< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY WEEKTaking place from 19 – 25 June, FoodSafety Week is a Government ledinitiative to shine a light on foodpoisoning in the supply chain. Thewarmer months see an upsurge in casesof E-Coli, listeria and salmonella, andwith rampant poor food safetybehaviours, hygiene has never beenmore important.Companies that aren’t able to pointto clear hygiene regulations will usuallyfind themselves unable to win contractsfrom major customers. The importanceof security and speed across the supplychain means retailers demandmanufacturers and distributors reachthe highest standards and must be ableto illustrate their commitment to quality– and a formal food hygiene policy.With the increasing use ofautomation and robot systems, theassociated with a hygiene scare, canoutright destroy brands in some cases.When it comes to hygiene within themanufacturing process there is also no`one size fits all` approach, and eachindividual aspect of the process mustbe considered. Due to the differing nature of hygienerisks and how they can occur, it is oftena requirement to bring in outside helpto judge and identify potentialflashpoints. These can come from anynumber of aspects, be it the ingredientsthemselves, the way employees work orsimply the atmosphere of a givenfacility. The latter is one such aspectthat many companies might overlook.Clean air is of paramount concern forthe food and drink industry, not onlydue to the stringent requirementsinvolved in the manufacture of foodNotworththeriskdemands on plant and machinery haverisen considerably in the last few years.New legal requirements for themaintenance and operation ofmachinery also play an increasinglyimportant role. It’s a company’s duty toensure that its staff can cope with theincreasing demands so the internationalCMSE qualification has been designedto meet this requirement.Gaining certification enables peopleto develop a greater understanding ofthe requirements of the relevantregulations and standards, discover howthese may be applied to the design,build, maintenance and operation ofmachinery, and manage projects fromrisk assessment to safety upgrade andimplementation.Expensive product recalls, not tomention the reputational risksThe 19th – 25th of June is FoodSafety Week, an event designedto shine light on food poisoning inthe supply chain. With that inmind, we investigate the hygienesector and the biggest problemsfaced by manufacturers to date. 20-23.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:00 Page 1Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY WEEKproduce, but also to avoid thereputational crisis of any incidentsoccurring. With a variety of harmfulmicrobes and particles able to travel viaair, there is great potential for harmfulmicrobes to interact with the process ata crucial stage, possibly leading tocontaminated products.In many cases the establishment of acleanroom is common, which despitethe name can be as large as amanufacturing facility or process line, oras small as a single storage room. Thesecan be designed to protect bothproducts and personnel. Cleanroomscan help to preserve freshness inproducts as well as preventcontamination. When it comes to operating acleanroom, it’s important to rememberthat staff themselves are one of thelargest factors of contamination. Thisnot only includes particles they mightbring into the facility themselves, butalso how they operate machinery andinteract with surfaces. Workers shoulduse cleanroom garments, and should bewell trained and motivated. In somecases, facilities might also use cleaningbooths to ensure staff aredecontaminated before they actuallyenter the facility. Cleanrooms, and in fact investing inclean air solutions in general, can have apositive impact on more than justhygiene however. As dust and particlesare kept away from the process line, thehealth of employees is also improved –leading to less absenteeism, and higherlevels of job satisfaction. This isparticularly important in the food anddrink industry, due to the careful natureof quality control, and the stringentdemands placed upon staff to meetthem.Water treatment is another suchaspect that has played an increasingrole in the industry, particularly as fearsof contaminants re-entering theecosystem are brought to the forefrontof media attention. water accounts for asignificant proportion of dailyoperations. With rising costs, changes inlegislation, and regulations governingexcesses, how waste water is dealt withis a key concern.In most companies water reclamationand reusability will be commonplaceand filtration is key. Unlike otherpurification methods, filtration isn’tlimited to the size of contaminates itcan remove, including chlorine andvolatile organic chemicals (VOCs). In manufacturing, companies are© Shutterstock/Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko© Shutterstock/AS Food studio22 Á20-23.