News

Thoughts on non-plastic packaging as we enter Plastic Free Month

Prior to forming Paul Ward Horticulture, I worked closely with key UK retailers as a Senior Technical Manager and Director. During this time, I was one of the first to introduce paper packaging to UK retailers and worked jointly with one supplier to bring non-plastic packaging to market successfully over 20 years ago. So, why has this step change been so slow and why has it taken the BBC’s Blue Planet programme to bring the issue to the fore?

One of the main reasons is that plastic packaging is extremely cheap, consistent and lightweight. Traditionally, paper-based products tended to be bulky, often occupying four times the space of the equivalent plastic product, and not always produced with a consistent dimension and shape or finish.

Final point-of-sale outlets have therefore focused on packaging with a higher level of recyclability and where possible, a percentage of material in the final pack being recycled material. The key is also to have a continuously recyclable product. However, the problem is many council waste streams cannot take dirty plastics and often the recycled items are contaminated with other materials or non-recyclable items. So, what should in theory be a cradle-to-cradle recycling initiative with nearly 100% recovery, often falls far short of this.

To overcome the plastics issue, I have worked with a few small / medium sized UK manufacturers to come up with alternatives to plastics.

We now have access to a range of easily erected prepacks, with self-closing lids and windows for product visibility; right through to paper-based ‘see-through’ packs for products such as fruit pouches or dried fruit goods.

In coming to this point, we have determined there is the availability of the raw materials, skills and technology here in the UK to make these goods.

We have shown several international companies some of the innovations and prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, saw serious interest in our range.

So, whether it is fruit packs or loose wraps, flower bouquets or tray liners you need, we can tailor make a solution for you. If you are interested in finding out more, please call Paul Ward on 07470 452 007 or e-mail paul@pwhort.com

The EU has published EC Regulation 2020/749 which brings in the new EU MRLs for chlorate. The document was published on 4th June 2020 & new levels become law on 24th June 2020. The next review of the MRLs will be not later than 8/6/25. For more information please go to: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2020/749/oj & select the language you require from the pdf selections there.

Is This Organic Fertiliser An Alternative to Modern Artificial Fertiliser?

I am an independent horticulturist looking at more sustainable ways of growing crops, preserving them (post-harvest) & packing them.

I have been working with my partner on an organic fertiliser with a view to our bringing this product to the market for organic & conventional growers, home gardeners & allotment growers to use to add both organic matter & naturally derived nutrients to their soils.

Yes, we can all convert kitchen waste to compost or use bio-digestate & farmyard manure to increase organic matter. However, Guano, as it is called is derived from bird excrement, harvested by hand on specific Islands, Isles & Capes off the Peruvian Coast has some unique properties.

The unique Humboldt Current which flows off the cost of Peru offers unique conditions for plankton growth, which in turn results in large fish stocks (Anchovies) for deep sea fishing birds to feed on. This, along with the dry & permanent spring like climate of Peru means the guano can accumulate without being leached. The areas where the guano accumulates are designated wildlife sanctuaries, & the 4 or so species of deep-sea fishing birds who effectively make this product are protected by the Peruvian government as are the nesting sites where they breed.

The guano cannot be harvested during the breeding season & is only collected from each site every 4-7 years by hand, so as not to damage the delicate ecosystem.

The birds catch fish & digest it, bones & all, so it has a balanced NPK make up, is rich in calcium & has trace element content also.

A typical analysis is as follows:

The good news is that the population of sea birds which had declined from over 53 million in the 1880’s to just 4.3 million by 2011, has reached 5 million now & is growing by 100,000 a year, thanks to the conservation efforts in place in Peru.

Key species include Peruvian Pelican, Guanay Cormorant, White-Breasted Cormorant & Peruvian Booby:

So, what is the point of Guano?

Well, this fertiliser is 100% natural, it is sustainable & was one the key fertiliser in the EU & UK before artificially made fertilisers were developed. As the raw materials to make artificial fertilisers diminishes, & as we strive to reduce our carbon footprint, this material, like many others will increase in use again.

It should also be noted that it is the most complete Organic Fertilizer in the world and with the highest Value of

Organic Nitrogen (12-14%) there is no other that comes close to this value.

An important and unique property of Guano is that it is free of Bacteria like Salmonella and E. Coli, these Bacteria does not survive in Guano unlike other excrement-based fertilizers.

This makes an organic fertilizer very safe for use in green leaf crops that are eaten raw (like lettuce, arugula, pepper, celery and others). However, always wash your crops when grown in contact with soil before eating them as soils can contain other mico organisms which can cause food spoilage leading to food poisoning if eaten.

Guano has just had its UK organic status confirmed by Organic Farmers & Growers.

The product is being relaunched in the coming months & if you are interested to learn more about it & likely benefits it can have, please email “paul@pwhort.com” or call: +447470452007.

