JUNE 2021
Better recalls through communication, visibility and action
JUNE 2021
Robern Menz continues to grow despite the impact of a global pandemic
PLUS: Packaging Showcase | Waste reduction | Improving efficiency
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I
n my first month as editor of Food and Beverage Industry News I have discovered very quickly some of the most important issues in the sector today. Even before joining the industry I new the food and beverage sector would be supremely interesting and has proven so. The June edition of the magazine has a special focus on packaging and its critical role in the manufacturing of food and beverage products. As a result, I spoke to a number of stakeholders about the role they play and the current and future shape of packaging within the industry. There has also been an increasing focus from companies to meet environmentally sustainable targets within the next few years and decades, with regards to packaging and the associated waste. Australian not-for-profit organisation GS1 has launched its Recall Platform, which the company hopes will help others mitigate the risk of contamination along the supply chain that often results in mass product recalls. This technology could be employed by any number of companies within the sector to help reduce stock wastage as a result of mass recalls. OFS spoke about the need for data driven technology for any manufacturing company looking to expand or even survive over the coming decades, explaining how data can lead to more efficiency and less long-term and short-term risk,
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4 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
among other advantages. This edition of Food and Beverage Industry News is also the first to feature a Packaging Showcase, which details some of the biggest players in the market and what they can offer. Meanwhile, for this month’s Meet the Manufacturer we speak with Phil Sims, CEO of Robern Menz, about the important factors involved in running a family-owned business and how it was able to navigate the pandemic, this included purchasing two of Australia’s most popular confectionary brands, Violet Crumble and Polly Waffle. We also have a case study from UKG outlining how companies can navigate rapid growth, using Marley Spoon as a key example of the correct method. Fluid control experts Burkert also supplied a case study around the growing aquaculture sector and how introducing AI benefited Huon Aquaculture. Total Construction CEO Jeff Jones speaks about how important it was for the company to receive a Federal Safety Commissioner accreditation and how it aligns with their core values of worker safety. We also have our regular Dairy, Marketplace, AFCCC, AIP and New Products sections at the back of the edition. Have a great month.
CONTENTS INSIDE 7 NEWS
12
12 MEET THE MANUFACTURER
Interview with Robern Menz CEO Phil Sims about surviving the pandemic.
16 TRACEABILITY
GS1’s Recall platform managing waste.
20 SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS
UKG case study for growing businesses.
23 DATA SOFTWARE
20
The advantages of using OFS software for efficiency.
24 HEALTH AND SAFETY
Total Construction awarded government safety accreditation.
26 WASTE REDUCTION
New food-grade secondary cleaner reducing high levels of waste.
28 AUTOMATION
Federal Government’s industry road map detailed.
30 PROCESS CONTROL
AI integration case study of Huon Aquaculture.
32 FOODPRO
Foodpro is returning to Sydney in 2021.
34 LUBRICATION
32
36
Bearing lubrication issues are addressed by SKF.
36 FOOD WASTE
Waste reduction solutions from Sealed Air.
38 PACKAGING SHOWCASE
First Packaging Showcase from Food and Beverage Industry News.
48 AFCCC
53
Cold chain solutions explained.
49 MAINTENANCE
Arnott’s factory in Adelaide undergoes maintenance renovation.
50 AIP 51 MARKETWATCH 52 DAIRY REPORT 53 NEW PRODUCTS
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5
NEWS
AFCCC issues call to arms to halt huge food loss and wastage T
he chairman of the Australian Food Cold Chain Council (AFCCC), Mark Mitchell, made a ‘call to arms’ at the APEC 2021 virtual conference for players in the cold chain to make better use of existing technologies as a means of building a robust and compliant cold chain. He told the international delegates from the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) countries that only a compliant cold chain had a chance of delivering consistent food quality and reducing food loss and waste. Food waste in Australia alone is valued at AUD$3.8 billion at farm gate
prices, coupled with the huge impact of poor temperature control in the cold chain that results in reduced shelf life. Mitchell said that while product traceability encompassing just location and time might work for non-refrigerated consumer goods, it wasn’t sufficient for food. He said said technology and automatic systems for monitoring temperature throughout the whole journey were already widely available, but perhaps under-utilised within the food industry. Mitchell’s message for cold chain practitioners who want to be part of a compliant cold chain was to become verifiers in the processes that allow
measurement of temperature at all points. A 2020 study funded by the Environment Department and Refrigerants Australia found three areas that were crying out for improvement – better food handling; an increased use of tracking/tracing technologies; and improved chain of custody documentation. Mitchell said that compliance to world’s best practices was on the APEC agenda because of the food loss and waste crisis while commercial, consumer, logistics and contractual arrangements should no longer ignore food safety and the opportunity for waste reduction. F
Chairman of the Australian Food Cold Chain Council, Mark Mitchell, made a ‘call to arms’ at the APEC 2021 virtual conference.
Endeavour Group becomes independent in Woolworths Group demerger W
oolworths Group has announced Endeavour Group will become an independent business in a demerger in June, subject to shareholder approval being satisfied or waived. A General Meeting of Woolworths Group shareholders will be held on Friday 18 June, 11:00am (AEST) to transact the business. Each Woolworths Group director who holds or controls shares in the company intends to vote in favour of the meeting resolutions at this meeting. The Board has unanimously recommended that shareholders also vote in favour of the resolutions. “The proposed demerger is the final step in a process that commenced on 3 July 2019, when Woolworths Group announced its intention to combine its drinks and hospitality businesses to create Endeavour Group through a
The Endeavour Group demerger will be subject to shareholder approval.
restructure of Endeavour Drinks and subsequent merger with ALH Group, which was completed in February 2020,” Woolworths Group chairman Gordon Cairns said. “In March 2020, separation plans were postponed until 2021 with
6 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
Woolworths’ prioritisation of its COVID-19 response amid a highly uncertain operating environment. Despite the disruption of COVID-19, we continued working to prepare Endeavour Group for operation as an independent business and the Woolworths Board is now confident to proceed with the separation given Endeavour Group’s performance through this period. “Your Woolworths Group Board strongly encourages you to support the demerger as we believe shareholder value will be enhanced through a greater focus on each business’ core customer offering and growth opportunities.” Independent expert Grant Samuel, appointed by Woolworths Group to review the proposed demerger, has also concluded that “the demerger is in the best interests of shareholders.” It has also been specified that
Woolworths Group shareholders will retain all their existing shares. Eligible shareholders will receive one new Endeavour Group share for every Woolworths Group share held on the demerger record date on Friday 25 June, 7:00pm (AEST). Eligible shareholders who individually hold 800 or fewer Woolworths Group shares as at the demerger record date may elect not to receive Endeavour Group shares under the demerger and instead participate in the sale facility. In the interests of the health and safety of shareholders and the broader community due to potential COVID-19 restrictions, shareholders are encouraged to attend the General Meeting via the online portal. For those who wish to attend in person, Woolworths Group has directed to register on the Woolworths Group website. F
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NEWS
General Mills Australia commits to 2025 packaging targets G
eneral Mills Australia has announced a commitment to the Australia’s 2025 National Packaging Targets, which sets a goal of making all packaging 100 per cent reusable, recyclable and compostable by 2025. The 2025 targets are being led by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO), in partnership with government and industry, and will help Australia move towards a circular economy for packaging. “We are committed to sustainable packaging options for all our brands … and have been working towards sustainable packaging options for quite some time however we wanted
to formalise our commitment to the 2025 targets,” said Peter Everett, Vice President and Managing Director of General Mills ANZ. General Mills Australia sustainably sources 100 percent of its fibre packaging from recycled material or from virgin wood fibre regions that do not contribute to deforestation. The company has a host of major brands under their umbrella including Old El Paso Mexican food, Latina Fresh pasta and sauce, Betty Crocker cake mixes and frosting, Nature Valley and Fibre One snack bars and Haagen-Dazs. General Mills Australia has also become a member of the Australian
The 2025 targets are being led by the Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation, in partnership with government and industry. REDcycle soft plastic recycling program and The NZ Packaging Forum’s Soft Plastic Recycling
programs which improve recyclability outcomes for soft plastic packaging across Australia and New Zealand. F
Mintel launches the Future of Nutrition, Health, and Wellness 2021 report M intel has launched the Future of Nutrition, Health and Wellness 2021 report, featuring the latest market research, product innovation insights, and consumer trends shaping the nutrition, health, and wellness space, as well as strategic recommendations for brands over the next five years. Daisy Li, associate director, Mintel Food and Drink, APAC, said the pandemic has exposed critical truths related to nutrition, health, and wellness and shown that health is both a personal and public concern. “The Future of Nutrition, Health and Wellness 2021 report takes a look at shifts in consumer behaviour related to health, the role holistic solutions play, and the opportunities for healthy, affordable, accessible, and sustainable food,” said Li. Key findings from Mintel’s report include rising interest in holistic health post-pandemic and the now, next, and
future of nutrition, health, and wellness. The research highlights that 70 per cent of Chinese consumers regularly include immune-boosting food in their diet because of COVID-19, and 50 per cent plan to continue doing so in 2021. In Brazil, 56 per cent of consumers aspire to eat a diet that reduces the risk of lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. The research also found 78 per cent of US consumers say eating healthy is important for their emotional wellbeing, whereas in China, 44 per cent of adults aged 18-59 believe having a good gut reduces anxiety. The report also highlighted that almost three in four Mexican consumers (71 per cent) agree that it’s harder to eat healthily when money is tight, and one-third of Chilean consumers (34 per cent) strongly agree that healthy food is too expensive to buy on a regular basis.
Mintel’s report found rising interest in holistic health. “In the near future, reeling from the impacts of COVID-19, there will be a push towards more holistic health. Nutrition will be used as the foundation for health, both mentally and physically,” said Li. “Brands can address nutritional inequalities by facilitating localised solutions, improving the affordability
and accessibility of nutritious food, and shifting to more sustainable food systems. “Over the coming five years and beyond, sustainable nutrition and the heavy focus on the environment will become the underlying factors at the centre of consumers’ dietary choices and behaviour.” F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9
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NEWS
Nestlé discovers low carbon and drought-resistant coffee varieties N
estlé’s plant scientists have made a breakthrough after discovering a new generation of low carbon coffee varieties through classical non-GMO breeding and by harnessing the plant’s natural biodiversity. Two new Robusta varieties are able deliver up to 50 per cent higher yields per tree using the same amount of land fertiliser and energy, creating up to a 30 per cent reduction in the CO2e (a carbon dioxide equivalent) footprint of the green coffee beans. Since green beans account for 40 to 80 per cent of the CO2e emissions of a cup of coffee, these breakthrough varieties reduce the carbon footprint associated with coffee consumption. One of these new Robusta varieties has already been successfully trialed and is now being grown by farmers across Central America. Nestlé is also developing new higher-yielding Arabica varieties that are bred to be more resistant to coffee
leaf rust, a plant disease that has devastated coffee plantations across the Americas. This new Arabica variety is also able to produce higher yields for farmers while using the same amount of fertiliser and land. Nestlé plant scientists have also developed a drought-resistant coffee variety, which is now undergoing trials in Central America, which delivers up to 50 per cent higher yields per plant under moderate to severe water stress. This is a breakthrough for any farmers who have been impacted by drought and climate change. The Nestlé Research Centre for Plant Sciences in Tours, France, has led the way with development. The scientists continuously develop improved coffee varieties which are then tested on Nestlé’s experimental farms in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Finally, the new plantlets are
Two new Robusta varieties are able deliver up to 50 per cent higher yields per tree.
proliferated and distributed to farmers across the world through Nestlé’s sustainable sourcing programs and partnerships with local agricultural institutes and cooperatives. “In doing so, we will contribute significantly to the reduction of CO2e
emissions associated with coffee consumption,” said Nestlé CTO Stefan Palzer. “We will also enable farmers in regions affected by climate change to continue to produce great coffee,” he said. F
Hospitality industry finds benefits to cooking with LPG gas R unning a kitchen in the hospitality industry means that every day is different. From an unexpected busy service to a menu item that’s more popular than normal things can be hard to predict from one day to the next. While every shift might be slightly different, the outcome should always remain the same. Every day chefs rely on their appliances and power to make them run. When something goes wrong with either of these, things can quickly take the wrong turn. That’s why many chefs in the hospitality industry turn to Elgas LPG gas to help them do what they do best, cook. Here are a few of the benefits that cooking with LPG offers. In a hospitality kitchen, time and efficiency matters. Customers expect
The benefits of cooking with gas are on full display. chefs to turn out food quickly and at a high standard which means that their appliances also need to work quickly. When cooking with LPG, the heat is instantaneous and distributes more evenly around pots and pans. It also cools more quickly, giving chefs the ability to regulate cooking temperatures and cook perfect meals. When cooking in a hospitality kitchen, operations need to run smoothly, and if appliances are hard to use, things may derail. Using a gas stove
compared to an electric stove is much easier. They have a simple dial that helps determine how much gas the chef is using. And once the flame is gone, the heat subsides, meaning the chefs are less likely to burn any pots or pans if left on the heat. More than just the heat you need to cook delicious food, a gas stove cooktop is excellent for charring veggies like capsicums, and its gas ring makes it ideal for cooking with any pots or pans that don’t have a flat bottom like a wok. A gas oven also provides moisture heat that’s great for cooking roasts without drying them out. It’s not always that kitchens in the hospitality industry will operate with a backup generator. And if the power goes out with only electric stoves in the kitchen, chefs can’t continue with
service. With gas ovens, the service can go on by manually igniting the burners with a lighter – even if it’s by candlelight. The costs of running a restaurant or cafe can quickly add up, and with the increasing cost of electricity, you want to take advantage of ways to save money. Although gas and electric ovens are generally even in purchasing costs, the running costs are cheaper if you use gas. Running your stovetop for an hour costs an average of 36c for electricity and 24c for gas. Elgas offers customers a dedicated service that monitors gas usage and will deliver a replacement before it is needed. If efficiency is the top priority in your hospitality kitchen, consider Elgas to help you switch over and enjoy the benefits of using LPG gas. F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 11
MEET THE MANUFACTURER
Robern Menz taking strides despite global pandemic Robern Menz CEO Phil Sims talks to Adam McCleery about how the family-owned business has revived two heritage confectionery products while continuing to grow during the COVID-19 pandemic.
F
or Robern Menz CEO Phil Sims, a fourth-generation leader of the business alongside his brother Richard, one of the most important factors to running a family-owned business is to nurture it for future generations. “We are a family business and everything we do is with a longterm vision. We want to ensure we are making the business bigger and stronger for future generations,” said Sims. The brothers have teenage children, but they aren’t guaranteed anything within the company, instead they will have to earn their place if
they choose to join. “They are in and around the business and understanding bit by bit but at the end of the day it’s about them defining what they won’t to do with their lives but also it won’t be a free ride into the business,” said Sims. “They will need to make sure that their education is strong and preferably get experience in the industry and bring some added value and expertise into the business.” When starting out, Sims gained experience with the company before carving out his own path and returning to the family enterprise with more knowledge of how to
Robern Menz has purchased Australian iconic confectionery brands Violet Crumble.
