E D I TOR ’ S N O T E Kiwis are a modest lot We all know that ‘blowing your own trumpet’ has been frowned on by generations of New Zealand pioneers, and the ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ has thwarted many potential highfliers over the decades in taking on the world from the sanctuary of home. How many of us on the wrong side of 40 remember being told to be humble, to achieve quietly, to take our pleasure at our achievements in a dignified manner? If you hadn’t noticed already, however, Generation Y doesn’t believe in all that unpretentious jibber jabber. Brought up with internet worldliness and a keen sense that being quiet means being left behind, these new Kiwis want very much to be acknowledged for their achievements…in fact, self-promotion and self-branding are not just tools or skills, but necessities. So, remember this…if you are a food or beverage manufacturer, a primary food producer, food service provider or ingredient supplier, you have until July 15 to enter your company in this year’s New Zealand Food Awards. Go on, put yourself out there. You deserve it. It’s always exciting to mark achievement, and this month’s magazine is chocka with stories of excellence. From our remarkable young Lion’s Den food technologist Penelope Baldwin and vanilla farmers putting Tonga on the map, to Kiwi ingenuity like that being used by Gareth Hughes at Moa brewery are signs that New Zealanders are more comfortable with success. Check out Fonterra’s new dairy powder technology, Jax Hamilton’s take on 'food in 50 years' and the extraordinary innovation set to revolutionise the storage and transportation of chilled meat. Our cover story on food contamination details how one company changed its processes forever, and BrewTech asks if beer and females go together. What’s your view?! Check out the winners of two special prizes this month, and make sure you drop me a line if you have anything you’d like covered, something to say, or an opinion you’d like presented to the industry. This is your voice, so don’t be modest…speak out and become a Generation Y convert. Kathryn Calvert Editor NZ FOODTechnology LETTER TO THE EDITOR 2 Sugar Solution? In your April editorial of NZ Food Technology, you ask what readers’ solutions are to the excess sugar consumption in New Zealand. My solution is a ‘Sugar Reduction Incentive’ – no product should have more than 10 per cent sugar content, so products with 10 per cent or more would need to endure a 30 per cent tax. Over a six-year period, manufacturers are incentivised to reduce sugar to a maximum of four per cent, or be taxed at the 30 per cent rate. This gives time for the consumer to wean off their sugar habit or addiction, and manufacturers time to adjust their manufacturing process. This becomes a simple measure to administer, as manufacturers cannot hide the amount of sugar they are purchasing. The manufacturers collect the tax. Tony Falkenstein ONZM Just Water International chief executive Auckland HEALTH AND SAFETY… ARE YOU PLAYING YOUR PART? If companies really believe people are their most important asset, they will take health and safety seriously. If you care about people, then you realise you have to get involved, you have to play a part and do whatever you can to ensure they don’t come to harm, because it’s not acceptable that people are going home injured. What the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council is trying to do is firstly understand where the biggest risks are. We’ve recently done a survey to gather some data around the number and types of accidents. It’s looking at where the best practice within companies is, because we know that out there is a solution to everyone’s problems. Work on the Safe In Store pass has been completed, so there is a better knowledge for merchandisers and salespeople going into store. We are working on improving inductions so the process is similar in all Warehouses, Countdowns, New Worlds and PAK’nSAVEs. Everyone in a company has a part to play. A company that is truly world class in health and safety is not driven by one person. It has to start from the top, leaders have to really own and be passionate about health and safety, but everyone throughout the organisation needs to feel they can play a role as well. There are warning signs in our industry, with near misses with forklifts and minor accidents. What role are you playing as sales director or as head of your business in terms of following up to make sure action has been taken? Talking to the stores, understanding what they’re doing to ensure accidents don’t happen again – that the near misses and the learnings - are heeded. That’s one of the key parts in terms of what leaders can do to build a health and safety culture. Gerry Lynch is general manager of Mars NZ and chairman of the NZ Food & Grocery Council-led Health & Safety Working Group. EDITORIAL COMMENT
FT-May16
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