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Copyright Food & Beverage Industry News is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Food & Beverage Industry News is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Food & Beverage Industry News are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2016 Articles All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format. Head Office 11-15 Buckhurst St South Melbourne VIC 3205 P: +61 3 9690 8766 enquiries@primecreative.com.au http://www.foodmag.com.au Sydney Office Tower 1, Level 13, 475 Victoria Avenue, Chatswood, NSW 2067, Australia
ustralia’s dairy farmers are in crisis. For anyone who missed it, in late April Murray Goulburn cut its farm gate milk price from $5.60 kg/MS to between $5.00 and $4.75. Fonterra soon followed suit with a similar cut. But these two major dairy processors didn’t just cut the amount they pay farmers. They did so retrospectively. In other words, having paid their original prices from July last year they suddenly told farmers they had changed their minds and would actually pay them the new lower prices. So the farmers not only have to accept lower prices but also pay back much of what they have earnt during the current (almost over) financial year. Hence the crisis. Can the processors do this? Yes, given the claw back provisions the farmers accepted but never expected to be affected by. Murray Goulburn and Fonterra have explained their actions by blaming market conditions, in particular the global oversupply of milk and a drop in demand (mainly from China and Russia). While this explanation is accurate it doesn’t absolve them of responsibility. They knew of the oversupply issue and made bad calls. Malcom Turnbull’s promise of an ACCC investigation into the debacle is welcomed and must be followed through on. But what else should be done? The Government has announced a support package, made up mainly of low interest loans for
farmers. While this is a welcome step, the Victorian Government is right in saying they must broaden the assistance to include all dairy farmers and the interest rates should be set as low as possible. There has been much debate about long term solutions. Suggestions have included a return to regulation, boycotts of low priced milk from major supermarkets, and a 50c a litre levy on all milk. Given that most of Australia’s dairy production isn’t actually dedicated to the domestic milk market and the amount dedicated to the one dollar a litre brands is only about 8 per cent, it is unlikely these measures will solve the problem. Regulation such as in Canada where production is based on quotas and the farm gate price is set by stakeholders is an option. However, it is hard to see either major party turning its back on deregulation. The calls for more free trade and economic liberalism are all we heard during the past election campaign. Re-regulation won’t happen. In the long term, the survival of Australian dairy will rely on things like free trade deals and the continued Asian demand for Australian infant formula. In the meantime, the Government must be generous in its support for Australian dairy farmers. Matthew McDonald, Editor
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6 MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
20 BEVERAGES
30 ON THE SHELF
8 OPERATIONAL ANALYTICS
22 HEAT EXCHANGERS
32 MEDICINAL FOODS
10 WINEMAKING TECHNOLOGY
24 AUTOMATION
34 PACKAGING
14 CONTRACT MANUFACTURING
26 MEAT & POULTRY PROCESSING
42 NEW PRODUCTS
16 CONVEYOR SYSTEMS
28 BULK HANDLING www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5
MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS
Deal making ramps up By Ben van der Westhuizen and David Baveystock After a quiet start to the year, corporate activity in the food and beverage industry ramped up in the second quarter of 2016. Fifteen acquisition transactions were announced in Q2 2016, compared to eight transactions in Q1. Public and private market capital raisings also showed renewed activity.
Acquisitions announced Date
Target Name
Acquirer
Sector
Deal Value
30 Mar 16
Kailis Brothers
Legend Holdings
Seafood
90% for $180 million
08 Apr 16
Aqua Essence
Beston Food Group
Beverages
51% for $875k
8 Apr 16
Mareterram
Sea Harvest
Seafood
40% for $20 million
18 Apr 16
Dairy Technical Services
Bureau Veritas & AsureQuality
Food technical
Undisclosed
29 Apr 16
Byron Bay Brewing Co
Lion
Beverages
Undisclosed
4 May 16
Gourmet Garden
McCormick & Co
Packaged foods
$150 million
5 May 16
Animal Supplies Wholesale
Petbarn
Pet food & accessories
Undisclosed
6 May 16
Global Therapeutics
Blackmores
Natural Health
$23 million
6 May 16
Allclypt
Superior Foodservice
Foodservice distribution
Undisclosed
10 May 16
Burra Foods
Fuyuan Farming
Dairy
Undisclosed 48% for $15 million
11May 16
Maggie Beer Products
Primary Opinion
Packaged foods
11 May 16
Kialla Pure Foods
Blue Sky Investments
Flour processing
30% for $12 million
24 May 16
Shima Wasabi
Tasfoods
Agriculture
$2.75 million
1 June 16
Patties Foods
Pacific Equity Partners
Frozen savoury
$232 million
2 June 16
Healthy Habit
Franchised Food Company
QSR
Undisclosed
Four transactions were in excess of $100 million in value, including the acquisitions of Kailis Brothers, Gourmet Garden, Burra Foods and Patties Foods. Three of the four large transactions were concluded by overseas buyers with Chinese buyers (Legend Holdings and Fuyuan Farming) responsible for two large acquisitions. Pacific Equity Partners is the only domestic buyer of a large business added Patties to its portfolio of food assets. The PEP portfolio includes Manuka Health and Pinnacle Bakery. Only one merger transaction, the merger of online of delivery platforms Shopwings and Grocery Butler, was announced during Q2. A number of sale processes are expected to progress in the second half of the year including Nature’s Care and Australian Pharmaceutical Manufacturers.
Capital markets transactions Initial equity capital raisings on the ASX Date
Entity name
Capital raised
Issue price
Deal Value
8 Apr 16
China Dairy Corporation
A$17 million
$0.20
90% for $180 million
26 Apr 16
Abundant Produce
A$3.5 million
$0.20
51% for $875k
4 May 16
Tegel Group Holdings
N$299 million
$1.55
40% for $20 million
There were three front door listings of food and beverage businesses on the ASX during Q2 2016. The list of Tegel Group was the largest food listing and enabled Affinity Equity Partners to exit its investment inTegel. The proposed IPO’s of Hudson Food Group and Sugar Dragon were suspended, while the IPO of the Sunrice Group was delayed. 6 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
Secondary equity capital raisings on the ASX Date
Capital raised
Entity name
Issue price
Purpose of capital raise
16 May 16
Yowie
A$32 million
$0.90
To fund rollout of product in the USA
25 May 16
Capilano Honey
A$16.8 million
$19.50
To fund acquisitions, NPD & export market expansion
6 Jun 16
SeaFarms Group
A$10 million
$0.07
To fund the completion of a feasibility study of prawn farming project in NT
Three companies raised secondary equity capital on the ASX. In all cases the proceeds of the capital raised were used to fund business expansion.
Equity capital raised by companies not listed on the ASX Purpose of capital raise
Date
Entity name
Capital raised
Mar 16
Marley Spoon
A$22 million
To fund expansion on the east coast of Australia and the west coast of the USA
To fund rollout of product in the USA
Apr 16
PERKii
A$4 million
To fund product rollout and achieve scale
To fund acquisitions, NPD & export market expansion
Purpose of capital raise
Two companies not listed on the ASX raised equity capital during Q2. Meal delivery business, My Food Bag, is also reported to be pursuing a capital raising.
Prospective listings on the ASX A number of food and beverage companies have indicated that they are considering IPO’s either in the second half of 2016 or in 2017. Potential IPO candidates for the second half of 2016 include Camperdown Dairies, Rocky Organic Beef, Inghams and Murray River Organics. IPO candidates for 2017 include the Australian arm of Bright Foods with a listing on the Hong Kong stock exchange in its sights.
Businesses placed under administration Date
Entity name
Sector
Administrator
Deal Value
4 Mar 16
Pronto E Fresco
Antipasto
McGrath Nichol
90% for $180 million
18 Mar 16
Cakes Galore
Patisserie
SV Partners
51% for $875k
7 Apr 16
Direct Wellbeing
Vitamins & consumer
HLB Mann Judd
40% for $20 million
28 Apr 16
Gawler River Cattle Co
Meat & livestock
Duncan Powell
Undisclosed
13 May 16
Oakville Produce
Potatoes
Deloitte
Undisclosed
1 Jun 16
Jones the Grocer
Retail
PPB Advisory
$150 million
Joint ventures Joint ventures announced during Q2 2016 include: • Freedom Foods Group expanding its Asian footprint through two new partnerships, including the launch of UHT products in Vietnam; and • Aussie Farmers Direct distributing a Weight Watchers branded freshbox as part of a distribution arrangement. Strong investor appetite for food and beverage businesses, low interest rates and a healthy deal pipeline will drive corporate activity in the second half of 2016. Ben van der Westhuizen (left) and David Baveystock are directors of Comet Line Consulting, an advisory business that specialises in acquisitions and divestments within the Australian food & beverage industry. For more information visit www.cometlineconsulting.com.au.
OPERATIONAL ANALYTICS
Operational analytics helps lower maintenance and energy costs Alarm management helps minimise food loss and energy consumption
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onitoring 5,000 sites around the world, Danfoss, which specialises in producing refrigeration monitoring equipment, compressors, and controllers for grocery stores, required a solution that would help its customers view their operations at a presentation level, create reports on alarms and performance, and reduce energy costs.
Backgrounds and challenges Refrigeration consumes a major portion of a large grocery store’s electricity (up to 30 per cent in some cases), with the remainder consumed by HVAC equipment, lighting, and other utilities. The risk of asset failure - which can result in food loss, unplanned asset down time and maintenance call outs – needs to be added to this. Retailers now operate in a market where the demand for frozen foods is increasing. As such, they need to invest in large-scale refrigeration equipment. This has led to tight margins in an increasingly competitive market where assets are expected to perform constantly. Historically, supermarkets have accepted that the cost for high customer volume, regulatory compliance, and increasing energy costs are part of the business model. Danfoss addressed these business challenges with an operational analytic solution provided by Bentley‘s Amulet that saves money, categorises and filters alarms, improves energy efficiency, and provides customers with peace of mind.
Solutions There were many key solutions that enabled Danfoss customers to manage their supermarkets more efficiently and to aid decision making. Central to these is the alarm management system that is in place to monitor food quality and energy efficiency along with a visualisation component to bring all of the information together in one platform.
"Historically, supermarkets have accepted that the cost for high customer volume, regulatory compliance, and increasing energy costs are part of the business model." Visualisation and reporting The collection, organisation, and visualisation of operational information were important factors for Danfoss customers, as they allowed them to present a real-time visualisation of performance and current conditions, particularly focusing on generated alarms. Using the operational analytics solution, customers are able to view alarm counts and status; view and email performance reports on a daily, weekly, monthly, or annual basis; and create ad-hoc reports as required.
Alarm Management System An underlying alarm management system means alarms based on a potential failure or a threat to an asset are automatically raised when a threshold has been reached. The difficulty here is identifying which alarms needed attention and which could be dismissed as a result of defrost cycles, or refrigerator doors being accidentally left open. Danfoss uses Bentley’s Amulet software to count repeated similar alarms and identify which are real and which are false, then notify the relevant people. Eliminating false alarms from the system significantly cuts costs by reducing needless callouts of maintenance engineers. Alarm histories can also be used against the asset, the fault, or the site to highlight patterns, such as a particular alarm occurring against the same asset consistently across multiple stores.
HACCP reporting Danfoss addresses regulatory food compliance with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) 8 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
OPERATIONAL ANALYTICS
reports, a monitoring and reporting system that ensures food production and storage facilities are safe. Using Amulet for data collection and visualisation, HACCP reports show the average temperature during an hour (from typically four 15-minute intervals) of any asset containing food. These reports are displayed within Amulet’s dashboards and allow Danfoss and its customers to spot at a glance any differences in behavior in an asset’s temperature by using colour coded boxes to indicate whether an asset is operating above or below its normal level. These reports can display historical data to prove that measures are taken to ensure food safety. Coupled with the Temperature Quality Index report, which displays the overall performance of an asset (within its set points), the reports bring a complete picture of asset performance in near to real-time.
specialised alarms such as threshold, percentage, or hold down, raised alarms have been filtered to only notify users of critical alarms, thus reducing false alarms and maintenance call outs. Using Bentley’s Amulet operational analytics software enables Danfoss to increase its customers’ ROI by eliminating false alarms, effectively monitoring energy usage, and provides them with levels of visibility that help them monitor performance more accurately and in a more timely fashion. Bentley Systems 03 9699 8699 www.bentley.com
Load shedding and set point management Other functionality within Amulet include the addition of automated load shedding and set point management. Load shedding (or demand response) involves Amulet to help facilitate the automatic switching on/off of certain assets by interfacing directly with the hardware. This is to reduce energy consumption and receive financial incentives from power companies which need to reduce peak demand. This could include HVAC systems, store, and car park lighting. From the Amulet dashboard, levels can be set that will send a signal to certain controllers, such as lighting zones, turning them off over a set period of time. Each level of load shedding can include any number of assets, from a few to all. These measures help reduce energy consumption while the initiative also encourages financial incentives from the energy provider. Set point management automates corrections in hardware value points to ensure error control regulation of asset temperatures, switch status, and alarm values. This means that Amulet constantly checks values to specific hardware, like a switch or a set point, making sure they are correct. If a change occurs, or is made accidently by a third party, it can be entered into an audit trail and automatically corrected to the original value. This ensures continuity to the operational performance of the store and peace of mind, further reducing callouts and loss of stock. Set points and schedules can also be changed for an entire estate through one job.
Results Through the use of operational analytics, Danfoss has achieved complete visibility of its whole operation, including energy usage against external parameters like outside/inside temperatures and other factors. By monitoring these patterns for customers, Danfoss can regulate the environment in which its assets work. For example, refrigerators won’t need to work as hard if the temperature or humidity in the store is maintained at an optimum level. Through Amulet, Danfoss is able to determine that substantial energy savings can be achieved and affect its customers’ bottom line. Key operational benefits included ensuring food safety and minimising food loss; reducing energy consumption; anticipating failure of refrigeration equipment; filtering, identifying, and notifying alerts and real service maintenance needs; prescriptive loadshedding for optimal power reduction; and prescriptive set point remapping when overriding settings. The Amulet alarm management system allows Danfoss customers to monitor and track their assets and intervene when necessary if one triggers an alarm. With Amulet’s variety of www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9
WINEMAKING
Yalumba chooses the latest winemaking technology Meeting consumer demands throughout seasonal variability with an advanced automation and process control solution from Rockwell Automation.
