< Previous30 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net MIXING AND BLENDING coming as a more hygienic and efficient solution than previously used mills and homogenisers. The mixer alternative isn’t only a more reasonable purchase than its predecessors, it can be counted on to give products like mayonnaises the attractive, glossy appearance without separation that consumers expect to see on shelves. Inline high shear mixers could be described as the multitasking version of the multitooth, giving the ability to pump, disperse, homogenise, and emulsify in one processing stop. Where space on an already-established factory floor may be an issue, these can be installed with a minimum of stress and are also easy to maintain. Recirculation tanks are a common added extra with these machines, providing even further assurance of a desirable, well-combined end product. The one thing to remember for keeping an in-line mixer running smoothly is that if an intended ingredient’s viscosity is higher than 200cP, an auxiliary pump should be installed at the inlet. For those who do have more space on the production line, tank bottom mixers present a simple and highly functional solution to many mixing needs. Though larger in stature, this potential downside is made up for in its ability to disperse, emulsify, homogenise and disintegrate solids. This is technology designed for the heavy-duty mixing involved in incorporating highly viscous matter, working at high speeds with stages of mechanical and hydraulic shearing to ensure a uniform product, no matter how stubborn the ingredients. Whether you’re dealing with powders, crystals, or granules, for these dry ingredients blending is the way to go. A standard industrial blender is a simple and sanitary option for easily dissolved ingredients, such as powdered milk, sugars, or salt. Its vertical casing, pump and blades are reminiscent of a typical kitchen blender, so it’s safe to assume any blending that could be done with a domestic blender can be tackled with ease on a larger scale by the industrial version. Straightforward and versatile, this is an easy to clean, easy to use solution for ingredients that don’t need much persuasion to blend. If more applications are needed, such as recirculation, or a longer and more attentive blending process, a table blender might be the optimal choice. This machine also breaks down and distributes granular solids in liquids, but it can be put to more specific uses, like dissolving pectin in glucose as a step in jam or marmalade production, or sugar for syrup in beverages. For reliable quality assurance, it is suggested that recirculation is repeated for each batch until ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. In-line mixers can be attached to the table blender as a further precaution against unwanted solid lumps in the final product. For smaller amounts of solids that require blending, a horizontal blender can be used to recirculate and dissolve solids or powders into a liquid. In cases where not much suction is needed to © stock.adobe.com/Renar 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:08 Page 3Food & Drink International 31 www.fdiforum.net MIXING AND BLENDING WORLD RENOWNED SHAKERS AND SIEVES ENDECOTTS.COM 9 Lombard Roadƒ London, SW19 3UPƒ UKƒ Tel.: +44 (0)208 542 8121ƒ sales@endecotts.comEndecotts Ltd ƒ 9 AND MORE...! Consistometers Sample Dividers Laboratory Shakers & Sieves properly distribute the desired dry goods, this could be a cost and space-saving solution for an already busy production line. If opting for this kind of blender, it is important to be certain that the quantity of solids won’t overload the pump or hopper blades. For the sake of safety, it is best to use this type of machinery for free- flowing materials. Last of all, mixblend blenders combine the best of both worlds, providing the mixing capacity for viscous ingredients that may tend towards clumping, alongside thorough distribution of solids through their liquid carrier. The only compromise that comes with its attached in-line mixer’s ability to handle gums, pectins and other thickening agents, is that this attachment can only add these solids into the mixture a small amount at a time. The subsequent need to oversee this process more closely is balanced by its compact size, processing power and speed. Monitoring recirculation is also advised, as with the table blender, to ensure uniform distribution and texture of the final product. But attention to detail is rewarded with the quality offered by this hardy machine. © stock.adobe.com/JackF 28-31.