< Previous40 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Union Industries Saves BAKO from ‘Icy’ Situation Union Industries has supported a leading food service company with its energy efficiency policy, following the installation of one of its market-leading high-speed roller doors. Leeds-based Union Industries was engaged to install one of its Eiger Doors to prevent the build-up of condensation and ice. The Eiger Door was designed specifically to suit BAKO’s requirements, which was mounted on the Non-Frozen side in an airlock between the warehouse and the freezer, with one of Union’s E1000 dehumidifiers installed within the freezer above the airlock ceiling, to minimise the amount of ambient air making its way into the facility’s freezer area. The Eiger Door is the first automatic fast-acting, rapid roll freezer door to operate at high speed, allowing areas to remain working effectively at temperatures of -20°c. Similar to other popular rapid action doors in Union Industries’ range, the Eiger Door also boasts the ‘Crash-Out & Auto-Reset’ feature, which allows the door to remain operable even after an impact to the bottom beam. BAKO North Western Group is a leading food service company, specialising in bakery supplies, with National coverage. The North West is serviced from the company's headquarters in Preston, Lancashire. Since installing the door, there has been a significant reduction in snow and ice build-up on the door blade and around the freezer at BAKO’s freezer opening, which has also supported the company’s energy efficiency policy by helping to cut down maintenance and energy costs. Kirti Hirani, Chief Financial Officer at BAKO, said: “The improved insulation, durability against damages and speed of opening and closing have all contributed to this installation delivering a good return on investment. The installation was completed in a timely and cost-effective manner by Union Industries with little impact on operations.” To find out more, visit www.unionindustries.co.uk. control, and as such can reduce bills. If, however, you’re running a temperature-controlled warehouse, particularly in terms of refrigerated goods or cold storage, then the loading bay doors are going to be the biggest chink in the armour of the system. There are specialist options that can work in this regard too. Some of these doors might be made of lighter material or might include double entry systems to create a pocket of air between the two. But one way to protect your cold store area is to consider having air curtains installed by the entry points. Air curtains provide unrestricted access for transport purposes and prevent the different climates from intermixing, meaning that even as goods are unloaded, you are not compromising the internal temperature control. In typical cases these air curtains will not even have doors installed on them, just being simple openings that workers can pass through at will. But it would be a simple matter to have them installed on larger loading bays as well to cover the transport and delivery of temperature- controlled ingredients or goods. Ultimately the decision on what equipment to use will fall on the manager, which they will need to base on the company’s individual requirements. But failing to place adequate attention on your loading bays is clearly not possible. Any losses in terms of efficiency or time that is experienced at this first stage of the supply chain, will have subsequent knock-on effects all the way down the line. And for the food and drink industry, that is simply not acceptable. © Shutterstock /Kenneth William Caleno LOADING BAYS AND DOORS 38-40.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2019 16:13 Page 3Food & Drink International 41 www.fdiforum.net BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY Uniformity is a requirement across the production line for consumers to be able to find the same product in supermarkets or bakery chains at opposite ends of the country. That means utilising the same machinery and equipment in different production sites nationwide, but what works for one product won’t for another. The production of crackers, say, requires different baking times, temperature and handling than what is needed for a loaf of bread. There’s a complexity of factors involved in the baking process, including temperature, heat storage and moisture. But different ovens have different characteristics depending on whatever requires cooking. One oven will benefit crustier products such as fresh breads offered in supermarket bakeries, while others will influence humidity, allowing baked goods to retain freshness for longer. Process optimisation can lead to better results for manufacturers such as including a longer volume formation to provide a more flexible crust. Of course, this is hardly scratching the surface of baking science and technology; there is, after all, whole degrees and training courses available on the subject. What is patently obvious, however, is that the production process of baked goods © Shutterstock/ DedMityay THE NEED FOR innovation Mounting pressures to cut sugar, salt and saturated fat alongside calls for fortification offers makers of confectionery and baked goods opportunities to innovate. 