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:00 Page 222 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY WEEKFood safety update – what’s new in your industry An essential update for EHOs and food safety professionalsThursday 5 July 2018, 9:30–16:30 28 Portland Place, London W1B 1LYChaired by Professor Lisa Ackerley, Food safety Adviser, UKHospitality, Visiting Professor University of Salford. In association with UKHospitality, this conference will hear expert speakers discuss and debate the latest thinking on key food safety issues. Come and learn about:s 2EGULATING OUR FUTUREs !CRYLAMIDEs 4HE INCREASING IMPORTANCE OF PRIMARY AUTHORITIESs 'ENOME SEQUENCINGs 7HAT SHOULD WE LEARN FROM PROSECUTIONS s !NTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE n NEW AND EMERGING EVIDENCEs 0ROTECTING CONSUMERS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES AND INTOLERANCES5CPD CREDITS AVAILABLE FOR ATTENDEESTo find out more and to book your place please visit www.rsph.org.uk/events or contact Joely Campbell on 020 7265 7378Who should attend? 4HIS CONFERENCE WILL PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO UPDATE ON the current issues surrounding food safety. It will deliver essential learning for those working in food hygiene and safety, the retail industry, the meat industry and anyone involved in the preparation of food and will be particularly relevant for Environmental 0RACTITIONERS &OOD 3AFETY 4RAINERS AND &OOD -ANUFACTURERSwww.rsph.org.uk @R_S_P_H Royal Society for Public Health Royal Society for Public Health R making use of new technology to helpachieve the water reduction targetsthey have often set themselves. Forexample, a number of manufacturersare aiming to reduce the amount ofrinse water sent to drain. It used to bethat after cleaning had taken place,rinse water would always be disposeddown the drain, but in companies thatuse a lot this can be hugely inefficient.Some manufacturers are dealing withthis by fitting the production lines witha tank and a submersible pump system.The water from each production linefeeds into a single common recapturewater line that fills a central storagetank, meaning the rinse water can bereused throughout the plant and hencewater wastage massively reduced.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– is dispensed hygienically andeffectively. Other methods such asevaporation are also proving successful,separating water from the rest of theeffluent created, thereby reducing itsvolume.As well as being environmentallysound, the other important aspect ofwater treatment and management isthat of employee health. LegionellaBacterium lives in most natural watersources and, if allowed the rightenvironment, can grow rapidly. Thepresence of sediment scale, sludge, andother food sources together with 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’ diseasereceive significant media attention,which can lead to a negative effect on a© Shutterstock/roibu20-23.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:00 Page 3FlexLink is part of Coesia, a group of innovation- based industrial solutions companies operating globally headquartered in Bologna, Italy.www.coesia.comflexlink.comFood & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netFOOD SAFETY WEEKcompany name, heavy company fines or even imprisonment.Despite all of this, and whatever methods are taken toreduce the risks of contamination, a stringent qualityassurance line will always be necessary. There is only so muchthat human inspection can achieve in any productionenvironment. Given that food safety is absolutely essentialfrom both a commercial and an ethical standpoint, it is vitalthat any potential for error is eliminated. The human eye is apowerful organ, but with the advent of Machine VisionSystems we are entering an entirely new – and potentiallyflawless – world. For the most part, food and drinksmanufacturers use Machine Vision Systems to carry out taskssuch as counting large numbers units on the production line,reading product labels to ensure they contain accuratenutritional and allergen information, portion control, andtesting for faults in the packaging of a product which couldresult in contamination or degradation. With traceability also a key concern, the advent of OpticalCharacter Verification (OCV) has been a huge boon for theindustry. OCV is principally used to ensure that products arelabelled correctly. Use-by- and best-before dates must matchthe actual product, and the information printed on a product’spackaging must be 100% legible in case of product recall andother worst-case scenarios. Most OCV devices used in foodmanufacture are font-based ID-readers that are pre-programmed to recognise particular details such as specificallergen advice and nutritional information, while ensuringthat these are labelled correctly. Hygiene remains a key concern and always will, but astechnology advances, the burden on the manufacturer isbecoming less stressful. This is great news for the industryand should help to offset rising costs elsewhere withinmanufacturing, such as the advent of the National LivingWage (in the UK) or rising wage costs anywhere else.Designed for maximum availableproduction time and operatingconvenience, the new modular beltconveyor in stainless steel is robust,safe and easy to clean.The standardised design andmodularity make changes of theproduction line easy. It’s the smart,long-term investment in your bottomline and your operators!Contact us at info.uk@flexlink.com formore information or give us a call on01908 327200.Clean, safeconveying20-23.