Food & Beverage Industry News - Oct/Nov 2018

OCT/NOV 2018

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How to get a new product to market Tips on how to make a launch successful PLUS: Women in Industry | Food Safety | Food & Beverage Industry Awards Winners

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ear of failure is inherent in any business – whether it is the food industry or any other enterprise where a generous capital outlay is needed for someone to follow their dream. In our main story on launching a new product, Monash University’s food innovation centre CEO Angelina Achariya says that up to 90 per cent of products launched in the challenging FMCG sector fail.

There are no guarantees in any business, let alone in an industry where new ideas are mooted, worked on and launched on a daily basis. But, there are things that people can do to mitigate the odds of failure. Some are obvious, such as listening to the consumer and doing comprehensive market research. One, is to make sure the packaging is appealing. Another is speed to market. A lot of good ideas have been developed only to be overtaken by a competitor who has worked harder, faster and quicker than the original generator of the idea. Even then, success is not guaranteed.

The product itself has to work, thus the aforementioned market research. Then there is getting a distributor – both national and international if your ambition warrants – and finding shelf space at the local supermarket.

Maybe e-commerce and an online presence is the way of the future. Our story on page 14 gives a few more ideas for those starting their

entrepreneurial journey.

The launching of a new product is a great segue into the Food & Beverage Industry News Awards that were held recently. What struck me most was the passion of those in attendance.

Whether they won or were nominated, all these people were risk takers. They put their money, time and effort on the line for something they truly believed in. I was fortunate enough to sit next to the Australian Primary Hemp co-founder Skye Patterson. Three years ago the company had a few acres on one of the founder’s parents’ farm, and now they are set to harvest hemp from thousands of acres over the next couple of years.

There’s been massive growth in this fledgling industry. Not only does the industry have the potential to be huge, it may also be more environmentally friendly than some similar products.

According to Patterson, hemp uses less than 50 per cent water than cotton to bring a crop to fruition. When you think about it, hemp is an ideal product for a country where water as a resource is scarce. Not only does it not rely on water but it has a multitude of uses including dietary and fashion.

Mike Wheeler

INSIDE 18

52

57

6 NEWS

26 PACKAGING

55 CONVEYOR SYSTEMS

14 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

28 WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

56 PLANNED MAINTENANCE

17 PLANT UPGRADE

30 FOOD SAFETY

57 FACTORY HYGIENE

18 CONSTRUCTION

38 FOOD AND BEVERAGE 59 MATERIALS HANDLING AWARDS 60 MARKETWATCH 50 INGREDIENTS 61 NEW PRODUCTS 52 APCO AWARDS

20 AIP 23 AUTOMATION 24 INDUSTRY 4.0

www.foodmag.com.au | October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5

NEWS

Siemens and Swinburne launch MindSphere Centre for Australia S winburne University of Technology’s Hawthorn campus will house Australia’s first demonstration and application centre for a cloud-based open Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) operating system in conjunction with global technology powerhouse Siemens.

The centre will enable students, academics and industry partners to collaborate and co-create local and global projects on a cloud-based platform Siemens calls MindSphere.

“This is the first-of-its-kind industry/university partnership for MindSphere in Australia and is an extension of Siemens’ $135 million product lifecycle management (PLM) industrial software grant to Swinburne University announced last year,” said Jeff Connolly, chairman and CEO of Siemens Australia.

“Data is being described as the oil of the 21st century. Up to 90 per cent of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years and 5.5 million new ‘things’ get connected every day. However, the value is in being able to refine that crude data and turning it into usable business information. This requires sophisticated platforms that simplify and enable the process. It also requires

skilled people coming through the system - which is what this facility and the partnership is all about,” said Connolly.

MindSphere, the IIoT solution connecting physical manufacturing, energy and infrastructure assets to the virtual world, already has over one million connected devices and systems worldwide.

Located in Swinburne’s Factory of the Future, the centre is unique in its industry and business engagement model in the tertiary sector – opening the campus to industry and businesses for co-creation, while facilitating education, training and research.

Students, academia and industry will have access to cloud-based software that has already helped organisations across the world connect their products, plants, systems and machines to harness the wealth of their data generated by IIoT with advanced analytics.

The launch is supported by industry partners – through the signing of the MindSphere Foundation Partner agreement – Alliance Automation, Globetech, NZ Controls, Centric PA, Spectrum Automation, Nukon, Interlate and Mescada.

Swinburne’s deputy vice chancellor

MindSphere is designed to connect physical manufacturing, energy and infrastructure to the virtual world.

6 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

(research and development), Professor Aleksandar Subic, said the centre will provide an environment for industry and students to co-create, develop and demonstrate the capabilities and outcomes made possible using MindSphere. “The centre will facilitate the creation of applications in advanced manufacturing, smart cities and transport, health and other areas. This is an important stage in the implementation of our Industry 4.0 Strategy.

“Students across the entire education and training continuum, from apprenticeships across bachelor’s and master’s programs and all the way to PhD research, will be developing and using this technology for different industrial applications as part of their learning in collaboration with industry,” said Subic.

“Preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution involves more than just developing technologies.

It requires a holistic cooperation between industry, academia, standards bodies, research, government and organised labour.

What we are doing here is providing a practical environment for students and industry to experience first-hand the potential of a full digital enterprise,”

said Connolly. “As the world’s largest industrial software company, Siemens is proud to partner with Swinburne and our MindSphere Foundation Partners to help accelerate Australia’s participation in Industry 4.0.”

MindSphere is an essential piece in Swinburne’s Industry 4.0 Factory of the Future facility, whereby MindSphere will enable connectivity across all their technology assets and processes across all of Swinburne’s campuses.

“The centre will demonstrate in action the value of partnerships between industry and the education sector by driving innovation and positive transformation. The access to MindSphere at our Factory of the Future will help demonstrate the Industry 4.0 facility as a whole – a fully integrated, connected and fully operational learning factory – the first of its kind in Australia and this part of the world,” added Subic.

Michael Freyny, head of Digital Factory and Process Industries for Siemens Australia and New Zealand, said MindSphere will play a critical role in Siemens customers’ digitalisation journey.

“The centre will enable our customers across various sectors to explore data-driven business models.

Following successful use cases and applications in China, Germany, USA and other parts of the world, Australia can now connect industry to the digital world of IIoT and create powerful industry applications and digital services.”

“I also welcome our Foundation Partners to the MindSphere platform.

This is proof of the interest in developing IIoT solutions across different industry sectors and the continued need to collaborate. Our products can be found across various industries including manufacturing, mining, transportation and building infrastructure, water, food and beverage and others.

“MindSphere will help customers across these industries harness the streams of data from their connected devices and derive real value from the information.”

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NEWS

Compostable packaging solutions featured at AWRE 2018 T

he expo was held at the International Convention Centre at Sydney’s Darling Harbour. Food industry professionals had a chance to share ideas on data management solutions and sustainable packaging at the Australasian Waste and Recycling Expo (AWRE).

The expo, held on the 29th and 30th of August, aimed to challenge thinking about current waste standards and the future of waste disposal and recovery.

Exhibitors included companies that work with the food and beverage industry, such as ifm Efector, Source Separation Systems and DB Packaging.

Joshua Riley, from Source Separation Systems, showcased the company’s composting products.

The Kitchen Caddy is a container that houses compostable household waste, which can then be disposed of in a compost system or suitable council bins. The company also made a range of liners derived

from corn that wasn’t fit for human consumption, Riley said.

“All the liners are Australian Certified compostable,” he said.

The liners left no plastic bits in the soil, like some biodegradable products did, he said. The ink used on the liners is soy based and also not toxic to the environment.

Riley said it was difficult getting people to change the way they thought about waste.

“It’s not rocket science. It’s not hard, but the challenge we face is that people don’t like change. Once you get their mind changed, it’s easy,” said Riley.

Rachel Beaver, educator and trainer at DB Packaging, also said people needed to change their mindsets.

DB Packaging makes compostable plates and bowls, and compostable transparent bags.

Many people used cling wrap to showcase the contents of a product, but there were other materials available, said Beaver.

Compostable liners are made from corn that is not fit for human consumption.

8 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

“We don’t need cling wrap. We need to get people to change their minds,” she said.

“We are starting to work with different bodies to change consumers’ perceptions. Everyone has to be involved,” said Beaver.

Companies behind making products such as compostable containers and machinery used to deal with waste were also at the expo.

One was ifm, whose senior sales engineer, Jason Woo, said provided mobile controls for hydraulic systems used by companies to lift bins and used for crushers, for example.

“The target market would be the machine builders for rubbish trucks,” he said. The company also has a range of sensors that help with data management.

With effective data management, people can see in real-time when machines need maintenance or when they are working overtime.

“It also monitors consumption so consumers can see what they are using

Compostable transparent bags are available to consumers.

too much of,” said Woo. Being able to monitor machines easily could help businesses save energy and save on costs, he said.

Everything waste-related was covered at the expo to materials, machinery and data solutions.

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www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9

NEWS

The origins of foodstuffs was discussed at the Find Food Australia Expo.

Fine food and hi-tech equipment featured at Melbourne food expo F ine Food Australia highlights included a focus on robotics and health foods.

The four-day event, held in mid-September at the Melbourne Convention Centre, catered to thousands who were keen to find out about current and future trends in the food and beverage industry.

Fine Food Australia event director, Minnie Constan, said more than 25,000 people attended the four-day expo.

The exact figures will be released in a few weeks when an audit has been completed, she said.

“It was incredible. There was a buzz around the show floor that I haven’t seen for many years. It’s certainly showing the passion that is in this industry.”

The expo was about innovation, connection and growth, she said.

“There was a lot of new innovation.”

“There were a number of very

exciting products that will be heading to the market, including electronics and new food,” said Constan.

Hot topics included the use of mobile apps and robotics, as well as meatless protein alternatives, she said.

For the first time ever there was a Cobot at Fine Food Australia, which is a cooperative robot.

The company that showcased the Cobot was Roto Charge, which sells bakery pumps and related equipment that deposit fillings into pastry products.

Food Industry Foresight director, Rod Fowler, said Roto Charge had doubled the capacity of its standard equipment by adding a robot to its systems.

The new generation smart robots are intended to physically interact with humans in a shared workspace.

This makes them different to other robots that are designed to

10 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

operate autonomously or with limited guidance.

The top 10 trends of 2018 were discussed at a Fine Food Australia forum, with the help of Food Industry Foresight, which provides research and analysis into food and beverage markets in Australasia, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The trends include operators working smarter – to continue striving in an increasingly tough market – and the reinvention of hamburgers.

Hamburgers maintain their top position as the number one flexible food concept and they continue to transform as consumers look for new flavours.

The Food Industry Foresight found the desire for protein substitutes was rising as people considered the environmental impacts of meat.

Casual dining has grown over the past five years in Australia and

the cafes are adapting their coffee products to offer cheaper home and work brewing options.

People are also wanting to know the origins of food when it comes to eating at restaurants, robots are entering the food service industry and food apps are gaining traction.

The Food Industry Foresight noted the number of meal options when eating out are growing.

Eateries are also striving to change the look, opening hours and menus of their establishments to create a more unique experience for patrons.

With innovation hot on everyone’s minds, the variety of products at Fine Food Australia were diverse.

New products included Little Beauties’ sundried kiwifruit slices, Oliver Lane’s gluten-free golden turmeric and cardamom bread, and Hemp Foods Australia’s salted caramel crunch bar.