42 Á 41-45.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2019 11:41 Page 1involves more than just the machinery and equipment it passes though. Ingredients are indispensable to the finished product, but the inclusion of one ingredient over another presents important functional choices for manufacturers. For example, pesto. The Italian sauce is traditionally made from basil, garlic, parmesan, olive oil and pine nuts, but the latter has a short shelf life and is quick to spoil. Therefore, more and more producers are opting to use cashew nuts which have a far longer shelf life. The results may not be authentic, but the two sauces are difficult to distinguish. Different ingredients may impact shelf life, but utilising fortified ingredients is becoming more important both as a selling point and to comply with the law. Health departments across the UK are currently seeking public views on the Government’s proposal to fortify flour with folic acid. Before the twelve- week consultation closes on 9 September, it aims to explore what kinds of products should be included, from cheap white sliced loaves to baked goods right across the category. Fortification of products in the bakery and confectionery sector has become increasingly prevalent as consumers look for a cheap and easily accessible means of adding extra vitamins and BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY 42 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net Bringing you the Tastes of the World ... Naturally • Flavours and Bases • Natural Colours • Fruit Pieces & Powders • Veg Pieces & Powders • Nuts and Nut Products • Fruit Juices, Purées & Concentrates • Veg Juices, Purées & Concentrates • Dairy, Meat & Fish Powders • Inclusions for Bakery, Ice Cream • Organic Ingredients For more information contact: www.kanegrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 1438 742242 Fax: +44 (0) 1438 742311 Email: info@kanegrade.com Global Ingredients Supplier 41-45.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2019 11:41 Page 2Food & Drink International 43 www.fdiforum.net BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY 44 Á © Shutterstock/ iPrano minerals into their diets. Although protein and fibre have been the major selling points in this regard, there is a pressing public need for more abundant, affordable and easily accessable sources of folic acid. A lack of folic acid during early pregnancy can lead to brain, spine and spinal cord problems in babies. More than sixty countries around the globe already add folic acid to flour. In Australia, these birth defects fell by fourteen per cent after it became a legal requirement to add folic acid to bread flour. The outcome of the consultation will help pave the way for its introduction here in the UK but, at present, it’s not a legal requirement. UK millers are, however, required by law to add thiamine, niacin and iron to flour to restore what was lost during the milling process as well as calcium for overall health benefit. It’s part of a wider trend taking place across the baked goods and confectionery sector, especially for foods that have been traditionally seen as unhealthy. Many varieties of crisps are now baked rather than fried for lower levels of saturated fat, and stripping out artificial colours and flavours has long been a selling point for manufacturers. But whether baked or fried, the presence of acrylamide has become a bigger concern over the last few years. This is a chemical that naturally forms on starchy foods cooked for long periods at high temperatures (defined by the Food Standards Agency as being over 120oC). It’s always been part of our food but is considered a carcinogen. Lab tests show the presence of acrylamide in good causes cancer in animals, and scientists agree that it also has the potential to cause cancer in humans. Because acrylamide can form on foods such as chips, crisps, toast, cakes and cereal, keeping it to a minimum is a challenge for the sector. In response, the food industry has implemented measures to reduce levels in baked goods and confectionery. This includes developing guidance on ways to limit acrylamide formation in a variety of foods and processes. New legislation, meanwhile, will require food business operators to put in place simple, practical steps to manage acrylamide within their food safety management systems. There’s also been several innovative products launched for food makers to reduce the occurrence and presence of acrylamide in their products. This includes a yeast product rich in asparaginase enzyme which, it’s reported, can reduce acrylamide levels by up to ninety per cent. Of course, this is only one of a myriad of health issues facing the market, with salt, fat and sugar among the major concerns. Sugar has taken the lion’s share of the controversy over the years, earning the ire of Government, pressure groups, parents and campaigners, and forming the focal point of the battle against child obesity. Official data released last year showed that severe obesity among children aged between ten and eleven increased by more than a third from 2006 to 2007 to 4.2 per ÁR0«x x0Á0«³ۭ(Áٳn JJ0«³ For the food & drink industry thermometer.co.uk Cooking • Reheating • Refrigeration • Oven • Grill Helping your business be HACCP compliant Designed & built in the UK, we offer a wide range ȒǔɎǝƺȸȅȒȅƺɎƺȸɀɀȵƺƬǣˡƬƏǼǼɵƳƺɀǣǕȇƺƳǔȒȸɎǝƺǔȒȒƳ ۭƳȸǣȇǸǣȇƳɖɀɎȸɵǔȸȒȅƳƏǣǼɵǝƏȇƳٮǝƺǼƳȅȒȇǣɎȒȸǣȇǕ to the latest in Bluetooth ® & remote WiFi logging FOOD CHECK 41-45.