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he Oxford Landing Estate Vineyard and Winery is named after a site where drovers once grazed and watered sheep. Today it’s home to a loyal flock of downto-earth folk who take great pride in making quality wines, enjoyed the world over. With 650 acres under vine, Oxford Landing Estate is not small but by micro-managing 130 five-acre blocks as separate ecosystems, the grapes are given exactly what they need to achieve optimum flavour. Techniques such as detailed pruning, canopy management and crop thinning provide the winery with ultimate control in expressing the individuality of each block. Oxford Landing prides itself on being nimble enough to harvest small batches of the fruit as soon as it ripens, so not an ounce of freshness is lost. Set on the northern edge of the Barossa Valley the key to the success of the Oxford Landing Estate Winery is their ability to achieve a continuous production flow via a sophisticated automation and control system. In winemaking, this timing is particularly crucial since the grapes need to be processed within a critical window of time where the acid and sugar content are at a premium. To achieve this, together with keeping up with increasing consumer demands, winemakers are turning to technology to streamline the process.
Over a decade of service and support Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, and one of the country’s largest wine exporters. Its Angaston winery was founded in 1849 in South Australia’s famous Barossa Valley. Over time however, the demand for Yalumba
wines has grown to exceed the processing capacity of the heritagelisted Angaston facility. This led to the establishment of the Oxford Landing Estate Winery, which is now the primary producer of Oxford Landing Estate wines and
After harvesting, the product is moved quickly through the crushing stage, chilled and into the controlled environments of the fermentation tanks.
Yalumba’s popular two litre cask wine varieties. One of the main challenges with winemaking is that customers expect consistency, they get used to a particular label and expect it to taste the same, but every year the acid level is different, the sugar content is different as are the aromas and colour of the berries. According to John Ide, winery operations manager, at Yalumba, “The aim for the Oxford Landing winery was an environmentally friendly plant incorporating the latest in winemaking technology, plus a new and unique process stream methodology. The objective was to achieve greater management of the process and the product.” The agility needed to meet
10 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
the demands of frequently changing production demands was uniquely met by the process automation solutions from Rockwell Automation. This on top of the end to end efficiencies of the plant wide control inherent in Integrated Architecture truly made this a solution real win for Yalumba. The Oxford Landing Estate Winery was commissioned in 2005 and has been able to meet market requirements and improve product quality for more than a decade now. The secret, says Ide, is the automated process streams that ensure the grapes are fermented under optimum conditions, given the high volume throughput. It is particularly critical at all times to control fermentation rate and minimise oxidation, both of which are highly dependent on temperature. From the moment the skin is broken during harvesting, it’s important to move the product quickly through the crushing stage, chilled and into the controlled environments of the fermentation tanks. Each process stream begins at one of three receive hopper/crusher bays, where loads of grapes are converted into ‘must’, a mix of juice, skin and seeds. The must is then pumped through one of three ‘must chillers’ to reduce the temperature to around 12 degrees Celsius for white and heat or cool to 25 degrees for red. To produce white wine, the juice is extracted from the skin and seeds and clarified prior to fermentation; conversely, red wine is fermented with the skins included in the fermentation vessel. For both styles of wine, the premium juice/wine or ‘free run’ is drained and kept separate from the second stream or ‘pressings’ of extracted product
through subsequent processing and storage. After wines are fermented they are clarified and blended into the final product before filtration and bottling.
Virtualisation and visibility The control and automation system plays an important role at Oxford Landing, the system performs sophisticated control of the numerous process streams, while at the same allowing the winemakers to exert their influence and apply their experience to achieve the desired result. The primary user interface for the system is a virtualised server supported by two virtualised clients and six onsite clients, each running FactoryTalk View SE. Winemakers and operators use this supervisorylevel HMI to specify process streams, crushing speeds and fermentation schedules; plus monitor the operational status of the entire plant. The Angaston site allows maintenance operators to keep a close watch on trends using remote access via FactoryTalk ViewPoint or the virtual clients without having to come to site. This system is integrated with Yalumba’s proprietary ‘wine management
PowerFlex drives control compressors, screw feeders, crushers, pumps, presses and agitators.
WINEMAKING
system’ which is a non-commercial database of all vintages for the purpose batch tracking for label integrity. FactoryTalk View SE is a key component of Oxford Landing’s automation system, providing a clear view across entire lines and production processes. This unified site-wide monitoring and control via the terminals and numerous plantfloor PanelView Plus human-machine interfaces (HMI). “Having everything on a common visualization platform was an attractive part of the package,” said Ide. From a programming point of view, Integrated Architecture provides a common development environment for all applications utilising the mobility and virtualisation of the FactoryTalk system. FactoryTalk allows data tags created in one application to be immediately available to all applications across the integrated architecture system. The ability to share data tags considerably reduces the software development time. The whole network was connected in the workshop and programmed at the same time. There was one tag database available to both the SCADA and the PLC programmers. Any tag created was immediately available to everybody so there was no importing, exporting, connecting or waiting. From the onset, the system could be programmed concurrently so there was no time delay.
Flexing muscle At the heart of the system, more than 10 Allen-Bradley ControlLogix
programmable automation controllers (PAC) perform the hybrid functionality required of sequential, process and drives control. This includes overseeing a myriad of Allen-Bradley PowerFlex drives that control screw feeders, crushers, pumps, presses, agitators, and so on; and also encompass enhanced PID control of temperature. “We have introduced a system for automatic dosing of yeasts for ferments which is also controlled by this system,” said Ide. ControlLogix also controls the advanced refrigeration plant – perhaps the most critical function of all. “The refrigeration plant is our main tool for controlling temperature at all stages of the process,” said Ide, explaining that three ammonia compressors and a pumping system circulate liquid ammonia through the must chillers, ‘rack and return tanks’, and fermentation vessels as required. The control system works out the required load and directs which should be the lead compressor and what the optimum settings are, based on how much cooling is needed for the required fermentation rates. “We have also just installed a PowerFlex 755 variable speed drive on the 450kW motor of our lead compressor increasing efficiency, flexibility and saving energy over the vintage period,” added Ide. To link the automation system all together, the Oxford Landing plant utilises a site-wide Ethernet/ IP network that connects the SCADA server and clients with each other and the ControlLogix PACs for a seamless flow of information through the
plant. A ControlNet communications network provides high speed peer-topeer communications, while devicelevel communications are provided by DeviceNet. In addition, CompactLogix is used as the control system for equipment such as press and cross flow filters, which are networked back to the ControlLogix via Ethernet. FactoryTalk ViewPoint provides visibility remotely via a tablet, which delivers real time and historical trending. “As a result of the success of we’ve had with FactoryTalk View SE integrating all areas of our plant in one platform, we’ve now rolled it out at our Yalumba site in Angaston,” said Ide.
Two shades of green The Oxford Landing site is ‘green’ in more than one sense, with a number of strategies in place to ensure environmentally friendly practices. The refrigeration system is highly efficient, with the option of off-peak loading to reduce both electricity costs and power consumption through maximised compressor efficiency. In addition, the hot return ammonia gas heats the water used for washing tanks throughout the plant, plus Oxford Landing has its own complete wastewater recycling plant which is also interfaced with the FactoryTalk View SE system for visualisation and control. The plant and wastewater facility is running at best practice and recently won an Environmental award from the South Australian Wine Industry Association for implementing an innovative cross flow filtration system that minimises waste going to the plant while
increasing yield. At Oxford Landing, the ultimate goal has always been to achieve a continuous production flow through the plant. Ide believes that the Integrated Architecture from Rockwell Automation is key to ensuring that this objective is met and maintained. “FactoryTalk View allows us to see trends in real time, and we can backtrack to specific batches as required,” he says. “Troubleshooting is also easy. For example, we can delve right down into the drives remotely, changing programming and configuration and perform pretty much anything. That’s the advantage of a fully integrated system which has a consistent look and feel across the board.” “In addition, we are currently utilising our newly installed FactoryTalk EnergyMetrix system to control the maximum kVA demand and email alarms when we are nearing the limit. We are in the stages of using the integrated system to automatically shut down other non critical motors to reduce demand when we are approaching the limit,” explained Ide. Yalumba has shown that efficiency leads to quality and by using automation, efficiency can be increased and quality improved. It is the juxtaposition of highvolume processing technology and winemaking art that is making Yalumba successful, granting it the ability to deliver bottles of red and white that are finding favour, and flavour, the world over. Rockwell Automation Australia 03 9757 1111 www.rockwellautomation.com
The Oxford Landing winery is an environmentally friendly plant incorporating the latest in winemaking technology. 12 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
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Flavour Makers are proud to announce the opening of our Sydney Culinary Centre located in Macquarie Park. Our new fully equipped presentation kitchen and boardroom facility allow our customers to explore and experience their food concepts, enabling immediate involvement in the product development process. We welcome you to discuss your needs with a member of our Sydney team, and let us assist with turning your dream into an amazing reality.
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CONTRACT MANUFACTURING
Maltra Food's clients receive more than just contract manufacturing services.
Finding success with a little help from friends Contract manufacturing is on the rise. While the practice holds attraction for both parties involved, it can also have its pitfalls and should be approached with caution. Matthew McDonald writes.
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ontract manufacturing - the production of goods by one business on behalf of another business - has long played a role in the food and beverage industry. However, according to Tony Pititto National Head of Food and Beverage at Grant Thornton Australia, over the last five or ten years the practice has not only become more prevalent but also spread to a broader range of products. “It really started off in the areas where consumers didn’t really care - staple items such as sugar and flour,” Pititto told Food & Beverage Industry News. “These days you can have contract manufacturing in a whole range of different areas - cereals, snack foods, pet foods, canned products, anything that’s ready to eat…it really has
become prevalent in all areas.” He explained that the popularity of private labels and supermarkets’ own brands is behind much of this growth. The demand is there so retailers are all too happy to grow their own brands. And by growing their own brands they provide more work for contract manufacturers.
Who does it? According to Pititto, contract manufacturers tend to fall into two categories. First, there are mid-sized businesses which don’t have their own labels. All their manufacturing work is undertaken on behalf of somebody else and carries that second party’s brand. The second category includes larger manufacturers which produce their own branded products.
14 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
“Those manufacturers that have brands will do it because a supermarket comes to them and says, ‘we want you to do this product in our label’,” said Pititto. They are generally happy to accept
approached by retailers to produce a product but who are already operating at capacity and can’t handle the extra work, will often accept the contract and contract it out to a third party. Again, the motivation is to protect
"The popularity of private labels and supermarkets' own brands is behind much of the growth in contract manufacturing..." the extra work, often because it allows them to work to capacity and means plant and machinery isn’t left idle. Also, by accepting the contract work, these manufacturers ensure the job doesn’t go to someone else. “It’s really protecting their own products,” said Pititto. On top of that, businesses which are
their own brand. If they don’t accept the contract somebody else will and, as a result, their own brand could suffer.
The attractions for clients Melbourne-based Maltra Foods describes itself as an expert in dry powders and blending. Its brands include GreenSpoon, Arkadia
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Beverages and Teisseire Syrups. The company is also a contract manufacturer and is currently looking to expand this part of its business. “We do a plethora of products focussed on food and beverage dry powder products,” Maltra’s Sales Manager Frank Eydlish told Food & Beverage Industry News. The long list of products the company can produce includes hot and cold beverage powders, soft serve or ice cream powder mixes, sports nutrition and dietary supplements, baking mixes and health foods, milk powders and fortified milk powders, sugars (including specialty sugars) and natural sweeteners. “We are basically an end to end solution business,” said Eydlish. And this is a key attraction for potential clients. Maltra’s clients receive more than just contract blending and packing services. They also receive the benefit of the company’s innovation and R&D capabilities. The company handles all procurement and sourcing, and all finished products are quality certified. “And we do all project management and also have an in-house marketing department to help other people launch their products,” said Eydlish. In addition, Maltra has its own state-of-the-art blending and packing facility which Eydlish describes as “one of the best manufacturing plants in Australia.” “When people use Maltra Foods they don’t have to invest massive dollars into their own manufacturing plant because we fulfil that requirement. We’ve done all the investing for them,” he said. Flexibility is another key benefit of working with Maltra. The company can handle runs ranging from as little as 400kg right up to container loads of product. And packing options range from small 20g sachets up to 500kg bulk bags. From July 1 more transparent country of origin labelling laws will come into force in Australia. “This has created more demand for Australian made,” Maltra’s Brand & Project Manager Nathan Alfrey told Food & Beverage Industry News. “… so we’re expecting that to drive a lot more customers to our door that are currently manufacturing overseas.” However, whatever happens, the company does not foresee a time
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when it will dedicate all its energies to contract manufacturing. “We’ll definitely be retaining our own brands. It’s something the business has focussed on in the last decade and we will continue to do that,” Eydlish said.
Costs and margins There is much to be said for producing your own brands and, despite its recent growth, there are negatives associated with contract manufacturing. Pititto offered some words of warning for businesses considering taking on such work. “The biggest negative is that the margins are very low,” he said. “These businesses really need to understand what the costs of the manufacturing is and [work out if] they are actually extracting a decent margin.” “Our experience is that a number of mid-sized businesses in Australia really don’t know their costs that well. So they say, ‘yes they’ll do it’, but they don’t actually realise they’re losing money.” “The other risk is that there’s very little loyalty involved. Because there’s no intellectual property associated with the manufacturing anyone can go out and do it. It can be quite cut-throat.” He advised trying to secure longer term contracts. “The length of the relationship is important because if you get a longer term agreement you don’t run the risk of being dumped,” he said. And from the point of view of those considering using a contract manufacture, he advised taking time to find the right partner. “Making sure their quality systems are strong is important,” he said. Although contract manufacturers have no rights in the area of branding, Pititto pointed out that “there can be instances where the contract manufacturer actually develops some IP in the manufacturing or the processing of the product.” “So it’s important that they protect that IP as part of the process so, if they do get dumped, it doesn’t go with the product,” he concluded. Grant Thornton Australia 02 8297 2400 www.grantthornton.com.au Maltra Foods 03 9543 3113 www.maltrafoods.com www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 15
CONVEYOR SYSTEMS
Conveyor cooking systems rolling towards profit The use of advanced conveyor cooking systems has improved product quality and cooking efficiencies among food processors, while also saving on costs. Sam Murden writes.