12 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
run the business. “It was quite different when I was growing up – it was a fruit-based business. We had factories producing and processing glace and dried fruit,” he said. “I had an aspiration to be involved because the business had always interested me.” Both brothers finished university and found jobs in other industries with Phil finding himself working with hair care giant Schwarzkopf. “I came back into the family business (in 1992) after four years with Schwarzkopf,” said Sims. When he returned to Robern Menz its main business focus was on fruit-
based confectionery. “Over the last 20 to 30 years, we have seen the industry evolve and the business expand its capabilities into more chocolate coating products, exploring more chocolate-based opportunities around chocolate capability, confectionery capability and most recently, acquisition of brands and exploring new ways to enjoy old favourites,” said Sims. “The fruit industry has been tough in Australia, particularly in the dried processed fruit area. I suppose when you’re a business that is 113 years old, and part of an industry that often presents new opportunities and trends,
MEET THE MANUFACTURER
we need to ensure we evolve and grow “In the past handful of years Robern Menz has purchased a couple of Australia’s most iconic confectionery brands in Violet Crumble and the long-lost Polly Waffle,” said Sims. It’s been fascinating; we had the opportunity to buy the Violet Crumble brand from Nestlé. We finished that transaction in January 2017.” Sims said Robern Menz and Nestlé had cultivated a working relationship over the years so when the chance to purchase Violet Crumble arose it was a no brainer for Australia’s largest producer of honeycomb. “Obviously it’s the basis of what the Violet Crumble product is. It was fairly sensible that a conversation started around ‘are you interested in this brand?’ and ‘are you interested in the equipment?’” he said. “We were making honeycomb already, so we had our own equipment. The discussion went through to a sale of the brand and the acquisition of a significant amount of equipment they had to support our existing capabilities.” Now the company has reintroduced variants of the Violet Crumble, including bite-sized portions and seasonal items for the Easter and Christmas periods. The company has opened an office in the US with hopes of slowly building up product awareness with consumers, which is why there are plans to give Violet Crumble a strong foothold in that market after previous attempts had stagnated. “There was a fair effort to really launch the product over there at some point in the last century,” said Sims. “The brand has been on sale in the US since the 1960s, but it had been operating in the grey market with US importers buying from Australian wholesalers.” However, Sims has a strong desire to see the brand grow again. “Violet Crumble is a priority for us and absolutely we are investing in it. Whether that’s through advertising, traditional media, social media, a lot of extra distribution – we are coming up the ladder as far as our market share is going,” said Sims. It is a big move that could prove lucrative for the company, so it has made sure that it has done its due diligence on the popular confectionary product. “Our research tells us that
Violet Crumble is Australia’s oldest chocolate bar, first produced in 1913, and predates other chocolate bars that are on the market as of today,” he said. “What we have also known through research is the interest in Australian heritage products and memories that people have with respect to fun occasions, and that is really what chocolate is about.” Those research results also played a part in the company deciding to purchase the discontinued Polly Waffle brand from Nestlé, 12 months after purchasing Violet Crumble. “It was ridiculous the number of people that said to us ‘congratulations for buying Violet Crumble, it’s great to see’ but the very next question was ‘what about the Polly Waffle?’,”
said Sims. “The Polly Waffle was discontinued by Nestlé in 2009 and it’s got some fantastic heritage with Australians. There was a lot of disappointment when Nestlé discontinued the product. There has been enormous media interest, consumer interest and social media interest about when are we bringing back the Polly Waffle.” The purchase consisted of the brand and the processing knowhow but not any of the manufacturing equipment because it no longer existed. This presented an interesting problem. “Our project is about working through how we can recreate the Polly Waffle and bring it back to its former glory,” said Sims.
Along with re-entering the North American market, Robern Menz has also started to open distribution channels in other foreign markets. “We’ve been opening up these distribution channels and investing into the US market and investing into Southeast Asian markets like the Philippines and Singapore, where we’ve opened up distribution in the last 12 months,” said Sims. “There has been a lot of demand that has been created.” Despite the global pandemic, the company was able to continue its run of success and growth as rolling lockdowns crippled many businesses across Australia and the world. “So many have had ongoing hardships during the pandemic, and
Robern Menz is introducing varieties of Violet Crumble to the local market.
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 13
MEET THE MANUFACTURER
For Robern Menz CEO Phil Sims (left), one of the most important factors to running a family-owned business is to nurture it for future generations.
we certainly faced our challenges,” said Sims. “People look for comfort, and for some that comfort is through food and enjoying it with their family, loved ones and friends. I reflect on the past 18 months and our major market channel is supermarkets ... whether that’s in Australia or overseas, and we all know that supermarkets have been trading very well.” Australia’s interest in heritage products also seemed to spike during the lockdown, said Sims. “It was so heightened through what happened with COVID, with lockdowns and people trusting brand and going back to the heritage and happy memories,” he said. “And so, there’s been a real spike through that period around well-known, trusted brands. When you get a brand like Violet Crumble that ticks all those boxes, it’s been an enormous reengagement and interest in the brand.” The company was also able to retain its trucking supply line despite the rolling border closures throughout 2020. “We’ve had to control interstate truck drivers coming onto the site, having them wear masks when in South Australia. There have been times when this has not been needed,” said Sims.
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“We’ve been looking at our supply chain consistently,” he said. “It’s a major focus. We’ve had to bring in some imported ingredients a little earlier than we would like just to have some cover so that has influenced our decision making. “Interestingly, some of the sailings on the import side from ships has probably been a little bit challenging, again having to bring things in a little earlier, but we haven’t had that issue as much for exports.” Demand also remained strong with the company putting on a permanent night shift to keep up. “That is still going strong. We know what was happening as far as COVID and the lockdowns and people at home and snacking, so clearly there was demand for our type of product through that period of time,” said Sims. Sims said the company remained optimistic for the remainder of 2021 with a number of irons still in the fire. “We’ve got a lot of expansion happening with capital equipment, as well as increased capacity,” he said. “We are investing a lot back into our factory and our brands, whether that’s brand support or further distribution, as well as getting greater traction with consumers.” F
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5/11/21 3:14 PM
Redefine the future of food What you do matters
25 28 JULY 2021 Sydney Showgrounds, Sydney Olympic Park
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foodpro is here to redefine how we as an industry think about food and reunite to do business that will lead us into the future. foodpro is about creating, together. Because what you do, matters.
TRACEABILITY
GS1’s Recall platform: an invaluable resource GS1 Australia’s Recall platform is an online tool used by food, beverage and general merchandise industries to mitigate the risk of unsafe and faulty products reaching consumers. GS1’s Recall Platform is an invaluable asset for any company looking to mitigate the risks associated with food recall.
16 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
TRACEABILITY
D
espite excellent controls and global best practice by suppliers, things can go wrong, with often significant economic and reputational impacts for companies and the public. Mark Blitenthall, manager for service engagement at GS1 Australia, believes the GS1 Australia Recall platform is an invaluable asset, helping companies of all sizes
to minimise the impact and cost of product recalls and withdrawals throughout their supply chains. Many parts of the recall and withdrawal process rely on human input to manage. Most large corporate retailers pay due attention to how they manage recalls and to their regulatory obligations, but many of the smaller organisations rely on procedure manuals, non-integrated
systems and processes. While these procedures and systems can manage a recall to conclusion, technology has the added benefit of expediating the process ensuring a more efficient and timely result for the company. It was this thinking that led to the development of the GS1 Australia Recall platform. “GS1 Australia is a not-for-profit organisation, any service we develop is built based on input from industry. We host forums and have advisory groups to understand requirements and regularly engage with industry to improve and develop our services,” said Blitenthall. “Members of the GS1 Recall Advisory Group recommended that all businesses could benefit from the use of a centralised, online tool for managing product recalls and encouraged all suppliers and recipient organisations to be part of this industry initiative to diminish risk and improve consumer safety.” “We factored into the development of Recall the processes that companies need to go through when they issue a recall notice. The Recall platform actually takes them stepby-step through the processes they need to follow and communications required for trading partners and regulatory bodies,” said Blitenthall. “It’s not their whole process, the company obviously has to have a recall process outside of that, but in terms of issuing the notices and tracking responses, we provide the functionality to manage that from end-to-end.” “The Recall platform guides the user in terms of what they need to do and when and how they should do it. We also have the ability for users to do mock recalls. “GS1 Recall is really fit for purpose, ease of use and the support we offer such as our free ‘discovery’ webinars and the support desk being key feedback we often receive. “Managing a recall is quite a stressful situation so the fact users can reach out to our Recall team for help is something that people appreciate,” said Blitenthall.
GS1 Recall Bootcamps In addition to offering the Recall platform, GS1 Australia runs a series of online Recall Bootcamps, an educational network that provides attendees with access to greater
Mark Blitenthall spoke about the platform and how it helps companies minimise the impact and cost of product recalls. levels of information delivered by industry experts. GS1 Recall Bootcamps are offered at no cost and are open to everyone. “A lot of the time companies are looking for more information and more assistance in relation to product recalls. Particularly those small and medium sized companies, so initiatives such as our Recall Bootcamps are really aimed at trying to give them more information and food for thought,” said Blitenthall. GS1’s Recall Bootcamps are designed to help stakeholders better understand the changing landscape of the supply chain, while also teaching them the importance of better recall management practices. “Like all of the services and standards we develop, our Recall platform is developed and enhanced in consultation with stakeholder groups,” said Blitenthall. “Part of what we emphasise in our conversations with the recall community, is understanding the supply chain and being able to anticipate things that you might not foresee if you weren’t thinking more broadly about it.” Related to that are things like horizon scanning, where you keep an eye on everything that’s happening globally. Having their finger on the pulse in this way enables suppliers to become more aware of potential global risks to their products as soon as they arise.”
How does GS1 Recall work? 1. C reate your notice. The sponsor of a product recall/withdrawal collates and enters relevant product data and instructions into the GS1 Recall platform via a user-friendly workflow, individually targeting
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17
TRACEABILITY
all recipients. 2. Send your notice. The sponsor issues notifications to customers and trading partners, automatically notifying regulators and government agencies. 3. R eceive responses. Recipients action your notifications and communicate product recovery and/or quarantine instructions throughout their supply chain, enabling the removal of affected products. Recipients respond directly to the sponsor via the Recall platform, allowing real-time progress updates and enhanced traceability. 4. Close off. Complete regulatory processes and reporting responsibilities, as well as internal reporting and auditing requirements.
Streamlining the recall process “In addition to standards and barcodes, GS1 provides a number of other services that support those standards. For years, hundreds of companies have been using Recall to manage their product recall and withdrawal events. Recently we built a link between Recall and another
GS1 runs a series of online Recall Bootcamps, an educational network with access to greater information.
of our services, the National Product Catalogue which hosts suppliers’ product data. Now when a Recall is issued, the data is pulled from the National Product Catalogue to ensure the information provided to those involved is accurate.” Another GS1 initiative with the potential to further streamline the recall process is 2DBarcodes and the inclusion of extra data such as production date and batch numbers, the latest in the line of defence when
it comes to food safety and food waste concerns. “The extra data contained in the 2DBarcodes provides greater accuracy for product recalls. For example, 2DBarcodes allow you to target the specific products that are impacted and return only those products to the supplier,” said Blitenthall. Supported by bodies such as HACCP and AIFST, GS1 Australia’s Recall platform enables all
stakeholders in the supply chain to efficiently manage their recalls and share notifications with regulators including FSANZ, state-based food safety regulators and trading partners, in accordance with FSANZ Food Industry Recall Protocol and the ACCC. This helps to make GS1 Recall a key tool in the protection and safety of consumers and a vital asset for any company impacted by the product recall process and subsequent fallout. F
Fresh, fast, simple. This is FRESHFORWARD
etihadcargo.com
18 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
Join the growing number of F&B manufacturers who’ve made the switch Increased productivity > 12 – 18% Installation cost savings > up to 40% Improved bottom line > 90%
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FREIGHT
Etihad Cargo working hard on ensuring continuous supply of perishables Despite challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Etihad Cargo has found continued success with its FreshForward system.
H
aving continued to grow over the last decade, the perishable export market has remained robust during the COVID-19 pandemic amid strong segment demand and governments working to ensure continuous supply of perishable products. Etihad Cargo has been well-placed to leverage the increased demand, and through its dedicated FreshForward product the company safely transports perishables such as flowers, fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, fish, and meat. All while maintaining product integrity across its global network in accordance with the latest IATA standards, international requirements, local regulations, and best practices. Despite last year’s disturbances related to the COVID-19 pandemic, transport for perishables remains relatively high according to Fabrice Panza, Etihad Cargo’s manager of global cool chain solutions. “It’s true, globally you would have faced a decrease in the capacity (due to COVID-19) but when you look at the figures you also see that perishables continued to be transported at a high volume for any airlines,” said Panza. With a high volume of produce being transported, FreshForward prides itself with a consistent and thorough examination of the factors and best practices in the cold chain process that affect maintenance of the product being transported. “When we look at perishables, we look at the kind of packaging to be shipped; there are quite a few requirements depending on the commodity itself and the nature of the good,” said Panza. But it’s not only about catering to the best maintenance of the product. “It’s about speed and being quick in the process,” said Panza. “It’s
Etihad Cargo has been well-placed to leverage the increased demand. about effectiveness and productivity. It’s about making sure it’s the right temperature during operation with different commodities and it’s about providing the right environment and conditions so that from a product point of view the integrity of the product is being respected.” FreshForward has the advantage of high-grade equipment to control the right environments. “We have a very young fleet; the facilities are very modern, and it is all equipped with temperature control devices. That means even during flight we are capable of providing the right temperature environment at all times,” said Panza. “An important step for us was to recognise all these elements, such as the amount of time taken before and after the food is transported. They are all part of a process that should be standardised to a high level and this is why we went into the IATA CEIV thresh certification in 2019.” FreshForward has also passed stringent food safety management protocols within Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
methodology. As a result, FreshForward maintains its certification for IATA’s Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) for fresh products. This makes Etihad Cargo the first carrier in the Middle East, and second globally, to be awarded the IATA CEIV Fresh certificate. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is a global trade association between airlines that created the Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) accreditation system. The certificate sets standards, regulations and guidelines for international and domestic transport of perishable goods, ensuring that the safety and specific needs of the product are met. Receiving an IATA CEIV certification is a big achievement for any airline, especially considering how recent FreshForward is. Currently there are still very few established airlines able to claim the same accomplishment. Engineered around dedication, high priority attention throughout
the supply chain, and high quality management processes, FreshForward provides a very specialised service with real-time monitoring of the temperature environments. Other key features of the product include expedited ramp handling at all points and reduced exposure to ambient shipping environments. Through Etihad’s dedicated perishables centre in Abu Dhabi, on-ground team members service inbound and outbound perishable markets to provide priority transportation from aircraft right to temperature-controlled storage and vice versa to ensure the cool-chain integrity is maintained. Maintaining the product integrity across the network is a key focus of Etihad Cargo’s team, and through its own storage facilities, those of its partners, and through the use of active and hybrid containers, the company provides set temperature control storage and transport conditions throughout the journey with temperature bands of +2°C to +8°C, +15°C to +25°C, and +2°C to +25°C. Etihad can also provide specific services and equipment solutions upon request, such as dry ice packing, leasing of active containers, and door-to-door services in the UAE on refrigerated trucks. While Etihad Cargo carry perishable items across its global network, its main trade lanes originate from North and South Asia and India, into the Middle East and Europe. While the routes also address demand from Europe and Africa into the Middle East and Asia. With such a vast distance between Australia and many of its consumers, its important the transport services used are able to meet the volume of products being exported across those long cold supply chains. F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21
WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT
Cooking up a rapidly expanding business with an accompaniment of UKG A UKG workforce management case study on Marley Spoon outlines how both companies benefited from working alongside each other.
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arley Spoon is a global meal kit delivery service founded on a mission to inspire their customers to cook easy and exciting meals from scratch. With new recipes created every week, their customers love receiving deliveries of locally sourced, nutritious, and sustainable meal kits that make lives easier and keep meal-
times interesting. Because of the fast-paced requirements of their business, Marley Spoon is all about convenience and efficiency. Since launching in Australia in 2015, Marley Spoon has experienced massive growth and now employs over 500 people within the region. While this has been an exciting
Workforce management firm UKG is helping companies grow.
