Food & Beverage Industry News September 2022

SEPTEMBER 2022

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T

he world is increasingly more focused on sustainability and future proofing our planet.

Both of these terms are heard a lot in the food and beverage industry but what’s ideal about this is that the industry is in the enviable position of having many areas that can be easily overhauled to increase both sustainability, and efficiency.

When it comes to creating a greener future for the Earth, every industry has a critical role to play, what’s good for food and beverage is while many of these changes will come with a initial price tag, the savings on overheads means returns on investment, but also an improved industry.

Packaging, for example, is one area where waste, sustainability, and efficiency can all be improved with a simple switching of packaging material.

Australian states and territories continue to ban single use plastics, with an emphasis on reusable, but the real holy grail comes in the form of a circular economy. Creating a packaging solution that is recyclable, reusable and compostable, while being developed without the use of fossil fuels.

There are tricks to being completely circular, but the industry is getting closer each day.

Once such innovation, fibre-based packaging, presents a host of advantages but one of the biggest is the use of agricultural waste to create the packaging product. By doing so, farmers have a new revenue stream and Australian manufacturers, and producers have easy access to materials at a relatively stable price point.

Plastics in food and beverage packaging is becoming less and less prevalent but it is still a long

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4 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

road until we see the back of single use plastics for good.

Food waste, which can also be tied to packaging but also to the supply china, cold chain, and general manufacturing, is another area that creates a big issue for the environment and a sustainable future.

Of the more than 7 billion tonnes of material going into Australian landfills each year, food waste makes up half. This number would likely see a sharp drop with better packaging, traceability and efficiency. All these things are already areas of great focus for key stakeholders and decision makers in the industry.

Waste, in general, will always be a problem area for an industry. The most important thing is reducing waste and innovating ways to give the waste another application.

Copar, who are featured in this month’s edition, are a great case study for this. The packaging experts are developing fibre-based packaging through the use of wheat straw, before looking into other biomass options, as a means of helping to reduce plastic waste in packaging.

This one idea could see wheat straw, which once just sat as a low-grade fertiliser for farmers, become another source of revenue for our farmers, all while reducing the reliance on plastics.

It is this type of innovative thinking which continues to put our industry in the best possible stead to help improve the future for everyone.

And I for one am excited to see what is on the horizon.

Until next month.

Happy reading!

CONTENTS INSIDE

07 NEWS

18

16 MEET THE MANUFACTURER Accolade Wines has spent more than a century building highly respected brands.

20 EFFICIENCY Bürkert is helping the meat industry reduce its water usage.

22 FOOD PROCESSING Heat and Control can process bulk frozen food products in minutes.

24 SENSORS VEGA offers compact pressure sensors and level switches for efficiency.

26

26 SUSTAINABILITY Biogone’s plastic additive can speed speed up biodegradation.

28 SUSTAINABILITY NIRAS continues to help the industry be more sustainable.

30 INDUSTRIAL GAS Supagas continues to research CO2 appplications.

32 EFFICIENCY COPAR is set to introduce wheat straw packaging in Australia.

34 BEARINGS SKF provides affordable and simple bearing solutions..

36 PACKAGING Market demand is driving Lumix to innovate in the packaging space.

34

38

38 PACKAGING Confoil continues to work with the industry on better packaging.

40 BEARINGS Bearings are a critical factor in the accuracy of the baking industry.

42 WASTEWATER Aerofloat has partnered with the PAct Group on plastic recycling.

44 PACKAGING See G. Mondini’s new MCL 70 and MCL 140 crate loaders.

48

46 CONSTRUCTION Total Construction is encouraging companies to plan ahead.

48 TURKEY SOLUTIONS Nupac brings Syntegon Technology offerings to the Australian market.

50 AIP 52 MARKETWATCH 54 NEW PRODUCTS

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5

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NEWS

Food and grocery manufacturing remains strong despite pandemic A

ccording to new data from the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing industry increased its value to $133.6 billion in 2020/21.

The increase came as companies weathered the disruption wrought

by COVID-19, however ongoing pressures on workforces, supply chains and production costs pose a challenge to plans to secure food and grocery manufacturing’s future as a key growth industry.

The AFGC’s State of Industry (SOI) 2022 report shows the 0.9 per cent increase in turnover for food and grocery manufacturing came despite a 17.1 per cent fall in the value of exports. Global supply chain disruptions affected sales to major export markets in Asia and the United States.

During 2020/21, the food and grocery manufacturing industry stayed strong in the face of COVID-19 shutdowns and workplace disruptions. Since then, however, the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and supply chain disruptions have weighed on the growth outlook and stoked inflation.

“Food and grocery manufacturing plays a vital role keeping our supermarket shelves full and, as the nation’s largest manufacturing sector, it is central in ensuring we continue to make essential items here in Australia,” AFGC CEO Tanya Barden said.

“These figures predate the unprecedented impacts of this year’s heavy flooding in eastern and central Australia, as well as the war in Ukraine.

The pressures manufacturers were facing a year ago have intensified to the point where the viability of some businesses could be at risk.”

The State of Industry 2022 report showed that for 2020/21: • Stocking up and panic buying helped drive a spike in domestic spending – up nine per cent to $99.4 billion – that countered a 17.1 per cent fall in exports; • Domestically, human pharmaceutical products turnover rose 50 per cent to $2.21 billion as shoppers stocked up; • Imports fell 6.6 per cent to $37.2 billion; • Despite the fall in exports, China remains the largest export destination for food, beverage and grocery exports

The AFGC has reported that the food and grocery manufacturing industry has grown despite challenges. (worth $7.3 billion); • The largest increase in exports was to Vietnam, up 13.8 per cent to $796 million; • Food and grocery manufacturing accounts for 32.1 per cent of all Australian manufacturing activity, making it the largest manufacturing sector; and • Employment in food and grocery manufacturing increased 0.8 per cent to 272,800 people, with 40.3 per cent of the workforce in regional areas.

The AFGC’s “Sustaining Australia: Food and Grocery Manufacturing 2030” report outlines a plan to develop the industry as a major economic driver for

Australia. The aim is to boost valueadded production, lift its value to $250 billion and increase industry employment to 427,000 people by 2030.

Barden said now is the time to invest in new skills, technologies and infrastructure to build industry resilience.

“The federal government has shown it understands the importance of supporting Australia’s competitive strengths, identifying food processing among the priority areas for its National Reconstruction Fund,” she said.

“Investment in Australia’s food and grocery manufacturing industry is an investment in the future and our sovereign manufacturing capacity.” F

Leaders confirm there are no grounds for Australian beef ban in China F

ollowing the rumours of an impending ban on Australian meat products in China due to an alleged risk of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has stated there are no grounds for such a trade sanction.

“We’ve acted very strongly. There’s no indication that it has not been successful here in Australia. We’re working with industries,” Albanese said, according to the Australian Financial Review.

“What we did was take the strongest ever action that any government has ever taken to ensure that everything possible

was done to keep it out. And it has been kept out.”

Agricultural industry leaders investigated Sydney International Airport to scope out Australia’s biosecurity measures last week.

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry secretary and Australia’s director of Biosecurity, Andrew Metcalfe, said the leaders have prioritised the ramp up of biosecurity measures since FMD was detected in Indonesia.

“These measures include new biosecurity officers in airports and mail centres, risk-profiling 100 per cent of passengers that come into Australia

from Indonesia, sanitation foot mats in all international airports, and FMD messaging at airports and on returning flights from Indonesia,” Metcalfe said.

“We’ve also granted our biosecurity officers additional powers under the Biosecurity Act 2015 to direct all travellers from Indonesia to walk over sanitising foot mats. Travellers are now asked if they have been in Indonesia during the past seven days and if they answer ‘yes’ are referred for biosecurity assessment.”

The inspection was a collaboration between government and representatives from Meat & Livestock Australia,

Australian Meat Industry Council, Wilmot Cattle Co, Australian Pork Limited and Australian Wool Innovation.

Agriculture minister Murray Watt said it was a great opportunity for industry to witness the strong measures implemented by the government at the borders.

“We have been working hand in hand with industry to make sure our response to the threat of FMD is appropriate,” said Watt.

“Australia remains FMD-free and we will do everything we can to keep it that way.” F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 7

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NEWS

$15 million to safeguard produce quality amid supply chain challenges

A new project will help growers manage supply chain risks and minimise produce loss.

A

ustralian horticulture growers have joined forces with state agencies in a $15 million bid to drive supply chain efficiencies and strengthen their domestic and international trade offerings.

Delivered by Hort Innovation and led by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) Queensland, with financial and research support from industry partners, the 3.5-year project will help growers manage supply chain risks and minimise produce loss.

Hort Innovation chief executive, Brett Fifield, said the project’s catalyst was to deliver quality produce to buyers every time in the face of supply chain disruptions associated with COVID-19.

“It’s no secret the past two years have been challenging with COVID hindering all stages of the supply chain from farm to retail,” he said. “What this project will do is draw on some of the best research talents in the country as well as the knowledge and networks of key industry partners to make the business of getting quality horticultural products to market, domestically and overseas, that little bit easier.”

The project will focus on current and emerging export cultivars of avocado, mango, nectarine, peach,

plum, strawberry and vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, celery and lettuce. Research and extension specialists will develop and promote cultivar-specific decision aid tools, based on shelf life prediction models that factor in regional variability, harvest maturity, post-harvest treatments and cooling procedures across different modes of transport.

Queensland Agriculture minister, Mark Furner, said the decision-aid tools will draw on data from real-time consignment monitoring to inform handling strategies and commercial decisions when ideal supply chain conditions have not been met.

“This research will provide Australian horticulture producers with the skills, confidence and necessary decision support to identify, assess and manage current supply chain risks in the pursuit of delivering more predictable product quality,” he said.

DAF has assembled an experienced national team, including research, technical and extension staff from Agriculture Victoria, the Northern Territory Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development,

Western Australia.

The project has also attracted co-investment from leading mango grower and marketer, Piñata Farms, plus AUSVEG and Summerfruit Australia through an Agriculture Victoria grant as well as berry and avocado growers through levies.

AUSVEG chief executive, Michael Coote, said the project would provide valuable information for growers when minimising food waste and ensuring efficiencies in the supply chain have never been more critical.

“This project will deliver growerfriendly resources with clear, concise advice confirming pathways for vegetable crops to different markets,” he said. “It complements other vegetable export development initiatives and is an opportunity for growers to secure outcomes as part of a broader industry supply chain improvement approach.”

Summerfruit Australia chief executive, Trevor Ranford, said the access to data would prove invaluable to producers.

“This project will evaluate nectarine, peach and plum cultivar performance and determine their suitability to air and sea freight supply chains by considering environment,

management and post-harvest factors that influence product quality,” Ranford said. “This will deliver them a competitive edge when dealing with trade partners and support Australia’s already strong reputation for providing premium produce.”

Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Western Australia senior research scientist, Dario Stefanelli said: “The research is very innovative. It will involve completing a series of time by temperature simulation trials and monitoring of commercial consignments to characterise fruit and vegetable quality responses and cultivar performance.”

Piñata Farms managing director, Gavin Scurr, welcomed the project and said he looked forward to participating in trials.

“This is a good opportunity to gain greater knowledge of the impacts of different production environments and handling practices on ‘Honey Gold’ mango fruit quality and shelf life,” he said. “The shelf life modelling will potentially allow us to predict the saleable life for each fruit and tailor marketing to move away from the generic first-in, first-out system.” F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9

NEWS

FIAL collaborates with NLE to grow Australian bush produce N oongar Land Enterprise Group (NLE) and the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre (FIAL) has launched a report exploring how to grow the Australian Bush Produce Industry with Aboriginal participation.

Australian Bush Produce, which includes native or bush foods and botanicals, is a growing industry – largely due to increasing consumer demand for alternative food and botanical products that are environmentally sustainable and have positive outcomes for human health and nutrition.

The growth of the industry is being driven by demand from the restaurant industry, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverage industry, and retail markets that supply home cooks and other consumers. To date, the focus has been on a small number of species, such as wattle seeds, lemon myrtle, sandalwood, bush tomato and the Kakadu plum.

In 2012, the Bush Produce Industry was estimated to be valued between $15 and $25 million, employing over 1,000 people. Aboriginal knowledge has contributed to the commercial development of Bush Produce products including processed raw ingredients, gourmet sauces, pies and jams and new

varieties of bush food plants.

Unfortunately, only a small proportion of this value flows back to Aboriginal people with Aboriginal participation valued at less than two per cent of the industry’s value.

NLE launched Yoordaninj-bah (Noongar Ballardong language for the coming together of diverse groups to establish and form a very strong, mutual bond), a national project funded

by FIAL and the Commonwealth Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, in 2019.

Yoordaninj-bah’s key objective was to identify how Aboriginal peoples and their communities may benefit from the commercial production of identified Australian Bush Foods.

The “Yoordaninj-bah” report summarises the findings and recommendations of the project which was comprised of four activities: A national consultation • with Aboriginal communities across Australia on how best to develop an Australian Bush Food Industry; • Identifying and implementing an engagement model including appropriate cultural protocols to raise awareness and encourage participation in the project; • Mapping identified Australian

Bush Food species across Australia and highlighting the nutritional medicinal values; and • Creating a Business Case for an Incubation Hub. Key to this is the Commonwealth Government ratifying the Nagoya Protocol so that the rights of Australia’s First Nations people are protected. The ratification of the Nagoya Protocol was a key part of the Marramarra Murrru (Creating Pathways) Communique that came from the recently held First Nations Economic Development Symposium. Also required, is the need to develop comprehensive legislation so that one set of rules apply Australia-wide so that the rights of Australia’s First Nations people are protected.

“Using the funding from FIAL, what we’ve been able to do is engage with Aboriginal people and create a forum where they told us where the gaps are and what support is needed to enable greater participation by them in the Bush Food Industry,” NLE Group CEO Alan Beattie said.

“We’re looking forward to continuing this journey and putting in place the solutions that came out of the program.”

According to Dr Mirjana Prica, managing director at FIAL,

FIAL’s mission is to grow the share of Australian food in the global marketplace and provide businesses with an avenue for growth.

“With the Yoordaninj-bah project, NLE has provided the Aboriginal people and their communities an opportunity to grow their share in the agri-food industry,” Prica said.

“Through the project, models were explored that can be adopted broadly like Grower Groups or cooperatives and found to align with the strengths of Aboriginal culture, including collaboration and sharing of benefits for Aboriginal people and the broader good.

But this can only be achieved if there is a shared investment by government and industry together with research across Australia to build a contemporary, Aboriginal-led, Bush Produce industry.”

NLE is located on Noongar Boodja (South-West Western Australia) and is one of Australia’s first Aboriginal Grower Groups. The Aboriginal-led organisation is focused on inspiring, educating and assisting Noongar people to advance demonstrable business success centred around land management enterprises. F For the full report, visit www.fial.com. au/sharing-knowledge/nle-report.