I
n search of enhanced quality, safety and efficiencies food processors throughout the world are adopting more advanced, sophisticated cooking systems. In Australia there is more incentive to upgrade these systems – government grants to incorporate added energy efficiencies into plants via the use of innovative technologies and equipment. “Emphasis on the quality of the foods is one of the more noticeable trends in this market, particularly on the retail side,” Barry Hansell, sales manager at Sydney’s Reactive Engineering, a supplier of processing and packaging equipment for medium to large-size processors told
Food & Beverage Industry News. “Ready-to-eat meals sold by retailers are a good example. Ten years ago you’d be hard pressed to find really good quality in frozen meals. But now processors are focussing more on the fresh-prepared meals, which allow for a lot higher quality, and on much greater variety of dishes than we saw in the past.” There is strong evidence that the move towards improved quality and greater variety is also being driven by the availability of more advanced and flexible cooking systems. Another influence is the Australian government’s grant programs that support the investigation and implementation of energy efficient projects.
16 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
Such grants to food processors can help to reduce the payback period of projects, and offset the financial risk of investing in innovative technologies. “Yield improvement remains important to Australian processors,” Hansell said, “But with newer cooking system designs, they no longer have to sacrifice quality to get a bit of extra yield. Today the opportunity exists for them to gain or at least maintain yield while improving on quality and cooking efficiencies.” Hansell explained that, increasingly, his customers are switching over from sometimes unsystematic and more labourintensive batch cooking to high-
efficiency inline or conveyor processing that improves on quality, consistency, yield improvement, and throughput. Extended shelf life plus improved taste and appearance are significant among quality improvements, he adds.
Meat fillings & toppings Sydney-based Prontier produces ready-to-eat protein sandwich fillings as well as meats for pizzas and salad toppings, and covers all aspects of manufacturing, distribution and retail operations. “The majority of our business comes from sandwich meats that we cook, slice, and marinate for the lunch trade in the foodservice category,” explained Saxon Joye, Prontier founder and managing director. Joye adds that his philosophy doesn’t follow a rulebook. “I grew up in a restaurant kitchen –if you dream it, I’ll find a way to make it,” is his trademark position on sandwich fillings. This philosophy has led Prontier to a stream of innovations, such as the recent acquisition of two conveyor cooking systems, a flame grill and a spiral oven. This equipment enables Prontier to achieve added flavour and a more authentic appearance for its products, plus the improved efficiencies of inline cooking. The flame grill individually quick-flames products and maximises the effects of flame-searing while minimising yield losses. The multiple independently controlled burners and touch screen recipe selection make this unit flexible and efficient. “We use this equipment to wrap the outside of ready-to-eat items in flames and seal the meat,” Joye explained. “It also browns meat products such as chicken with a char-grilled stripe, which creates a fabulous presentation. The natural-looking flamed colour and authentic grilled flavour are important advancements for us. They are dramatic improvements in the quality.”
CONVEYOR SYSTEMS
Prontier’s meats are fully spiral oven, a highly flexible, smallfootprint cooking system developed for processors who want the benefits of continuous conveyor-style cooking with reliable consistency and lower energy usage. “Now, instead of batch processing we have a ‘production river,’ which provides huge labour saving advantages, and gives us real control over the way we finish every
and other small cooking devices,” said Ben Watt, general manager. “When we first looked at the spiral oven, it seemed like a great piece of equipment that could have a lot of potential uses, which is exactly what it has. We’ve had ours for about 18 months, and we run a whole lot of items through it. We can steam, roast, bake, and super roast (roast and steam). The system is really versatile, so it’s in use almost all the time.”
"With newer cooking system designs, Australian processors no longer have to sacrifice quality to get a bit of extra yield." individual piece of food, making it a beautiful product,” said Joye.
Spiralling into control The spiral oven is also a key cooking system at Sydney-based Primo Moraitis Fresh, which manufactures, processes and packages high quality ready-to-eat salads, soups and fresh cut processed vegetables. Primo Moraitis Fresh caters to retail, foodservice, industrial manufacturers and quick service restaurants. “Before getting this equipment Projekt1 15.06.16 10:01 Seite we used little combination ovens1
Among Primo Moraitis Fresh’s principle products are wet salads, including items such as creamy pastas, potato salads and coleslaw. “We use a lot of bacon, pancetta and meats like that,” Watt explained. “So we roast those items through the spiral oven. The continuous process gives us great volume with a very even cook and great consistency.” Watt said that his spiral oven is also used for steaming potatoes, not only because of the systems versatility, but also because of its speed and the fact that the spiral
oven does a better job than boiling the potatoes in water. Currently, Primo Moraitis Fresh produces approximately 400 kilos of steamed potatoes per hour using this conveyor cooking system.
Efficiency and output Jewel of India is another Australian processor using a spiral oven in combination with a spiral chiller to meet its high quality standards while improving yields and other efficiencies. Jewel of India is a ready-to-eat, chilled-meat manufacturer cooking a range of authentic Indian foods including chicken and meatball dishes, ready-to-eat curries, simmer sauces, cocktail and finger foods and Naan breads. Headquartered in Sydney, the company supplies to clubs, hospitals, airlines and stadiums as well as butchers and delis, supermarkets, and caterers that service the military and mining industries. “A spiral oven is installed in our new high-risk production facility, which will provide us with food safety similar to the newest European and pharmaceutical standards,” said Jim Keating, Jewel
of India general manager. “We will primarily cook chicken on this system. But the system will be able to cook other items that we may adopt in the future. We have done trials on meatballs, molded lamb balls, chicken balls and fish through the spiral system and it has proved to be very flexible. The system will allow us to adapt quickly to market changes, so we don’t run the risk of being left behind.” Although the spiral oven is newly installed, Keating said he expects overall yield improvements to be between 15 and 20 percent. Other important efficiency features the new system is expected to provide include improved throughput, optimised consistency and reduced labour. “Improved cooking quality and efficiencies are very important,” said Keating. “Today, it’s really about output; it’s longer all about input –the price of beef or lamb, the price of power etc. But if you can improve the quality and efficiency within your operation, that is where your competitive advantage and profits lie.” Flexion Corporation Australia 07 3879 4180 www.flexicon.com.au
www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17
CONVEYOR SYSTEMS
Bag dump station with tubular cable conveyor This manual dumping station with integral Flexi-Disc Tubular Cable Conveyor collects dust created during manual dumping from bags, boxes, pails and other containers, and gently conveys the material at any angle over short or long distances. The unit features a high velocity vacuum fan that draws airborne dust from the operator’s atmosphere onto cartridge filters. Automatic reversepulse filter cleaning allows continuous, efficient operation; timer-activated solenoid valves release short blasts of compressed plant air inside the filters causing dust build-up on outer filter surfaces to fall into the hopper. Filters are readily accessed by removing the interior baffle, and replaced using quick-disconnect fittings. The conveyor moves material using high-strength polymer discs affixed to a stainless steel or galvanised cable,
that slide fragile materials within smooth stainless steel tubing, gently, quietly and dust-free, horizontally, vertically or at any incline. The discs and cable are driven by a wheel at one end of the circuit and put under tension by a wheel at the other end, and fully evacuate the conveyor of material. The modular system can have single or multiple inlets and outlets, and convey over short distances or hundreds of metres. Constructed of stainless steel finished to food, dairy, pharmaceutical or industrial standards, the system is particularly suitable for manual dumping and conveying of food products that are prone to breakage or degradation including: cereals, coffees, teas, dried fruits, frozen vegetables, grains, nuts, peas, pet foods, seeds, snack foods and spices. Typical non-food applications include bulk chemicals, minerals, chopped
fibreglass, microspheres, regrind, pellets, tobacco and other friable materials.
Flexion Corporation Australia 07 3879 4180 www.flexicon.com.au
Easy handling roller wheels Hard-wearing cast polyamide is increasingly used to cost-efficiently fabricate industrial castors, pallet rollers, flanged and grooved wheels and idler wheels on materials handling machinery, indoor conveyor vehicles, transport wagons and as an alternative to metals and rubber in goods transport. The material’s low weight, low friction and resulting ease of handling means polyamide wheels and rollers have far less damaging or marking impact on expensive floors in process areas, while also offering OH&S benefits with their easy rollability. Their resistance to chemicals means they stand up well to use in laboratories, hazardous storage and production areas in many industries. The Wearlon family of polyamides from Cut To Size Plastics is suitable for OEM use and clean and green metal replacement in applications
including manufacturing and process engineering, mining and energy, oil and gas, transport and construction, food, beverage and primary production and water and waste water. The polyamides – which incorporate the globally proven LiNNOTAM range of cast polyamides from international manufacturer and fabricator of engineering plastics Licharz – are particularly suitable for operation in humid and wet environments; operations in extreme temperatures; and operations where chemical exposure is an issue. According to Pat Flood, NSW Manager of Cut To Size Plastics, the material can be economically fabricated in almost any size. “Wearlon excels in applications involving hygienic and durable transmission of mechanical force, movement of industrial components and minimising friction in
18 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
production and materials handling processes,” explained Flood. “Specific formulations of polyamides are available for wheels and rollers offering a high degree of durable elasticity that ensures any flat spots which develop under static load become quickly and reliably round again. In this way, vibration-free running can be achieved after a very short distance.” Extreme Pressure (EP) wheels can also be fabricated from polyamide, performing best when used in clean application where foreign matter or material is not lying on the floor or track. “The Wearlon polyamide family offers excellent toughness, low coefficient of friction and good abrasion resistance, making it an ideal replacement for a wide variety of materials from metal to rubber,” said Flood.
Cut To Size Plastics 02 9681 0400 www.cuttosize.com.au
NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN 2016
11th August, 2016 – MCG, Melbourne For more information and to nominate visit www.paceawards.com.au
BEVERAGES
Sugary drinks in the firing line
The British Government’s recent decision to combat the rising incidence of obesity in the UK by introducing a 20 per cent tax on sugary drinks has stimulated debate about whether a similar tax should be introduced in Australia. Hartley Henderson investigates.
B
ut is a tax an appropriate way to address the issue of overweight and obesity in Australia? Or is more education and better labelling needed, and should more be done by the beverage industry sector to reduce the amount of sugar added to non-alcoholic beverages? The Obesity Policy Coalition (OPC) points out that in Australia two thirds of adults and one quarter of children are overweight or obese, that sugary drinks are a major contributor to this, and that they are a risk factor for overweight and obesity, which can increase the risk of many common diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. According to the OPC’s Executive Manager, Jane Martin, the introduction of a levy of 20 percent on the retail price of sugary drinks is recommended by the World Health Organisation as a key policy to address overweight and obesity, particularly in children. “Added sugar is a key contributor to overweight and obesity and sugary drinks are by far the largest contributor of added sugar in Australian diets,” she told Food & Beverage Industry News. “Increasing the price of sugary drinks in Australia has the potential to reduce consumption by around 12 percent, putting downward pressure on weight gain and thereby preventing disease and premature death. “While education around a
healthy diet is important, a single intervention in isolation cannot be expected to have a substantial effect on overweight and obesity rates. That is why it is important to have a national healthy weight strategy which includes a range of elements to support healthy eating. “This should align with recommendations from the World Health Organisation including a tax on sugary drinks, tough restrictions on the marketing of unhealthy food to children, making healthier food available in settings such as hospitals, as well as supporting the widespread adoption of clear food and drink labelling to support healthier choices. This will work to help make the healthy choice the easy choice for Australians.” Martin believes the nutrition information panel on sugary drinks can be difficult for people to understand and interpret. “Some health advocates have suggested that icons like teaspoons be used to more clearly represent the amount of sugar in products like soft drinks. The public is interested in how much sugar there is in food and drinks, so this could be a way of helping them better understand how much sugar packaged food and drinks contain,” she said. “Some work has been done around reformulation and we have seen Coca Cola and Pepsi low sugar cola options and smaller can sizes.
20 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
However, these tend to be more expensive per 100ml and not as widely available or heavily promoted as their high-sugar products.”
Education not enough Dr Lennert Veerman from the University of Queensland’s School of Public Health says the current policy of informing people about healthy diets combined with diet and exercise interventions for people with overweight or obesity has failed to slim Australia down. “It is time to step up the efforts to combat obesity, and a tax on sugary drinks is one promising way to do this. Sugary drinks add calories but no nutrients, and because they don’t
contribute to satiety, those calories are ‘extra’,” he told Food & Beverage Industry News. “There is strong evidence that links consumption of sugary drinks to weight gain and obesity. We also know from studies in Australia and around the world that as prices go up, consumption goes down. The example of Mexico shows that this is no different for a tax on sugary drinks. “In sum, the evidence is pretty strong that such a levy on sugary drinks would have a beneficial health impact in Australia. Our own findings suggest, for instance, that a levy that increases the price of sugary drinks by 20 percent is likely to prevent 800 new cases of diabetes per year.” Dr Lennert Veerman from the University of Queensland's School of Public Health.
Jane Martin, Executive Manager of the Obesity Policy Coalition.
BEVERAGES
Lennert believes that educating people about a healthy diet is important but not enough, and that it is useful to draw a parallel with tobacco policy. “Telling people to stop smoking was a start, but not very effective. What brought smoking rates down was a combination of information, help lines, smoking restrictions, advertising bans, and taxes. It looks like we are going to need a similar approach with sugary drinks to reduce obesity rates,” he said.
Tax ineffective However, Geoff Parker CEO of the Australian Beverages Council claims a soft drinks tax will not solve the obesity problem as soft drinks contribute just 1.7 per cent of the daily intake of kilojoules for Australian adults. “There is still no evidence globally that soft drink has any impact on obesity rates. In fact, European countries like Denmark have introduced and subsequently repealed a ‘fat tax’ within 18 months due to its blatant ineffectiveness.