20 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
time for the business, expanding so rapidly came with its own set of growing pains and challenges. As a result Marley Spoon partnered with UKG to help grow the company into the future. UKG combines the strength and innovation of Ultimate Software and Kronos and has a company commitment to helping inspire workforces.
Managing rapid growth before it boils over Marley Spoon’s legacy workforce management systems were unable to keep up with the increasingly complex requirements of the business as it grew. Overseeing full time, part time, hourly, and contract workers with
WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT
UKG has a commitment to helping inspire companies and their workforce.
Marlery Spoon is one company benefiting from partnering with UKG. varied awards and employment conditions, while working across multiple sites, meant that Marley Spoon was facing a variety of
workforce management concerns. With payroll data coming from three separate sources, and legacy systems increasingly unsuitable for accurately tracking employee time and attendance and movement throughout their warehouses, payroll errors and compliance risks were becoming a concern for the business. Manually interpreting complicated employee awards and conditions was also taking up valuable resources at a time when the business needed to streamline processes and maximise output. As a result, Marley Spoon sought to find a solution that could meet their needs and continue to grow and adapt with their business.
Pairing with the perfect workforce management provider Marley Spoon approached Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) with their workforce requirements as they were confident the global leader could streamline and automate their business processes. The solution needed to consolidate their disparate systems to reduce payroll errors, automate the interpretation of varying and complex awards, manage multiple location clock ins per employee, per day, and reduce time spent on manual processes. After showcasing how these requirements could be met, Marley Spoon chose to implement UKG Ready as their workforce management solution.
The recipe for success
"With UKG, we found a workforce management partner that can support our growth, not just now, but well into our future. We chose UKG Ready as the solution was comprehensive enough to meet our complex requirements and streamline our processes – allowing us to sustain our growth without disruption." Marley Spoon now enjoys the benefits of having a scalable solution that can continue to support them through both internal and external changes, whether it be the continued growth of their workforce and optimising employees’ schedules, easily managing changing regulatory conditions, or increasing productivity by automating manual processes. From an operational perspective, warehouse staff, who visit multiple locations within the warehouse each shift, are now able to easily clock-in to each of these locations using the UKG InTouch time clocks, helping raise efficiency on the job site. Prior to implementing UKG Ready with InTouch clocks, employees had to scroll through multiple locations on a tablet to find the correct one. With their new clocks, employees only have the relevant location to select from, saving minutes each time they clock in, for each employee. Marley Spoon is now also working off a single source of truth for their payroll data, which provides accurate information in real-time, reducing errors. Their complicated employee
awards are now fully automated, which means compliance risk is minimised, and valuable resources are no longer needed for manual interpretation, resulting in payroll taking only hours to process, instead of days. With their workforce management processes fully optimised, Marley Spoon can now focus on their main course, keeping employees engaged and customers happy. At UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), the purpose is people and as one of the world’s leading workforce and human capital management solutions providers, UKG helps thousands of organisations around the globe to turn their workforce into their most competitive advantage. F
KEY BENEFITS • R educed payroll errors via a single source of truth for payroll information • S aved time and resources due to fully automated award interpretation •A scalable workforce management system to grow with the business and its requirements
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21
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DATA SOFTWARE
OFS helping to master the manufacturing process For some SMBs, a journey towards industry 4.0 can seem daunting and inaccessible, with tech advancements feeling too expensive, or out of their league. It doesn’t have to be that way, says OFS.
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FS software is designed to simplify and democratise the whole IIoT process, giving manufacturers, no matter their size, the ability to run state-of-the-art tools and tech that turns any factory into a modern smart factory. The difference between a factory and a smart factory is how they produce and analyse production data in order to drive change and produce more efficiently. With detailed and accurate reports curated through software like OFS, a manufacturer can finally uncover the right data to identify where the plant can improve performance and what the key production constraints are. The power of data delivered in the right way has the capability to take a company’s manufacturing processes to the next level but some of the SMBs on tight budgets have been reluctant to invest in new software, until recently. “What we have seen historically is
OFS is encouraging companies to see the results data-driven software can achieve for manufacturing.
that the trend has probably been more towards well resourced, well-funded and large enterprises with really sophisticated production equipment implementing technologies like these to make sure that they perform the way they should be performing,” said OFS CEO James Magee. “There’s probably been a lack of belief among small to medium manufacturers who might be using quiet old antiquated production equipment who think they can’t bring this new technology onto their old kit.” Over the last handful of years that trend has started to shift and craft brewers are a good example of companies that don’t shy away from the use of software and technology to improve wherever they can. “A lot of brewers use our software on their packaging lines to become more efficient, to reduce wastage, to produce more with less” said OFS marketing leader Anthony Mordech.
The user-friendly software allows real-time analytics and data driven results for better efficiency. “It is just one interesting niche vertical where they can see how larger breweries and organisations use data to drive efficiency and growth and now they can have something similar running in their business. And we service both, we have very large enterprise customers, but we also have a solution for smaller to mid-sized businesses and plenty of great craft brewers using our software.” “Newer companies already deploy software products right across their business, whether it’s Xero as their accounting package, Salesforce as their CRM, an inventory management software and so on. So, start-ups do tend to come in and put some other software products in quicker, as such it isn’t a stretch for them to adapt OFS to help their lines run smoothly and efficiently,” said Magee. “But it makes no difference to us the age, make or manufacturing of the equipment, the way our technology works it is agnostic to all of those factors.” Manufacturers who might think they cannot easily collect data because of the age of their equipment or still just manually collect data are two of the biggest barriers for adoption of solutions like OFS. “That has been the way we have felt it in years gone by but what we have seen in the last three years has been a trend towards businesses thinking that if they have any intention of being around in five or ten-year’s time then they will need to focus much more on data collection and analysis,” said Magee.
“It’s not just the collection and analysis of data, the dynamics of the way they serve the market, customers, product innovation, and the way they make their widgets which could be done more efficiently.” By mastering data you’re armed with valuable information that, when enriched with empowered operator insight, can improve efficiencies, and drive real change — where it matters. That’s the difference between where your factory is at now, and where it could be. “Before a company commences a trial of OFS we will ask them to tell us how they are currently performing. In almost all cases, once OFS is live within a matter of days, they realise that their assumptions are off the mark…quite often by a long way. A classic example of this is the speed of production, which is almost always over estimated,” Magee said It then becomes clear where a business is losing money as OFS will display insights and opportunities via a suite or real-time reports, dashboards and analytics. Operators can instantly record notes and feedback against any downtimes, production events and also add details on shifts and jobs. OFS is so confident in its software that a 30-day trial is offered to prospective clients who are looking to improve on their manufacturing processes. Within those 30 days clients will see their own data streaming in real time and the boundless opportunities for improvement will be on display for all to see. F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 23
HEALTH AND SAFETY
Federal Safety Commissioner accreditation makes for good, safe business Being granted a Federal Safety Commissioner accreditation gives Total Construction access to a greater number of projects but also raises industry safety standards, according to CEO Jeff Jones.
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ederal Safety Commissioner (FSC) accreditation makes sense from a worker safety point of view, but also means companies have greater opportunities to tender federally funded projects. These are the two main reasons Total Construction sought, and got, the accreditation, according to CEO Jeff Jones. He sees it as a ‘significant investment’ in helping mature the company’s systems while also having a positive real-world impact on workers’ lives by ensuring their safety. “It fits culturally with what our business is all about, but it also fits with making sure that in the market segments that we focus on, we are fully qualified to work in,” said Jones. For the majority of projects that obtain federal funding are now required to use construction companies that have an FSC accreditation. While that is good news for Total Construction’s bottom line, it wasn’t the driving force behind the company’s application. “Our main objective of getting this has not been to source federally funded projects, it has actually been to improve safety culture and quality culture within our business, and it’s a high level of accreditation,” said Jones. “The secondary reason, as an added benefit, will be opening up some channels of business opportunities. Whether it be defence work or other federally funded opportunities that occur. But, first and foremost, it was about improving the risk mitigation and returning people home safe from our jobs.” The company is already ISO accredited to quality, safety and environmental, so the accreditation that it previously had was the international standard for those, according to Jones. “As well as a NSW government
Total Construction CEO Jeff Jones said the FSC accreditation fits culturally with the company’s emphasis on job site and worker safety. safety accreditation scheme, which is not very dissimilar to the ISO, we had those qualifications. This is certainly above and beyond that,” he said. “There’s a very different feel about this accreditation. Our previous ones were very much about compliance, whereas this one is about discipline and culture.” The previous systems and safeguards in place were seemingly
24 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
more about a set of regulations on what needed to be done a daily basis – more reactive than proactive. “This takes it a little bit further and starts to really take a more proactive view to risk on the sites. It does start to work towards quality as well. So proactively assessing the risks on a job before we start,” said Jones. “Under the other systems, it’s a bit like pushing the buck down the supply chain and saying you must perform in a safe way, whereas the Federal Safety Commission says we must perform in a safe way and ensure that our supply chain follows us.” Jones said they were able to adopt the new style with relative ease because Total Construction’s safety strategies mirrored the new system in many ways. “What this accreditation does is make you do a lot more planning and workshopping around the risk on a job before we start. This accreditation does not enable you to sort out issues as they arise; you basically have to plan and sit down and attempt to design out any risks on the job,” said Jones. Building company Total Construction has been granted accreditation by the Federal Safety Commissioner.
“For instance, handling materials from heights, scaffolding or whatever else it’s going to be, the first thing to do is ask what we can do to remove those risks and not just what are we going to put in place. “It then naturally forces the business to think about quality risk and start to say, ‘if I am planning all the safety risk, what are the quality risk issues?’ This includes things like wet areas or food hygiene. What preplanning can we do rather than developing the design criteria as we deliver the job?” The new process has allowed the company to frontload its planning and switch focus before starting on a new job. “The other element is the requirement that if federal funding is provided for a construction project … then the contractors have to have a high level of safety accreditation,” said Jones. “We have seen a couple of situations where projects across a number of industries received a grant or funding and then at the very last moment realised that the contractor they were working with wasn’t accredited, which actually voided the funding application.” With the new FSC accreditation scheme, clients and contractors have a clearer pathway to funding and subsequent building approval. “We know it fast tracks the funding application because it’s a big requirement with the funding that the delivery of the job will be done in this fashion. Without doubt it removes lastminute hurdles for the applications of funding and allows the project to commence,” said Jones. “A lot of it comes down to the individual applying and whether or not they qualify, so we don’t see that as much. I use the bushfire relief as an
HEALTH AND SAFETY
example – you had to reach certain criteria to apply for that fund. “There’s no doubt it does put you on the back foot if you don’t have an accredited contractor ready in the design phase of the project.” The accreditation process is not an easy one and in some ways is designed to be intentionally difficult to obtain as a means of raising industry safety standards across the board. “After spending the time and effort we did to get the accreditation there’s no doubt the achievement is not an easy thing to get, and then it becomes a bit infectious within your business. What other types of things should follow the same type of process?” said Jones. “(The process) was very arduous. It is a bit like the Australian cricket team – it’s hard to get in but once you get in, it’s not that easy to get out. “We actually went through nine months of auditing and reviews, resubmissions, action plans; you have to give a live example of how you’re adopting the system on current projects. It’s a very thorough, and for that matter, a very valued exercise.” Jones said one of the requirements for accreditation was something Total Construction had already implemented.
“Where we felt that we adopted or adhered to the requirements quite easily was in our selection of sub-contractors to work with. Instrumental in having a safe site is working with a safe, conscious supply chain,” he said. “Part of the preselection of our sub-contractors and suppliers is that they do have performance aligned with our safety and quality requirements. We understand that this accreditation really puts the onus on making sure that the buck stops with the head contractor about assessing risks on the site.” While fully compliant in previous systems, Jones said Total Construction was more than happy to jump onboard with the new method, which seemed to address some shortfalls in the industry. “It flips from compliance to discipline, and what I mean by that is they used to be almost like parking police in making sure that everyone was doing what they said they would do. Now, it’s more about the session being run around how can we support you culturally and who has the right attitude and approaches to safety,” said Jones. “It very much changes the role of those individuals. They’ve actually said they enjoy their roles better
now. It’s a far more enjoyable role supporting the adoption of this new system rather than trying to issue out parking tickets for the old one.” Another key benefit to the new accreditation scheme is the potential to weed out any long-standing quality and safety issues within the industry. “There’s no doubt it has to iron out any poor practices because you won’t retain the accreditation if you don’t. The rules under the scheme are you have to be accredited before tendering for a new job,” said Jones. “It’ll only be for future work, which is why it’s a good investment. I don’t think we would have ventured down the application path if we didn’t feel that we had the investment in our dedicated safety resources in place already. “We know the benchmark in the industry is at the higher end so we’ve already got support internally to adopt these new principles. It should also create a greater interaction between those resources and the projects because they will require that support.” Total Construction’s Executive Committee, which already helps to oversee safety compliance prior to the FSC accreditation, will also see its role evolve. “Even though we have executive
involvement in safety to a degree, it’s now actually a specific requirement of the accreditation that separate inspections are done by executive management on site and documented,” said Jones. “And demonstrating all the way up to the board that safety is a focus within the business and has the right amount of duration in each meeting. “It’s one of the compliance elements of the accreditation that you have to demonstrate executive involvement in safety. Not to suggest that it shouldn’t or doesn’t exist, but it’s a very specific requirement for accreditation.” Jones said the accreditation requirements also aligns with one of the main tenets shared within Total Construction, while having little to no impact on overheads. “The words we have been using are plan, prepare, proceed. Plan whatever the risk is, prepare for it and the process, rather than just proceed. It shouldn’t create more expense,” said Jones. “It’s now up to the business development guys to start digging around for jobs that may well source federal funding and then seeing what we can do to assist our clients in applying for that money.” F
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www.bronkhorst.com - www.ams-ic.com.au www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 25
WASTE REDUCTION
Food-grade secondary cleaner reduces waste Flexco has added FGS’s newest food-grade secondary cleaner to its arsenal after the product was found to reduce waste by as much as 98 per cent, Food and Beverage Industry News reports. to operate with the blade trailing or leading at a variety of blade-to-belt contact angles. “The spring tensioners, which can be mounted on either side for easy access, can be adjusted to ensure proper blade-to-belt contact with just a few small twists of the wrench,” said Marquez.
Certified to meet strict sanitary guidelines
Flexco didn’t hesitate to integrate the new secondary cleaner.
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elt conveyor productivity specialists Flexco recently added the FGS food-grade secondary cleaner to its collection of light-duty belt cleaners. The self-tensioning cleaner provides constant blade-to-belt contact with limited maintenance, reducing food waste and component damage on the conveyor system with removal of product carryback. The design of the cleaning device makes it suitable for use in all food processing and industrial baking because the cleaner is built with solid 304 stainless-steel components and features a continuous blade made from FDA-approved as well as foodgrade materials. “The FGS Secondary Cleaner has a smooth, polished surface that discourages materials from adhering to it,” said Flexco product manager Ramses Banda Marquez. “There are no weld seams and no negative spaces or 90-degree
crevices that can encourage the growth of bacteria.” Choosing the correct size FGS secondary cleaner for the right conveyor belt begins with measuring the belt width in order to choose the blade length that corresponds best with the conveyor belt width. It is then important to verify the maximum conveyor width is larger than the outside-to-outside conveyor width. If it is indeed larger than the maximum width shown, choose the next largest blade length that accommodates conveyor width. Finally, the blade, support bar and shaft can be cut to the user’s specified length. The shaft must be 150mm longer than the outside width of conveyor structure at the mounting location. For cleaners that are 137.2cm, the shaft must be 30.5cm longer than the outside width of the conveyor structure at the point of the mounting location.
