Adapting to the future Finding the right balance Innovation in packaging Adapting to the future Finding the right balance Innovation in packaging INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL 01.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:00 Page 1sales@palamatic.com www.palamatic.com EQUIPMENT RANGE: •Vacuum Tube Lifters •Automatic Sack Opening Systems •Mobile Lifting Trolleys •Post Hoists •Drum Tippers •Customised Solutions •ATEX Solutions •PalCare After Sales Service and Spare Parts Team PRODUCTS HANDLES: •Sacks•Barrels •Boxes•Drums • Reels•Pallets •Panels Quality Materials Handling Solutions for the Food and Beverage Industries Designed For You 02.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:22 Page 1Group Editor: Steve Fisher (s.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) • Editor: Michael Fisher (m.fisher@blmgroup.co.uk) Editor’s PA: Angela Sharman (a.sharman@blmgroup.co.uk) • Journalist: Tess Egginton (t.egginton@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales Director: Teri Cooper (t.cooper@blmgroup.co.uk) Sales: Vicky Hunt (v.hunt@blmgroup.co.uk) • Kerry Randerson (k.randerson@blmgroup.co.uk) Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310305 • Email: fdi@blmgroup.co.uk • Editorial: Tel: +44 (0) 1472 310302 Accounts & Subscriptions: John Downes (j.downes@blmgroup.co.uk) Design & Production: Gary Jorgensen, Mark Casson (studio@blmgroup.co.uk) Part of the Business Link Magazine Group: Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, N E Lincs DN31 2QE England All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, photocopied, recorded or otherwise without express permission of the copyright holder, for which application should be addressed first to the publisher. While every reasonable care is taken, neither the publisher nor its participating agents accept liability for loss or damage to prints, colour transparencies, negatives or other material of whatever nature submitted to this publication. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily the views of those held by the publisher. Processing4 COVID may be over, but the results of the pandemic linger still and with fresh instability thanks to the war in Ukraine and the state of the global economy, there are a fresh raft of challenges facing the processing industry. Packaging10 As environmentalism continues to sweep the industry, packagers are constantly evolving to make more efficient packaging with less material and as little waste as possible. Health, safety and hygiene 16 From rigorous cleaning routines to the importance of microbiology, health, safety, and hygiene must be front centre of any food and drink company. NPD and ingredients 20 Health foods, protein-rich options and vegan alternatives; the rush for healthier products and more clarity of ingredients has led to a wide push of new products and new product development. Supply chain24 Lean, efficient, COVID-19 proof. The new pressures on warehouse and distribution centres are known by all, but will the latest strain of coronavirus and the risk of future lockdowns finally push the industry towards automated warehouses? Temperature control28 In controlling temperature, food manufacturers preserve and maintain a food product’s sensory profile and longevity. Even miniscule changes in temperature can result in spoilage, requiring constant vigilance and control. Environmental management32 Reducing environmental waste and greener business has been a buzzword for years but a warmer climate and governmental pushes toward Net Zero emissions is finally making it a reality. Events and shows36 Your chance to keep abreast of forthcoming exhibitions and food fairs from around the world. Contents 10 24 4 FoodandDrinkInternational @fdiforumwww.fdiforum.net company/fdiforum Cover photo courtesy of: stock.adobe.com/Kurhan 03.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:01 Page 1www.fdiforum.net 4 COVID may be over, but the results of the pandemic linger still and with fresh instability thanks to the war in Ukraine and the state of the global economy, there are a fresh raft of challenges facing the processing industry. T he processing industry is one that all-too-often changes with external pressures only. In an ideal world, businesses would look to proactively improve their efficiency and get the most out of a line, but the reality is that this is expensive, and investment is often saved for when they “must” adapt a line, or when the current way of doing things suddenly becomes impossible. As such, the processing industry could be said to be guided by pressure. COVID was one such pressure, and one that we have for the most part gotten past – we say for the most part because the impact of it is still being felt in the form of health and hygiene scares, more focus on employee safety and other labour issues. The war in Ukraine is another, pushing inflation sky high across the EU and casting doubt on many economies. Labour and staffing were difficult during the pandemic and the task hasn’t gotten any easier now. We, and many others, have advocated automation as a means to reduce the industry’s reliance on a heavy workforce for many years. Some, especially UK companies, were slow to adapt and invest in robotics, and sure enough those companies are struggling now with the Great Resignation. The Adapting to the future Adapting to the future 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:43 Page 1www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 5 316L & 304 grade stainless steel info@pharmahygieneproducts.com +44(0)1444 472300 www.pharmahygieneproducts.com High level finishing - to an exceptional average surface finish of 0.4 micrometers Ra - leaves nowhere for bacteria to store. Durable, easy to sterilise and