< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LABELLING, CODING AND MARKING People tend to overlook the information they find written on a package when they buy their food, and even whey they do pay attention to it, to check for calories, vegan ingredients or nutritional value, they underestimate the value and the importance of all those labels and codes. Packages are obviously meant to keep the food products safe from damage and external elements that could compromise the integrity of it, and of course the packaging also has a marketing value; it is supposed to attract people and push the product across the market. However, a label holds a lot more responsibility than protecting and selling a product and it is fundamental for the safety of the product itself. Labels and codes are supposed to provide consumers with a long list of information, like the name of the product, a list of ingredients, information about allergens, cooking instructions, net quantity, qualitative declaration of ingredients, storage conditions, date labelling, name and address of manufacturer, country of origin, preparation instruction and nutritional information. The information that a single label needs to convey to consumers is substantial, but also essential for food safety, as codes and markings are also used to check on the provenience of ingredients, they help with traceability and with identifying batches, which is useful information in case of recalls, and they can even tell consumers how to dispose of waste. Following the current environmental crisis and the increasing interest in sustainability by governments, companies and consumers, and the implementation of environmental It is more than a label Labels, codes and markings are often taken for granted by consumers, but they actually represent a very complicated industry that has been adjusting to the new trends and regulations, and developing and evolving to provide manufacturers with the best solutions to all their needs. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:30 Page 1Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net LABELLING, CODING AND MARKING regulations, many companies have been trying to reduce their use of packaging and start using materials that are sustainable and environmentally friendly. The reduction of packaging and the use of sustainable materials have been challenging the labelling, coding and marking market, which had to adapt to the new regulations and trend, but the labelling and coding equipment market has come through the difficulties showing great resilience. The labelling, coding and marking equipment and technology market has been growing significantly over the recent years; the market is predicted to reach 22.1 billion USD by 2028 and registering a growth of 5.5% between 2021 and 2028. The industry has been registering growths in demand but also in new needs, including the need for more sustainable materials and technologies, needs that the market has been able to meet, successfully developing new technologies that provide with products that are not only environmentally friendly, but also help businesses reducing downtime and costs. Lately food manufacturers have been trying to implement labelling and coding equipment and technologies © st ock. adobe .com/ nor dr oden © st ock. adobe .com/ T ada Images 22 Á 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:30 Page 222 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net LABELLING, CODING AND MARKING within the manufacturing process. This allows them to streamline the production and manufacturing process, reduce downtime, and ultimately reduce costs. These technologies include sophisticated printers and software that add the desired information on the packaging during the production process and can usually be divided based on their use and product type. Due to the delicate nature of the products, certain technologies might be more appropriate than others and might be more suitable for the quality of packaging as well. Technologies that focus on product type include continuous inkjet printers, thermal inkjet printers and laser printers. While thermal printers are usually used for printing small tags and codes, like QR codes and barcodes, continuous inkjet printers are used for visible marking on the products, like expiry dates, batch and production information, serial numbers, and promotional codes. Laser printers are normally used to print on common cardboard, plastic or paper packaging. But it is not just about the right printer for the right product, when it comes to printing labels, and coding and marking products, it is fundamental to keep in mind the ink used for printing. It is important that the ink is of good quality, that it doesn’t cause any damage to the packaging and the products, that it doesn’t fade away and cannot be damaged by external factors during transport and storage, and hence will reach the shelves. It is a legal requirement that labels are easy to see, legible and do not get altered or damaged throughout the supply chain; manufacturers should always make sure to select the right quality of printer and ink in order not only to follow government regulations, but also to ensure the quality of their product and also to guarantee the health of their customers. However, with the increased interest in sustainable materials, manufacturers have been having to make sure the inks they use are also environmentally friendly, which can be a tricky task as eco-friendly inks, made of vegetable and natural ingredients, are more prone to damage, and thermal paper is not recyclable. Additionally, with the reduction of packaging material, manufacturers have been having to adjust the way they display information on packages in order to make it fit while still providing consumers with all the necessary details. Balancing all the legal regulations, the environmental requirements and, most of all, food and consumers’ safety can be a challenging job and food and drink manufacturers have to find the best combination to meet all requirements. Luckily, the labelling, coding and marking equipment and technologies market has been showing amazing progress and has been growing significantly, providing manufacturers with the best solutions for all their needs. It is indeed a difficult job, but the industry has been more than capable to respond to all new challenges and rise to them. © st ock. adobe .com/ romaset 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:30 Page 3fd.dtm-print.eu 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:30 Page 424 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS When it comes to the manufacture of food and drink products, many processes concern the combination of one ingredient with another via mixing, blending and/or emulsification. Yet subtraction plays as important a role where sieves and separators are employed to sort a single product into its constituent parts – be that liquid-solid separators that sort juice from fruit pulp, separating the dried portion of a product from the liquid in the manufacture of starches, or for critical health and safety reasons, such as removing contaminates like stones and grit from powder or granular ingredients. Despite the prevalence of this type of equipment in separating one ingredient from another, or as a safety protocol, sieving often performs many other key functions. Indeed, sieving is an important step in breaking down lumps of products, whilst also providing the desired silky texture for products such as chocolate when they’re in their liquid state. While there are a great many sieves available on the market to suit every conceivable industrial application, the variety that has been growing in popularity and usage is vibratory sieves. Much like in mixing applications where agitation is necessary to distribute one product into another, vibration provides continuous agitation to ensure that a product passes through a sieve screen with ease, no product is left behind and, crucially, that there’s no clumping – which could lead to blockages and downtime in order to rectify. Faster, more efficient sieving processes means higher throughputs, whilst reduced blinding and blockages in the sieve mesh reduces the need for cleaning. As with other areas where efficiency can be fine-tuned to this degree, it’s a win-win situation. However, vibratory sieves Fine detail Sieves and separators perform a great many functions across the production line, from removing contaminants to improving product quality. Food and Drink International explores. 