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Report shows Australia is the world leading exporter of lamb A

ustralia has been labelled as the leading exporter of lamb worldwide, in a 2018 State of the Industry report.

Independent chair of the Red Meat Advisory Council, Don Mackay, said the report highlights the key economic and community role the Australian red meat and livestock industry plays for the nation – and the potential for it to make an even bigger contribution.

In 2017, Australia was the lead exporter of sheep meat in the world, despite representing only six per cent of the global sheep flock.

The country was also the third largest exporter of beef in 2017, behind Brazil and India, and the world’s leading exporter of goat meat in 2016.

Mackay said beyond exports, red

meat continues to be a key part of how Australians live their life with Australians being one of the largest red meat consumers per person in the world.

“Our industry continues to be a major employer, employing 438,100 Australians directly and indirectly, supporting 82,500 businesses and generating $65 billion in turnover.

“Ninety per cent of these jobs are regionally and rurally based and our combined workforce accounts for four per cent of total industry employment in this country,” said MacKay. “Aussies still love red meat – what we don’t export, we eat. Australians are eating three times as much beef and five times the global average of sheep meat,” he said.

State of the Industry 2018 was developed by the Australian red meat and livestock industry’s service provider Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and builds on the inaugural report commissioned by MLA for the red meat industry in 2017.

It benchmarks where Australia sits in terms of red meat consumption, production, imports and exports, as well as the economic significance of the industry in a world where global red meat demand is projected to grow between one to two per cent.

“The Australian red meat and livestock industry generated more than $13 billon for the nation last year and has the potential to grow its

Australian lamb is popular with overseas consumers.

contribution through investment in our people, our land and opening up markets,” said MacKay. “Australian red meat is currently exported and enjoyed in more than 100 countries around the world. As an industry, we will ensure we continue develop and prosper for the benefit of all Australians,” he said.

Younger generation cares about free-from foods and small portions

Taste is still king when it comes to some foods.

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ree-from claims and smaller, more convenient pack sizes are important to younger consumers, research from a 2017 Nielsen report suggests.

At the iba baking and snack trade fair in Munich, Germany, a panel of experts from the baked goods sector spoke about the importance of moving towards free-from and organic products. The forum showed a strong need for food manufacturers

to cater to an increasing desire for clean products.

The information based on a Nielsen research report from 2017, on the US market, showed that organic sales among households with a millennial head of house, were 38 per cent greater than sales among total US households.

Robb MacKie, CEO of the American Bakers Association, said despite the data being from the US market, the association’s European counterpart found similarities in the data. “The connections between the US and the international market are very strong. We are seeing health and wellness claims are the fastest growing areas for sales on the retail level in the US market.”

There is a big trend in free-from claims, he said. “A lot of the soy-free and some of the others are growing at a very fast rate.

“The greatest generation, which is considered to be the World War 2

12 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

generation, is not really being impacted by some of these health claims. In baby boomers you start to see some movement,” he said.

But despite people being drawn to health claims, MacKie said cream filled pies, specialty desserts and muffins are on the rise in the US market. “Taste is still King,” he said.

The key to the success is being healthier, but still having a tasty product on offer, he said.

Corbion vice president Mark Hotze agreed that consumers still have a need for food that tastes good.

“For us to be successful as an ingredient supplier, it’s really that willingness to roll up our sleeves, partner with our customers and understand where they want to go in that space.”

Brian Dwyer, vice president of bakery manufacturing at Kroger, said the supermarket chain noticed people going for smaller portions.

“The one trend that I would say

I’ve seen with indulgent food is the move to smaller pack sizes. Whereas in the past our consumers would pick up a 12 or and 8-inch pie, we are seeing that move to a smaller size, maybe a 5-inch pie,” said Dwyer.

“What we are seeing is there’s a need for indulgent, but our consumers want to eat that and have that indulgent experience without feeling guilty. The health and wellness is clearly a rapidly growing segment.

We are seeing a lot of activity and a lot of energy around the health and wellness sector,” he said.

Kroger’s Simple Truth and Simple Truth organic brands have been the company’s fastest growing brand ever, said Dwyer. Research from Nielsen shows the dollar growth of grain free products in the bakery section has increased by 51 per cent from 2017.

Cruelty free products have increased in US dollar growth by 30 per cent, and grass fed products have in increased by 28 per cent from 2017.

NEWS

Auspack will showcase hundreds of exhibitors in Melbourne T

he southern hemisphere’s leading processing and packaging trade event is back and bigger than ever. Held in Melbourne from March 26-28, 2019, Auspack will span 19,500sqm.

New companies E030 Processing and Packaging, High Tech Italian Way, Orora Group, Lapp Australia and Key Technology are among more than 400 exhibitors showcasing their products and services.

Exhibitors come from as far as France to take part in the event.

French company Legarde Autoclaves, which manufactures tailor-made products such as steam and air retorts, is among the exhibitors.

The company’s Autoclaves products are designed to reduce production costs and the environmental footprint. Chinese exhibitors include Milliken Chemical Division, Guandong Highdream Intellectualized Machinery. There

will also be hundreds of exhibitors with a presence in the Australian market.

Auspack showcases innovations and megatrends for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and personal care sectors. Exhibitions and Trade Fairs marketing manager,

Anne-Marie Mina, said it was an exciting time to be able to host the 34th Auspack event. “It’s great that it’s returned to Melbourne,” she said.

“We’ve ensured the exhibitors offering is in line with global trends,” said Mina. Industry trends showcased at the 2019 event include fast and

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“There’s also a focus on saving food from waste and food safety.”

There will also be discussions on sustainability and waste reduction, said Mina.

“Exhibitors recognise that it’s a premium event for packaging and processing in Australia.” So far, 75 per cent of the exhibition space has sold.

Exhibitors have the opportunity to generate new sales leads and build new relationships.

A variety of new features are being launched at the event, which will be disclosed to the public at the end of 2018.

These features will enhance the learning experience and networking opportunities for exhibitors and visitors, said Mina.

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www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 13

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Consumers know best – the key to making a product flourish Launching a new product brings with it the fear of failure. But failure can be avoided when taking the right steps to getting a hot-in-demand product to the shelves. Miri Schroeter writes.

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hy do products such as Cadbury Marvellous Creations’ popping candy chocolate and Chobani’s high-protein Greek yoghurt succeed, when others fall short of the mark?

This is because the people behind these products have a great brand presence, listen to consumers and offer enticing packaging to get people grabbing for their products.

Angeline Achariya, Food innovation expert, explained that

companies often forget to find out what consumers want, which leads to products failing before they even hit a supermarket shelf. Achariya, the chief executive officer at Monash University’s food innovation centre, and her team helped Chobani succeed in the Australian dairy retail sector, and recalls Mondelez buying “all of the popping candy in the world” for its Cadbury Marvellous Creations range.

“They took a consumer-inspired

Angeline Achariya said that 90 per cent of products in the FMCG fail in the first 12 months.

14 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

approach. Understood the market and understood the consumer,” she said. “In FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods), 90 per cent of products fail in the first 12 months of product launch.”

Perhaps with better consumer knowledge and packaging, this wouldn’t be the case. In a July presentation hosted by St.George Bank in Sydney, Achariya talked about finding the next UBER in food.

Food producers and manufacturers gained valuable advice on how to introduce new products to the market that will bring consumers back for more.

Cadbury’s Marvellous Creations is an example of a manufacturer listening to its consumer base.

People liked the chocolate melting on their tongues to reveal textured candy with a satisfying crunch.

They liked the crackling on the roofs of their mouths, which

INDUSTRY FINANCE

"Food producers and manufacturers gained valuable advice on how to introduce new products to the market that will bring consumers back for more." reminded them of their childhood, said Achariya.

“The most successful things in the market place are always meeting a need,” she said. “It’s really about making sure that consumers want it. It could be taking away a step the consumer didn’t necessarily do, which made their life easier.

“Don’t just create products because you think it’s an efficiency gain or productivity. It’s about making sure the consumer really wants it at the end.”

Working with the consumer to find the right design attributes for a new product and its packaging was key, said Achariya.

Companies often started with creating ideas before talking to consumers, which meant the ideas were not centred on what the market of the consumer wanted.

“If you start with a consumer first, get them to guide you. Of course the consumer doesn’t always know everything. We all didn’t know we would love the iPhone – nobody asked us,” said Achariya.

“So, you have to also be very careful about who you’re speaking to,” she said. “During the innovation cycle process, focusing on packaging first was necessary.”

When it comes to launching new products, it’s what’s on the outside that counts at first glance.

“Consumers eat with their eyes first. It’s really about how the pack would look – how the offer would look,” she said.

Beak & Johnston founder, David Beak, agreed that good market research, and the right packaging, helped the success of a product.

Beak’s company is a familyowned, food-processing business with 30 years’ experience dealing in fresh-cut and value-added meat products, fresh soups, sauces and prepared meals.

It wasn’t always smooth sailing for the company, which brought products, such as fresh-ready meals, out a decade too soon, Beak said.

“A lot of the ideas we had 25-30 years ago were 15 years or 20 years too early. It comes back to doing market research,” he said.

Beck suggests working with large retailers can help boost a product’s popularity.

“You really want to work, wherever you can, in more of a strategic partnership situation,” he said. “Where you can actually bring a product to market with a big retailer, your chance of success is much higher because it becomes their idea and they then want to make it successful.

“With a brand it gets much tougher. The chance of failure is quite high. But, if you’re doing enough innovation, and have a product the consumer wants, then I think you’ve got a much better chance of success. It comes back to doing good market research.”

Speed to market is also important.

“It’s hard to stop people copying you.

Your greatest opportunities are where you get to market first,” he said.

Products were somewhat unpatented in the food industry as companies copied others and changed a few ingredients to make a product their own. Although it could be daunting to launch a new product, it was all about perseverance. “Don’t give up,” said Beck.

Achariya also explains that personalised products are gaining more traction. For the past few years, Coca Cola has created drinks that have the consumers’ name printed across the bottle.

But that is just the beginning of personalisation.

Achariya said the future of personalisation was more extreme.

For example, large cereal companies could offer the same cereal to consumers, but have each packet personalised to the consumers’ dietary requirements.

Person one’s cereal could contain walnuts and cranberries, if they were lacking in certain nutrients, and person two’s could

Beak & Johnston founder, David Beak (l), with St George relationship director Mark Burgess. contain ingredients high in protein.

Companies could provide reminders on smart watches to people when they were lacking in certain nutrients.

“Every consumer in the world wants ‘a product for me’ and they will be willing to pay a premium amount for it,” she said.

In her presentation, Achariya highlighted that 48 per cent of consumers in the UK are willing to wait longer for a personalised product. While one-in-five are willing to pay 20 per cent more for personalisation.

St.George relationship director, Mark Burgess, said the event was about supporting businesses in the food and beverage industry.

“We love bringing our customers together to showcase different perspectives and trends in the industry,” he said.

Learning more about consumers’ needs and wants, and making sure this is reflected in packaging, could help a new product succeed. These steps may seem simple, but they can get lost in a large list of ‘must-do’ tasks.

“Industry events such as this one, not only serve as a way to teach companies new tricks, but they are also a friendly reminder to take a step back and figure out who influences a product’s success,” he said. “It’s important to keep the consumer at the forefront of the innovation process. After all, they’re the one buying the product, right?”

