< Previous30 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netFRUIT AND VEGETABLESWhen it comes to automation,however, it still appears that the UK isfar behind their European rivals,especially in robotics investment. Thesewere the findings of a recent study intorobotics within the food and drinkindustry, which found that even withinEurope, the UK is ranked 15th in termsof robotics usage. To give an idea ofwhat that means, the UK is behindcountries such as Germany, Swedenand France – but also now falls behindSlovakia, Slovenia and the CzechRepublic. The bigger problem still isthat the changes in robotic investmentwithin the UK are some of the lowest inthe bloc, with many food manufacturersnot seeking to make changes andinstead relying on outdated andexpensive labour models. With wages increasing and thepotential for Brexit to cut off a primesource of labour, this has to change, butthere are some who fear it couldalready mean UK manufacturers cannotcompete with their international rivals.The fruit and vegetable industry isparticularly susceptible to this due tothe large amount of workers theyemploy, and the relatively small returnson the produce itself. Where otherbrands can seek to diversity and investin unique products, there is little thatcan be done to make one appleintrinsically better than another, otherthan to employ branding strategies.This is an angle some have taken,especially in efforts to boost therecognition and reputation of theirbrand in order to make a product seemof a higher intrinsic quality. Others areseeking to further diversify into healthyranges and snack foods, with driedfruits or sachet-sold fruit slices. Theready meal market has boomed inrecent years as a result of the busylifestyles the everyday consumer nowleads, and with healthy eating in thelimelight as well, the potential isobvious. Salad ingredients, ready-madesalads, fruit salads and other pre-© Shutterstock/279photo Studio29-31.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:09 Page 2Food & Drink International 31www.fdiforum.netFRUIT AND VEGETABLESpackaged and prepared meals mightbe a lucrative option for some, butthe trend has been around for sometime, and current competition couldalready be quite entrenched. The fruit and vegetable market isas strong as it has ever been, butthere have been challenges for many– namely in keeping up with theproductivity of global competitors.As markets open up even further,investment in efficiency is likely tobecome an even greater concern dueto a raft of new internationalcompetitors. That said, the potentialand market share is there for anywith the foresight to grasp it. © Shutterstock/kazokaA clear view of theproduct Innovia Films understands the uniquepackaging requirements that freshproduce demands. Maintaining qualitydepends on the type of packaging andthe product being packed. Packagingshould slow down the natural breakdownprocess of the product, whilstmaintaining the correct atmosphere inthe pack. They should also have theappropriate oxygen transmission rate forthe product. Achieving both theseelements is essential to shelf lifeextension and can be complex. Anti-mistfilms are most commonly used in theseapplications to prevent moisturecondensing on the inside of the pack so that excellent visibility of the product is maintained. Innovia’s BOPP films are highly functional low carbon footprint materials that can extendthe shelf-life of perishable goods and considerably reduce food waste. Its Propafilm™ RXP+and RK+ films have excellent anti-mist properties, providing very high gas barrier and strongseal strength. They are also printable. For more information, visitwww.innoviafilms.com/applications/packaging/anti-mist-films-(1).29-31.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:09 Page 332 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCONTROL AND AUTOMATIONIt’s often claimed that the spate ofinnovation over the last few decades isgreater than the whole of the hundredyears preceding it. Digitaltechnologies, personal electronics andthe steady rise of robotics havedramatically changed our lives and theway in which we interact with theworld and one another. It’s alsoushered in a dramatic transformationin the food and drink industry, wheremanual labour is giving way toautomation. Despite the complex global foodand drink supply chain, manyprocesses still rely on a humanworkforce, but over the last fewdecades there has been a hugeindustrial shift to semi- and fully-automated production processes.There’s certainly a solid case forimplementing these solutions, fromsaving time and money on theproduction line to ensuring greateruniformity in product output. Crucially, it also helps to keepworkers safe, by carrying out tasks thatare simply too dangerous for humans toAutomated productionprocesses will befamiliar to most foodand drink makers, butemerging smarttechnologies such asdriverless forklifts andartificial intelligence areheralding the new ageof food manufacturing. Age ofautomation 32-37.