< Previous30 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SORTING AND WEIGHING Sorting and weighing, often integrated, are vital in food and drink production; key to maintaining the supply of consistent, uniform, high quality products expected by retailers and consumers, and avoiding rejection of goods and law breaches. To meet customer demands, food manufacturers must invest in effective sorting and weighing equipment. In doing so, opportunities will also arise for processors to bolster food safety, quality, optimise operations, and reduce waste. Spurring on sorting No matter what food one is sorting, removing foreign material, dangerous matters, and the ability to select the best/most suitable materials is essential to providing safe products and maintaining a positive brand image. Automated camera and sensor-based systems have been important in improving sorting, minimising worker presence - and thus contamination and labour costs - and raising product quality. The systems can present information on material, shape, size, geometry, colour, defect and damage characteristics, location of objects during high-speed processing, as well as identify whether there is an issue up the line. For example if the sorter sees incorrect cuts, the cutter needs to be assessed. Sorters have become more efficient and effective, enhanced with innovations in detection technology, intelligent software, AI, machine learning, and big data analysis for the highest level of accuracy and clearest picture of each product/ingredient - the smallest imperfections can be detected, and more precise sorting achieved, while AI powered machines can decide which potato is best suited for a French fry or wedges. Sorting is also moving up the line and more technologies are being utilised, with processors investing in suites of sorting machines, from x-ray to laser, spectral imaging, and camera-based technologies. For instance foreign objects and unusable raw ingredients are removed before processes like cutting by sorters using Visible and NIR (near-infrared) spectroscopic technology, and down the line sorting machines with colour cameras are detecting and ejecting materials based on colour, biological characteristics, size and shape, while sorters with lasers are identifying products such as chips with too much water or oil content, and advanced sorters using NIR light are detecting density differences. Advances in sorting equipment and associated products are enhancing the Sorting through the new Sorting and weighing equipment continue to be updated to offer the most consistent goods and optimise operations. 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:44 Page 1THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE INSPECTION SYSTEMS WHICH SAVE YOU MONEY AND TIME GUARANTEED. T +44 1295 256266 www.fortresstechnology.co.uk www.sparc-systems.co.uk Food & Drink International 31 www.fdiforum.net SORTING AND WEIGHING food sorting process further. Food processors have used sorting equipment to achieve better safety and quality, but it is also now being used to improve lines. Cloud-based services and information analytics have come on the scene to hone sorting and unlock the power of big data in monitoring and optimising these processes. Sorting machines have become connected devices that produce valuable data stored in the cloud, which is then converted into actionable information. Accessible from a web portal on desktops or mobile devices, processors can access close to real-time and retrospective data, with which operational and business decisions can be made, based on in depth information. Further, with product quality continuously measured machine operators can make quick adjustments to machine settings to ensure they are working optimally to maintain the best product quality/react to changes. Machine health data can also be monitored through these services, reducing downtime and supporting predictive maintenance. Moreover, comparisons between sites, shifts, batches, and seasons can be made more accurately, throughput can be boosted through the evaluation of variations and subsequent optimisation of sorting equipment, and defect data can be scrutinised to learn about incoming product which may provide 32 Á © Shutterstock /Juice Flair 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:44 Page 232 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SORTING AND WEIGHING insight on how growers should adjust their processes. Essentially sorters, with cloud and information analytics, have become leverage-able data centres, through which patterns and trends can be revealed and acted upon to elevate operations. Weighing up new options Just as important as sorting, weighing occurs across processing plants, whether that be in the weighing of incoming products at the receiving dock, weighing ingredients to ensure quality compliance, or weighing finished goods’ boxes. Without extremely accurate weighing in food production one cannot properly meet recipe specifications or guarantee consistency of products and taste in every batch. With manual weighing known to be costly and time consuming, automated weighing has been utilised. A key recent advancement comes in ingredient weighing, which is being Hera ‘Sparc’s’ new era for inclusion weight control With the global food inclusions market set to be worth USD $14.73 billion by 2026, Sparc Systems has launched an innovative loss-in- weight depositor. Designed to help meat, fish, bakery, fresh produce, dairy and confectionery manufacturers save vast sums of money by eliminating waste, Hera presents consumers with exciting and consistent looking products. Providing layers of taste and texture to a variety of products, Hera scatters and weighs dry inclusions with accuracy and precision. From spicing up oven-ready chickens, adding toppings to ready-meals, nuts and seeds on wafer bars, dried fruit into porridge pots, decorative sprinkles on cake tray bakes and inserting confectionery into ice-cream, Hera is already helping numerous companies to automate the process and cut inclusion waste by over 50 percent. In some instances saving hundreds of kilograms of added ingredients per week. From a retailer’s perspective, Hera ensures the best products, featuring exciting flavours, textures and nutritional value, are consistently presented to shoppers. For more information, visit www.sparc-systems.com. 