Cadbury’s brand presence was a key reason the launch of its Marvellous Creations offering was so successful.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 15

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PLANT UPGRADE

Hot water solution via Q-ton water heat pump Heat plays an important part in the distillation of gin and whiskey. Therefore, a reliable heat source needs to be found. One distillery found the perfect solution. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

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ocated in Pontville, Tasmania the Shene Estate and Distillery has been using locally sourced ingredients and traditional methods to produce some of Australia’s best gin and single malt whiskeys. The distillery’s world famous Poltergeist Gin was awarded a Double Gold medal at the 2017 San Francisco International Spirits Competition and a Gold Medal and the World Gin awards in the same year, making it one of Tasmania’s most celebrated gins.

To produce the award-winning gin and single-malt whiskey, the distillery uses traditional distilling methods which utilises hot water to heat the barley mash. Each day, 6,000 litres of hot water is required, initially at 90°C, with the temperature then reduced to approximately 64°C-65°C, the optimum temperature to dissolve sugars contained within the starch of malted barley. Finally, the temperature is brought up again to 70°C at the end of the mashing-in process to dissolve enzymes. Given the growing production output of the distillery, this has resulted in a huge amount of water being used each day.

Conventionally, the water used in the above process is heated using an instantaneous electric hot water heater.

However, with ever increasing electricity prices, this was becoming

expensive and unsustainable for the business. While the alternative of gas was originally considered, given the estate is not connected to any gas grid, this was ruled out. An alternative and more energy-efficient hot water solution that could operate in the low outdoor temperatures was required.

The Q-ton is an industry-leading air-to-water heat pump that utilises natural refrigerant CO2 to deliver a reliable and highly efficient hot water solution in even the coldest temperatures. The Q-ton heat pump draws air through an evaporator that contains CO2 refrigerant, which absorbs the heat in the air. The two-stage compressor compresses the refrigerant under high pressure to raise its temperature, while an on-board heat exchanger uses heat from the refrigerant to generate hot water, which is then stored in cylinders for sanitary use.

The Q-ton can deliver continued performance at low outdoor temperature conditions down to -25°C, making it suitable for the colder climates of Tasmania and allowing it to deliver accurate set point heated water, all year round.

The distillery’s existing water heater was only achieving a coefficient of performance (CoP) of 1, resulting in 48kW output from 48kW input. The Q-ton can achieve a CoP

The Shene Estate and Distillery uses a lot of hot water in its distilling process.

The Q-ton can deliver continued performance at low outdoor temperatures conditions. of 4.3, and is able to deliver 30kW of output power while only requiring 7kW input at nominal conditions.

The Q-ton is also energy efficient to run, delivering huge reductions in both running costs and CO2 emissions, with the distillery anticipated to save 60 per cent per year on their energy bills compared to an instantaneous heater.

In addition to this, with the Q-ton’s remote-control scheduling functions, the Q-ton can produce hot water during off peak electricity periods that can be stored in cylinders for later use, offering further cost savings.

Q-ton energy consumption is 76 per cent less than an electric line heater and 46 per cent less than a gas boiler. It produces 74 per cent less CO 2 emissions (47 tonnes) than an electric heater and 48 per cent less emissions (23 tonnes) than a gas boiler, making it environmentally friendly.

The Q-ton air-to-water heat pump can be configured as a stand-alone unit, or operate with up to 16 units in modular configuration, providing 3,000 to 100,000 litres of sanitary

hot water daily and can be controlled from a touch-screen control panel.

This enables programmability and flexible operation not possible with a conventional hot water system that includes an electric line heater.

By working closely with the owners of the Shene Estate, MHIAA was able to deliver a reliable hot water solution that will reduce the operation’s energy costs and deliver reliable hot water, even throughout Tasmania’s chilly winters.

A single-malt whiskey produced by the Shene Estate and Distillery.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17

CONSTRUCTION

Expertise that can’t be bought Building a food processing plant is a complex process. Tony Tate from Total Construction believes having the right expertise is important when starting on the journey. Mike Wheeler explains.

Total Construction’s Tony Tate.

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idden away on the top storey of an old brick building at the heart of North Strathfield, Sydney are the offices of Total Construction. If a company ever wanted to show off its wares, then its own offices are a great advertisement. Old cracked bricks surround the open-plan working space with modern furnishings, polished floors and designer furniture making it an inviting place to do business for potential clients.

Started almost 25 years ago by Steven Taylor (the number’s guy) and Bill Franks (the practical man), it has grown into a business that services many industries including food and beverage. Heading that department is the affable Tony Tate, a Carlisle man

from Cumbria in England’s north who had the distinction of playing against the likes of Alan Shearer, Chris Waddle and Peter Beardsley – not in the English Premier League, but at the more modest school boy level. It is a memory that is bound to last a life time,. However, Tate then went on to a career in the food industry. Starting out as an electrical engineer, you could almost call Tate the accidental tourist when he arrived on Australian shores. He never intended to stay for long in Australia, but 20 years later, he is still here.

“I got headhunted from the UK to come to Australia to head up Top Notch, which was the first readymeal, high-care facility in Australia, which was owned by Goodman Fielder,” said Tate. “In the UK, the ready-meals industry was booming.

Meals had a five- to seven-day shelf life. In Australia, we were trying to break into the market but the downside was that you could go to Darling Harbour and have a good meal for $20 instead of paying $9 for a butter chicken or lasagne from the supermarket shelf. Australia wasn’t ready, so it was probably 20 years too soon.”

There are not many food-literate builders around – Total Construction is an exception.

18 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

When he left Top Notch, Tate started touring Australia with the intention of heading back to the UK, but then stayed when he got a job offer from Goodman Fielder. After a couple of other roles, Tate started working for Total Construction in 2008, where his expertise in stringent hygiene standards needed for food processing factories came to the fore.

“The key was my food background – especially cutting my teeth on hygienic standards when supplying Marks and Spencers, which were world leaders in hygiene,” said Tate.

“In England, 35 years ago, we were already building high-care facilities.

They’ve only started putting highcare facilities in Australia over the past five years. In the last 20 years in Australia they only started doing HACCP (hazard analysis critical control point) systems. You get a lot of businesses coming to me who say, ‘we’ve got HACCP approval, aren’t we wonderful’. But to me, that is the minimum you need for food safety.”

Tate cannot reiterate enough how important food hygiene is when companies are looking at building a new food processing facility. People can become complacent when it

comes to instances of food poisoning and think that it is the purview of third-world countries. Nothing could be further from the truth. As recently as April 2018, six people died from an outbreak of listeria that was traced back to a rock melon farm in New South Wales.

“Hygiene in Australia has been pretty low,” said Tate. “It’s not being disrespectful. In England, people still die due to food poisoning. About 250,000 Americans die of food poisoning every year. So food safety is pretty critical. I always say people safety is synonymous with food safety.”

Tate knows Total Construction’s main job is to manage the build but believes his knowledge gives the company’s clients a head’s up on what is needed to build a facility to a certain standard.

“When I talk to the clients, they know nothing about building,” he said.

“The key from our point of view is to support the client. The client has to put a roof over their head because they have to keep the rain out to protect the product. They’re interested in the process equipment, which can cost them $15 million from Europe.

However, they don’t understand standards. We do. They don’t need to know the building codes of Australia.

They don’t need to know the FM standards for insurances. That’s what we bring to the table. There are not many food literate builders or process engineers. We have that expertise here.”

Another key to Total Construction is that it offers an all-inclusive service – from design stage to project managing the build. And it is the extra things that it brings to the table that gives clients added value. This can be anything from advising them whether to build up or out, through to how strong a roof needs to be on a food processing plant.

“You can’t hang your air conditioning, your pipes or other gear from the roof and its trusses if it has been designed to hold up just the tin roof,” said Tate. “I tell the story a couple of years ago when the roof on a

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Total Construction offers an all-inclusive service from designing through to project managing a build.

"Tate cannot reiterate enough how important food hygiene is when companies are looking at building a new food processing facility." retail warehouse collapsed. There was a huge hail storm and the hail blocked the gutters on the roof. It banked up the ice and water, which caused the roof to collapse because it was too heavy. “Most developers build a warehouse at the cheapest and most economical cost. They don’t build a warehouse with the mind of, ‘Well, we better strengthen it just in case somebody wants to put a food facility inside of it’. With a lot of food processing plant, you could have up to 80 kilograms in various items hanging off the ceiling.

This is the kind of thing we tell our clients at the scope stage.�

Another angle that is a little unusual in the building trade is that Total Construction has an open book policy whereby they will show clients how much something is going to cost.

They have had issues in the past where some clients have taken a hard look at costings and not been too happy.

However, Tate feels that the way they do things takes the sting out of the tail – people know what to expect. “I have great coverage on the three major trades – hydraulic, mechanical and refrigeration,� he said. “We had one project where the price seemed a little steep for the client, but that was the market cost. All the subcontractors gave me a price based on the drawings. It was an open book to the client and we brought it under 20 per cent on what the price was. He was still a little cranky but deep down he was pleasantly pleased with the service he was getting.�

Another sticky situation arose when

a client wanted to be in their facility by a certain month. However, in order to do so, Tate pointed out that the lead time was too short if they wanted to pour a concrete slab that was going to be affected by changes in temperature from 36°C to -18°C. The temperature needed to come down gradually over a few weeks in order for the slab to retain its integrity. The client wanted it to happen over a period of days. Tate informed the client that the date had to be moved to a later time. The client was not happy and demanded that the facility be ready by the date he wanted to move in. “I said to him that we could do what he wanted but we were not warranting the slab,� said Tate. “No cement can withstand that about of temperature range over a short space of time. I told him to hire freezer containers for $250 a week, put them in his yard and put the stock in them until we could bring the temperature down gradually. That is all he wanted.

A solution. And we gave him one.�

And Tate says the payoff is tangible and can be measured by repeat business. “We get 80 percent repeat business with clients,� said Tate. “I have clients phoning me up that I haven’t spoken to for two years.

They go, ‘Mate, I’ve got a problem, can you come down and give us advice?’ I go and help them and I don’t charge. But I know if they are going to build a facility – whether it be Melbourne or Sydney, or up in Queensland – their first port of call is going to be Total Construction.�

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www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 19 Food&BevIndustryNews_OctNov18_100x275_Final.indd 1

10/08/2018 3:39:52 PM

AIP

Understanding biodegradable and compostable packaging Biodegradable and compostable packaging are not interchangeable. Dr Carol Kilcullen-Lawrence, the national president of the Australia Institute of Packaging (AIP) explains why.

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ompostable and biodegradable – two terms that are often used interchangeably, but in reality actually mean very different things. In light of the recent Australian Environment Ministers announcement

that 100 per cent of packaging in Australia will be reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025 we need to better understand how we can really achieve this and how different this target is compared to the packaging

There is a difference between biodegradeable and compostable products and people need to know what they are, according to the AIP. 20 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

waste streams that are in place today.

The first step is to understand the difference between compostable and biodegradable packaging.

Everything will degrade over time but true biodegradation occurs

through a biochemical process, with the aid of enzymes produced by naturally occurring microorganisms, both in the presence and absence of oxygen i.e. aerobic or anaerobic, without leaving behind any toxins,

AIP

"One of the ideal situations to utilise compostable and biodegradable packaging is at public events where the inputs to the waste stream can be controlled." yielding only carbon dioxide, water and humus or biomass.