When introduced in Mexico, the tax only reduced dietary intake by 6 calories,” he told Food & Beverage Industry News. “Whilst theoretical modelling might point to taxes as a solution, in reality these punitive measures are ineffective, inefficient and unfair for a number of reasons. “On the other hand, there certainly is a need to increase education. A 2014 national poll of 2,136 Australians found that unequivocally, people saw education programs about a healthy diet and physical activity as the most effective way to address overweight and obesity, and the most supported. “On a scale of nine options to address the problem, respondents ranked nutritional information on labels (2nd) and vending machines (3rd) as the next most effective and supported options. Those measures to address overweight and obesity viewed as the least effective and least supported were a tax on soft drinks (8th out of 9) and restrictions by government on where parents can give their children soft drinks (9th out of 9). “The non-alcoholic beverages
industry has always been committed to ensuring that consumers are provided with high quality, safe and appropriately labelled products. Launched in 2006, the Daily Intake Guide (DIG) was introduced to ensure the energy (kilojoule) content of our beverages is clearly visible for consumers to compare products at the supermarket shelf and therefore make more informed choices. “In 2014, the Health Star Rating system was developed by the Australian, state and territory governments in collaboration with industry, public health and consumer groups. The energy-only declaration for beverages as part of the new labelling system is slowly replacing the original DIG which the beverages industry voluntarily introduced in 2006.” Parker said the industry is continuously developing new low and mid level sugar-sweetened beverages to offer the consumer alternatives to regular kilojoule beverages. “The industry is working closely with suppliers of various natural sweeteners to decrease the sugar content without altering the taste. In
addition to offering more low sugar alternatives, the industry is also working on decreasing the serving sizes,” he said. Australian Beverage Council 02 9698 1122 www.australianbeverages.org University of Queensland 07 3365 5367 www.sph.uq.edu.au Obesity Policy Coalition 03 9514 6406 www.opc.org.au
[Hartley Henderson is a regular contributing writer to Food & Beverage Industry News, covering industry developments in Victoria and South Australia. Prior to that, he held senior positions in government, semi-government and business enterprises and was National Program Director with the Productivity Promotion Council of Australia]
THE WORLD’S GLOBAL FOOD &LEADING DRINK TRENDS 2016 MARKET INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Mintel’s team of global expert analysts have identified and analysed 12 key trends set to impact the food and drink market in 2016
Al Ain Camelait Saffron Ice Cream, UAE Made with camel milk.
FOR EVERY
of Italian and 27% of Spanish consumers are incorporating more vegetarian foods into their diet compared to 2014. Yet just 7% of respondents from each country are vegetarians.
29%
25%
of US consumers who eat meat alternatives, excluding eggs, occasionally like to have meatfree days, such as “Meatless Mondays.”
of Australians say the food they eat is all, or almost all, vegetarian and 21% are avoiding dairy wherever possible.
New functional ingredients for natural sports benefits Beets
Maqui Berry
Beet It Sport Beetroot and Oat Flapjack snack bar, Finland High nitrate content from beets is reported to help the body recover from exercise.
Ko Maki Pure Patagonian Maqui Wellness Light Drink, Chile A high source of antioxidants, promotes anti-ageing, boosts the immune system and increases energy levels.
Deepening drought, worries about food waste and other natural phenomena are not only affecting the worldwide food and drink supply, but must come to influence food and drink production as well as preparation. Companies bring in “Based on a True Story” and share sustainability measures
Companies bring awareness to colony collapse disorder
Newén Maqui Antioxidant Nectar, Chile The product has been “made with respect for the forests of Chile and benefits small communities”
Products ease portion control when cooking for one
‘Craft’ claims used by companies of all sizes
Make it easy
Minor Figures Cold Brew Coffee & Organic Milk, UK Front of pack ‘craft blend’ claim.
of UK consumers would expect food produced by smaller companies to generally be more ethical.
21%
19%
23%
of Spanish consumers pay more attention to the environmental impact of the food and drink products that they buy.
19%
28%
of US grocery shoppers have used food packaging with information about product recycling and environmental
Use of artificial colours in global food and beverage introductions declined from 7.9% in 2011 to 6.2% in 2015; use of artificial flavours declined from 7.6% to 5.5%.
GOOD ENOUGH TO TWEET The rise of food-centric media has sparked a new interest in cooking, not only for the sake of nourishment, but for the purposes of sharing creations online via social media.
51%
of Polish consumers are keen to try more exciting recipes.
39%
Brillante a la Sarten Country-Style Rice with Chicken & Chorizo, Spain Cooks in five minutes and serves 1-2 portions.
C Zon Wok Opera Vegetables, France Fresh, pre-cut vegetables that are ready to be cooked.
Kraft Philadelphia Nature Cream Cheese in six 16.67 gram units, France Promote single-serving units as portable and longer-lasting for any size household or usage frequency.
Natural products keep connection with nature
Ramo Green Plantain Snack, Colombia 100% natural snack does not contain artificial colours or flavours.
Clean labels cleaning up
Nature Valley Simple Nut Bar, US Contains simple ingredients from nature including nuts, seeds, honey, tapioca syrup and sea salt. No gluten or HFC.
41%
of Italian consumers avoid food and drink that contains artificial additives/ preservatives.
71%
of US consumers agree that there are probably more harmful or excess ingredients in food than manufacturers are telling us.
Serve it like a Chef
Home Chef Chloride for Spherification, Spain For use in molecular gastronomy.
Sugar Coloured Sugar Paste, Israel Can be used to sculpt, cover and create edible decorations.
of German consumers say they are very adventurous in their
“Ancient grains” become more common
“Ancestral diets” are trending in pet food
Caveman Cookies, UK ‘Made with ingredients that cavemen had access to.’
Männl Ancient Einkorn Wheat Sticks with Chilli, Germany.
Best-In Barf Raw Chicken Wings for Dogs, Finland.
Researching tradition on a more personal level
Daylesford Organic Outdoor-Reared Chilli & Coriander Pork Sausages, UK.
42%
42%
Consumer demands for natural and “less processed” food and drink are forcing companies to reformulate to remove artificial ingredients.
History emerges as people embrace the Paleo diet
Single-serving units
29%
of UK consumers cooked from scratch at home more in 2014 than 2013.
Online shopping, apps and delivery services are transforming consumers’ access to deals, niche food and drink products and even full meals. Straight to You: On-demand delivery is growing The Groceria, Indonesia App that offers home delivery of fresh produce from traditional wet markets.
Making replenishment simple
Consumers’ negative stereotype that any and all fat content is “evil” has begun to diminish. The rising awareness of the many sources of “good” and “bad” fats is ushering in a paradigm shift.
of Americans who have ever managed their weight with diet identify fat-free as a claim that signifies a product is diet appropriate.
“Good Fat” Descriptions Are Rising
Global food and drink launches with “good fat” in product description with word variants, by percent of launches within 12 month time period, August 2010-July 2015 (% of launches) Aug 2010 Jul 2011 Aug 2011 Jul 2012 Aug 2012 Jul 2013
14%
21%
8% 10%
Aug 2013Jul 2014
18%
Aug 2014Jul 2015
47%
of Canadians who eat baked goods from January-March 2015 say low/no fat products are important to them.
FROM THE INSIDE -OUT As the adage goes with beauty, “it’s what’s on the inside that counts,” and more consumers are recognising that their diets can connect with the way they look and feel, creating a market for products enhanced with everything from collagen to probiotics.
66%
of UK women believe that diet is an important factor in determining the appearance of their facial skin.
62%
of Italians agree that it is better to get vitamins from a healthy diet than to rely on vitamins/minerals/ supplements.
mintel.com
Oils popular in beauty sector crossover to food
Vita Coco Coconut Oil, UK Positions itself for dual use either in cooking or as a beauty moisturiser and hair conditioner. Reinforces its holistic health position through cold pressed, extra virgin, 100% raw, gluten free and organic claims.
EAT WITH YOUR Flavour has long been the focus of innovation, but our more visual and share-focused society calls for innovations that are boldly coloured, artfully constructed and sometimes just cool.
Implications for retail: Shape offers opportunity for more innovation
Texture changes up the norm
Colour disrupts traditional perceptions
www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21
SpeedyShop, Switzerland Pilot between Migros food retailer, Swiss Federal Railways and Swiss Post to offer food via click-andcollect lockers.
Amazon Dash, US Online retailers offered Prime members a test of a branded button that consumers can use to reorder household products instantly.
Pernod Ricard Liquid Library A system of alcohol containers that automatically order replacements when they run low.
Kabaya Sakusaku Panda for Men Bitter Chocolate Biscuit, Japan Panda-shaped chocolate coated biscuits designed
Frucht Mit Nuss Apricot & Hazelnut Spread, Germany Fruit spread with hazelnut bits.
MaxiBAR Black Vodka, Portugal Made with vodka and wild fruits.
© 2016 Mintel Group Ltd.
19%
42%
of Brazilian shoppers agree that food prices rose from April 2014-April 2015.
21%
Honey Roasted Chipotle Almonds, Blue Diamond, US The manufacturer claims to donate to HoneyBee Research.
I don’t always take advantage of special offers to avoid throwing things away
BASE: 1,000 INTERNET USERS
40%
of Chinese consumers say they are eating more nonanimal sources of protein compared to a year ago.
Interest in natural and “getting back to basics” has boosted ancient grains and superfoods, fostering a principle that age-old food and drink staples are better than today’s manufactured options. This interest in history could become more personal.
Our expert analysis of the highest quality data and market research helps clients grow their business.
Consumers have been romanced by the stories products are telling about their origin, ingredients or inspiration, but confusion arises when similar claims are being made by legitimately handcrafted products as well as mass-produced food and drink.
of Brazilians drink juice from agree it is 21% refreshing to have juice after exercising.
For many people fitness is not training for a triathlon; it’s simply about becoming more active, showcasing a need for food and drink that helps consumers get acquainted with sports nutrition elements, such as hydration, energy and protein.
Food waste is a growing concern
Across age groups, more consumers are living in single-person households or occasionally eating meals alone. These meals for one require right-sized products and packaging as well as promotions that erode any stigma of dining solo.
Spico Gourmet en Casa Mexican Mix Risotto, Mexico 100% artisan risotto.
28%
Marine protein: Lifefood CRAWnchies Sea Lettuce, Finland Contains 18g protein in 100g serving.
TABLE FOR ONE
Artisan is a leading craftsmanship claim in Latin America
Veggie burgers and non-dairy milks have escaped the realm of serving as substitutes primarily for people with dietary concerns, consumers with allergies and followers of vegetarian or vegan diets and now have broader appeal.
HEAT EXCHANGERS
A Furphy worth believing Furphy Engineering, a company whose name has become part of the Australian lexicon, now has a new reason to feel unique. It is the only local manufacturer using laser welding to manufacture ATEX plate heat exchangers. Matthew McDonald writes
D
uring World War I, water carts made by Shepparton-based Furphy Engineering were used to deliver water to Australian troops. Like today’s water coolers, the carts became places to meet and talk. Of course, talk has a habit of leading to gossip, so stories heard around the water carts came to be treated with scepticism. And you guessed it, they became known as ‘furphies’. The rest is history. Today, stainless steel tanks and vessels are Furphy Engineering’s main area of business. The company counts dairy companies, chemical companies, and breweries amongst its many and varied customers across Australia. Food & Beverage Industry News recently caught up with Managing Director Adam Furphy (a fifth generation descendant of the company’s founder). He explained that one of the standard features for many modern tanks and vessels, particularly those used in food and beverage applications, is what’s known as cavity plate, dimple plate or cooling jacket. ‘Dimple’ refers to the uniformly bumpy surface of the plate. “It’s essentially an outer skin on the shell of the tank that is formed such that there’s a cavity between the outside of the tank and a second wrap of material and through that cavity glycol or cooling fluid can be run to cool the tank,” he said. Alternatively a heating liquid can be used to heat the product inside the tank via the same process. It provides a way for wine makers,
dairy factories, brewers and so forth to keep their products at the right temperature to optimise their processes. Furphy Engineering is the only company in Australia which uses a laser welding technique to manufacture Advanced Thermal EXchange (ATEX) dimple plate. In the case of tanks and vessels, the ATEX Plates are described as single embossed whereby only the thinner outer skin of the plate is deformed when the welded plates are pressurized. “That’s the way we’ve been doing the majority of our applications to date but recently we’ve become more interested in what we’d call double embossed ATEX applications,” said Furphy. He explained that, unlike the single embossed material created for tanks and vessels, double embossed ATEX plates are dimpled on both sides and are therefore suitable for complete immersion in the medium to be heated or cooled, doubling the heat exchange surface area. Plates can then be banked together using manifolds and tailored to fit in an existing installation, providing a highly efficient and customisable immersion plate heat exchanger. According to Furphy, the applications for this are far reaching. “We’ve seen inquiries for regulating key product temperatures, keeping waste water below regulatory requirements; or to simply cut costs by turning waste heat into pre-heat. ATEX allows us to tailor solutions to an even greater range of these heat exchange problems that are everywhere in industry,” he said.
The benefits
A heat exchanger manufactured from ATEX plates.
According to Stephen Lawrence, an R&D Consultant for Furphy Engineering, heat exchangers manufactured using ATEX Plates are also useful from a thermally sensitive point of view. They lend themselves to use as falling film plates in chillers and evaporators which are particularly suitable for delicate products used in food and chemical industries. “Making [those products] is difficult with traditional heat exchangers
22 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
because you get a rather short dwell time which means you have to transfer a lot of heat from the product to the heat exchanger very quickly and thermally sensitive products like that struggle,” Lawrence told Manufacturers’ Monthly. In contrast, using ATEX heat exchangers, the material flows down the outside of a long plate, allowing more time for it to perform the heat exchange. “This, in turn, is more delicate on the product and gets the end result more effectively,” said Lawrence. According to Furphy, the versatility of the technique is another advantage. “Any shape you can think of we can make in ATEX plate,” he said. “… shapes you couldn’t do before in terms of heat exchange become possible. Examples are pipe work and gas ducting.” In addition, the heat exchangers are made with food grade stainless steel, and are easy to clean and maintain. Furphy pointed out that laser welded dimple plate is currently much more widely used in Europe than in Australia. He sees a gap in the market which his company is now seeking to exploit. He offered an explanation as to why
Australia is lagging behind in this area. “A large number of the applications we’ve seen relate to energy saving of some kind,” he said. “That seems to me to be the real driving force behind the use of the products. Not all of it, but a significant feature.” “The Europeans are more dialled into this because they’ve had a longer period of high energy prices.” In contrast, he said, high energy prices and the need to reduce energy usage are relatively new to this country. “By and large in Australia industry is still getting its head around what possibilities exist and what potential there is to reduce their energy costs utilising some of the waste heat streams that perhaps exist on their existing sites,” he said. Pointing to the example of a northern Victorian laundry operation which was able to cut its water usage by 20 per cent and its gas bill by 14 per cent by installing an ATEX heat exchanger, Furphy said the savings are there for those who want them. Sounds like a Furphy worth believing. Furphy Engineering 03 5832 1469 www.furphys.com.au
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AUTOMATION
The data driven dairy of the (near) future The dairy industry is on the cusp of a revolution powered by technology and data. Brett Wiskar explores the possibilities.