The Yoordaninj-bah project identified how Indigenous communities could benefit from Australian bush produce being commercially produced.

10 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

NEWS

Excise pushes up production costs for Australian brewers

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Alcohol taxes have increased, putting a strain on production costs for Australian brewers.

A

ustralian brewers are experiencing a strain on production costs as a result of the largest alcohol excise increase in decades, reaching 3.84 per cent for fullstrength beer.

The alcohol excise tax increases every six months, and according to the Brewers Association of Australia, Australians are taxed on beer more than almost any other nation.

“Australia’s tax on beer is going up yet again with today’s increase being the largest in more than 30 years,” Brewers Association of Australia CEO John Preston said, commenting on the recent hike in beer tax.

“We have seen almost 20 increases in Australia’s beer tax over the past decade alone. Brewers and pub and club operators were extremely disappointed the former government did not deliver on a proposed reduction in beer tax at this year’s March Budget.”

In addition to the excise, brewers are also seeing a spike in aluminium and ingredient prices, resulting in inflated production costs across the board.

Majorly used in the packaging, aluminium is expensive due to the energy required to produce it, resource analyst Tim Treadgold told the ABC News.

“In order to get the can through the plant onto a truck off to the bottling or

packaging depot… the trucks that haul up there are running on liquid fuels, which are also expensive,” he said.

Barley prices are also trading at above average rates, GrainGrowers chief executive David McKeon commented.

“Right across Australia, we’re looking at bids anywhere into the low to mid three hundreds for for barley [dollars per tonne],” he said.

“We are seeing a lot of other factors influencing a lot of our processors, manufacturers and retailers… some of those challenges around supply chains, freight costs, labour costs and energy costs.”

The newly increased excise also means pub patrons can expect to pay around $15 for a pint.

“For a small pub, club or other venue, the latest tax hike will mean an increase of more than $2,700 a year in their tax bill – at a time when they are still struggling to deal with the on-going impacts of the pandemic,” Preston said.

“This is a problem that the new Treasurer has inherited from his predecessors and there are many competing demands on the Budget.

Nonetheless, we believe there is a strong case for beer tax relief to be provided by the new federal government, with the hidden beer tax to go up again in February 2023.” F

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www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 11

NEWS

Bega urges consumer support for Australian owned milk B

ega executive chairman, Barry Irvin, is urging consumers to think about the milk that they purchase and the impact of their purchasing decisions.

Irvin explained that when consumers purchase a Bega owned brand of milk, such as Dairy Farmers or PURA, they are backing brands that support the dairy farming community and supply Australians with world-class dairy, yearround.

The dairy supply chain has not been immune to rising inflationary costs hitting Australian business and consumers.

Bega believes that great quality milk is worth paying for, and is committed to supplying Australians with world class dairy. This commitment helps ensure consumers are getting the best quality milk, and Bega’s farming communities are supported.

“From the unpredictability of floods, fires, or pandemics, our dairy farming communities have had the resilience to keep going to provide us, year-round, with world class Australian milk. Bega is paying its dairy farming network more across Australia this year as compared to previous years which will help farmers

Bega executive chairman, Barry Irvin.

manage increased cost pressures across their farms,” Irvin said.

“We have a great belief in the future of the Australian dairy industry and we’re proud to offer financial support to our dairy farming communities through initiatives such as the Better Farms Program, backing eligible dairy farmers’ big ideas to continue moving Aussie dairy forward.”

Bega’s Better Farms Program makes up to $1.1 million worth of financial grants available to eligible dairy farmers in its network through the program each year – and so far, over 620 projects have been completed since the program’s

inception in 2018.

For dairy farmer, Amie McEveilly, from the Southern Highlands of NSW, it is far more personal. She works on the family farm with her husband, Bryant and their four children – a farm that has been in their family for seven generations.

“Dairying is our passion and our future. Our farm has been our family’s home and livelihood for generations.

We’ve got so much love, not only for our animals, but for the quality Australian milk that we produce every day. It would be our dream to one day pass this farm on to our children,” McEveilly said.

Milk is one of the nation’s top purchases each week, with the average household purchasing two to three times per week. Understandably, Australians are feeling the pinch and while many wish this wasn’t the reality, the dairy farming community has not been immune to the rising inflationary costs in items like feed, fuel, and electricity amongst others.

The dairy industry is a vital contributor to regional Australia, and Bega’s iconic dairy brands, such as PURA Dairy Farmers, Masters and Canberra Milk are produced locally in regions from Morwell in Victoria, across country New South Wales and to Malanda in far north Queensland, as well as Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Canberra.

“Next time you’re facing the milk fridge, we encourage you to choose milk that means more – great brands like Bega’s ‘Dairy Farmers’ or ‘PURA’,” said Irvin.

“For Australians, for our farming families and our local communities. Your choice can make more of a difference than you think – and can go a long way to supporting the long-term viability of the Aussie dairy industry.” F

New CFO appointed for Kellogg Australia and New Zealand K ellogg Australia and New Zealand have recently announced that FMCG leader and experienced Kellogg executive, Shane Williamson, will take on the role of chief financial officer.

Williamson joined Kellogg in 2014 and over the past eight years has built a strong and dynamic career at Kellogg. He commenced his career at Kellogg in the ANZ business, leading the commercial finance and controls team, before moving overseas to take on opportunities within the Kellogg AMEA business. These roles included Supply Chain Finance leader for

Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and most recently in Southeast Asia.

Williamson will relocate from Singapore to Sydney for his new role and will join the Kellogg ANZ leadership team.

“I’m delighted to welcome Shane back to Australia,” Kellogg ANZ managing director Ant Holme said. “His strong experience and knowledge of our business both throughout the region and locally will have valuable impact as we work to build sustainable growth momentum in ANZ.” Prior to joining Kellogg, Williamson

12 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

filled finance roles at Cadbury, Kraft Foods and Mars in Australia and Europe.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to lead the dedicated and talented Kellogg ANZ Finance team,” Williamson said.

“I look forward to returning to Australia and working with the ANZ leadership team to continue to deliver great tasting foods that nourish Aussie and New Zealand consumers and drive strong business results while also finding new and innovative ways to reduce our impact on the environment and help protect our planet.” F

New Kellogg Australia and New Zealand CFO, Shane Williamson.

NEWS

Thirst for premium lager aligns with demand for carbon negative beer A

n Australian-made, carbon negative beer made with unsold bread from Coles supermarkets is squaring up to some of the best-known beer brands in the country, tapping into surging customer demand for beverage makers taking tangible action on climate change.

Lost Lager is a premium brew created by Coles Liquor and BrewDog Australia – the Brisbane operation of the Scottish carbon negative brewer.

The packaging for Lost Lager is 99 per cent plastic-free and any emissions BrewDog is unable to avoid through the production process are “double offset” through tree planting schemes around the world.

Coles’ research shows that one in two customers care deeply about the environment and the majority want to do more, while 50 per cent say they have changed what they buy in response to the packaging of a product.

Coles Liquor acting general manager Customer, Trade Planning and Insights, Mia Lloyd, said customers frequently told team members in Liquorland and First Choice Liquor Market stores that they wanted to support brands that were taking action on the environment.

“Lost Lager will be hugely popular

with customers given the easy-drinking style of the beer and BrewDog’s commitment to the environment and climate change,” Lloyd said.

“This is not a fleeting consumer trend, it’s a force that our customers are driving, and we can already see support for brands that have moved early to embrace sustainable packaging, waste reduction or renewable power.”

Additionally, BrewDog invests in several significant reforestation projects, including the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor in Western Australia. This is the only emission reduction project in Australia to be certified under the prestigious Gold Standard accreditation, a globally recognised best practice benchmark.

Locally, BrewDog donates the grain used in the brewing process to farmers as an alternative feedstock.

Internationally, they are also the proud owner of over 9,000 acres of Scottish Highlands which will be home to a reforestation and peatland restoration project to sequester carbon.

The brewer’s Australian CEO, Ed Bott, said the Lost Lager was a premium lager, similar in style to a German pilsner and created to deliver a craft option for Australian lager lovers.

BrewDog Australian CEO Ed Bott, with the Lost Lager.

“Lager accounts for 90 per cent of beer consumed in Australia, and our Lost Lager connects with the premiumisation of this broad segment of the beer market,” Bott said.

Lager has been at the forefront of beer sales growth for years. With recent consumer demand shifting towards premium lager, hospitality venues and hotels have seen growing consumption.

As such, premium lager is one of the fastest-growing product segments in recent years, expanding at a compound annual growth rate of 4.5 per cent from

2019 to 2025.

“It’s still in its infancy, but lager is the last bastion for craft beer and we’re confident the fresh, uncomplicated style of this beer will prove hugely popular with customers who are seeking something more from their lager,” said Bott.

“We see how engaged our Australian customers are in relation to issues such as waste and emissions reduction and while we know we can’t save the world on our own, we’re proud that we’re doing our bit here in Australia and around the globe.” F

AIC grants go to research on chickpeas and mangoes T

he recipients of this year’s Australia-India Council (AIC) grants have been announced, including research identifying droughtresilient chickpeas, and how climate change impacts mango cultivars.

Flinders University has collaborated with Murdoch University and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, to identify high-performing chickpea variants with low water and nitrogen requirements for increased drought tolerance and

reduced fertiliser use. The AIC has granted this project $176,000.

The Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University is investigating mango cultivars and their pollinators, to inform industry recommendations to both India and Australia to respond to the impacts of climate change. The AIC has granted this project $66,000.

The announcement comes as we celebrate 75 years of India’s independence, as well as thirty years

of the AIC. Over that time, the AIC has helped advance Australia’s foreign policy and trade interests – strengthening the people to people and institutional bonds between Australia and India.

The grants program is key to fostering understanding and encouraging collaboration between our two countries.

The full list of successful grant recipients is available on the AIC website. F

Several Australia-India Council grants are supporting research related to mango cultivars and drought-resilient chickpeas.

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 13

NEWS

Endeavour Group welcomes Shingleback Wine to fine wine portfolio E ndeavour Group has announced the acquisition of Shingleback Wine in McLaren Vale, South Australia.

“We are thrilled to add Shingleback Wine to our Paragon Wine Estates as part of our strategy to grow our premium wine portfolio,” Endeavour Group Pinnacle Drinks arm director Paul Walton said.

“Shingleback Wine has been producing beautifully rich and fullflavoured wines for 25 years, and we look forward to continuing to offer it to wine lovers in Australia and around the world as part of Paragon Wine Estates.”

Shingleback Wine is one of McLaren Vale’s most prized brands, including being awarded Australia’s most prestigious wine prize the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 2006, and most recently, securing four trophies at the 2022 Sydney Royal Wine Show.

Shingleback will now be part of Endeavour Group’s fine wine portfolio Paragon Wine Estates, which includes a collection of award-winning and heritage fine wine brands.

Shingleback was founded in 1997 by brothers Kym and John Davey, combining their love of winemaking, farming and business.

“As a long-term, proud supplier to Endeavour Group, we know that the Shingleback family of wines has a bright future as part of Paragon Wine Estates. We are very proud of our team’s stellar achievements over the last 25 years and are confident that Endeavour Group has the passion, people and capacity to continue to build on that success,” Kym and John Davey said.

The acquisition includes the Shingleback Wine brand portfolio, a long-term lease of the McLaren Vale cellar door and an ongoing grape supply agreement.

Shingleback Wine, one of McLaren Vale’s most prized brands, has been acquired by Endeavour Group.

The addition of Shingleback Wine expands the Paragon Wine Estates regional coverage to include awardwinning brands across six premium key wine regions in Australia and New Zealand; Oakridge Wines (Yarra Valley), Chapel Hill (McLaren

Vale), Krondorf (Barossa Valley), Riddoch (Coonawarra), Josef Chromy Wines (Tasmania) and Isabel Estate (Marlborough, NZ).

Paragon Wine Estates is part of Endeavour Group’s products and services arm Pinnacle Drinks. F

Americold expands its Australian footprint into Tasmania A

Americold is expanding into Tasmania with a new warehouse.

mericold, the world’s largest publicly-traded REIT focused on the ownership, operation and development of temperaturecontrolled warehouses, has expanded its footprint in Australia with the recent acquisition of De Bruyn Cold Storage in Tasmania.

The site is located in Wivenhoe, at the Port of Bernie, and will allow Americold to better serve their current customers and increase their customer base to fulfil the companies mission of helping their customers to feed the world.

The acquisition will increase Americold APAC’s pallet positions to close to 300,000 spread across five states

and 11 sites in Australia and seven sites in New Zealand. The company operates an i3PL system that gives customers visibility of their inventory at Americold sites across the different sites, states and globally.

“We are pleased to announce our expansion into Tasmania,” Americold managing director APAC/LATAM Richard Winnall said.

“The acquisition has already enabled us to win new business from a large, quick-serve restaurant customer. Our growth in Tasmania will be a positive thing for the locals as well, with job opportunities and career advancements through a large global organisation.” F

14 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

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MEET THE MANUFACTURER

Global wine powerhouse strengthens local market Accolade Wines has a rich heritage in the global wine market but its presence in Australia is felt from coast to coast. Adam McCleery writes.

Accolade Wines has built a strong repuation in Australia after generations of success.

16 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

A

ccolade Wines has built a strong history in Australia with its oldest wine brand, Houghton, being established in 1836.

Which in modern Australian terms is a long time ago.

Accolade Wines chief supply chain officer, Derek Nicol, sat down with Food & Beverage Industry News to speak about the current position of the manufacturer and what it expects for the near future.

“Our number one priority is to make great wines and this shows in that we have three of the top ten brands in the United Kingdom and two of the top ten brands here in Australia,” he said.

“From an overall business we are end to end integrated across the supply chain from grape to glass.

“We’ve got 1,400 employees across the overall business in 40 countries around the world and within the supply chain we have around 900 people. We deliver 270 million litres of wine which goes to 130 countries.

“We are about innovation, sustainability and we are focused on making sure we are customer centric, working closely with all our partners and suppliers.”

As sustainability continues to become a greater focus for both the industry and the consumer, Accolade Wines is innovating at speed to lead the way in this area.

“We have a global sustainability agenda and are working with our teams around the world to implement it.

Accolade Wines chief supply chain officer Derek Nicol said the company has strong market share.

Currently, in South Australia we are focusing on solar opportunities, and we are upgrading our wastewater treatment plant,” said Nicol.

“Sustainability is still a large message and something that every supplier is looking at.

“We’ve done some packaging and sustainability, like our PET Eco bottle.

We will continue to innovation in this which help our consumers” Another of Accolade Wines brands, Banrock Station, is a clear example of this business focus.