Biodegradable packaging is either completely or partially derived from a renewable source – like paper or starch – or, if it is petroleum based, is specifically engineered with the aid of additives, to decompose in the natural environment. Such additives change the chemical composition of the plastic.

While this does not affect its manufacturing, use or shelf life, such that it differs functionally from other plastics, it is significant at the end of life.

A biodegradable plastic will be considered a contaminant in the plastics recycling stream, as on being exposed to moisture and appropriate microorganisms, the biodegradation process will commence.

Compostable packaging has an

organic origin, like sugar cane, bamboo or paper, and can broadly be classified into two types: 1. one that which will compost in a home compost; and 2. one that requires an industrial compost facility.

Industrial composting can cope with a wider range of compostable products as it involves pre-processing – where materials are ground and chipped down into smaller pieces, and in addition, industrial composting provides the higher temperatures needed for more efficient break down.

Home composting takes place at much lower temperatures and over an extended time frame, which can typically go up to a year, compared to a matter of weeks for industrial composting. And what people and organisations need to realise is that

there is a different set of standards for materials suitable for home composting, which is governed

by Vincotte a Belgium-based certification organisation.

While not currently available in all regions of Australia, industrial composting facilities are becoming increasingly widespread with many more councils and private companies providing bins where food scraps and compostable packaging can be disposed of within existing green waste collection services.

Known as FOGO, participating councils are considering potentially reducing landfill collections to fortnightly, allowing FOGO collections to become weekly.

However, most councils also know that there will need to be significant consumer education to ensure the right types of compostable and biodegradable packaging are disposed of in such services.

One of the ideal situations to utilise compostable and biodegradable packaging is at public events where the inputs to the waste

stream can be controlled by those at the arenas.

In such situations if all food packaging is manufactured from compostable organic sources and biodegradable plastics, then disposal facilities that capture this with the food waste will allow the packaging to be industrially composted together.

This is an ideal solution as many types of biodegradable and compostable packaging cannot be recycled, hence cannot be placed in kerbside recycling. It would be impossible for a consumer to identify the difference between a biodegradable PLA plastic container with a visually identical petroleumbased polymer one.

The move to biodegradable or compostable packaging is real, and with a 2025 target, now is the time to identify not only the most suitable sustainable solutions to suit each product, but to also ensure that the packaging waste streams have the capabilities to manage this change.

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www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21

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AUTOMATION

Futureproofing to get operational profitability The director of process automation and software at Schneider Electric, Brad Yager, talks about futureproofing and how it help a business sustain growth.

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he future of manufacturing – indeed the future of most industries – is becoming increasingly automated. Many rote tasks are now being performed by machines and artificial intelligence (AI) with human oversight, and many of the applications that will be needed to manage production in the future have not yet been developed or even imagined.

Operations and plant managers, when thinking about making efficiencies and chasing profitability, would do well to consider the bigger picture and make strategic decisions that could futureproof the entire organisation instead of fixing shortterm problems. Ultimately, this will lead to a streamlined, more profitable business.

This holistic approach can take

many forms — it goes far beyond merely upgrading existing technology and instead identifies and implements new sources of automation enabled, sustainable business value. It is essentially cost effective modernisation — in addition to boosting revenue through improved execution of business strategy, it can reduce overall modernisation costs by up to 10 per cent over haphazard piecemeal approaches.

Some examples of the types of applications that can make the process plant of the future available – and affordable – today are the following: • Server virtualisation, which allows the user to consolidate many PCs and servers into a high availability virtual host server, reducing heat load, weight, and power consumption, as well as improving maintenance

efficiency and hence reducing total cost of ownership associated with maintaining many computers.

• Workflow automation software, which, for example, might store and enforce a sequence of proven procedures by which a plant worker might respond to an alarmed incident or event, notifying all affected parties of status and progress in real time.

• Real time energy management systems, in which profitability based on consumption in energy intensive operations is monitored in real time, in the context of dynamic energy markets.

• Real time online modelling, in which, for example, every bit of raw material that comes into a process is tracked, measured, and compared to output with analysis of variance pointing to process variances.

• 3D virtual reality simulation systems, in which, for example, workers can train on handling hazardous situations in a realistic virtual situation much like a pilot trains with a flight simulator.

• Controlled combustion, where advanced process control software monitors the firing of boilers and other equipment, and adjusts in real time to minimize excess O2 , CO, and NOx emissions.

It’s not always possible to predict the challenges or the demands of the workplaces of the future, but change and development is a certainty.

By taking that extra step and thinking ahead and planning for more automation, plant managers can make the most of technological upgrades and improvements to make their organisation more profitable.

Operation managers need to make strategic decisions that can futureproof their plant and machinery. www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 23

INDUSTRY 4.0

The Domino Cloud solution can turn a lengthy downtime period into a 10-minute phone call that will resolve the problem.

Continuous inkjet printer with IoT-enabled cloud service Food & Beverage Industry News talks to insignia’s Blair Kietzmann on how an IoT-enabled printer can save on downtime and also the bottom line for those in the food processing industry.

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raceability codes and best before dates are a vital part of the production process in the food and beverage industry.

Industrial ink jet coders print the vital information such as best before dates and traceability codes on to products, and their performance can be a major contributor to manufacturing Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) statistics. With that being said, it is critical they are being monitored effectively so they can be working at optimum efficiency. Through the emergence of IIoT and cloud technology, this has become more achievable for manufacturers.

"The other benefit of this kind of predictive maintenance is that if the machine does fail, both the customer and our HelpDesk team are instantly notified of the issue and its cause. " Industry 4.0, smart factories and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) are all terms that illustrate the future for manufacturing. They describe a world where each component of a factory is connected through a cyber system that monitors factory processes to achieve optimum OEE. With this in mind, insignia, the sole Australian distributor of Domino

24 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

marking and coding hardware, have embraced IIoT technology to provide a cloud offering that delivers better visibility and improved performance of their coding solutions. But how exactly does it work?

“A Domino Cloud interface plugs into the inkjet coder and uses a 3G network to send data to the cloud,” said Blair Kietzmann, insignia’s head

of sales for Domino. “From there, the data is used to analyse performance and areas that require particular attention, so we are able to provide proactive maintenance.

“The customer’s uptime is paramount,” said Kietzmann. “With the cloud we can remotely monitor our customer’s fleet of inkjet printers around the country from our technical help desk, and if necessary assist in live issue resolution – before it impacts the production line. The other benefit of this kind of predictive maintenance is that if the machine does fail, both the customer and our HelpDesk team are instantly notified of the issue

INDUSTRY 4.0 "With cloud technology they’re able to provide even more value to their customers through remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance. " and its cause. The biggest cost in any production line is downtime. If we can help reduce that downtime in our small way, then we are doing our job.”

The main benefit highlighted by Kietzmann is that Domino Cloud has allowed insignia to move their support services from a reactive to proactive approach. With cloud technology the company is able to provide more value to their customers through remote diagnostics and predictive maintenance. Having full visibility allows insignia’s experienced technicians to call the customer, find the right person and navigate them to remedy the issue over the phone. That can turn a potentially lengthy period of downtime into a 10-minute resolution over the phone, or aid in a first-time, field-support fix.

In addition to the support from insignia, Domino Cloud also allows users to monitor their plant remotely via a smartphone or tablet, as well as a desktop or laptop computer, giving real -time visibility of the production line.

“Cloud solutions can be challenging and at times expensive to implement,” he said. “Having an IoT device ready to go on your printer gives you a window into your production line through the eyes of the printer. It gives a taste of what Industry 4.0 can deliver without the big costs and complicated set up.

You can log into that printer through a smart device anywhere in the world, any time you like, and you can see in real time what your production line is doing. You can see that it is running and the production output. It gives you immediate feedback on your production line.

“Being an Australian family-owned business ourselves, we understand the impact unplanned downtime can have.

In a country as large as Australia, being able to support both our metro and regional customers remotely in a more predictive and proactive way, means we can ensure our equipment is running more reliably, maximising their production uptime and driving down their costs,” said Kietzmann.

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www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 25

PACKAGING

Packaging that stops the cracker from crumbling What differentiates good packaging and great packaging? The ease of use, the versatility and the way it keeps a product fresh and intact, Miri Schroeter writes.

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onsumers have hundreds of products to choose from when they are walking down supermarket aisles. There is no shortage of choice and that makes it a challenge for companies to create packaging that stands out from the rest.

Carman’s was faced with this challenge when making the perfect packaging for its Super Seed and Grain cracker range. The exterior needed to look appealing in its shape and design, and the interior

packaging needed to offer something that kept the crackers whole. Many of us have experienced carrying crackers home or to a dinner party and being left with broken pieces crumbled in the bottom of a bag.

It’s disappointing, especially when the dip is waiting to be scooped up with a delicious cracker. What’s also disappointing is when crackers become stale within days of opening the packet.

Carman’s had a goal for its

"Carman’s had a goal for its packaging – it needed to be easy to open, functional as a serving vessel, and enable Carman’s customers to reclose the container for storage." packaging – it needed to be easy to open, functional as a serving vessel, and enable Carman’s customers to reclose the container for storage. For ease of access, it was determined that the crackers should be stacked in

There’s a lot more to designing packaging than just making sure a product fits into its container.

26 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

three columns with room to encase the top crackers without crushing them. The packaging also needed to meet the retailer requirement for vertical packaging to maximise differentiation on the shelves. There was also a question of on-shelf instability due to the light weight of the product and the properties of the tray material.

With a brief on what the packaging needed to achieve, Birdstone was brought onboard to design the best packaging with the help of 3D Systems On Demand Manufacturing (ODM), which then created it using SLA 3D printing technology. 3D Systems ODM brings ideas to reality through 3D printing, additive manufacturing, and injection moulding manufacturing services. The company provides professional-grade 3D printing and manufacturing services that help designers and engineers with the tools and expertise to move from an idea to final production.

The company’s sales and marketing manager Peter Canfield said it was great to have an ongoing relationship with companies such as Birdstone. “Each collaboration between 3D Systems and Birdstone provides a unique opportunity to draw upon decades of combined experience in our respective industries to find new and interesting applications of our technology. We continually learn from each other and push the envelope with each project we collaborate on,” he said.

Birdstone uses 3D Systems ODM as the company creates prototypes with a quick turnaround. The collaboration between Birdstone and

PACKAGING

"Each collaboration between 3D Systems and Birdstone provides an opportunity to draw upon decades of combined experience in our respective industries to find new and interesting applications of our technology" 3D Systems ODM helped produce the ideal packaging for Carman’s quickly and efficiently. Birdstone design and strategy director, Grant Davies, said 3D Systems ODM had a range of materials to choose from and the staff worked with speed and quality.

“Customers don’t necessarily understand the way the equipment works and there’s actually a queue of designs to run in the machine.

Sometimes the turnaround times that come back from a supplier can be challenging to communicate.

3D Systems helps reduce those timeframes,” said Davies. “Any time they can get back to us quickly on the prototype, we buy time.”

The company helped meet Birdstone’s requirements by

producing multiple prototypes to demonstrate options with different aesthetics and functions. Four designs were created using varying features and materials. Birdstone was then able to decide which prototype best fit the brief. Working within a tight timeframe to achieve this, allowed Birdstone to then focus on the consumer research phase.

3D Systems ODM also shared Birdstone’s values, said Davies.

“They fit in nicely with our strategy, which is to combine creatable and makeable products. That’s what makes a difference,” he said.