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:13 Page 1HYGIENIC PROCESS VALVES• HOSE ASSEMBLIES • VALVES • PUMPS • COUPLINGS • UNIONS • CLAMPS • ADAPTERS •Hygienic & Aseptic RangeCall Dixon on: +44 (0)1772 323529 or visit dixoneurope.co.ukFood & Drink International 33www.fdiforum.netCONTROL AND AUTOMATIONundertake. Workplace injury andfatalities still occur in the supply chain,with approximately twenty-five per centof all accidents in the manufacturingsector taking place in the food anddrink industry. However, only fifteen percent of these injuries are categorised as‘major’, with most caused by slips, tripsand falls from a height. The majority is made up from lessserious and minor injuries resulting fromlifting and handling heavy objects orbeing struck by falling items. Indeed,almost a third of all injuries in foodmanufacturing result from manualhandling, with workers suffering most inthe spinal region from strains and/ordisk problems. But the idea of humanworkers transporting heavy and© Shutterstock/MONOPOLY91934 Á32-37.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:13 Page 2Take Control of Your Snacks Surface BrownnessŹ Measure Degree of Bake or Surface BrownnessŹ WƌŽĚƵĐĞŵŽƌĞĐŽŶƐŝƐƚĞŶƚƉƌŽĚƵĐƚǁŝƚŚŝŶƐƉĞĐŝĮĐĂƟŽŶŹ Match the human eye for changes in colourŹAccurately measure moisture ŹControl the cooking process ŹHelp mitigate against acrylamide formationIn-Process Ɣ At-Linewww.ndc.comMaking Light Work34 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netCONTROL AND AUTOMATIONawkward objects is at odds with theconcept of the smart warehouse – itselfa cog in the wider industry 4.0. wheelthat also encompasses artificialintelligence and augmented reality. Rather than relying on humanworkers, food companies areincreasingly turning towardsautomation, especially where materialshandling and warehousing areconcerned. The forklift has been astaple part of the food and beveragesupply chain for decades, albeitoperated by a human worker. Thetrouble is, however, that human workersare fallible and the accidents andinjuries incurred by forklifts can be fataland costly. Even without crashing,forklift operators can be left withphysical pain and discomfort. After all,drivers are required to constantly turntheir heads and arms which can resultin repetitive strain disorders andsprains, not to mention long-termhealth problems such as arthritis etc.It’s unsurprising that the automatedforklift market is going from strength tostrength with adoption only forecast toincrease over the years to come. Automated forklifts can also beintegrated into wider warehousingmanagement software, helping toachieve a truly smart warehouse orfactory. But there are severalroadblocks towards true industrialubiquity of automated forklifts andother guided vehicles – namely cost,culture and integration. Manufacturersand warehouse operators find© Shutterstock/Suwin32-37.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:13 Page 3Food & Drink International 35www.fdiforum.netCONTROL AND AUTOMATIONthemselves in a precarious situationwhere cost is concerned. It’sunderstandable that companies wouldbe hesitant to heavily invest intechnologies they may be sceptical of,but then costs can’t be expected tocome down without widespreadadoption. As far as culture isconcerned, workers still feel threatenedby the rise of robots and fearautomation coming for their jobs.However, there has been numerousstudies that have found robots will, infact, result in job creation, notdecimation. Broader deployment of theseautomated vehicles has been held backby the extensive integration – such asfacility upgrades and ongoingmaintenance – needed to facilitate suchtechnology. Guidance systems are a© Shutterstock/Hit191237 Á32-37.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:13 Page 4Simplistically speaking; efficient process cooling is fundamental to productivity and has a direct impact on operating costs. Or, to put it another way, selecting the wrong process cooling fluid can add >10% to your electricity bill, lead to unplanned shut-downs and increased maintenance.Sourcing a Working-Fluid capable of delivering all the required characteristics, to achieve the desired efficiency and provide long-term protection against, freezing, corrosion, scale and biological fouling is not quite so simple, unless you know who to ask.Hydratech have been formulating and supplying specialist fluid solutions to all sectors of industry for more than twenty years. Our customers include all major food, dairy and beverage processors, all major supermarket chains and thousands of independent operations.6RWKHQH[WWLPH\RX·UHORRNLQJIRUDspecialist cooling solution, be sure to talk with the experts first.www.hydratech.co.ukinfo@hydratech.co.ukt. +44 (0)1792 586800Process Cooling Solutionsfor Food & Beverage SystemsDTXHigh Effciency, Non-Toxic Cooling FluidNTPNon-Toxic Process Cooling FluidLVFLow Viscosity, Non-Toxic Process Cooling Fluid32-37.