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:00 Page 424 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netTEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHTThere’s been something of arenaissance taking place in the freezeraisle, a sector that had been steadilylosing out to fresh and food-to-gooptions. But there has been a shift, oflate, especially among millennialshoppers who had traditionally favouredfresher, more wholesome and ethicalfood. As well as the typical lower costsassociated with frozen foods, there is abigger boon that is winning the hearts,minds and wallets of millennialconsumers – convenience.If one word has come to define thefood industry in recent times then,doubtless, it’s convenience. The seismicshift in shopping habits has seen anexplosion in the availability and range offood-to-go options, packaging withbusy lifestyles in mind – such as smallersizes, easy opening and resealablevarieties – and, of course, the ease ofwhich any given product can beprepared and eaten. Frozen foods andmeals are made with convenience inmind. Indeed, they were the originalconvenience meals, with the widespreadadoption of freezers at home foreverchanging the lives of consumers. Frozenfruit and vegetables, for example, comeready prepared, perfectly preserved inice in anticipation of a microwave orpan of boiling water. Ready mealssimply needed to be put into theaforementioned microwave, into anoven or frying pan (more of which canbe found in our dedicated ready mealsfeature on page 39). Though the convenience of time-strapped millennials is having aprofound effect on the fortunes of thefrozen foods sector, there is another keydriver afoot. Since the Waste &Resources Action Programme (WRAP)revealed the sheer state of food wasteoccurring in the supply chain, the onushas been on both preventativemeasures and putting food that wouldotherwise be wasted to better use. Oneof the tools in this arsenal is homefreezing, meaning consumers at largeare falling back in love with their freezerand, by proxy, frozen foods. But in orderto keep enjoying these foods andensure they stay consistently coolthroughout the supply chain,temperature control is paramount. Temperature control is one of theunifying processes across the food anddrinks industry, as temperatures too farone way or the other can lead todegradation, spoilage and wastedgoods, which, in turn, leads to a loss ofprofit. Let us again turn our attention tothe example of frozen vegetables which,in order to preserve maximum flavour,nutritional content and integrity, mustbe frozen as quick to being picked aspossible. Indeed, this has become aselling point for many frozen foodproducers looking to market their goodsas every bit as healthy as their freshcounterparts. However, this means thatsaid products must move from thefreezing process, through to processing,packing and, finally, transport intoretailers, whilst remaining a consistenttemperature. So, how can a singletemperature be maintained?The first part of the journey occurs in-house, typically a production line in anenclosed warehouse or other facility.Though there are many options open tomanufacturers for ensuring aconsistently cold production line orstorage facility, it’s counterproductive toinvest in subpar technologies. Even tinychanges in temperature can lead tomicro-thawing and the crystallisation ofgoods. Insulation is also crucial in order tomaintain a cooler temperature as theheat outside a facility will be constantlytrying to work its way inside. Heat canget through even the smallest breachesin a manufacturer’s temperaturedefences, be that a wall, window ordoor. Of course, where cool air is present,there also exists the possibility ofmoisture build-up which can lead to allmanner of issues such as damp or abuild-up of ice. This not only presents asafety hazard for workers, but can alsoseverely limit the functionality andChill out © Shutterstock/stockfourWith the returning popularity offrozen foods, Food and DrinkInternational explores theimportance of temperaturecontrol from production to thedelivery of goods. 24-28.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:06 Page 1Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netTEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHTUK’s leading manufacturer of Temperature Sensors, Thermocouple Connectors and associated Temperature Instrumentation and stockists of Thermocouple Cables.Visit www.labfacility.com for more informationAutomatic temperaturemonitoring with Tinytag DataLoggersGemini Data Loggers,manufacturer of the Tinytagrange, now offers a range ofloggers providing flexibleautomatic temperaturemonitoring with data availablefor immediate viewing by anypermitted user on a networkor across the internet. Theseare ideal for larger sites withmultiple monitoring points which may include warehouses, cold stores,production areas and offices.Data is viewed in the Tinytag Explorer Connect software, an easy to useWindows program. Radio loggers send their data via a receiver to a PC,while Plus LAN loggers plug into a network point and send the data: LANand radio