“The appeal for us is also familiarity. We’ve built a good relationship.” Birdstone regularly goes to 3D Systems ODM when it needs prototypes for its clients.

Birdstone and 3D Systems ODM also worked together to provide new packaging for Schweppes, and the companies continue to collaborate when they have new packaging projects.

By designing a product and having a prototype created by 3D Systems ODM within days, Birdstone was able to offer Carman’s the best result. 3D Systems ODM was able to help keep project

costs within budget – the SLA prototype was ready in four days and the functional and aesthetic prototype features enabled effective manufacturing tests and consumer research.

Ultimately the client, in this case Carman’s, needed a product that met its requirements. That’s what they got – an attractive one-piece clamshell case, uniquely contoured to the shape of the stacked biscuits.

Producing multiple prototypes was part of 3D Systems’ brief when working with Birdstone.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

Health foods engrained in entrepreneur’s life From small beginnings, Narelle Plapp has gone from producing homemade health foods to creating a muesli manufacturing business that has gone international. Miri Schroeter writes.

A mixture of both determination and risk saw Narelle Papp succeed.

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ore than a decade ago, an Australian naturopath started hand-mixing cereals for clients who wanted healthy options that weren’t readily available in the market.

Without knowing it, Narelle Plapp had started her path to creating a muesli manufacturing business that would bring clients aboard from as far afield as China.

In the past 12 years, Plapp has owned two health food stores, founded the muesli brand Food for Health, and just 12 months ago she started a manufacturing business called Grain and Bake Co Australia.

Her businesses continue to flourish, but the getting there required a lot of determination and risk.

“I was living off the smell of an oily rag at the ripe old age of 24,” said Plapp.

“I started as a naturopath and had created some recipes for patients.”

The cereals Plapp made for clients had essential botanicals that are said to help aid in liver cleansing, as well as having other health benefits.

Twelve years ago, there were few options for people wanting a truly healthy cereal, she said. Plapp saw a gap in the market for muesli that was low in sugar and high in nutritional value.

“I took a leap of faith to do it on my own.”

That leap of faith has not only allowed her to succeed as a businesswoman, but it’s also given her the opportunity to mentor other women in the food industry.

Muesli manufacturing doesn’t stop at the bowl Plapp’s success was recognised when she was nominated as a finalist in the 2018 Women in Industry awards, for the Excellence in Manufacturing and Mentor of the Year categories.

She is currently mentoring three people, with regular catch-ups every second month.

28 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

“Some are university students who want inspiration and one is someone that just started a business. I’m particularly passionate about women in business.”

She sees the importance in giving people support as she too has experienced working on her own to achieve business goals that can be daunting at times.

“It can be intimidating,” said Plapp.

She enjoys helping people succeed, while also learning from the people she is mentoring.

“When you’re talking to younger people it certainly gives you a different perspective. I like the challenge they put back on me,” said Plapp.

While mentoring is important to Plapp, she also supports people in other ways.

with their families.

“If your child is in a school play you might as well get out and watch it and make it up another day. What I can do is support people through a journey through how you juggle that,” she said.

Within hours of having her children, Plapp was back on her laptop because work never stopped for her. But she understands the difficulty some parents face when

trying to get back into a work routine. Accommodating employee’s needs is a must in her company.

With a focus on employee wellbeing, as well as the health of consumers, Plapp is making a name for herself in the health foods sector.

Grain and Bake, based in Melbourne, is a contractor manufacturing brand that has eight brands on board after just 12 months.

“We’ve certainly got a huge plan.

We are already selling our Grain and Bake brand in China. We currently support our partner there,” said Plapp.

“It is certainly a long way from when I used to hand mix the muesli, however I am more passionate, driven and determined than ever before.”

Plapp works hard and encourages others to do so too by supporting them during their entrepreneurial journeys.

While it was hard work, she said it was still a labour of love.

Wellbeing is more than eating nutritious foods Coming back to work after having a child can be difficult, so she offers flexible working hours to staff, but this isn’t limited to women. Plapp, who has two children, believes all parents should also have the chance to spend as much time as possible Projekt1 16.08.18 08:04 Seite 1

Grain and Bake Co is selling its products to China.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 29

FOOD SAFETY

I’ll have milk without added water thanks Thermo Fisher Scientific is a specialist that helps food manufacturers steer clear of adulterated and contaminated products. Food & Beverage Industry News explains why.

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onsumers want to know they are getting the quality product that is promised to them when they are picking an item off a shelf. This year alone more than 50 food and beverage products have been recalled in Australia, putting the country on track to for its worst year since 2003, where 70

recalls were issued. Currently, 58 per cent of all food product recalls are due to labelling violations, with no improvement year to year, while there has been an improvement in recalls due to microbial contamination over the same period.

Labelling is essential in consumer confidence, with food allergy

estimated to affect 1-2 per cent of adults and 4-8 per cent of children under five years old in Australia, according to a SA Department of Health and Food report from 2010.

Twenty-three people died from food allergies between 1997 and 2013, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with seafood being

When a company says a product has olive oil in it, the company should be able to prove it is true.

the leading cause. This is despite Australia having some of the strictest laws in regards to integrity and labelling of food. Historically, these laws were focused almost entirely on consumer safety. In 2018, advancing technologies are allowing regulators to monitor all aspects more closely.

Companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific are able to offer end-toend solutions that provide coverage across all aspects of composition, safety and authenticity of foods.

Food labelling isn’t a new trend, it is a long-established legal requirement within Australia and particularly for food exports. So what notable changes have occurred in this consumer driven marketplace?

Medical consequence, public awareness, new technologies, legal requirements, ethical sentiments, religious beliefs, significance for consumers and much more. Now more than ever, not understanding or misrepresenting a product can have legal and economic impacts.

Recurring food contamination scandals show there is always room for error, and there is limited differentiation between accidental and intentional adulteration and mislabelling.

Giving consumers the right information It is important manufacturers, can provide information to allow consumers to make an informed choice while providing reassurance of accuracy. For example, when a company makes a product using olive oil, it should be able to prove the oil is in fact made from 100 per cent olive oil and not blended with cheaper substitutes.

Addition, depletion, substitution, reformulation and changes in processing of food that affects the products composition, nutrition or visual representation requires clear labelling, otherwise it may be deemed an illegal adulteration, 30 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

FOOD SAFETY

whether deliberate or intentional.

Adulteration could include adding dyes to spices to enhance the colour, or blending a premium product, such as virgin olive oil, with a low-value vegetable oil at levels that consumers don’t detect.

Adulteration and mislabelling is not limited to food with beverage equally under the microscope, with reports of tea containing dried beech leaves and coffee being bulked up with maize and other cereal grains.

Thermo Fisher Scientific highlights that milk is one of the most common targets for adulteration with additions including water, whey, sodium hydroxide, urea or melamine.

The products are skewed to increase volume, mask inferior quality, and replace the authentic substances.

Getting the real deal Food labelling and authenticity testing can range from basic dipstick analysis for presence and absence of antibiotic residues, through to advance molecular techniques performed at certified laboratories to trace the origin of raw materials.

Thermo Fisher Scientific offers a range of videos and tutorials to educate food processors, packers

and manufacturers about how they can protect their consumers and brands.

Understanding the right tools for the job To enforce regulations, there are targeted and untargeted methods of analysis. Targeted methods are used to detect and quantify a known substance used for adulteration. Untargeted methods can be used initially to screen for possible adulteration, leading to identification of the substance responsible and then subsequent target analysis.

For authenticity, untargeted methods are primarily used to fingerprint foods, by measuring a number of different variables and looking for characteristic patterns.

For target analysis, the approach is the same as that used for the analysis of residues or contaminants in foods.

However, often what starts out as target analysis for a single chemical, progressively expands to cover a wider range of possible adulterants, as it becomes evident that other substances might be implicated.

In some cases it may be that the adulterant itself cannot be readily

Labelling is key to consumer confidence.

Diagram: Thermo Fisher

"Food labelling, isn’t a new trend it’s a long established legal requirement within Australia and particularly for food exports." detected, but the adulterant may contain marker compounds not found naturally in the commodity being adulterated, and these marker compounds can be targeted.

Once there is a known adulteration problem, target analysis using molecular spectroscopy can be developed with a view to rapid screening.

By its very nature, adulteration is inevitably difficult to detect, so increasingly profiling or fingerprinting of foods is being used as a means of highlighting any unusual features. Once the unusual

peak has been pin-pointed, it then requires classical identification techniques to be applied to identify and establish whether adulteration has occurred.

Thermo Fisher Scientific knows this is a challenging approach, as it relies on establishing a normal profile for a foodstuff in the form of a database and getting a good understanding of the natural variations that can occur. The drawback of this approach is that analytical techniques inevitably are selective as the whole food cannot be analysed directly.

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GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY LOCAL SUPPORT www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 31

Recall Being prepared for a product recall reduces risk, time and money!

www.gs1au.org/recall “Linking consumers back to product origin, quickly, is essential to minimise reputational damage and business costs in the event of a food safety incident.’’

Richard Bennett Head of Food Safety & Technology PMA Australia-New Zealand Ltd, Fresh Produce Safety Centre A-NZ

FOOD SAFETY Ecowize can help companies avoid mishaps in the workplace.

Keeping it clean with red, blue and green Ecowize is a company dedicated to helping businesses’ food safety practices with its colour-coded product range. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

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f you are in the food processing industry, there’s no situation where a company wants to run the risk of cross contamination of different food stuffs. Getting food poisoning from contaminated food can be avoided if the right precautions are implemented. While consumers can minimise cross contamination in their homes, it is reassuring when they know factories also have quality safety precautions in place.

Simple steps, such as buying colour-coded cleaning equipment, can help a company avoid mishaps that could put them out of pocket when items are recalled, have to be thrown away before they hit the shelves, or they cannot go to partners who need that valuable ingredient to bring their product to the market. It is also an easy solution for employees who gain from having an uncomplicated cleaning system.

Ecowize makes the cleaning process easier by offering colourcoded cleaning equipment. Red can be used for one room and blue in the next – helping to minimise health and safety risks and the aforementioned cross-contamination. While this seems like a logical solution, it can be difficult to find good-quality equipment that will last when used daily, or even hourly.

Equipment that lasts Ecowize business development general manager, David Clarke,

said the products had a one-year warranty, but they often lasted longer.

“The benefit of having colour-coded products include minimising cross contamination, which can occur between departments in a food factory, raw and cooked, or between surfaces, food contact and floors,” he said. “Floors are difficult to keep clean as waste products from processing may fall onto the area, and traffic, people and trolleys move through this area.”

Ecowize’s range of colour-coded products include buckets, floor brushes, hand and specialty brushes, squeegees, scrapers, mixing paddles and more.

“The colours help businesses avoid confusion in its cleaning processes,” said Clarke. “They are also made from EU and FDA-approved compliant materials.”

Buying the company’s colour-coded products is easy. All a customer has to do is add their colour preference number to the product code to confirm the product required.

Colour improves cleaning processes The strong colours help differentiate equipment easily. With nine colours to choose from, the range not only helps companies use different products for different rooms, it also allows workers to separate colours used for flooring, benchtops and other areas that need to remain clean without the risk of cross contamination.

Vikan is the manufacturer behind the colour-coded products Ecowize sells to businesses across Australia.

Vikan knows the primary purpose of colour coding is to help prevent cross contamination, which can occur as a result of physical factors, chemical, microbes and allergens, among many others.

