< Previous30 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDEPOSITING & FILLINGprinting to the next level is achievingspecific food textures, opening the doorsfor the printing of foods like pasta, breadand more. As it stands, the technologyalready has numerous benefits for foodproduction. With the variety of moretextured fluids, depositing and fillingapplications can achieve a greaterefficiency and variety and gain a marketdifferentiation. Because of the softertextures currently associated with 3Dprinting, it presents an opportunity formanufactures to cater for older consumerswho may have difficulty in chewing and/orswallowing. It can also offer appealingtextures that might not be achieved usingany other method. Doing so would meanintegrating the technology into theproduction line alongside existingprocesses. It’s counterintuitive to assume that 3Dprinting will usurp existing productioninfrastructure. Instead, it makes the mostsense to implement its capabilities atstrategic points across the production lineto provide an extra dimension of efficiency,but also for developing new and interestingproducts. In either circumstance, highquality volumetric filling systems are stillan absolute necessity in dispensingproducts into containers. As with the 3Dprinting technology, filling technology canbe integrated into existing lines, allowingmanufacturers to build a production linethat suits its needs and that of itscustomers. The 3D printing industry will continueto grow as its capabilities expand anddifferentiate. As the parameters of thetechnology evolve, so too will itscapabilities. For the food industry thismeans higher printing resolution as wellas multiple colour options and higherproduction speeds. These developmentswill unlock a variety of new possibilitiesfor the industry that can help achieveefficiency, sustainability and economicaims. Experts are encouraging foodmanufactures to bring the technology intothe fold, stating that 3D printing couldvery well be as valuable as the internet inreducing costs and energy. And that’sbarely scratching the surface of possibility. Multi-Fill MPF filler offers highquality and efficacy With the explosion in the marketplace of refrigerated andfrozen prepared meals in a multitude of oven and/ormicrowavable, the food processors see themselvesconfronted with the task of economically filling relatively smallquantities of a wide variety of foods. Many products are verydelicate to handle and at the same time need to create eyeappeal. In the past, traditional filling methods did not providegentle handling for these difficult to fill products withoutdamage, or the ability to fill small quantities with reasonableaccuracies. Therefore, those filling requirements wereaccomplished by either hand fill or semi-automaticequipment, making the filling process costly in an every-growing and highlight competitive marketplace.Multi-Fill has developed equipment to meet thoserequirements, the model MPF fillers. The compact design permits combinations with almost anycontainer conveying systems. The accuracies achieved depend of the kind of product filled, butare highly accurate and in all cases far better than other traditional filling methods can provide. The machines are used on most of the frozen dinner lines in the US, and on many otherproduction lines worldwide.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ET197228-31_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:56 Page 3Significant savings in both time andmoney: for the Modulfill HES glass-bottlefiller, Krones has now developed as anoptional extra an automatic probeadjustment feature and a fully automatedCIP cup mechanism. With this innovationfor probe-controlled fillers used to fillglass bottles with beer and carbonated softdrinks, Krones is offering the market whatat present is a unique solution. Dependingon the size of the machine involved, andthe number of filling valves it has, thereare substantial time savings whenchanging over to a different container.One advantage of level-controlled fillerswith integrated measuring probes isprecise adjustment of the fill level in thebottle. When changing over to anothercontainer height, however, hitherto everysingle measuring probe in every valve hadto be manually re-adjusted for the newcontainer height using a kind of bayonetjoint. Krones has developed a process inwhich a linear motor is used to changeover all the valves simultaneously at thetouch of a button, which means enormoustime savings for the operators responsible.CIP cups in readiness position As a consequence of this innovativeFood & Drink International 31www.fdiforum.netDEPOSITING & FILLINGfeature, the probes can now be moved to acomparatively high position. This in itsturn has freed up space at the valve outletfor automatically fitting the CIP cups.During production mode, the CIP cups are“parked” in a readiness position behindthe valves. For cleaning-in-place mode,they are fed in fully automatically using aswivel