Producers supplying Noble Foods are already benefiting from the company's investment in its North Scarle, Lincolnshire packing station. Included in the latest tranche of developments is the replacement of pulp fibre trays with blue plastic recyclable trays. And just completing is the 100% implementation of a computerised receipt system that brings significant traceability advantages.
Plastic trays
Blue plastic trays are now synonymous with Noble Foods. A £2 million investment in trays, pallets and washing equipment has lead to two million of these trays being distributed to all Noble suppliers.
"The plastic trays are a huge step forward," says commercial director Brian White. "They can be washed, dried and reused and are guaranteed for seven years. This means they are more hygienic than the old pulp trays. And as a company we felt that the investment was proactive in terms of minimising disease risk."
Washing equipment at North Scarle has been part of the investment along with new tray dividers and pallets. Once eggs go onto the graders the trays are stacked up and enter the washing area within the packing centre. All trays pass through a machine similar to a car wash where they are thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and dried ready for going back onto farm.
"Plastic has moved on a great deal and these trays have been trialled to make sure they don't become brittle and crack," adds Brian. "Also, they offer the eggs some cushioning during transportation which promotes egg quality."
Driver technology
Also new on farm this year is the computer-generated receipt detailing the quantity of eggs collected. The hand-held (or palm) computer records the details and, as well as leaving the information on farm, it also stores details ready to download at the docking system in the North Scarle centre. By mid summer this system will be effective across 100% of collections.
"The real benefit here is the production of a barcode that allows fully automatic traceability from the egg leaving the farm, right through the packing centre and on to the shop shelf without any need for manual input or duplication of information," says Brian. "It also assists us with planning the daily pack – we have a full picture of the eggs at the centre and can more accurately match them to orders."
Eggs are graded and packed at North Scarle to order. A total of 55,000 cases are graded and packed each week from alternative - mainly free-range – production systems. The centre capacity has increased dramatically in the past two years, thanks to a £3 million investment in the most advanced packing technology available.
Eggs are turned around at North Scarle generally within 24 hours although a buffer is held to cope with peaks, with Christmas and Easter being the major planning challenges. "We plan carefully for these, monitoring trends from year to year," says Brian. "We were accurate this Christmas to the case."
Brian White has been involved in the egg industry – specialising in grading and packing - for the past 30 years and admits that the past five years have been the most progressive in terms of strides in technology and systems. " Who would have believed that technology would facilitate the packing of 170 different combinations of eggs at any one site – automatically, sorting on brand, egg size and retailer.
"And just last month we saw the new insertion facility get underway where specific promotional leaflets are included in each individual pack of eggs – automatically. You can now open your pack of eggs and get a recipe for a soufflé!
"And we recently introduced a case packer providing consistency in handling and production, whilst combating the repetitive strain issues facing all food handling businesses. This is a major step forward in efficiency."
There's no doubt that North Scarle is a flagship centre for Noble and probably for the whole free-range egg industry. "The sector is developing rapidly," adds Brian. "We continue to work with our customers on new initiatives to meet the demands of end users - and North Scarle is a vital link in the chain. Investment will continue to ensure we're meeting these needs and adding value to the eggs on behalf of our suppliers."
Looking ahead, Brian suggests that further investments will be made to improve automation and efficiency of stock control. "We also have to look at carbon footprints – and to help us become even more efficient in the future."
