< PreviousSpiroflow’s mobile sack tip and conveyor solutions provide food sector scalability With several food categories seeing a significant uplift during the pandemic, Spiroflow, the Clitheroe-based manufacturer of dry ingredients conveying and bulk bag handling equipment, is reporting increased demand for their innovative mobile sack tip unit with conveyor, providing food processors with scalability during this unprecedented time. Perfect for adding seasoning, salt and seeds to convenience and snack food products from ground floor up to seasoning drums, or other processing equipment, the sack tip unit offers processors flexibility as the system can be moved easily to a cleaning area or if space is limited. Consisting of a flexible screw conveyor, an agitator and a hopper with a dust hood, the system helps to reduce the manual handling by consistently dosing seasoning into a process line. The action of the conveyor ensures the material is being constantly remixed, which is particularly important when a product is a specific blend that needs to remain consistent. To find out more, visit www.spiroflow.com/industry/food. 40 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CONVEYING Before any purchasing decision, however, manufacturers must first understand the variety of conveying systems on the market and find the one best suited to their needs. Stainless steel flat conveyors, for example, are a popular choice in the food industry, but can also be offered as inclined conveyors, bringing product from one level to another. Elsewhere, there’s spiral conveyors which effectively prove and cool product in confined spaces, whilst slat & mesh conveyors are the go-to solution for the beverage and bottling industry. Towards the end of production, where packaged products need to be loaded, or for use in distribution centres and warehouses, there’s pallet handling conveyors, purposefully designed to handle heavy duty pallets. It should go without saying that no two food businesses are the same. Certainly, they share some of the same requirements, and possibly produce similar products, but their exact needs will differ from company to company. It serves to follow that different machinery and equipment is needed for specific processes and production criteria. Despite misconceptions, bespoke options aren’t always the most expensive option, so smaller or even artisan producers may well be surprised at just how much is available within budget. Though linking parts of production, there’s far more involved in conveying systems than simply transporting product from A to B. For example, a customer may require delayed stops, accelerated sections or turning devices. In every instance, the conveyor element of a production line is about optimising production flow. With automation in the food industry making up such a significant slice of many system operator’s business, the specification for high grade, food-safe conveyors should come as no surprise. Requirements in the food sector can be both challenging and unique, particularly for meeting stringent hygiene standards. Although the emphasis is often on the end effector – © Shutterstock /Zyabich 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:53 Page 3Food & Drink International 41 www.fdiforum.net CONVEYING which places the food item within the bag or box – it’s the gripper and the conveyor that will come into contact the most with raw produce, giving rise to potential cross-contamination. Designers and makers of conveyor systems have long focussed on minimising crevices and other areas where the ingress of contamination can occur, whilst simultaneously facilitating easy cleaning between production units. Accordingly, there have been major advances in the materials used within the manufacturer of conveyor systems to ensure they are flexible enough to cope with changing production environments, as well as being able to withstand harsh washdown procedures. Food manufacturers want quality, reliable, high- spec systems that will last and can be modified to boost ROI. In this arena, technology moves fast but, as with any automation installation, production flow efficiency will always take centre stage and the choice of conveyors is a vital link in the whole turnkey chain. •Stainless steel conveyor systems •Standalone units or fully integrated •Robotic and end of line equipment •Bespoke engineering capabilities •Turnkey and standalone solutions •Integration and project management •Service support and upgrades •Partnered with Lita Palletising Systems for over 30 years Kensal Handling Systems www.kensal.com | sales@kensal.com | tel: +44 (0) 1 582 425 777 Kensal Handling Systems Ltd, Kensal House, President Way, Luton, LU2 9NR 38-41.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:53 Page 442 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CARTONING AND SLEEVING Innovations in production in recent years has created hundreds of new ideas that are being incorporated into packaging – yet that’s not to say that companies can simply over-indulge in incorporating every new trick in the book as consumers and retailers alike are now on their guard for packaging that appears to be excessive. With security concerns taking on ever increased importance, it’s a constant juggling act for packaging specialists. Consumer demands and expectations have led to an increased level of interaction, first with labels and calorie counts, then with ever more specific information on RDA’s and information on where the product was sourced from. On top of that, conscientious consumers are demanding that packaging have as small an environmental impact as possible Some specialists think that the sector could well become unrecognisable in the near future thanks to the huge changes that are being introduced. But the need for packaging itself will likely never fade. Most of the changes are being brought in by shifts in consumer demand, and the cartoning and sleeving industry has benefitted greatly from recent consumer interest in pre- cooked and ready-meal foods. As the lifestyle of the average consumer becomes more mobile, and free time becomes less available, food that can be heated quickly and consumer grows in demand. While cartoning and sleeving hardly has the monopoly in this industry, many ready meals are making use packaging that can be quickly and easily removed – like sleeves. These have become fairly common on ready meals and microwaveable meals, particularly Chinese, Indian and Japanese variants. In many cases this mind of packaging 44 Á In one package The cartoning and sleeving industry is growing stronger due to shifts in consumer demand, but that doesn’t mean the same challenges aren’t still around. 