loggers can be mixed and matched within a system to meetparticular site layout and infrastructure requirements. LAN and radio loggers are easy to set up and use, and keep recordinglocally in the event of communications problems, transmitting their dataonce the connection is restored. Alarm notifications are generated ifconditions fall outside user-defined limits. For more information, visit www.tinytag.info.efficiency of processing equipment and lead tocostly repairs. Ensuring a thorough washdown canhelp, as can investing in dehumidifyingtechnologies. The transport and distribution of frozen goodspresents a more challenging situation as it involvesmoving goods from one strictly controlledenvironment to another. In order to facilitate thischangeover, manufacturers will likely havetemperature controlled loading bays, ensuring aconstant temperature from production and packinglines. Curtain walls will help to maintain thisconsistency, creating a barrier to ensure that coldair stays inside its designated area whilst alsoallowing workers and forklift trucks etc to passeasily through. Loading bays themselves, however, are literalopenings into the outside and so could quite easilyscupper this carefully control environment. Tocompensate for this and maintain the cold integrity,manufacturers and logistics companies rely onhoods around the bay door opening. This means atruck or lorry can back into the bay and open itsdoors, creating a seal and ensuring that theexterior and interior temperatures don’t have achance to meet and mingle. Frozen and chilledgoods can then be loaded without fear of thawing.These same hoods will likely be in place at theretailers and distribution centres where food andbeverage products will be dropped off for supplyand sale, ensuring one continuous chilledenvironment. Bay doors form a key part of defendingtemperature controlled environments, as they couldelsewise be a liability. They must balance adequateinsulation whilst also boasting the rugged designand defence required to fend off the elements andpossible forced entry. Though much of the precautions witnessed inthe cold chain might seem obvious, there are othersubtler dangers that need to be considered. As weenter the summer months, it’s important thatmanufacturers understand how the performance oftheir temperature controlled systems can beaffected and what they can do to counteract thoseeffects. It’s a simple matter of fact that electricalequipment of all kinds generates heat, as sure ashuman beings themselves will produce heat. Justspend a summer afternoon in an officeenvironment and it becomes painfully obvious.These high temperatures have been attributed toelectrical and electronic components tripping orfailing. Moreover, temperatures can even get so26 ÁRound handle styletemperature sensorsLabfacility are the UK’sleading manufacturer oftemperature sensors,thermocoupleconnectors andassociated temperatureinstrumentation andstockists ofthermocouple cables.Its comprehensive selection includes:• General Purpose Probe• Spring Loaded Thermocouple with Copper Disc Tip• Stainless Steel Air Probes• Right Angled Probe• Ceramic Tip and Coiled Element• Right Angled Probe and Copper Disc Tip• Needle Probe T-shaped• Moving Air Probe• Surface Probe• Penetration Probes• Pipe Clamp ProbeManufactured by Labfacility at its 12,000-square foot southYorkshire plant located in Dinnington. Available for immediatedespatch, please visit www.labfacility.com.24-28.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:06 Page 2fire suppression installed. To putthe amount of heat produced byelectrical devices into context,consider your inverter drives.More and more are being usedwithin electrical equipmentbecause they are very effective atreducing the amount of energyused – which means lowerproduction costs. “Assuming an efficiency of 97per cent, a 250kW drive canproduce up to 7.5kW of heat,much of which is retained insidethe enclosure in which it’sinstalled. And as I indicated, lifeexpectancy of components is alsoaffected by excess heat. Anelectrical component’s lifeexpectancy is reduced by 50% forevery 10°C increase in the ambienttemperature.” On selecting the best solution,high insidea panel that firerisks become aclear and present risk.Just imagine, for a minute,what the effect of a fire in suchan environment would be. Karl Lycett, Rittal’s ProductManager for Climate, explains:“Enclosures, and in particularenclosure climate control, may notbe top of your busy priority list buthave you ever wondered what youwould do if the equipment thatmanages your production line –your PLCs, drives and controls –failed due to inadequate orinappropriate cooling? “Have you wondered how muchmight get spent and totted up thecosts – both tangible andintangible? And how much thelifespan of this sensitive equipmentis shortened with the consequentreplacement cost? And, and, and.