Ecowize’s colour-coding system is easy to use. www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 33

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FOOD SAFETY

Twice as safe under pressure An all-in-one differential pressure transmitter can make a huge difference in many process industries when measuring flow rates is important. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

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n processing facilities in the chemical, pharmaceutical and energy industries, the main focus today, more than ever, is on “safety”. That is why Safety Integrity Level (SIL) is becoming more important, providing modern process instrumentation with a coherent concept that can minimise potentially high risks to people and the environment.

Reliable measurement, easy integration VEGADIF 85, a differential pressure transmitter developed especially with safety in mind, is Vega’s new component for reliable, continuous control and monitoring of industrial processes. Its strengths lie not only in functional safety, but also in the option of measuring differential and static pressure simultaneously with just one instrument. Housed in a compact single-chamber case, the transmitter is designed for economic efficiency and installation with low space requirements. These features are flanked by particularly simple, intelligent operation – a real plus in terms of error avoidance.

VEGADIF 85 is qualified and approved according to SIL-2 (SIL3) for manufacturing processes that depend on certified components, simple, user-friendly operation and permanently transparent processes.

It can be parameterised via cable connection, as well as wirelessly via Bluetooth. Its measured values can be integrated into the existing processes quickly – always in a form suitable to the respective conditions and requirements.

Unaffected by steam Differential pressure, a robust and universal measuring principle, is used in many processes, especially for gases or steam. The pressure difference is determined by means of an orifice disc that narrows the flow in a pipe at a predetermined point. Flowing steam, or gas, builds up a higher pressure in front of the

constriction point than behind it. The difference between the two values – before and after the restriction – can be used to deduce the absolute quantity of gas that flows through.

Differential pressure transmitters are characterised by their high accuracy in measuring flow rates, even at pressures of only a few mbar. They also handle extreme temperatures with no problem. Vega rounds out these advantages with a large number of available measuring ranges. Many different process fittings are available in conjunction with single- or double-sided chemical seals: denoted as CSS or CSB respectively. With this highperformance line of products, highly accurate, fail-safe measurements can be realised even under challenging conditions.

Differential and static pressure with one instrument

"Its strengths lie not only in functional safety, but also in the option of measuring differential and static pressure simultaneously with just one instrument." an option for the new generation of differential pressure transmitters.

Since it is part of the tried-andtrusted modular Vega instrument platform plics, it implements safety precautions at various levels already proven in the field. These include current encryption modes at the interface level, such as via PC or smartphone, as well as the necessary access codes that protect the sensor from unauthorised access. Bluetooth is also something for older systems: the current display and adjustment module PLICSCOM is downward compatible for the majority of Vega measuring instruments manufactured since 2002 and now operating in the field.

Flameproof housing In process engineering applications, pressure transmitters have to withstand environments where flammable gases, vapours or mists can escape from closed systems.

Under certain conditions, with oxygen from the air mixed in the right proportion, there is a great risk of explosion.

The electronics used in VEGADIF 85 are 100 per cent intrinsically safe and flameproof according to ATEX, IECEx and CSA. This means that the instruments can be safely adjusted at any time, even during operation in hazardous areas, which is ideal for the food processing industry.

VEGADIF 85 sensors are equipped with a second, piezoresistive detector. They are thus the first transmitters of their kind that can measure both differential pressure and static pressure. And they can easily handle these two different measuring tasks in parallel. For example, they ensure a high degree of fail-safety in pipelines by determining the dynamic pressure and the superimposed static pressure at the same time – a measuring task that used to require two separate pressure transmitters.

Where Bluetooth makes sense There are many ways to simplify processes. However, it is important to strike the right balance between safety and convenience. Wireless data transmission can offer real added value in cases where access to data is difficult. With intuitive, simplicity, Bluetooth makes operation more flexible via smartphone, tablet or PC and provides transparency in wideranging applications.

Bluetooth is now available as

The VEGADIF 85 is housed in a single-chamber case. www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 35

FOOD SAFETY

A barcoded apple is more important than you may realise Food safety comes in many forms, whether it is ensuring staff work in a clean environment, or using equipment that protects people from harm. While these issues are critical in the food industry, other safety measures are not to be missed. Miri Schroeter writes.

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hat is the significance of barcoding every single apple in a mountain of fruit at the supermarket? It seems a tedious process when an apple is surely just an apple. But, an apple is much more than what is seen at face value. It comes with a history – a place of origin, a past in which it was grown in specific soil and shipped in a certain container.

This is valuable information, even for the humble apple, as a food recall could affect any product at any time.

Many products go through a number of processes before landing on a consumer’s plate. Unfortunately, there have been many instances where products are recalled for a number of reasons. Products are often recalled due to potential presence of glass or metal, or e.coli contamination. Items can also be nixed in cases where cross contamination occurs, such as wheat being present in a gluten-free product.

In August alone, Food Standards Australia New Zealand warned of nine products that had been recalled due to undeclared allergens or the presence of foreign matter.

Keeping track of products To help keep track of products, GS1 Australia offers barcode numbers based on current global standards as well as services to help its clients trace items and action recalls with ease.

GS1 Australia recall services sales manager, Andrew Brown, said the

traceability of products was important, including for fresh produce such as apples.

In early 2018, rock melons from one Australian producer needed to be recalled. It became a difficult task as it was hard to distinguish the good rock melons from the contaminated ones, Brown said. This resulted in many rock melons being taken off Australian shelves that were not necessarily in the recalled batch, or from that particular company. “Because the rock melons weren’t labelled, it had a big impact.

Most retailers and all consumers didn’t know which rock melons were affected and which ones weren’t. So the impact wasn’t just on the company that had the product issue, it also flowed on to the rest of the industry,” he said.

“That instance showed it is important to identify which products had been affected to facilitate the quarantine of only the affected ones.”

In instances where products aren’t labelled properly, retailers often take all similar products off the shelf to be on the safe side, he said. GS1 Australia works with the fresh product market to get products labelled correctly.

Barcoding fresh produce is becoming more popular as people understand the importance of it, he said.

Labels help from an environmental impact as well. Having labels on fresh produce and other products saves food from ending up as rubbish if it is actually ok to sell, he said. “Our

GS1 aims to help reduce waste in the food industry.

36 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

role at GS1 is to help industry in these situations. The more that get on board, the greater the benefit for other companies.”

Working for a common goal GS1 is a not-for-profit organisation that aims to help food industries by minimising waste and harm. “The recall portal was designed by industry for industry,” said Brown.

GS1 Australia helps companies beyond the barcode. GS1 gives companies the power to figure out how much of a product may be affected.

For example, this could be based on where a particular product was packaged rather than where it was grown. “They need to be able to know what products have gone where and why,” said Brown. The same cereal may have been made in different factories and may not all need a recall, for instance.

GS1 Australia could help companies find out how, where and when products were moved to a new location, he said. “GS1 facilitates not just traceability, we help conduct the recall,” said Brown.

Getting prepared before a crisis hits A company needs to be able to ask its trading partners, such as supermarkets, to action a recall as soon as possible.

“Companies need to prepared to act in a crisis,” said Brown.

“In lots of situations, in most organisations within the food industry, they will have a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points programme or another food safety programme designed to stop these situations occurring. But in most instances, we would expect that a product recall comes from an unforeseen situation,” he said.

“What we help organisations do as part of a mock programme, is create a template recall notice. That template

GS1’s recall services sales manager Andrew Brown. enables them to go into a product recall meeting prepared to get the right information, rather than having that meeting, going away and filling out forms, and then having more meetings.” Communicating well in the first instance is key, said Brown.

Having worked with numerous companies, Brown realises that many companies aren’t prepared for recalls.

This means that when a product is recalled, it can take days to action as phone calls and email communication go back and forth, he said.

“There’s a time factor that’s very important. You want to get that notice up as quickly as possible. Getting prepared and having a structure is very important.

“A company has to identify what part of production is affected, and then find out all the locations the product went to. “If they’ve got all the information together, they can probably get a notice done in 20 minutes for a recall, but the limiting factor is having all of the information at hand,” said Brown.

Recalling products quickly, also helps keep a brand’s reputation intact, he said. “Consumers want to feel like they can buy your products again.”

FOOD SAFETY

Creating FDA-approved plastic components for the food industry There is a plastic made for almost every part of the food and beverage processing industry. Food & Beverage Industry News explains a few of the options available.

Polycarbonate is used in a machine guard during muesli production.

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-Plas is an Australian company that specialises in industrial and high-performance plastics, especially within the food and beverage industries. One of its distributorships is for Quadrant EPP’s Tivar series of specialty FDAcompliant UHMWPE products.

The Tivar HPV range of products can be used in food and beverage production for direct food contact applications and many products that enhance productivity and operator safety.

Tivar HPV is predominately used in conveyor applications where companies are looking to achieve dry running chain, therefore reducing the amount of water used to lubricate

contact points between the conveyor chain and track/bed.

Tivar MD, which is a metaldetectable grade of UHMWPE, can be used wherever low coefficient of friction is required prior to passing through metal detectors. One example of its use is for name plates for batch numbers, which are placed onto batches of meat prior to food processing to identify them then removed before processing/mixing.

Any shards that may have broken off the labels during handling are then easily found and removed through metal detection before packaging.

Tivar HOT, as its name suggests, is used wherever low coefficient of friction is required with a high

operating temperature such as entry or exit points of ovens for baked goods.

Another polyethylene product

by Quadrant EPP is PE 500, which E-Plas supplies to be made into change parts, such as star wheels and scrolls for food conveyors. It is also FDA approved.

Sustarin C Acetal, which is available in natural or black, is FDA approved for direct contact with food. Sustarin MDT Acetal, metal detectable, is used for chopping blades or mixing blades for food processing and cutting and can pass through a metal detector prior to packaging.

Also available is HDPE in natural and black. It is FDA approved and is well known for its use as commercial cutting

boards both small and large scale, worktops, knife holders and rollers.

Polycarbonate is known for its use in machine guarding and safety screening and is selected for its clarity combined with extreme break strength and durability. A safety favourite for many years, it offers the visibility of glass or acrylic with a high impact resistance.

E-Plas Manufacturing provides fabrication services, such as CNC, standard machining and cut-to-size. It can produce roller-chain guide profiles, conveyor tracks and corners, sprockets, filter cones, test trays, star wheels, machine guarding and other associated components to specifications. E-Plas is ISO 9001 accredited.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 37

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS

Celebrating the winners at Food & Beverage Industry Awards The Food & Beverage Industry News Awards, held at Dockside Cockle Bay Wharf in Sydney, saw an array of innovative products being brought to market. Here is the list of the winners.

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t was a balmy night in August that brought together innovators, entrepreneurs, risk takers and industry stalwarts for the 14th annual Food and Beverage Industry News Awards. MC’ed by the ABC’s War on Waste host Craig Reucassel, the gala event was a sell out and showcased all that was good about the food and beverage industry in 2017 and 2018.

Below are the champions in each category. Here at Food & Beverage Industry News magazine, we would like to congratulate the nominees and winners.

Best of the Best, sponsored by Flavour Makers, and Beverage of the Year, sponsored by VEGA Australia, were awarded to Utonic Young South Australian drinks company Utonic Beverages was awarded Beverage of the Year, sponsored by VEGA Australia and the top award – Best of the Best, sponsored by Flavour Makers.