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2019 11:41 Page 344 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net cent – the highest rate ever. An NHS survey, meanwhile, estimates that twenty-eight per cent of children aged between two and fifteen in England were overweight or obese in 2016. It’s a crisis that’s worsening, forcing Government and industry to act. In 2016, the Government announced the Soft Drinks Industry Levy – better know as the ‘Sugar Tax’ – as part of its campaign against childhood obesity. Before it was officially introduced in Meet the suppliers that matter 3-5 December 2019 Villepinte Parc des Expositions, Paris, France JOIN US IN PARIS www.fi-europe.eu © Shutterstock/ Dusan Petkovic 41-45.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2019 11:42 Page 4Food & Drink International 45 www.fdiforum.net April 2018, beverage manufacturers reformulated their products, slashing sugar content to comply with the new levy. In practice, it taxes manufacturers eighteen pence per litre produced if the drink contains five grams of sugar per one-hundred millilitres. This rises to twenty-four pence for more than eight grams of sugar. The money raised via the tax is used to fund sporting and healthy initiatives for children and, from April to November 2018, the tax raised £153.8 million. Despite little effect in the shopping and consumption habits of the general public, it’s clear the drink is having a positive effect, but before becoming Prime Minister in July, Boris Johnson suggested that he would revise so- called ‘sin taxes’ on foods high in salt, fat and sugar in a move against the ‘nanny state’. Many couldn’t help but wonder whether relaxing or even reversing the levy was on the cards – a decision that industry figures and academics say would be disastrous for public health and would undermine the childhood obesity strategy. This might be Johnson’s stance, but campaign groups Action on Sugar and Action on Salt are now calling on Government to introduce a calorie levy on all calorie dense processed foods. Similar to the Sugar Tax, this proposed levy would encourage product reformulation to reduce fat – particularly saturated fat – as well as sugar content in unhealthy products. If passed into law, the move would profoundly affect the bakery and confectionery sector. Yet as with the Sugar Tax, this would likely spawn a wave of innovation and production development. We’re already seeing exciting new product development and innovation within the bakery and confectionery sector with many tapping Synsepalum dulcificum (better known as the ‘miracle fruit’ or ‘miracle berry) as an important tool in the war on sugar. This canny little fruit can make bitter and sour foods taste sweet, therefore offering manufacturers an opportunity to reduce sugar content naturally. Industry efforts against sugar have come in stops and starts. Last year, the industry failed to hit its target of slashing sugar by five per cent over the previous year. But there are encouraging signs, especially over the last six months with initiatives, reformulations and new product launches from major industry players. Mondeléz International, for example, is bringing its Cadbury chocolate and wider biscuit products aimed at children under one- BAKERY & CONFECTIONERY hundred calories to help tackle childhood obesity. Nestlé, meanwhile, has created a new chocolate only using the beans and pulp of the cocoa fruit, therefore bypassing the need to add any refined sugar. There’s no denying that the bakery and confectionery sector will continue to evolve moving forward, driven by the need to reduce salt, sugar and saturated fat and add in more of the good stuff. Within that is an exciting opportunity for manufacturers to not only reformulate their existing portfolios but launch brand new products aligned with this changing health agenda. www.beneo.com Follow us on: Feel-good muffins with prebiotic fibres. Chicory root: the natural way to inner happiness. Enjoy a healthy lifestyle without constraints on goodness thanks to our new recipe for high-fibre, delicious muffins with less sugar. This feel-good treat is food for your soul. Orafti® Inulin, prebiotic chicory root fibres, are the way to healthier snacks because they promote digestive health by nourishing your gut microbiome. They help to cut down on sugar, support good taste and push up fibre levels. They are in fact the “root” to happiness. 