26 Á 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:32 Page 1Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:32 Page 226 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS aren’t a panacea and there are many applications where they aren’t suitable. In these cases, a manufacturer may prefer to utilise a rotary sieve machine. Instead of vibration, it uses a revolving paddle that pushes product against the inside mesh cylinder, thus forcing the fine product through. The coarse product is then ejected. We’ve already touched on how the sensory profile of a product can be improved by the use of the sieving process, but food quality can be significantly improved through this process. As a keystone of quality assurance, sieving will remove contaminants whilst also separating clumps that can’t be broken down – for example, if moisture has been in contact with a powdered ingredient. The importance of quality assurance can’t be overlooked, especially when it comes to bulk materials and ingredients. Often, food manufacturers will buy powdered materials, such as sugar, in bulk. However, these products will often become contaminated with a whole host of contaminates during transit – such as dust, metals, rocks and glass – and, in many cases, there won’t be any kind of screening or sieving. Therefore, manufacturers must sieve it for impurities and contaminates themselves. Not only is it best practice but will help to prevent any potential contamination further along the production process. While many products can and are sieved during a single pass through a single screen, multiple screens can be utilised to grade and sort a product. The amount of time a product spends on each screen can be mandated by weight configuration technology, while deploying an ultrasonic deblending system can ensure that there’s no product clogging. Grading is an important step for products such as lentils, peanuts and dried herbs that must be of a uniform size and shape. However, products can be separated for different production requirements. Take peanuts as an example. Those of a certain size can be utilised for packets, © st ock. adobe .com/ A le xe y R ezv ykh 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:32 Page 3Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net SIEVES AND SEPARATORS while those that don’t meet that product requirement can be used as an ingredient in other products, such as chocolate bars, or be utilised for peanut butter. As with any other machinery and equipment utilised on the factory floor, sieves and separators will need to be thoroughly and regularly cleaned. Best practice is before and after batch processing, thus ensuring no cross contamination. In this way, manufacturers are advised to invest in machinery that can be easily and quickly disassembled and reassembled for a thorough but speedy washdown. If this process is overly complicated and requiring major tools, then it will result in downtime and, suddenly, efficiency gains are undermined. While hygienic design is an important aspect of the washdown routine, it’s not enough to simply jet wash machinery. The cleaning solution used is every bit as important. As well as providing antibacterial properties, cleaning solutions must not leave any residue or deposits behind. It’s counterproductive cleaning to thwart the spread of foodborne illnesses, only to let the residue of that solution make it through to the consumer. As well as hygienic design, there’s also worker safety to consider. Owing to the speeds that products are sieved and separated, there can often be flying debris that can provide dangers to any workers and operators within the vicinity of the machine. Moreover, the sieving of powdered goods results in dust clouds that are dangerous if breathed. It’s advisable, therefore, to invest in enclosed systems. Critical for health, safety and hygiene, as well as improving product quality and, in many cases, sensory profile, sieves and separators are irreplaceable on food and drink production lines. With the development of wet sieving, and the evolution of existing sieving machinery to create ever-more advanced machinery, these key processes will only become more hygienic and efficient. © st ock. adobe .com/Ser ge y Ryzho v 24-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:32 Page 428 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FLAVOURING AND COLOURING It seems an obvious development for ever conscious consumers who argue against any unnecessary additives, that colourings should be removed from food. They offer nothing more than visual appeal in many cases, and an increasingly educated customer base should, in theory, not need that if they know the food is good to eat. Is this something that can happen and is the artificial colours industry in danger? No. On both accounts. Despite some beginning to say they would eat food without colourings, the increasing dominance of social media in our lives proves much the opposite. Food products posted onto Instagram and other sites are no new phenomenon, but now even most brands are having to get into the action. In direct contrast to professed claims of wanting pure, unadulterated food, these same consumers are placing more and more emphasis on how food looks and its `instagrammability`. This more than anything will continue to protect the food colourings industry, and in fact has driven its importance up several notches in the retail war for consumers’ attentions. To give an idea of the prevalence of such, studies undertaken into the amount of Instagram hits for certain food types have turned up some shocking numbers – with over 2.6 million tags for churros and over 2.5 million for apple pie. These compare little to more colourful foods, however, with over 13 million tags on ice-cream and a further 13 million on sushi. The trend has become so pronounced that “Instagrammable Restaurants” have been opening up across the west, specifically tailoring their menus to include bright colours, visual displays and the perfect setting to snap shots of the food. This trend is reflected just as The colour of magic Flavourings and colourings have been an important part of our food and drink for decades but is an ever-conscious consumer base ready for them to be removed, or is it all just noise? 30 Á 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:35 Page 1© st ock. adobe .com/P ix el -Shot 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 28/02/2022 10:35 Page 2Next >