< Previous20 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTSocial, economic and political factorsare all at play in the ongoing evolutionof food and beverage packaging, withpopular tastes shifting most recently tohealthier, better-for-you-fare. Changingfood tastes brings with it the need forcompleter packaging either in terms ofshelf appeal, preservation or fortransportation. For example, wheresnacks and confectionery were onceawash with bold colours and brashgraphics – alluding to the artificialpreservatives and colour inside –designers, marketers and manufacturershave moved with the times to reflectingthe growing hunger for cleaner, morewholesome food.So much of the food experience issubliminal, and if a product is packagedwith colours and materials that conveya healthier, more natural aesthetic, thenconsumers are more likely to think ofthe foodstuffs inside as such. Marketresearch has found that softer coloursand natural imagery are imperative totargeting this growing consumerdemographic. Although better-for-you snacks is ahugely profitable market – worth anestimated $32.8 billion by 2025 –convenience is still the principleconcern for a significant subsection ofconsumers. However, rising levels ofheart disease, diabetes and obesityhave offered a rude awakening to theimpact sugar, salt and saturated fat canhave on the body. Smart consumerelectronics, longer working days andshorter breaks have led to a workforcethat is constantly on, a perpetual work-mode, where meals are skipped andeating on the go has become the norm.Indeed, the food-to-go market isbooming, with consumer insight charityMovingwith thetimesThe story of the food industry can be gleaned fromdecades of changing food packaging – from therise of food marketing and TV advertising, periodsof austerity to the explosion of style and colour thatdominates supermarket shelves and kitchencupboards today. 20-23_Layout 1 20/10/2017 14:58 Page 1Food & Drink International 21www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTIGD predicting that the UK marketalone will reach £21.7 billion by 2021. Convenience and food-to-go havecollided together with the better-for-youand nutrition added trends to create anentirely new market – convenientnutrition. Here we have typical lunchtime favourites – sandwiches, wraps andsnacks et al – though now they comeloaded with protein, or utilise differentcooking methods to keep saturated fatlevels down. Vegan foods and alternativeproteins have also become a majorcontender. Breakfast and lunch aren’tthe only meals, with teatime having longbeen the realm of ready meals andmicrowave dinners. These meals havelikewise boosted their nutritionalcontent, moved away from artificialpreservatives and colour and struck achord with consumers. But what doesthis all mean for food packaging?Perseveration and convenience Manufacturers are turning towardsadvanced packaging and techniques topreserve the nutritional integrity of theirproducts as well as offering consumersunparalleled convenience. Roastingbags that can withstand hightemperatures have realised andlegitimised a new category, where rawprotein such as chicken or fish can betaken directly from the fridge or freezerand put into the oven without theconsumer ever needing to touch theproduct. Without the need to interactwith raw animal protein, consumers cancut the risk of food poisoning.Campylobacter has been attributed to280,000 cases in the UK alone, leadingto some 100 deaths every year. Suchstark statistics ensure that ovenable© shutterstock/Pavel L Photo and Video© shutterstock/Prostock-studio22 Á20-23_Layout 1 20/10/2017 14:58 Page 222 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTSecond year run for Kingsmoor Packaging’sHaribo Halloween Duo TubFollowing a successful launch last year, Haribo’s seasonal Scaremix and Tangfastricks Duo Tub– produced by thermoforming specialist, Kingsmoor Packaging – will be on shelves once againthis Halloween.For the initial design of the ‘naughty or nice’ rigid plastic tub, Haribo asked KingsmoorPackaging to submit a range of themed ideas to support both their Halloween and Christmaspromotions. Following a presentation of designs, a pumpkin shaped duo tub with a lid for theface was selected for Halloween.Kingsmoor Packaging submitted a number of ‘hand-pulled’ thermoformed Jack O’Lanternsamples, which included various textures, realistic pumpkin ribs and a stalk. Samples includedvariations in sweet capacity, as well as the inclusion of a small ‘foot’ that allowed the tub tostand-up, thereby providing