41-45.qxp_Layout 1 20/08/2019 11:42 Page 546 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net HYDRO INTERNATIONAL Q&A Why should we worry about our water usage? Regardless of which part of the food and drink industry you operate in – whether you process vegetables, prepare meat or brew beer – the cost burden to business of disposing of water can be huge. Sending your waste process water untreated into the sewer costs money, and the more water there is and the dirtier it is, the more your business has to pay. The effects of climate change and the impact of both floods and drought are putting increasing pressure on water as a resource. We all need to look at how we use, treat and recycle water in order to operate in a more sustainable way, reduce waste and improve efficiency. How are wastewater disposal charges worked out? Your wastewater disposal charge is based on the volume you discharge and how much treatment it will need. Utility companies use the Mogden Formula to work this out. There are four parts to the formula, but fortunately for businesses the costs associated with each element can be decreased by treating or recycling water on site. Reception – the volume of wastewater you discharge Level of treatment at the works – this could be a discharge straight to the sea or may need to run the wastewater through primary, secondary or tertiary treatment process. Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of the wastewater – this charge is based on the ratio of what you are discharging over the average discharge of a municipal customer of the local water company. Solids content – this charge is also based on the ratio of what you are discharging over the average municipal customer of that water company. These charges do vary by water company. For more information on trade effluent charges visit www.ofwat.gov.uk, or your local water company website. How can a business reduce the volume of water used? To reduce the volume charge, you will need to reduce the volume of wastewater that you discharge. One option could be to improve or upgrade your current process machinery to more water efficient devices. Changes to or streamlining operational processes can also provide opportunities to reduce water use and, over a long period, what seems like a small initial saving all adds up. Another way could be to look at recycling the water you use. Look at reusing the waste from one process for a second process that only requires a lower purity of water or applying a simple treatment could provide you with a reusable supply. How can a business reduce the strength of the wastewater? Options include putting wastewater through a treatment process to oxidise the substrate, which would produce lower COD, or reducing the solids as this removes their associated COD. However, a more standard way would be a biological treatment process – this Q&A Keith Hutchings, Europe Product Manager – Industrial & Municipal for Hydro International We talk to Keith Hutchings from Hydro International to get a better understanding of how the way that we use water can lead to significant cost savings and provide environmental and sustainability benefits. The Mogden Formula 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2019 16:24 Page 1Food & Drink International 47 www.fdiforum.net HYDRO INTERNATIONAL Q&A uses biological reactors in which microorganisms consume the pollutants and produce more microorganisms. There are two critical processes: Activated sludge plant – Oxygen is dissolved within the tank and microbes use it with the substrate to generate new microorganisms. A recycle loop takes settled microorganisms and returns them to the inlet to build up concentrations. This process effectively mimics what happens in a natural environment such as a river but concentrating it up to a much more intense process. Trickling filters – In this process the microorganisms grow on a stone surface and wastewater is trickled over it. As it trickles down through the stone the substrate gets absorbed by the microorganisms, while air circulating within the media allows oxygen to dissolve into the wastewater and be used. How can the amount of solids in wastewater be reduced? The three most common ways to reduce the solids content of wastewater are settlement, floatation and filtration. Settlement – particles with a higher specific gravity than water will settle to the bottom of a tank. Solids are separated from the liquid and settle because their specific gravity is greater than that of water. Settlement can be aided by chemical addition, which speeds up the process. Once settled, the particles can be removed by scraper mechanism. Floatation – particles with a lower specific gravity than water (lighter) will float to the top of the tank. If the particles have a similar specific gravity to water, or a neutral buoyancy, then floatation is aided using very fine gas bubbles introduced into the wastewater. This is usually done by super-saturating the water with air or an inert gas like nitrogen and then releasing it into the bottom of the water column. As it’s released, the pressure is