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:08 Page 432 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FRUIT AND VEGETABLES The outlook for fruit and veg The outlook for fruit and veg 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:09 Page 1Food & Drink International 33 www.fdiforum.net FRUIT AND VEGETABLES T he market is poised to grow by $42.61 billion in the next five years. However, continued public demand for convenience is giving rise to some interesting trends, such as innovative ways to easily incorporate fruit and vegetables into meals, and utilise technological advancements to keep ingredients fresher for longer. Combined with rising demand for sustainability within food production, this creates a relatively new set of pressures upon a market primarily used to dealing in products in their natural form. One of the top market trends are concentrates. Defined as condensed versions of whole fruits and vegetables, concentrates retain high levels of nutrients and make valuable additions to meals, as well as processed foods and drinks. Concentrates can take the form of liquids, purees, and pastes and can easily enhance the taste and texture of a meal, in addition to additional nutritional benefit. Recent research shows that consumer demands are set to converge into three main areas over the next five years: convenience, health and sustainability. This is set to skyrocket the interest in concentrates. We shall explore these key areas in depth. Firstly, the strive for convenience. This boils down to the global trend for urbanization – in fact, the UN estimates that 75% of people will be city-dwellers by 2050. This means that more are accustomed to the fast-paced, on-the- go lifestyle that often comes along with city living. Furthermore, the inland nature of most cities means that fresh produce is harder to come by. This has combined to increase demand for processed and packaged foods, that utilise concentrates to add nutritional value. The increased demand for natural and organic products stems from the Covid- 19 pandemic, which has seen consumers seeking to boost their natural immunity. Dried or concentrated foods retain high levels of nutrients, whilst providing the convenience of longer shelf lives and versatility over their raw counterparts. Concentrates have been found to enhance functional food and drinks, as they contain large amounts of vitamins and antioxidants. The call for consumer awareness of sustainability and accountability within the food chain arises from the onset of the climate crisis. This has seen a global increase in vegetarianism and veganism over the last few years, which has driven a newfound appreciation for fruits and The Covid-19 pandemic and rising rates of obesity and related diseases have caused the population to think about fruit and vegetables more than ever within the last year. 34 Á 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:09 Page 2Apply Now… 0044 (0) 20 8446 7127 info@halalfoodauthority.com www.halalfoodauthority.com London - Ireland - Belgium EXPLORE OPPORTUNITIES Get Halal Certified Halal Food Authority is an industry leading Halal Food Certification Company. We specialise in Halal Certification of Food and Non-Food items including cosmetics, logistics, chemicals, additives & aromas, cleaning substances, packaging, pharmaceutical, ingredients and much more. Our certification is globally recognised including GCC countries and other developing markets such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Turkiye, Pakistan and rest of the world. 34 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FRUIT AND VEGETABLES vegetables. Purees and pastes provide the convenience that consumers are striving for, whilst retaining natural, earthy flavours and textures that people have grown to love. The global market for plant-based alternatives is set to exceed $84 million in 2022. Concentrates have become a useful way to market commonly disliked vegetables such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and celeriac. These vegetables contain glucosinolates, which can taste unbearably bitter to those with certain genetic components. The contentiousness of such products makes them difficult to market. Yet everyone is aware of the essentialness of greens within a healthy diet. Research shows that sprinkling sweetness (such as sugar) into these ingredients can make them palatable (this sugar can be removed over time, once the person has become used to the taste). With the public desire for healthy foods, making these vegetables into concentrates allows the consumer to add healthy variety into their meal without compromising on taste. Like most other industries, the fruit and vegetables market is becoming increasingly centred around technological advancements. The lockdowns due to Covid-19 increased demand for canned goods, due to the resulting dwindling supplies of fresh produce. Some methods of food processing can preserve and even enhance nutritional content, such as freezing. Furthermore, factory processing means that harmful contaminants can be eliminated or prevented. This has proven popular, as many are concerned about other consumers having handled package-free produce such as raw fruits and vegetables. However, studies show that many consumers believe canned vegetables to be processed, leading to the need for innovative marketing. In the face of the cost of living crisis and limited supply, canned beans and legumes are being marketed as a great meat