plate is nothing short of immense—and it has become even more of a difficult challenge as the population continues to increase. As such, it’s all the more reason to try and develop a safe and reliable food supply chain.
Think of it this way; the complex coordination of sourcing ingredients, equipment and packaging, along with getting them all to the right place at the right time is the fundamental priority of food manufacturing.
And of course, the journey of such supplies can prove quite treacherous, with issues caused by delayed deliverables and damaged goods. The notorious shortage of chicken endured by KFC in February 2017 made headlines for this very reason.
Compare this to the wondrous salmon’s lifecycle. These fish start out life in fresh water before spending as many as eight years out at sea. They then head back to the exact stream where they were hatched to lay their eggs, using the Earth’s magnetic field to guide them.
If this coordination can occur in an organism that was once thought have a memory span of about three seconds, then maybe it’s time to re-evaluate the expectations you have of your suppliers.
Your suppliers’ products are only going to find their way to your facility in a fit state, if the company has the capacity, knowledge and reliability to meet your demands. You may have supplies coming from Asia, Europe and the U.S., all needing to be delivered on time to prevent bottleneck situations. This is can be a headache, but with the right businesses on board it becomes much easier.
Another key driver for efficiency in food manufacturing is the increasing population.
By 2050 we will need to feed nine billion people around the world, while maintaining safe, efficient and sustainable supply chains. This isn’t going to be made any easier by the increasing threat of arable land shortage, drought and uncertain climatic patterns.
However, there are many positive things already happening in the food sector to help meet demand. The constant new ideas in product design, packaging and business models are strengthening the supply chain. It’s this innovation, such as longer shelf lives, which is allowing suppliers to deliver high quality products, in vast numbers, with high levels of traceability.
At Advanta, for example, it supplies aluminum foil trays of all shapes and sizes to more than 400 customers in over 20 countries. The factory can produce a mammoth half a million trays in just an hour. Its huge capacity is made possible due to investments in 65 power presses, 140 employees and 500 Swiss-made customized tools that we have on site. These tools are pressed onto the sheets of aluminum, to shape the metal into the smoothwall and wrinklewall foil trays you see on supermarket shelves.
Both our long-term and new customers have faith in us to deliver goods on-time to the highest quality.
Ultimately, all of your suppliers should be truly invested in improving their own processes, to meet your timelines and challenging specifications. One supplier’s misfortune can cost your business a lot more in cash, reputation and customer loyalty.
It’s time to invest in your supply chain. Your suppliers may be meeting your demands now, but what about when your customer doubles the order volume? Remember, while price is a key factor in choosing which businesses you purchase ingredients, packaging and services from, you should also look for businesses that you know can deliver on time.
About Advanta
Advanta is one of the leading foil food container manufacturers in Europe. The company headquarters in Cannock, U.K. is purpose-built and establishes new standards for the whole packaging industry. The business operates globally and is able to offer regional support in Australia, Asia, South America, Africa and the U.S. Company information can be found at www.advantapack.com.
Ref: ADV023/02/18
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