reduced and micro-bubbles form and slowly rise to the surface. Solids are captured with the rising bubbles and form a sludge on the surface, which can then be removed by scraper mechanism. Filtration – particles are trapped as they move through a media bed or membrane. Solids are separated from the liquid because they are too large to pass through the filtration media. This method will also separate solids that are smaller than the media, because if a particle comes within the surface boundary of the media it will become captured. As more and more of the fine solids are captured in the media bed it improves the filtration rate to the point where it’s totally saturated and no water can pass through. Filtration requires a second process where particles are washed out after the media beds are clogged sufficiently. How can chemicals assist in solids separation? The settlement, floatation and filtration process can all be enhanced with the addition of certain chemicals. Coagulation Adding a high valency metal such as iron or aluminium—normally as an ion, aluminium sulfate or ferric chloride—will cause coagulation. When added to wastewater the coagulant chemical will reduce what’s known as the zeta potential between particles (the magnitude of electrostatic force that prevents the particles from getting closer together) and they start acting like a larger particle. Larger particles settle at a much faster rate and therefore can be removed more easily. Flocculation With flocculation, the particles are stuck to a long-chain molecule such as a polymer. Polymers come in all different types, and to make sure you get the right polymer for your application it is advised that you follow manufacturer’s recommendations. They will be able to assist. Polymers have active sites within the chain which attract solid material which, as with coagulation, allows them to act as one larger particle which settles more quickly. Coagulation and flocculation chemicals can also be added together to increase the floc size dramatically and rapidly increase both the filtration and settlement rate. How can the Hydro International team help? We’ve created a free online calculator to find out how much our Hydro MicroScreen™ treatment systems could save you on trade effluent costs www.hydro-int.com/trade-effluent. With more than 30 years of experience and expertise in liquid-solid separation we understand the challenges facing many businesses and can help you solve them. To find out more, contact us on +44(0) 1275 878371, email enquiries@hydro-int.com, or visit www.hydro-int.com Particles attached to a polymer through the flocculation process 46-47.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2019 16:24 Page 2Almost all dust particles are explosive, with some more volatile than others. Explosions occur when the dust concentrates in the air falls within specific limits, creating a mix of combustible dust and oxygen. Then it only takes an ignition which can come from a spark or heat source, both of which can be commonly found in food processing plants. Legislation introduced back in 2002 rationalised workplace assessment for fire and explosion hazard identification and the methods of prevention or mitigation. The Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmosphere requires that all workplaces where substances that could give rise to fire or explosion are handled or stored must be fully assessed and protected. Included among these is dust which, if not controlled and mitigated correctly, can prove fatal. The most disastrous dust explosion occurred back in 2008 when sugar dust ignited at the Imperial Sugar Company plant in Georgia, USA. The subsequent explosion claimed the lives of fourteen people and left another thirty-eight injured. It has since become a cautionary tale for the dangers of dust. In this example, it was sugar that resulted in catastrophe, but the vast majority of dusts can explode in the right conditions; these include flour, spices, starches and powdered foods such as custard, instant coffee, dried milk and protein powders. At $4.7 billion, sports nutrition powders make up seventy per cent of the sports nutrition category in the United States and there’s been similar market growth in parts of Europe and here in the UK. With more powdered products being processed than ever before, it’s critical that manufacturers are not only aware of the dangers but understand the various ways they can minimise ignition sources, reduce the presence of dust and its exposure to workers. As we’ve already touched on, dust can be hazardous to worker health, especially when exposed to skin. But it’s on the respiratory system where exposure has the most damaging effect. Every year, lung diseases linked to past exposure to dust from materials including flour, asbestos, silica and wood kills 12,000 workers in the UK. In many of these cases, diseases take a long time to develop after exposure, so damage isn’t always easy to quantify and recognise right away, and it is only years or decades later that health issues arise. Occupational asthma, however, can occur more quickly. Although legislation 48 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net The danger of dust The presence of dust in food production presents a two-fold challenge for manufacturers. Firstly, there’s the effect that particles can have on worker health, and secondly the threat of explosions. 