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:44 Page 3Food & Drink International 33 www.fdiforum.net SORTING AND WEIGHING Two in one: checkweighing and label inspection Precision weighing and advanced label inspection technologies are important quality assurance measures to safeguard consumers against substandard products and to uphold brand protection. The later a product is recalled, whether from underfill or incorrect labelling, the more expensive it is for the manufacturer to rectify the issue i.e., rework time and/or product wastage costs. The new Mettler-Toledo Product Data Check option delivering vision inspection combined with its C-Series checkweigher has multiple production benefits: * Minimises product recalls and associated product wastage costs due to early product weight and label checks * Saves valuable production space as combination machines have a smaller footprint than two separate systems * Maximises production uptime as smart intuitive inspection software enables quick set-up of new product lines * Provides smarter working as the combination machine service contract is managed and serviced by one local supplier The space saving, easy to integrate and intuitive Product Data Check vision inspection options verify product labels across a wide range of food and drink applications in two different configurations: Product Data Check inspects labels on oriented products at speeds up to 600ppm. Manufacturers can select up to three smart cameras to verify data on the front, back and top of each product. Product Data Check 360° is designed for round products that may rotate on a conveyor belt e.g., cans and bottles, at a throughput up to 500ppm. The unique configuration of six sensors generates a 360° view of the product label to verify its data. To find out more, visit www.mt.com/pi-pdc360, or call +44(0) 116 235 7070. upgraded with robotic ingredient handling systems, which work like a scale. These systems, using robotics and advanced automation to achieve unequalled accuracy and efficiency, also take human workers out of the risky situation of weighing powder ingredients, where dust created can cause occupational asthma and respiratory irritation amongst other conditions. Outside of robotic ingredient handling systems weighing powders, strides continue to be made to provide high precision checkweighers that are easier to clean, conduct maintenance on, and work faster. They are also being designed for manufacturers embracing the digital revolution with intuitive digital process monitoring to better inspection efficiency, pinpoint operational inefficiencies and reduce giveaway. The latest weighing and sorting technology employed - such as that with enhanced automated vision technology - is helping address metrics used to measure the productivity and effectiveness of production lines. The equipment is cutting total delivered cost (TDC) with precise weighing accuracy during high-speed production, and the removal of manual visual checks so labour costs are minimised, all while quality is improved. © Shutterstock /Vladimir Nenezic 30-33.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:44 Page 434 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY © Shutterstock /Zheltyshev The sweetest thing The sweetest thing 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:46 Page 1Food & Drink International 35 www.fdiforum.net BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY Baked goods and confectionery are trapped in a kind of no man’s land. The latter especially is up against the fiercest opposition and scrutiny as the health debate over sugar rumbles on. The debate is indicative of a wider truth that consumer taste is evolving and keeping up with those changes can mean the difference between loss and profit. Although sugar is the most prominent change in this regard, it’s far from the only one. Healthier lifestyles are moving away from niche corners of the market and becoming a mainstream part of the shopping and dining out experience. Supermarket shelves offer the most obvious example. Much like ‘ethnic’ cuisine, produce and products, free-from products had been relegating to a few shelves in any given supermarket chain. The tipping point has since passed, and many chains now include entire aisles for these products. They might include gluten-free pastas and breads, or dairy-free milk and cheeses, but one of the key areas in this regard is confectionery. Although these products might be geared towards those with gluten, wheat or dairy intolerances, they have been adopted by consumers with a either vegan or health conscious lifestyle. In only a few decades, organic foods have grown from something seen as faddish to something of an essential for many consumers. This growing demand for organic foods, along with healthy eating trends, is driving growth in the marketplace, and not always in the most obvious places. One such example is the natural food preservatives sector. Artificial additives have long been demonised, associated with behavioural problems in children and are believed to contribute to a roster of diseases. With changes in legislation, several of these additives have been outright banned or adjusted. The growing preference for natural, organic and clean-label foods is being leveraged by natural preservative companies. In other words, by using clean labelling and incorporating such claims into its marketing materials, natural preservative companies are enjoying the benefits from the growing number of health conscious consumers. This, in turn, has led to a seismic shift among Confectionery and baked foods rely on their visual appeal to spark consumer interest, but with the ongoing sugar debate, food producers are having to rethink their approach. 36 Á 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:47 Page 236 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY food producers with some of the biggest brands cutting artificial flavours and preservatives from their products altogether. It might be a reductionist attitude to think that it’s only those adopting health conscious diets that are turning towards clean label confectionery. Consumers respond to transparency, and it’s a sign of the times that clean label confectionery is seen as an attractive and affordable alternative for many. Despite the apparent simplicity on the surface of the sugar debate it is, in actuality, a complex and multi-faceted situation. One of the key concerns, from producers and consumers alike, is maintaining the same level of sweetness associated with any given product while simultaneously reducing the level of sugar present. The obvious solution is, it would seem, to use sweeteners. Of course, it’s not as simple as making an adjustment to