“Banrock Station was set up with an environmental focus,” said Nicol.

“It’s been doing that for 25 years – well before many others - and we will keep doing positive things for the environment and wetlands in the Riverland.

“Our sustainability agenda has been at the core of the business for a long time, but more recently it’s about making sure that becomes more visible because sustainability is at the

Accolade Wines works with producers right across Australia. forefront of the mind of consumers and producers.”

Nicol said Accolade Wines is transparent when it comes to what they do and how they manufacture their products, building trust with the industry and consumer markets.

“We already have organic options available, we don’t believe they will be huge areas going forward, but we have the access and capability,” he said.

“Sustainability is not just about just being organic, its end to end. It works in the vineyard across your wineries and throughout your supply chain. Be that

glass, production, transport, or products like cask.”

A range of factors have resulted in cask wine having large commercial volume in Australia, and one other benefit to note is the positive environmental side of cask wine.

“You’re shipping around larger formats which are more sustainable and there is more education that needs to happen around the consumer and the wine trade itself on what can be the best footprint,” said Nicol.

“We’ve also launched a wine in the UK called Wise Wolf which is 100 per

Berri Estate is one of Accolade Wines South Australian locations. www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

Banrock Station (pictured) has proven to be one of Accolade Wines best sellers. cent recycled glass and again that is one we will look to launch in Australia in due course.

“We are keeping sustainability at the forefront of our innovation.”

Another critical piece for Accolade Wines in 2022 is growing its presence in the low and no-alcohol market segment.

“We’ve made good strides forward with Hardy’s Zero using new technology that has produced a superior product,” said Nicol.

“And we know that because we’ve benchmarked it against the competitive set which has resulted in numerous awards already. We also have a premium brand “& Then” that has been launched.

That’s ensuring we have a great offering across the low and no alcohol formats.”

As with every other business, Accolade Wines had to face a string of disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply chain disaster which followed.

Despite the difficulties presented by the pandemic, Nicol said the company

came out of it with its head held high.

“There’s a couple of things, from the outset of COVID we were struggling domestically from a service standpoint,” he said.

“We had to focus on three things, improving our customer dialogue,

of the Year this year. And more recently we have won the Advantage Group Survey Supplier of the Year in Drinks Industry.”

Nicol said the plaudits were great, but supply chain issues continue to disrupt at the present time.

“Our sustainability agenda has been at the core of the business for a long time, but more recently it’s about making sure that becomes more visible because sustainability is at the forefront of the mind of consumers and producers.” getting back to basics, and working with agility.”

Nicol was full of praise for the way the Accolade Wines team managed the uncertain times.

“Our Australia and New Zealand team has done a tremendous job over the last 18 months, and we’ve seen that with awards, from a commercial side but also from a supply chain side,” he said.

“We won Endeavour Drinks Supplier

18 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

“Last year at Christmas we had peak trading impacted by Lockdowns.

The wider Supply Chain environment suffered with driver availability because of covid or indeed because of pallet shortages,” he said.

“Over the last two years, supply chain across every industry has been tested in several areas, not just Covid. We’ve had many challenges including floods that have compounded matters.

“You learn a lot about yourself and your team and how to be creative and get products to customers and consumers.

“It’s been a challenging environment, but we continue to work with agility to solve what is thrown at us.”

Nicol said every customer, retailer, and manufacturer faced issues, but they were slowly being overcome or rectified.

“We came out with our heads held high and were recognised for that, which is a good sign,” he said.

“But there are more challenges to come, including in the macroeconomic environment, cost of living challenges which will throw other events at us in the form in inflation but also the key is how that uncertainty is dealt with.”

Despite the way the company was recognised for its efforts during the worst years of the pandemic, Accolade Wines never rested on its laurels.

“Things don’t stand still from a technology standpoint we have recently implemented a new ERP or IT system and we will completely upgrade our

MEET THE MANUFACTURER

wine making and viticulture systems,” said Nicol.

“We’ve not stood still and those things complemented by upgrades to our planning tools, will help us capture more data to become more data savvy and use that to deliver value adds.”

Once additional example of technology upgrade is the recently installed G2 line at one of Accolade Wines Production hub in Berri, South Australia.

“The G2 line was a big investment, and is a dual sparkling and still wine,” said Nicol.

“It’s a large production line.

However, that modern technology and putting in the systems to support and monitor it has only helped us develop and upgrade on how we can use that data coherently to improve run sizes, speed to market, and so on.”

The upgrading of manufacturing equipment and processes didn’t stop at new lines, automation is also being taken up at a greater rate.

“We’ve had a lot of things that have improved, we also have Automated Guided Vehicles in the packaging facility warehouse,” said Nicol.

“These are step changes in how we manage our warehouse and our distribution off the back of it.

“Those things are huge steps forward for us as we move from amore manualbased orientation to bringing ourselves into the 21st century.”

Hardys Wines is another jewel in Accolade Wines’ crown.

Nicol said the heavy investment at the Berri site was a clear indicator of the company’s intentions moving forward.

“It has helped the community and improved both our ability to become a modern manufacture and deliver what we need to the customers,” he added.

Accolade Wines takes a great deal of pride in controlling the provenance of its product within Australia and the United Kingdom, a ‘grape to glass’ method.

“For us, what is received from grape to glass depends on where you segment your portfolio,” Nicol said.

“That’s the most important piece, so at the luxury end there’s a bit more provenance you need more control over, whereas at the commercial and mainstream end you end up with more partnerships with growers, we have a partnership in the Riverland with the CCW Co-operative, our Commercial Grower base.

“We’ve been working with them for over 100 years and that type of arrangement is to help maintain our grape supply.”

Nicol said it was extremely important to be aware of where the product is grown, and how it is grown, to ensure you meet the required standards.

“Then that goes through our winery, and we control that from a winemaking standpoint. When we say we take it from grape to glass, we guide and control that,” he added.

“We’ve got a viticulture team that helps support our growers as well as our own vineyards to ensure optimal grape growing.

“Generally, you control that by owning the assets and facilities, but if I use the North American example, we don’t own assets there, so we have to find the right partners.”

That’s where the winemaking team and the wine sourcing team come into their own, making sure those targets and subsequent standards are being met.

“It creates this balance of making sure that people are providing the wine to your specification, even though you don’t own the assets,” said Nicol.

“That’s the interesting part and is the best model for to avoid unnecessary capital investment. You need to be diverse and creative to ensure you have the optimal outcome from grapes to actual wine.”

In addition to embracing our rich heritage, we are also consistently looking forward to how we innovate our business and the industry to embrace new trends and opportunities. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 19

EFFICIENCY

Addressing water management use in meat processing The meat processing industry is one sector which could see a significant reduction in the use of water with just a few easy and affordable solutions. Adam McCleery writes.

L

ike any food and beverage processing facility, water is an essential component for food safety and production. The meat processing industry isn’t exempt from this essential resource and is spotlighted due to the sheer volume of water it requires to deliver 1kg of produce.

Water is used across just about every part of the meat processing industry, from paddock dams to wash down areas in the abattoirs, water as a commodity that requires monitoring of consumption and detailed management, no matter where it is being used. This essential consideration is becoming more of a focus as we move towards carbon neutrality and the great news is – there are simple solutions to get things started.

Investment in a water management program could consists of sensors, automated valves, monitoring solutions and setting of clear achievable targets with regular reviews and reporting to ensure progress is made towards water and wastewater reduction.

Currently, there are no standards of regulations in place to monitor the use of water in the meat processing industry, which means it is difficult to determine just how much water is being used or lost to waste.

For example, dirty water in meat manufacturing is pumped to various dams on the property where the water is chemically treated, settled, and aerated.

From there, solids are removed and over time the solids and the recycled water is

irrigated back onto the paddocks on the property.

Meat processing has a high usage of water in their meat handling processes as well as in cleaning and hygienic practices. Reducing water usage and treating wastewater efficiently will improve bottom line costs and potential environmental hazards.

From staff leaving taps on at hand washing stations, to the lack of monitoring of water usage in plants, this all has an impact on the optimisation of water, and by extension, wastewater use.

Generally, the entire process is water intensive, however, hot water is one of the main issues and is costly, along with the distinct lack of control valves and alike.

Bürkert, experts in fluid control systems, offer a host of affordable and easy to installed equipment that could immediately have a positive impact on water management.

James Emerson, Food & Beverage Industry manager for Bürkert Australia said, “Water management is critical for any food and beverage producer and directly affects your bottom line.

More and more customers are coming to us asking how we can help with their water management onsite. We facilitate everything from fit-for-purpose products to customised higher-specification installs that deliver results specific to our customer’s needs.”

One Bürkert customer estimated they used approximately 600,000 litres of water each day. In review of these

numbers, their focus shifted to how to ‘best practice’ their water usage across their plant, controlling not only the amount of water they were consuming, but also reducing what was simply going down the drain.

“Every food and beverage producer globally is starting to look at their carbon footprint and looking at ways to improve. Our meat processor customers, once they realises all the areas where they are wasting water, begin to seek solutions fairly quickly.

Water management in this industry can be improved fairly quickly with a few simple adjustments and establishing fit-for-purpose equipment. Our customers are relieved to know there doesn’t need to be a major cost or installation downtime to create better results for these water applications, meaning less downtime in production and faster results,” said Emerson.

The Bürkert range of solutions which monitor water usage includes flow meters, control valves, pressure sensors, temp sensors, multicell, PH sensors, and conductivity sensors.

An application that shows results of being more efficient and sustainable with water management is meat spray chilling. In implementing control valves rather than the traditional use of pressure reducing valves, the water flow is managed precisely, reducing waste and controlling the amount of flow required for the application, making the water hungry process more viable.

The main purpose of spray chilling is

Bürkert has identified key areas in the meat processing industry where water effeciency can be easily achieved.

20 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

EFFICIENCY

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There are several affordable and simple solutions to monitor and reduce water use where needed.

“Water management is critical for any food and beverage producer and directly affects your bottom line. More and more customers are coming to us asking how we can help with their water management onsite. We facilitate everything from fit-for-purpose products to customised higher-specification installs that deliver results specific to our customer’s needs.” to reduce carcase shrinkage and overall weight loss, whilst increasing the yield.

Other advantages is the application of antimicrobial agents through treated water, extending shelf life and contributing to food safety and in some cases, overall improvement of the quality of meat tenderness, depending on how quick the meat is spray chilled.

According to experts from Bürkert, some of the best ways to reduce water usage, like the customer who estimated 600,000 litres per day, starts with choosing the right solutions.

Water management equipment offered by Bürkert include infrared taps with timers, which prevent taps at hand washing stations being left on for long periods of time, along with heat recovery, which means using recycled water where possible.

Proper batch control and greater automation are other areas Bürkert

recommends customers address water usage issues, and smart relays with time adjustments, are just a few of the solutions on offer.

On top of the wasted water, if wastewater itself is not disposed of correctly it can damage the surrounding environment and can cause strong odours.

The more efficient use of water, coupled with better methods of wastewater treatment and use, all have huge positive impacts on manufacturers and producers.

“As we navigate the climate change initiatives, food and beverage as one of the largest industries in Australia will need to bring focus to how they manage one of our most valued resources, water. We’re here to help our customers with these challenges, and welcome conversations around how we can improve water management in their production facilities,” said Emerson. F

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www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21

FOOD PROCESSING

Rapid in-line tempering for meat, poultry, seafood, fruits, and vegetables Rapid in-line tempering, or partial thawing can process bulk frozen food products in minutes, not days.

Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

R

apid in-line tempering technology continues to gain popularity globally and the Australian market is starting to catch up.

This method uses Radio Frequency (RF) via a uniform, controlled process, which rapidly generates heat volumetrically within the product.

Equipment which utilises this superior defrosting method avoids many of the pitfalls of traditional defrosting and allows products to be processed with or without packaging.

Conventional Defrosting Conventional tempering, or defrosting, typically sees pallets of frozen product stored in a controlled atmosphere staging room. Each day the temperature is gradually increased until the product is thawed.

Not only is this process slow, taking five to seven days, but temperature variation can occur between the cartons on the outside of the pallet versus cartons on the inside of pallet.

These rooms take up valuable floor space in the facility and require a refrigeration system to control the atmosphere and temperature. With

Stalam’s Radio Frequency equipment avoids the pitfalls of traditioanl defrosting. this method, products are also double handled because they must be moved in and out of the defrosting room.

Radio Frequency Defrosting Heat and Control national sales executive, Glenn De Silva, said Stalam Radio Frequency equipment helps to

Process speed and a uniform functionality minimise the risk of product degradation.

22 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

avoid these issues, and more.

“This equipment doesn’t take up as much space as traditional tempering rooms and saves on valuable real estate,” he said.

“You avoid double handling, and the product is tempered within minutes, not days.

“This technology has been around for a while, almost as long as microwave, but it’s very different. The frequency is a lot lower and therefore more controllable.”

This is in comparison to microwave which, De Silva said, is far less controllable.

“If you could see the microwaves bouncing around in there, they are very random, uncontrolled and at a high rate,” he said.

“That’s why it’s common to get hot and cold spots when cooking with microwave.”

But the longer waves created with radio frequency means they can be more finely tuned and controlled.

“But because RF operates at a much lower frequency you make the full

amount of power available and the product only draws what it requires for the process,” said De Silva.

Rapid In-line tempering equipment is placed at the start of a production line where it defrosts the frozen product prior to further processing and value adding.

Product can be defrosted on demand, in minutes. This improves cash flow for a business by removing the need to hold pallets of product for days on end and saving valuable floor space in the factory.

Rapid in-line tempering can defrost, and temper entire shift loads on-demand, allowing a processor to order bulk products to fill urgent, short delivery orders.

Also, with conventional defrosting, urgent, short delivery orders are impossible to fill as product must be ordered weeks in advance and cannot be defrosted in time.

How it Works Product is placed on the machine’s conveyor belt and then transferred through the RF unit (tunnel) passing

FOOD PROCESSING

Stalam’s Radio Frequency equipment also helps avoid plastic entrapment. between upper and lower metallic plates (electrodes).

When the RF generator applies high frequency alternating voltage between these plates, the dipolar water molecules of the frozen product vibrate and rotate in the attempt to align themselves according to the fast-changing opposite plates polarities.

This causes intermolecular friction, which in turn generates heat rapidly and uniformly within the whole product mass, regardless of its size, weight, shape, and thermal conductivity.

The amount of heat generated inside the product and the defrosting time are accurately controlled through the voltage applied to the electrodes, the distance between them and the speed of the conveyor belt.

Radio Frequency vs Microwave Frequency The benefits of using RF in food processing are many and this technology can be easily explained when comparing it to Microwave (MW) Frequency.

Firstly, it uses a much lower

frequency (27.12 MHz) than MW (915 MHz) and produces a much longer wavelength of 11m - compared with 0.32m for MW. It has a broad length of penetration into the frozen product – ranging from 500mm to 1000mm.