26 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
Easy assembly and disassembly The cleaner was designed for easy assembly and disassembly, making installation and maintenance quick and efficient. The blades are designed to be cut to fit each specific application, and all installation hardware, including mounting brackets, is provided. “Installation can be done on either side of the belt, so you can work between in tight spaces,” said Marquez. “Two tensioner springs are included in the box for left- or rightside installation.” There is also no need to remove the cleaner from the structure when the blade needs to be changed. The existing blade snaps off and a new blade is used to replace it in less than a minute. The cleaner is also self-tensioned, in order to minimise blade wear and belt damage, while also maximising cleaning efficiency and the ability
The device is designed to adhere to sanitary guidelines outlined by the food industry and is verified by the Baking Industry Sanitation Standards Committee (BISSC) as well as being compliant with current EU regulation (EC) 1935/2004 for Food Contact Materials. The FGS Cleaner is available in standard blade widths for a lightduty belt, from 30cm to 182.9cm, but can also be ordered to suit specific applications, if needed. Cleaner blades are available in various colours from white, blue, metal detectable blue, and metal detectable dual durometer blue FDA-approved, food-grade material. For a high standrd in cleaning efficiency, the FGS food grade secondary cleaner, when used in conjunction with the FGP food grade precleaner, provides operations with a one-two cleaning punch on conveyor lines. The FGP food grade precleaner is another easy to install and maintain cleaning product. It’s stainless-steel components and food grade materials limit crevices and opportunities for bacteria growth. The FD approved FGP food grade precleaner comes with solid blades which are available in food-grade UHMW, UHMW with stainless steel, or urethane. The product is USDA-certified, Health Canada approved, EU 1935/2004 compliant and is also
WASTE REDUCTION
The self-tensioning cleaner provides constant blade-to-belt contact with limited maintenance.
BISSC verified. It’s easy to install with a mounted on the head pulley and C-dimension verification gauge, which makes it easy to set the correct pole location for the best performance.
Case Study Problem A confectionery operation was experiencing large amounts of waste on the return side of its conveyor since the product (molasses with nuts) was sticking to the steel belt and falling to the floor. The problem was so severe that it posed a slip hazard and required twice the amount of time to clean the conveyor. This meant that the maintenance department had to
invest twice the amount of effort to clean this conveyor, creating an undesired amount of resource drain. The molasses was being transferred on top of a 60-inch wide steel belt. A fixed blade precleaner was already operating on the conveyor, but the efficiency was less than 70 per cent. Using a fixed-blade style of secondary cleaner was not an option because the device had to be low profile and fit between the conveyor structure and the collection bin located below the conveyor belt.
was strong enough to remove the hardened molasses and soft enough to avoid damage to the belt. The low-profile design of the cleaner also allowed it to clear the collection bin so it could be retrieved and changed periodically without interference to the operation.
Result The installation of the FGS device reduced product waste on this line by 94 to 98 per cent. The time that it takes to clean the conveyor during regularly scheduled
maintenance is now on par with other production lines, and the captured and contained product can now be sold for a profit to forage producers. With a line that runs five days a week, the savings in manual labour hours also allowed the team to focus on repairs and other mission-critical operations. In addition, the facility did not have to clean up the carryback that was previously falling onto the floor, thus reducing the slip hazards and being able to meet OSHA minimum requirements. F
Solution Installing a secondary cleaner was crucial, so the maintenance team searched for a viable solution. After reviewing multiple options, they decided a Flexco FGS cleaner was the answer they were looking for all along. The crew installed the cleaner above the collection bin, which was key to the customer collecting the product to sell for a profit. The self-adjusting bladetensioning feature of the FGS allowed the team to run the cleaner on the steel belt with a metal detectable UHMW blade that
An example of the type of excess waste that the FGS Food-Grade Secondary Cleaner can combat.
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www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27
AUTOMATION
Adopting technology to grow productivity and efficiency in food and beverage manufacturing Engineering and consulting firm Beca speaks with Food and Beverage Industry News about what the new Food and Beverage National Manufacturing Priority road map means for the industry and how it can benefit from the opportunities available.
Beca spoke about the impact a new funding program will have on the industry.
I
n October 2020, the Federal Government released its Modern Manufacturing Strategy, entitled “Make it Happen”. The strategy focuses on food and beverage as one of six priority road maps. The goal? To double the value of Australia’s food and beverage manufacturing by 2030 through a focus on smart production; with innovative foods and beverages; food safety, product origin, and traceability systems. It’s an ambitious target, but with a focus on technology to unlock new productivity and business models, the opportunity for industry to transform has arrived. The Federal Government is backing its plan by offering new rounds of funding for manufacturing projects that meet the eligibility
under the new Priority Roadmap. Beca’s Stephen Witherden and Stewart Coleman spoke about the impacts, challenges and opportunities which will be created by the funding.
Current state – why are we going slowly? “There is a direct line of funding with three aspects. One is around translating what they call R&D costs, and that’s the non-financial R&D, and the other one is for integrating global supply chains,” said Coleman. “The other one is getting cost competitive products out there. So by removing things like labour and energy costs by doing things better, people aren’t motivated to spend on these things. “The mentality of industry is to
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buy a piece of capital. If we are to change that mentality and get more efficient to get our costs down and compete on the global scale, we need to think more efficiently about how we do that.” “There are two big impacts I see that this funding is allowing you to do. The first one is to make projects viable that may not have a payback by themselves,” said Coleman. “As happens on all projects you’ve got a budget, you go out and look at the best of everything, that has all of the analytics and data attached to it and maybe some AI and dashboard. “But when you come to pay for it you realise your budget is a bit tight, so you take the bells and whistles off, in this case those are things that are going to drive value for you.”
The second impact Coleman sees is the funding allows companies to invest in infrastructure that doesn’t have a direct pay back. “It takes a fairly mature business to understand the value of investing in infrastructure for future benefits,” said Coleman. Witherden said the rate at which technology is integrating with long held methods of production meant it was beginning to overtake old ways of looking at the entire manufacturing process. One example of how introducing new technologies to a facility can increase its efficiency lies in the adoption of Wi-Fi systems. Coleman emphasises the importance of connectivity in the production process and highlighted the lack of integration in the local supply chain, using Wi-Fi capability as a clear example. “A lot of food and beverage sites don’t have Wi-Fi through their plants so they can’t enable mobile devices out in the field that give people information at the point where they need it to make better decisions. “Rolling out Wi-Fi might cost you X dollars for a single plant. But once you have that in place, you’re opening up the potential for huge improvements in your efficiency and operations.” And this is where the new rounds of government funding can benefit companies the most. The new government initiative is also perfectly suited for small and middle-sized companies who are in an ideal position to adapt. “Mostly because those companies are agile, they’re on the way up and thinking big and about how can they get ahead. They know they have competition ahead of them and it’s
AUTOMATION
easier for them to adapt to new things and this means they can jump across technology gaps,” said Coleman. “So those that have a true agile mind set have a real opportunity to switch technology easily at relatively low cost, especially with a bit of funding. It can really propel them into the market.” Micro-brewers are a prime example of one such small enterprise, gaining contracts with larger providers, like Dan Murphy’s, to produce more product than their systems are currently capable of. “The consumer taste is changing so people don’t want to buy traditional beer brands anymore, they want to buy micro brews and the story that goes with them. So how can you be flexible to produce different kinds of products in a new environment,” said Witherden. “You need technology for that, you need to embrace a lot of these digital technologies, and data I believe is the life blood of that decision making.” Coleman said the new approaches have changed what it meant to be an efficient producer.
“It used to be that part of your competitive advantage as a manufacturer was that you knew how to manufacture better than somebody else,” said Coleman. But now a company can outsource its IP, in this case its brewing techniques and recipes, to another producer who will help with output. “The IP of the process is gone in a lot of cases to vendors, such as technology vendors who buy processing and packaging equipment,” said Coleman. “They build that IP into products and sell it back to companies so their competitive advantage is about how well they can run their plants; can they clean, maintain and operate it better than their competitors?”
Accessing funding However, the funding will also have a distinct advantage for smaller and newer companies. “It will benefit the small enterprises, however, for larger enterprises they probably have a bigger engine to take advantage of government funding,” said Witherden.
“So, the challenge for the small enterprises is juggling all the other things they’re doing while at the same time chasing down these sorts of grants. “It’s not easy but I agree if they can get it right it could be a great leg up for them.”
Industry skills An important aspect to the wider adoption of technology in the production process is employing more tech experts to help with the integration of new software. “There’s a real theme within the road map around trying to get technical people into industry and it’s a good idea. There are a whole number of people that have a role to play in getting the entire industry to move forward,” said Coleman. A key to the initiative is bringing the industry forward but also allowing companies to adapt to new and emerging technologies with relative ease and with the help of government funding. “They need to come up to speed and understand what digital does, how it impacts their plants and how
it’s applied to their industry to create greater values,” said Coleman. “That way they can articulate it and convince their own business to spend the money before they can go out and procure the things that will best drive value for them.” Witherden put extra emphasis on the importance of data and what can be achieved when it is utilised correctly, such as a integrating ‘lights out’ operations on the supply chain. “A lot of our manufacturing clients have their data but don’t know what to do with it. Historically they’ve collected a vast amount of data, a lot of sensors, but they have no ability to put that information in the hands of people that can actually use it,” said Witherden. “Because they don’t necessarily know how to understand that process, they can’t go fully lights out. Therefore you need to present the data first. I believe a lot of these initiatives will encourage our clients to invest in some of this analytical work going forward. “Beca is on the client’s side to make sure they are future proofing their business.” F
An ability to adapt and innovate technology is seen as critical for business growth. www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 29
PROCESS CONTROL
AI breakthrough in Tassie salmon farming Established in 1986, Huon Aquaculture has grown to become a salmon producer that is recognised around the world for the quality of its produce and the ingenuity of its operations. from the ground up. The company’s aims were to: • Move to a centralised control platform that would reduce man-hours out on the water and on the barges, which would improve personnel safety • Achieve better control over feeding the salmon from the barges • Develop innovation in aquafarming • Have a positive environmental impact in reducing waste with controlled feeding. The challenge was therefore to develop new technology and implement it on a larger barge that could be moored at sea for longer periods without replenishment.
Huon Aquaculture has employed AI technology to great effect. Established in 1986, Huon Aquaculture has grown to become a globally recognised salmon producer with a reputation for delivering quality produce and an eye for continued innovation.
Leader in the salmon industry The company is seen as an ethical business and a respected Tasmanian brand – part of a sustainable industry and a company that is focused on the safety of its employees, as well as the welfare of the fish and the wildlife around its farms. Huon Aquaculture is fortunate to farm in Tasmania’s healthy marine environment, allowing them to raise salmon and ocean-trout, in locations best suited to optimal growth. From the time their fish start their life in hatcheries, up until they are harvested, their environment plays a vital role in their health, growth and quality. Huon is a fully vertically integrated company, meaning that the company does everything from selectively breeding brood stock for egg production, to processing salmon ready for the consumer.
Talking the same language Huon’s Storm Bay lease has some
of the roughest farmable waters in the world. Located at the mouth of Tasmania’s Derwent River and opening south towards the wild Southern Ocean, Storm Bay can regularly experience swells of 4-6 metres significant wave height. While these conditions can be dangerous for people, Huon has found that the swells regularly rolling through the pens is good for the fish as it closely mimics their natural habitat. It also means that the pens can be left fallow for a shorter time before restocking. However, the rough seas are also one of the reasons that Huon embarked on a journey to find a way to reduce or eliminate the need for people to be manually operating feed barges in such rough and dangerous conditions. Huon investigated mirroring what companies were doing around the world, where they were controlling their processes from a centralised location.
Consistency of yield depends on consistency of feeding A major reason for automating fish feeding is the desire to maximise the consistency of the size and weight of the salmon at harvesting. Huon’s pens
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are, according to Peter Bender, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, the largest ocean fish pens in the world, with circumferences of around 240 metres and holding over 100,000 fish. With manual feeding, there can be days when fish are fed less and days when they are overfed – and uneaten fish pellets fall to the ocean floor, which is not only wasteful, but pollutes the ocean floor environment. Moreover, without an even distribution of feed, the result can be an inconsistency in fish size, as the larger fish continue to dominate and consume the most, while others remain small.
No out-of-the-box solution As a result, Bender went to an exhibition in Europe, only to realise that none of the software displayed was going to be fit for purpose for Huon because of the way they feed and their stocking densities. Many of the systems were designed for feed pens close to shore, and not up to 50 km out to sea, exposed to the Southern Ocean. The company realised that an out-of-the-box program, was not going to meet their needs, so they knew they had to work
Enter Hogan, the automated feed barge Commissioned and launched in December 2018 by Tasmanian shipbuilder Crisp Bros. & Haywards, Hogan is the first of two 600-tonne feed barges that will be used to manage the pens in Storm Bay. The sheer size of the barge is a result of it needing to not only withstand the sea conditions in Storm Bay, but also to remain autonomous for larger periods of time – both for feeding and waste recovery activities. The significance of the barge is not so much due to its size however, but due to its technology. Those staff that were once fish feeders are now Control Room Operators and feed every fish in every pen from a control room in Hobart. They are able to do this as each pen has cameras that send realtime footage and data back via the barge to the control room. A pellet detection system that utilises artificial intelligence coupled with a remote controlled onwater feed delivery system makes feed delivery more effective than previous manual feeding. The pellet detection system can detect as few as two uneaten feed pellets in the water column beneath
PROCESS CONTROL
the fish and can automatically slow or shut off the flow of feed when the fish have stopped feeding – matching the feeding to the appetite of the fish while reducing wastage and potential impact to the sea floor. In addition to the pellet detection system, Huon also developed a feed delivery system that spreads the feed evenly across the surface of the pen, by effectively ‘spraying’ it from a central point. This ensures that the fish have an equal chance of receiving feed, resulting in a consistent 5kg fish size at harvesting.
Harsh conditions require tough hardware For the control system on the barge, Huon engaged Cromarty Pty Ltd, a specialist automation system engineering and design firm. Cromarty provided all the electrical and control system design. The design work was done over an 18-month period. “When we were asked to get involved into the building of the barges, it was identified that there wasn’t a proper specification of the valves to be used for the various processes on the vessel,” said Andrew Palfreyman of Cromarty. “Basically, the valves chosen were
Burkert released a whitepaper detailing the advantages to the use of AI technology.
valves were chosen. Battery backup was chosen to implement failsafe functionality in case of power loss or loss of communication to the barge,” added Palfreyman. “Battery backup was a must as many of the valves have the potential to sink the barge during stormy weather if they are stuck open, allowing the seawater to continue to enter the vessel.”