the recipe. Many of the sweeteners available commercially and industrially Eddie – the first certified edible ink desktop printer Eddie is the world’s first NSF- and GMP-certified edible ink desktop printer that prints directly onto baked goods, confectionary and more. Printed food items can be up to 89 mm wide and will be dry and ready for sale immediately after printing. Eddie prints up to 6 print objects per minute. The included carousel feeder holds up to 12 items, rotates them to the print position, the printer pulls in one item at a time, prints and sends them back to the carousel – all automatically and hands-free. Eddie was designed from the beginning to meet or exceed all regulatory requirements for the specific purpose as an edible ink digital printer. The edible ink cartridge meets all FDA and EU standards for use as a food additive. The ink cartridge itself meets cGMP standards and the entire manufacturing and cartridge filling processes are FDA-compliant and cGMP certified. To find out more, visit dtm-print.eu. © Shutterstock /Art ink studio 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:47 Page 3Food & Drink International 37 www.fdiforum.net BAKERY AND CONFECTIONERY www.kanegrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 1438 742242 Email: info@kanegrade.com NATURAL FOOD INGREDIENTS are artificial, which runs the risk of alienating consumers and moving the problem on from one ingredient to another. Stevia is a natural sugar substitute that has been used for sweetening food for some 1,500 years. But one of the issues faced by producers is that it can have an unpleasant taste and aftertaste. A lot of work and development has gone into extracting the most flavour possible from the leaf of the Stevia rebaudiana plant to serve as a viable, realistic and consistent sugar replacement in soft drinks and confectionery. Given that the global stevia market is forecast to expand at a CAGR of over eight per cent to reach a valuation of $565 million by 2020, it would appear that the ingredient is proving crucial. Confectionery and baked goods often rely on their appearance to connect with consumers, with both the visual appeal of its packaging and the product itself being taken into account. The packaging tells the narrative of the product so if, for example, it’s decorated with natural images and colours, the product inside at least has the impression of being healthy. As consumers move away from confectionery which lists artificial colours, preservatives and sugar among its ingredients, food producers are faced with the challenge of adapting their products to suit the market. Moving away from artificial colours will inevitably lead to a drop in the boldness of the product. Using natural alternatives, such as beetroot, just won’t have the brightness as artificial options. Many believe that consumers will simply have to get use to the more natural hues if they want to have the proverbial cake and eat it. Although arguments for and against sugar taxation vary wildly, the debate has sparked a frenzy or interest from all concerned. Food producers have responded not only to the call to lower and move away from sugar, but also to the ongoing market changes. Baked goods and confectionery are undergoing significant changes as the market increasingly accommodates free-from, clean label and more organic ingredients and offerings, not so much as an alternative but as a very viable and growing part of the market. An alternative to plastic packaging – MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB There is a growing demand for safe, sustainable, plastic-free and recyclable packaging alternatives to serve and store food. The food sector requires barrier solutions that are easy to recycle, made from mono material, plastic-free, compostable and fluoro chemical free. MetsäBoard Prime FBB EB, from Metsä Board, is a plastic-free eco-barrier paperboard with medium barrier properties for grease and moisture resistance. Applications - packaging for fast food items eg fries, donuts, fried nuggets, confectionery and fresh items such eg salads, breads and cakes. Available - PEFC™ or with FSC© and with home compostable certifications – plastic free and easy to recycle. For further information, or to arrange a free consultation or samples email: metsaboard.communications@metsagroup.com, or visit www.metsaboard.com. 34-37.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:47 Page 438 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CONVEYING Finding the right system Finding the right system 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:52 Page 1Food & Drink International 39 www.fdiforum.net CONVEYING The food supply chain is a series of links between the disparate but interconnected parts of production. On a macro scale, these links are fulfilled by conveying systems which move ingredients and finished products from one part of production to another. In larger factories, these systems move in raw ingredients and, hours later, move out the finished product for delivery. Despite this critical role, conveyors can often be forgotten about when manufacturers contemplate their automation strategy. When it comes to assessing conveyer options, flexibility, robustness and safety are all crucial criteria. System integrators have access to a vast array of options – from gravity rollers, to belt conveyers and heavy-duty palletisers. Additionally, conveyers can be customised for any automation format, such as horizontal, bucket, vertical, swan neck and carousels. Unlike other areas of the production line, conveying offers room for significant customisation, allowing manufacturers and producers to install highly tailored solutions designed to fit their specifications. The prevalence of conveying systems across the supply chain means that not only is the area ripe for innovation, but is constantly being advanced with new innovations and efficiencies. Take, for example, the belt itself. If a conveyor belt is made from strong, durable metal with open areas it can be used for a myriad of functions including packaging during washing processes, baking ovens where products require pans for movement along the processing lines, and rock traps where dirt, stones, stems, and debris need to be separated from root crops like potatoes, carrots and beets. 40 Á The prevalence of conveying systems across the food and drink industry means they’re in a state of constant innovation, but there’s plenty to consider before making a purchase. 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:52 Page 2Next >