< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SOFTWARE SPOTLIGHT Some larger retailers such as supermarkets may provide even less time, of which the failure of meet the target might result in a lost contract. It’s not only the supply chain that is being affected, however. Manufacturing is focusing on embracing Industry 4.0. Implementing Industry 4.0 involves numerous components including data exchange, automation and modularisation, and uses technologies such as advanced robotics, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, cloud, machine learning, big data analytics, and sophisticated sensors. This is, in many ways, an issue of software more than hardware, though naturally some hardware is required to run these systems. Within the processing sector an Industry 4.0 strategy, due to its hyper- connectivity and the data it makes available, has the ability to provide the information required to improve productivity, reduce costs, increase profitability through production control, improve quality assurance and food safety, enhance productivity through the optimisation of certain processes, offer tighter control on supply chains, and offer a chance to upskill a workforce. When an Industry 4.0 strategy is used optimally, it can reduce downtime and in return increase production without raising costs. For instance, the health of process equipment like conveyors, pumps, fans and motors can be tracked. By using, for example, wireless sensors like vibration monitoring sensors in a factory, one can receive data on the performance and amount of downtime certain equipment is facing. The equipment’s condition can be monitored and, from anomalies identified in sensor data, it can then be predicted when it will need replacing 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:32 Page 3Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net SOFTWARE SPOTLIGHT © Shutterstock /PopTika or repairing before breakdown through early problem detection, which sends alerts pre-failure. This means there will be less idle downtime with lost productivity for repairs or replacement of equipment, as maintenance can be scheduled in a cost-effective way and be complete before machine failure stops production, preventing waste in the case of perishables, loss of revenue from missed shipments and customer satisfaction problems. Ultimately, with more and more advancements into software happening every year, there is inevitably going to be a shift towards smarter manufacturing processes. Those companies who have embraced and incorporated these into their everyday operations will be in a better position to take those advancements on board, while those who held onto old practices may be left playing catch-up. With big changes on the horizon, can anyone afford to be left behind? 18-21.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:32 Page 422 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Q&A - KERRIDGE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS Finally, we wanted a cloud-based system so we didn’t incur the capital costs of installing our own server or have the hassle of maintaining it and running back ups. How did Kerridge Commercial Systems (KCS) get involved and what solution did it offer? The KCS team got in touch to talk about K8 LV software which sounded too good to be true. It gave us everything we needed, and I know we made the right decision. We wanted to reduce the paper trail involved in our business and the system has allowed us to utilise scanning throughout all our processes and barcode everything as it comes in. We were able to address rotation issues and start seeing exactly what yields we were getting. So how exactly does the software work? The software comes into play at the costing stage. We receive a recipe in a spreadsheet and can produce a costing quickly and accurately from the average and standard costs held in the system. It also documents recipe development and holds various versions that you can switch between. Once the recipes are finalised the team moves on to factory trials. During production, the software allows works orders to be tailored to each client and CCPs (critical control points) and other information can be highlighted. This functionality was already incorporated in the core system but we’re working with KCS to develop the extra scanning and barcoding we require at each stage. Currently we still need to manually record and sign off some CCP information such as weight, temperatures and times, but we are working on removing all paperwork completely and eventually doing everything by scanner. Once works orders are raised for the day the team generate a production plan on the system that shows all recipes by production line, the quantity expected and any customer requirements such as printed product codes. Production staff can then scan the recipe bar code to find out what ingredients to pick. Trays of manufactured products are barcoded before leaving the high care area and then scanned and recorded on receipt in the warehouse. Although we are having to record each batch, it saves us the time we used to spend on checking and filing manually – and we have so much more confidence in our stock. Our pick accuracy has also increased tremendously since we started doing this with our finished goods. What’s the benefit for Sarnia’s customers? We develop and manufacture food products for a variety of brands. This allows our