< Previous20 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net GalxC COOLING Q&A Tell us a little about GalxC and what you do. GalxC Cooling (pronounced galaxy) was established in 2006 by a chiller engineering team having a long track record within the process cooling, air conditioning and industrial refrigeration sector. We value the importance of applied cooling engineering and genuine solutions. GalxC Cooling offers complete solutions for cooling projects including the supply, service and maintenance of chillers and cooling systems. We provide applications advice, design, installation, commissioning, servicing and maintenance. GalxC Cooling’s team is made up of experienced engineers who hold years of technical knowledge and we are committed to deliver a prompt, efficient and value-for-money service, without compromising on quality. We’re especially familiar with the food and drink industry, and work regularly with confectionary, dairy, fresh food, meat, prepared food and snack food manufacturers. We also work with companies up and down the supply chain, including abattoirs, contract packers, fish farms, growers and producers – as well as food storage in distribution centres, warehouses and with cold storage. GalxC also has plenty of experience working with the beverages industry from bottling and canning through to breweries, distilleries and wineries, and also juices, soft drinks and bottled water. We have a proven track record all throughout the food and drink industry. What kinds of products does GalxC offer to the food and drink industry? GalxC offers services to many different sectors as you might imagine, but food and drink is certainly one we’re well equipped to take on. Most food goods and ingredients require very precise temperature ranges be it in the manufacturing process or in storage, and GalxC can help in both regards. GalxC Cooling has completed Q&A GalxC Cooling In the food and drink industry, you only get the one chance to make sure the temperature is under control. We spoke to Darren Long, Commercial Director, at GalxC Cooling, to find out how they help companies fulfil their requirements. 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:29 Page 1Food & Drink International 21 www.fdiforum.net GalxC COOLING Q&A many temperature control and cooling solutions for the chilled and cold storage industry - from manufacturing to storage and distribution centres for temperature- controlled products. We have worked with fresh and frozen foods, herbs, extracts, flavourings, fruit, vegetables, salads, sauces, soups, ready made meals, fish, meat, dairy, brewing and drinks sectors, as well as flowers, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and chemical products. GalxC has also provided cooling solutions for growers, ripening, packers, testing, research facilities, processors, wholesalers and supermarket retailers. We have also worked with numerous drinks and beverage companies serving beers, lagers, ciders, perrys, spirits, liqueurs, mixers, alcopops, wines, fortified wines, non-alcoholic drinks, natural spring & mineral waters, fruit juices, extracts, cordials, health and vitamin drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, colas, lemonades and the majority of soft drinks, as well as teas and coffees. GalxC has also provided cooling solutions for canning plants, plastic and glass bottling lines, cartons, sachets, barrel, vats, hot and cold fill lines. We offer a range of fluid chillers which have been designed and developed for a range of chiller applications and cooling projects including industrial cooling, process machinery, glycol systems, air conditioning, HVAC, comfort cooling and building services. The GalxC range of chillers manufactured by Galletti can be tailored to suit each project requirement and supplied with options including multi-scroll compressors, low noise, silenced, rubber or spring anti- vibrational mountings, integral pump low pressure, high pressure single or dual pump, integral buffer tank, small footprint, energy efficiency, electronic soft start, power factor correction, EC fans, advanced controllers, remote control, Modbus BACnet, PCOWeb networking, interlinking master-slave and many other options. Furthermore, GalxC also provides cooling, chilling and refrigeration equipment, systems and complete installations for blast freezers, cold storage, temperature control, glycol systems and cooling towers. We are experts in all of these as well, able to assist with not only project installation, but with maintenance and service. What do you think differentiates GalxC from other companies? Our big advantage is the amount of collective experience we have as a company. When we started the business, our engineers were already highly experienced and practiced individuals, and we’ve taken that further ever since. We are able to work with specifiers, consultants and contractors or clients directly, not only because of what we know, but because we have been working on and installing this machinery with those people before GalxC was created. Since then, we’ve worked with many large names in the food industry such as PepsiCo, McCain, 2 Sisters, and Walkers. These big-name brands trust us to take care of their cooling and temperature control needs because we have a proven track record, and because we have not once let them down. We’ve also worked with GlaxoSmithKline, a prestigious UK pharmaceutical company, and the temperature requirements in the pharmaceutical industry are incredibly strict, so we’re used to working to very specific requirements – and we’re used to meeting them. For more information, or to see what GalxC Cooling can do for your company, visit www.galxc.co.uk, call 023 8086 7168 or email info@galxc.co.uk 20-21.