“You may consider yourequipment safe from the perils ofa significant fire. After all, drivestrip out automatically at set excesstemperatures and there might beTEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHTPOWER DISTRIBUTIONENCLOSURESCLIMATE CONTROLEnclosure Cooling Whatever the scale...... ......we have the solution Taking the temperatureof the foodmanufacturing sector Ian Tindall,Director ofInnovation andMarketing atCerulean, exploresthe importance oftemperature in thefoodmanufacturingsector. The size of thechilled and frozenfood marketshows theimportance ofmaintaining foodquality. In theready-to-eatsandwiches sector, one provider alone makes 600million sandwiches every year! The WRAP organisation quotes mind-boggling datathat the food sector produces 10 million tonnes offood waste a year. However, with non-invasivetemperature checking technology there is littlestopping manufacturers from protecting food qualityand reducing waste. Our sophisticated equipment, Celsius, deliversaccurate temperature measurement in minutes,without specialist operator training, offers foodmanufacturers reassurance about the products theysell and enables protection of production rates at nocost to quality. Media commentators often refer to “taking thetemperature” of a market. In this case the importanceof temperature is more than a metaphor; it’s a matterof protecting an industry’s future. For more information, visitwww.cerulean.com/en.© Shutterstock/Africa Studio24-28.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:06 Page 3a cool and cleanenvironment may find fan-and-filter units are adequate, given asingle device provides more than 4kW of cooling in ideal conditions. Ifthe air is dirty, it is still possible totake full advantage of low ambienttemperatures by using energyefficient air-to-air heat exchangersto provide any necessary cooling. “For applications that require thetemperature inside the enclosure tobe lower than that outside it, arefrigerant based solution may bethe best option.” The importance of temperaturecontrol in the food and drinkssupply chain can’t be overstated.The tiniest changes in the carefullycontrolled environment can renderproduct integrity null and voice. Aswell ensuring that food remains itsbest, manufacturers also need tomind their equipment, especially inthese summer months where theheat inside machines can be a veryreal danger.TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHTIT INFRASTRUCTURESOFTWARE & SERVICESwww.rittal.co.ukAre you ready forthe summer? Really?Karl Lycett, Rittal’s Product Manager for Climate,offers advice on designing effective climate controlsystems.High temperatures are a common cause of sensitiveelectrical and electronic components tripping or evenfailing. Electrical equipment generates a lot of heatadded to which will be the ambient heat from theenvironment the enclosure is situated, in whichnaturally increases in summer. Believe it or not, temperatures inside the panel canget so high that there is a point at which fire becomesa very real risk. If that happens, the impact can behuge, as was clearly illustrated recently when a firewas reported at one of the production lines at a foodmanufacturer’s factory. Enclosures, and in particular enclosure climatecontrol, may not be top of your busy priority list buthave you ever wondered what you would do if theequipment that manages your production line faileddue to inadequate or inappropriate cooling? For more information, visit www.rittal.co.uk.Mr Lycett adds: “Your decision asto which cooling solution youchoose ultimately depends on theamount of heat produced insidethe panel and the environment inwhich it’s installed. Your choice, inother words, must be specific toyour particular application.“The main consideration iswhether the panel is located in acold or hot environment and ifthat environment is clean or dirty.It would be nice, actually, if theanswers were as black and whiteas these questions suggest! Theytypically fall somewhere inbetween. Conditions may alsochange over the course of theworking day, week, month or year,so the final selection of anappropriate cooling solution maynot be entirely straightforward.“Enclosures which are located in24-28.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:06 Page 4Bus-Stop proves a big hit inthe Republic of IrelandAn Irish food transportcompany is helping tomaximise space andtemperature control in itsvehicles with the help ofinnovators from SeymourManufacturing International(SMI).Frozen, chilled and ambientfood distributor MillbrookFoods Limited is the latestcompany to add Bus-Stopsystems into its fleet.Bus-Stop is part of SMI’sBack-Stop family of insulatedflexible barriers, using itscelebrated Tempro thermalinsulation invention. Bus-Stop has four movableinsulated curtains, fitted on a sliding header bar, allowing it to bemoved from the back, to the front of the truck as required. Theheader bar is locked in position by a spring-loaded bolt, andcurtains held in place by magnets.SMI Chairman Brian Seymour said: “It is a breakthrough in costand energy savings for the food and temperature-sensitive deliverysectors, which is truly revolutionising the way we can think aboutmoving chilled and frozen goods.”For more information, visit www.seymour-mi.com. 28 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netTEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHTThermapen IR infraredthermometer with foldawayprobeThe newThermapen IR istwo instrumentsin one compactunit combiningthe advancedtechnology