42-45.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2020 13:59 Page 1Food & Drink International 43 www.fdiforum.net CARTONING AND SLEEVING © Shutterstock /ArtemSh 42-45.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2020 14:00 Page 244 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net CARTONING AND SLEEVING will contain all the necessary information, along with cooking details – before being slipped off to reveal a typical film and plastic container ready for cooking. Legislature is also, for possibly the first time ever, working to help the cartoning industry. As an ever- increasing amount of information is required on products, cartons become an attractive method of displaying them, without compromising the aesthetic design of the individual product. As with many sectors, much innovation has been driven thanks to consumer demand for sustainable products. In the carton sector, many companies now aim for their cartons to be labelled as meeting the criteria of the Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody. FSC is an international organisation that promotes responsible management of the world’s forests and its CoC certification allows wood fibres to be traced at every step through the supply chain, providing assurance that any products bearing the logo support forest management that adopts environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management practices. This has led to major overhauls of the packaging process in many companies – and some find this a challenge. Investment costs for regulation and legislation will always be a difficult factor, especially with varying standards across the EU. These are necessities that cannot be avoided however, and as labelling is one of the fastest-changing sectors when it comes to changes in legislation, it is something that many are forced to quickly adapt to. This is important for the aforementioned booming ready meals market, particularly with pre-cooked meals. Mainly due to the misconception that ready meals are somehow less wholesome or lower quality than freshly cooked food, the perception of a premium or somehow artisan product is necessary to alleviate this. Typically this is achieved through aesthetically pleasing packaging – but there is almost universally a picture of the finished product in its cooked state, which would not be possible to print with any real definition on the film itself. Sleeves allow an effective alternative, and will as such continue to do so as the ready meals sector continues its growth. Digital technology has certainly provided more flexibility for packaging design, especially as legal requirements have required much more information is on packaging that was previously the case. Many companies have introduced © Shutterstock /Digital Assets 42-45.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2020 14:00 Page 3Food & Drink International 45 www.fdiforum.net CARTONING AND SLEEVING Flexi-Hex QR codes on their products to allow customers to receive promotional material and much else, while it also has value when it comes to traceability. The packaging of many of the products on retailers’ shelves remain in the iconic and distinctive designs they have kept for many years – but while their look hasn’t changed, the materials used often have to create more effective, efficient and secure packaging. To achieve higher shelf spacing is the challenge facing all producers. This is particularly so in convenience stores where space is even more limited. Cartoning and sleeving has provided many answers for those in the industry, taking over certain sectors – but that’s not to say the packaging industry can slow down and let things lay. New innovation will always be on the forefront of people’s minds. © Shutterstock /Bulatnikov 42-45.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2020 14:01 Page 4impress both vegans and the mass market, learn to appeal to the health- conscious consumer with healthy new products and innovative use of functional ingredients, get fresh ideas for sustainability and more. For more information, visit www.foodanddrinkconference.com Sustainable Foods Summit NA 25-28 January Online The Sustainable Foods Summit will discuss the sustainability implications of the coronavirus pandemic on the food industry. The crisis is shaking up supply chains for agricultural materials, changing the way food is distributed The Food & Drink Trends & Innovations Conference 14 January Online More than twenty major food and drink brands and retailers including Premier Foods, Greggs, and Ocado will speak at this one-day conference exploring unstoppable food and drink trends and innovations for best-selling products and attention-grabbing marketing. Get up to date on the latest ingredients, tastes and textures for exciting, profitable products, understand how plant-based consumers tick and how to create products that 46 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Events Food & Drink © Shutterstock /marilyn barbone © Shutterstock / Singkham UK Water Drinks Conference 23 March Online Hear from Chief Executives, experts and innovators on current initiatives and gain access to exclusive market insights at this event. Conference sessions will include live questions and discussion. Breaks will provide plenty of networking opportunities to meet other producers, suppliers, retailers, and industry advisers. For more information, visit www.zenithglobal.com/events/ukwd2021 Due to the coronavirus outbreak, readers should be aware that events may have been cancelled or postponed. All dates correct as of publishing, but please check beforehand. 