re-useable, for long service life and greater ROI. Material grade, surface finish and TSE certification available, to ensure complete audit compliance for your business. Our proven portfolio includes: Storage Vessels Mixing Vessels Transportation VesselsATEX Mixing Vessels Water Jacketed VesselsHigh Shear Mixers Bowls & TraysPropeller Mixers ChurnsHygienic Utensils Bucket & PailsTri-clamp Fittings lesson to be learned is that it’s easy to ignore a distant and potentially unthreatening future, but hard to fix it once it arrives! Industry 4.0 could be the needed solution. It uses technology to form a more connected, efficient industry between customers, product and process. Components include data exchange and automation, alongside advance robotics, the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence, cloud computing, machine learning, and sensors. There are myriad manufacturing facilities that are decades old working with legacy 6 Á © stock.adobe.com/asayenka Pharma Hygiene Products Premium Quality Food Processing Equipment 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:43 Page 2www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 6 equipment, but to be able to fulfil the requirements of today’s consumers and to be compliant with new, ever more stringent legislation, investing in new elements of smart factory technology is often essential. With the advent of this advanced technology, what can be accomplished in processing plants has changed, and greater control is available over every step. Automation is a major facet of any smart processing plant, and it is key in helping processing facilities reach peak efficiency, streamline processes, and minimise costs. Some firms, however, still rely on human employees for many processes that can and, often, should be automated. Many avoid the switch because of the perception that automation is not economical. Indeed, the more one chooses to automate a processing facility in one instance, the higher the upfront install cost will be, but, in actuality, the automatisation of a facility can be gradually scaled up. Moreover, in the long run, the results of investing in this equipment saves money – one can enhance productivity by increasing uptime as automated machines require little rest, and one can prevent all two common and costly human errors and human contamination threats. By implementing automation, one can also address the sector’s worker shortage and reduce spend on labour. This does not mean, however, that masses of employees have to be let go, rather it presents an opportunity to retrain employees into new positions such as running machinery. In addition, by automating roles from weighing, to cutting, to sorting with robots, a facility can reach higher levels of 8 Á © stock.adobe.com/elnariz 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:44 Page 3www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 7 Think Solution. Think NDC. Take Process Performance, Quality and KPIs to the Next Level >> Moisture >> Fat/Oil >> Protein >> Degree ofBake/ Brownness >> Collagen InfraLab At-Line Food Analyzer Series 9 On-Line Food Gauge www.ndc.com/food Intelligence that transforms the world. © stock.adobe.com/Mongkolchon 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:44 Page 4www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 8 accuracy and consistency that humans are simply not capable of, which can also ensure a higher throughput. Taking a closer look at the optimisation of sorting in processing facilities, by automating this task, one can be rid of the less accurate and limited process of relying on the human eye and, also, potentially reduce waste. Without human input, automated sensor-based optical sorters, for example, can determine food quality by colour and work to remove unwanted raw materials and food products such as those with rot, contaminates, damage or defects to offer a safer and higher quality product that meets standards. Advances in automated sorting have even seen technology hit the market that can re-route materials that may not be suitable for one product, but can be used for another. Robots are also capable of filling other highly useful roles that boost the safety and quality of goods such as detecting microscopic bacteria and foreign materials that don’t appeal in metal detectors or X-rays, and label verifying, where they can accurately check two hundred labels a minute! While automation is not new to the food and drink industry, when implemented with the wide technology available in Industry 4.0, one can push past what traditional automation in individual tasks achieve, to benefit from a fully connected system where machines with the right communication protocols and sensors are now capable of sharing information across process lines and providing a continuous flow of data that can be used to adapt operations to create a more efficient system and to adjust a system as needs be; for instance, slowing down sections when necessary. 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:44 Page 5www.fdiforum.net PROCESSING 9 © stock.adobe.com/YuanGeng veood & Bars of Fe75 Ye Filling Expertiseagerv info@adelphi.uk.com +44(0)1444 472300 www.adelphi.uk.com Fast filling from a small footprint - up to 2,400 containers per hour - a competitive advantage for your business. High precision, exceptional filling accuracy up to ± 0.25% significantly improves profitability. Fast changeover between different products and containers, to fill your complete range. Our customers products include: Condiments & ChutneysSpirits & Cocktails Sauces & DressingsPesto & Antipasti Jams & HoneyNut Butters Edible OilsVanilla Extracts Soups & BrothsKombucha Ice Creams & Dairy ProductsFruit Juices 04-09.qxp_Layout 1 25/07/2022 14:44 Page 6Next >