maximum shelf impact at a key time of year. The colour of thedesign was also subject to specific ‘orange’ colour swatches to ensure the right tone was used.For more information, visit www.kingsmoorpackaging.co.uk.packaging for meat products is moredesirable than ever. The proof is in thefigures, and 30 per cent of chickenproducts are now sold using roastingbag technology. Producers looking to preserveproduct integrity whilst simultaneouslystriking a balance with its packagingare increasingly turning towards asepticfilling and packaging. A product isrequired to be cooked and boiled inconventional packaging, but this canresult in the loss of coveted nutritionalvalue and diminish what mightotherwise appeal to a growing sectionof the market. Aseptic filling andpackaging, on the other hand, relies onmodern sterilisation processes to bothlengthen the shelf-life of a product andto safely preserve it without needing toadd extra additives. It’s proving to bean increasingly attractive option forfood and beverage producers,especially with dairy-based drinks andfoods containing particulates. Transparency and labelling The rise in transparent packaging isno coincidence as food producers wantto show off the aesthetic appeal oftheir products or convey its nutritionalvalue or freshness. In each case, thewindow pack ticks all boxes. It’s notjust a matter of visual stimuli either,with more of the product itself ondisplay, the labelling no longer has tofulfil the function of selling the productinside. Labelling can subsequently besmaller and allow the product speak foritself. Graphics and nutritionalinformation are still necessary, bothregulatory and for on-shelf appeal, butmodern packaging is marked out witha reliance on the product to augmentits labelling rather than the other wayaround. The global packaging film marketmakes up a significant portion of theentire packaging market. The maingrowth drivers stem from the demandfrom the food and beverage industryitself, as while the applications of filmsin diversified markets are numerous, it ispredominately for food and beverageproducts that films are used. Packagingfilms are used to increase the shelf lifeof various products such as meat,snacks and biscuits, and even fruits andvegetables, among others. These filmshelp to maintain the overall texture and© shutterstock/Kokliang© shutterstock/Trong Nguyen20-23_Layout 1 20/10/2017 14:59 Page 3Food & Drink International 23www.fdiforum.netPACKAGING SPOTLIGHTMeasom Freer have got the scoopMeasom Freer’spopular range ofmeasuring scoops rangein size from 0.5 to 150mland are ideal for theprecise dispensing anddosing of powders,supplements, dried goodsand liquids making themideal for the food sector. The company’s handscoops come in four sizesfrom small to large forbulk handling of grains,herbs, seeds andpowders. Logos or company details can easily be screen printed onto the handles for addedbrand impact. All Measom Freer’s products are designed and manufactured in the UK using foodgrade plastic and these products can also be ordered in a coloured finish. Samples are available to test your product with and they have a minimum order of justa single box. For more information, visit www.measomfreer.co.uk.quality of the product inside, as well asconveying manufacturing andnutritional information and offering anappealing package besides. The war on waste Packaging can be utilised in the fightagainst food waste, from prolonging theshelf life of the product inside, to usingless resources in its own manufacture.Yet one of the greatest vulnerabilities tofood and beverage products is whatgoes unseen – i.e. air. Air in a product can contributetowards its rapid decomposition,rendering it unfit for consumption.Removing oxygen from food containersis critical in extending its shelf life,something that has become even moreimportant as consumers and retailerscome face to face with the stark realityof food waste. Edible and environmentally-friendlypackaging options are becoming muchmore than in-house experiments andare certainly a step in the rightdirection, but the next logical step is increating fully biodegradable packagingfor which to house and transportproducts. Using this method would helpto create a closed-loop approach topackaging, where wasted and surplusfood is used to create bio-packaging,which can then be turned into compost,potentially fertilising new fruit andvegetable products. One of the optionsalready available on the market is anedible beer package designed to cutdown on packaging waste and preservemarine