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:29 Page 222 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION © stock.adobe.com/Retan The equation 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:31 Page 1Food & Drink International 23 www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION D eclining labour availability is a large issue for manufacturers, which automation can help to alleviate. Using robots can streamline process, reducing the need for labour. Furthermore, the drive for sustainability is increasing across the sector. Automated monitoring processes give oversight into equipment efficiency, so outdated equipment can be replaced to use less heat. Packaging is the most common area of manufacturing in which to find automation. A consistent and sterile environment needs to be maintained to preserve the safety of consumable products. Packaging machinery is easy to clean and lessens the chance of product contamination from unscrupulous handler hygiene practices. Furthermore, there is less down time from cleaning machinery, than from continual hand washing. Automating solutions are varied, with the most common in packaging being can sealing, pouch making, and pick up and drop off robots. Raw food items need to be handled carefully, as they are more prone to spoiling and contamination. Automatic raw food packing is available, which use paper or polythene as primary packaging (the materials that come in direct contact with the product). This does not react with the raw items, is cost-effective, and relatively easy to implement as raw foods tend to be processed separately, so installation can be achieved without affecting all products. These processes also reduce employee injury. For example, meat products need to be cut with sharp knives. Using cutting and packaging machines reduces the likelihood of injury due to sharp objects. They also provide a cleaner cut, thus giving a clean and appealing look to the meat product. Having your items automatically packaged means that product output will be consistent. This means that no human error is involved, which could cause some packaging to be less secure than others. This increases the risk of the product inside spoiling or being damaged in the transportation and shelving process. Not only does this impact consumer enjoyment of the product, but companies can also literally lose millions in product wastage. Ultimately, this could have a significant impact on your brand image, becoming known for inconsistent product decreases consumer trust in its quality and safety. Similarly, having eye- catching, high-quality packaging, deployed consistently across all products draws customers to your range. It promotes a cohesive brand A storm of market conditions are making automation less a luxury and more a necessity. 24 Á 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:31 Page 224 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION identity, which customers can easily understand and invest in. All products will have the same dimensions and weight. Aside from this simply being more visually appealing, it means that profit margins will stabilise, as companies are not either undercharging for too much product or overcharging for too little. Another common usage of automation is to provide enhanced end to end traceability. It is crucial to keep exacting records of facilities and packaging processes that food products have gone through. In the event of an urgent recall, it is necessary to quickly identify affected batches. A scanner and barcode system is an easily implementable way to provide detailed product information, without needing to trawl through extensive logs. Although barcodes will be allocated to the finished product, they can be used to track products whilst at the manufacturing facility too. Barcodes could be allocated based on facility, batch code, or recipe type. This can easily be changed based on data upon rollout, making it a versatile investment. A barcode system could be a steppingstone to more sophisticated tracing systems. Software can be integrated within machinery to provide a user interface into the operation of the machinery, thus giving increased insight into operational efficiency. For example, beverage bottling machines are ahead of the game on this technology. Monitoring software within Tel: +44 (0)1707 331111 info@welwyntoolgroup.co.uk www.welwyntoolgroup.co.uk Hot Air delivered direct to the point of application HOTWINDMISTRALVULCAN © stock.adobe.com/DedMityay 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:31 Page 3Food & Drink International 25 www.fdiforum.net PROCESS, CONTROL AND AUTOMATION newer versions can give 24/7 oversight of productivity (speed of output, running efficiency of the machinery, and any jams or other issues). This means that operators always have access to the most up to date data, and can react quickly to any problems. These systems also store necessary data on recipes, product traceability and batch codes. This means that products can be searched by code rather than scanned, which is useful in the event of lost items. These management systems could significantly decrease operational costs. Having insight into the energy consumption of the machinery means that inefficient equipment can be identified and replaced before having a detrimental