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hroughout the food industry we are witnessing a range of new trends across automation, data, and intelligent systems. The dairy sector is not immune to these trends and the impacts will change how the industry operates. The current breed of semi-automated milking systems for example, has increased yields, reduced labour inputs and improved reliability. Though this has led some to believe that dairies are already highly automated, a new wave of efficiency is just around the corner.
monitor the yield of each animal and automatically adjust feed intakes to maximise the output of each animal in the herd. This will in turn empower famers to learn, respond and adjust their operations in real time to optimise their business. This is all part of a global trend known as Industry 4.0 or the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Dairies that embrace higher levels of automation and data driven insights across their operation will have significant advantages over the semi-automated operations of today.
Semi-automation makes way for autonomy
Data will be the difference
Dairy equipment manufacturers are bringing increasingly sophisticated, automated systems to market. This level of autonomy doesn’t just provide labour efficiencies. These systems will manage the feed and dietary requirements of livestock,
Dairy farms will have data across all aspects of their operation: cows, feed, milk, weather, grazing locations and conditions. Data will be centralised and the farmer will be empowered to refine the operation remotely. This might be used for simple tasks such as closing a gate,
adding supplements to the feed of a particular animal, or to review the impact of yesterday’s decisions. The analysis of operational data en masse will lead to incremental, but importantly, sustainable improvements. Those improvements are unlikely to come from broad sweeping changes. They will come from smaller, compounding improvements that complement each other. For example, finding a 1-2 per cent increase in yield might come from a combination of increases in milk yield through changes in a herd’s diet; waste savings through transparent tracking of volumes throughout the product journey; and traits that increase milk production being identified and bred into the herd. All of this will be enabled through insights coming from data. The automated nature of the next generation of dairy infrastructure will empower the data side of the industry in the following two ways.
Leveraging data from individual operations All aspects of dairy operations, from the grass and feed to the end product, will be tracked and measured. This will allow farmers to make the changes needed to drive their operations into the future. In the coming era, machine learning and predictive analytics will optimise operations on a micro level by making automatic adjustments, that the farmer would never have found, across the business. Although the gains will be minute, they will have a significant cumulative impact.
Dairies that embrace automation and data driven insights will have advantages over the semi-automated operations of today. 24 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
The power of combined knowledge The true power of data is derived from an organisation’s ability to interrogate multiple data sets. For example, Google Ventures recently invested US$15 million in a US based start-up, Farmers Business Network. This organisation allows famers to upload their operational data with anonymity. This is then pooled with data from farms with similar characteristics. Farmers can then access and benefit from that pooled data and the combined learning experiences. Data pooling like this is expected to impact the dairy industry in the next few years and the data is likely to emerge from one of two sources. The first is large scale dairy operations looking to gain visibility into and empower their supply chains. The second is from the manufacturers of the autonomous systems.
The future will favour the brave The transition for the dairy industry from the current semi-automated model to a more autonomous model will be a challenge, but not without its rewards. As new innovations are unlocked by data and automation, a wave will sweep through the industry and the early adopters of these technologies stand to gain the most. Those who move decisively to adopt a technology and data driven approach to their operations will be the powerful players in the industry of the next generation. Wiley 1300 385 988 www.wiley.com.au
[Brett Wiskar is Wiley’s Commercial Technology Director. He leads the company’s data and technology consulting initiatives and is focussed on driving innovation, operational and commercial outcomes in the food industry]
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MEAT & POULTRY PROCESSING
Technology boosting poultry processing efficiency Advanced technology and sustainability initiatives are key drivers in ensuring that poultry processing in Australia continues to be a significant growth industry into the future, writes Hartley Henderson.
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ustralian chicken meat production is forecast to increase by 3 per cent to 1.16 million tonnes by 2015-16 and is projected to reach 1.36 million tonnes by 2020-21. According to Ingham’s Director of Operations Excellence, Quinton Hildebrand, the company has implemented a substantial capital investment program over the past 12 to 18 months aimed at greater efficiencies, increased food safety, and substantially increased processing capacity. “This investment has focussed on our two largest primary processing plants in Murrarie, Queensland and Bolivar, South Australia,” he told Food & Beverage Industry News. “Increased automation in the primary processing plant allows Ingham’s to increase its volume of production significantly with limited
additional requirements of space on the shop floor and of skilled labour. The strong growth of our business allows the workforce to be redeployed within our operation.” Hildebrand explained that the main strategy is to reduce the company’s dependency on manual deboning, the process where the various parts are removed from the carcase and bones and skin removed. “Another aspect is computer controlled portion cutting which ensures not only exact portions but also optimises the use of the available product. Finally, improvements in the palletising and handling of the product streamline the process and increase efficiencies,” he said. Ingham’s has also developed a comprehensive and integrated sustainability strategy centred around water stewardship, environmental management, energy and climate
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change, zero waste, and corporate citizenship. According to Group Head of Business Sustainability Julia Seddon, sustainability is a focus for the organisation and a key business objective, which helps to identify business improvements and potential efficiencies. “Recent sustainability initiatives include a climate resilience assessment which is being used by the NSW government as a template for other organisations to assess their climate change risks. In addition, we have ongoing participation in a collaborative supply chain Life Cycle Analysis program with a major customer, and have employed a full time energy manager,” she told Food & Beverage Industry News. Seddon pointed out that the primary processing of poultry requires large volumes of water to
ensure clean, safe food production. “Increased consumer demand for poultry products, combined with one of the worst droughts ever experienced in south east Queensland, created a need for innovation at our Murarrie site in Brisbane,” she explained. “The site had already reduced water use by around 20 per cent through improved measurement, monitoring, water saving projects, and increased employee awareness, but further reduction required a significant shift in thinking. “Inghams recognised the need for action and invested in an advanced water treatment plant. The groundbreaking application of advanced water treatment technology has reduced reliance on mains water supply by 70 per cent and decoupled company growth from water scarcity. “This significant reduction in water use represents world’s best practice in water use management and is the first time such technology has been used to treat wastewater from a poultry processing plant anywhere in the world to substitute for potable water.”
Price war
Ingham's has implemented a substantial capital investment program over the past 12 to 18 months. 26 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
Commenting on key trends in the industry, Hazeldene’s General Manager Marketing, Michelle Daniel, points to a growing trend for the big supermarkets to tend towards private label brands instead of producer brands. “With poultry becoming a vast commodity, driven largely by price, this presents an opportunity for smaller supermarkets and niche players to differentiate with brands. The price war on chicken that commenced in October 2015 has driven more volume into the big supermarkets, and from a production perspective, the supermarkets are looking for better buying at higher volumes,” she told Food & Beverage industry News.
MEAT & POULTRY PROCESSING
“This works well for bigger players that can take advantage of pushing larger volumes through, but is more challenging for smaller players. “In terms of range of products, there are really three levels of poultry differentiation in Australia: traditionally produced poultry, RSPCA Accredited, and Free Range Accredited. “These flock types will continue but differentiation in the future may look to topics more broadly than welfare, like the exclusion of antibiotics, or antibiotic growth promotants, and the chemicals used in chicken production. Value added products will continue to develop as well as many flavours on trend being adopted in poultry products.” Daniel said that from a primary production perspective, the newest technologies in the world include controlled atmospheric stunning, evisceration equipment, aeroscalding, and air chilling. “Controlled atmospheric stunning is a method of slaughter that is one of the most humane in the world, and endorsed by the RSPCA. Birds
are kept very calm and put to sleep using different levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and then slaughtered unconscious,” she explained. “Evisceration equipment leads the way in effectiveness and safety. Machines are very well guarded, and inspection points are in different rooms to machinery, meaning the interactions between employees and
Michelle Daniel is Hazeldenes' General Manager - Marketing.
machines are minimised. “Traditionally, Australian producers use an ‘immersion scalding method’ prior to plucking, but newest technology adopts Aeroscalding which keeps birds on the chain, and they go through a room that is filled with clean, hot, steamy, mist that comes out of jets, hits the skin of the bird, and opens up the pores to allow easy plucking. Benefits include much lower microbiological load on the carcass through reduced cross contamination that immersion scalding causes, as well as using less water, and retaining all skin layers. “Air chilling technology has been around for quite a long time but adoption in the Australian industry is low compared with water chilling. Air chilling reduces the water retention in birds which extends shelf life, and customers get more protein, less water and a better tasting meat.” Daniel advised that Hazeldene’s is an early adopter of new technology and innovation. The company commissioned air chilling in 2006 and a new primary processing facility in 2012, which includes
controlled atmospheric stunning, new evisceration technology, and aeroscalding. “The new primary processing facility allowed us to reduce employee levels, while increasing production, and make the roles in that area safer and more sustainable. We will be looking for more productivity enhancements and efficiencies with further capital plans in the future that focus on the packaging end of our business,” she said. “The biggest issue we face is competitive forces in the market driving the prices down to unsustainable levels for a quality focussed player. Chicken has become so commoditised that quality can lose its message and relevance when price is the key driver. It is up to us to find quality focussed markets, and continue to differentiate on quality.” Hazeldenes 03 5431 1300 www.hazeldenes.com.au Inghams 02 9602 8744 www.inghams.com.au
www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27
BULK HANDLING
Fresco Systems handles crumbs with new system When a food manufacturing firm in Sydney had a requirement to feed bulk crumbs mixed with oils out of pallecons and into a process line, it knew it had a challenge on its hands.
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he product compacts under its own weight causing it to bridge and rat hole, making it hard to deliver into conveyors. Fresco Systems was able to prove through a series of product trials they had ability to work with the product. Fresco then designed and quoted a system that would allow the client to reduce the physical handling of the product while maintaining a continuous throughput, thus both reducing costs and improving productivity. The system provided is completely unmanned except for the loading and unloading of the bulk materials. Fresco Systems’ design philosophy makes it a natural choice for this type of application – where ergonomics, safety and productivity go hand in hand. For this application it was imperative that all contact materials were manufactured to the highest standard from 316 S/S and incorporating full safety guarding and interlocks to a category 3 level.
The custom designed solution incorporates a hydraulic bin tipper, with a graduated tipping angle to allow an even flow of product through a mesh into the charging hopper. The hopper was specifically designed with an agitator and fluidisers to negate any chance of bridging or flow issues. This then feeds a charging adaptor for the flexible conveyor, which is tuned via a VSD to match the downstream flow requirements. This complete system had to fit within tight space requirements meeting site specific protocols around operator access to controls and forklift loading of bulk materials.
of specialist engineers they are able to customise solutions to cost effectively meet or exceed clients’ expectations.
Bulk handling Whatever the system, having a thorough understanding of a products specifications before commissioning and being competent in the running of the system after implementation are vital. As a supplier offering specialist knowledge and turnkey solutions, Fresco Systems believes a major problem with designing and maintaining efficient bulk materials handling system is the
"The system provided is completely unmanned except for the loading and unloading of the bulk materials" Fresco systems is the obvious choice when the requirements are for anything that requires thinking outside of the square, with their team
28 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
fact companies do not know enough about their products. Turnkey solutions are highly specific and specialised to a
company’s particular needs. Different types of sugar, for instance, require different hoppers depending on the flow rate. “The ingredients size, shape, flowability and density will determine the solution put in placem,” said Fresco System’s Ken Hetherington. “Many companies will just tell you that they are supplied sugar, but will not know whether it is icing or granulated.” Once installed, operator competency is essential. Taking the time to read the system’s manual and develop a Standard Operation Procedure will help Turnkey solution providers like Fresco Systems benefit manufacturers as they not only custom design systems but provide valuable after sales support, maintenance and training of staff. Fresco Systems 02 9818 4822 www.frescosystems.com
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ON THE SHELF
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1 - Yummia Yoghurts
2 - 36 Short Rakia
3 - Charlie's Artisan Cafe Cookies
Yummia’s innovative Yoghurt is the first of its kind, with its unique combination of fruit and vegetables. Providing consumers an easy, healthy, on-the-go snack, the yoghurts are challenging the norm with their clever blend of ingredients. Manufacturer: Yummia Shelf Life: 30 days Packaging: 150g tubs Website: www.yummia.com.au
Rakia is widely known as the ‘National Spirit of the Balkans’. Whilst the traditional style of Rakia is known to be strong and robust, this new world 36 Short Gold Rakia has a rich aroma with a fullbodied, smooth mouth feel. Manufacturer: Virginia Spirits Shelf Life: Endless Packaging: Bottle Website: www.36short.com.au
This newly created collection is packed with real ingredients and made from scratch. The collection offers an assortment of old favourites and contemporary new flavours that are definitely taste bud teasers. Manufacturer: Charlie’s Cookies Shelf Life: 9 months Packaging: Individually wrapped or foodservice option for cafe jars. Website: www.charliescookies.com.au
4 - Cacao Vanilla & Chia Muesli Bars
5 - Ancient Grains
6 - Chicken & Chorizo Paella
If you lead a busy life but care about your health, these bars are for you. With only 6 grams of natural sugar, and the deliciousness of superfoods, cacao and chia, they are the perfect guilt free snack. Manufacturer: Food for Health Shelf Life: 12 months Packaging: 6 pack box Website: www.foodforhealth.com.au
Ancient Grains is a blend of Australian grown oats, with added rye, quinoa and puffed millet, giving it a nutty taste. Australians can be sure they are getting the nutrition they need from these four ancient grains including fibre and protein. Manufacturer: Uncle Tobys Shelf Life: 8 months Packaging: Box Website: www.uncletobys.com.au
A Spanish style dish packed with herbs, spices and authentic flavours. This complete meal is delicious, nutritious and easy. Just place in the microwave, heat and eat. Makes a great meal as is, or to take it to the next level, add fresh seafood. Manufacturer: Dineamic Shelf Life: 42 Days (Refrigerated) Packaging: Doy Pouch Website: dineamic.com.au
30 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
ON THE SHELF
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7 - Pink Grapefruit Cordial
8 - Slim Secrets Bare Bar
9 - ABE'S Fresh Bagels
Formerly one of the exclusive welcome drinks on Qantas International economy services. Hand blended with 25 per cent Pink Grapefruit Juice, this versatile flavour can be used in cocktails, mixed drinks or just with either still or sparkling water for pure refreshment. Manufacturer: Bickford’s Australia Shelf Life: 12 months Packaging: 750ml glass bottle (cases of 8) Website: www.bickfords.net
A combination of salted caramel with a hint of banana in a gluten free clean protein bar. The new Salted Caramel & Banana Bare Bar is low in carbs, sweetened with stevia and packed with protein and fibre. Manufacturer: Contract manufacturer Shelf Life: 13 months Packaging: 12 x 40g Website: www.slimsecrets.com.au
Prepared from recipes handed down through generations, then gently steam-baked – an irresistible dense and chewy texture. Free from artificial colours, flavours and preservatives, no cholesterol, 98 per cent fat free. Manufacturer: Abe’s Real Bagels Shelf Life: 9 Days Packaging: Bagel Bag Website: abesbagels.co.nz
10 - Hummus Chips
11 - Continental Stock Powders
12 - Shape It
You may expect Sea Salt to be similar to the flavours of all the other basic salted snacks on the chip aisle. But we’ve added a unique kick with the hummus flavour that will give you a much richer snacking experience.
