AAK UK Ltd, Hull, England - News

First shipment of RSPO certified palm oil arrives

Simon Chrismas — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:14:49 +0000

A small but significant step

Jan Kees Vis, President of the worldwide Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and Sustainable Agriculture Director at Unilever NV, described the moment as follows: “The arrival of this first batch of oil is a small but significant step towards having all the world’s palm oil produced in a socially and environmentally sustainable way.”

First buyers announced

AAK is proud to have secured this ‘world first’ and the first consignment of oil arrived at our refinery in Hull just a few days later. We were also delighted that the first purchasers of our RSPO certified palm oil – Sainsbury’s Supermarkets and Unilever NV, were able to join us in Rotterdam to mark the occasion. A number of journalists attended too and their resulting reports have helped to raise the profile of RSPO certified palm oil.

Greenpeace

You may also have seen the negative media coverage generated by Greenpeace concerning United Plantations, the first palm oil producer to achieve RSPO certification. Please note however that United Plantations have now made a full and detailed rejection of Greenpeace’s claims.
For our part we remain dedicated to the drive towards sustainability because, quite simply, it is the right thing to do. Whilst fully recognise that the RSPO is not perfect and could improve, we are committed to its continuous improvement. It’s good to know too that we enjoy the full co-operation and support of fellow RSPO members the WWF and Oxfam.

Support is at hand

As the palm oil debate gains profile and momentum, we are aware that our customers may be beginning to feel nervous about the damage which could be caused by consumer concerns regarding palm oil. The good news is that we are here to help.

We are ready to advise customers on whether RSPO certified palm oil is right for their business and can offer GreenPalm, our RSPO endorsed certificate trading scheme if it is not. In essence, at this point in time, RSPO certified palm oil is a viable option for bulk users of crude palm oil. Smaller scale users, or users of palm oil derivatives, can still support - and therefore claim - that their business or brand supports the production of palm oil, by joining our GreenPalm programme.

AAK Foods launches new range to liven up the condiment category

Simon Chrismas — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 09:41:43 +0000

AAK Foods Ltd launched the ‘Not Just For’ range in October 2008 with new and improved recipes available in both top down squeezy bottles and glass jar options. The product line up includes: ‘Not Just For Prawns’ Seafood Sauce, ‘Not Just For Ham’ English and French Mustards, ‘Not Just For Scampi’ Tartare Sauce and ‘Not Just For Lamb’ Mint Sauce, in addition to four new products. The new products include: ‘Not Just For Beef’ Hot and Creamed Horseradish Sauces, ‘Not Just For Ham’ Dijon and Wholegrain Mustards.

The bright, premium packaging has the ‘pick up factor’ and offers consumers alternative product usages to traditional applications. For example, the Mint Sauce packaging suggests using the product with tuna steak or mixed with chilli and the Creamed Horseradish Sauce packaging provides serving suggestions such as mashing into potatoes and adding to casseroles.

The ‘Not Just For’ range has been designed to liven up the traditional condiment category and encourage more people to try these varied products, as Simon Chrismas, Product Manager for Lion explains:

“We felt that the mustard and condiment category needed livening up. Most of the products currently on offer traditionally look the same on shelf and there hasn’t been a great deal of innovation. We really wanted to update the category to get new people trying mustards and condiments, which is why we came up with ‘Not Just For’ range. The striking, stand out packaging educates the consumer on a number of different usages for each product, to encourage experimentation.”

“In volume terms, the mustard and condiment market is growing. This growth is driven by consumer penetration rather than frequency of purchase, and we believe our ‘Not Just For’ range can in both instances attract new consumers to the category and drives usage through experimentation. Our ‘Not Just For’ range offers new ideas and a brand new way of thinking, at a time when people’s budgets are being tightened with the credit crunch. More people are cooking from scratch at home to save money; our range shows you how to get the most out of an English Mustard or a Mint Sauce. These products are ‘Not Just For’ the side of the plate!”

“Traditionally, our best selling products have been Mint Sauce, English Mustard and Horseradish Sauce. We hope that the launch of ‘Not Just For’ will encourage consumer trial and increased usage of the other interesting products available in the condiment category. To help provide inspiration and remind consumers that they can use condiments in their everyday cooking, we recommend merchandising our products in multi sites around the store. For example, place Tartare Sauce near the fresh fish section or Horseradish Sauce near the meat aisles,”

“Our plans for 2009 include a number of promotions in addition to the launch of a new Lion website, which will include detailed product information and tasty usage/recipe ideas for consumers to try”

AAK wins industry accolade

Simon Chrismas — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:10:40 +0000

AAK UK received the most votes in the oil category based upon the company’s exceptional performance and customer service over the past 12 months.