mechanism and pressed against thevalve. The CIP routine can now begin.Here, too, a lot of time is gained byeliminating manual insertion of the CIPcups at every single valve. For a filler with100 valves, for instance, the time savingsinvolved are around 60 per cent.Probe ensures maximised fill quantityprecisionThe Modulfill HES is in every respect aperfect choice for filling glass bottles withbeer or carbonated soft drinks. Besidesproviding enhanced levels of hygiene andfilling stability, it ensures particularlygentle, foam-free filling and assuresaccurate fill quantities. The glass bottle ispre-evacuated twice using an interposedCO2 flushing feature for minimisedoxygen pick-up, creating a vacuum of lessthan 100 millibar. The filling functionthen starts. Two different speedsSubstantial time savingsguarantee optimum flow behaviour.Diaphragm valve technology eliminatesturbulence when switching over to adifferent speed. Swirl inserts in the valveensure low-foam, low-turbulence filling.When the inflowing liquid touches theprobe attached to the filling tube, thevalve will close. This measuring probeenables the fill quantity to be determinedwith maximised accuracy. Separate gaspaths for pressurisation and sniftingcontribute towards high levels of hygieneand filling stability. All filling-valvefunctions are electro-pneumaticallycontrolled, which means the electronicshort-tube level-controlled Modulfill HESfiller ensures optimum machineperformance for every product-containercombination – now improved still furtherby automating the measuring probeadjustment and CIP cup feed-in functions.For more information,email info@krones.co.uk orvisit www.krones.com/en. Substantial time savings28-31_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:56 Page 432 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMEAT, POULTRY & SEAFOODAs the capabilities ofprocessing and productionequipment expand, foodproducers can betterimplement and achieve hygieneand safety in the meat andseafood sector. The regulations governing theprocessing and manufacture of food andbeverage products are some of the mosttightly controlled of any industry.Changes in consumer preferencesalongside the ebb and flow of markettrends mean that food producers arecaught in an ongoing balancing act.Following the notorious horse meatscandal, this has become doubly true forthe meat and seafood sector. Despite the years since the story firstmade the headlines, the ripple effect canstill be keenly felt. In the wake of thescandal, traceability has become anintegral part of the sector, creating moreof a two way relationship betweenconsumers. Such it is with consumerscalling for more organic and sustainablemeat and seafood products and placingmore emphasis on higher welfarestandards for animals. A cursive look atthe food industry will reveal that meatand seafood producers are adapting tochanging preferences, adhering to strictregulations and reaping the benefits. Processing raw meat requires thehighest level of hygiene levels to bemaintained, which can prove challengingfor producers. In order to ensure that theproduction line remains hygienicthroughout as well as ensuring no time islost on wash-downs, equipment andmachinery manufacturers have developedequipment specifically designed to workwith the needs of food producers. Thishas meant eliminating as much dead,empty space where food can gather aspossible as well as ensuring there are norough or protruding parts for meat to snagon. This is indicative of the harmoniousrelationship needed between foodproducers, machinery manufactures andtheir suppliers in order to maintainefficiency and uphold hygiene levelsduring production and through todistribution. Contamination at one part ofthe production line can spell disaster atthe end stages. Implementing new and improvedtechnologies and tapping into industry canhelp manufacturers achieve safety andhygiene, as well as automation andindividualisation, as Bizerba, a provider ofweighing and slicing technologies forindustry and trade, explores and explainsat this year’s IFFA event. Using aminiature model, Bizerba demonstratesthe process steps in meat processingoperations that can benefit from newworking methods and technologies—fromgoods delivery and initial weighing tosoftware-based batch identification andtracing to weight control before and afterpackaging. Connected machines also playa pivotal role for packaging, labelling,filling-weight checking and the finalinspection for contaminants or faulty sealseams, and their improved communicationcapabilities lead to better effectiveness,quality and production flexibility. To increase the effectiveness of theirGoingtheextramile32-35_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:58 Page 1www.etiltd.com±0.2 °C high accuracyTherma 1T Thermometer‘Utilising a type T thermocouple sensor, the Therma 1T offers fast response, durability & a measurement range of -100 to 400 °C, ideal for food processing & foodservice applications’NEW