This broad penetration of the radio wave is what allows frozen products to be defrosted and tempered evenly as heat is generated volumetrically.

RF penetrates inside any packaging used for storage or retail distribution including carton boxes, polyethylene liners, etc.

Meanwhile, Stalam RF units’ range in size from 7kW, 20kW, 40kW and 85kW (available in modules from 85kW) and will only draw the energy needed for a particular product.

“This translates to reduced operating costs,” said De Silva.

No Drip Loss or Product Degradation Process speed and uniformity minimise risk of product degradation from drip loss, maintaining product quality.

“Reductions in drip loss translate to

increased yields for the processor and greater profits.”

Because tempering achieves virtually no drip loss, the weight losses (up to 6-8 per cent) typically associated with conventional defrosting methods is eliminated.

Avoid Plastic Entrapment For processors of bulk frozen products, plastic entrapment is a common problem. It happens when an attempt is made to remove the plastic liner (or bags) the product was frozen in, while it’s still frozen.

During freezing, plastic becomes easily caught in the crevices of the product, where it can remain trapped, and this poses a safety issue if not detected. RF technology eliminates the possibility of plastic entrapment, and some processors are using the technology for this purpose alone.

History RF technology was first used by industrial bakeries to dry biscuits, crackers, and cereals after baking and for

the pasteurisation and sterilisation of solid packaged food or viscous liquid products.

This technology has also been used for disinfestation and sanitisation of dry agricultural commodities such as grains, seeds, and pulses.

Today many processors use it to defrost cuts of beef, pork, beef kidney, tongue, and other organs, whole and cut poultry, whole fish, and fish chunks, fillets and fish portions.

Rapid in-line tempering equipment is also used by processors of bulk frozen fruits and vegetables.

With benefits such as significant time savings, no double handling, no damage to products and increased yields, the rapid in-line radio frequency defrosting method is gaining the attention of food processors.

“Processors lose thousands of dollars every shift through drip loss alone,” said De Silva.

“Savings on drip loss, time, labour, no-plastic entrapment and running cost benefits all contribute to a shorter return on investment (ROI).” F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 23

SENSORS

Quality at all levels VEGA offers a complete sensor portfolio with compact pressure sensors and level switches for hygienic food production. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

F

ood production is a matter of trust, and hygiene is the number one priority in the manufacturing process.

Success is determined by both the reliability and the efficiency that make flawless production possible – whether during bottling, container filling or CIP cleaning.

This makes it all the more important for plant operators to be able to rely fully on the measurement technology employed. Level and pressure sensors from VEGA have made a name for themselves over many decades for their reliability and longevity. Robust, versatile and easy to use: even under extreme conditions or strict regulations, they provide important inputs for delivering greater plant safety and efficiency.

Complete supplier for level and pressure VEGA completes its measurement technology portfolio for food production with two new compact instrument series, comprising of

Compact pressure sensors and level switched enhances hygiene. pressure sensors and level switches.

The product families VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT prove that automation can be both simple and highly efficient at the same time, without compromising on dependability, hygiene or accuracy.

The new measuring instruments are perfectly tailored to standard applications that still demand the highest quality. Their standardized hygienic adapter system provides the flexibility needed to reduce and keep installation work and parts inventory at a minimum. The process fittings can be selected as needed and adapted to local requirements.

Always in the know thanks to 360° switching status display Thanks to the all-round switch status display, all sensor states can be visually discerned from any direction. The colour of the illuminated ring, which can be customised from over 256 different colours remains clearly visible, even in daylight. At a glance, the user can see if the measuring process is running, if the

sensor is switched or if there is a possible malfunction in the process.

Intelligence with IO-Link There is a lot of sensor intelligence built right into the new compact series: the standard IO-Link protocol ensures both a universal and particularly simple system of communication. This means that the instruments have a standardised communication platform that enables seamless data transfer and simple system integration.

Everything’s easier with wireless operation

IO-Link protocols ensure universal and simple system communications.

24 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

The new VEGABAR and VEGAPOINT instrument series can be easily read out and configured with a smartphone or tablet. Device setup and operation become considerably easier, especially in environments such as clean rooms, where physical access involves a lot of effort.

The new VEGABAR pressure sensors and VEGAPOINT level switches represent an important milestone for VEGA. Users cannot only get an entire range of level and pressure measurement technology from a single source, but also hygiene-optimised instrument designs that are extremely easy to install and an application-based combination of reliability, flexibility and reproducibility in the food production process. F

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SUSTAINABILITY

Organic additive creates value for landfill plastic Biogone, a Melbourne based plastic technology company, has a plastic additive which promises to speed up biodegradation of plastic, Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

O

ver the past five years, the world, including Australia, has seen rising demand in brands and consumers looking for more eco-friendly and plastic smart packaging to combat packaging waste.

Biogone’s organic additives to its plastic production presents a string of benefits for the food and beverage industry which addresses these concerns.

Co-founders John Mancarella and Ross Headifen created Australia’s first landfill biodegradable plastic products to reduce the mountains of plastic waste

accumulating in landfills across the country.

Both believe if single-use plastics must be used, then they should be made to be recyclable in line with the 2025 National Packaging Targets and biodegrade where they will be disposed of – which most likely would be in a landfill.

It’s hoped this can act as a back stop measure for when plastic isn’t recycled.

Headifen told Food & Beverage Industry News the idea first came to him while he was volunteering in Tanzania with his wife.

The new technology acts as a safeguard if plastic ends up in landfill.

26 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Seeing first-hand the plastics issues presented in the African nation, prompted Headifen to join forces with Mancarella to create Biogone landfill biodegradable plastics..

“We started doing some research and came across this technology out of the US and I told John I had an idea for

Biogone has a new plastic additive to help biodegration of plastic.

Plastic is one of the most inert materials around and so this process is still slow compared to a piece of paper biodegrading away, but at approximately 90+ per cent faster than conventional plastic, this is where the Biogone technology offers the most pronounced impact.

SUSTAINABILITY

The new additive would also allow more methane extraction from landfill. a company where we can still sell all the products, we used to but with better and biodegradable plastic which is better for our customer base,” he said.

“We had a customer base that was already keen for something better and that is when we started FieldTech Solutions.”

For all intents and purposes, Biogone plastic has the same strength, colour, heat performance as standard plastic the difference is when you throw it away it will be able to biodegrade.

“Some people got it right away and others were hesitant.”

The Biogone technology is not a chemical but a biological process.

It uses an organic additive which is a distinctive food source for microbes, which is then mixed in with the raw plastic material at product formation time.

The inert additive lays alongside the polymer chains and has no impact on them. The plastic retains all its original mechanical properties, such as strength, colour, impermeability, shelf life and recyclability.

The big difference between a Biogone plastic and a conventional plastic becomes apparent when the plastic is disposed to landfill. There, the naturally occurring microbes seek out the food and start to digest it.

No air or sunlight is required which means the biodegradation can occur at all locations in a landfill. The enzymes the microbes secrete in that process then break the surface polymer chains down so the microbes can digest them too.

Plastic is one of the most inert materials around and so this process is still slow compared to a piece of paper biodegrading away, but at approximately 90+ per cent faster than conventional plastic, this is where the Biogone technology offers the most pronounced impact.

The by product of this biological break down is a humus like sludge, that is also an excellent soil conditioner, and a biogas carbon dioxide (aerobic conditions) or methane (anaerobic conditions).

conventional plastic.

“So, if conventional plastic takes 300 years, we are taking 20 to 30 years to biodegrade which creates a slow feed of methane through the landfills they have more supply instead of short-term bursts.”

With a Biogone plastic, the accelerated biodegradation rate means the methane gas is given off over a much shorter time. This allows the gas to be captured within the lifetime during which a landfill is actively managed.

“Landfills are capturing methane and combusting it to generate electricity. You’re getting the energy out of the embodied plastic back. It’s virtually free energy as opposed to burning coal to produce energy.”

Over the next 50 years the landfill could be quite fertile with all the organic stuff going in there, it will help condition the soil. But a bigger factor at that stage will be the biogas that is given off.

“Landfills are capturing methane and combusting it to generate electricity. You’re getting the energy out of the embodied plastic back. Its virtually free energy as opposed to burning coal to produce energy,” said Mancarella.

That’s a big factor, to recover methane energy and use it to make power. Landfills have a life of 50 years or so which is a long-term contract to supply gas, the beauty of ours is it’s not a fast degradation, like an apple core, it’s ten times faster than the

This gas can then be used to generate electricity, displacing the need for electricity produced by fossil fuels, creating another positive impact on the environment.

Biogone’s organic additive is inert and does not change the properties of the plastic for any product design considerations and means the product manufacturers can use the additive to make biodegradable versions of their products without having to change any of their machinery.

Currently, upwards of 85 per cent of plastic is ending up in landfill and Mancarella said this solution was a critical step to take until the world was able to solve the plastics problem once and for all.

Addressing the plastic packaging

issue, the Federal government has introduced the National Plastic Plan to overhaul plastic packaging needs, in this case to be reused, recycled, recovered and redesigned.

Part of the plan is the 2025 National Packaging Target - where all packaging needs to be 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable.

This means it’s a critical time for businesses regardless of size, to start thinking now about their packaging needs so they can start planning and switching to packaging that will meet government standards.

Biogone aims to help businesses make the switch, offering a wide range of cost-effective landfill-biodegradable and home compostable packaging and shipping materials.

Having the Biogone additive in plastic allows it to be recycled with other soft plastics when practical and provides a backstop to allow it to biodegrade in a landfill if it ends up in one, circulating its embodied energy, if the plastic is discarded.

Biogone believes they have the best solution until we advance the plastic recycling industry and move towards a more complete circular economy.

The Biogone product range includes landfill biodegradable plastic products for the food industry, including zip lock bags, bin liners, aprons, gloves, produce bags and cling wrap.

In addition, Biogone offers landfill biodegradable packing, shipping and warehouse products including machine stretch wrap, bubble wrap, pallet strapping, mailing satchels, packing tape and much more. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27

AUTOMATION

Automating will boost small to medium meat processors Food & Beverage Industry News spoke with engineering consultancy company, NIRAS, which provides expert knowledge and global insights into the challenges the meat industry currently has to overcome.

The meat industry has undergone minimal automation changes.

S

mall and medium processors in the meat industry are confronted by many challenges which currently include attraction and retention of staff, safety, and cost competitiveness against increasing automated larger producers and processors.

Knowledge consultancy group, NIRAS, has valuable global insight and local understanding of the challenges facing the meat production industry and their impacts on product output and cost competitiveness.

NIRAS market leader, Food & Fibre, Glenn Jacobsen, said the meat industry had undergone minimal automation and operational changes in his three decades in the industry, especially when compared to other manufacturing sectors, placing small and medium manufacturers at risk of increasing pressure from their larger competitors.

“It’s one of those things where when you look at all other areas of manufacturing, and the step changes that have occurred in the last 30 years in industries such as clean manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, electronics, even other FMCG, and then you go into small to medium businesses and they are dark cold rooms with guys in thermal jackets manually palletising product and it’s amazing to see how nothing has changed

in such a long time,” said Jacobsen.

While larger players are investing in material handling, labour saving and safety improvements such as automated palletisation, carton handling systems, and buffering systems, like a multi-shuttle or ASRS systems, smaller producers, with limited resources, struggle with capitalisation, however NIRAS are seeing a tipping point where these small producers are no longer competitive due to lack of labour and the inefficiency of non-automation.

Price of entry to automated solutions has decreased significantly in recent history and can for example reduce pallet handling costs anything from $70 per pallet down to $10-12 per pallet.

It is also increasingly challenging to find and retain labour to service material handling areas let alone remain competitive.

“More than 80 per cent of the companies we have spoken to in the industry have highlighted staffing as a major issue,” said Jacobsen. “To be frank, those backend areas like carton loadouts, and palletising are the hardest areas to work in the meat industry with cold environments and the heaviest lifting.

We also saw within that area there was a significant high instance of near misses in terms of work cover and time lost.”

28 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

This investment can be confronting given the relative technical complexity, and shortage of quality independent advice available, however NIRAS are working with industry and industry groups to find cost effective and staged solutions to start small to medium producers on the technology trail . There are significant opportunities to looking at incremental solutions like exoskeletal suits, and site automation around lifting as very few small processors can afford to invest in fully automated solutions.

The difficulty in attracting and retaining a dedicated workforce demonstrates the essential nature of adopting more automation just to survive.

The red meat industry has reached a threshold, which sees the small and medium enterprises having to make big decisions to survive and thrive going forward.

Realistically one of the major hurdles to automation in the meat processing industry is the lack of uniformity, by its nature, which puts it at odds with many other industries where product is far more uniform.

“The difference from most other manufacturing is you take a whole lot of components and assemble them into a single product, so you end up with a consistent stream of products at the backend of the process, because you might be doing a thousand boxes of one product before moving to product B, product C, and so on, and the process is set up to cope with that” said Jacobsen.

“Whereas meat processing is very different. You have a component you bring into the process and breakdown into a series of smaller ones, so what you then have coming out of the processing area is this randomness that is unlike most other industries. You have randomness of products coming into the carton handling area so where that becomes difficult for a small to medium processor is that investment to automate is substantial. Effective automation requires consistency and repetition.”

The challenge from an industry

perspective is how to get effective solutions for small to medium players. It is estimated that the majority of smaller operators are nowhere near positioned to be able to invest in automating the backend of the process.

Many smaller producers and manufacturers have already been acquired recently by larger Companies and NIRAS expects that trend to continue.

Everything from the production process to logistical capabilities will require changes in order to keep up with the larger competitors and NIRAS is a company which is helping those clients come up with affordable, and viable, solutions.

“When we actually look at the whole logistics and distribution equation, the small guys will continue to struggle, and we will probably see more businesses start sorting and storing off site,” said Jacobsen.

“I think there is opportunity for businesses to take away that risk for them, randomly palletise their product and it goes to a third-party provider who will sort, palletise, handle, store, and distribute. Some of the main issues these sites are having around staffing shortages, truck drivers, delivery windows, loading containers, it’s massive and is incredible how much of a cost it has on the business while not adding any appreciable value.”

These investments have quickly become a necessity, rather than a choice, as the gulf between small and medium producers and the larger ones is increasing daily.

There have been two fundamental shifts from a technology provider perspective, we have seen other FMGC sectors being busier than ever and we have seen massive investments in large scale warehouses, both placing tremendous demand on the technology providers.

This has saturated the technology suppliers and allowed them to be very selective in regards project portfolios, and reduced tendering competition, with technology providers focused on the larger producers and accounts. F

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PACKAGING, SUSTAINABILITY AND WASTE

The CO2 Bombaderry plant partnership and the future The commissioning of the Bombaderry Plant in partnership with Manildra was a project that has greatly changed the pace for Supagas with an outlook geared towards sustainability in the gas industry and across products like Carbon Dioxide (CO2). Food & Beverage Industry News discovered.