life. Bio-plastic packaging alternativeshave existed for around two decades,though, as is evidence by the sheeramount of plastic waste in the food anddrinks supply chain, it has failed todeliver on its promises. Until apackaging alternative can provide allthe benefits of its plastic counterparts,such as its durability, ruggedness andversatility, then it will remain andinteresting, if redundant, outsiderpoised on the periphery of success butnever achieving its loft aims. Thatwould, of course, be a tragedy and,some 20 years after the first wave ofbio-plastic packaging, there are anumber of solutions that are beingdeveloped. And bio-packaging willprove key in severing the umbilicalbetween plastics and the food industry. 20-23_Layout 1 20/10/2017 14:59 Page 424 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDEPOSITORS AND FILLINGThough there are few, if any, aspectsof the production line wheremanufacturers can afford to be lax,filling systems, in particular, require theutmost attention and due diligence. Thehighest quality requirements must beobserved at all times, meaning a subparfilling system is like shooting oneself inthe food. Instead, food producers mustprioritise performance, flexibility andefficiency. There’s no such thing as a ‘one sizefits all’ approach on the production line,with each ingredient, product andprocess requiring its own specific andoftentimes unique equipment andmethodology in order to prepare andprocess it. Products come in a variety ofviscosities, meaning the filler needed fora beverage, say, wouldn’t be fit forpurpose for a soup, syrup or custard.Liquid filling systems, in particular, paintan interesting case study, havingevolved rapidly over the last decadewith the widespread adoption ofaseptic technology. Now, it’s hard toimagine a supply chain that isn’t awashwith such packaging solutions. Technologies and solutions such asthese are behind the growth driversmoving the industry onwards.Consumer trends for packaged foodshave resulted in greater demand foraseptic and others, and drivingproducers to the latest productionmethods and technology. As with all© shutterstock/NordrodenFilling upIncreasing consumer demand forpackaged food is driving growth inthe filling systems industry asmanufacturers keep one step ahead. 24-28_Layout 1 20/10/2017 15:09 Page 1Food & Drink International 25www.fdiforum.netDEPOSITORS AND FILLINGareas of production, automation istransforming the filling industrylandscape. Indeed, advanced fillingtechnology and an industry shifttowards semi- or fully-automatedsystems is maintaining a culture ofperpetual innovation and efficiency. It’salso a highly competitive market, withthe major players spending more onproduct development and innovation ina big to both meet and drive consumerdemand. This groundswell of demand alsopaints a picture of shifting consumertaste and economics on a geographicscale. For example, the Asia-Pacificregion claims the highest market sharefor the filling system industry. Whilepart of this is undoubtedly due to thesheer landmass, it does indicate thewidening consumer class, greaterdisposable income and the growing26 Áwww.multi-fill.comsales@multi-fill.comPhone +1 801.280.1570Fax +1 801.280.4341Building B, 4343 West 7800 SouthWest Jordan, Utah 84088 USARepresented in the UK and Ireland by:F. Jahn & Co. Ltd.Tel: 020 8977 8822Web: www.f-jahn.co.ukE-Mail: sales@f-jahn.co.ukwww.multi-fill.comsales@multi-fill.comPhone +1 801.280.1570Fax +1 801.280.43419620 South Hawley Park RdWest Jordan, Utah 84081 USARepresented in the UK and Ireland by:F. Jahn & Co. Ltd.Tel: 020 8977 8822Web: www.f-jahn.co.ukE-Mail: sales@f-jahn.co.uk24-28_Layout 1 20/10/2017 15:09 Page 226 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDEPOSITORS AND FILLINGhunger for packaged foods. In turn, foodproducers in the region are bolstering theirproduction capacity to keep up with demand. Hygiene is critical during the filling ofproducts into tins, jars and packages given itsproximity to the end of the supply chain andthe sheer volume of product handled. To givesome indication of the major hygiene issuehere, imagine the nozzle of a sauce bottle in acafé or restaurant. Without being cleaned orreplaced, the nozzle clogs up with material,hardened sauce and a slew of bacteria whichnot only contaminates the food passingthrough it, but anything it comes into contactwith, including packages. Without a thoroughand regular washdown routine, entire patchescan be compromised, eating into a company’sbottom line and leading to periods of extendeddowntime