Utonic is a functional beverage manufacturer that aims to create and promote a healthier body and mind through naturally great tasting drinks.

Each drink is backed by science and designed to serve a purpose, whether it’s providing an afternoon boost, recovery from a big night out or stress relief after a hard day at work.

Utonic co-founder, Michael Brinkley, said the company was stoked to be awarded Beverage of the Year. “Industry recognition means a lot to a young company like us and it’s encouraging to know we bumped out some major drink brands to win this award.”

The awards were won by the Utonic Repair natural tonic. The drink aims to restore the body with powerful antioxidants from blueberry, pomegranate and sour

Best of Best winner Utonic. cherry, as well as containing turmeric and ginger, which have been shown to provide anti-inflammatory and anti-nausea functions.

Founded in 2016, the company was created by founders Brinkley, Tyson Goldsack, Leigh Morgan and Toby Yap, who shared a belief that it should be possible to lead a healthy life while also achieving daily goals in today’s high-pressure, fast-paced, work, sporting and social environments.

The team created a range of scientifically blended drinks produced from concentrated real foods and targeted nutrients. The drinks have no added sugar, preservatives, chemical highs or negative side effects.

38 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

“We wanted to produce a functional drink range, free from artificial flavours and preservatives,” said Brinkley. “Sports drinks are typically loaded with artificial ingredients and sugar and we knew there was a better solution.”

The drinks include ingredients such as passionflower, sour cherry, chamomile, kale and spirulina. “It’s a very new category,” said Brinkley.

“We chose ingredients that had functionality but also tasted good.” It was about getting a balance of good flavours and creating a product that was truly healthy, he said.

Utonic released to the market in April 2017, focusing on South Australia first. “Our sales strategy

Utonic has a whole raft of ingredients and is free of artificial flavours. was to focus on our home state first and fine tune our marketing and communication before going national,” said Brinkley. The award came just weeks before Utonic started national distribution with Manassen Foods.

The full Utonic beverage collection to be available Australia wide from October.

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS

Australian Primary Hemp handles every aspect of production.

Paddock to Plate, sponsored by Manark Printing, was awarded to Australian Primary Hemp Supporting the Australian agriculture industry while developing a sustainable food source, is paramount to the makers of Australian Primary Hemp.

The company’s journey began in August 2016, with four friends and a vision of growing and manufacturing a sustainable, high-protein product in Australia. Co-founder and sales director, Skye Patterson said that research highlighting hemp’s nutritional content, sustainability, success in similar western countries and the opportunities to easily

integrate into current farming made their decision obvious.

At the time, national food standards didn’t allow for the sale and consumption of hemp food products in Australia. But, this did not deter the team. “We were pretty confident it was going to come to fruition,” said Patterson. “On a global sense it was popular, so it was just a matter of time until it took off in Australia.”

Laws to legalise the consumption of hemp foods in Australia were passed in late 2017. Now after just two years of business, the company is one of the country’s largest producers of Australian-grown hemp.

Australian Primary Hemp handles

every step of the hemp process – from farming and production, to packaging and selling. This allows the company to ensure the quality and freshness of all products including de-hulled hemp seeds, cold-pressed hemp seed oil and hemp protein powders.

The company’s headquarters are based in Newtown, Geelong, where day-to-day business operations and processing facilities are kept. The hemp is grown across Tasmania, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia with the company’s partnered farmers.

“We started growing hemp ourselves and then with the legal changes, the demand for hemp food products grew astronomically,” said Patterson. “We needed to expand

our growing capacities, which led to building relationships with partnered growers to increase our hemp supply.”

The company continues to grow its four core products – hemp oil, hemp seeds, hemp balance and hemp boost.

It also launched hemp milk kits in September, so people can make hemp milk from home. Patterson said the hemp milk is best when sweetened with a few dates.

The company also has hemp-based recipes online, including hemp granola bars and hemp tabbouleh. Hemp food is still a relatively new concept in Australia, but Patterson said it is a growing industry. With a focus on health and sustainability, Australian Primary Hemp hasn’t looked back, she said.

Australian Primary Hemp has gone from strength to strength.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 39

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS Ingredient Innovation was awarded to Botanical Innovations Botanical Innovations is an Australian manufacturer of phenolic rich flavours, fragrances and ingredients for functional foods and beverages, nutraceutical and cosmeceutical applications. The company invests heavily in research and development, which has led to innovations and the development of a unique range of products.

Botanical Innovations won the ingredient innovation section for its apple cider vinegar powder. The company’s managing director, Kerry Ferguson, said a number of people had asked if Botanical Innovations offered

natural preservatives that didn’t have a strong flavour. “We look at what the needs are in the market. There’s a demand out there,” she said.

The apple cider vinegar powder is naturally fermented. “It has two functions. It can be used as a flavouring and it can also be used as a natural preservative,” said Ferguson.

The benefit of Botanical Innovation’s apple cider vinegar powder is that it’s got a neutral taste. “It hasn’t got a terribly strong flavour,” she said.

Botanical Innovations is a

business-to-business company that supplies to bakeries and other food manufacturers. The apple cider vinegar powder increases the shelf life of products. A bread could last two or three days longer with the powder, said Ferguson.

People wanted natural, cleaner products that were not laden with chemicals, she said. Ferguson is passionate about health and providing alternative products to consumers.

“I never used to read labels, but now I do,” she said. “I believe

"Botanical Innovations won the ingredient innovation section for its apple cider vinegar powder."

Botanical Innovations invests heavily in research and development.

40 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

very strongly in the use of natural products.”

Vinegar has historically been used to treat diseases and wounds. More recently it’s been used in food and beverages as a health supplement.

Botanical Innovations highlights that potential health benefits of apple cider vinegar, and fermented vinegars and extracts, include weight loss, lowering cholesterol and lowering blood pressure. It can also help in preventing and treating diabetes and alleviating asthma symptoms.

Other products the company develops include fermented grape seed extract, fermented papaya extract, cherry seed oil, quandong seed oil and sweet pea flower powder.

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS

to fine tune the recipe, it has really made the product what it is.”

The company sells its products at independent and specialty stores.

Creating duck products was a great opportunity for Sunshine Meats, as restaurants were using duck due to it gaining popularity with consumers, said Pereira. “Chefs need to rely on a product that’s always going to be consistent. Sunshine Meats is mostly retail based, but we would like to explore the idea of food services. The possibilities are endless,” she said.

Ferraz said providing quality smoked products cuts back the time people spend in the kitchen without

It has taken Sunshine Meats 30 years to evolve into the business it is today.

Meat, Poultry and Smallgoods was awarded to Sunshine Meats Sunshine Meats started as a small butchery in Redfern, Sydney, in 1988. Founder Jose Pereira took the opportunity to buy the small butcher shop, despite having little financial backing. Thirty years later, his investment is still paying off.

Sunshine Meats has now moved away from being a traditional butchery, but business developer Nalita Ferraz said the company’s values remain the same. “We still get phone calls from people wanting

traditional meat cuts. We’ve definitely evolved into a totally different business, but it’s always about quality,” said Ferraz.

Sunshine Meats won the award for its smoked duck breast. Smoking is what the company focuses on. The company has a range of duck products including chorizo, duck thigh and duck breast.

Sunshine Meats’ director, and Jose’s daughter, Celina Pereira, said consumers are becoming more interested in duck. “There is a need for these kinds of products,” said Pereira.

“With almost two year’s development

compromising on food quality. “You can achieve a meal that would take two hours, that can now be prepared in half an hour,” she said. For an industry perspective, chefs can use Sunshine Meats’ products and save time by not smoking meats themselves, but still having a great product to use, said Ferraz. “When we are talking about our products we try to talk about the convenience aspect.”

Pereira and Ferraz agree there are plenty of meals that can be made with the smoked duck breast and other duck products made by Sunshine Meats.

But their favourite is a risotto with smoked duck breast or chorizo.

One of Sunshine Meats’ biggest hits is its smoked duck breast.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS

COYO is a yoghurt that is primarily made out of coconut.

Health Foods, sponsored by JCurve Solutions, was awarded to COYO COYO is a brand dedicated to making delicious and healthy coconut yoghurt and ice cream. The company won the Health Foods award for its coconut yoghurt kids’ pouches.

COYO started with a natural, unflavoured coconut yoghurt and the range has since expanded into offering other flavours such as blueberry, and plum and guava.

COYO co-founder Sandra Gosling said the idea was born in 2009 by her husband Henry Gosling. Henry was born in Fiji and grew up with coconut as part of his diet. Sandra said with her background in bacteriology and gut health, and her husband’s life

experiences, the company was able to flourish. “It puts us in a unique position,” Sandra said.

“We come very much from that health platform and remaining true to our values. We have a philosophy that all our foods and all the we produce has to be delicious. It has to be good for us and it has to be functional,” she said.

Despite becoming a successful business, Sandra wasn’t sure at first that coconut yoghurt would work. “It was all about Henry’s idea. He woke up on a Sunday morning with this ridiculous idea saying, ‘I’m going to make yoghurt out of coconut’. I just said, ‘Don’t be stupid, go back to bed’,” she said.

“After a lot of research we found that no-one was doing it. At first, I

42 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

wasn’t sure about it, but then with my interest in gut health and the benefits of coconut, I thought, ‘Hang on, this could be good’.”

There was a lot of soy yoghurt at the time, but no coconut yoghurt, Sandra said. “It’s been a long, very satisfying journey.” More people are becoming interested in plantbased yoghurts. “The tidal wave is coming so it’s very exciting. From an environmental point of view, we have to make some changes, but they have to be changes that are very palatable.

It has to be a win-win for everybody, including farmers,” said Sandra.

The kids’ pouches were introduced after extensive research, she said. “Our yoghurt doesn’t contain any sweeteners. In the children’s market they screw their

noses up a bit so we use an unrefined brown rice syrup so we’ve actually now created a new range,” said Sandra. “The pouches have been incredibly well-received. The kids are loving it.” The Goslings then found out that some adults were wanting slightly sweeter yoghurts as well.

COYO has now adapted to cater to the sweeter tooth by creating two bases – one without sweetener and one with unrefined brown rice syrup.

“In our ice-creams again, we are very low sugar but no less delicious than other ice creams. We use chicory root – it’s only about a tenth as sweet as sugar,” said Sandra.

The COYO kids pouches come in vanilla, strawberry, and banana and mango flavours.

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS Packaging Innovation, sponsored by Jet Technologies, was awarded to Result Group When it came to creating packaging for Grape N’Go, Result Group was there to deliver the next innovation in packaging for table grapes, working alongside Fruit Master and Navi Co Global. Result Group was challenged to deliver packaging that was user friendly, improved shelf life, protected the product from damage and spoilage, improved overall sustainability and reduced product waste.

Result Group general manager, Michael Dossor, said Grape N’Go was developed using good design principles based on addressing the product life cycle to achieve a more environmentally sound packaging alternative to what already existed on the market.

With Fresh Lid re-closable film, the company managed to meet the brief. “By delivering a fully recyclable pack, as well as addressing the food waste challenges, we were able to address key issues faced by today’s packaging and consumer brand owners,” said Dossor.

Result Group is involved in the development of a new range of label applicators developed specifically for the fruit and vegetable sector.

“These will be equipped with

Grape N’Go fits snuggly into children’s lunchboxes.

multifunction labelling capability and offered via a cost-effective platform. We are also using laser coding and marking technology. The great part about laser coding is it gives you the ability to print human

Grape N’Go’s packaging had to meet several criteria before it met the standards that satisfied the manufacturer.

