The Publication For The Grocery Trade

Wholefood Company eliminates pests - investment in new technology

Like many other sectors, the food industry is already starting to feel the effects of climate change and with the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recently warning that global temperatures could rise by up to 6ºC by 2100, this trend is set to continue. Couple the predictions for warmer weather with the banning of methyl bromide and an increase in the resistance of insects to pesticides and it is clear that infestation problems could be on the way. However, one progressive company is tackling the problem directly by installing a unique non-toxic pest control system. Day Plus One is an innovative wholefood company, which specialises in the packing of dried organic and natural customer own-label food products. It is an international company, supplying major wholesalers and retailers in the UK, Ireland, Iceland and Norway. Day Plus One has just invested in a controlled atmosphere room (CAR) that exterminates insects at all stages of development from food supplies. This means that Day Plus One's customers can now enjoy two stages of quality control for their products - the stringent measures that were already in place at the company, which have been awarded the British Retail Consortium's top "A" rating, and the new system - giving them extra piece of mind. The high-tech system, which is made in Holland, works by placing the product into the airtight climate room, turning the temperature up to 27 degrees to stimulate the pest's life cycle and then removing any oxygen and replacing it with nitrogen. This method kills any eggs that may be present in the product, as well as being completely non-toxic. Furthermore, it doesn't form any potentially harmful residues and is approved in organic production. Unlike many pest control procedures, which are often dealt with off-site even though it is transportation that leads to repeat infestation, Day Plus One's process is conducted on-site using a computerised control room that is manned remotely by the system's manufacturers in Holland. "We pride ourselves on using the highest quality produce, so naturally we want to protect our products," says Adrian Lauchlan, founder of Day Plus One. "With climate change presenting very real challenges for the sector we wanted to make sure we were ahead of the game, so have made a considerable investment in this revolutionary system." Renée Elliott, founder of Planet Organic, which opened the first organic supermarket over a decade ago and is a major customer of Day Plus One, said: "It is reassuring to see Day Plus One taking the lead on this issue and favouring environmentally-friendly pest control that really works. We offer thousands of organic products and quality is something our customers take for granted." Day Plus One is well known as a leading player in the wholefood industry and is particularly adept at identifying food trends. Set up over 20 years ago by Adrian Lauchlan, it is the only company in the UK to offer the joint benefit of a customer own-label service combined with a turnaround time of just two days, between ordering and delivery. The company offers over 500 natural and organic product lines, including its own-brand ranges Organic Days and Natural Days. Day Plus One is a well-established wholefood company, specialising in the packing of natural and organic Soil Association certified dried food products. It has been awarded the highest level BRC (British Retail Consortium) certificate. Products include a wide range of fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses, grains, cereals and snacks and the company operates out of three London-based warehouses covering 18,000 sq ft. Day Plus One is a leading supplier of customer own-label products and specialises in supplying its entire product range under a customer's individual brand label, as well as offering contract packing-only solutions. The company prides itself on its personalised service, whether this be sourcing a particular product, creating a unique product mix or developing a packing-only service. There are many cost and management benefits associated with sub-contracting buying, storing, packing, labelling, order taking and delivery services, including giving food companies the time to focus on product development and customers. Day Plus One Limited Adrian Lauchlan or Victoria Levine Tel: 020 8802 1088 www.dayplusone.co.uk