Continental has introduced a range of stock powders with new recipes and innovative packaging. The line includes chicken stock powder, chicken salt reduced stock powder, beef stock powder, and beef salt reduced stock powder. Manufacturer: Continental Shelf Life: 18 months Packaging: Plastic bottle with sprinkle lid, and induction seal Website: www.continental.com.au
Shape It premium instant moulding powder addresses the challenges of malnutrition and social isolation for the elderly. Adding it to purees allows them to be shaped to a threedimensional form that either resembles the original food, or adds appeal. Manufacturer: Flavour Creations Shelf Life: 18 months Packaging: 200g can Website: www.flavourcreations.com.au
Manufacturer: Simply 7 Shelf Life: 10 months Packaging: 142g bag Website: www.simply7snacks.com.au
www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 31
MEDICINAL FOODS
Manuka honey is derived from the Leptospermum tree that is native to New Zealand and Australia.
Health and medicinal food markets set to grow With Australia transitioning from a resources-based economy to high value manufactured products, growing opportunities are being identified within the food processing sector for the development of new innovative products and niche markets, writes Hartley Henderson.
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n particular, Asian and South East Asian countries with their rising purchasing power are seen as potentially strong growth markets for health and medicinal food products. Bega Bionutrients is a recently created division of Bega Cheese, offering innovative ingredients for the health and nutrition market. Similar to Bega Cheese’s infant nutrition business, this investment follows the strategy of adding value and diversifying risk over commodity dairy products, while leveraging the capabilities of the broader Bega group. Bega Cheese already has an established track record in the bionutrients area, producing a number of bioactive dairy fractions from cow’s milk, and is one of the world’s leading suppliers of lactoferrin. The company’s Bionutrients Development Manager, Matthieu Arguillere, explains that lactoferrin is a protein that naturally occurs at high levels in human milk, and also in cow’s milk, albeit at much lower amounts. “Lactoferrin has been extensively researched and is currently used in infant formula, health foods and supplements for its immune enhancing properties. Research has indicated that it has multiple functions in the human body and has great potential for further
exploration and use,” he told Food & Beverage Industry News. “The possibilities for further expansion in bionutrient products are very positive. There are minor elements in many foods that have bioactive properties that can be beneficial to the health of the consumer. “However, these components may be sensitive and perishable in their normal food forms, not found at adequate levels to be beneficial, or they may also exist in their natural foods along with less desirable components. “By extracting and enriching them as ingredients, we can preserve their activity better, they can be more easily consumed, and the health benefits can be enjoyed by a larger proportion of people.” Matthieu said milk is a perfect example of this as there are a number of natural elements in milk, including lactoferrin, that have potential health benefits although these exist as very minor components. “Our job is to extract and enrich these natural elements so that they can be more easily utilised as ingredients in different products. We have also set out to conduct scientific studies to understand how these bionutrients work, establish their safety and demonstrate their
32 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
beneficial effect on health,” he said. “Building on our current business, we are developing new technologies to manufacture these products, as well as novel bionutrient products, and we expect to see some of the first of these being launched in 2016.” Matthieu pointed out that the health issues are global and that the company is seeing similar health trends facing its supplement, nutritional and health food customers in Australia, North America, Europe, and Asia. This indicates significant global market opportunities. “To help protect the consumer, health authorities are introducing stronger regulations and tougher enforcement practices to govern advertising and health claims, and what products are considered safe and permitted,” he added. “We are meeting this challenge by taking a scientific evidence-based approach to product development and providing customers with ingredients with proven health benefits. This is supported by our strong internal team of scientists and partnerships with top universities and research organisations in Australia and overseas.”
Super honey It has long been claimed that honey has the ability to cure many conditions
from cuts and wounds to fungal infections and skin irritations, but it has only been in recent years that greater understanding has been gained of the activities within honey. In particular, Manuka honey, which is derived from the Leptospermum tree that is native to New Zealand and Australia, has been found to have unique health and healing properties. Sales Director at Capilano Honey, Peter McDonald said that today, following extensive clinical testing in Australia, New Zealand and other countries, the unique value of Manuka has been recognised worldwide. “Manuka honey is now sought after around the world for use in hospitals, burns units, family health care, digestive health care, beauty and skin care, veterinary practice, and diabetes clinics, as well as other specialist clinics as a health food,” he told Food & Beverage Industry News. “When bees are collecting nectar from flowers, they introduce an enzyme to convert the nectar into honey and this produces an antibacterial activity in the honey called Hydrogen Peroxide Activity (HPA). However, HPA is very unstable and is easily destroyed by heat and light, so honey in the jar may have very little or no HPA left by the time it gets to the consumer.
MEDICINAL FOODS
The powder blending and packing processes at Bega Cheese conform to the strictest hygiene conditions.
Oxygen Analysers, Relative Humidity Sensors and Meters, Dewpoint Measurement
“But further research showed that when the HPA in Manuka honey was destroyed the honey continued to show strong activity, which became known as Non Peroxide Antibacterial Activity (NPA). It was found that this activity was very stable in the honey and could withstand both heat and light.” McDonald pointed out that the antibacterial strength of Manuka honey can be tested and the result is often shown as a strength number on the labels (e.g. NPA 10+). “Clinical trials and case studies have been undertaken on Manuka honey showing the honey’s ability to inhibit many strains of bacteria including Staphylococcus Aureus and the MRSA super bug (golden staph) in a wound care environment,” he said. “We are looking at partnering with New Zealand honey producer Comvita to develop the supply of Manuka honey in Australia. Both companies bring expertise on Manuka honey, which together should see increased production eventuate. “Manuka has strong potential both domestically and internationally. China is a significant market for Manuka honey, as is South East Asia, and increasing supply is important to meet
U.V Absorption Conductivity pH / ORP Colour
AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd Analytical Process Division
the growing opportunity, particularly in China. “Honey sales continue to grow on the back of consumers looking for healthier products, and we have a strong focus on expanding further into Asia where there is a great appreciation of food as medicine.” Bega Cheese 02 6491 7777 www.begacheese.com.au Capilano 07 3712 8282 www.capilano.com.au
Manuka honey has been found to have unique health and healing properties.
Head Office: Unit 20, 51 Kalman Drv Boronia VIC 3155 Ph: 03 9017 8225 Fax: 03 9729 9604 NSW Ph: WA Ph: QLD Ph: SA Ph:
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Industrial Water Analysers and Liquid Analytical Products (pH, Conductivity, ORP, Dissolved Oxygen, etc) www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 33
PACKAGING
Sealing in the flavour Sealed Air Food Care is a leader in technologies that help food packaging companies keep foods fresher, better tasting and more accessible to people around the globe.
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ood & Beverage Industry News recently caught up with the company’s President Karl Deily about the company’s products and priorities.
F&B: What are the main products that you make in Australia for the food industry? KD: Sealed Air’s solutions are as wide and varied as the Australian food industry. We offer barrier materials for packaging meat, cheese, fish and other products in multiple formats like bags, rollstock, and pouches. We also sell rigid materials for edible oils, yogurts and similar liquids. In addition, we provide pouches for milk powders, from large to small consumer size bags. And we offer advanced materials for soups, sauces, and condiments and other similar products. Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of commercial livestock and a world leader in exporting meat. This is why servicing this market is an important focus for us at Sealed Air in Australia. A solution that brings many benefits to the meat sector is Cryovac Darfresh on Tray, which supports the growing demand for more sustainable, caseready packaging for fresh meat. This technology more than doubles the shelf life of red meat, for example, when compared to the standard Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP) process.
F&B: What are some of the latest technological advances Sealed Air is using in its packaging? KD: Our Cryovac Flavour Mark provides an alternative to metal or glass containers used in the foodservice industry. The new pouches are resolving some of the storage challenges that foodservice kitchens can often have, as the product occupies up to 88 times less storage than standard cans. This new aseptic solution utilises industryleading technology to package high- and low-acid products such as condiments, fruits, vegetables, purees, beverages and dairy products, as well as products with particulates. It’s the combination of Sealed Air’s total solution approach along with key technology such as low headspace process technologies that makes the Flavour Mark System a truly game-changing solution for the fresh product category. We have also discussed Darfresh on Tray for multiple proteins and next generation extruded products that allow for increased performance at
The unfortunate truth is that over 40 per cent of the food produced globally is never consumed.
F&B: When it comes to packaging, what are reduced thickness. In addition, we are focused your main KPIs? - functionality, price or waste on ovenable ready meals, convenience features reduction? like easy-open, easy-open reclose, oxygen and KD: Responding to our customers’ needs and odour absorbing materials and aseptic solutions as challenges is our top priority and it shapes how we mentioned above. do business. Our customers’ needs may be dynamic and may vary, but our value Darfresh on Tray supports the growing demand for more proposition in Food Care remains the sustainable, case-ready packaging for fresh meat. same. We listen to our customers and drive to address their specific and unique KPIs. From operational efficiency, shelf life extension, food waste reduction, or specific food safety issues, we can provide solutions to meet their needs. Brand building is another key area and it encompasses package design and graphics, and protects their brand through distribution to the consumer. Although aesthetics and functionality are integral during the research and development process, we are also keenly focused on delivering extended shelf life and increasing film optimisation. It is paramount that our packaging solutions are innovatively designed and produced to protect food safety and prevent food waste. 34 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
F&B: What about the Ready to Eat and Ready to cook markets? - are these a big focus for you? KD: Yes, we have a variety of technologies to offer depending on the customer needs or product requirements. We have centre of the plate solutions for cooking and reheating as well as multiple components for cooking and reheating in ovens, hot water and microwaves. Increased awareness around the benefits of healthy eating combined with time-poor consumers has led to more demand for sustainable and healthy solutions in the ready meals category. This has translated into a wave of innovation spreading through this sector. We’re seeing healthier options, cleaner labels, increased shelf life and modern packaging designs altering the look and feel of the Australian ready meal aisles. Clever packaging can also bring convenience and improve consumer safety. For instance, solutions with easy-open product access can reduce the use of knives or scissors. This saves time and reduces potential for injury to the consumer or product damage. One such product is Sealed Air’s Cryovac Grip & Tear Small Tab easy-open vacuum bag, featuring a tab that opens packages in one quick motion when pulled. Designed for small portion deli items, including cheeses and processed meats, the Cryovac Grip & Tear Small Tab bag provides a new level of convenience for consumers. F&B: How much does Sealed Air spend on R&D as a percentage of sales? KD: At Sealed Air, we take innovation seriously. With more than 1,500 scientists, engineers, equipment and application experts in 56 labs and research facilities around the world, it comes as no surprise we hold over 3,600 patents. We recognise that we must invest in innovation to stay ahead of the game, and to do this globally, we spend approximately AUD$180-195 million each year on R&D. F&B: What about food wastage - is this a concern for your company? KD: Absolutely. At Sealed Air, sustainability is core to what we do and it is thoroughly integrated into our business. The unfortunate truth is that over 40 per cent of the food produced globally is never consumed.
PACKAGING
There is clear economic value in preventing food waste. Farmers, companies and retailers alike can save resources, reduce their environmental footprint and have a positive impact on the economy. As the President of Food Care, Sealed Air’s food and beverage packaging and hygiene business, I take the mission to reduce food waste seriously. It is critical to improve food security and access, but we must not forget that preventing this type of waste also makes good business sense. In Food Care, we are well-positioned to respond to the issue of food waste. Here are a few examples:
Darfresh on Tray (DoT) machines run on average 35 per cent faster than other skin pack and rollstock technologies, while producing zero film scrap. This drives: • Increased productivity: More product can be produced in the same amount of time; • Smaller utility costs: Less water and electricity are needed in the packaging process on a per kilogram basis; • Smaller capital costs: Three DoT machines equal the work of four standard machines (other skin pack and rollstock technologies).
• Meat packaging systems that use vacuum technology to preserve freshness and extend the time that meat can be consumed. Shelf life can be increased from days to several weeks or more. • Packaging systems that portion foods into amounts needed for meals, providing not only convenience, but the ability to avoid wasting excess portions.