AAK UK is a supplier of edible oils to the retail market and provides a wide range of bespoke private label products to the majority of high street retailers. Responsible for some of the most successful brands in the cooking oil category which include Less Cal, Chalice and Again & Again, AAK prides itself on commitment to product development and innovation.

Suzanne Heffernan, Retail Marketing Manager for AAK comments: “I’m delighted we have been voted the best supplier in the oil category. These awards were voted for by our customers and it’s great to know they think our service is the best in the industry. Our award is testament to our outstanding work in the private label sector over the past 15 years. We do not just provide a product, we work directly with our clients to provide a comprehensive service from start to finish – whether that’s supplying a standard cooking oil or developing a bespoke product to suit their needs.”

AAK UK produces over 300 different products for the retail, foodservice, bakery and food manufacturing markets. The company’s retail brands include Less Cal cooking spray - an innovative product available in Olive oil and Sunflower varieties which delivers less than 1 calorie per spray, Chalice, a speciality oil brand that includes over 19 premium oil products, Again & Again cholesterol free frying oil, the Midsummer range of organic olive oils and Fontoliva, a high quality, low cost Olive oil.

AAK UK Ltd is one of East Yorkshire’s largest businesses. The company has manufactured 390,000 tonnes of oil this year and employs over 350 people at its edible oil refinery on King George Dock in Hull. AAK UK products are sold throughout the UK and in over 35 countries worldwide and the company is part of AAK, the world’s leading manufacturer of high value-added speciality vegetable fats.

For further information please contact:

Sarah Roustoby

Press Officer for AAK UK Ltd

Bluestorm Design & Marketing Ltd

T: 01482 649343 Ext. 217

F: 01482 646644

E: Sarah@bluestormdesign.co.uk

AAK secures UK’s first shipment of RSPO certified sustainable crude palm oil

maria — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:10:29 +0100

We expect the shipment to arrive in the UK during November, which means that AAK customers can now place their order for a European first – independently certified sustainable crude palm oil.

Independently audited…

During the course of the last few months, United Plantations has been painstakingly measured against 8 principles, supported by 39 separate RSPO sustainability criteria relating to: legality of operations; economic viability; best practice in operations and environmental and social responsibility. It has also had to prove its commitment to continuous improvement and annual reviews. As a founder member of the RSPO we are delighted that this critical milestone has been reached, and we are pleased to be able to support United Plantations by being the first business to place an order for their RSPO certified sustainably produced crude palm oil.

What this means for you…

The arrival of our first shipment of RSPO certified sustainable crude palm oil is an important milestone for AAK. It means, for the first time, that you have the opportunity to purchase palm oil which has been independently verified as having been sustainably produced. You can then claim that your business or brand uses sustainably produced palm oil.

We anticipate that more plantations will pass their RSPO audits in the coming weeks and that further shipments of RSPO certified sustainable palm oil will be available shortly. However the timetable for the supply of RSPO certified palm oil derivatives including stearin and olein is more difficult to determine. This is due to the complexities of both the supply chain and processing practices.

That’s why we’ve been working with the RSPO to devise GreenPalm, a certificate trading programme which enables businesses like yours to support the sustainable production of palm oil, and its derivatives, before sustainably produced material is widely available.

For further information regarding AAK and the first shipment of RSPO certified crude palm oil, please contact:

Judith Murdoch

Marketing Manager AAK
Tel: 01482 332173
E: Judith.murdoch@aak.com

For further information on the GreenPalm programme, please contact:

Bob Norman

General Manager, GreenPalm Ltd
Tel: 01482 334000/332013
E:bob.norman@greenpalm.org

GreenPalm certificate trading begins

maria — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:12:55 +0100

How it works…

The programme works as follows: producers which have passed their RSPO audits are invited to register a volume of their estimated production with the GreenPalm programme. GreenPalm certificates are then awarded on the basis of one certificate for each tonne of palm oil registered. The GreenPalm certificates can then be put up for sale on the programme’s new web-based trading platform www.greenpalm.org. Users of palm oil and its derivatives are then able to purchase those certificates on-line and, in doing so, commit to pay a voluntary premium to support the production of RSPO certified sustainable palm oil.