as it attempts to rectify the issue. Demand from consumers and their suppliershave not only seen an upsurge in interest forpackaged food, but rather more wholesome© shutterstock/Salov Evgeniy28 ÁMulti-Fill MPF filler offershigh quality and efficacy With the explosion in themarketplace of refrigerated andfrozen prepared meals, thefood processors seethemselves confronted with thetask of economically fillingrelatively small quantities of awide variety of foods. Previously traditional fillingmethods did not provide gentlehandling for these difficult to fillproducts without damage, orthe ability to fill small quantitieswith reasonable accuracies.Therefore, those fillingrequirements wereaccomplished by either hand fillor semi-automatic equipment, making the filling process costly in an every-growing and highlight competitive marketplace.Multi-Fill has developed equipment to meet those requirements – themodel MPF fillers. The compact design permits combinations with almostany container conveying systems. The accuracies achieved depend of thekind of product filled, but are highly accurate and in all cases far better thanother traditional filling methods. The machines are used on most of the frozen dinner lines in the US, andon many other production lines worldwide. For more information, visit www.multi-fill.com.24-28_Layout 1 20/10/2017 15:09 Page 3Food & Drink International 27www.fdiforum.netDEPOSITORS AND FILLINGThe constituents* Modulfill VFS-C fillerThe Modulfill VFS-C is a volumetriccan filler, suitable for both the smalland large output ranges. Dependingon the container size and formatinvolved, it handles between 18,000and 135,000 cans per hour. Duringfilling, an inductive flow metermeasures the inflowing quantity ofliquid until the specified fill volume hasbeen reached. Needless to say thatbesides accuracy the issue of hygieneplays an important role: the fillingvalve scores highly here with itshygienically sophisticated solution,from product routing to the press-onunit. Further pluses in terms ofhygiene include the no-front-tablemachine concept, in which Monotecstarwheel columns with inclinedsurfaces are used throughout, and thegrease-free main bearing, which isoperated with automatic oil-circulatinglubrication. The filler’s interior isseparated from the process zone by awall.* Modulseam seamerAfter being filled, the cans are fedinto the Modulseam for applying thelids. Here, Krones has incorporated itslong years of experience in filling andclosing technology. The highlight: bothmodules are precisely matched toeach other – which means they workhand in hand. At the Modulseam, too,hygiene is a paramount consideration:a seamer zone separated from thesurrounding work environment, plusthe roof table, where all cables andmedia piping are located outside theprocess zone, ensure a dependableseaming process.All-in-one conceptWith the Modulfill Bloc FS-C, Krones isexpanding its corporate competence interms of can handling, since in thisharmonised system both Krones machinesare perfectly coordinated – which makesthe operator’s daily work, in particular, awhole lot easier: a standardised operatorcontrol concept and a shared touch-screen ensure that product and formatchange-overs can be performed withoutdouble manipulations and legwork. Quick-change handling parts at the filler andseamer, moreover, mean short times forchanging over to different can sizes.For more information,visit www.krones.com.Krones’ first block solutionfor cans premieredFor the first time, beverage producers can buy from Krones an all-in-onesolution for filling and seaming cans. This block is, of course, packed full ofKrones’ know-how coupled with state-of-the-art technology.24-28_Layout 1 20/10/2017 15:09 Page 428 Food & Drink Internationalwww.fdiforum.netDEPOSITORS AND FILLINGReliability and precisionwith Riggs Autopackdepositors & fillingmachines Riggs Autopack’s semi- or fully-automatic depositors andfilling machinery are one of the most precise and hygienic on themarket with exceptional performance, reliability and build quality.They effectively dispense hot or cold liquid, semi-liquid andsuspended solid food products, and accurately fill most types orsize of container. They are available as a semi-automatic unit with foot pedaloperation for artisan producers and other small scalemanufacturers utilising short batch runs, or fully automatic formedium to large scale food producers using conveyor lines. Riggs Autopack take great pride in supplying their depositorsand filling equipment to a huge variety of food