< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT costly rejected loads decreased. Though remote monitoring hardware tends to come at a greater up-front cost, it has a greater ROI in preventing product loss and saving time. Highlighting the importance of temperature monitoring systems the Chairman of the Australian Food Cold Chain Council (AFCCC), Mark Mitchell, recently made a “call to arms” at the APEC 2021 conference in April for players in the cold chain to make better use of such technologies to build a robust and compliant cold chain. He told international delegates from APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) countries that only a compliant cold chain had a chance of delivering consistent food quality and reducing food loss and waste. On top of that, the major impacts of poor temperature control in the cold chain that results in reduced shelf life were noted. In his presentation to APEC, Mitchell said that while product traceability encompassing just location and time might be fine for non-refrigerated consumer goods, such monitoring was not sufficient for food; product temperature monitoring must be continuous, with a confirmation of temperature only at the end point of the chain not good enough. He noted the technology and automatic systems for monitoring temperature throughout the whole journey were already available, but perhaps under-utilised in the food industry. The rise of Internet of Things (IoT) devices has played a key role in improving automatic temperature monitoring, offering continuous visibility of conditions in real time through wireless data loggers and sensors © Shutterstock /V aldis Skudre The key role of data loggers for temperature control Constant temperature monitoring is required, and a cost- effective way of doing this is not through several manual checks of storage units each day, but with wireless data loggers. Wireless data loggers are IoT-enabled devices which provide the likes of catering facilities, supermarkets and transporters with the information they need to act immediately should any unforeseen issues arise when it comes to food temperatures. Organisations may be subject to significant fines and reputational damages should they sell contaminated or unsafe produce, while consumers may unknowingly ingest spoiled food that could lead to potentially fatal illnesses and sicknesses. Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Plans (HACCP) are the UK government’s legislative criteria to protect food from biological, physical or chemical contamination. HACCP demands improvement and reduced complacency in food safety, for which temperature monitoring is central. Here lie the proactive and preventative qualities of wireless data loggers. To find out more, visit www.etiltd.com. 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 09:57 Page 3Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT Rotronic AwTherm Rotronic Instruments (UK) Ltd Crompton Fields, Crompton Way, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9EE. Tel: +44 (0)1293 571000 Email: instruments@rotronic.co.uk Web: www.rotronic.co.uk Company profile: Rotronic is a global company manufacturing instruments for the precise measurement of water activity, humidity, moisture, temperature, CO2 and differential pressure. Rotronic devices are specified throughout the food and other industries. Experienced engineers can provide measurement solutions for any application. Rotronic has UKAS / ISO 17025 accreditation for Temperature, Humidity and Dew Point laboratory calibration. Product profile: Rotronic manufactures water activity analysers to determine the free moisture within food products - a good indicator of product stability and shelf life. Controlling the moisture present improves product quality. Analysers provide measurements in typically less than five minutes. The wide product range includes the AwTherm analyser with full temperature sample control; the HygroLab laboratory analyser for up to four probes, handhelds for making spot-checks and a PC-based solution which is ideal when visiting suppliers’ sites. The sensors can be calibrated to confirm performance. Full technical product information is available on the website. enabling constant collection and monitoring of data transmitted via the cloud. Inside facilities, heating and cooling costs are a major expense. An optimal temperature-controlled facility can be achieved with the latest industrial cooling system technology. When storing food and drink this can help keep products fresh and maintain food safety for longer - electromechanical thermostats using a sensor can detect temperature changes in a room automatically and adjust it. Furthermore with remote electric controllers programmed to one’s needs one can reach peak energy efficiency to save time and money. There are also a number of simple factors to consider for temperature control in facilities, such as insulation (with high quality thermal insulators internal temperatures can be maintained), keeping condenser units maintained and clean in cold storage, ensuring door seals are effective to stop air escaping and cooling systems working harder, rising running costs, and keeping a regular inspection schedule. Additionally a key area of improvement for temperature control is at the loading dock. Products are frequently exposed to warm air during docking, loading, and unloading, with some facilities today still not utilising an enclosed, temperature-controlled loading bay, breaking the cold chain and potentially compromising products. Fortunately with new facilities being built and older facilities being renovated with modified docks, these problems are being overcome, © Shutterstock /Vitpho 22 Á 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 09:57 Page 4production is manual, with a product removed from the line and a temperature probe inserted manually for the temperature to be recorded, the new system removes the need for operators to use these probes. Machine vision is used in the automated solution to precisely insert the temperature probe and alarms are initiated if undercooked or overcooked products are detected. While businesses work hard to ensure temperature control in the food and drink supply chain, it is one of the most energy intensive areas for the food industry, with work now being done to reduce the environmental impact of this - from smart temperature monitoring to reducing use of high global warming potential refrigerants, moving away from diesel to fuel mobile refrigeration, and reducing energy required for cooling. 