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he gas industry as an essential service and the nature of gas as a resource, Supagas seeks to explore ways to source a clean and reliable supply of CO2 for the Australian market and Supagas customers. The topic continues to be an important issue for gas suppliers in Australia, like Supagas.

A partnership with Manildra Previously, Supagas had several manufacturing plants’ across Australia that were used to burn natural gas to produce CO2. The CO2 that was produced, also created moisture which Supagas could capture and purify, thereby convert the moisture into Food Grade CO2. However, with the increasing price of natural gas and concerns towards the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, Supagas identified a way to better source CO2.

The previous method of burning natural gas to produce CO2 was the

main option for Supagas in the past. The idea at the time of the Bombaderry CO2 Plants’ development was a move towards greater sustainability to ensure sufficient supply, which still proves true today.

The notion was to develop a source that was long term and sustainable to help with the environment and reduce costs, in addition, to meet growing consumer demand for CO2 within in the market.

The ability to have a large source that would produce the level of CO2 required, Supagas needed a facility that was reliable and could support the manufacturing process. One key concern for a CO2 production facility that uses plants is the time period feed suppliers are running maintenance checks. The issue here is the manufacture of CO2 stops, which has a carry-on effect into the market, as companies may not be able to meet customers’ demands.

Manildra was introduced to the Supagas team at the right time, as an Australian producer of food products including protein, fats, wheat and syrups. One of the by-products that was most valuable for Supagas was ethanol. Therefore, the Plant was built at Manildra Shoalhaven Starched integrated manufacturing facility in Bombaderry, NSW. The project took several months to complete with building taking place offsite and final assembly of the Plant onsite.

The Process

Supagas continues to explore new ways to source clean and reliable CO2.

The process to produce CO2 starts at the fermentation stage such as wheat, where Manildra is left with the by-product ethanol, which is important for Supagas, because this is where the CO2 is around 90% pure.

The ethanol is captured as a by-product through a blower and coldwater scrubber which dehumidifies the CO2 and removes the remaining alcohol. The blower will then push the CO2 gas through the underground

30 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

pipelines which funnels into another processing Plant. The CO2 gas will then go through a range of processes and a compressor, which will raise the gas pressure. The CO2 will also filter through a Catox, to remove all impurities and leave only pure CO2.

The CO2 is then dried and liquified, so it can be turned into Food Grade CO2 to be used in Supagas’ market ready products. As you may know, CO2 is versatile in nature, offering different forms including solid (i.e. dry ice), liquid and gas. Dry ice is a product Supagas offers for varying applications and uses, for example the cold chain will use dry ice for freezing food and for the transportation process to keep goods cold.

The topic closely relates to the packaging and processing industry, as dry ice and SupaMap gases are used across varying businesses and client bases. Dry ice is a great product as there is minimal to no waste left behind compared to gel packages. It is also important to consider the use of CO2 for SupaMap gases for food packaging to maintain shelf life and food freshness.

CO2 also plays a key role in the Beverage industry for the carbonation of beer and drinks for venues and manufacturers.

Businesses vary in size, with larger manufacturers and facilities utilising pack or bulk forms to ensure sufficient gas supply onsite for the production of goods.

Reducing emissions with a move towards sustainability The Bombaderry Plant is important, on the realisation of the positive impact in reducing Supagas emission footprint.

The Plant sought to reduce emissions on a yearly basis of an estimated 18,000 tonnes of CO2 forecasted to double overtime that would not be released into the atmosphere.

It is important to look at the supply chain from beginning to end and the

impact of how products such as CO2 are produced, the environmental impact to the delivery of products to customers and businesses. The benefits of the Bombaderry Plant outweigh the costs, as it is a sustainable alternative in reducing waste and direct emissions into the atmosphere. The circular system is environmentally friendly in its operation and output, as the material produced has multiple uses. For example, the syrup and gluten is used to produce ethanol which creates the CO2, therefore, reducing waste.

A high level of water is also left during the process as waste that is removed. However, the excess of wastewater left during production is recycled and used for plants or even for local farmlands for irrigation purposes such as food crops, cattle grazing and farm pastures. The wastewater created during production is treated and circulated into the Manildra Wastewater Treatment Plant, which is located on site.

Supagas expresses how they have come to realise how they could operate in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way for the future.

In achieving the same outcome of producing high quality CO2, whilst still operating in an environmentally and sustainable mind frame.

The business outlook such as reducing utility costs such as water and electricity is a benefit to produce CO2 which Supagas needs to facilitate and manufacture other products such as dry ice and SupaMap gases. Overall, the Plant has been highly beneficial since the start of the project. The Plant is providing Supagas with a clean, reliable and sustainable supply of CO2 to service current and future markets, with a growing demand for CO2. Supagas highlights that they will continue to expand and explore other sources to ensure sufficient plant (i.e. wheat) supply to keep generating CO2. F

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PACKAGING

COPAR is introducing Australia’s first wheat straw fibre packaging.

Fibre-based packaging could replace single-use plastics COPAR, specialists in sustainable packaging solutions, believe wheat straw holds the key to helping bring singleuse plastics to an end. Adam McCleery writes.

A

s the food and beverage industry continues to work towards new sustainability goals one of the biggest areas of focus has been around packaging.

As bans on single use plastics continue across the country many industries are eager to find alternative packaging solutions while also working towards greater sustainability, and COPAR is stepping in to help create a new option, fibre-based packaging.

COPAR specialises in developing sustainable packaging solutions and will soon launch its first Australian factory in Bathurst next year.

While fibre-based packaging itself is not a totally new idea, the use of wheat straw fibre-based packaging will be a first of its kind in Australia.

“We want to create awareness around the renewable capacity of fibre packaging, with wheat straw as an area of focus for us at the moment,” said Colin Farrell, director of business development for COPAR. “Regulations are a big reason for the

push towards new packaging solutions.

In Australia, both the Federal and State governments are addressing the plastic pollution crisis with both the National Plastics Plan and each state having their own action plans. The main thing is to eliminate unnecessary single-use plastics by 2025.

“All packaging must either be reusable, recyclable, or compostable.”

Fibre-based packaging, in this case using wheat straw, is all of these things.

“The idea is to re-purpose farmers’ agricultural waste by turning it into compostable packaging, which means it will naturally degrade in the environment with no microplastics, it is truly a circular product,” said Farrell.

“Circular economy is the hardest part to achieve and understanding it properly is critical.

“We believe there are nuances that you must adhere to, for example you can’t use fossil fuels to create the product because that is a finite resource and doesn’t qualify as a circular economy product. The small, but important

32 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

details, can be the tricky part.”

Farrell said the company came across the wheat straw idea when they were tasked with helping a start-up source compostable packaging.

“From that basis we started to investigate that area and found the University of Newcastle has expertise in compostable plastics and packaging,” he said.

“So, we started our research and development there which then led to establishing our commercial and technology partners.

“For example, India has a great expertise in handling and using agricultural waste in terms of replacing problematic plastics. That led us to sourcing commercial partnerships in India with companies which provide great technology.”

The commercial partnerships were critical for COPAR, meanwhile, the sourcing of the wheat straw itself is not likely to present many problems and can create a new revenue stream for Australian farmers.

“We have an abundance of wheat straw in Australia,” said Farrell.

“After wheat is harvested, waste wheat straw remains, and can be used as a low-grade fertiliser. Now, farmers can use it to generate another revenue stream by allowing us to source it from them as our main ingredient to manufacture sustainable packaging.”

Another major benefit in being able to source the wheat straw locally is being able to avoid potential supply chain issues created by importing, especially post COVID-19.

“Currently in Australia, packaging is generally imported or manufactured from imported materials,” said Farrell “We want to start a new industry with Australian farmers involved and a transparent supply chain. Our goal is to source all, or as much of the materials, as we can here in Australia.”

A big benefit to a local supply chain is that COPAR can track everything much more closely.

“We will be able to track every part of the supply chain which means clients

PACKAGING

will see that it is truly circular,” said Farrell.

“Wheat straw is in plentiful supply, and we think that will create a stable price.”

COPAR marketing specialist, Fathima Sameer, told Food & Beverage Industry News that the company would be focusing on key areas and markets for its innovative new packaging.

“For now, we are focused on fibrebased packaging, for the food industry, fresh produce, meat, and industrial packaging. Our aim is to make everything fully fibre based,” she said.

“In terms of markets, we are targeting hospitality, food, food distributors, food delivery, business to business companies that need packaging, that will also include stadiums where single use plastics are used often.

“The second one is horticulture and meat which is fresh produce and meat packaging.”

Sameer said COPAR’s fibre-based packaging would also employ antimicrobial technology.

“Our packaging products will come with anti-microbial layers to protect the product and extend the shelf life of the product. Our fibre-based packaging will give the same or better protection for the product. Those are our two primary markets for now,” she said.

While wheat straw is COPAR’s first area of focus, biomass as a whole will also be a continuing area for the company.

“It’s not just wheat straw and pulping, we can also look at other possibilities for customers because there are other sources of biomass,” said Farrell.

“They include hemp, which has great potential in terms of packaging, and even bamboo.

“These biomass products all have the great advantage, including that they are excess waste in agriculture where some farmers pay people to get rid of it, turning this into another revenue stream for farmers is a great thing.”

Farrell said the advantage for the agricultural sector could not be understated.

“Farmers already have the wheat, and they have a particular waste product which can create an additional revenue stream,” he added.

And recent disruptions to the supply chain are another area of improvement created by the new packaging approach.

“The other thing of course is manufacturing in Australia,” said Farrell.

“Since the COVID-19 pandemic everyone has worked out you can’t rely on the world economy like we used to in terms of things like comparative advantage.

“There must be multiple companies that have been hurt by the supply chain crisis that we are currently in.”

Biomass is perfectly tailored for creating a circular economy because of the above factors.

“Having a new industry with new jobs, developments, and technologies as we grow this industry is a great way forward,” said Farrell.

“We will be looking into these types of product innovations going forward.

“We need a range of solutions, and we see wheat straw and other biomass, into the future, being a viable solution moving forward.” F

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Fibre based packaging is becoming increasingly popular to the market. www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 33

BEARINGS

The right bearings have a significant impact on food safety and sustainability Bearings are a critical part of any manufacturing process and SKF’s expertise and product portfolio offers an easy way to strengthen food safety and process control.

Adam McCleery writes.

F

ood safety has become a much bigger issue over the last 10 to 20 years and as a result the processes used in the food and beverage industry continue to undergo innovation.

Swedish bearing and seal manufacturing company, SKF, offer simple and effective solutions for the industry.

“Demand for food has always been there but I think because of things like population growth, the need for food, and more processed and convenience food, the demand with regard to food safety has and continues to increase significantly,” said David Oliver, channel

and platform manager bearings and units, SKF. “As a result, this is a key area of focus in terms of our product development.”

“Beyond that, we must support food producers with Line availability and maintenance costs, the reliability our products provide is also critical in managing the lifetime costs. And last but by no means least, sustainability.”

In terms of sustainability, SKF’s bearing solutions can help to reduce the consumptions of C02, and water.

“All these elements are very important to food producers so any

product development we look at for the industry must take those things into consideration,” said Oliver.

“Sustainability in all industries is driving the development of environmentally friendly products, for example, consuming less CO2 or recyclable products.

“SKF can support in improving reliability and by definition improving plant availability, this can significantly reduce lifetime costs, and equally importantly reduce CO2,” said Oliver.

“Bearings sit at the heart of all rotating equipment and there are many

As the population grows the need for better and faster processes is needed.

34 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

The correct bearings present an affordable and simple solution. critical processes within food and beverage, they have to perform, and they do need lubricant to perform. Because of this one risk is the contamination of the environment from that lubricant and the necessary cleaning of bearings after relubrication.”

It’s estimated that well over 50 per cent of all bearing failures in the food and beverage industry are related to lubrication.

Getting lubrication right is critical and has been the focus of a lot of SKF’s product development, much attention has been applied to relubrication free technologies, whilst still maintaining efficient lubricant performance that can last the life of the bearing.

Relubrication free mitigates the negative impact of relubrication on bearing life and contributes to food safety in and around the bearing.

SKF conducted their own tests with an independent third party to determine the strength of their seal technology and hygienic design.

The third party simulated the cleaning process as it is done in the food and beverage industry, on SKF and competitor products.

“If you are looking at a bearing that isn’t relubricated compared to one that is relubricated, the testing reveals that about a third less water is consumed in cleaning, that water is typically heated which brings in a C02 saving element,” said Oliver.

“If you could look at a common asset, such as conveyors, in processing plants, and you eliminate relubrication then you are talking about a potential third decrease in the use of warm water for cleaning.”

BEARINGS

This means that if you can move to a point where you are eliminating a lot of the need to relubricate then you can have a positive impact on sustainability, environmental impact, water consumption and cost of maintenance.

“Much effort is focused on the sealing of the bearing because typically in food and beverage the applications are relatively slow and lightly loaded, the three things that impact grease life are load, speed, beyond that it’s the environment,” said Oliver.

As the food and beverage manufacturing industry is mostly low load and low speed, the determining factors for better bearing life lies with environment.

“If you can seal that environment out or mitigate it in another way, then you have a long grease life which means you don’t have to relubricate to meet the reliability needs of the industry,” said Oliver.

“We optimise every element of the bearing, from the original material right through to the packaging and once that process is fully optimised, then we have maximised the load carrying capacity and toughness of the bearing which delivers excellent reliability.”

All of this is designed to maximise the effectiveness of the bearings in use.

SKF’s Deep Groove Ball Bearing is a prime example of how the company develops and innovates its bearing and sealing technology, particularly as this is likely the most used bearing type in the food and beverage industry.

“The deep groove ball bearing can do a bit of everything, because of the volumes manufactured it is relatively inexpensive, it has low through to highspeed capability and will accommodate moderate radial and axial loads,” said Oliver.

“It can also have other features enabling it to accommodate typical food production environments, graphite cages for high temperatures for example. It’s a simple product that is well understood and will accommodate most of the needs of machinery on a day-to-day basis.”

SKF has a large range of designs, variants, and sizes of deep groove ball bearings, giving flexibility to meet the needs of the client.

The variants include a single row deep groove ball bearing, stainlesssteel deep groove ball bearing, double row deep groove ball bearings all with various clearance, cage and lubricant specifications.

Oliver said the food and beverage industry benefits greatly from the use of high-quality deep groove ball bearing.

“It’s a product group that has really been overlooked, we’ve done a huge amount of work on Foodline ball bearing units for conveyor type applications seen widely across food and beverage and with Foodline stainless steel ball bearings,” he added.