manufacturersthroughout the UK and overseas. Clients typically range fromsmall start-ups and artisan producers, through to multi-nationalfood groups such as Bakkavor, Kerry and Greencore. They also supply their depositors and filling machines tooperate in conjunction with 3rd party machinery such as readymeal tray and pot sealing, thermo-form conveyors, and VFFSbag or pouch filling applications.Their 50,000 square foot factory in Lancashire incorporatesthe latest computer technology in both design and production.The machining centres and CNC lathes enables their depositorsand filling machinery to be manufactured to an extremely highstandard and offers flexibility in providing a quick response tocustomer’s bespoke orders.Following receipt of an order, a comprehensive 3D CAD layoutwill be provided to the customer for sign-off prior tomanufacture. The bespoke design and build service they providegives the food producer confidence knowing that prior to themanufacture of their ordered machine, they can simulate thewhole operating procedure on the design screen. For more information, visit www.riggsautopack.co.uk, email info@riggsautopack.co.uk or call +44(0) 1282 440040.fare. These can be as simple as a vegan filling for asandwich, or a mix of rugged grains in a cookie, butthese changes require different depositors. Vegansandwich fillings, for example, don’t always behave thesame way as their meaty counterparts, meaning theyrequire different depositors. A similar phenomenon istaking place in terms of the sugar content of food andbeverage products, as producers seek to limit thesugar levels of their products to stay abreast ofconsumer taste but also at the behest of governmentand changing legislation – i.e. sugar tax. Now productsthat were typically high in sugar, such as chocolatebars, fizzy drinks and others, are being reformulated.While efforts will be in place to preserve productintegrity and sensory profile, a product may need to behandled and treated different with differentingredients, stabilisers etc. Fillers and depositors are crucial parts of the foodindustry, literally putting a product into its packagingand beginning its journey to suppliers and consumers.Given how much can go wrong during this crucialstage, it’s in a producer’s best interest to ensure theyhave the best equipment at their disposal, keep arugged washdown routine in place and embraceautomation as demand continues to increase.© shutterstock/Yakov Oskanov24-28_Layout 1 20/10/2017 15:09 Page 5Food & Drink International 29www.fdiforum.netSOUPS AND SAUCESSoups and sauces havebeen staples of our dietsfor many years, but theindustry has beenundergoing a boom ofits own in recent years.Thanks to the popularity of ready-meals and other food on the go, soupsand sauces have been making ameteoric comeback on supermarketshelves, driving an already stableindustry to even greater heights. That’snot to say there isn’t further room forgrowth, however, as some brands arequickly realising. Soup has long since been a staple ofour diets, but its ability to be quicklyand easily cooked in a microwave hasallowed it to take full advantage of thebusier lifestyles we now lead. Withready meals accruing ever more spaceon supermarket shelves, it is perhapsinevitable that the soups industry willcontinue to grow. Gone are the days oflimited flavour as well, with consumersdemanding more variety and options,opening the doors to newmanufacturers who do not have thegiant brands of household names likeHeinz. This has allowed othercompanies to carve a niche in thismarket, especially if they go forfunctional ingredients.And that leads into the second factorin the recent success of soups andsauces - that being the consumer healthdrive that has taken over the media forwhat feels like the last decade. Whileother trends come and go, it’s startingto feel like this one might become morepermanent, and with Governmentsacross the western world aiming totackle obesity, this trend seems here tostay. It’s worth noting that health foodsare much more diverse than manyrealise, with low-fat and weight-lossproducts being considered in a separatecategory to probiotic and immune-boosting variants. Brands that can takeadvantage of multiple avenues, or evenbetter cross the divide in a singleproduct, will be in a much strongerposition to take control of the market. The challenge is to find the balancebetween the two extremes. Consumersclearly want their soups and sauces to© shutterstock/Elena ShashkinaA bowl half full31 Á29-34_Layout 1 20/10/2017 15:10 Page 1Next >