22 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TEMPERATURE CONTROL SPOTLIGHT © Shutterstock /Sorn340 Studio Images moving away from unrefrigerated and open arrival docks, and implementing more efficient protocols for loading and unloading trailers to reduce heat ingress to trailers. Advances are also being made to improve temperature control on the production line. For instance, an automated core temperature measurement system to improve food safety standards is being brought to market. Though traditionally the checking and recording of the core temperature of food products during Food Alert announces new remote temperature monitoring service Keeping tabs on freezer and refrigerator temperatures around the clock is now a breeze for Food Alert clients. The food safety and health & safety consultancy and technology provider has teamed up with remote temperature monitoring innovator, KoolZone. Featuring advanced wireless monitoring capabilities and delivering market leading performance, the KoolZone application will fully integrate with Food Alert’s cloud-based compliance software, Alert65. Food Alert’s Managing Director, David Bashford, said: “KoolZone’s technology is the best we’ve come across and is the technology used to protect our new COVID vaccines for the NHS. “We’re delighted to have secured this partnership, providing our clients with automated temperature monitoring that replaces paper- based systems and eliminates the potential for human error, which could result in a legislation breach and food poisoning outbreak. It also allows teams to focus on what’s important – their customers.” KoolZone’s remote temperature monitoring uses smart sensors in refrigerators and freezers with powerful wireless communications of up to 18km, across and between floors, simplifying installation and ensuring reliable data collection. A dashboard shows the status of all units in real-time and customised alerts warn when there’s a problem by phone call, SMS or email if values fall outside of a pre-defined range. KoolZone’s CEO, Steve Miller, said: “We’re delighted to be Food Alert’s chosen remote temperature monitoring partner. Alert65 is at the forefront of compliance software for hospitality and seamlessly integrates with our advanced solution.” To find out more, visit www.foodalert.com/software/remote-temperature-monitoring. 18-22.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 09:57 Page 5Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION Whether boosting production speeds, reducing downtime, or plugging gaps, automation is the future for the food industry. While food manufacturing has been recognised as relatively slow to embrace modern aspects of automation, these have become increasingly important as labour shortages and expenses rise. For instance, according to NatWest, by 2024 a third of the food and drink industry’s workforce in the UK will be due to retire, leaving it 140,000 people short. The food industry therefore looks to innovative automation solutions to plug gaps. Consequently, smart machines, like intelligent robotics, along with sensors, and AI are all becoming more commonplace, especially as technology prices start to decline and advances in technology continue to push ahead. Automation extends to ovens, mixers, cutting machines, sorting equipment, wrapping equipment, filling equipment, Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and much more in the food industry. This is drastically altering how employees work at food facilities, seeing them move away from the assembly line and instead take up a position in a control room where they are tasked with making sure operations work smoothly, modifying processes and dealing with any problems that arise. Roles in food manufacturing are becoming more technically skilled, appealing for staff to program automated equipment and deploy AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to optimise performance. The shift in job requirements takes staff away from potentially dangerous roles, eradicating injuries, and by reducing human contact with products, automation reduces chance of contamination and instances of human error, allowing for more consistent products and higher accuracy in tasks 24 Á © Shutterstock /DedMityay Processing the future Processing the future 23-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:29 Page 124 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION like weighing. Across primary and secondary processing automation has seen an uptick as its benefits become more widely recognised, particularly regarding robotics. In the past, use of robotics in primary processing was limited due to differences in the shape, size and weight of raw foods and ingredients, but now, improvements in sensing and soft gripping, enabling a gentle hold to be taken on delicate products such as fruits without causing damage, are allowing robots to handle many raw foods. Advances in vision systems have also helped in this, and are seeing picking and placing robots in particular increase in use outside of the production line, with vision systems helping in the identification of products, © Shutterstock /asharkyu allowing for better handling and sorting, while robots with intelligent vision systems are enabling specific placement of products on a belt to be completed with high accuracy. Automation