F&B: What food sectors are your largest markets in Asia-Pac? Sealedmm, Air CC-en21-AZ031 05/16 KD: Today, we focus fresh meats, smoke News, and 150x192 Ergomodul, Food &on Beverages Industry processed meats, beverages, dairy products, poultry 02 9550 7888 sealedair.com and seafood. We also import materials from our
From packaging with re-engineered and optimised materials, smaller portion solutions, to better operational efficiencies to reduce energy and water use, we are trying to address the issue at all levels. F&B: How does Sealed Air’s latest packaging technology affect the energy usage of a food maker? KD: Smart packaging solutions can have a tremendous impact on the bottom line. When it comes to processing and packaging fresh meat, for instance, even the slightest savings can quickly add up. The Cryovac Darfresh on Tray vacuum packaging system provides plenty of efficiencies that save time and resources, while reducing waste and overall costs.
Karl Deily, President of Sealed Air Food Care.
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global manufacturing base. A recent report by Euromonitor International noted that the food and beverage industry in APAC is expected to reach a turnover of US$3.23 trillion this year – nearly equaling the rest of the world combined! With an increased awareness of the benefits that enhanced packaging solutions can bring to consumers, manufacturers and retailers, there are great opportunities for all food sectors in APAC. Sealed Air already has a deep focus on fresh meat and dairy sectors in the APAC region. Additionally, the company has invested in new innovations in the bakery and ready meals sectors, just to name a few.
PACKAGING
Welcome to the new country of origin labelling laws For as long as most of us can remember, Australia’s country of origin food labelling laws have been controversial and confusing. As Sharon Givoni writes, they are now about to change.
F
rom 1 July this year, country of origin and food labelling will become more meaningful even though essentially the same legal tests will apply (although there is some talk of them being changed). The complexities first came about because of the specific way the laws were worded, food grown or produced overseas could still be labelled as ‘Made in Australia’. The issue came under particular scrutiny in July 2015 when the frozen berries debacle emerged. Most consumers will remember the recalls that resulted from recorded cases of hepatitis A being linked to various brands of frozen berries. Apparently, the berries were imported from China and Chile. At the time of the incident, consumer advocacy group, Choice wandered down our supermarket isles and examined over 50 product labels, concluding that most consumers would struggle to identify
the origin of the food. For example, when Choice conducted a survey, they found that frozen mixed fruit and vegetables had varied statements on their labels and some were barely visible on the packaging. Statements such as ‘Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients’ make it hard to know how much of the contents are actually from this country and how much are imported from overseas. Further, as a result of the frozen berries outbreak, consumers voiced their preference for Australian-made products. This has led to a general consumer awakening leading to criticism of our weak labelling system. So this is where we are at. The new laws in relation to food labelling are set to address this problem with food labels now being required to provide more detail in relation to the quantity of local and imported ingredients.
What if all the toppings were sourced from overseas but the frozen pizza itself was put together and packaged in Australia?
36 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
The current laws relating to ‘Product of Australia’ or ‘Grown in’ are fairly straightforward as each significant ingredient or component of the product would need to have been packaged in or grown in the country it claimed; or most of the manufacturing and production services would have needed to occur in that country. The ‘Made in’ claim is a whole different story. Under the consumer laws, food and beverage products are substantially transformed in a country if they undergo a fundamental change in that country in form, appearance or nature such that the goods existing after the change are new and different goods from those existing before the change. The challenge is that the term ‘fundamental change’ is not defined in the law. Yet the cases indicate that if the form, appearance or nature of an imported product is changed such that the finished product would be regarded as a new and different product from the imported product, then this would be enough.
The controversy lies around the fact that this test could lead to a situation where certain processes such as freezing and crumbing may not have been enough to substantially transform the product and call it ‘Made in Australia.’ Conversely, peanuts, oils and salt sourced from overseas and made into peanut butter paste here in Australia may have fit within that definition. Then there are the examples of other foods, such as a pizza. What if all the toppings were sourced from overseas but the frozen pizza itself was put together and packaged in Australia? In some situations, that may be enough to call it ‘Made in Australia’ but the average consumer may expect all the ingredients to be from Australia. In the case of jam production, the raw ingredients such as fruit, spices and sugar could be boiled in Australia even though the ingredients were grown and sourced overseas. In some cases, the finished product could legally be described as ‘Made in Australia.’ So by now you will be getting the picture: these new laws will be a welcome change. Now, under the new labelling system, labels that display statements such as ‘Grown in’, ‘Product of’ or ‘Made in’ Australia will also picture a kangaroo with a triangle so that consumers can identify the foods’ origin at a glance. There will be an accompanying bar chart representing the percentage of the ingredients that are from Australia. Therefore, although businesses will still be able to use the ‘Made in’ claims if the bulk of production occurs in Australia, consumers will be able to know whether or not (or how much of) the ingredients are in fact from Australia. If the products have just
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been ‘Packed in’ Australia then the labels should feature the bar chart representing the quantity of Australian ingredients, but it will not feature the kangaroo symbol. The new laws apply to all food sold in Australia, from shops through to vending machines (but excluding restaurants, cafes and schools). There is no reason for food companies to panic about the changes. There is a two-year transition period to change labelling as the laws do not become mandatory until 1 July 2018. Until then, we will no doubt be seeing dramatic changes to the food labelling laws. Further, as always, businesses will need to put systems
and procedures in place to ensure compliance with the laws and proper paper trails so substantiate their claims. No doubt there will be a bit of getting used to the new labels but at the end of the day businesses and consumers alike should be left with
more meaningful country of origin information. We can all share a toast to that! Australian Institute of Packaging 07 3278 4490 www.aipack.com.au
[Sharon Givoni is an intellectual property and labelling lawyer. For legal advice in this area, other labelling questions or trade mark protection advice, call 03 9572 1334 / 0410 557 907, info@iplegal.com.au, www.sharongivoni.com.au] Disclaimer: The contents of this article are a summary only and must not be relied upon as a substitute for your own legal advice tailored to your own specific circumstances.
Retail brands set to make an impression with new packaging FMCG marketers have a new packaging tool at their fingertips that will help their brands command shelf presence, enable them to react quickly to changing trends or customise a design in a matter of days.
A
bbe Corrugated has commissioned the first single pass digital printer capable of printing high quality images onto corrugated cardboard. Called Impression, it’s also the fastest large format digital printer of its kind in the world. With the acquisition, Abbe and its NSW partner, Austcor Packaging, now have the capability to change the face of retail packaging and displays in Australia. “Impression isn’t just a step forward, it’s a leap forward,” said Anthony O’Sullivan, Abbe’s Managing Director. “There isn’t another printer in the world that matches Impression for size, quality and speed in this sector.” For retail brands the opportunities are enormous. “Impression is going to have a huge impact in a retail environment. We’re seeing supermarkets move to more shelf-ready packaging and brands that adopt this printing method will have a standalone marketing tool capable of stopping consumers in their tracks. After all consumers buy with their eyes,” said O’Sullivan. “The printer uses a unique
combination of ink technology and UV curing to produce images that have never been seen before on corrugated packaging – they have real ‘pop’ and deliver the ‘wow’ factor at a store level.” Being digital, there’s no plates or set up – art files are downloaded directly to the printer – which provides enormous flexibility and speed to market. “This means that customers can run a short-term promotion, produce a greater variety of designs and even personalise packaging quickly and easily,” said O’Sullivan. One such customer is Fine Food Holdings which has produced a display stand using the new Impression printer for its range of Ob finest gourmet crackers. “For us the quality of print on a display stand is very important – it needs to capture customers’ attention and reflect the premium nature of our product,” said Fine Food Holdings’ Director Todd Wilson. “On the new display stand the images are eye-catching and appetising. We’re very happy with the results.” O’Sullivan said the quality of
38 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
digital print has improved enormously in recent times but Impression is in a league of its own. “We’re at a point where digital can compete cost effectively with offset without compromising results. “Offshore printing may be slightly cheaper but you need to allow 6-8 weeks and sometimes when it arrives it’s not 100 per cent accurate. With Impression here in Australia brand managers have peace of mind.” Abbe Corrugated has been servicing the packaging industry for more than 20 years. It is widely recognised for its
high quality service, innovation, speed of turn around and understanding of the end user. “Service is at the heart of everything we do,” said O’Sullivan. “We don’t just want to meet customers’ expectations we want to exceed them.” Abbe Corrugated 03 9301 8888 www.abbe.com.au Austcor Packaging 02 9757 7500 www.austcor.com
The single pass digital printer is capable of printing high quality images onto corrugated cardboard.
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PACKAGING
Valve bag packaging for dry bulk foods Advancements in valve bags have provided European mills and flour manufacturers with a competitive advantage that many Australian dry bulk food manufacturers are yet to realise. Alan Arbotante explains.
I
n years past, manufacturers of dry bulk food products have shied away from valve bags, which were known for being messy and failing to provide reliable seals. As a result, open mouth bags gained popularity. But in recent years, many European mills and flour manufacturers have switched to valve bags. Despite the shift from open mouth bags to valve bags for packaging dry bulk food materials in Europe, few Australian mills and flour manufacturers have followed suit. Here, we take a closer look at the latest valve bag packaging advancements and their applications in dry bulk food packaging to help manufacturers stay up to speed on the latest developments.
allows product to escape into the air before the bag is fully sealed.
Sealing advancements Some of the earliest valve bags were self-sealing. Self-sealing bags are held closed by the force of the product in the bag, but they do not provide a food grade seal. Today, the most advanced sealing process for valve bags is ultrasonic sealing, which creates a hermetic seal that prevents the flow of air and moisture into a package. Ultrasonic sealing uses high
sealing. Reducing the amount of external heat that is produced during sealing reduces facility cooling costs. Since the seal area is smaller than open mouth bags, an ultrasonic seal on a valve bag is also more consistent and secure than traditional seals used for open mouth bags, such as sewn seals. The process of sewing a bag creates holes in the packaging, which allows air and vermin to enter the bag. With ultrasonic sealing, no punctures have to be made in the bag to create a seal.
Dust prevention Even though there are numerous stateof-the-art dust collection systems on the market, the best way to keep dry food packaging facilities clean is to control dust at its source. Much of the dust created in facilities is created when bags are transported to a sealer after being filled. For packaging machines that have only one sealer downstream, such as a single sewing machine, the time between when a bag is filled and when it is sealed creates an opportunity for product to escape the package. An improved dust-free way to package dry bulk food products is to keep the bag at the spout and seal it while at the spout. With the small opening of valve bags, sealing at the spout is possible. Using a filling spout with an inflatable sleeve that seals the area around the bag opening, advanced valve bag packaging machines are capable of producing a hermetically sealed closure with dustfree filling. However, be aware that some valve bag filling machines may appear to seal at the spout, but often the bag is removed from the spout and discharged, then it is sealed. This
filling bags to maximum capacity. This complete filling of a bag creates a block-shaped bag that is easier to stack and store. Block-shaped bags are also less likely to shift during transport and they are also easier to move with robotic grippers.
Speed advancements Valve bag filling has a reputation for being slower than open mouth bag filling, but advancements have made valve bag filling faster than traditional open mouth bag filling for packaging dry bulk food materials. High capacity multi-spout valve bag filling machines are capable of producing more than 1,600 50kg bags per hour and more than 2,000 25kg bags per hour. In addition, valve bag packaging machines with sealers at each spout minimises downtime. If a sealer needs maintenance on a multispout machine with only one sealer, production stops completely. Sealers at each spout allow production to continue even if one sealer is offline due to maintenance.
Conclusion
frequency sound waves that melt the plastic film bag material by vibrating the molecules to a point where heat is generated from the inside out. Even though ultrasonic sealing produces enough heat to seal a bag, it does not generate external heat like traditional heat sealers. In fact, the seal is cool to the touch immediately after
40 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
Palletising and storing Valve bag machines with pneumatic, vertical impeller, horizontal impeller and auger filling options provide more control over the densification and de-aeration of product, which ultimately impacts palletising and storage. Valve bag filling produces increased product compaction by
The bag packaging process is an essential part of the value-added chain in the dry bulk food industry, especially the flour industry. The use of valve bags as a replacement for the well-known open mouth bags is now a more feasible option than years prior. Only when the right packaging material is combined with optimum filling technology, can food manufacturers reach the best results in today’s competitive marketplace. [Alan Arbotante is sales manger at Haver & Boeker Australia]
Haver & Boecker Australia 08 6240 6900 www.haveraustralia.com.au
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ecognising that the food industry, whether growing, producing, processing or packaging, requires the most stringent conformity of compliance, CRC Industries has developed a complete food industry MRO management program. CRC’s Greenlight Food Safety program is designed to minimise the risk of contamination from maintenance products, as well as making identification of food-industry compliant products far easier all the while simplifying the audit process. The Greenlight program will compliment or improve a food company’s current QA programs including HACCP compliance. The visual identification program utilises CRC’s unique product labelling system to readily identify their level of conformity, thus maximising compliance and reducing the risk of contamination. This Greenlight Food Safety program aims to not only reduce the risk of contamination from a maintenance product, but also can reduce cost and inventory duplication and invoicing, while maximising regulatory compliance. The Greenlight Food Safety program is designed to work in conjunction with the company’s Food Grade Product Range. CRC offers an extensive range
of H1 Food Grade compliant products. Using simple product names, which relate to the application, the labelling system also clearly shows compliance levels for each product, and utilises a unique traffic light colour-coded system, coupled with QR Code with all information pertaining to the products, including SDS, Allergen certificates, NSF approvals and technical information.
The training component of the program ensures food companies use correct products, in the food production areas of the facility. All training is conducted by CRC’s TAE Cert IV trainers, which ensures complete understanding of the program, through detailed training. Implementing the Greenlight Food Safety program offers companies a complete range of H1 maintenance products with the unique labels, visual aids including a labelled product storage cabinet, Greenlight Checkpoint signs, wall charts, and a highly-visible Greenlight Food Safety program folder to store relevant literature.
are compliant to the NSF food grade product rating system.
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Australia. To further strengthen your Quality Assurance the GREENLIGHT Food Safety Program has also been accredited by HACCP Australia for use in the food industry to improve food safety when it comes to MRO maintenance lubricants.