The great news is that trading in GreenPalm certificates began last week following United Plantations’ successful audit against the RSPO’s rigorous sustainability criteria. Out of their estimated production volume United Plantations registered 15,000mt with the GreenPalm programme. GreenPalm certificates were awarded pro rata and United Plantations offered a number of these for sale on www.greenpalm.org shortly afterwards. Within hours the first bid of $50 per certificate was received and accepted from an anonymous bidder.

Rewarding sustainable development

The result is that United Plantations is set to become the first palm oil producer to achieve a premium for producing palm oil sustainably. The successful bidder will, in due course, be able to prove that their business, or brand, supports the production of sustainable palm oil.

By paying producers more to produce palm oil sustainably, we believe that the GreenPalm scheme has the potential to begin to tackle the environmental and social problems associated with palm oil production including damage to rainforests and natural habitats.

This will not be achieved overnight but we believe we have made a solid, practical start. We expect GreenPalm certificate trading to gain momentum in the coming weeks and months. For further information on how to join the GreenPalm programme please visit: www.greenpalm.org

For further information regarding AAK and the first shipment of RSPO certified crude palm oil, please contact:

Judith Murdoch

Marketing Manager AAK

Tel: 01482 332173

E: Judith.murdoch@aak.com

For further information on the GreenPalm programme, please contact:

Bob Norman

General Manager, GreenPalm Ltd

Tel: 01482 334000/332013

E:bob.norman@greenpalm.org

Chalice launches Fairtrade Brazil Nut Oil

maria — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:11:12 +0100

The Fairtrade movement promotes better prices, acceptable working conditions and fair terms of trade for farmers and workers in developing countries. Conventional trade traditionally discriminates against poorer, weaker producers, however the Fairtrade movement aims to address these issues and enable them to improve their position and their lives. In order to be classified as a Fairtrade product and achieve the ‘Fairtrade mark’, companies must have paid producers a fair, sustainable price, which must never fall below the market price.

“The Fairtrade movement has certainly been brought to the fore in recent years, and the UK is now one of the leading Fairtrade markets with over 3,000 certified Fairtrade products now on sale”, said Suzanne Heffernan, Marketing Manager for Chalice. “Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the Fairtrade movement and where their food comes from, which is why we decided to launch our first Fairtrade speciality oil. The popularity of speciality oils is also increasing thanks to consumers becoming more educated about how to use them, and the market has a total value of £5.3m. With this in mind, we believe it is important to innovate in this sector and offer consumers the widest possible range to suit their cooking requirements.”

The Brazil nuts used to make Chalice Fairtrade Brazil Nut Oil are only grown in a specific region in the Amazon rainforest that covers parts of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. The trees grow pods, which contain many Brazil nuts arranged like the segments of an orange. One tree can grow up to 300 pods in one year, which drop to the floor during the rainy season. During this period many local families spend months in the rainforest gathering the pods by hand.

Chalice Fairtrade Brazil Nut Oil can be used extensively in both sweet and savoury dishes. It is perfect for brushing over a steak before grilling, drizzling over roasted vegetables or as an ingredient for pastries, muffins and cakes. It is also healthy, containing Omega 3, 6 and 9. It’s an excellent source of selenium (an antioxidant), it’s low in saturates and contains no cholesterol.

Other products in the Chalice range include a selection of Dipping Oils, Infused Oils, Speciality Oils and Premium Oils.

The Chalice Infused Oil range is available in 250ml bottles and includes the following flavours: Basil, Chilli, Garlic, Lemon and two exciting new additions – Rosemary and Mint. These premium quality oils are infused with 100% fresh ingredients as opposed to synthetic flavourings, to provide a unique, fresh flavour. The Chalice range of Dipping Oils are available in 125ml bottles, and are perfect to use as an appetiser, for al fresco dining and entertaining friends. Specifically created to provide the consumer with the taste of the Mediterranean, Chalice’s dipping oils are all made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and come in three delicious variations -Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic and Chilli and Italian Herb. The Chalice range of Premium Oils (250ml) features four great tasting, high quality oils that can be used to enhance the flavour of any dish. The flavours include Pumpkin Seed Oil, Macadamia nut oil, Avocado oil, and White truffle oil (125ml), which provides all the taste and aroma of delicious white truffles, but with the added benefit of ease and convenience. It is perfect for use in fish and pasta dishes.

Other Speciality Oils in the Chalice range include Walnut oil, Toasted Sesame Oil, Stir Fry Oil and Sweet Almond oil, and an innovative addition – Fiery Toasted Sesame Oil. These delicious oils are available in 250ml bottles, and are made from only the finest ingredients, making them ideal for adding flavour and depth to a number of everyday dishes.