is implemented well in monotonous and repetitive tasks that can result in high employee turnover and quality problems due to lost focus, such as the transportation of goods, where humans are replaced with AGVs, and in potentially dangerous tasks like cutting and slicing. Products must often be sliced in a manner consistent with a brand, or delicately to a high degree of accuracy with limited waste. Pre- programmed robots can perform this job with more precision and speed than humans, creating identical cuts every time. From simple machines to vision guided robots, automation can speed up cutting lines and improve safety in a highly hazardous sector of food production in terms of both worker and food safety. Advanced robotic cutting has the potential to automate the task of dismembering bigger animals, particularly those that cannot be dealt with via fixed station automated cutting - often used, for example, with chickens. Robotic butchery has been a difficult task to automate as each cut is based on shape and position of flesh and bones, and all animal carcasses are different. However, innovation has seen robotics combined with machine vision and other sensing abilities that automatically scope fat and structural characteristics of a carcass. Sensors can calculate dimensions of carcasses to THE ONLY SUSTAINABLE INSPECTION SYSTEMS WHICH SAVE YOU MONEY AND TIME GUARANTEED. T +44 1295 256266 www.fortresstechnology.co.uk www.sparc-systems.co.uk 23-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:29 Page 2Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION help with precision and automated arms clamp on to the carcass while other arms use knives to cut them. Meanwhile, another robot can then sort the cuts and move them to conveyor belts, to be weighed and packed by further robots down the line, all with minimal human supervision. Automation extends to the most delicate of processes such as cake decorating, to meet demand in secondary production, where decoration by hand is no longer viable due to fast-paced production lines. With robotic arms piping icing onto cakes and performing intricate • Plain / Printed Labels • Thermal Transfer Ribbons • Lasersheets • Fanfolded Labels • Barcode Labels Self adhesive labels and labelling Tel: 01482 506560 • Email: sales@datamarkuk.com • Website: www.datamarkuk.com © Shutterstock /V ereshchagin Dmitry 26 Á 350PPM: is this the fastest food combi system in the world? Fast, accurate and fully automated, the Cerberus Combination Metal Detector and Checkweigher from Sparc Systems is claiming the title as the fastest food inspection machines on the market today. Capable of checking for metal contaminants, checkweighing and rejecting out of tolerance packs simultaneously at speeds exceeding 200 packs per minute, Sparc recently created a special version for a UK dietary weight company that accurately inspects a record 350 ppm. Specifically designed to meet global food safety standards in high care production environments and drive down production costs, the Cerberus by far exceeds manufacturers’ inspection expectations of the conventional 120 to 150 ppm. Delivering repeatable brand protection and fast rejection, a standard off-the-shelf Cerberus easily inspects up to 200 out- of-tolerance or contaminated packs per minute. Even at this spec, few other inspection OEMs attempt to compete. However, Sparc has, with some special adaptations reached a reliable 350 ppm – close to six packs every second. To find out more, visit www.sparc-systems.com. 23-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:29 Page 326 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION Rotating magnet cleans powder and granulate without stopping production Goudsmit Magnetics recently launched a rotating Cleanflow magnetic separator suitable for installation in free-fall lines in a continuous process. Cleaning takes place without stopping the product flow - an explicit request from a customer who wanted to recycle cans of milk powder in a continuous process. During the cleaning cycle, the magnets stay in the product flow. This guarantees the user that no iron falls back into the product during cleaning, something that was regularly a problem with other systems. The magnetic bars in the Cleanflow magnetic separator filter metal particles and paramagnetic particles from 30 μm out of powders and granular products. Goudsmit has designed this new system in such a way that the magnets remain in the product flow during cleaning. Only the metal- contaminated sleeves around the magnetic bars are removed together with the metal particles, which are subsequently replaced by clean sleeves. To find out more, visit www.goudsmitmagnets.com/en. equipment like conveyors, pumps, and fans, and collecting data on the equipment’s performance which can then be used to predict when it will need to be replaced or repaired before is breaks, and can send advanced warnings for this. Being able to predict when maintenance is required reduces downtime for repairs and prevents productivity loss while also reducing the need for constant human supervision over equipment. Further, as the IoT enables connectivity outside of a facility, machinery and equipment sellers can be connected to their products on the floor, allowing them to monitor, troubleshoot and enact preventative maintenance remotely, decreasing site visits, which can be costly. As food manufacturers seek to scale up and alter operations to meet demand, automation will increase across the supply chain, creating a stronger, safer and more secure operation. decorating, thanks to 3D and 2D vision technology, automation offers a perfect finish despite if the surface of the cakes or their sizes are inconsistent, reducing waste and as a result costs. Integrating automation today, and making the most of it, comes in hand with more intense data collection, data- based decision making powered by advanced analytics, and the IoT – which all come