AI the crowning achievement
not up to the task of working reliably in the harsh and corrosive conditions expected.” Andrew encouraged Haywards to contact Katherine George, Managing Director of Total Instrument Controls, to assist in specifying the right type of valves to be used in the elements of the Southern Ocean. Total Instrument Controls are a supplier of instrumentation and control technology and are one of the leading Australian resellers of Bürkert’s valve systems and controls. Previously the company had supplied Huon Aquaculture with various Bürkert equipment for their hatcheries, including solenoid valves
and actuators, as well as oxygen dosing systems. “The various valves from Bürkert that we supplied for the project have a variety of tasks from moving fluids (air, water, fuel etc.) around the barge, as well as controlling the feed spreader systems, deck wash systems, and generator fuel shutoffs,” said George “Any valves in contact with saltwater use a particular grade of stainless steel called Duplex for the trim material, as it provides the best corrosion resistance.” “Bürkert’s 3005 actuators with battery backup on top of butterfly valves and stainless-steel ball
The huge barge, the remote control and the innovative feed system are all achievements that Huon Aquaculture and its suppliers can be proud of. But the crowning achievement is possibly the artificial intelligence and machine learning that has been incorporated into the control system. Rather than relying on human operators observing the video feed, as is done in the European systems, Huon has a achieved a system that uses the latest in AI and machine learning technology to automatically respond to fish behaviour while also ‘learning on the job’. Managing director Peter Bender believes the system could be the first of its kind, an innovation built on Tasmanian ingenuity. F
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www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 31
FOODPRO
foodpro will return to Sydney in 2021
foodpro is returning to the Sydney Showgrounds from July 25 to July 28.
For more than 50 years, foodpro has united the manufacturing industry and in July, the event is returning to Sydney. Food and Beverage Industry News spoke to the event manager and vendors about what this means for them and the industry.
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oodpro is scheduled to return to the Sydney Showgrounds from July 25 to July 28. The event brings together manufacturing and processing decision makers and buyers for four days of collaboration, product launches, networking, and showcasing the newest technology. “This year’s event is more important than ever with our food industry being struck by major events such as the bushfires and the coronavirus,” said event manager Melissa Clendinen. “The return of foodpro and associated networking is a major turning point for our industry in creating a COVID-normal Australian economy and getting people back to doing business together.” The 2021 show will include a free seminar series with expert speakers covering trends like traceability, food safety, hygiene and business recovery.
Foodpro is also partnering with the Annual Convention of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology with the theme of this year’s conference being “Food Science - Delivering in a Challenging World”. Among the major features of the event is the traceability and provenance zone, which is being sponsored by Food Innovation Australia (FIAL). This exhibit is a must visit for food and beverage manufacturers looking to discuss end-to-end solutions. Government and business zones will also feature during foodpro 2021, with a special focus on industry associations including AIFST, AIP and FIAL. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask the experts questions and seek up-to-date advice and industry information. There will also be a sensory maze at the exhibition, allowing visitors
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to immerse themselves in a matrix of new tastes, flavours, colours and experiences, including a smell wall, sound room, touch games, textures, and case studies. And as with every foodpro event, networking will be of critical importance for vendors and decision makers alike. Meanwhile, the AIFST is hosting a cheese and wine evening at the Novatel Sydney Olympic Park, giving attendees a much-needed chance to reconnect with their peers and colleagues in person. An IT and digital factory will also feature, offering a showcase for businesses interested in boosting operation efficiency and improving product decisions via IOT, smart sensors, app developments and more. A dedicated space will also be set out for the logistics and materials handling zone for intralogistics, warehousing, materials handling and
supply chain management. Finally, a package and material zone will also be set up to highlight the latest in machinery, eco-friendly labelling, bottling, weighing, canning and tamper-proof technology to increase sales, lower manufacturing handling costs and improved shelf life. Food and Beverage Industry News spoke with Michael Grigg, marketing manager at Tetra Pak Oceania, about the importance of foodpro’s return and what it means for the company as first time exhibiters. “We are really excited to be participating at foodpro for the first time. We were impressed with the 2017 show, in particular with foodpro’s ability to bring a huge number of food producers, distributors and manufacturers under one roof,” said Grigg. “For us, it will be a great opportunity to showcase our
FOODPRO
capabilities in processing, packaging and services across the food manufacturing network and discuss firsthand how we can support manufacturers to overcome production challenges as well as identify opportunities.” Tetra Pak’s theme for the event is Redefine the future of food. “We will be showcasing a portfolio of solutions that aim to help brands understand the growth and innovation opportunities,” said Grigg. Food and Beverage Industry News also spoke with Australis Engineering managing director Peter Gustafson about the importance of foodpro and what it can do for companies that are involved in the event. “We’ve exhibited in the past and we have always had a really high level of good-quality foot traffic coming to our stand and relevant inquiries from people who are decision makers in the industry. It has always provided good value to be able to exhibit and get in front of a lot of quality people in a short period of time,” he said. Gustafson said one of the many advantages to being a vendor at an event like foodpro is the long-term flow-on effect when it comes to industry decision makers having to purchase new equipment. “Certainly long-term flow on is pretty common. We’ve had multiple inquiries and leads come about many years after being at an exhibition,” said Gustafson. “Unlike consumer-type products, the nature of industrial machinery that you are selling, and capital equipment, means somebody might not need something every single year, but when they do need it, replacing, upgrading or expanding for example, they’ve got a record of who they’ve seen and the type of equipment you can offer. So they come and knock on your door.” Gustafson said Australis Engineering, like many other companies, had to work around the limitations on face-to-face meetings, and by extension the lack of trade shows, as a result of the pandemic. “Even with just regular sales meetings, there were a lot of organisations that had a policy of no external staff on site, let alone them extending through to trade exhibitions, which were one of the car crashes of Covid,” said Gustafson. “Large gatherings in indoor venues have been a no-no, but I think we’ve sort of sensed over the last four or
Foodpro brings manufacturing and processing decision makers together. five months a real pent-up demand for people to be able to get back out and see and touch and feel and talk face to face.” The appeal and advantages to being at a trade show was something many companies had missed for some time and the return of foodpro has created optimism within the industry. “There is just a good dynamic about being at a trade show where there is so many different vendors exhibiting and you can compare products between vendors or talk to people directly,” said Gustafson. “It’s a less pressurised environment
when you are potentially coming down to contractual-like negotiations. Because it’s early in the process customers understand that they are there to be wowed and impressed by the vendors so there is a little more latitude in terms of being able to not just focus on one or two things.” Tetra Pack and Australis Engineering will be just two of the host of vendors already set to showcase at foodpro, demonstrating the desire for decision makers and manufacturers to finally meet face to face in an exhibition setting. The entire event has been
organised to be COVID-safe for all those who attend, utilising a government compliant COVID safe event system. The foodpro team will deliver measures such as queue management and crowd control, technology and digital signage, touchless and contactless standards, real-time data on attendance, contact tracing and QR code scanning, cleaning and sanitisation, regular public announcements, physical and digital signage, modification of the exhibitor environment, COVID Marshalls, and training. F
The 2021 show will include a free seminar series with expert speakers covering trends like traceability, food safety, hygiene and business recovery.
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 33
LUBRICATION
Reduce the need and cost of bearing greasing with SKF A host of practical studies have indicated to SKF the necessity to reduce the need and subsequent costs of bearing greasing to help lift productivity and mitigate contamination risks.
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or the food and beverage industry, the impact of ineffective forms of lubrication can result in a string of issues from excessive downtime to the costs of continued maintenance and food safety risks. The lubrication process has also been found to impact on a range of other KPI’s including output of availability, speed and quality as well as health and safety and environmental compliance. All told, up to 20 per cent of a
company’s maintenance budget can be impacted by lubrication. Eva Otel, SKF global marketing and sustainability – food and beverage, said they identified three key approaches when it came to lubrication and relubrication of manufacturing equipment. “One of the real bedrocks of plant reliability in food and beverage is lubrication management. What we say is that lubrication management can be impacted in three ways,” Otel said. This applies across the board
from pressure washing to hot and cold areas as well as contaminating environments. Changes in traditional approaches to relubrication of bearings has the capability to impact food safety compliance, cost reduction, asset availability and environmental impacts. “Basically, the way we started off is that the seven most expensive words in business are, ‘we have always done it this way’, and this very intrenched in food and beverage,” Otel said. SKF has studied the best ways to reduce risks associated with lubricating bearings.
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The elimination approach is about trusting new technologies to improve on reliability and safety despite the differences to the traditional approach of lubrication and relubrication. “Whenever you pressure wash, all of the water and especially the cleaning agent are designed to penetrate, they have a low surface tension that penetrates the seals and this is something that we have learned through a lot of tests that we have done,” said Otel. “What happens is that these washdowns, the cleaning media gets inside the bearing, the industry knows that water content might be inside the bearing and then what they do is relubricate the purge just to make sure all of that water content has been eliminated from inside the bearing. But very often it’s corroded and sticky with grease.” Otel said it was understandable for manufactures to be cautious when it came to eliminating the washdown and relubrication process altogether, so several practical studies were conducted for proof of concept. Meanwhile, the industry standard IP69 safety rating, the ingress protection code for very high levels of protection with regards to enclosures, isn’t enough to guarantee supply line product safety, Otel said. “What we are trying to say is what are the conditions, bringing some arguments and concrete test results and experience in industry, so having proof points that this works, in order to eliminate that relubrication,” said Otel. “What we are saying is, the IP69 rating really a safeguard? Is this belief correct?” said Otel. “Through the tests that we have done for detergent droplets, they have tested what is happening inside the bearings and the confusion is it isn’t enough, the IP69 rating safeguards against water but not against the detergents, detergents penetrate the seals and come into the grease.
LUBRICATION
Several new sealing options are on offer from SKF. “So you need a different sealing solution than conventionally what most manufacturers use. It’s very logical, the more lips you put in the seal the more protection you give, you don’t allow the water to get inside the bearing but what more lips do is not effective enough.” Over time the process of relubrication was found to break down the factors constitute a IP69 rating, which in turn can lead to grease being extracted through the washdown, ending up on the floor or in wastewater and causing hazardous risks to worker, environmental and public safety. “One argument is to have an effective grease that withstands the detergent but also think of a sealing solution which is not based on more lips for the seal. What they have detected is these lips get destroyed with extreme pressure and that is where water comes in,” said Otel.
But research has shown there are improved ways to keep bearings lubricated in cases where old systems are still being used, such as minimisation and optimisation. SKF have a range of modern sealing options, from internal to external, which have been found to combat the risks of corrosion and grease being extracted during the cleaning process. The gutter seal is one such example. “When you get the pressure wash the gutter seal will put the lip against the surface and the water is invited inside. Water droplets will penetrate but through the low surface tension and gravity they are guided outside. It is a much better protection to work with the cleaning agent instead of working against it,” said Otel. Another issue SKF addressed was the use of mounted spacers to combat any lubrication issues. “They are mounting spacers in the
hope that it will give a good hygienic design and better cleanability. It is also something we have proven not to be really true. If there are bacteria inside the bearings it can spread.” said Otel. “It’s important to have a full enclosure for the bearings if you have high food contamination risks. It is important to have sealability from behind. Otherwise, there would be a gap between the shaft in most conventional solutions, so it is important not to have food residue travel inside the conveyor. “Additional sealing solutions can be applied, we do have customised seals and they can be machined to whatever the client needs, and they can be done in one or two days with the profiles that are needed by the client.” If not sealed properly then there is a greater risk of oil leaks which, again, can result in slipping hazards on the factory floor and potential
environmental impacts if the oil is caught up in wastewater. “There are a number of ways sealing solutions can help you keep that lubricant in and contaminants out, so you can have external seals,” said Otel. “With the right sealing and lubrication technology and the sealability of the insert bearing … you can improve reliability and reduce the change out. You can eliminate the need to relubricate which saves on maintenance and running costs.” These are just some of the examples of why SKF feels the lubrication processes around manufacturing can be made more effective or eliminated altogether. SKF used its findings to create the new sealing capabilities to address these issues, and a host of others, centred around the lubrication and re-lubrication of bearings in manufacturing machinery. F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 35
PACKAGING WASTE
Sealed Air is helping address the growing issues around food waste.
Solving waste starts with good design and closing the loop Packaging company Sealed Air is helping address food waste through its CRYOVAC food packaging brand. Food and Beverage Industry News reports.
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ealed Air is working hard at helping to reduce the large amounts of global food waste which is costing the world’s economy billions of dollars. Australia’s food waste problem is costing the economy around $20 billion per annum, with 7.3 million tonnes of food wasted every year. This wastage equals out to about 300kg per person, or one in five bags of groceries. It’s been calculated that food waste accounts for more than five per cent of Australia’s total greenhouse gas emissions. The most talked about areas of waste right across the food industry are food waste and packaging waste. But for many food producers it’s the waste you cannot see like the land, water and energy required to harvest products that create the biggest issues. “Waste in all forms is a cost and
has environmental impacts for the food and beverage sector. Reducing the carbon footprint of products starts by becoming more efficient, reducing resource consumption and by wasting less,” said Alan Adams, Sealed Air’s sustainability director for the Asia Pacific region. “Waste reduction opportunities can be identified by looking at the life cycle of any product and can be identified right across the food supply chain network.”
Food waste Packaging can play a role in food waste reduction by providing protection against physical damage and contamination as well as extending shelf life, and when the consumption window of products is maximised it helps reduce any waste. While food waste also means
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resource waste, food waste diverted to landfill contributes to global warming because it emits methane gas which is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Packaging waste “Sustainable Packaging Design principles are fundamental when it comes to minimising packaging waste,” said Adams.
2025 targets have accelerated efforts towards solutions that are recyclable, but according to APCO’s Australian Packaging Consumption
PACKAGING WASTE
and Recycling Data 2018-2019, the total Australian post-consumer packaging recovery in 2018–19 is estimated to be 2.98 million tonnes, or about 14 per cent. While recycling infrastructure develops to support industry goals, the easiest way to reduce waste is by using less to begin with. “There’s a sweet spot when it comes to packaging design and food waste. It is the minimum amount of packaging needed to deliver the required shelf life and ensure there are no accumulated losses through damage,” said Adams. “Balancing performance and protection is an art, particularly when your product lands in the hands of consumers who have a strong sentiment for sustainable packaging. Education on what the packaging does is key.” According to figures from the Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, one third of the world’s food is lost to waste, which in turn produces eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. If food waste was a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter behind the USA and China. “When it comes to addressing the packaging sweet spot, Cryovac
brand Darfresh on Tray vacuum skin packaging is a great example,” said Adams. Compared to traditional modified atmosphere packaging formats, Darfresh vacuum skin technology has enabled advances in the shelf life of beef from 12 days to 28 days. “Not only does this allow a wider window for consumption of fresh proteins and the reduced potential for food waste in households, but it also enables food processors to distribute far and wide, making their product more accessible to more people.” said Adams. Reducing processing waste is a key goal for processors and Cryovac Darfresh on tray enables 100 per cent film utilisation, meaning zero plastic processing scrap and no subsequent downstream waste that has to be managed. “The bottom polypropylene Darfresh tray can have lower side profiles than a modified atmosphere pack with a soaker pad, and is curb side recyclable,” said Adams. “The pack’s top film is accepted by in store recycling programs under the rinse and return program. Comprising many convenience features including long shelf life, leak proof seals to keep things fresh and tidy, as well as its freezer ready
format, Darfresh on Tray helps drive out waste across the entire supply chain – from processors to retailers and consumers.” While it’s easy to tackle the waste you can see, often weighing on the minds of processors is the waste you can’t see like energy and time. With Australia’s fresh red meat industry bearing a high cost of production, driving throughput efficiency through your plant is essential. “Where there is efficiency, there is less waste. SEE Smart Link is a digital technology platform that enables enhanced packaging equipment performance and functionality,” said Adams. Developed and offered exclusively by Sealed Air, this secure, cloud-based platform collects, stores, and analyses real-time production data that can be used for monitoring, process control, and predictive actions that drive improved efficiency and performance against your custom KPIs. “Sustainability underpins all that we do at Sealed Air as we aspire to make the world better than we found it. The impact of climate change shapes a lot of what we do here,” said Adams. “We know food waste and product damage leaves behind a significant carbon footprint, so often we need to remind the industry that
packaging is the hero in its ability to protect against waste and damage.” A life cycle and total impact analysis is the best way to navigate the most sustainable outcome for the supply chain. “And we can’t do this alone. We are partnering with industries who can support today’s numerous packaging waste challenges and transform today’s model into a circular economy,” said Adams. “Sealed Air Europe, together with retailer Tesco’s, Plastic Energy and SABIC have delivered a closed loop circular economy whereby soft plastic collected in store was recycled, via Plastic Energy, into oil. This oil was refined to make new plastic pellets and in turn converted by Sealed Air back into plastic cheese packaging placed back on Tesco shelves. This is a great achievement and demonstrates how industry collaboration has the potential to drive some remarkable outcomes.” Reducing waste is imperative for Sealed Air who have a webinar on June 23, titled Designing Out Waste Across Food Supply Chains, which is formatted to help promote methods companies can employ to lower the amount of waste. Whether packaging waste, food waste or resource waste, the webinar will have sessions designed to answer any questions decision makers may have. “The industry is taking it very seriously and by setting 2025 targets, we’re fast tracking our efforts towards a more sustainable future,” said Adams. “For us to achieve our outcomes, industry engagement and collaboration is non- negotiable. We expect brand owners to connect with consumers about food waste and their role in reducing waste. F Australia’s food waste is costing the economy around $20 billion a year.