substitution for protein. This is an area with the potential for significant growth for the industry, if greater marketing campaigns were employed. With the aforementioned public turn to vegetarianism and veganism, this is another market for canned legumes as meat substitutes. However, this is putting greater pressure on the industry to address sustainability and ethical sourcing concerns to an ethically conscious consumer base. A trend has already emerged in Asia Pacific to classify fruit and vegetables as toxic- free (they have been grown without pesticides, and use plastic free packaging), using environmentally friendly packaging (such as biodegradable materials) and using the term “all natural”. Considering the stringent criteria that food manufacturers and producers must already adhere to in the UK, the 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:10 Page 3Food & Drink International 35 www.fdiforum.net FRUIT AND VEGETABLES www.kanegrade.com Tel: +44 (0) 1438 742242 Email: info@kanegrade.com NATURAL FOOD INGREDIENTS standards to utilise such verbiage would likely already be met. This still may not be enough for some consumers. The big players within the industry are switching to energy-efficient food processing equipment, given that food production makes a large portion of worldwide industrial energy usage. This can be done by boosting equipment safety (thus not running defective machines, which are energy-zapping) and investing in energy-efficient equipment. Efficient equipment could include multi- functional processing equipment, which allows different products to be handled simultaneously. Whilst demand for fruit and vegetables remains as high as ever, it appears as though there is high demand for alternative offerings rather than in their raw form. This is linked to the desire for convenience and quickness, without having to compromise the healthiness of a meal. Furthermore, utilising sauces, jams, and drinks allow those who do not like certain foods to maintain their intake of essential vitamins and minerals. Ultimately, the market is diversifying as well as growing, which is good news for those in the industry. The appetite for a wider range of vegetable-based products should more than justify the research and development outlay required for sustainability and sanitisation development. © stock.adobe.com/Alexander Raths 32-35.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:10 Page 436 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FOOD SCIENCE M icrobiology is vital in the food industry, in production, processing, preservation, storage and shelf life, as well as food safety. Microbiologists perform critical work, from studying foodborne pathogens and evaluating whether products comply with health and safety regulations, to working in product development and quality control for manufacturers. While microbes including bacteria, molds, and yeasts are utilised for the production of foods and food ingredients, for instance for beer, bakery, and dairy products, here Food and Drink International focuses on microbiology in relation to manufacturers preventing and addressing microbial contamination and foodborne illness, which can quickly ruin a brand and its reputation, halt production, see major fines, costly recalls, and even lead to death for consumers. One need only reflect on a Listeria outbreak in England in 2019, traced to sandwiches, that killed six people as an example, with the supplier of the chicken sandwiches, Good Food Chain, meat producer, North Country Cooked Meats, and distributor, North Country Quality Foods, all ultimately going into liquidation and ceasing trading. Consumers expect that the food industry uses effective control measures to ensure products are free of pathogens. Alongside actions such as a thorough cleaning and sanitising routine, and seeking out any errors in these practices to fix them immediately, a solid continual regimen of microbial tests is essential to ensure products are safe for consumption. This acts as one Food safety expectations and awareness are only rising. As a result, microbiology and testing will only become more crucial to the food industry. Ensuring food safety Ensuring food safety 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:11 Page 1Food & Drink International 37 www.fdiforum.net FOOD SCIENCE of the most important elements of quality control and pathogen prevention. Facilities should make use of an environmental testing programme for pathogens, while routine product testing, and ‘search and destroy’ are also effective, with the latter seeing teams swab everything in a facility in search of pathogens, and upon finding an area with a pathogen, swabbing everything within a gradually expanding radius until all major contamination points are found. These areas can then be noted as hot spots for continual checks. An important aspect of microbial testing is deciding whether to use external labs or to conduct microbial testing onsite. For smaller businesses, third party labs tend to be the more