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:13 Page 5Food & Drink International 37www.fdiforum.netCONTROL AND AUTOMATIONnecessity for these kinds of vehicles,but the installation is often disruptiveand expensive and could lead toperiods of downtime a companywould rather do without. This issue isn’t unique toautomated forklifts alone and issymptomatic of much of the newand automated technologiesemerging for food and drinkmanufacturers. Yet the time and costsavings to be had can betransformative, especially where theproduction line is concerned.Although integrating any automatedprocess can be a complicated,requiring significant investment, thefuture is undoubtedly automated. Sofood companies can’t afford to beleft behind because their competitorsare most certainly automating. © Shutterstock/asharkyu32-37.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:13 Page 638 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netThe bakery sector is one of the bestexamples to illustrate how the shift inconsumer spending habits hasimpacted the market for mixers andblenders. Although gluten-free breadproducts were once relegated tominimal shelf space in mostsupermarkets, the industry hasexploded over the last decade withEuromonitor forecasting the gluten-freemarket to reach $4.7 billion by 2020.The biggest driver isn’t those sufferingfrom a wheat intolerance, but amajority that has adopted the gluten-free diet for its perceived healthbenefits (this despite scientific studiessuggesting otherwise). Still, this is animportant market for makers of breadand baked goods. But assuming that the flours andstarches involved in the manufacture ofgluten-free bread will behave the sameway when mixed in the same way astheir glutinous counterparts can bemisguided. Likewise, the hunger forartisanal and heritage breads – such assourdough – requires differentmanufacturing processes to producevolumes needed to keep supermarketshelves stocked. So manufacturersoften need to utilise different agitators,speeds or mixers, ushering indifferentiation and growth in themarket. This is far from the only thing that’sdriving market growth, with trendspointing towards the growing usage ofmulti-mixer agitators. Althoughefficiency shouldn’t be confused withdoing the same process as quickly asThe winningMIXInnovation in the food andbeverage industry is driven asmuch by demand as necessity.Manufacturers often findthemselves needing to strengthen,augment or replace theirproduction line to meet demandand keep up with the rapid pace ofmarket change. As two of the mostcommonplace and importantprocesses on the production line,mixing and blending solutions andcapabilities are constantly evolvingto keep up with changingtechnologies, shifts in consumertaste and demand, and to meetever more stringent health andsafety requirements. 38-42.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:16 Page 1MIXING AND BLENDINGFood & Drink International 39www.fdiforum.netpossible, swiftness is undoubtedly partof the allure of these agitators formanufacturers – providing, as they do,more reliable mixing times forcombining food ingredients. Speed is important on the modernproduction line, but far from the onlyvirtue sort by food producers. Qualitymachines must allow for a highthrough-put and functionality, but it’scrucial that they result in minimal lossof yield. It’s counterproductiveinvesting in a new machine that speedsup a production process only for it toresult in greater loss of product. Tradeshows are often a great way to seethese machines in action, with suppliersand machine makers keen to show offthe capabilities of their products. Herecompanies can see exactly howprospective machines work in aproduction environment, as well asfielding their questions at sales staff. Makers of mixing and blendingmachines, such as Admix and HaasFood Equipment, create and innovatesome of the most innovative andreliable equipment available on themarket. So you can rest assured thatyou’re dealing with qualifiedprofessionals at the top of their fields. There isn’t one single mixer suited tothe unique needs of every ingredient.Shaft mixers, for example, come witheither single or multiple options, withthe latter used mostly for viscousingredients. Operational efficiency canalso be improved here as multiagitators help to reduce the pre-mixingor side-mixing in a batch. By the same logic that not everymixer is suited to every ingredient,sometimes the right mixer isn’tavailable off the shelf. Machine makersand suppliers often work alongsidefood producers on bespoke builds andset-ups, ensuring that the end productmeets a producer’s unique needs – andthose of its products. By workingalongside machinery makers fromdesign through to delivery, a producerwill know exactly what they need andwhat they are getting. Bespoke options can be costly,however, especially when compared tosome of the other options open tofood makers – such as factory andmachine rebuilds. Keeping production© Shutterstock/DenisProduction.com41 Á© Shutterstock/Surasak_Photo38-42.qxp_Layout 1 24/09/2018 12:16 Page 2Next >