together in the current focus on embracing Industry 4.0. Though IoT is still relatively new to food production, a desire for deeper insight into the process of manufacturing, in order to boost production, efficiency and make savings, is seeing IoT technologies such as wireless sensors become more prevalent. With wireless sensors, automated processes, equipment and machinery can send and receive real time data, be closely monitored and processors are able to gain more control over and discover how to streamline operations, make and sell products faster and gain more profit. IoT sensors can be utilised for many purposes from checking equipment status and performance, to speed of lines, flow rates, temperature and other conditions. Many companies supplying these sensors usefully allow for alerts to be sent to smart phones and mobile devices. Wireless sensors also beneficially enable the automation of maintenance by providing constant updates on the health of process 23-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:29 Page 4© Shutterstock /i viewfinder Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION Plant manufacturer Sugden invests in technotrans solution Sugden Ltd, one of the leading manufacturers of production lines for bakery products, is investing in the high-precision spray lubrication system spray.xact food of technotrans. “Our goal was to completely eliminate the use of compressed air when applying release agents to our heated plate systems,” said George Jackson, Sales Manager at Sugden. “In this way, we offer our customers even more process reliability and control. With the help of the technotrans solution, we have succeeded in doing just that. Furthermore, product quality increases and line operators save resources.” Mr Jackson is also convinced by the low-mist application that prevents unwanted oil residues in the production environment. That way there is no need for an extraction system. The first technotrans units will be used as mobile versions in the British plant manufacturer’s pancake and Multi-Plant Lines. The system is to be installed in other Sugden plants in the future, including those for Vanderpol Waffle production. For more information see: www.technotrans.de. •Stainless steel conveyor systems •Standalone units or fully integrated •Robotic and end of line equipment •Bespoke engineering capabilities •Turnkey and standalone solutions •Integration and project management •Service support and upgrades •Partnered with Lita Palletising Systems for over 30 years Kensal Handling Systems www.kensal.com | sales@kensal.com | tel: +44 (0) 1 582 425 777 Kensal Handling Systems Ltd, Kensal House, President Way, Luton, LU2 9NR 23-27.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:29 Page 528 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING A sustainable approach With environmental impact becoming more and more important, especially with coronavirus hopefully being on the way out, now is perhaps the best time to invest in new initiatives. Sustainable packaging is simpler than it has been in years past. 28-36.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:32 Page 1Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net There is a misconception for many that sustainable packaging is an expensive process, often using unusual and new materials such as plant-based fibre, which requires a complete overhaul of a manufacturer’s processing line. Investing in sustainable packaging must therefore be an investment, often with a large price tag and no tangible benefit other than the potential for increased branding with environmentally- conscious customers, and the chance to reduce their carbon footprint, which admittedly can save costs. All of this is not necessarily the case. While it can be, and those who wish to embrace it more 30 Á © Shutterstock /SewCream New BOPP film with improve thermal resistance Innovia Films is launching a new film in its Propafilm™ range of transparent speciality packaging films. CHS offers improved thermal resistance and shrinkage properties compared to conventional polypropylene films. It has been designed to substitute traditional outer web films in laminates for applications such as pouches and lidding in various food markets. Paul Watters, Product Development Manager Packaging, Innovia Films, explains: “With CHS, we have developed a BOPP film with enhanced functionality which allows the film to be used in new application areas. “We have been particularly successful with the film’s performance as the outer film of laminate structures used in retort pouch applications. “In this application area there are a lot of mixed material laminates used and because of the drive towards simplified structures it is important to offer recyclable mono alternatives to the traditional films used and CHS is a part of this solution.” To find out more, visit www.innoviafilms.com. SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING Woolcool believes the world needs business at its best Sustainable insulated packaging pioneers, Woolcool, have joined a coalition of 200 businesses behind the campaign for the Better Business Act – and are urging more companies to join. The BBA would amend Section 172 of the existing Companies Act 2006, which governs how firms do business. The new Act would ensure that companies are legally obligated to operate in a manner that benefits their stakeholders, including workers, customers and communities, while still seeking to deliver profits for shareholders. Woolcool MD, Josie Morris, comments: “We’re throwing our support behind an exciting campaign that hopes to encourage all businesses to think about the impact they have on the world around them. The BBA will transform the way we do business, so that every single company in the UK, whether big or small, takes ownership of its social and environmental impact.” To find out more, visit www.betterbusinessact.org. 28-36.qxp_Layout 1 28/05/2021 10:32 Page 2Next >