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 37
The future of packaging
PACKAGING
Food and Beverage Industry News talks to two specialists in the packaging space about future trends and roadblocks that need to be overcome.
N
ot too long ago the purpose of food and beverage packaging was to protect products as they travelled from the manufacturing plant to a store’s shelf ensuring they arrive in pristine condition for the end user. Savvy marketing people would put some fancy design on it, or swathe it in colours that would catch the eye of consumer, with the end use of the packaging nothing more than an afterthought. Today, while the aforementioned points stand, there are a myriad of other considerations that are now taken into account when food and beverage manufacturers put together packaging for a new product.
These considerations include, but are not limited to: • W hat happens to the packaging when it has served its main purpose of making sure the goods are delivered in their best condition? • Is the packaging compostable, recyclable and/or biodegradable? • W hat nutritional information is on the packaging? • Does the information contain the provenance of where the ingredients are sourced? • Does the packaging extend the shelf life of the product? Simon Jones is vice-president for sales at an English-based company that specialises in helping consumer brands run their businesses smarter
38 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
and more sustainability in a more accountable world. He has seen many changes over the past two decades, and now more than ever, consumers are becoming more picky about where their food comes from, how it is stored, and what happens to the packaging after it is no longer needed for its primary use. “I read a statistic recently that said 78 per cent of consumers in North America are making brand selection decisions based on the provenance and data of product items,” he said. “They want to be able to access that information and source the origin and materials used in that product. “The other trend is them wanting to know what happens at the end life of the packaging, the recyclability.
There are demands to move to more sustainable packaging, to try and help consumers do the right thing with the packaging they’ve got. We’re seeing trends around helping shift away from plastics and plant-based products or handling materials.” For Jones, the consumer is at the heart of that journey. If packaging suppliers and food and beverage manufacturers can’t educate the consumer and try and influence their behaviour, the recyclability rates will not improve, which they need to do, he said. “One of the drivers behind all that is the need to engage with the audience and engage with that consumer and we’re seeing that not just in food and beverage, there is a big shift in brands trying to connect directly with consumers,” he said. Michael Dossor, who among other hats he wears is a consortium member for the Save Food Packaging Fight Food Waste CRC project, concurs with Jones’ assessment and is seeing those changes on the ground. Associations are playing their part in making sure manufacturers are being informed about what consumers’ expectations are when it comes to sustainability and traceability, and also some of the issues around how to get all the information out there to the end users. But there are other issues arising. “Working on the Fight food Waste CRC and the AIP, I have seen the links between all these things, which are incredible and are having a massive role to play in bringing those two things together and educating the consumer,” Dosser said. “The challenge is that the brand owners can’t put any more on their packaging. By the time they put on the ingredients list and all the other requirements, and try and communicate their brand, all of this stuff isn’t going to fit. The link point between all those things is something the AIP takes seriously. It is something that APCO takes seriously and it’s something that active intelligent packaging is circling between the wagons to do that.” To the public at large, plastic packaging is seen as the enemy. However, getting on the anti-plastic bandwagon doesn’t help, according to Jones. The alternatives also have their issues, albeit for different reasons. “It is easy to demonise plastic. Plastic bad – anything else good. But
PACKAGING
we know it is not that simple. You’re just moving the problem,” he said. “I’ve worked with a lot of packaging companies over the past few years. The shift to plant-based alternatives and non-plastic packaging, while it is worthy, and has a lot of merit and is clearly work to do and clearly there is a way to go, in and of itself it is not the answer. This is because some of those things are not recyclable due to the current infrastructure in place. You’re just moving the problem not fixing it.” With consumers demanding more information, one of the key considerations that needs to be taken into account is space – or lack thereof. Which is why Jones believes that the new barcode technology that is becoming available is going to have a crucial role moving forward. “Things like GS1’s 2DBarcode is critical,” he said. “To achieve its potential it has to become the global standard that all brands and producers can adopt. The real magic of the digital link standard, this new barcode, is that it serves all parts of the ecosystem equally from a single code. When you think about the traditional 1D barcode that has been on products since 1974, it serves nobody other than the retailer. It doesn’t even serve the brand or producer. Beyond that offline world, it doesn’t have a real value. By having a 2D barcode it allows the product to connect to the web layer, and magic can happen. You can create a website and applications.” A range of different uses can be served by connecting that end journey and that transaction, and all the data before and after that transaction, to the web layer, according to Jones. This means that all the information that goes into the product – the packaging, the source ingredients, the production process, the logistics distribution journey the product has taken – can be captured in a digital record and attributed to that single code on the pack. That information can then be disseminated to the consumer. “You don’t even need an app these days to scan the information that will be on the barcode,” said Jones. “You can literally point your phone’s camera at the code, or you can tap an NFC tag with your phone, and the information can be served directly to you based on how the brand has decided to organise that
data and share it.” It is this kind of engagement, going forward, that Dosser sees as being important in terms of brands getting their message across. While there are technophobes out there, the interaction between the hardware and software on things like mobile phones, is only getting easier in terms of how they are being used. But he warns there does need to be collaboration between the stakeholders who are responsible for getting the message out, whether they are those who develop the technology, or those charged with getting the message across. “Number 1, this is not a technical solution, it is a customerbased engagement solution,” said Dosser. “It needs to be part of the conversation. If the consumers don’t engage then it is pointless. Number 2 is where the challenges come into play. Marketing want to have an involvement in it because they own the project; production have a fear of it because they see something that they have to put a unique identifier on every product – they think ‘I work in a repetitive world and you want me to put a unique identifier on every product?’ That scares them
until they understand it. Then you have the third part of the business that comes along – the IT guys. And the IT guys want to own it because they see it as an IT issue. “In the early stages of a project, if we don’t get those three levels of business working with one another, forget it. It will never get done. It is finished. It will only be half a solution that is it capable of being.” Which is why collaboration is a the key, said Jones. Without that, the complexity of getting sustainability and traceability on the same page, is also impossible. “If you think about it, within the organisations we are working with, these guys are sometimes producing millions of product items,” he said. “Doing this for one product, or one production line or one pack type, or one type of consumer, is easy. Anyone can do that. Doing for this for hundreds of millions of products coming out of hundreds of factories, and being distributed through a complex supply chain network, that’s not simple. For organisations to do that properly and really benefit from this, it takes all of those different stake holders to come together.” Dosser agrees, especially as the
world starts getting smaller in terms of trading goods and getting making the information available to all stakeholders – no matter where in the world they are located. And it’s also a matter of production manager making the most of what they have in terms of information, even if they don’t yet realise it. “The guy in production sits there and goes ‘how am I going to communicate that information to somebody in China vs somebody in South Africa? He doesn’t have to worry about that,’” he said. “The irony is that most of the time he already has the technology in his plant, which is capable of doing that. It’s just not being used. All different elements come together to help them, whether it be from the cloud or cookies so that the consumer experience is controlled outside of the factory.” “If I think about the consumer dynamic and the consumer part of the journey, it is no surprise that consumer have more information now than they’ve ever had. They are more selective more than every about the products they supply. And they want more information about the products they buy,” said Jones. F
Experts address future packaging trends and current issues. www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 39
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Conveyors
Filling machines
Yes
Agito Group Auspouch
Checkweighers
Yes
Case erectors
Yes
Carton sealers
Yes
Capping machines
Bagging machines
7chefs Pty Ltd
Bag sealers
Bag openers
PACKAGING MACHINERY CAPABILITY
Accumulators
PACKAGING SHOWCASE
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Automation Innovation
Yes
CFT Australasia Foodmach
Yes
Yes
Yes
Get Packed Pty Ltd
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Highgate Group Australia Icon Equipment International Pty Ltd
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Keller Warehousing & Co-Packing
Yes
Langdon
Yes
Yes
Yes
London Regalia
Yes
Yes
Yes
Metalprint Australia
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Mulgowie Farming Company
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Notpla Nupac Industries
Yes Yes
O F Packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
OnRobot Pack King Punchbowl Packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rallings Label Specialists Real Dairy Australia
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Rentafill
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Saccardo Packaging Sealed Air ( Page no. 36-37) Selpak Automation
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
SICK PTY LTD
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Teralba Industries Tetra Pak
Yes
The Robot People TIPA-Corp
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Glass
Yes
Fruit & Veg packaging
Films, Foils & Laminates
Coding systems
Corrugated board
Yes
Coatings
Yes
Cartons
Yes
Cans
Yes
Bulk containers
Yes
Bottles
Bins, Boxes & Crates
Yes
Blister packaging
Barcoding & Printing
7chefs Pty Ltd
Bags
Aseptic (hygenic)
Aluminum
MATERIALS & PACKAGING CAPABILITY
Adhesives, Release agents, etc
Trend Product Marking Systems Australia
Air Liquide Australia Allround Packaging Auspouch
Yes
BioPak
Yes Yes
Yes
Caspak Products Pty Ltd CFT Australasia
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
40 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Vacuum sealers
Yes
Yes Yes
Stretch wrap machines
Yes
Strapping machines
Yes
Skin packaging machines
Yes
Shrink wrap sealers
Yes
Yes
Shrink tunnels
Yes
Scales
Metal detectors
Yes
Robots
Lidding machine
Yes
Overwrappers
Labelers
Flow wrappers
PACKAGING SHOWCASE
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Thermoformed products
Tamper evident devices
Sleeves
Skin packaging
Singe serve packages
Printing (contract & pre-press)
Pouches
Plastic
Paper
Modified atmostphere containers
Microvable & Ovenable
Liners
Lasers
Labelling & Labelling materials
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 41
Cyclpac
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hiperbaric
Yes
Yes
Icon Equipment International Pty Ltd
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Keller Warehousing & Co-Packing Yes
Mulgowie Farming Company
Yes
Yes
Notpla
Glass
Fruit & Veg packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
O F Packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Pack King
Yes
Yes
Yes
Nupac Industries
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Protection Experts Australia
Yes
Punchbowl Packaging
Yes
Rallings Label Specialists Real Dairy Australia
Yes
Yes
Saccardo Packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Plasdene Glass-Pak
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Planet Protector Packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
SICK PTY LTD
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
PACKAGING SERVICE CAPABILITY Caspak Products Pty Ltd
Yes
Cyclpac
Air Liquide Australia
Yes
Endeavour Foundation ( Page no. 45)
Allround Packaging
Yes
Highgate Group Australia
Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Hiperbaric Yes
BioPak
Yes
42 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
Yes
Yes Contract packaging
Education & Training
Testing & Laboratories
Research & Development
Yes
Yes Yes
Agito Group
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Contract packaging
Trend Product Marking Systems Australia
Automation Innovation
Yes
Yes
Yes
Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)
Yes
Icon Equipment International Pty Ltd
Yes
Industrial adhesives
Yes
Keller Warehousing & Co-Packing
Yes
Langdon
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Education & Training
The Lime catering Group
Yes
Yes
Testing & Laboratories
Yes
Yes
Yes
Research & Development
Sealed Air ( Page no. 36-37)
Auspouch
Corrugated board Yes Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
7chefs Pty Ltd
Coding systems
Yes Yes
Yes
Metalprint Australia
PACKAGING SERVICE CAPABILITY
Yes Yes
Yes Yes
TIPA-Corp
Coatings
Cartons
Cans
Bulk containers
Bottles
Yes
Yes
GS1 Australia ( Page no. 17-18)
Tetra Pak
Yes
Yes
Graphic Impact Australia Pty. Ltd.
Industrial adhesives
Yes Yes Yes
Equo
Highgate Group Australia
Blister packaging
Yes
Disruptive Packaging Get Packed Pty Ltd
Bins, Boxes & Crates
Barcoding & Printing
Bags
Aseptic (hygenic)
Yes
Films, Foils & Laminates
Confoil
Aluminum
MATERIALS & PACKAGING CAPABILITY
Adhesives, Release agents, etc
PACKAGING SHOWCASE
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Thermoformed products
Tamper evident devices
Singe serve packages
Printing (contract & pre-press)
Pouches
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Sleeves
Yes
Yes
Skin packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Plastic
Yes
Paper
Modified atmostphere containers
Microvable & Ovenable
Liners
Lasers
Labelling & Labelling materials
PACKAGING SHOWCASE
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes Yes Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
The Lime catering Group
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
The Robot People
Yes
Yes
Yes
O F Packaging
Yes
Yes
Yes
TIPA-Corp
Yes
Yes
Yes
Planet Protector Packaging
Yes
Yes
Trend Product Marking Systems Australia
Punchbowl Packaging
Yes
Real Dairy Australia
Yes
Yes
SICK PTY LTD
Yes
Education & Training
Testing & Laboratories
Yes
Notpla
Education & Training
Research & Development
Contract packaging
PACKAGING SERVICE CAPABILITY
Mulgowie Farming Company
Merieux NutriSciences Australia
Testing & Laboratories
Research & Development
PACKAGING SERVICE CAPABILITY
Contract packaging
Yes
Yes Yes
Ronai Services Pty Ltd
Yes
Sealed Air ( Page no. 36-37)
Yes
Yes www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43
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PACKAGING
Endeavour Foundation offers flexibility for packaging needs Endeavour Foundation has built a reputation for flexibility and customisation when it comes to working with its food packaging clients, no matter the size. Endeavour helps companies of all sizes reach their packaging goals in an efficient way.