Food & Drink International 33www.fdiforum.netMEAT, POULTRY & SEAFOODproduction flows, companies can evaluate the data of specificprocess steps in order to draw conclusions about the processingoperation. Until now, meat-processing companies could onlymeasure shrinkage or losses when packaging the products. Usingthe BRAIN2 industrial software, however, it is now possible toanalyse the overall equipment effectiveness includingperformance, quality and availability. In addition, a new softwaremodule computes important additional information including the34 ÁFDA to withdraw approvalof swine drug due to foodsafety concerns The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for VeterinaryMedicine (CVM) has taken the first step toward rescinding itsapproval of the use of carbadox to treat swine because the drug mayleave trace amounts of a carcinogenic residue.CVM’s action comes after the center recently re-examined thesafety profile of the drug and conducted a preliminary riskcharacterisation that indicated there could be potential risk to humanhealth from ingesting pork, especially pork liver, derived fromcarbadox-treated pigs.“The manufacturer of carbadox has failed to provide sufficientscientific data to demonstrate the safety of this drug given evidencethat carbadox may result in carcinogenic residues,” said Michael R.Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for foods and veterinary medicine.“As a result, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine is taking legalaction to remove this product from the marketplace.”The FDA is not recommending that people make changes in theirfood choices while the agency is working to remove carbadox fromthe market. Potential cancer risks are based on an assumed lifetimeof consuming pork products containing carbadox residues, andshort-term changes in diet are unlikely to affect a person’s lifetimerisk. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/EL NARIZPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BUDIMIR JEVTIC32-35_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:58 Page 234 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netMEAT, POULTRY & SEAFOODamount of meat processed per employee. Although industry 4.0 is still a vision ofthe future of in daily operation, Bizerbademonstrates this concept as a symbolicscenario: Using a smartphone interface,customers can send their food preferenceto a show kitchen, which will then directlyprepare and pack the meal and attach acustom label. In craft businesses, PC scales providekey functionality when it comes tocommunication. Relevant information isdisplayed on the customer monitor at theright time. Alternatively, the informationcan be printed on the labels. Here, thefocus is on complying with the EU FoodInformation Regulation mandating thatnutritional information be indicated onpre-packaged food from December, 2016. All the information needed by butcherycompanies for weighing and labelling canbe centrally controlled using a goodsmanagement system. In addition, it ispossible to enter information aboutarticles, products, allergens andnutritional value into the industrysoftware and to transfer it to theindividual weighing systems. Consumerscan also obtain information on the originof their products or details concerning thecorrect storage of their food. Achieving safety in the food processingindustry and foodservice applications iscomprised of multiple safeguards andprecautions. Thermometers areindispensable in this regard, offeringaccuracy and tangible analytics. In anenvironment where guaranteed accuracy isrequired, not only by regulation but toensure to the safety of consumers, it’sabsolutely paramount that theimplementation of thermometers ispracticed and encouraged. For this reason,they provide part of the processinginfrastructure, combining with inspectionand detection equipment to form a nearinfallible safeguard. Even with the mostreliable safeguards in place, products canstill come into contact with contaminatesand prompt recalls. In the processing, distribution and saleof meat and seafood products, safety andhygiene are an essential part of theproduct lifecycle. This is as true for theslaughtering and butchery of livestock asit is for the production line itself and theeventual storage and sale. In order toprotect the meat product and ensure itstays fresh, manufacturers must ensurethat products are transported in chilledvehicles where a constant temperature canbe maintained throughout transit. Thedesign of the product, or more specially itspackaging, can also help in this regard.Vacuum packaging seals meat and fishproducts in an impermeable packageextending its shelf life by 3 to 5 times itsnormal refrigerated life. Packagingproducts in this way requires typically lessspace for storage than film covered traysassociated with fresh meat. As well asensuring a longer shelf life, manufacturerscan also utilise this packaging to enticecustomers with the addition of a marinadesealed in