48-49.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2019 16:27 Page 1DUST CONTROL exists to help mitigate these issues, obviously more needs to be done to ensure manufacturers comply with regulations and ensure workplace safety. To that end, government agency, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), is carrying out rigorous inspections focussed on dust controls in industries including food manufacturing. These examinations will see inspectors visit businesses across the UK to see what measures have been put in place to protect worker’s lungs from particulates such as flour dust. The aim is to ensure employers are fulfilling their legal duties to protect workers from harm and will therefore look for evidence of businesses and their workers knowing the risks, planning their work and using the right controls to mitigate the danger of dust. The fallout from not complying with the law can be costly, as a Yorkshire bakery business found out. Last year the business was fined almost £160,000 after it was found to have exposed staff to flour dust between April 2002 and April 2016. The case followed an investigation undertaken by HSE that found the business had no effective method of control in place to prevent dust becoming airborne and employees breathing it in. The first logical step in any dust control strategy will be undertaking a combustible dust hazard analysis. This important process allows a manufacturer to understand the risks facing their business, where they occur during production and gauge the severity. From there, appropriate action can then be taken to prevent and minimise these risks. The presence of dust alone is dangerous for workers, but when an ignition source is added into the mix, it becomes a deadly combination. Manufacturers can help to minimise the risk by grounding their equipment to reduce static electricity. Some food additive powders such as maltodextrin – which is used as thickening or filler in processed foods and to preserve packaged goods – are very sensitive to static electricity. In plants where these kinds of additives are processed, grounding or bonding equipment will be a wise precautionary measure. It might seem obvious, but a thorough cleaning routine is an important step in preventing the build up of dust. Combined with the solutions outlined above and manufacturers have a robust defence against dust. But one of the best measures is air filtration systems. There’s a variety of options to choose from including, but not limited to, bagged filters which act in a similar way to a vacuum cleaner, albeit on an industrial level. There are also air cleaners which take in potentially contaminated air, remove the particles, and send the cleaned air out again on a constant cycle. Then there are specific dust extraction systems which can be fitted to specific machines on the production line, concentrating their capabilities on the likeliest source of contamination, such as the pouring of powdered foods. As well as ensuring staff are up to date with legislation and best practice concerning dust, it’s also important for manufacturers to ensure correct safety measures are in place. This means arming staff with appropriate personal protective equipment such as breathing masks and ventilators and goggles. There’s no getting rid of dust during food production, it’s an inevitable occurrence, but there are several ways in which manufacturers can help to safeguard their workers and facilities and ensure the risks of illness and explosions remain at a minimum. Food & Drink International 49 www.fdiforum.net © Shutterstock/ science photo Be proactive to controlling ‘dust’ and steer clear of costly breaches Dustcheck, a specialist in dust control and containment requirements, is urging more companies in the food and drink sector to take proactive measures to protect their staff against the dangers of dust. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has made it a key focus to complete as many inspections as possible in this industry between now and the end of the year. Firms found breaching standards could incur severe penalties, legal action and loss of productivity from employee sickness. Andrew Darby, UK Sales Manager at Dustcheck, said: “Food and drink production is certainly one of the sectors that can generate a lot of dust that can have serious effects on workers, whether that’s skin conditions or even diseases.” He added: “We can provide a single-source solution for our clients, with our expertise in supplying and installing dust collectors and our sister companies’ knowledge of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) Equipment.” For more information, visit www.dustcheck.com. 48-49.qxp_Layout 1 19/08/2019 16:27 Page 2Next >