impact on energy and operating costs. Furthermore, inefficiently running machinery can be an early indicator that equipment is likely to break down. This allows manufacturers to run repairs, or even purchase new equipment pre- emptively, meaning that down time due to machine expiry can be mitigated. Taking steps to reduce energy consumption has the dual benefit of decreasing the carbon footprint of the business, meaning that manufacturers can be one step closer to achieving sustainability goals. This is a benefit that is passed onto the consumer, as many are increasingly looking to invest in companies which seek to enact widespread positive change. Our extensive product range includes: Innovative, system-compatible air heaters Powerful, robust blowers Compact, flexible hot-air blowers Comprehensive range of accessories 3 Heat output & air volume steplessly adjustable with potentiometers 3 Integrated temperature controls 3 Integrated temperature probes 3 Protection against heating elements or devices overheating 3 Brushless power motors 3 Integrated power electronics © stock.adobe.com/asayenka 22-25.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:31 Page 426 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY E very separate process along the way is known as a traceability system – the combined entirety of data and operations which contains and maintains all information about a product. As a product moves between stages, the system records all data required to not only keep track of where it is in the production chain, but also to track its progress back to its point, or points, of origin. Depending on the business using such a system, they can either be small scale and trace movement within a single supply chain, or more sophisticated for industry overseeing a larger food production system. Whether proceeding for a large or smaller industry environment, the more data can be kept on every single item in your supply and production chain, the better. More information can only make it easier to identify a flawed product, and reduce time and money wasted in the long run. Legally there must be traceability information for any suppliers and business customers, known as one step back and one step forward. Retailers or caterers who supply food businesses must also adhere to this law, including proper labelling and health and identification marks, on packaging or directly on the food item itself in the case of products of animal origin. In developing a food traceability system, there are three more key areas that must be taken into account, as well as the general traceability of food back Traceability is an umbrella term for all the processes that need putting in place to ensure that products are safely resourced and made, clearly labelled, and shipped out to stockists with as small a margin for health risk as possible. We take a closer look. © stock.adobe.com/amoncin1978 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:33 Page 1Food & Drink International 27 www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY to suppliers and forwards to business customers. Defining separate batches of product can vastly reduce the amount of food needing to be recalled in an emergency – essentially not putting all your eggs in one basket. Information in data and on labels should include a business name, business address, descriptions and quantities of all foods purchased and sold, and transaction dates. Finally, all data must be made available to access at any time throughout any product’s journey along the chain. It’s also a good idea to be mindful of the traceability systems used by any traders or suppliers you do business with, ensuring that they are up to standard and will comply with your own operations. In fact, there can never be too much careful thought and checking. Further points for consideration might include organising regular reviews of your systems, and discussing safe lengths of time for data to be saved. For the layperson, it could be said that a traceability system acts like a nesting doll of assurances, tracking every single ingredient and each process they go through until all aspects can be verified for safety within the final product. And this isn’t only important going forwards along the supply chain; it also applies backwards, in the ability to trace any identified errors back to the production stage it originated from, like removing each © stock.adobe.com/ryanking999 28 Á 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:33 Page 228 Food & Drink International www.fdiforum.net TRACEABILITY smaller doll from the largest again. Every element of a product, from base ingredients to packaging and distribution, must be recorded and linked at every juncture for a smooth recall process, should anything go wrong at any stage. Flaws and hazards can and will slip through the system undetected from time to time. A tertiary purpose of traceability is to create relative ease in swiftly quarantining an affected batch if necessary, and tracing the danger back to its source component within the product. This could be a contamination, such as harmful bacteria like E.coli, ptomaine poising from spoiled food, or an unidentified allergy risk. In this case, to avoid wider outbreaks of illness, all agents back along the chain would need to be contacted and warned to stop supply, up to the identified source of the issue for a root cause analysis, following which the hazard may then be neutralised. Enforcement authorities, food standards authorities, suppliers, business customers, and