“If you look at volume, a standard deep groove ball bearing is the most widely used, it’s important to have a suitable product.”

These factors, and others, were kept in mind when SKF moved to develop a newer and more effective seal and bearing combination.

“We developed our deep groove ball bearing around the basis of food safety,” he added.

“We know we get good performance from our sealed deep groove ball bearings already and have great sealing efficiency, what we didn’t have was the food compliance and food safety.”

To achieve this goal, SKF retained its seal design but changed the material to an FDA and EC approved rubber and added a high performing NSF H1 registered grease.

“The seal material approval is about how much chemical can be leached form the nitrile rubber when it’s in solution, FDA and EC approval is about having nothing dangerous released from the seal

material than can then enter the food stream.

“That is now an approved product, Food Safe out of the box.

The sealing is also blue in colour for better optical detection in case any ends up in a food line.” F

SKF’s Deep Groove Ball Bearing is a prime example of innovation.

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PACKAGING

Tray sealing technology is keeping up with market demand Market demand is driving innovation in the packaging space which is leading to changes in how meat is being packaged for the consumer. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

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hen it comes to packaging, the manufacturing space is a competitive one and every company within the sector is continually working on new innovations.

Lumix Procut, experts in food processing solutions, are partnered with Italian packaging solutions company, ILPRA, to offer packaging innovations to SME clients.

“A lot of our competitors tailor to the larger clients in the market whereas we also have the equipment to work with SMEs,” said Nathan Grange, partner, and director at Lumix Procut.

“ILPRA are one of the original tray sealing companies, so they have a depth of knowledge around the industry.

“Companies have been using tray

sealers for over 40 years for food packaging and lot of that is for retail packaging, and the reasons for that are it extends shelf life of the product, and presents well on a retail shelf, and product is portioned out for shopping convenience.”

Along with technological innovations of tray sealing machines over the years, market demand around less packaging going to landfill is driving changes in what materials are being used, which is creating a demand for flexible tray sealers.

“The market has had to shift what type of materials they use for the tray sealing process,” said Grange.

“We deal with different supply chains and those chains do innovations around more sustain-able packaging;

The flexibility provided by the ILPRA range is a big advanatge.

36 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

The ILPRA tray sealer accepts all traditional packaging materials.

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one company has produced a tray that is 80 to 90 per cent card-board.

Reducing single use plastic by 80 to 90 per cent and still allowing for product freshness and MAP stability.

“There are other companies producing the film, which is red-cycle, the soft plastic you can peel off the packaging, and put aside and hand back to the supermarket stores, again, reducing single use plastics.”

Lumix Procut can offer a package with the tray sealer, combined with the new cardboard trays and film, which in turn will create a more environmentally friendly process.

“A lot of other macro factors also come into play, things like global politics, consumer-based factors, all these things have an impact on the market,” said Grange.

“We have known about the cardboard solution for four to five years, but the momentum is building up more, like it is with MVs.” Grange said the flexibility of ILPRA’s range was one of its biggest advantages.

“For a consumer to go with us, the positives for ILPRA are flexibility.

ILPRA start from the smaller end of the spectrum, through to high output,” he added.

“We can deal with clients from the lower economy of scale to, including those who are starting up and have a higher running cost.”

The ILPRA tray sealer can accept all currently used packaging materials,

such as plastic trays, but they are also capable of working with the newest innovations in cardboard packaging.

“We can do everything from a standard seal to skin packing and extra skin packing,” said Grange.

“Skin packing is when the film forms around the product on the tray. You go to the larger retail chains now and you can see the shift from single use plastics to more sustainable packaging. From MAP in bulk trays to single portion cuts and high end cuts on expansion cardboard trays.

“Where have developed further now is if you go to the premium style meat cuts that are individually portioned into trays, what you’ll see is the film has been vacuum sealed around the product itself.”

Grange said convenience was a big factor, along with changes in packaging materials used in tray sealers.

He added that the big supermarkets, and boutique ones such as Harris Farms, taking up products packaged in this way was only a benefit to the wider market.

“So long as the largest start the process, everyone else can follow because they act as trend setters because they can get out to more people,” he said.

“We align more closely with the SMEs and boutique clients because we start from the smaller semi-automatic machines, through to the large inline models.” F

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PACKAGING

Paperboard continues to gain market popularity Increased awareness about food waste, sustainability, recycling and composting is playing a part in the continued rise of alternative food packaging materials. Adam McCleery writes.

Confoil’s new DualPakECO packaging presents a range of advanatges.

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ustralian packaging manufacturer, Confoil, has worked closely with the food and beverage industry for many years and in that time has built up its expertise through strong business partnerships.

These strong bonds have helped Confoil read the tea leaves in regard to alternative packaging, particularly in the ready-meals market, leading to the development of new compostable, and dual ovenable paperboard DualPakECO trays.

“As a business, Confoil started in foil trays and we were extremely fortunate that our core product has always been recyclable,” said Confoil CEO, Alison Buxton.

“When we introduced our DualPak paperboard tray, it was unique because it was both microwavable and ovenable.

This functionality that was critical for a number of our customers and the fact that it was paper based was an added benefit.

“The shift to a paper-based and

certified compostable material is, in part, a move towards supporting the Australian 2025 National Packaging Targets, which aim to reduce the impact of packaging on the environment.”

“There were challenges associated with developing the new DualPakECO paper-board tray because existing alternatives were sealed with a PET liner to prevent seepage of oil and liquids.

This liner is not compatible with composting.

“Achieving a new coating that was compostable, recyclable and could withstand the rigours of the market was a critical step.

“We started on a journey to try and find a solution that would ideally give us a recyclable and compostable solution to the market. The ready-meals market is important to us as a business and a real area for growth.”

In collaboration with BASF, Confoil trialled and tested ecovio PS1606 coating. New to the market, ecovio is a partly bio-based, certified compostable

38 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

biopolymer that was developed by BASF for coating food packaging made of paper or board. It is certified according to the Australian standard and food contact approved according to international requirements.

Ecovio also has barrier properties against fats, liquids and odours which helps to preserve freshness and flavours as well as the rigidity of the paperboard tray. Testing proved successful and DualPakECO was born.

“With ecovio, we have found the ideal component to take the next step towards sustainable solutions in our portfolio and to help our customers reach their sustainability targets at the same time,” said Buxton.

“This has taken a number of years since its original inception. We conducted our own market research during 2020 to understand what was most important to consumers, with regards to the packaging of ready-meals.”

The results of the research made it clear to Buxton, and the rest of Confoil,

what the most important things to consumers were, beyond the strength and functionality of the packaging itself.

“We could see that consumers were becoming much more environmentally aware, and sustainability was a critical factor for them,” she said.

“We had over 44 per cent of the people in that mix telling us that sustainability was important to them and that they were willing to pay more for products in packaging that met those needs.

“It was important for us to understand this and whether there were limitations to what we could do in terms of pricing for our customers as we began the development process.”

Another important conclusion made from the research was that consumers also recognised paperboard packaging as being more obviously compostable.

“That was important in helping frame what we wanted to achieve,” said Buxton.

“To create a product that consumers

PACKAGING

can easily recognise as compostable, means the journey will be smoother.”

Confoil has several customers in the ready-meal market, and this provided a great resource for identifying the critical points for the market and understanding the growth in its popularity early on.

“We had identified that was a major opportunity for us as a business because both our foil packaging and our DualPak trays fit that market extremely well,” said Buxton.

“There are a couple of key drivers for the move to ready-meals. Obviously, convenience is a key in that space.

Another major driver which links to the compostability and environmental story, is food waste.

“Consumers see ready-meals as giving them a defined portion, so they are less likely to be throwing product out or having leftover ingredients, if they were cooking for themselves.”

“Having packaging that can be commercially composted with the waste collected in organic waste bins is a huge advantage. DualPakECO can be composted food-soiled and complete with food residue, which increases the diversion of food waste from landfill.”

DualPakECO is also accredited under the world’s most rigorous compostability standards, the Australian

AS4736-2006 standard.

We were very conscious about being accused of greenwashing so whatever product we bought to market absolutely needed to meet the best standard in the world,” said Buxton.

“The most difficult standard in the world for compostability is the Australian standard. We had an opportunity to source a product that we knew was European certified, but we wanted to make sure we also achieved the Australian certification.”

“We wanted to make sure we had something that was certified to that standard so we could ensure the product can then go into composting streams,” said Buxton.

Sourcing the right grade board was also important for Confoil as it had to withstand the manufacturing process where it is pressed into a tray form. Both the fibres in the board and the length of the fibres are important.

“We’ve worked with a number of board suppliers over the years to get to the board that is best fit for our needs, that can also be heated in a microwave or an oven,” said Buxton.

“We also do that testing to make sure that we can get the product in the oven for a specific period to meet the needs of cooking the food.

DualPakECO is accredited under Australia’s rigorous compostability standrds.

“Working with reliable suppliers who can get us the right board is becoming more important due to the move globally to use more paper and board in packaging, bags and more.”

“DualPakECO has now been launched into the market. We have

several customers that we are working with to transition from existing DualPak product. And excitingly, we also have several other prospects we are assisting in transitioning certain products they have in the market,” said Buxton. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 39

BEARINGS

NTN bearings rise to the challenge at bakery operation The importance of accuracy in the baking industry and bearings play a critical role in achieving this accuracy.

Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

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s all bakers know, there are many variables that can lead to the success or failure of bread rising, which is why the recipe needs to be followed accurately.

Likewise, in an automated, state-ofthe-art bakery facility, all the machinery needs to run seamlessly, because if a part of the process breaks down, it will have consequences on the overall production.

Just as every individual ingredient is necessary to the whole loaf, so are the bearing components to the success of an entire bakery plant.

This was the experience of a largescale commercial bakery operating out of Victoria, who, with the help of Motion Australia have managed to improve the performance of their critical machinery and prevent unnecessary downtime.

Prior to working with Motion Australia, the site had experienced a number of breakdowns, particularly on their conveying applications. This was due to low quality bearing components that kept failing.

“We won this business through our in-house know-how, around the clock customer service, and by recommending high quality bearing products that resolved their primary issue of equipment failure,” explains Leon Stefanec, national business development manager for Food and Beverage, Motion Australia.

“When we first engaged with this customer, we offered to do a site audit, which immediately struck a chord with

their maintenance manager. Through that, we were able to identify all the part numbers, quantities and brands of components such as bearings they were using on the equipment.”

The site audit enabled Motion Australia to consolidate the customer’s bearing range.

This weeded out inefficiencies (such as double ups of stock and the use of multiple brands for spare parts in the same application) but more importantly allowed them to address one of the key problems – equipment failure from low quality bearings that couldn’t withstand the rigours of the applications.

“There are two standout applications where bearings were failing – in their dough proofer chamber and conveying system that takes hot product out of the oven and on to the product cooler infeed conveyor where product gets snap frozen,” he elaborated.

“Basically, the bearings need to be able to handle the extreme temperatures and humidity of the dough proofing chamber, as well as the cold temperatures of the cooling conveyor.”

The NTN 6000 series deep groove ball bearings and mounted ball bearing units were recommended and installed on these applications. The result has been positive with the customer noticing a significant increase in bearing operational life.

“The NTN product stood up well, and the customer agreed with our

The right bearings are crucial to the success of an entire bakery plant.

40 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

A case study from Motion Australia demonstrates the impact of the right bearings. proposal to then replace all bearings out at the site with NTN bearings,” said Leon.

“When the plant performed maintenance recently during a planned shutdown and reviewed all of their equipment, the maintenance manager was impressed with how the NTN bearing range had performed as they had seen a significant reduction in breakdowns since we started supplying them.

“This was positive feedback and testament to the good job our team has done.”

Importantly, Motion Australia also had some standard NTN bearings custom-modified to meet the extremely cold temperatures as described on the product cooler conveying application.

“This is where we are able to add even more value, because our Motion Australia company, CBC, has a unique relationship with NTN – it’s called the NTN-CBC Joint Venture – where we have a direct line to the manufacturer and their engineering design division,” explained Leon.

“We were able to have them modify the standard bearing by flushing the grease out and putting in a special low temperature grease which allowed the bearing to work in temperatures at minus 20 degrees Celsius.”

Overall, the customer has been pleased with the outcome of switching their bearings over to NTN.

Four key benefits Since standardising the plant to using NTN brand bearings, the bakery

operation has realised the following benefits: • Less frequent bearing change-outs • Longer equipment up time • Fewer unexpected break downs • Improved stock availability Despite the bearings costing more than those the site was originally using; Leon said the price was the least of the customer’s concerns.

“While the upfront cost of the bearings is perhaps more than other brands, the customer cost savings in the long run were proven when it was clear the bearings were directly correlated to greater productivity, less maintenance, and less downtime,” said Leon.

“These NTN bearings are a great example of how we’ve provided value, but it’s just one part of what we’re supplying to this customer.”

Leon says the relationship has been built on trust that Motion Australia will deliver a full end-to-end solution and will be available to the customer in times of crisis.

“It’s our ability to offer a 24/7 service, meaning we can supply out of hours when maintenance is done,” he said.

“It’s also our combined technical expertise and in-house knowledge. Our capability to supply not just bearings and power transmission solutions, but fluid transfer, sealing, plastics, and engineering services.

“We can be a one-stop supplier that they can completely rely on. Our relationship with this customer is just beginning, and I’m excited about how we can continue to help them improve the efficiency of their operation.” F

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PACKAGING & FOOD HANDLING C

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Use Biogone everyday plastic products to help meet the 2025 National Packaging Targets

WASTEWATER

Aerofloat is working with the Pact Group to better utilise water and wastewater.

Market must embrace circular plastics economy Aerofloat is helping stakeholders in the food and beverage industry to better utilise their use of water while also being more efficient and sustainable. Food and Beverage Industry News reports.

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he Pact Group continue to press ahead with its end goal of creating circular economies within Australia and its latest ventures in New South Wales and Victoria, and the work with Aerofloat, is proof of this fact.

Aerofloat’s general manager for Engineering and Projects, Michael Anderson, told Food & Beverage Industry News that the new sites had been propped up by government grants designed to create a more circular plastics economy.

“All of their plastics recycling projects that are happening around the country are born from the zero-waste ban that was put in by the Federal Government, which came on the back of China no longer taking our recycled plastic,” he said.

“Basically, all yellow bins would get

shipped off to China and turned back into other products. The plastic was recycled over there, now China has said we’re not accepting anyone else’s rubbish from anywhere in the world.

“Australia had to come up with solutions to that problem, now that we’re going to have all this plastic, we have to do something about it.”

The China situation played a big part in the Federal Government opting to offer grants to create a localised solution to the new problem.

Out of this requirement a new joint venture, made up of Cleanaway, Asahi Beverages, Coca Cola Europacific Partners, was formed.