NSF International accreditation All Food Grade products conform to NSF Standards, and www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 41
NEW PRODUCTS
Test kit for UHT and ESL beverage testing This new rapid test expands the application of the Microbial Luminescence System (MLS) from UHT dairy products to a wide variety of UHT and ESL beverages such as fruit juices, caffeinated drinks, coconut waters, smoothies, dairy, dairy substitutes, and dairy/juice mixtures. The system provides a rapid method for quality release testing, reducing the time-toresult by two to three days or more, compared to traditional methods like agar plates and pH measurement. Using bioluminescence technology, the Microbial Luminescence System detects ATP (adenosine triphosphate), an energy molecule universally present in all living organisms, no matter how small. This technology allows the 3M MLS to have faster time-to-result than traditional pH or agar tests, and more reliably detect a
broad range of microorganisms than traditional methods. Following a 2-3 day sample pre-incubation time, the MLS technology provides a rapid result in less than 30 minutes, eliminating the need for further plating and incubating of agar dishes. This expedited time-toresult enables beverage producers to release product quicker, reduce inventory and storage space as well as increase their flexibility and lab productivity. 3M 136 136 www.3m.com.au
Small cabinet coolers Exair's new small 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Cooler Systems keep electrical enclosures cool with -7°C air while resisting heat and corrosion that could adversely affect the internal components. The wear, corrosion and oxidation resistance of Type 316 stainless steel encourages long life and maintenance free operation. Cooling capacities up to 550 Btu/hr are ideal for small electrical enclosures and heat loads. Models with higher cooling capacities up to 5600 Btu/hr for NEMA 12, 4 and 4X enclosures are also available. The Cabinet Coolers circulate -7°C air throughout the enclosure to prevent high temperature malfunctions. They mount through a standard electrical knockout while maintaining the NEMA 12, 4 or 4X rating of the enclosure. Cabinet Cooler Systems include an automatic drain filter separator to ensure no moisture passes to the inside of the electrical enclosure. An optional thermostat control minimises compressed air use and keeps the enclosure at within 1ºC of the temperature setting. A side mount kit is available when
space restrictions prevent mounting on the cabinet top. Small 316 Stainless Steel Cabinet Coolers are available with cooling capacities of 275 and 550 Btu/hr and are UL Listed and CE compliant. There are no moving parts to wear out. Applications include cooling control panels used in food processing, pharmaceuticals, foundries, chemical processing and other corrosive locations. Compressed Air Australia 1300 787 688 www.caasafety.com.au
42 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
Gasketed plate heat exchanger The Alfa Laval FrontLine plate heat exchanger, with design pressure up to 21 (305 psi), allows a flexible design with plates tailormade for demanding hygienic applications. The plate pattern, the channel depth and the overall dimensions are designed for gentle, uniform heat transfer for sensitive dairy, food, beverage and homepersonal care products. The heat exchanger offers great flexibility as it can be configured with different sections, using plate and gaskets in different materials with several types of connections making the final unit suited to your processing tasks. A unique herringbone plate pattern with optimized pressing depth and plate material provides gentle, uniform heat transfer of sensitive hygienic products. Alfa Laval FrontLine is also designed with a wide stream plate for product containing particles and/ or fibres like fruit juices etc. The optimised design of the heat exchanger comes exclusively from hygienic demands and provides gentle and uniform
heat transfer between the two media involved, which prolong operating times. In addition, the unique distribution area ensures a uniform flow over the entire plate surface with no stagnant flow zones and less risk of fouling build-up. With increased Cleaning-inPlace efficiency and less fouling, the heat exchanger's plates are easy to clean and provide longer time between cleaning cycles, ensuring more production output. Alfa Laval 02 8822 2799 www.alfalaval.com.au
NEW PRODUCTS
Coriolis transmitter with Ethernet connectivity Emerson Process Management has upgraded the Micro Motion Model 5700 transmitter with a native Ethernet connection to improve connectivity and functionality, allowing for easier access to measurement information. It has retained its rugged housing however, which is certified for tough field environments, including extensive hazardous area certifications and approvals. The native Ethernet upgrade includes dual redundant Ethernet ports, directly integrated in the device with no need for extra converters or adapters. The dual port architecture means multiple devices can
be installed in a variety of configurations, minimizing wiring and switch needs for space and cost savings. Additionally, the transmitter incorporates a configurable I/O channel that can be used as a discrete input or set to a mA, frequency, or discrete output. This enables powerful application options with minimal equipment. To speed integration and connection with Ethernet/IP systems, the transmitter contains an EDS (Electronic Data Sheet) file for fast access to instrument information with little to no manual setup. This also enables automatic AOP (Add-on Profile)
generation for quick and powerful system integration. Pre-configured input assemblies allow users to select exactly what is needed from a wealth of information in a Coriolis meter, without burdening the network with unwanted traffic. Emerson Process Management 1300 55 3051 www2.emersonprocess.com
Machine analyser for explosive dust environments Emerson's CSI 2140 Machinery Health Analyser cuts through the complexity of machinery analysis, has been certified for Class II, Division 2 Groups (F, providing a simple indication of equipment health. G), becoming the only portable vibration analyser The Class II division certification covers a range that can be used in hazardous combustible dust of industries including coal fired power plants, food environments. production, chemical manufacturing, recycling facilities, The analyser, which already has ATEX and IEXEx and grain processing. Zone 2, and Class I, Division 2 Groups (A, B, C, and D) Emerson Process Management certification, provides an early indication of bearing 1300 55 3051 and gearbox defects before they lead to machine F D1 0 1 5 _ 0 0 0 _ F PE 1 2 0 1 5 - 0 8 - 2 5 T1 1 : 4 6 : 4 8 + 1 0 : 0 0 www2.emersonprocess.com outages. Its PeakVue signal processing methodology
www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43
NEW PRODUCTS
Solutions for motion control RS Components has released a range of products and solutions to help companies involved in motion control applications equip and maintain systems, such as conveyors, used in food and beverage processing as well as other sectors. Conveyor system maintenance is key to ensuring that the life of expensive industrial systems is extended well beyond a manufacturer's guarantee, safely and cost effectively. RS is suggesting a series of tips for maintaining these systems while keeping downtime to a minimum, including: employing maintenance engineers to repair small problems before they become large enough to affect the quality of the manufactured goods or cause expensive downtime; keeping stock of obsolete critical parts or those with long lead times; and establishing a preventative maintenance procedure with regular system audits and documentation to reduce unexpected failures. RS offers a number of options from leading suppliers - including the RS Pro range - to provide solutions for maintaining mechanical parts such as bearings, belts, pulleys, couplings, gears, gaskets, seals, dampers, height mounts and ball transfer units, as well as pneumatic components such as adaptors, fittings and couplings. Also available are many options for maintaining electrical parts such as motors, drives, sensors, sounders, beacons, switches, cables, connectors and pushbuttons. In addition, a range of supporting materials includes tools, safety signs, first-aid equipment, personal protection equipment, lubricants and sprays. RS Components 1300 656 636 au.rs-online.com
Meat freshness detector A new gadget may be the answer to a very costly dilemma. Australians throw out $2.67 billion of fresh food every year, according to a government survey of 1,200 NSW households. The FoodSniffer could go a long way in preventing this. Wondering whether a piece of meat is still fresh is not an uncommon problem for home cooks. When faced with this problem, the majority of people tend to dispose of the cut, which likely contributes to the billions of dollars-worth of fresh food being thrown out each year. The device is designed to 'sniff out' foul gases undetectable to the human nose, and will tell cooks whether the uncooked meat in their fridge is safe for consumption. Using sensors, the product detects the temperature and humidity of raw meat, as well as detecting ammonia and other dangerous compounds within the meat. It then sends the results to the owner's smartphone or tablet, advising them whether the meat is fresh, on the cusp, or expired. The product was created by Lithuanian inventor Augustas Alesunias, who claims it has an accuracy rate of 85 to 90 per cent. FoodSniffer 1300 30 33 34 foodsniffer.com.au
44 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
NEW PRODUCTS
Colour barcode label printer QuickLabels' QL - 111 industrial colour label printer can handle the just-in-time requirements of industrial businesses and label production lines. The printer produces labels with crisp text and highly scannable barcodes, durable print and colour-fast content.
Its reliable operation, 8 ips(200mm/sec) print speed and 600 dpi print quality makes the printer suitable for production facilities, packaging or shipping warehouses, requiring printed product pictures, logos, colour codes, barcodes, and other variable data elements. The printer prints durable labels that can get dirty, wet, scuffed, and exposed to sunlight and chemicals - all while maintaining legibility and colour fastness. The printer produces labels from 25.4 mm-109 mm wide and from 6 mm - 762
mm in length and is compatible with Gloss & Matte Paper and Synthetic pressure-sensitive; Paper Tag Stock materials. What's more, it doesn't require lamination to make dye-printed glossy, durable labels. Metromatics 07 3868 4255 www.metromatics.com.auau
Bulk bag weigh batching system This automated bulk bag weigh batching system meters ingredients into a flexi-disc tubular cable conveyor that transports batches of a specific weight to downstream processing equipment, dust-free. The Bulk-Out BFC Series Bulk Bag Discharger features a cantilevered I-beam with electric hoist and trolley for loading and unloading of bulk bags without a forklift. Flow-Flexer bag activators raise and lower opposite bottom edges of the bag at timed intervals, promoting continuous and complete
discharge of free- and non-free-flowing materials through the bag spout. The discharger rests on load cells that signal a PLC to stop a vibratory feeder that meters material into the conveyor once a pre-programmed batch weight has been metered out. Flexicon 07 3879 4180 www.flexicon.com.au
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If you have a taste for high standards in pneumatic technology, you’re invited to try us... SMC Corporation Japan, the world leaders in pneumatics and industrial automation component technology, has a large footprint in Australia and New Zealand. With a combined sales force of 88 sales engineers, 24 inside sales and 20 design engineers we would describe ourselves as being customer centric – offering customized automation solutions for all industries. Did you know? As the global leaders in pneumatics and industrial automation with a market share of over 40% in ANZ, SMC Pneumatics offers a range of over 12 000 basic components available in over 700 000 variant forms.
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smc PNeUmatics (aUst
positiv/graffictraffic/F&B/0616
• We were voted one of the top 100 most innovative companies in the world by leading business magazine, Forbes for three years in a row • We offer state-of-the-art production with factories and local subsidiaries in 50 countries, plus 400 sales offices and a distribution network in a further 32 countries
• Phone +61 2 93 54 8222 or call 1800 763 862 AUsales@smcanz.com or call 0800 132 0762 NZsales@smcanz.com
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SMC Pneumatics Australia | New Zealand Group
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2016/05/27 10:15:27 AM45 www.foodmag.com.au | Jun/Jul 2016 | Food&Beverage Industry News
NEW PRODUCTS
Modular safety controller Schneider Electric Australia, a specialist in energy management, has launched Preventa XPS MCM, a modular safety controller capable of monitoring multiple safety functions. The product is a configurable, embedded safety controller designed to protect industry machines and operators from incidents involving moving machine parts. It is capable of monitoring multiple safety functions, including emergency stop, guard monitoring, perimeter guarding, position monitoring, and speed monitoring. It is a modular controller perfect for safety applications requiring conformity with Category 4 standards EN ISO 13849-1 and SIL3 EN/IEC 61508. The controller has 8 digital inputs, 2 digital outputs and can be expanded up to 128 digital inputs and 16 digital outputs (relay or solid state). It is easy to expand a configuration from small into large, thanks to a wide range of communication modules. It is possible to build up to 6 island architectures via safe communication, with a distance of up to 50m between each island. Expansion is possible directly on the controller backplane bus as well as via the safe expansion bus. The modular safety controller was designed for simplicity. It enables customers to reach an exact match to the desired specification while reducing the number of components, and therefore footprint and wiring. An intuitive software and hardware layout optimise the system configuration. The controller can be connected everywhere, with a wide range of communication expansion modules. The flexible, scalable unit makes it possible to standardise safety monitoring devices from simple to complex standalone and machine lines. Moreover, to simplify the machine maintenance, the system has a removable memory card which can be used to transfer the configuration to a new controller in a single step. Schneider Electric Australia 1300 369 233 www.schneider-electric.com.au
Detectable plastics for food makers Treotham supplies a range of detectable and lubricant free high performance plastics from igus. The magnetic motion plastics are intended reduce costs, increase process reliability and help prevent foreign substances from entering food products. Metal detectors are now an industry standard in food and packaging plants. They detect metallic conductive particles derived from the production environment so that the products can be sorted out as soon as possible. But how can plastic particles be traced? The manufacturer has developed a special high performance plastic which can easily be traced with standard metal detection methods. The material is used in the igubal series which include flange bearings, rod end bearings, clevis joints, pillow block bearings and spherical bearings. Both the housing and spherical balls are made of the detectable plastic. This characteristic is sought after in other areas of bearing technology, for example, the xiros M180 lightweight ball bearing also uses detectable plastics. Additional safety is ensured as the high performance plastics do not require external lubrication. Treotham Automation 02 9907 1788 www.treotham.com.au
Portable Raman spectrometer The i-Raman portable raman spectrometer is a high resolution TE cooled fiber optic Raman System recommended for us in the food and agricultural sectors. Combining high resolution with field-portability, the performance is comparable to large bench-top Raman systems and weighs less than 7lbs. The spectrometer is equipped with B&W Tek's patented CleanLaze technology for exceptional laser stabilization and narrow line width. Other features include a spectral resolution as fine as 3.5cm-1, wide Raman shift coverage up to 4000cm-1, and a TE cooled 2048 pixel CCD array. With a convenient fiber optic interface, it can collect data to within 65cm-1 of the Rayleigh Line. The system's small footprint, lightweight design, and low power consumption provides research grade Raman capabilities anywhere! The spectrometer system offers 532nm and 785nm excitation wavelength options. All i-Raman systems feature a TE Cooled CCD detector, allowing the maximum effective integration time of several minutes. This makes the i-Raman suitable for demanding applications involving low concentrations and weak Raman scatters. Scitech 1300 724 832 www.scitech.com.au
46 Food&Beverage Industry News | Jun/Jul 2016 | www.foodmag.com.au
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