E
ndeavour Foundation’s packaging capabilities have helped it create a diverse portfolio of clients, from the small to the large, and the company’s adaptability and innovation has helped it carve out a uniquely valuable spot in the market. Carlos Aguado, operations manager NSW & VIC for Endeavour Foundation told Food and Beverage Industry News the company’s ability to adapt to customer needs was a big advantage, but customers also complimented the quick turnaround at a consistently high quality. “We are small enough that we can offer customisation and tailored solutions, but with a geographical reach from Melbourne to Cairns, we also have the capacity for costeffective and efficient delivery times which our customers really
appreciate,” said Aguado. Being able to help smaller companies grow and expand and bigger companies adapt and evolve is a fulfilling and important part of the Endeavour Foundation commercial business model. “Our large workforce means that we can offer highly manual packaging solutions through to semi-automated and fully automated processes which allows us to partner with all kinds of businesses in the food packaging realm. Everyone from the biggest Australian and international retailers in the market through to mum and pop start-ups in the home garage who are seeing demand for their products grow and are looking for a safe and costeffective way to meet that demand” Aguado said. Endeavour Foundation provides
a range of food packaging solutions including food blending and packaging, shrink/bundle wrapping and bagging, labelling, re-labelling and bar coding. The packaging formats employed by the company include doy, or stand up and box pouch, box – vertical filling, pillow and pouch bagging, tub/cylinder vertical filling and sachet, among others. “Endeavour Foundation provides multiple types of business solutions to multiple industries. We’ve got accreditations ranging from HACCP to GMP, which all of our food sites have as a base standard, and then depending on our customer’s business and geographical needs we can then offer other types of accreditations such as SQF, organic, kosher, halal, different types of allergen control and more,” said Aguado. “We specialise in the packaging of powders, spices, grains, cereals, mueslis and granolas. This is an end-to-end service - everything from blending to filling, and then packing either by hand or using specialised equipment.” The output capacity of the company was another selling point for Endeavour, with free tours offered for potential customers so they can see it for themselves. “I think our customers are pleasantly surprised with the capability and capacity that we have,” said Aguado. “You can see their relief when they realise the process or product, they are briefing us on isn’t foreign. And then when we show them our doy pouch machines or pillow pack machines and they realise that not only can we deliver on their brief, but in a shorter time frame than they were expecting – it’s a great feeling.” But cost-effective packaging solutions is just a small part of Endeavour Foundation’s story. As a not-for-profit organisation, the business is this year celebrating 70
The Endeavour Foundation is giving people a new lease on life while helping companies with their packaging needs. years of supporting and making dreams a possibility for people with intellectual disability. “As an Australian Disability Enterprise (ADE), our work sites employ more than 2,000 people with intellectual disability in supported employment,” Aguado said. “Employment opportunities form a critical part of an inclusive and empowering community for people with disability. When our customers partner with us they’re supporting opportunities for people with disability to work, develop skills, earn an income, explore their interests, and be involved in the wider community.” “One thing that we love is seeing the joy on our customer’s faces when they visit our work sites to meet our supported employees and see them packaging their products with so much pride.” “It adds a whole other dimension and meaning to the relationship – they are getting their packaging requirement met but in a meaningful and socially conscience way,” Aguado said. Endeavour Foundation offers work, home and community services that empower and support people with intellectual disability to live their best lives. F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 45
ADVERTORIAL
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- A workforce management case study
Marley Spoon Cooking up a rapidly expanding business with an accompaniment of UKG Marley Spoon is a global meal kit delivery service founded on a mission to inspire their customers to cook easy and exciting meals from scratch. With new recipes created every week, their customers love receiving deliveries of locally sourced, nutritious, and sustainable meal kits that make lives easier and keep meal-times interesting. Because of the fast-paced requirements of their business, Marley Spoon is all about convenience and efficiency. Since launching in Australia in 2015, Marley Spoon has experienced massive growth and now employs over 500 people within the region. While this has been an exciting time for the business, expanding so rapidly came with its own set of growing pains and challenges.
Managing rapid growth before it boils over Marley Spoon’s legacy workforce management systems were unable to keep up with the increasingly complex requirements of the business. Overseeing full time, part time, hourly, and contract workers with varied awards and employment conditions, while working across multiple sites, meant that Marley Spoon was facing a variety of workforce management concerns. With payroll data coming from three separate sources, and legacy systems increasingly unsuitable for accurately tracking employee time and attendance and movement throughout their warehouses, payroll errors and compliance risk were becoming a
concern for the business. Manually interpreting complicated employee awards and conditions was also taking up valuable resources at a time when the business needed to streamline processes and maximise output. As a result, Marley Spoon sought to find a solution that could meet their needs and continue to grow and adapt with their business.
Pairing with the perfect workforce management provider Marley Spoon approached Ultimate Kronos Group (UKG) with their workforce requirements as they were confident the global leader could streamline and automate their processes. The solution needed to consolidate their disparate systems to reduce payroll errors, automate the interpretation of varying and complex awards,
ADVERTORIAL
manage multiple location clock in’s per employee, per day, and reduce time spent on manual processes. After showcasing how these requirements could be met, Marley Spoon chose to implement UKG Ready as their workforce management solution.
The recipe for success Marley Spoon now enjoy the benefits of having a scalable solution that can continue to support them through both internal and external changes; whether it be the continued growth of their workforce and optimising employees’ schedules, easily managing changing regulatory conditions, or increasing productivity by automating manual processes. From an operational perspective, warehouse staff, who visit multiple locations within the warehouse each shift, are now able to easily clock-in to each of these locations using the UKG InTouch time clocks. Prior to implementing UKG Ready with InTouch clocks, employees had to scroll through multiple locations on a tablet to find the correct one. With their new clocks, employees only have the relevant location to select from - saving minutes each time they clock in, for each employee. Marley Spoon is now also working off a single source of truth for their payroll data, which provides accurate information in real-time, reducing errors. Their complicated employee awards are now fully automated, which means compliance risk is minimised, and valuable resources are no longer needed for manual interpretation, resulting in payroll taking only hours to process, instead of days. With their workforce management processes fully optimised, Marley Spoon can now focus on their main course - keeping employees engaged and customers happy.
Key Benefits With UKG, we found a workforce management partner that can support our growth, not just now, but well into our future. We chose UKG Ready as the solution was comprehensive enough to meet our complex requirements and streamline our processes – allowing us to sustain our growth without disruption. Aga Strzemeska, Head of People Operations – Marley Spoon.
Did you know? UKG InTouch time clocks work in cold storage areas, from 0 degrees Celsius.
• Reduced payroll errors via a single source of truth for payroll information • Saved time and resources due to fully automated award interpretation • A scalable workforce management system to grow with the business and its requirements
At UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group), our purpose is people. As one of the world’s leading workforce and human capital management solutions providers, we help thousands of organisations around the globe to turn their workforce into their most competitive advantage. Find out how we can help you. To learn more, visit kronos.com.au/FMDIB or scan the QR code below to download UKG’s Food Manufacturers and Distributors industry brief.
AFCCC
Competitors now need to be friends if cold chain wants to reach full compliance AFCCC chair Mark Mitchell explains how cooperation is the key to advancing Australia’s cold supply chain.
T
here’s nothing wrong with friendly competition. In fact, if you thrive on challenges and hate to be outdone, some friendly competition may well help motivate you and reach your goals. But now there is a new meaning to friendliness in Australia’s cold chain industry when moving chilled or frozen foods from farm to plate. It’s more like friendly cooperation. I could argue that it will only be through continued and friendly cooperation that Australia’s cold chain will come anywhere near being totally compliant in the future. The biggest single challenge facing our cold chain is not a lack of technology, but the implementation of process and correct use of the data that technology produces – and the
ability to share it. It is a sad situation to see compliant cold chains mostly only exist within the minority closed loop systems or end-to-end supply chains without change of custody or ownership of product. This mostly applies to the many Covid supply models, but even more sadly it didn’t apply to the majority of routine vaccine cold chains until Covid came along. Since the pandemic has put the spotlight on cold chain logistics, the industry has been inundated with proposals from telematics companies offering solutions for the food cold chain sector. Many of these offerings are quite inadequate for the job required, while some are very sophisticated and up to date and already being used by existing cold
AFCCC chair Mark Mitchell said the biggest single challenge facing the cold chain is the implementation of process and correct use of the data. 48 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
chain operators. The solutions are out there, but there is a lack of appetite among cold chain competitors to share their data, which in essence, breaks the cold chain. And by data, we are only talking about temperature, which in itself is the most important tool applied in the cold chain – or it should be. There are many critical control point events between both competitive and non-competitive stakeholders. It is at these vulnerable points, such as loading docks, transfers between transports or movement into cold stores, where delivery and receipt temperatures require verification. This is where the breakdown occurs in the majority of cold chains and while this non-sharing culture continues, the cold chain will remain
broken and non-compliant. Some of Australia’s biggest shippers of refrigerated foods have had many products arrive at their destination out of temperature specifications. As a result, far too many loads of valuable food have been diverted from the loading dock to the dump. The problem was not a lack of temperature data – the data existed when the problem occurred. What was wrong was that there was no agreement to both share and use the data between the companies involved in the food transfer. In those cases known to the AFCCC, the issue just went away when there was agreement that the data would be shared, and how it would be used. There is just too much knee-jerk opinion in the Australian cold chain, that tracing is the panacea that will solve all of their issues. It won’t, not by itself, and that is part of the reason the cold chain culture needs to undergo change. Where we have seen a greater degree of cooperation between stake holders is when companies, for other reasons, put in a quality management system under ISO 9001 in some part of their business. Operating under ISO 9001 for quality product delivery seems to have the effect of encouraging natural participation with and cooperation between stake holders. This can spill over into the cold chain process of the same company with positive effects. A quality management system, on any section of the business, breaks the ice for the cold chain in that business and generally leads to a change of culture throughout. The work of the AFCCC is encouraging government incentives to embed quality management systems for food supply and the cold chain. F
MAINTENANCE
Keeping the Tim Tams coming Food and Beverage Industry News speaks with Arnott’s Paul Nitschke about how BSC has helped update the chain drive in their Adelaide factory to help conveyors run smoother.
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or a lot of Australians, Arnott’s biscuits are associated with sweet memories. From growing up with a vintage Arnott’s biscuit tin, to introducing the delights of a ‘Tim Tam Slam’, Arnott’s products have lodged themselves in the hearts and homes of Australians throughout the brand’s 155-year history. In fact, an estimated 95 per cent of Australian households stock Arnott’s biscuits. Making products for the nation comes with responsibilities. The maintenance teams at Arnott’s factories work hard to ensure the plants run as efficiently as possible to keep up with the large orders Arnott’s receives. For Paul Nitschke, who works as maintenance services team leader at Arnott’s Marleston plant in Adelaide, working with the iconic biscuit manufacturer is a source of pride. “It’s a great feeling to be working with a company that’s part of Australia’s manufacturing history,” said Nitschke. One of the machines that Nitschke’s team supervises at the Marleston plant is a cooling conveyor that transfers freshly baked biscuits and cookies from the oven to the wrapping machines. Keeping the 30-metre-long wire mesh conveyor rolling smoothly is critical for the biscuits to reach the final packaging stage. Last year, Paul noted that the chain drive running the conveyor line was not running as efficiently as it should. “The chain drive running the cooling conveyor was failing sporadically. We had experienced seven or eight chain failures in a span of about 15 months. Every time the chain broke, it would cost us almost a full day of production,” said Nitschke. To identify the cause of the problem, Paul contacted Chris Wheatley, the agriculture, food and beverage manager for BSC in South Australia. For nearly a decade, BSC has been supplying Arnott’s plants nationally with parts and service
Replacing the chain drive with a belt drive assembly costs the plant the same as it would cost to upgrade heavier chains.
Nitschke said he was pleased with the way the BSC experts handled the drive upgrade process. requirements to ensure a smooth production process. Working with Chris and BSC‘s engineering specialist, Andrew Fant, Nitschke was able to confirm that the existing triplex chains running the drive were inadequate for the incoming loads. The alternative, which the BSC team proposed, was to change the drive system to a belt and pulley system using Gates’ Poly Chain GT Carbon timing belts. “The existing chain drive wasn’t coping well with the load surges in the machine, which resulted in the frequent breakages. We initially considered replacing the triplex chain with a heavier chain; but further calculation showed that the
heavier chain would only cause more problems,” said Wheatley. “Upgrading to a belt and pulley system was the best solution in this case. Not only is the belt drive system more compact, but the Gates Poly Chain GT Carbon timing belts also have a much higher load carrying capacity than the old chains. “What’s more, the Gates belts are practically maintenance free, so we have eliminated the need for lubrication. For a food plant, that is a bonus point because lubricating the chains can be quite messy. The belt and pulley system we have designed for Arnott’s weighs only about two-third of the chain drive system previously installed, reducing the
load on the shafts.” In the end, Wheatley says replacing the chain drive with a belt drive assembly cost the plant the same amount of money as it would cost to upgrade to heavier chains. “But if you consider the elimination of lubrication and manpower over the life of the belt, it worked out to be a better solution for us. The main cost saving, however, was in avoiding downtimes, which was the key factor. In that context, the new drive system has already paid for itself,” said Nitschke. Moreover, not having to replace sprockets has been a welcomed change for Nitschke’s team. “With the chain drive setup, the sprockets were under a lot of pressure and wearing out faster than they should. Not having to spend that time to replace the sprockets has been another positive outcome for us,” said Nitschke. Nitschke said he was very pleased with the way the BSC experts handled the drive upgrade process. “I have worked with the BSC engineering team on many occasions before and they have always been very helpful with any problems we have had,” he said. “In this case, at first we were not sure whether the issue was due to the chain’s alignment or the overall setup of the chain drive. So, I sent Andrew some information about the drive and he designed a fit-for-purpose solution for us.” Wheatley said BSC is honoured to support the company that has provided Australians with a host of snacks including Iced VoVos, SAO, Shapes and Wagon Wheels. “BSC has been servicing Arnott’s maintenance teams all across Australia since 2011. Our local teams are always happy to go out of their way and work beyond their normal workhours if an urgent breakdown or reliability issue needs to be addressed,” said Wheatley. “This is how we treat all of our clients, big or small. It just so happens that visits to Arnott’s are extra sweet.” F
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 49
Using intuitive and interactive packaging as a marketing tool Author
Nerida Kelton MAIP, Executive Director, Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP)
The power of packaging extends beyond keeping food fresh and contained for the consumer. Nerida Kelton, executive director of the Australian Institute of Packaging and vice president of the World Packaging Organisation explains.
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often find myself stopping to take pause when a random pack catches my eye as I am wandering down a supermarket aisle. Packs that stand out on shelf in a sea of similar shapes and materials tend to be ‘different’ in some way. The pack might be visually a brighter colour, a different shape, an usual size, or calls for consumer engagement. One such pack that caught my eye was the Monday haircare range from New Zealand. What made this pack stand out was the neutral pink tone that they selected and the shape of the bottle. The pack made me feel like it was a premium range at a supermarket price. I must confess that I bought a set; even though I do not use that shampoo brand, all because I loved the packaging. Other packs that have stood out to me lately are those that create consumer engagement and invite you to become a part of their story. Looking at the broad range of finalists in the newly established Marketing Design of the Year category for the 2021 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards there are some innovative examples of how packaging can become one of the strongest and most important tools for marketing a product and the brand. Packaging should be seen as an opportunity to create powerful and evoking messages with your consumers and to establish brand loyalty. This can incorporate the functionality of the pack, the aesthetic design and the outstanding visual appearance that makes the pack stand out on shelf, the premium and gifting style design, and/or unique and interactive
Peaches’ and also used the packaging itself to include a variety of messages around the health benefits and origins.
KITKAT ‘Recycle me, Give the Planet A Break’ wrappers shift the recycling message to the front of pack
Packaging should be seen as an opportunity to create powerful and evoking messages with your consumers and to establish brand loyalty. communication tools on the pack. Two unique and innovative examples within the Marketing category finalists are Cutri Fruit ‘Galaxy’ peaches and the KitKat ‘Recycle Me, Give the Planet A Break’ wrappers.
Cutri Fruit Galaxy Fruits ‘Saturn Peaches’ bring outer space to the aisles When designing the Galaxy Fruits ‘Saturn Peaches’ packaging for Cutri Fruit, N.A.V.I Co Global ventured into new territory and created an intuitive and interactive consumerfacing brand. For over 40 years, Cutri has only supplied generic, unbranded produce to supermarkets and for the first time decided to formally introduce their own brand to consumers. Cutri wanted the packaging to provide a positive first impression that was unique and engaging for the customers, and also fit-for-purpose. Cutri was looking for an out-ofthis-world offering for their uniquely shaped peaches and wanted the packaging to create a point of difference on shelf.
