Life Health Foods has renewed its focus on safety, efficiency, and waste reduction with the introduction of a new, top-of-the-range material handling fleet supplied by Toyota Material Handling UK.
About Life Health Foods
Life Health Foods is the UK’s leading cereal manufacturer, producing well-known brands such as Lizi’s Granola, Nutri-Brex and Up&Go. The business was acquired in 2023 by parent company Sanitarium, who brought with them a strong values-driven culture centred on wellbeing, quality and continuous improvement.
Operating across two sites in Peterborough and Wellingborough, Life Health Foods produces, packs and exports a wide range of cereals and healthy snacks to customers across the UK and beyond.
The challenge
Following continued business growth and significant investment in production, Life Health Foods shifted its attention to the material handling equipment (MHE) supporting its Peterborough site in 2024.
Bryan Portway, Head of Supply Chain and Logistics at Life Health Foods says: ‘Our existing fleet of equipment had become outdated and inefficient. We were getting increasingly concerned that this old equipment could encourage poor operator habits – particularly around safety and battery management.
We really wanted to reinvigorate our approach to health and safety in the production and warehouse facilities, while also investing in equipment the team could trust to be reliable, use confidently and ultimately take pride in.’
A proud partnership
Life Health Foods began searching for a partner with the capability to support their long-term MHE requirements. Their previous transactional, ad-hoc approach to equipment procurement no longer aligned with the scale and ambition of their operation.
Toyota Material Handling were invited to review the material handling setup, and Warehouse Manager Gytis Barzdelis, commented, “We were immediately impressed by Toyota Material Handling’s consultative, solutions-led approach. They really took the time to understand our operation and propose innovative solutions that met our needs.
It quickly became clear that Toyota’s values – respect, teamwork and continuous improvement- aligned closely with those of Sanitarium, and our businesses felt like a natural fit to work together”
The solution
Toyota Material Handling collaborated closely with Life Health Foods, working through several iterations of potential fleet configurations before finalising the right mix of equipment and technology.
· I_Site: smarter, safer fleet management
The integration of Toyota Material Handling’s I_Site fleet management system was a key element in the decision to work together. For operators, I_Site streamlines daily pre-operational checks and eliminates paper processes, saving time and increasing accountability. For the management team, I_Site provides real-time insight into truck utilisation, impacts, and battery status ensuring they have good oversight of operator behaviour and can look for ways to improve operations.
· A new battery bay for better behaviour
Toyota Material Handling also designed and installed a new stand-alone battery bay to support safe and efficient battery handling. Operators can now instantly identify which battery to use next based on charge status and usage history. This ensures safer retrieval, reduces downtime and will maximise the lifespan of the batteries.
· A shift to Lithium-ion for performance
As part of the fleet renewal, Life Health Foods made the strategic decision to transition from lead-acid to lithium-ion batteries across their indoor equipment. This move significantly reduces charging time, improves energy efficiency, and removes many of the maintenance challenges associated with lead-acid technology.
Moving forward together
The partnership between Toyota Material Handling and Life Health Foods has delivered a safer, more efficient and future-ready operation. With modern equipment, intelligent technology and a collaborative support model, the team are empowered to maintain high standards in safety and performance.
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