clients to concentrate on sales and marketing while our team source packaging and ingredients and manage stock, production, packing and shipping. Obviously, our customers are critical, so it was important that this Q&A Patrick Finigan, Director, Sarnia Foods Sarnia Foods develops and manufactures food products for a variety of brands. This allows their clients to concentrate on sales and marketing while the Sarnia team source packaging and ingredients and manage stock, production, packing and shipping. Through a direct link to some of its clients’ websites, the Sarnia team can take orders directly. We spoke with Director Patrick Finigan about the company’s software requirements and how a solution supplied by Kerridge Commercial Systems provided everything it needed. Can you tell us more about Sarnia Foods’ software requirements? When I set up Sarnia Foods with my business partner back in 2013, we both had clear views about the type of software we wanted to drive the company. We knew we wanted to work directly with a software provider, rather than a reseller, because from experience we knew this would give us more influence over the software’s future development. We also wanted a system that held all our data in one place – rather than having to resort to using tonnes of spreadsheets. And it obviously had to have all the functionality we needed as a food manufacturer, such as batch traceability and the ability to cope with variables – the weight of cauliflowers for example! Patrick Finigan, Director, Sarnia Foods 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:35 Page 1Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net Q&A - KERRIDGE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS software work for them as well. The bulk of our product range is frozen and customers pick and choose from what’s in stock. We print out barcoded sales orders each day and these are scanned to see what needs to be picked. KCS is currently developing further functionality for us so we can print out the delivery label and automatically send confirmation to the customer that their order is picked and ready to be dispatched. The system already allows us to set up a customer’s minimum shelf life and won’t let you pick anything that is short dated. We also generate a daily report to everyone’s inbox that shows us raw products close to their expiry date, so we can carry out visual inspections on products such as beetroot for example. What are the traceability benefits of the software solution? During a recent audit the system helped our team produce all the information required during product traceability studies. The bigger you get in the food industry the more inspections you have, but we’ve got everything we need covered in the system. As a base model for a food manufacturer, we think it’s absolutely fantastic. It forces our operators to record information when it’s required but you can also tweak it to change fields, for example, when you need to. It’s invaluable and we simply couldn’t run the business like we do without it. Today I think it’s crucial to have a system that’s flexible enough to cope with the ever-changing environment in the food industry and in people’s shopping habits. We wanted a system that gave us everything we needed but would also grow with us and allow us to look forward, and that’s what we’ve got. To find out more about KCS, visit www.kerridgecs.com, email K8info@kerridgecs.com, or call +44(0) 1488 662 000. Visit Kerridge Commercial Systems at Foodex! Stand K291 22-23.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:35 Page 2© Shutterstock /Andrey Krupenko Safe sieving 24-26.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 14:21 Page 1SIEVES AND SEPARATORS Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net Sieves and separators are vital in food and drink production, key in removing contaminants quickly and effectively and in quality control. A versatile sector and piece of equipment, they are also essential for removing lumps and creating precise textures and tastes - chocolate, for example, will differ in its taste based on particle size. Used to prevent and detect foreign object contamination, sieves and separators are a crucial line of defence against costly recalls, potential resulting lawsuits and help in adhering to regulation on removing foreign bodies in food. Foreign material represented the top reason for United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recalls in the first half of 2019, and in the UK, in the first half of February 2020 alone, Iceland recalled its Vegetable Lasagne for possible plastic/rubber pieces, Nestle UK recalled yogurt because of potential pieces of black rubber and Müller recalled several products because they may have contained small pieces of metal. A large number of food firms rely on sieving in production, and thus this piece of equipment must be up to scratch. The sieve has been around for centuries, but its effectiveness relies on a plethora of factors including the size of its mesh opening and that of food particles, the shape of foreign objects, lump and clog- causing product moisture and the electrostatic behaviour of the bulk, which can see foodstuff particles stick and reduce sieve effectiveness. Using vibrations is typical in overcoming a reduction in sieve throughput. Commonly used, vibrating sieves break down large lumps and ensure accurate separation of products. As a faster