50 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
The Galaxy Fruits ‘Saturn Peaches’ branding is family-friendly, using bright colours and eye-catching graphics, including interactive elements to build an emotional connection and ultimately pique interest and awareness of this new variety. Centred in the attention-grabbing design is a window to show off the unique flat, saturn-like peaches. The pack utilises interactive pop-outs to create collectibles and encourage repeat purchase. The window can be used as a projection screen and reused over and over by the children. Cutri wanted the interactive section to create activities for the children such as colouring in, to encourage creativity and mental stimulation. The packaging created its own version of Augmented Reality with the mobile phone projector, bringing outer space into living rooms all over the country, and acting as a conduit for kids to learn about space, creativity and healthy eating. Cutri incorporated a QR code on-pack for consumers to find out more about the Galaxy Fruits ‘Saturn
To encourage and educate Australians to ‘Give the Planet a Break’ by recycling their soft plastics correctly, KitKat has made the bold move to temporarily replace its logo on the iconic four-finger milk chocolate bar with a call out to recycle in store. The limited-edition bars feature a KitKat-inspired recycling symbol and an explicit call to action for everyone to actively drop off wrappers at REDcycle collection bins, located in most major Australian supermarkets. What makes this pack stands out is that the design of the KITKAT wrapper artwork completely removes the KITKAT branding on the front of pack and replaces it with a mobius loop, a symbol which consumers associate with recycling. The use of the mobius loop symbol takes up the front of pack, is eye-catching and delivers the message clearly to consumers about the importance of packaging that is recyclable. The mobius loop symbol is accompanied by the tagline ‘Recycle me, give the planet a break’, which is also a play on words on the ‘Have a break, have a KITKAT’ tagline, and aligns with the company’s sustainability message. F Nerida Kelton MAIP Executive Director – Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) Vice President Sustainability & Save Food – World Packaging (WPO) Organisation (WPO)
MARKETPLACE
Deal activity picks up Following a strong start to 2021, corporate activity in the food and beverage industry remained high over the two-month period from March to April 2021. Ten transactions were announced over the twomonth period.
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uperior Food Services acquired KB Food Company’s foodservice distribution business in Western Australia. The acquisition strengthens the distributor’s presence in Western Australia and expands the national distribution footprint. Mondelez International acquired Gourmet Food Holdings, a leading manufacturer of premium crackers and biscuits, for $400 million. The transaction implied a 10x EBITDA multiple for the Gourmet Food Holdings business. The acquisition of Gourmet Food Holdings is in line with Mondelez’s strategy to accelerate the group’s leadership position in the snacking category across Australia and New Zealand. Flavorite, a portfolio company of ROC Partners, merged with Murphy Fresh and Tatura Fresh. Murphy Fresh and Tatura Fresh is a leading tomato grower. The merger positions Flavorite Group as the largest owner and operator of glasshouses in Australia. ASX listed Maggie Beer Holdings acquired The Hamper Emporium and Gifts Australia businesses for
$40 million. The purchase price was settled through the issue of shares in Maggie Beer Holdings and a cash consideration. TPG Capital acquired a 45 per cent shareholding in Made Group from The Coca-Cola Company and Coca-Cola Amatil. TPG also acquired an unspecified shareholding from the company’s founders resulting in TPG owning a controlling stake in Made Group. Asahi Beverages acquired Australia / New Zealand-based coffee business, Allpress Espresso. Allpress Espresso is estimated to have a 5 per cent share of the supply of roasted coffee beans to the Australian foodservice channel. Private equity firm Five V Capital acquired snack food manufacturer Annex Foods and took a significant equity stake in muesli and snack food manufacturer, Table of Plenty. The outlook for transactions in the food and beverage industry is positive. The food and beverage industry remains an attractive investment destination with increased interest in the industry from both trade buyers and financial investors. F
Transactions announced Date
Target Name
Acquirer
Sector
4 Mar 2021
KB Food Co’s foodservice distribution
Superior Food Services
Foodservice distribution
9 Mar 2021
Gourmet Food Holdings
Mondelez International
Snacking
10 Mar 2021
Murphy Fresh & Tatura Fresh (merger)
Flavorite
Fresh produce
16 Mar 2021
Veritas Winery
Accolade Wines
Alcoholic beverages
22 Mar 2021
Fitness Outcomes
Patties Foods
Prepared meals
30 Mar 2021
Hampers & Gifts Australia
Maggie Beer Holdings
eCommerce gifting
21 Apr 2021
Made Group (controlling stake)
TPG Capital
Beverages
30 Apr 2021
Allpress Espresso
Asahi Beverages
Beverages
30 Apr 2021
Annex Foods
Five V Capital
Breakfast and snacking
30 Apr 2021
Table of Plenty (significant stake)
Five V Capital
Breakfast and snacking
Ben van der Westhuizen and David Baveystock are directors of Comet Line Consulting, an advisory business that specialises in acquisitions and divestments within the Australian food and beverage industry. For more information, visit www.cometlineconsulting.com.au.
Commodity Outlook WHEAT: World wheat prices to fall reflecting higher global production. COARSE GRAINS: World barley prices to fall because of falling world consumption. OILSEEDS: Oilseed prices supported by global demand outstripping supply.
BEEF, VEAL AND SHEEP MEAT: Australian cattle prices to fall during the outlook period. Lamb saleyard prices to fall in the medium term as the global supply of red meat increases. DAIRY: Milk prices to increase in response to stronger global demand and slower supply growth. Source: Source: Department of Agriculture and Water Recources (ABARES), Agricultural commodities, March 2021.
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 51
DAIRY
Global trade improved from the dip in February 2021 compared with the same month in 2020.
Global Dairy Commodity Update May 2021 A lengthy timeline towards a pre-COVID dairy market has been outlined by Maxum Foods while global trade saw improvement from February 2021.
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he explosion in the global COVID caseload as some governments continue to favour “economy over care” shows there is yet a long and complex road out of the pandemic, despite the rapid progress on inoculations in some rich developed countries. While control of infections in some major countries is in sight, a lengthy timeline before life as we knew it is realistic, while the effects of the complex macro-impacts caused by massive stimulus will have lasting
effects. Meanwhile there will be a slow return to pre-COVID economic conditions for developing Africa, South Asia and Latin America. Global trade improved from the dip in February 2021 compared with the same month in 2020. As usual, some large distortions continue to affect the numbers, the most significant being the aftereffects of Brexit. Fundamentals of dairy markets have improved with the further slowing of global milk output, as the EU takes longer to crawl out of
52 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
winter, tightening SMP and butterfat availability. Feed challenges will affect milk growth into H2-2021 and could be far worse if there’s a hot summer. While US milk collections remain strong and stocks heavy, the glut of milk will gradually shrink as producers respond to poor margins, while improving demand for cheese and butterfat will come as foodservice outlets re-open. Dry conditions in several other regions – Brazil, Mexico and lately the UK - will also help slow
milk output. The Chinese demand has heavily influenced price discovery to lift milk powders and butterfat prices. The recent prices have and will continue to meet buyer resistance and weaken fundamentals. Butterfat trade was significantly weaker with COVID’s impact on food service demand, but the recent spike in prices will test affordability as activity recovers. WMP demand outside China has also been significantly weaker at prices much lower than current values. F
NEW PRODUCTS
iBase’s MRD-238 Intel Atom x7-E3950 Pentium N4200 processor all-in-one 24 inch bar-type panel PC Backplane Systems Technology is proud to present iBase’s MRD-238, which integrates an Intel® Pentium® Processor N4200 or an Intel® Atom® x7-E3950 Processor, powered by a 24VDC or 110VDC power input. Built with an ultrawide TFT active matrix LCD screen, the system can ideally serve as a signage display for advertising or providing passengers with the current information on arrival and departure times at targeted areas in the vicinity of airports or train stations. The MRD-238 complies with EN50155 international standards, ready to be deployed in various rolling stock applications where rigorous shock and vibration requirements should be met. Its sunlight-readable panel provides enhanced graphical performance with a wide viewing angle of 178 degrees, ensuring excellent visibility from any direction. The unit has an IP65 rated front panel and supports up to 8GB of system memory, 64GB SSD storage, and useful I/O interfaces including an M12 GbE connector, an RS-232/422/485 port, and two USB 2.0 ports. Lastly, the MRD-238 measures 650mm(W) x 165mm(D) x 65mm(H) with a brightness control key and fanless operation. Key Features: • Intel Atom x7-E3950 / Pentium N4200 Processor • Brightness Control Key • IP65 Front-Panel Waterproof Protection • Anti-Scattering Front Side Glass Backplane Systems Technology (02) 9457 6400 www.backplane.com.au
ICP iEi’s AFOKAR-08A-RK39, in-vehicle panel PC series ICP Australia is proud to introduce iEi’s AFOKAR-08A-RK39, which adopts Linux and Android systems with a powerful Rockchip RK3399 for transportation solutions in AI. With the sunlight-readable TFT LCD, it can optimize visibility in any critical environment. It’s built-in GPS, OBD-II, and has high communication which supports 4G LTE, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, and WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. AFOKAR-08A-RK39 enables vehicles to easily integrated with ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) to offer fatigue driving detection by the front camera, VSA (Front Vehicle Start Alarm), FCW (Front Collision Warning), and LDW (Lane Departure Warning) to enhance your vehicle safety. In the AFOKAR-08A-RK39 the CPU will run A53 for low power consumption. If the application needs more computing power, the A72 CPU will increase performance by 50 per cent. RK3399 has a more powerful GPU and supports a 4K resolution video decode. Also, RK3399 has features of high performance, high expansion, all-round application and it will empower AI and assist the layout of industry products
ICP Electronics Australia (02) 9457 6011 www.icp-australia.com.au
Key Features: · 8” Sunlight Readable TFT LCD with projected capacitive touchscreen, · Optional LTE module, · Built-in GPS receiver, · Built-in OBD-II/J1939, and · OS: Android 7.1.
www.foodmag.com.au | June 2021 | Food&Beverage Industry News 53
NEW PRODUCTS
COVID-19 vaccine production lines rely on FCI FLT93C sanitary thermal flow switch Fluid Components International and AMS Instrumentation & Calibration introduce FCI FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Flow Switch The highly reliable, precision FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Flow Switch is helping a major pharmaceutical company assure the necessary high quality of its rinse water for injection (WFI) is maintained on its batch lines during the production of COVID-19 vaccine. “We are extremely proud of the role our sanitary flow switch products are now playing in fighting corona virus disease,” said Dan McQueen, president of FCI. “Our dedicated, innovative employees have been exceptional in assuring that we can continue to produce and deliver our flow instruments to customers in the pharmaceutical, food/beverage, energy and other essential industries around the entire globe.” The FLT93C Sanitary Thermal Mass Flow Switches are utilised to confirm the minimum flow rate of the measured WFI within the specified temperature range during production. A minimum flow at the correct temperature and time are required to rinse the COVID-19 vaccine production lines to assure that these lines are clean and free from bacteria or left over ingredients from the previous batch. In the pharmaceutical industry, WFI is high quality water used to produce a wide variety of injectable medicines, including the COVID-19 vaccine. On the COVID-19 vaccine production lines, WFI is used for rinsing after batch production, and it must be maintained at a temperature of 20 to 85°C. After a batch of vaccine is complete, the cleaning process begins and the FLT93C Switch then issues a liquid low flow alarm to indicate the line can be released to start the next batch of vaccine production. The sanitary flanges designed for the FLT93C Switch support a clean and safe installation of the instrument in the production process, which is critical to produce safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine. With its stainless steel wetted materials and standard 20Ra finish, the FLT93C Switch is available in either mechanical polish or electro-polish finishing. Operating over a wide liquid flow range of 0.003 to 0.9 Nm/s, the FLT93C Flow Switch offers excellent repeatability of ±0.5% reading or ± 0.012 Nm/s. Designed with unique temperature compensation technology, the FLT93C Flow Switch is the industry’s only thermal switch that ensures set point accuracy for process temperatures that can vary up to 177°C. The FLT93C is easily fieldconfigured or factory preset, providing unparalleled flexibility, accuracy and stability for all multiple process sensing and switching requirements. The FLT93C Flow Switch is suitable for 19.05 to 101.6 mm sanitary tubing process lines, and it connects with a secure tri-clamp fitting for easy removal for inspection and servicing.
The 316L stainless steel wetted materials are available in both mechanical polish (SF0 to SF3) and electro-polish (SF5 and SF6) surface finishes with 20 Ra maximum (µin) finish; 10 Ra maximum (µin) electro-polish finish (SF 4) is available upon request. The FLT93C construction complies with ASME BPE requirements. In addition to CIP systems, other pharmaceutical uses of the FLT93C Flow Switch include compendial water systems (WFI, PW and HPW) and solution preparation systems (buffer solution). Options are available for applications requiring more corrosion resistant, wetted materials such as Hastelloy C and Zone 1/21 (Class 1, Div 1 and 2) hazardous areas. The FLT93 Series Switch is a dual-function instrument that indicates both flow and temperature, and/or level sensing in a single device. Dual 6A relay outputs are standard and are independently configurable to flow, level or temperature. Based on FCI’s thermal dispersion expertise, the unique sensor technology of the FLT93 Switches, combined with FlexSwitch™ temperature-compensation circuitry, introduces unparalleled performance capabilities: •Liquid level resolution of ± 2.5 mm, repeatability of ±1.3 mm. •Standard temperature accuracy ±1°C; repeatability is ±0.6˚C; improved temperature accuracy is available with factory calibration. •One standardised, field-configurable FLT93 FlexSwitch control circuit satisfies virtually any combination of application requirements. FCI’s advanced FlexSwitch technology can be packaged in integral or remote configurations for installation flexibility. The FLT93C Switch beats the heat, too. It is available with a choice of sensors including one that is suitable for process temperatures up to 177°C and one that is suitable for temperatures up to 260°C. Hazardous approvals are available for the FLT93C Switch including ATEX, IECEX Zone 1/21; IP66 and EAC/TRCU 12 & 20. AMS (03) 9017 8225 www.ams-ic.com.au
Custom cabinet coolers for electrical enclosures EXAIR’s Cabinet Cooler systems can be customised to provide cooling within electrical enclosures in NEMA 12, NEMA 4, NEMA 4X and Hazardous location environments. These customisations include specific Btu/Hr values from 275-5600 Btu/Hr., adaptations for high temperature environments up to 93°C (200°F) and a selection of materials including aluminium, Type 303SS and 316SS, to combat corrosive environments. For dirty and dusty environments, a Non-Hazardous Purge option will create a positive pressure inside the cabinet to keep dirt and debris from entering your control panel. All systems are UL Listed and CE compliant. Additional customisations include settings to maintain a specific cabinet temperature, special coatings, high temperature materials, special cold air distribution kits and more. Cabinet Cooler systems are the low-cost way to purge and cool electrical control panels. They convert an ordinary
54 Food&Beverage Industry News | June 2021 | www.foodmag.com.au
supply of compressed air to cold, -7C (20°F) air, without refrigerants. The cold air is circulated through the enclosure to eliminate heat damage and control shutdown. The compact cabinet coolers can be installed in minutes through a standard electrical knockout hole. Optional thermostat control minimises compressed air use. There are no moving parts to wear out and no maintenance is required. Applications include cooling PLCs, microprocessors, variable frequency drives, industrial computers, and robotics. Compressed Air Australia (08) 8983 3999 www.caasafety.com.au
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