accessible option, with ease of use key, as the manufacturer simply ships samples and swabs away to be tested. These labs are usually associated with stringent standards and can access expertise, while being preferable during a time of labour shortages, allowing for increased productivity. Using an external lab also overcomes concerns of handling pathogenic samples in the 38 Á © stock.adobe.com/Gorodenkoff 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:11 Page 238 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net FOOD SCIENCE same facility that food is made and incorporates less initial outlay, with no testing equipment being invested in. Meanwhile no additional floorspace is required to accommodate an onsite lab. Conversely, over time the expense of sending out samples can be high, whereas by bringing testing onsite, it can be completed at a lower cost. With a lower cost per test, testing can be conducted more frequently. In addition, testing can be completed quicker in- house, preventing a hold up of products until they are cleared by the results, reducing times from up to around 72 hours to an under 24-hour turnaround. Of course, as noted, investing in the equipment can involve significant expenditure, as can hiring, and training employees to collect swabs from products and surfaces. Space must also be allocated for a secure area that does not allow for cross contamination, with isolation, adequate ventilation, secure entries and more required. Moreover, to be worth the investment, it should be considered whether there will be enough testing volume. Considering the future of the industry, as labs turn to automation technology, the development of modern sequencing technologies is revolutionising food microbiology and safety, with high throughput sequencing, or next generation sequencing, allowing specialists to sequence marker genes, whole genomes, and transcriptomes of microorganisms in close to real-time. In dealing with pathogens, the data can uncover a pathogen of concern’s identity as well as its virulence potential and functional characteristics. Within this, whole genome sequencing has been hailed as the best-in-class © stock.adobe.com/Parilov 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:11 Page 3Food & Drink International 39 www.fdiforum.net FOOD SCIENCE Allergen Services, Meat and Fish Species Detection, GMO Screening, Nutritional Values, Acrylamide, Pesticides, Heavy Metals, Vitamins and Minerals, Mycotoxins, Authenticity and Isotopic Analysis, Challenge Testing, Microbiological Assessment, Rapid (24hr) Pathogen Detection. UKASAccreditedServices UKAS accredited food, swab and water analytical services • A range of turnaround times available DAKKS accredited services available through our group Laboratory, IFP Labs Unit 1b Moderna Business Park, Mytholmroyd, HX7 5QQ Tel: 01422 405678 Email: sales@micro-search.co.uk Part of IFP Laboratories Group TESTING WITH RESPONSIBILITY genomic sequencing solution for the investigation of foodborne outbreaks - a rapid process of determining the complete DNA sequence of an organism’s genome, helping to trace source of outbreaks quickly. Applauded for its efficiency and specificity, it takes over from more tedious molecular methods for typing pathogens. The technique is being used to compare the genomes of pathogens isolated from food samples to clinical samples from ill patients. When there is a match between these, food safety experts can use this information to pinpoint the source and extent of an outbreak. A further key benefit of whole genome sequencing in investigating outbreaks is the ability to match the genome sequence of a foodborne pathogen with its geographic origin, with genome sequences from pathogens in the same location sharing more common features. This is useful when needing to nail down the contamination source in complex food, containing ingredients from countries across the world. In understanding and identifying the sources of foodborne illness consumers can be protected and global food safety measures enhanced. The evolution of machine learning, algorithms and new bioinformatics tools and availability of data, meanwhile, is allowing the formation of novel models for predicting, preventing, and addressing outbreaks of foodborne diseases. Predictive diagnostics for instance uses customised data and diagnostic tools to present real-time insights and uncover possible issues. Utilising a combination of molecular innovations and genomics applications, predictive diagnostics can help create impactful and measurable improvements to operations. While technologies like whole genome sequencing are in use by governments for food safety inspections, outbreak investigations and disease diagnostics, integration is at present limited amongst food firms themselves. One reason for this is the investment and training involved. With food safety awareness and expectations rising amongst consumers, microbiology will only become more vital to the food industry. 36-39.qxp_Layout 1 26/09/2022 14:11 Page 4Next >