“They formed Circular Plastics Australia (PET) Pty Ltd and they got some of those government grants and built a plant in Albury and they

42 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

are putting two more in Victoria, and they will be manufacturing rPET food grade resin for beverage bottles and also producing washed PET flake for use in rPET sheet thermoforming,” said Anderson.

“The first one is happening at Altona North, the washed PET Flake sheet material.

“Between the two plants that’s the output and basically they are brand new wash lines. The material comes from MRF’s (Material Recovery Facility) and the container deposit scheme, where people can drop off PET bottles, like Coke and water bottle made from clear PET plastic.”

The plastics will be sourced from two key areas, including from the general curb side recycling pick-ups, (MRF) to the various plastic deposit sites

around Australia.

“People can get a return for that at deposit centres. When you deposit the bottles, they go to this place where it is recycled and turned into a flake and that flake goes off and is made back into beverage bottles,” said Anderson.

“Some of it comes from the CDS but in other states it might have different names.”

Cleanaway was already in a prime position to source as much plastic as possible for recycling based on its role within the CDS in New South Wales.

“Cleanaway have the contract to collect that CDS plastic in NSW,” said Anderson.

“It’s taken to a specialised facility for consolidation into PET bales. The curb side material is sent to a MRF where the various materials are separated, (Plastic,

WASTEWATER

The new Pact Group plants are in addition to an exisiting plant in Albury, New South Wales.

Paper,Glass, Aluminium, Steel). The separated plastic is sorted, washed and chopped it into small flakes before it is converted into rPET resin before being sold for use in the manufacture of beverage bottles.

“What we are doing, because you can still get a lot of dirt and soluble contaminant from bottles, they wash it in giant tanks and shred them and that’s the wash line and they must continually add fresh water to the final rinse when it’s all chopped up, like a giant bath basically.”

And this is where Aerofloat’s role within the system really hits its stride.

Because these plants use water almost constantly, and require certain

properties to ensure correct washing, Aerofloat’s expertise are needed.

“Because they keep adding hot caustic water to get the label off, turns it into a food grade resin because they rinse it with in town potable water as the final cleaning step,” said Anderson.

“What that means is, they are constantly adding new water into this loop to get the food grade quality of water so they can use it in food grade products, that means there’s a net input of water into the system which means water must go somewhere, in this case the sewer network.

“Our job is to clean that water before it goes into the sewer. We are taking the wash water from the facility and making

The Pact Group is continuing its journey to creating a circular plastics economy.

These plants use water almost constantly, meaning Aerofloat’s role is critical. sure it meets trade waste limits for Greater Western Water, the authority in the area.

“That is Aerfloat’s part of the puzzle.

To make sure the water is compliant when leaving the site.”

Because of its expertise in wastewater treatment, Aerofloat is also capable of repurposing some of the wastewater back into the system, creating less waste in the process.

“We also have a second stage of our offering which is that we can recycle a portion of the water back into the wash line to then improve the quality of the water that they are washing which will reduce the impact of the amount of chemicals they need to use and can be

used as a means for conserving water,” said Anderson.

The project is still in its early stages which currently means the focus for the client and Aerofloat is stage one, making sure the water leaves the site up to standard.

“In the project’s infancy, because they must fine tune the food grease resin, stage one for us is to make sure water leaves compliant and stage two is introducing a recycling stream to create water efficiencies,” said Anderson.

“We are entering the recycling stable in the next couple of months.

Anderson said priorities shift as projects get further along, so it is critical to ensure each step is optimised.

“At the start in a brand-new mega facility there are so many hurdles for the operators to overcome that first’s things first is to get the plastic product out the door and once all their systems and operators and team and processes are working well, we start to optimise and put on environmental efficiencies,” he said.

Anderson said Australia had to continue to work towards creating better recycling processes on the home front to avoid any potential issues moving forward.

“Creating things to serve our own waste generation problems is critical, it’s all about not sending the product to landfill,” he said.

“It’s about creating a circular economy for the environment and as such it’s an amazing economic booster for Australia because it will create many jobs and you are seeing advanced world first approaches to recycling of plastic, especially in Australia.” F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43

PACKAGING

New crate loader promises wide-ranging flexibility G. Mondini’s new MCL 70 and MCL 140 crate loaders present a system that has been designed to address a string of issues in the packaging line. Adam McCleery writes.

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ackaging solutions company, G. Mondini, has recently launched its latest end-of-line crate loaders here in Australia, the MCL 70, and the MCL 140, each capable of packaging 70 and 140 trays per minute and can be utilised as a stand-alone module or fully integrated into existing lines.

This latest offering from G. Mondini, through packaging equipment partner Select Equip, brings with it a string of features that have been designed to address existing issues in the crate loading space.

Select Equip Marketing and Sales Director, James White, said “while there were plenty of crate loading solutions on the market, Mondini’s MCL crate loaders are different.

“Most of the other companies are what they call ‘end of line specialists’, so there are inherent issues in other systems,” he said.

“Whereas G. Mondini builds its system based on a good understanding of pre-form trays. They have built a system that is capable of handling any tray packaging material currently available on the market, such as PET tray, paper, aluminium, all through the same system.”

It effectively uses similar technology as tray sealers for collating the trays, where the trays themselves never collide, which is what makes it unique.

White advised that “other systems you see out there have accumulation systems which are harsh on the trays because they pushed together during collation.

The advantage of the Mondini system is that it always maintains a gap between the trays, so they never touch each other.”

G. Mondini’s quality of design, highest engineering standards, non-negotiable approach to product safety and flexibility mean quality and reliability, thus reducing the overall cost of ownership.

Another issue facing the market

today, labour shortages, is also addressed with the new G. Mondini Crate Loader range, the MCL 70 and MCL 140.

The MCL series is unique in the fact it can be a standalone unit, dropped into any factory and fed by any tray sealer.

This can help prevent labour shortages on the lines,” said White.

The system is also flexible in that it can be installed and integrated into an existing system, with speeds of up to 3.6m/s with a position repeatability of 0,1 mm and can pick up, whether single or dual lines and is compatible with short and long edge leading crate feeding systems.

“Mondini can start with an empty tray to seal it in any packaging format you need,” said White.

If the tray sealer’s capacity is going up and down, then it can feed that information to the crate loader. It’s about having user-friendly systems, you have a tray sealer which is easily linked to a crate loader,” said White.

This creates even more data available from the source, rather than having multiple pieces of equipment trying to extract what is happening to your line, from an operating perceptive,” added White.

“All of those things go towards making production efficiency easier for manufacturers.”

“Our existing Mondini clients can start using this crate loader immediately, because the user experience behind the system is the same as a tray sealer. It’s about having similar typology all the way through one line, which becomes easier for an operator with a uniform approach and adds even more elements of ease for operators.

G. Mondini’s systems are always designed with the future in mind, White said, as a means of creating systems that won’t go out of date any time soon.

Regardless of what the retailers want, you already have a system that doesn’t become redundant.

“The industry is constantly

44 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

G. Mondini builds its systems with a deep understanding of pre-form trays. changing. Effectively most things we do are retail focused, so you address the issues which now are around labour and retailers having to rapidly change their offerings.

How they do that is by changing packaging materials. The system is built around this, people playing with different packaging materials.

“I don’t see it as labour reduction, I say it allows you to take that workforce and use it somewhere else, deploy it to areas which can’t be automated, as opposed to having people stuck packing a tray. The redeploying of the finite resource of labour to other area is more important these days.

“We have customers who aren’t running some lines because they can’t find the staff to do it. The aim is to create systems that address the wants of the market today while being capable of meeting unknown changes in the future.

The flexibility of the MCL systems extends beyond operators and into industries, such as fresh produce.

The system is transportable for the fresh produce industry, so you can move it to different pack sheds depending on the season. You also have versatility in packaging configuration and in that the

systems can be moved seasonally” said White.

Flexibility is one of the most important factors in the new Mondini crate loaders, which also run on a two or three-axis, which gives further flexibility in picking positions and different tray loading combinations.

“The system can receive short or long edge leading configurations, which means however the trays are arriving, either portrait or landscape it won’t matter,” said White.

The return of investment is another area that White advised differentiates the Mondini models from others. If you’re running single shift five days a week the return on investment is two years,” he said.

“It’s about having systems which are capable of handling what the market wants, not only today but in the future.

Other features of the MCL 70 and MCL 140 include an ergonomic design, perfect stability, ease of inspection, a common platform, and a wide range of settings.

The G. Mondini crate loaders are the perfect end-of-line solution either as a stand-alone module or fully integrated into your existing line. F

NIRAS is a leading independent advisor within the Food & Beverage industry when it comes to investments, projects execution, production optimization, sustainable solutions, and green energy transition of your manufacturing facility. We can draw on our specialists across the world, but our local experts know the exact conditions and challenges of your local context.

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Excellence in project delivery Local support with a global mindset Leading in sustainable solutions Strategic masterplanning Smart upgrades Optimization and automation Robust manufacturing Electrification of industrial production Green energy transition

www.niras.com/sectors/food-and-beverage/

Edward Lynch Managing Director Melbourne, Australia +61 488 786 484 EDLY@niras.com

Glenn Jacobsen Market Director Melbourne, Australia +61 451 125 223 GLJA@niras.com

CONSTRUCTION

The right advice is critical before building projects Making the right decisions around your construction project can make or make break the entire plan. Total Construction take pride in pointing clients in the right direction. Adam McCleery writes.

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ow, more than ever, as construction prices continue to increase off the back of a series of external factors, it is critical to have everything planned out properly before breaking ground on a new project.

From the planning paper itself, to the selection of equipment, right through to the attainment of Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) are all supremely important to avoiding unforeseen hurdles, and by extension, costs, and time extensions.

“Total Construction are in a unique position that we have an impartial approach based in many years of experience in food and beverage,” said Total Construction senior process engineer, Brian Mann.

“Both myself and Tony Tate have been working in this space for probably 30 to 40 years each and we can make an impartial approach or help the customer understand the process, build the initial project charter, and then help them with a selection of equipment, not recommendation because it’s always the client’s choice.

“We can help point them in the right direction for possibly suppliers. That direction will be around validating the

process and what’s going to be the best fit for their process and around their budget choices.”

Mann said the decades of experience and expertise behind Total Construction’s team proves to be an invaluable asset for clients.

“We come with the approach that we have seen and experienced a lot, and we share those learnings with the client and a favourite phrase of mine is ‘any decision is difficult without knower knowledge’,” he said.

“Whenever you’re going into a new project which generally involves new product, everyone on the client’s side is learning and if you can draw on your experience to point them in the right direction for help, I think that is a very valuable ting to offer.”

Mann said about 20 per cent of the market already had teams in-house to solve many of these issues, however medium and smaller producers were not so fortunate, which is where Total Construction steps in.

“We have the ability with the very dynamic and changing environment in both packaging and processing, to help these people learn and gain knowledge about what’s in the marketplace and what

It’s critical to have your project plan well thought out in advance to avoid added costs and disruptions.

46 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

the capability of that equipment is,” he said.

Ultimately, Mann said, by contacting Total Construction prior to laying down foundations for your plant, could, and likely will, avoid headaches around fitting the right equipment inside.

A comprehensive understanding of the systems and processes required is possibly the most critical decision to make before moving forward.

“For example, do you use gravity transfer, how do you eliminate bends in the process and the number of transport transfer points,” said Mann.

“All those subtle things that can be the Achilles heel to a process. You are better off laying out and designing your optimum process based on your equipment selection and then see how to build around it.

“If you can start off with the ideal process that eliminates potentials for bottle necks and will give you the best efficiency out of the equipment you invest in is the better place to start.”

Total Construction general manager, Rob Blythman, said the company was currently working with one client who had found themselves in the negative situation due to equipment changes in the

planning stages.

“They hadn’t finalised their plans and kept changing what equipment they wanted to use,” he said.

“They still had the fundamentals when we did the design but at the end of the day, they hadn’t decided on equipment, we are talking pop up sealing, changing column locations, its massively disruptive to the fundamental foundations of the building and of course when you do a design you start with that.”

Ultimately, Mann said, the positive flow on effects of making the right planning decisions early in the process were numerous, including costs savings.

“It’s all about return on investment and the selection of equipment and how you plan to design the process and set it out plays a big part in that aspect,” he said.

“It’s two things, efficiency, and cost both inter play. By utilising the right equipment in right sequence and do the mass flow through the process upfront you’re guaranteed a better result and efficiency. It’s also about good manufacturing practises in the food industry.

“If you streamline your design, you’re generally creating a cleaner workspace.” F

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TURNKEY SOLUTIONS

Why working with the right partner reduces your costs and ensures automation efficiency In a fast paced manufacturing environment, where downtime is costly, and efficiencies are valuable, the benefits of complete turnkey systems can make a world of difference. Food & Beverage Industry News reports.

48 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

TURNKEY SOLUTIONS

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mplementing an entire line which ensures high performance, high efficiency, and reliability can be a challenging task, and one which increases in complexity when multiple suppliers and solutions are involved,” Peter Pontikis, managing director at Nupac Industries.

When looking at implementing new packaging lines or upgrading existing ones, there are a range of factors which manufacturers must consider.

One of these decisions being whether to utilise different machinery suppliers for elements of the line or instead

consider a single supplier offering a complete integrated turnkey system.

One such local supplier of fully integrated solutions is Nupac Industries and their partner Syntegon (previously Bosch Packaging Technology).

“Syntegon Technology has been offering complete solutions for the food industry for over 50 years, with a portfolio that includes process technology for confectionery as well as packaging solutions for dry foods (e.g. bars, bakery products and coffee), frozen foods and dairy products,” said Andreas Schildknecht, global product manager (Robotics) at Syntegon.

The additional benefits of choosing a supplier with the portfolio to provide integrated systems is the ability to upgrade and evolve automation as manufacturers grow, “food manufacturers can opt for a fully automated packaging line from the outset to automate feeding, handling, and loading of their products.

Alternatively, existing lines can be automated step by step, by delegating production tasks one after another.

This opens more options, especially for medium-sized companies, to benefit from the new technology” continued Schildknecht.

When implementing automation initial cost will of course have an influence in the manufacturer’s decision process, however long-term costs and savings are usually overlooked.

Although turnkey solutions can at times be more costly than individually selecting machinery separately, the resulting benefits may make this a more financially viable decision in the long run.

Why choose a turnkey solution?

Complete turnkey solutions help limit downtime and increases efficiency.

There are a range of benefits to choosing a turnkey solution provider, such as consistency across the line, centralised support, minimised internal pressure, increased efficiencies and much more.

Although these may not always be reflected in the initial pricing, the long run benefits and cost savings for manufacturers can be significant.