For commercial information, please contact Carlos: “carlos@anglo-peruvian.com”

BRC Standards & COVID-19 Latest news

There is increasing concern worldwide about the risk of Food Fraud as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
BRCS have just posted a webinar this week on this subject. To see more information, please go to:
BRCS Standards & COVID-19 Latest News

Also, if your company is due to have a BRC audit soon, it is worth contacting the certification body you use, to get the latest guidance on meeting new requirements brought in to standards, as a result of this pandemic. The link below lists the latest guidance from BRCS:
BRCS Standards & COVID-19 Latest News

If you need assistance to manage your food safety systems, hygiene standards & social distancing in your production facility, during this pandemic, please do not hesitate to contact Paul Ward at: paul@pwhort.com, phone: +447470452007

Are coatings a plastic packaging replacement?

If one looks at the Internet, all too often there are articles & images about plastic and the effect it is having on our planet & its wildlife. Such examples are:

Pollution: Birds injesting hundreds of bits of plastics a day	Horror stories – the shocking tale of a man made monster	Bue Planet 2 – How plastic is slowly killing our sea creatures, fish and birds

Its stories like the above that have rekindled interest in work done in the 1980’s, looking at the use of coatings & in particular, Semperfresh, to alleviate plastic pollution. Nature created skins & shells on fruit & vegetables, so, why cannot man use natural products to further enhance the barriers nature has made on these fruit & veg?

What is it?

Sucrose esters were developed in the 1980’s by Tate & Lyle. Initially they were used as a cleaning product, but it was soon realised they had benefits as a coating to slow down natural ripening. Here is the clever bit: The water part of the sugar molecule sticks out into the air, attracting moisture while the fatty acid combines with the skin, to slow down Oxygen uptake & release of CO2. This results in a slowing of the fruit or vegetable’s respiration rate. The nice diagram below explains this better:

Issues such as shrivel are delayed on certain produce.

It is used to:

• Delay maturation of plums & apricots
• Maintain the fresh appearance of some fruit e.g. pears & cherries
• Reduce shrivel & softening in some fruit, e.g. plums
• Reduce bruising / skin marking in pears such as Packhams, Green Williams & Bartlets
• Reduce chilling injury in sea freighted soft citrus & pineapples
• Maintain flavour by delaying the ripening process

The product is widely used in Chile, the US & Washington state, Italy & Spain with smaller volumes used in the Far East.
It has approval for use on a range of produce in the EU, UK & US & Japan, and has approval from World Health Organisation.
Its used pre storage or prior to packing & is compatible with post-harvest fungicide treatments with some exceptions.
First trials were done in 1987 by Adel Kader at UC Davis California & then in Chile in 1988.

With the advent of plastic packaging in the UK / EU, the produce declined in use here until programmes such as Blue Planet & press articles focused on the impact of plastic in our environment. Since then, companies have looked at this coating to eliminate the benefits of plastic.

Paul Ward Horticulture has been with Agricoat / Mantrose to re-establish its use in the UK & EU markets. Trials are ongoing & some interesting results have been seen on peach, apricot, avocado, pears, soft citrus, to mention a few products.
We are interested in working with packers & growers to identify potential uses for the product & would like to hear from pineapple exporters from the Ivory Coast, for example.

Additionally, we are looking at some of the Natureseal Products to control bacterial & fungal issues on produce, as well as methods to enhance flavours in fruit & vegetables!

If you would like to learn more, please contact Paul Ward on +447470452007, or e-mail paul@pwhort.com.

Water Availability

Recent visit to South Africa highlights a global trend: Water availability for drinking & crop production is becoming a bigger issue. In South Africa, for example, the Cape Town area had only 100 days of water reserves left!

We are currently looking at ways to reduce water loss & thereby conserve water.

Are you ready for future water restrictions?

If you wish to learn more, why not contact us for a chat?

Code launch in March 2017

Ongoing work on Fresh Produce Consortium code of practice on mobile home accommodation for seasonal workers highlights potential issues with current layouts & spacing of mobiles as an issue.

Are you ready for the launch of this code in March 2017? If you are unsure, why not contact me, & I can perform an assessment, to pinpoint any specific issues.

Mobile Home Accommodation

The Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) is preparing draft code of practice on mobile home accommodation used for seasonal workers in the UK.

This looks at Health & Safety, risk assessments, checks on wiring & gas equipment, access to mobile homes & space available to workers, among other points.

Are you prepared for this?

If you would like to learn more, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Pesky Pesticides

When looking at newly registered pesticides, please also check that the crop / chemical combination has residue limits set in the destination country, or, has been authorised, if produce is to be exported. If not, you may legally use a new pesticide in the source country, only to find it is not allowed in the destination country.

So, prepare a proposed pesticide list, & send this to your destination market, to see if any items may cause problems.

We’ll be happy to help you, should you have any queries.

Caution when using certain fertilisers

Caution when using certain fertilisers, for example, Potassium Phosphite:

Growers should check with their marketing departments & importers, before using certain types of fertiliser, in case there are any residue issues in destination markets. A case in point is Potassium Phospite, which can be picked up as a breakdown product of Alliette, when produce is residue tested. If thinking of using newer products for the first time, check with a reputable agronomist & your end customer first, to make sure there are no likely residue or authorisation issues with such items.