with the meat product. Health and safety, of course, doesn’tend once the product enters thefoodservice or retail sector. Productlabelling ensures that meat and seafoodwon’t be sold passed its use-by date,where the risk of food poisoning issignificantly increased. Cooking and othersafety instructions (such as not washingraw meat) will likewise enable consumersto make informed decisions and cook foodthoroughly ensuring it is free of any viralcontaminates. The use of thermometers ina domestic setting is also advocated bychefs to provide another level of securityand to ensure food is cooked to safety orto achieve a desirable texture. The journey of meat and seafoodproducts through the supply chain isfraught with potential safety risks andregulatory missteps. To ensure that theseproducts remain fit for purpose, foodmanufacturers are not only adhering toregulations but are going above andbeyond, particularly in the wake of risinglevels of campylobacter. Design also playsan integral part in ensuring the bestquality products and as safely as possible.Whether it’s the processing machinery,testing equipment, the packaging andlabelling or even the distribution, everyaspect has a fundamental part to play. Ifgreater safety levels are being achievedalongside the introduction of new andimproved technology, then it only makessense that with greater technology willcome a safer, securer and moreharmonious industry. PHOTO: VISARUT SANKHAM / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM32-35_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:58 Page 3Fish Traceability with Nucleus 8Niche offer a range of fish & seafood solutions. Our Nucleus 8 Fish Traceability systems and fish processing systems encompass a range of software written especially for the fish industry. Designed to minimise data entry and maximise throughput, customers who use our fish traceability systems report up to 50% labour saving when compared to using a manual system to complete similar tasks. We don't just write the software - each system includes a food-grade stainless steel touch screen computer for weighing operations. The system is dust and waterproof to IP65 standard and can be operated easily, even by gloved hands. We offer a full range of weighing platforms alongside a label printer, housed in a waterproof stainless steel garage. These factory floor touchscreen systems are then networked to your office system to provide seamless integration and a smoother flow of real time information from operators to administrators.Orders that arrive on your office PC are transmitted to the touch screen for weighing. Subsequent data can be exported to your accounts package for invoicing. The system allows you to weigh the same order on two or more terminals if necessary. Bizerba01908 682740info@bizerba.co.ukNiche01254 662130sales@niche-cs.comSoftware Features- Each box of fish is given a unique box number- Despatch and traceability details recorded in one procedure- Label printed in language of country product despatched to- Compatible with current fish labelling regulations- Easy label design software- Goods Received and Delivery Note design- Full range of reports- Data correction facilityFood & Drink International 35www.fdiforum.netCranswick acquirespoultry businessYorkshire-based meat manufacture, Cranswick, has acquired thefamily-run chicken business, CCL Holdings and its 100% ownedsubsidiary Crown Chicken from the Thacker family andmanagement for £40 million. Crown is an East Anglia-based poultry producer who breeds,reads and processes fresh chicken for supply into a customer baseacross the grocery retail, food service, wholesale andmanufacturing channels. Adam Couch, Chief Executive of Cranswick, said: “Crown is awell-respected operator in the UK poultry sector and represents anexcellent opportunity for Cranswick to continue the development ofits UK poultry business, building on the highly successfulacquisition of Benson park, the market leading producer ofpremium cooked poultry, in October 2014.“This acquisition represents important progress in our long termgrowth strategy of developing new product channels in both porkand other proteins.”David Thacker, Crown’s current Chairman, said he would retireas a part of the acquisition, while Nigel Armes, Crown’s MillDirector, and Mathew Ward, Agricultural Director, will continue towork for the business. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/ANDOR BUJDOSO32-35_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:58 Page 436 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWATER TREATMENTThe use of water is an essential part ofthe food processing industry. It is used tolubricate food contact surfaces and othercomponents of processing equipment andis sprayed, injected, dripped and pouredon foods. It is used as both a heating andcooling medium and let’s not forget itsuse in gaseous and solid states too. Needless to say, water accounts for asignificant proportion of daily operations.With rising costs, changes in legislation,and regulations governing excesses, howwaste water is dealt with has becomemuch more of a significant issue. Theincrease of environmental concerns in theworkplace has led to innovations whichallow surplus water and industrial wasteto be put to practical use; curbingexpenditure, boosting energy efficiencyand limiting the impact on theenvironment. The bottom line therefore is that can’tbe taken for granted and legislation on theuse of water in the industry is, stringent –and for good reason. We all know that any water thatcontacts food or food-contact surfacesneeds to be safe and of adequate sanitaryquality. Running water at a suitabletemperature, and under pressure asneeded, needs to be provided in all areaswhere required for the processing of food,for the cleaning of equipment, utensils,and food packaging materials or foremployee sanitary facilities. Theassumption is that we are drawing waterfrom safe sources but this needs to beverified.For some time now, manufacturers havebeen purifying their water by harnessingthe natural process of “reverse osmosis”(RO). Semipermeable membranes madefrom carbon and/or composite materialsare used to filter out unwanted particlesand bacteria. This is by far the cheapestway to purify water, and reverse osmosistechnologies are highly effective atremoving contaminants. However, around70% of the water is wasted using thismethod, and as a consequence companiesare beginning to turn to energy-efficientsolutions that allow wastewater to be re-used.The longer a filtration product staysfunctional, the less waste it produces. Assuch, innovation in the field has primarilybeen focussed on developing filtrationmembranes that have a longer life-span.Companies across the globe areexperimenting with materials such assilicon carbide – a mixture of silicon andcarbon traditionally used as an abrasive –to create water filters that allow morewater to pass through whilstsimultaneously sifting out morecontaminants. Materials such as siliconcarbide can stand high-temperature steamcleaning, which means it is no longernecessary to use potentially harmfulchemical cleaning products that could endup in the food or drink, defeating theobject of the operation. Whatever the system it need to beincluded on the company’s preventivemaintenance program to ensure filtersand/or ultraviolet sources are changedregularly and to ensure that the systemwill function as designed.In most companies water reclamationand reusability will be commonplace andfiltration is key. Unlike other purificationmethods, filtration isn’t limited to the sizeof contaminates it can remove, includingchlorine and volatile organic chemicals(VOCs). In manufacturing, companies aremaking use of new technology to helpachieve the water reduction targets theyhave often set themselves. For example, anumber of manufacturers are aiming toreduce the amount of rinse water sent todrain. It used to be that after cleaning hadTreat itwith careWater may be something we take for granted, but within the foodand drink industry it is as much a resource as any other36-39_Layout 1 22/04/2016 13:59 Page 1Food & Drink International 37www.fdiforum.netWATER TREATMENTtaken place, rinse water would always bedisposed down the drain, but incompanies that use a lot this can behugely inefficient. Some manufacturersare dealing with this by fitting theproduction lines with a tank and asubmersible pump system. The water fromeach production line feeds into a singlecommon recapture water line that fills acentral storage tank, meaning the rinsewater can be reused throughout the plantand hence water wastage massivelyreduced.Other companies are making use ofhygienic pumps and dosing systems toensure water in all its forms – whetherused in the production process, forgeneral use or being removed as waste – isWater recovered from whey can beused for clean-in-place procedures A novel process allows water tobe recycled for cleaning, accordingto a new study from Journal of DairyScience®. Given the amount of waterneeded in the dairy industry, andgrowing concerns regardingresource scarcity, researchers fromthe University of Nebraska-Lincolnsought to find a method to recycleand reuse water from whey forclean-in-place systems.The findings provide scientificevidence of the safety of reuse ofrecondition water in food processing plants, contributing to building a culture of waterconservation and sustainable production throughout the supply chain. Current regulations indicate that only potable water may be used to clean food contactsurfaces and equipment surfaces, but reconditioning and reuse of water is a promising alternativecurrently accepted for cleaning of fruits and vegetables, as well as scalding of meat and poultry. “Using the combined ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis system, 46% of water can be recoveredfrom whey,” said lead author Yulie Meneses, demonstrating the viability of the method forwastewater. Further research is required to elucidate risks and broader environmental issues. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/NIRUTI PUTTHARAKSA38 ÁPHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/MATTEO SANI36-39_Layout 1 22/04/2016 14:00 Page 238 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netWATER TREATMENTdispensed hygienically and effectively.Other methods such as evaporation arealso proving successful, separating waterfrom the rest of the effluent created,thereby reducing its volume. Whencondensed, the evaporated water can thenbe reused. This is timely because, as wellas the effective disposal of wastewater, theimportance of ensuring the water used inproduction is of a high standard cannot beoverestimated.There are also measures companies cantake to reduce wasted water by re-usingrinse water in their boiler facilities (whichshould destroy most contaminants), usingcleaning-hoses that have a low flow so asto cut down wastewater in the first place,and employing the latest inexpensiveanaerobic pre-treatment technologies toproduce reusable bio-energy. Contaminated water can cause hugeproblems for food and drinkmanufacturers. Fortunately, however,water treatment systems are becomingincreasingly sophisticated, and with oneeye on green issues as well, the industry isclose to guaranteeing a sustainable future. As well as being environmentallysound, the other important aspect ofwater treatment and management is thatof employee health. Legionella Bacteriumlives in most natural water sources and, ifallowed the right environment, can growrapidly. The presence of sediment scale,sludge, and other food sources togetherwith bio-films, play an important role inharbouring and providing conditions toallow legionella bacteria to multiply andproliferate and infected water droplets,once inhaled, can cause Legionnaires’disease – which is potentially fatal.Cooling systems, cold water storagetanks and hot water storage vessels areprime examples of systems which areclassed as high risk for the growth ofLegionella – and as they generally feedoutlets such as taps, shower heads andcooling towers, they are particularlycommon in commercial buildings.Outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease receivesignificant media attention, which canlead to a negative effect on a companyname, heavy company fines or evenimprisonment.Though it may seem a simple concept,businesses need to remember that water isa resource like any other. And that likeother resources, it is finite. Efficient useand treatment of water is essential to notonly the continued success of the industryand our region - but also the planet itself. Not to mention a company’s bottomline.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/BOGDAN WANKOWICZWater treatment systems are becomingincreasingly sophisticated, and with one eye ongreen issues as well, the industry is close toguaranteeing a sustainable future36-39_Layout 1 22/04/2016 14:00 Page 3Food & Drink International 39www.fdiforum.netWATER TREATMENTMaking the difference in Water Treatmentsera ProDos UK Ltd.Axon 2, Commerce Road,Lynchwood,Peterborough PE2 6LRPhone: +44 1733 396040 Fax: +44 1733 396050Email: sales.uk@sera-web.comwww.sera-web.comSince 1945 sera products have represented the highest measure of quality, safety and reliability in the treatment of drinking water, process water and wastewater. Dosing and feeding pumps Dosing systems and disinfection systems Process measuring and control technology Fittings and accessories Extensive pre- and after-sales serviceWe don’t just promise, we do!PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COMAMNAJ KULSUTHIDAMRONGPORNWaste water treatment plantpart of R1.2bn expansion ofNestlé South Africa factory Nestlé South Africa officially inaugurated its instant coffeemanufacturing plant in Estcourt after a R1.2 billion investment intothe expansion of the factory. The investment into the expansion of the factory forms part of thecompany’s R2.9 billion foreign direct investment in the last five years.It included the construction of a waste water treatment plant, a newcoffee processing plant, the upgrading existing coffee processingand a state-of-the-art coffee drying plant. Ravi Pillay, Corporate Affairs Director for Nestlé South Africa, said:“For 100 years we have been manufacturing proudly South Africanproducts for South Africans by South Africans and contributing to thelocal economy through job creation and foreign direct investment. Webelieve that for a company to be successful in the long-term it has tocreate value for shareholders and communities where it operates.”The Miniter of the dti, Dr Rob Davies says the coffee plant is asignificant boost for South Africa and the local economy of KwaZuluNatal. Nestlé South Africa has eight manufacturing facilities, threedistribution centres and 3500 full time permanent employees acrossthe country.PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/HXDYL36-39_Layout 1 22/04/2016 14:00 Page 4Next >