When sourcing equipment from different suppliers, manufacturers can face additional internal pressures, with the time and responsibility of ensuring all elements come together and communication between all suppliers is managed. There are also the additional risks of miscommunication, specification discrepancies, split FATs and potential delays, which can

Syntegon Technology offers complete solutions for the food industry.

negatively affect the outcome of the solution, costing the company much more than anticipated.

On the contrary, finding a turkey solution provider who has the knowledge and know how to provide an effective solution can be a major risk minimiser and make for a seamless implementation, ensuring high performance and efficient outcomes.

“By working with a complete system provider such as Nupac and Syntegon, manufacturers can place the responsibility and accountability of their project in the hands of an experienced and reliable supplier, reducing their internal workload, which is more important than ever with ongoing pressures stretching manufacturers to capacity,” commented Pontikis.

With a single solution provider offering a complete solution, this allows them to make sure each element of the line works together in the most efficient way as an integrated system.

Consistency across the line also enables more effective training, better data analysis and easier understanding from the operators.

Although these factors may be hard to quantify with a dollar value, they can have significant benefits to manufacturers ability to operate with long term efficiencies.

The alternative, using a range of suppliers, means there may be different HMI displays, different operating controls, and different data analytics, resulting in the potential for complicated and difficult operation, and less visibility into the overall line operation.

Another key benefit with turnkey solutions is the centralised support.

With turnkey systems there is a single support point for the whole process, as opposed to multiple suppliers and service teams, which allows the service team to commission, evaluate,

repair and service the entire line in a much more efficient manner.

With one system, problems can be diagnosed quicker and resultantly solved quicker.

As downtime equals costs, the importance of ensuring this can be managed in a timely manner is imperative.

The biggest factor for all however is selecting the correct supplier. Whether this be a range of suppliers or a single turnkey supplier, it is imperative to an optimal outcome that the supplier is reliable, trustworthy, competent and can provide the required solution.

Syntegon have grown into a leading supplier due to their extremely reliable and efficient solutions. With the experience and proven results in providing processing and packaging systems to most of the largest multinationals as well as hundreds of medium sized manufacturers.

Syntegon pride themselves on efficiency, with their solutions operating at OEE’s of between 95-99 per cent, ensuring their customers production is at the highest standard.

As Syntegon’s local partner, Nupac offer these leading machines across the entire packaging process, from primary packaging through to secondary packaging and end of line systems.

This allows them to supply completely integrated turnkey systems to customers, with the confidence that these systems will be the best in practice for reliability and OEE. “With hundreds of machines commissioned and installed in Australia and New Zealand, including integrated turnkey systems across food, confectionary and pharmaceutical applications, we have the experience and depth to offer market suitable equipment to fit most application requirements” commented Pontikis, on Nupac’s experience providing turnkey systems to the local market. F

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 49

Winners announced for the 2022 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards Author Nerida Kelton MAIP, Executive Director – AIP, Vice President – Sustainability & Save Food

C

oordinated by the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) the Annual Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards have been established to recognise companies and individuals who are making a significant difference in their field across Australia and New Zealand.

The PIDA Awards are also the exclusive feeder program for Australia and New Zealand for the prestigious WorldStar Packaging Awards run by the World Packaging Organisation.

2022 Food Packaging Design of the Year Gold: ThermoShield Temperature Monitoring System - Food (Caps & Closures).

Silver: Cadbury Roses limited edition Mother’s Day chocolates (Opal).

Bronze: Maggi Recipe Base/Mono-PP Sachet (Huhtamaki Australia).

High Commendations: Frutmac Zippmatic 100% Paperboard Foodtainer (Auspouch) and Nestlé Easter egg range (Nestlé Australia).

2022 Beverage Packaging Design of the Year Gold: Synlait Swappa Bottle (Synlait Milk Limited).

Brownes Dairy was awarded a Bronze in Australia’s Most Sustainable Milk Cartons category.

Silver: Coles Home Compostable Coffee Capsules (Coles).

Bronze: Australia’s Most Sustainable Milk Cartons (Brownes Dairy).

High Commendation: Norco 100% rPET Milk Bottles (Pact Group).

2022 Save Food Packaging Design of the Year Award Gold: A tie between ThermoShield Temperature Monitoring System (Caps & Closures) and Inghams Waitoa Free Range Butterflied Chicken (Sealed Air NZ).

Silver: A tie between Detpak RecycleMe Noodle Cup (Detmold Group) and Maggi Recipe Base/Mono-PP sachet (Huhtamaki Australia).

Sustainable Packaging Industrial

Silver: 2DBarcodes by GS1 (GS1 Australia & Woolworths).

Sustainable Packaging Renewables

Silver: Amcor Ecotite R (Amcor Flexibles Australia).

2022 Sustainable Packaging Design of the Year Due to the continued high standard of innovative designs that cover such a broad spectrum of the waste hierarchy the judges have separated the winners into subset categories. The subset categories for 2022 are: Reuse/ Refill, Recycle/Recover, Renewables, Compostable, Industrial, Recycled Content and Closed Loop Collection.

Gold: Australia’s Most Sustainable Milk Cartons (Brownes Dairy).

Sustainable Packaging Compostable Gold: A tie between Sugarcane Pulp Hot & Cold Cup Lids (BioPak) and FSC Rectangle Paper Containers (BioPak).

Silver: FSC Paper Spoon Straws (BioPak).

Gold: Koh Kerbside Recyclable Spout Pouch Refill Pack (Close the Loop Group).

50 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

Gold: etch&ethos (EGO Pharmaceuticals).

Silver: BUBBLE WRAP 50% recycled content air pillows (Sealed Air).

Bronze: Goodman Fielder Praise 100% rPET Bottles.

Sustainable Packaging Closed Loop Collection Gold: KITKAT prototype recycled content wrapper (Nestlé Australia).

Sustainable Packaging Recycle/Recover Biopak was recognised with Gold and Silver Awards for sustainable packaging.

Sustainable Packaging Recycled Content

High Commendation: Goodman Fielder Meadow Fresh Milk 30% rHDPE Bottle (Pact Group).

Sustainable Packaging Reuse/Refill

Gold: A tie between the Royal Australian Mint Coin Packaging (MaCher Australia) and SMARTIES Range Paperisation (Nestlé Australia).

Gold: Opal & JBS Dunnage Solution (Opal).

ThermoShield temperature monitoring system caps recieved a Gold Award for design.

Silver: The winner of the SILVER award is Nespresso Curby Coffee Capsule Collection Program. F

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MARKET WATCH

Deal activity remains constant Corporate activity in the food and beverage industry remained high in the months of June and July 2022.

Ten transactions were announced over the two-month period to mid-August 2022.

N

Date

Target Name

Acquirer

Sector

10 June 2022

Oyster Cloud’s agri-tech assets

East 33

Seafood

28 June 2022

Stacked Farm (capital raise)

Australian and US investors

Fresh produce

29 June 2022

The Better Health Company

Nestle Health Science

Vitamins & supplements

1 July 2022

Lovitts

FibreCycle

Petfood & accessories

1 July 2022

Our Bird

FibreCycle

Petfood & accessories

13 July 2022

The Small Batch Spirits Company

Sydney Rum Distillery

Alcoholic spirits

15 July 2022

Body Science International

Humble Group

Sports Nutrition

18 July 2022

Shopper Media

Woolworths

Retail digital media

10 August 2022

Shingleback Wines

Endeavour Group

Wines

15 August 2022

Tassal

Cooke Inc.

Seafood

and cat litter based in Toowoomba Queensland. The two acquisitions will expand the product portfolio of Kent Pet Group in Australia and facilitate entry into new channels.

Sydney Rum Distillery acquired The Small Batch Spirits Company, the owner of the Cargo Cult rum brand.

Swedish FMCG business, Humble Group, acquired the Body Science

Editorial credit: Scott Kenneth Brodie / Shutterstock.com

estlé Health Science acquired NZ-based The Better Health Company. The deal includes the manuka honey brand Egmont, the Go Healthy supplement brand and a manufacturing facility in Auckland that produces vitamins, minerals and supplements.

Vertical farming business, Stacked Farm, raised $56 million to fund the construction of a 7,000m2 farm planned for commissioning in 2023. Stacked Farm currently manages a vertical growing operation at a 4,000m2 facility located at Burley Heads.

FibreCycle, the Australian subsidiary of Kent Pet Group acquired two Australian pet food and pet care businesses. FibreCycle acquired Lovitts, a Melbourne-based manufacturer of cat litter, birdseed, pet treats and other small animal nutrition products.

FibreCycle also acquired Our Bird, a manufacturer of high-quality birdseed

International business. Body Science distributes branded sports nutrition product which includes protein and creatine powders, protein bars and mousse snack bars via the online retail and grocery retail channels.

Woolworths through its retail media business, Cartology, acquired retail digital media company Shopper Media Group for $150 million settled in cash.

Endeavour Group acquired Shingleback Wines, a winery that was established in 1997 and is based in McLaren Vale.

Canadian seafood business Cooke Inc. made a takeover offer to the shareholders of Tassal to acquire the outstanding shares in Tassal at a price of $5.23. The offer was approved by the Tassal board and is conditional on Tassal shareholder approval. F

Ben van der Westhuizen and David Baveystock are directors of Comet Line Consulting, an advisory business that specialises in acquisitions and divestments

Woolworths acquired digital media company Shopper Media.

52 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

within the Australian food & beverage industry. For more information visit www.cometlineconsulting.com.au.

Food & Beverage Industry News is distributed nationally to more than 5000 subscribers, while the website has more than 40,000 unique views every month. It is the food and beverage industry’s one-stop-shop when it comes to the latest products, services and technologies in this space.

Visit our website and subscribe to get your print and digital editions in additon to our free daily newsletters today!

To book contact Stephanie Suzuki now stephanie.suzuki@primecreative.com.au 0422 046 711

AUGUST 2022

How three mates turned a passion into a thriving business PLUS: Calibration | Sustainability | Events

foodmag.com.au

NEW PRODUCTS

New generation Enmin drives designed to energise production lines Leading materials handling manufacturer Enmin are the only company manufacturing electromagnetic drives in Australia. The drives offer a unique handling method for controlling the flow of food products, ingredients and bulk material. Products can be screened, sized, or accurately metered to ensure a smooth, uniform and fully variable flow.

With minimal moving parts, next to no on-going maintenance and low energy consumption it’s a reliable, low-cost method of product handling. The drives are designed and constructed to meet the rigorous requirements of the food and pharmaceutical industries such as maximum hygiene, ease of cleaning and continuous 24/7 operation.

The cyclic operation is controlled from a range of electronic controllers that will vary the feeding rate in a manner to suit the specific application enabling high-speed filling coupled with pinpoint accuracy. The controllers are available in different enclosures or as standalone for incorporation into central panels.

The Teflon is fully FDA approved; its 40-micron surface coating means that it does not suffer from the chipping that can occur on painted models.

This makes it ideal for use on mobile equipment that is susceptible to knocks and bangs as it is moved around the workplace.

Enmin: Vibratory Equipment (03) 9800 6777 www.enmin.com.au

Beckhoff measurement technology leaves the control cabinet The EPP3504-0023 EtherCAT P Box is designed for the evaluation of measuring bridges in fullbridge, half-bridge and quarter-bridge configuration. It also supports the potentiometer, Pt1000 (RTD) and ±10 V measuring ranges. It is derived from the ELM3504 EtherCAT Terminal and features a sampling rate of 10,000 sps, internal switchable supplementary resistors, and an integrated, parametrizable bridge supply. It also features the same technological properties as the ELM3x0x terminals – i.e., all parameters can be set via EtherCAT using the CoE directory. The EPP3504-0023 is designed for use in close proximity to the measurement site in a protected environment and is therefore equipped with IP20 bridge connections.

The EPP3504 0023 devices are in continuous development, both in terms of new devices and new software functions. As a result, settings that can be found in delivered devices, e.g. in the CoE/ PDO/DC dialogs, may not yet be documented. The use of such non-documented features is not permitted unless it is done under the express supervision of Beckhoff Support.

Beckhoff (03) 9912 5430 www.beckhoff.com

54 Food&Beverage Industry News | September 2022 | www.foodmag.com.au

NEW PRODUCTS

A multi-channel differential AC input for signal conversion ICP Australia is proud to introduce ICP DAS’s ET-7217RMS, which is an 8-channel differential AC input and 4-channel digital outputs module that is used to convert the AC input signals to their True RMS DC values. The RMS input range can be from +150 mVrms to +10 Vrms, and each channel can be configured individually.

The ET-7217RMS is a complete, high-accuracy, RMS-to-DC converter that computes the True RMS DC value of any complex waveform. It also features 4 kV ESD protection, 2500 VDC intra-module isolation, and ±35 Vrms/±28 VDC overvoltage protection. Furthermore, ET-7217RMS has a range of I/O, allowing it to be extremely versatile and support a different industrial applications.

Lastly, ET-7217RMS can support a wide range of temperatures from -25 to +75°C enabling the module to withstand tough conditions. In terms of deployment, ET-7217RMS facilitates DIN-rail or wall mounting for ease of use.

KEY FEATURES: • • • •

Built-in Web Server Web HMI Support for both Modbus TCP and Modbus UDP Protocols Communication Security

• • • •

2-port Ethernet Switch for Daisy-Chain Topology Dual Watchdog I/O Pair Connection Built-in I/O

ICP Electronics Australia (02) 9457 6011 www.icp-australia.com.au

New Alfa Laval CM Connect leverages digitalisation to optimise hygienic processing As Industry 4.0 evolves, the CM Connect is a natural next step on the customer digitalization journey, expanding the Alfa Laval range of condition monitoring solutions. With complete visibility of all connected assets, plant operators can detect issues that impact future performance, prevent unplanned downtime, and improve asset management.

Acting as a gateway communicating via Bluetooth, the CM Connect can link up to 10 Alfa Laval CM wireless vibration monitors launched last year.

It then transmits the data over a 4G cellular network to the cloud for review and analysis on an intuitive, user-friendly dashboard.

Advanced vibration analysis enables detection of any deviation from pre-set equipment threshold values.

Should deviations occur, an SMS or e-mail notifies users who can take action in real time based on data analysis.Besides linking the CM wireless vibration monitors, the CM Connect can also act as a sensor.

It measures vibration, inboard temperature, and total runtime when mounted on Alfa Laval LKH, SRU, SX and DuraCirc pumps, or other rotating machines, such as agitators or mixers.

As part of the company’s commitment to digital transformation in hygienic industries, Alfa Laval explores and develops Industry 4.0 solutions to advance competitive advantage for customers.

Alfa Laval (02) 8822 2700 www.alfalaval.com.au

www.foodmag.com.au | September 2022 | Food&Beverage Industry News 55

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These disinfection products complete our extensive portfolio of pumps, mixers and instrumentation for your food and beverage needs.

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