sieving method, they enable higher throughput and decrease blockages and sieve blinding, minimising cleaning requirements. Ultrasonic sieving can provide further advantages here, impeding mesh blockage and blinding, particularly when dealing with fine powders like flour and spices. Higher frequency vibration to the mesh creates a fine vibration altitude allowing product to readily and efficiently move through the mesh, in a better manner than normal low frequency vibration, expediting throughput. Ultrasonic systems also permit use of finer meshes and can usually be retrofitted onto existing vibrating sieves. An important concern in sieving is dust generation. Sieving powdered products leads to a wealth of dust, not only as product is poured on to the sieve screen but when high powered vibration is applied. Regulations are tightening on this topic, as more focus is brought upon how inhaling airborne dust particles affects the health of operators, how dust can become combustible and create an explosive environment and how dust can spread pathogens and allergens, cross contaminating goods. Exposure to flour dust for instance is the UK’s second most common cause of occupational asthma. In controlling dust, a variety of sieves have been tailored across the market, such as those with dust tight seals, a sack rest table and hooded enclosure. With the sack tip hood vibrationally isolated from the sieve during use, the creation of airborne dust is diminished. Integrating dust extraction systems is also useful, drawing air-borne dust into the hood, away from operators, as well as local dust extraction units, including those that can blow trapped product to return to the sieve, reducing product loss. Sieve designers and manufacturers are also focusing on making equipment even more hygienic for the food and drink industry, producing equipment with rounded edges to minimise build up and improve flow of course, but also producing Sieves and separators are relied upon in the food and drink industry, filling a range of roles including the removal of foreign bodies, quality control and creating correct textures. 26 Á 24-26.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 14:21 Page 226 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS equipment with no connecting elements, nails, screws or seals and fewer crevices, to prevent food contamination, product retention, bolster product safety and allow for easier cleaning. When focusing in on separation we might consider membrane separation - microfiltration, ultrafiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis and electrodialysis - for concentration of liquids, demineralisation, whey fractionation or water purification (beer and apple juice are two examples of products that use membrane separation). Alternatively we may think of a centrifuge separator for the separation of liquids within liquids or denser solids in liquids, which are widely used in the dairy sector, for example for the skimming of milk and concentration of cream, but also for a variety of beverages including fruit juices, tea, beer and more. However, recently food and drink firms, separator manufacturers and media covering the topic have focused firmly on magnetic separators. Growing in response to increased legislative requirements on food hygiene, magnetic separators are being installed to address incoming ingredients, before critical processing equipment, at the discharge of processing equipment and before metal detectors. With metal being the most common foreign material found in food processing, this is perhaps not surprising. Not only helpful in preventing batch rejection and contamination generally, magnets help protect machinery from repairs and alert to possible equipment damage when collecting broken parts. Naturally, it must be remembered that magnetic separators are not an alternative to metal detectors but an additional safety measure, and that non-magnetic metals will not be removed from product flow in this process. It is not only required that magnetic separators - whether they be belt magnets, grate magnets, drum magnets or other - be high-strength but have sanitary design. Without this consideration, they can present a serious risk to food safety, potentially hazarding metal or bacterial contamination of goods. To ensure magnetic separators are designed to prevent this, they should be without internal welds or ledges that lead to build up of powder, be designed to avoid blockage, and should be cleaned in a way that avoids intruding the product zone and requires minimal human intervention. Magnets must be cleaned, inspected and tested regularly, with bodies like the British Retail Consortium requiring this. © Shutterstock /Fototocam 24-26.