of course consumers should also be informed in the case of product recall, while the withdrawal process is closely monitored, and all safety protocol followed while handling unsafe food. This once again involves clearly labelling affected batches, to mark them as unsafe for sale until they can be securely disposed of. In some incidents, the hazard may be too specific to be outlined in food safety regulations, in which case a risk assessment may be required to determine the best course of action. For this level of teamwork, often across long distances and multiple sites, communication is key. Businesses and their suppliers and clients should be consistent in sharing traceability procedures, so that the line from end to end remains as smooth and efficient as possible. These conversations also ensure data integrity, with everyone kept in the loop and able to perform checks along the way, thereby allowing for the swiftness needed in a situation that requires withdrawal or recall of a product. If a food incident does occur, an agreed upon recall plan is just as important to have in place as all the prior safety checks. An otherwise well- constructed and communicated system can fall apart without proper planning, when organisation is an urgent need in such cases. A dedicated team is the first thing to put in place, in which the individuals know the steps for recall. These might include recording and notifying members of the team about a recall need; determining the risk level; sending out all necessary communications back along the traceability system; and obtaining the affected products to trace the source of contamination and initiate recall. Assuming that those in control of assuring traceability all make their respective records, there will always be a clear line through which to trace a fault in any product to its source. Reducing contamination, spoilage, and disease such as salmonella in foods, often catching these before they hit Fortress Technology solves “real time” data disconnect Fortress Technology has revealed its newest digital reporting feature – Contact 4.0 as part of its Digital Transformation Toolkit and Food Safety Cultural Playbook. Uncovering ‘real time’ production trends and patterns, the company’s latest software release can now collect QA documentation automatically and securely oversee the performance of an unlimited number of Fortress metal detectors, x-rays, checkweighers and combination machines connected on the same network. Monitoring the performance of Fortress inspection equipment, Contact 4.0 enables food factories and processors to track events and documents all potential product risks. Eliminating many of the cumbersome functionality concerns enterprising companies usually encounter, including infrastructure, data storage, security and scalability. Commercial Manager Jodie Curry comments: “Manually monitoring food inspection machine performance can be extremely labour intensive and impact productivity. Automated and networked data extraction and real time monitoring are proven to enhance production efficiency and minimise machine downtime.” Compliant with all international food safety management standards, including HACCP, BRC and GFSI/SQF, Contact 4.0 provides Fortress customers with an additional layer of security. For more information visit www.fortresstechnology.com 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:33 Page 3Food & Drink International 29 www.fdiforum.net shelves with tools such as intelligent machine vision, is made much easier in sharing the load across the supply and production chain. In this way, traceability evens out responsibility across quality assurance (QA) inspectors in ingredients, processing and packaging, all the way through to the customer, who could be considered the last chance saloon for QA. However, this should always be considered a worst-case scenario, as the consumer is then put at risk from any number of dangers or illnesses that can be caused by industry lapses or outright laziness. The law states the food business operators (FBO) are responsible for the safety of food distributed, stored or sold, even after it has left their control, and therefore it is the responsibility of the FBO to take every precaution not to place unsafe products on the market. A good system gives every operator and agent control over traceability and recall from end to start, and enables the highlighting of unsafe items at each stage in the certainty that the hazard will be acted on quickly. When implemented and carried out with all due care, the benefits of traceability continue even beyond its final destination, the consumer market. Effectively going home with anyone who purchases a METAL DETECTOR & CHECKWEIGHER RAPTOR COMBI AWARDWINNINGDIGITAL INSPECTION SYSTEMS www.fortresstechnology.co.uk FULLY INTEGRATED X-RAY SYSTEM RAPTOR X-RAY traceable product, one of these added pluses is increased transparency between business and customer. Legally compliant labelling can show where a product has been processed, farmed or made where necessary, as well as giving appropriate warnings such as use by dates and potential allergens, allowing the people you’re making your products for to feel good about what they’re buying, and the businesses they’re supporting. Business and consumer alike can rest further assured in knowing that they are supporting progress towards reducing food waste, lowering emissions, and creating greater environmental sustainability for all. © stock.adobe.com/Monet 26-29.qxp_Layout 1 22/11/2022 09:33 Page 4Next >