of two ETIdesigned and manufacturedproducts – the RayTemp 2 Plusinfrared thermometer and Thermapen 4 digitalprobe thermometer.Housed in a robust ABS case containing ‘Biomaster’ additivewhich reduces bacterial growth, the Thermapen IR incorporates amotion sensing sleep mode (penetration probe only) whichautomatically turns the instrument on/off when set down or pickedup, maximising battery life.The Thermapen IR thermometer features a max/min temperaturefunction accessed via the mode button (IR only). The distance totarget ratio is 5:1, therefore the thermometer should be positionedas close to the target as possible. The default emissivity is 0.95 butcan be adjusted between 0.1 and 1.0, if required via the modebutton.Alternatively, it is possible to take liquid or semi-solid producttemperatures using the reduced tip, stainless steel penetrationprobe (Ø3.3 x 110 mm). For more information, visit www.etiltd.com.The Dolfin – a unique approach toheating viscous fluids in IBCsThe Dolfin is a unique approach to heating viscous fluids within IBCs (intermediate bulk containers).It is designed and built in the UK to protect sensitive products – such as syrups, honey, fats and otherviscous products that are difficult to process. It is also designed for fast batching, thus increasingefficiency and reducing down time. The Dolfin heats directly in the product and right into the outlet valve to get that batching processunderway in a fraction of the time of traditional heating systems. Advantages of the Dolfin include:* Lightweight and robust * Microprocessor controlled delivery of heat. * Direct heat into the outletvalve for FASTBATCH * Thermodynamic core to achieve Sensitive Product Protection * Carefully designed large-fin area to give maximum heating surface area * Industrial strength foodgrade Xylon coating for non-stick of viscous products * 240V, 2400 Watts of controlled power delivery * Simple temperature adjustment withadjustment protection * Status and power delivery LED * Optional cleansing stationFor more information, visit www.limpetheating.com/products/dolfin%20ibc%20heater.html.Specialist monitoring devices for thefood and beverage industryFor every stage where food is handled in the commercial sector – be ittransportation, preparation, or storage – there exists a Traceable product fromindustrial instruments specialist Cole Parmer to ensure food safety remainsparamount at all times. When it comes to transportation, the ‘Logger-Trac’ mini data logger andTraceableGo are ideal for measuring and recording the temperature of food on themove. There’s also a great range of products available for food preparation solutions,including the Traceable Lollipop water resistant thermometer, which offers accurate and reliable measurements. As for food storage, there’s the Traceable Excursion-Trac data logging thermometer, which allows users to easily monitor temperatures andtransfer records of the data to a computer. It also triggers an alarm should temperatures ever drop or raise over a user-specific set point. All Cole Parmer’s products are fully calibrated to NIST & ILAC MRA standards, ensuring accuracy and reliability, as well as compliancy tomost regulations such as ISO.For more information, visit www.coleparmer.co.uk/collections/traceable-digital-thermometers.24-28.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:06 Page 5Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netFLOW MEASUREMENT AND CONTROLDealing with fluids andlow-viscosity foodmaterial can bechallenging for anycompany, butinnovation within theflow measurement andcontrol industry hashelped take some ofthe pressure off.Control, hygiene and efficiency arethe major factors involved in the foodand drink industry, particularly when itcomes to product being pumped intothe manufacturing line. With increasedconsumer and media attention beingplaced on food and drink products,even the smallest error can lead toexpensive recalls and a loss ofreputation. As such, control is king –and flow measurement and controlremains imperative. Where any liquid orlow-viscosity food material is beingpumped through a processing line it’skey that it is done so in a manner thatboth optimises and ensures sanitation –without causing blockages or problemswithin the process itself. As the industry has been a consistentone for many decades it’s easy to seethat most companies are now able tohandle the hygienic necessities of theprocess – with adaptations such ashygienic hoses and flow meters. Butthat’s not to say that there hasn’t beeninnovation in other areas; as companiesvie for competitive edge over oneanother. In efforts to increase efficiencymany pump process machines nowinclude metering of additivesthemselves, essentially measuring andadministering flavourings, acids,vitamins or colouring directly to thefood material – in line with the recipe ofthe product. The goal is versatility, alongside thetypical ones of efficiency, reliability andhygiene. A food manufacturer mightnow have a number of differentproducts which have vastly differentrequirements. Being able toconveniently alter and control how30 ÁControlat alltimes© Shutterstock/NavinTar29-31.qxp_Layout 1 29/05/2018 11:08 Page 1Next >