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 14:22 Page 3Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT N ot only are the agriculture and food production industries water intensive, but produce a massive amount of wastewater. In the case of agriculture, this wastewater can be contaminated with faecal and other animal matter, chemicals such as pesticides, and antibiotics. Previously, much of this wastewater was simply outsourced to a processing plant or treatment facility – or sluiced straight into rivers or the sea – but in the wake of ongoing droughts and global water scarcity driven by expanding urban areas, intensive farming, climate change and inefficient systems, the onus is on recycling and reuse. In order to close the loop and feed wastewater back into the supply chain, it first must undergo a vigorous and thorough process or series of processes to filter and purify it. To combat the myriad of contaminates lurking in wastewater, from the aforementioned biological matter accrued in agriculture, to heavy metals during processing, it needs to be processed. Some of the key technologies involved in treating wastewater include chemical dosing, filtration, distillation, absorption, electrolysis and reverse osmosis, among others. Perhaps unsurprisingly, filtration is most commonly used due to its cost- effective and reliable nature. Reverse osmosis continues to become more widespread thanks to its high levels of effectiveness. Chemical dosing, meanwhile, is a critical element not only in treating wastewater, but treating water full-stop. As with other methods, the quality and outcome of chemical dosing depends Closing the loop Agriculture and food production are two of the most water intensive industries on the planet and, as such, are both vulnerable to and help perpetuate drought and water scarcity. By the same rationale, they have a tremendous responsibility in how their wastewater is treated, recycled or disposed of. 28 Á © Shutterstock /Avigator Fortuner 27-29.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:58 Page 128 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT on the equipment that’s used. If a company buys cheap, they’re likely to suffer for it. Likewise, there’s plenty of standard options available which can be easily integrated into water systems, but there are also bespoke options which can be precisely tailored to meet a company’s exact needs. Treating and purifying water with ultraviolet (UV) light is a versatile and highly reliable method. In cities where ageing infrastructure is a concern, for example, contaminants can enter the water source and put the public at risk. Yet even at a domestic level, a UV water purification system can destroy 99.9 per cent of waterborne microorganisms in a single pass. Unlike some of the other technologies and solutions available, UV is environmentally-friendly and results in no disinfection by-products. Moreover, its electrical needs are low, meaning it can run indefinitely without racking up costly bills. Using the correct and consistent dosage, UV treatment has been scientifically proven to deactivate the entire assortment of microorganisms attributed to spoilage – including viruses, bacteria and moulds. In a triumph for health and safety, the technology was also shown to switch- off microorganisms resistant to pasteurisation. This is critical in the food supply chain where waterborne organisms are responsible for adversely affecting the smell, taste and functionality of food and beverage products. Although a company might not reclaim its wastewater, leaving it untreated leaves their facilities and product offering vulnerable to contamination. The reclamation or re-use of industrial wastewater is integral to creating a truly closed-loop society, one in which a rapidly expanding population has access to food and clean water. It’s not enough to simply process this contaminated water for disposal but find new and innovative means of putting it to use. Leftover industrial liquids are finding new leases of life where before they may have simply been disposed of. Whey, a by-product from the cheese making industry, is being used for all manner of fermentations as well as providing a protein boost to health drinks and supplements. Then there’s hydroponics – agriculture on the bleeding edge and grown out of hydroculture. Put simply, this is a means of growing vegetables without the need of soil and often in great indoor facilities that closer resemble © Shutterstock /Avatar_023 27-29.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:58 Page 2Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net WATER TREATMENT • Saves costs • Meets the highest requirements on hygiene • Increases safety and quality • Used in breweries and food & beverage industries www.sera-web.com Contact: 01733 396040 sales.uk@sera-web.com YOUR EXPERTS IN CLEANING IN PLACE Contact: +44 1283 753400 sales.uk@sera-web.com www.sera-web.com laboratories than what we’ve come to associate with farming. Fruits and vegetables are grown and fed on misted water packed with nutrients, often leading to more produce than their traditional counterparts. This method is one of the biggest innovations taking place in the agriculture industry, offering a means of growing high-quality produce in urban environments or where open fertile land might be at a minimum. Combining this method with treated wastewater could have a transformative effect on supply chain efficiency and sustainability. As part of their sustainability and climate commitments, major companies and producers are pledging to reduce their water usage. But the industry will also require a massive amount of water and will therefore result in wastewater. The issue is on closing that loop, feeding treated wastewater back into the supply chain and helping to mitigate water scarcity. © Shutterstock /Marco Ossino Using the correct and consistent dosage, UV treatment has been scientifically proven to deactivate the entire assortment of microorganisms attributed to spoilage – including viruses, bacteria and moulds 27-29.qxp_Layout 1 25/02/2020 12:58 Page 3Next >