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 18/12/2020 15:24 Page 1and retailed, as well as how products are bought and consumed. For more information, visit www.sustainablefoodssummit.com/ northamerica/ Food Matters Live 9-10 March Online Attend this event to connect with ingredient experts, accelerate your business with competitive insights, discover challenger brands to watch via the Future Brands competition, and more. Highlights of the event include educational masterclasses; webcasts on nutrition and health science, global health and wellbeing retail trends, innovative ingredients and sustainable food futures; 1-2-1 private meetings; NPD solution interactive tastings. For more information, visit www.foodmatterslive.com/2021-march Fermentation- Enabled Alternative Protein Innovation 26-28 January Online This digital summit will showcase novel technological advances powering the new wave of alternative protein products. Whether you have a fermentation-enabled protein product offering or are looking to launch into the growing alternative protein space, this digital event will equip you with the latest view of the state of play in this emerging field, whilst providing you with the chance to connect and collaborate with those trailblazing this new area of food production. For more information, visit www.fermentation-enabled- proteins.com/?utm_source=external-foodbev- media&utm_medium=listing%2Fbacklink&utm _campaign=21484-feap-foodbev-event-listing Food & Drink International 47 www.fdiforum.net Future Food-Tech 11-12 March Online Our food system is undergoing a revolution. COVID-19 and the threat of climate change are driving unprecedented demand for more efficient, nutritious, and sustainable solutions. Future Food-Tech’s flagship San Francisco summit, hosted virtually, will act as a digital bioreactor – bringing together West Coast innovators, global food brands, ingredient providers and investors to grow ideas from concept to reality. New formats, from interactive mentoring to Ask Me Anything sessions, will be coupled with fireside chats, panel discussions and 1-1 networking opportunities to address the biggest opportunities in the food- tech sector. For more information, visit www.fdiforum.net/mag/event/future- food-tech/ Plant Based World Conference & Expo Europe 8-9 April Business Design Centre, London, UK A 100% plant-based event for foodservice, retail, and healthcare professionals, distributors, investors, manufacturers, and the plant-based influencer community, attend this expo to network with professionals who have embarked on both personal and professional plant-based journeys, many creating some of the world’s most revolutionary plant-based products and foods. Plant Based World Europe’s mission is to get the latest plant-based products in front of decision makers, educating them on how these foods will improve the wealth of their business and the health of the people they serve. For more information, visit www.plantbasedworldeurope.com 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:56 Page 2FEATURES Packaging Spotlight Loading Bays & Doors Containers & Pallets Microbiology & Testing Clean Air Solutions Ready Meals Import & Export Next month in February 2021 - Deadline 20th January INTERNATIONAL Food&Drink Food &Drink Visit us at www.fdiforum.net where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscribe to our newsletters so you can have the latest news emailed to your inbox, in between printed issues? 48.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:57 Page 1Classified Often imitated… …never equalled You can feature your company in our hugely popular Online Directory with a description, contact details and a hyperlink If you would like further information please contact Sam Trott on +44 [0] 1472 310310 or email v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk or visit www.fdiforum.net/directory From field to fork, Food & Drink International is the voice of the industry. Food & Drink International 49 www.fdiforum.net Depositors Tel: 01282 440040 enquiries@riggsautopack.co.uk www.riggsautopack.co.uk Manufacturers of depositors & filling machines for the food production industry Labels Tel: 01482 506560 sales@datamarkuk.com www.datamarkuk.com • Self adhesive Labels • Lasersheets • Fanfolded Labels • Thermal Transfer Ribbons • Barcode Labels w w w . fd if o ru m .n et To advertise your services on the Classified pages contact us on 01472 310302 Hoses Providing all hose and couplings wash-down and non-glass sight glass requirements to the Food & Dairy Industries Tel: +44 1933 673699 Fax: +44 1933 675819 E-mail: enquir y@f lexrite.co.uk Web: www.f lexrite.co.uk FlexRite 19 The Trinity Centre Park Farm Industrial Estate Wellingborough Northants, NN8 6ZB • Superb Location - Close to the ports of Grimsby & Immingham - Great motorway links - Close to the town centre • Secure off street parking • High speed internet availability • Easy in/out terms • A range of affordable office sizes Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby DN31 2QE Tel: (01472) 310301 Email: s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk Ground floor offices to let - prime location in Grimsby To Let Online Directory 49.qxp_Layout 1 17/12/2020 15:57 Page 1Next >