44 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

readable text as well as symbols and logos, but all without using printing inks,” said Dossor.

“Remove the ink and the environmental footprint is unsurpassed. All we are doing is

using the laser coder to etch the surface of the product. That also helps when it comes to authenticity projects for companies exporting,” he said.

Result Group staff enjoyed working on the Grape N’Go project as it had numerous environmental benefits, said Dossor. These include a longer shelf life and consumption window due to the printable Fresh Lid film. With Fresh Lid, less material is used and the need for additional self-adhesive labels is eliminated, which results in a plastic footprint reduction. “The packaging is also 100 per cent recyclable and easily facilitates household kerbside recycling,” said Dossor.

“Customers have an appetite for wanting to know that brands are doing their best in the area of sustainability. Packaging is an area that is closely aligned with Result Group’s own sustainability goals and corporate social responsibility,” he said.

Result Group aims to keep embarking on projects that aim to deliver a sustainable packaging solution while reducing the environmental impact through the use of equipment in innovative ways.

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Best in Design, sponsored by Wiley, was awarded to Oji Fibre Solutions Oji Fibre Solutions produces market pulp, paper and fibre-based packaging products throughout Australia and New Zealand. The company aims to deliver environmentally sustainable products and to work with customers to develop solutions that enhance their business operations.

packaging products are one of the fastest growing segments of Oji Fibre Solutions, with its paper and product specifications being well-suited for the fruit, vegetables and meat sectors.

National sales and marketing manager, Philip Nuttall, said winning the award was a great step to creating more brand awareness. “We’ve invested $70 million in the new plant. It’s great to be recognised for

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Oji Fibre Solutions opened its new packaging facility in March 2018.

The company successfully opened its state-of-the-art corrugated packaging facility in Yatala in March 2018 and received the award for this plant. The new facility enables Oji Fibre Solutions to meet anticipated growth in demand for packaging solutions. Corrugated

the work,” said Nuttall. “Our biggest strength is our papers.” The company wanted to continue growing in the food sector, he said.

The majority of Oji Fibre Solutions’ operations are based in New Zealand, where kraft pulps, packaging papers and a range of

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The new facility created 70 jobs. www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 45

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS

The plant has a five-star Green Star environmental rating. packaging products are manufactured from locally-grown softwood plantations, producing materials that are suitable for primary sector packaging systems and are in demand across the globe.

Nuttall said Oji Fibre Solutions targeted horticulture and meat companies, but it could help other businesses in the industry as well.

“We’ve got the potential to be a corrugated supplier to anybody in the food and beverage industry,” said Nuttall. “It’s giving people choice.”

The Brisbane-based Yatala Packaging Plant created 300 jobs during the construction phase and now has about 70 employees. The plant has a five-star Green Star environmental rating. It is designed

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The new plant aims to provide customers with innovative and environmentally sustainable products that enhance their competitiveness, while attracting new customers.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS Innovative Technology of the Year, sponsored by NHP, was awarded to HMPS HMPS won the award for its HMPS8000 robotic flat-bread packer.

The company shows there is an intricate process to packing, stacking and sorting flatbreads. While most people simply enjoy the end product, HMPS was behind the development and build of a system that created the best packaging solution for a flatbread producer.

HMPS CEO, Shaun Westcott, said the company needed to meet its clients’ needs to create a product

that would allow the flatbreads to be packed in a variety of formats, while increasing productivity. “The project is designed to improve the throughput, productivity and efficiency of our client” he said.

HMPS was tasked with packing four different-sized flatbreads, in five different-sized stacks. This needed to be done to fit the customer’s existing carton range and the application required a cycle rate of up to 110 packs per minute. It also needed to adhere to food safety requirements and remain flexible with little operator involvement. “We were successfully

HMPS robotic devices can be used in a range of food processing arenas.

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able to achieve that for them,” said Westcott. But, the task came with challenges. The HMPS team realised the biggest challenge would be catering to the variety of product sizes, packing formations and varying weights, while still maintaining a good production speed.

By taking this into consideration, the team opted for the HMPS8000 robotic flat-bread packer as the ideal solution. “We value the opportunity our customers give us to develop new and innovative solutions and recognise our staff for working tirelessly to make it happen. Developing innovative and cutting-edge solutions for our clients, remains an ongoing focus for our team,” said Westcott.

HMPS was grateful for the recognition the award gave the company as it continued to offer automated and customised solutions to clients, he said. The company works on projects worldwide, including current jobs such as a specialised packaging solution for packing of pet food pouches in Thailand.

HMPS is an Australian-owned company specialising in the design, development and manufacturing of high-quality machinery for packaging processes. The company started off

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designing and developing bag-in-box machinery in the 1980s. It has since grown to offer case packers, RSC, palletisers, carton erectors and sealers, pick-and-place applications and specialised robotic solutions. HMPS machinery is exported to Asia, South Africa, New Zealand, Europe, USA and other markets across the globe.

HMPS case packers are used in many industries including the manufacture of pet food.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AWARDS

Up to 80 per cent of energy consumption can be caused by refrigeration costs.

Food Safety Equipment and Materials, sponsored by COG Advertising, was awarded to CCP Technologies CCP Technologies is an Australian company that specialises in product development and product management within the realm of the Internet of Things (IoT). The company builds business-to-business hardware and software solutions, which provide customers with a critical control point monitoring platform. For companies such as Earth Walker and Co, this means the Wollongong-based café and general store can save money on refrigeration.

CCP Technologies executive director, Anthony Rowley, said monitoring was important considering that refrigeration made up 80 per cent of some companies’ energy consumption.

“We tuned an eight-foot by eightfoot cool room and saved the owner $120 a-month,” said Rowley.

Earth Walker uses CCP’s wireless temperature monitoring system in its fridges to ensure all perishable foods are kept in optimal condition. Earth Walker co-owner Bianca Poscoliero

said she started using CCP’s monitoring system in early 2017, when the café opened. “We’ve got a general store and a café, so we use them in all of our fridges,” she said.

“We’ve had a few incidents – including fridges failing.” Poscoliero knows immediately when something is wrong with a fridge as she receives an email and an SMS. “We’ve also got the app on our phone so at any time we can log on to the app,” said Poscoliero.

Earth Walker saved time and money by not having staff members manually check on fridges daily, she said. “It’s made our lives much easier. It’s a weight lifted off our shoulders. We are saving thousands a-year,” said Poscoliero.

CCP chief executive officer, Michael White, said based on data captured by CCP, 4.9 per cent of refrigerated coolers and freezers in businesses would suffer a complete failure each year. “In the food industry, if something goes wrong with a fridge, it causes enormous business disruption and can jeopardise food safety,” he said.

“While strengthening regulatory compliance remains a key driver

48 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

for adoption, customers are using our solution to yield energy savings, reduce waste and support preventive maintenance programs,” said White.

CCP is harnessing the

The wireless monitoring system ensures perishable goods are kept in a good condition.

convergence of cloud computing, IoT, blockchain and big data analytics to deliver solutions to food and beverages businesses that help save them money and time.

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INGREDIENTS

Spicing up products with well-researched seasonings Making the perfect seasoning takes a lot of testing, research and international knowledge, which Newly Weds Foods knows all too well. Miri Schroeter writes.

B

BQ sauce used to be simple – sweet, a touch smoky and the perfect accompaniment with chicken, beef or even lamb. But consumers are increasingly wanting more choice. And with more choice comes a need to expand the range of flavours with a new twist.

Newly Weds Foods marketing services manager, Vivienne Stein, said people still want those traditional flavours, but they like having a more refined version. “American BBQ flavours are trending. We’ve seen a lot of products with different types of BBQ flavours,” she said.

“In the past it’s been very general with the sweet or smoky BBQ. Now it’s becoming more specific with flavours such as Memphis BBQ and Texas BBQ,” said Stein.

Newly Weds Foods makes customised ingredient creations for food manufacturers. The food ingredient supplier develops new seasonings, coatings and crumbs to help companies expand their product range. “We look in the market place and show customers what is becoming popular,” she said.

There are two main ways to start the development process, Stein said.

The first is having the customer come to Newly Weds with an idea for a new flavour. The second is Newly Weds

Newly Weds Foods makes customised seasoning. suggesting flavours to customers, which suit their needs and help grow their business.

“We are offering flavour advice in terms of research. We have a lot of research available to us because we are part of an international company. We have access to a couple of databases,

Unique seasonings are made to flavour meats.

50 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

including Mintel,” said Stein. These databases help Newly Weds determine what is trending in the food market, which the company can then use to make the best flavour range for its customers. “They look to us for what they can be doing differently. They are being more inventive,” she said.

The company manufactures flavours suited to specific meats.

Sharing ideas globally Because of its international footprint, Newly Weds’ different teams can help out with different products. “In terms of the Asian flavours, our American counterparts are looking to us,” said Stein. For BBQ flavours, the Australian-based

INGREDIENTS

manufacturer can bounce ideas off the US-based branches to make the perfect American BBQ seasonings.

The company has 26 manufacturing facilities worldwide, with its head office based in Chicago.

Newly Weds Foods flavour developer Thidawan Sa-Uram said the Sydney-based team gets samples sent from America. “We look at what the unique profile is from each BBQ. We have done lots of testing and evaluation,” she said.

Consumers are wanting variety.

“Now, we can’t just call something a chilli sauce. It has to be chipotle chilli or another combination,” said Sa-Uram.

Creating seasonings for customers was more than just presenting the customer with a new flavour, she said. “It’s not only presenting the products that taste good. We need to communicate with the customer to make sure it runs successfully in the company.” Sa-Uram and her team make sure the seasonings run smoothly on customers’ production lines. If it doesn’t work for them, Newly Weds will adapt the recipes and modify the flavours to suit the customer.

More distinct flavour combinations are trending in Australia.

Adapting to customers' needs Newly Weds also changes flavours in its seasoning to best suit the product it will be matched with.

Stein said some flavours didn’t work with some proteins. “We present slightly different flavours to our red meat producers than to our chicken producers,” she said.

Products can also be customised

to ensure they fit with the customers’ vegetarian and vegan products, as these are becoming more popular, said Stein. “We really have to build that into our flavours to make sure it’s not going to cause any problems to the claims they are making. Consumers are much more knowledgeable. People are becoming interested in trying meat-alternatives,” she said.

“It might not just be a specific

flavour to give them the market advantage. It’s the functional factor too – such as not adding artificial flavours,” said Stein. “If our customers have got something they are requiring, we will help.”

With meat alternatives and more distinct flavours trending in Australia and internationally, food manufacturers are looking for new ideas.

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1300 376 288 www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 51

PACKAGING AWARDS

Tom Lunn from Detmood Packaging with APCO’s Sam Anderson, who presented the company with the Sustainable Packaging Excellence Award.

Awards brings industries together for common purpose The 2018 APCO awards provided the ideal platform to discuss one of the packaging industry’s most pressing issues. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

T

he Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) awards brought companies of all industries together in Sydney on the 29th of August.

From telecommunications, to food and beverage, to the machinery and hardware sector, all industries came together for one common purpose – to meet the target of making packaging 100 per cent reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025.

The day began with two workshops – one on a sustainable packaging guidelines review and one on consumer education and behaviour change.

Companies had the chance to discuss how to achieve the 2025 goal, sharing ideas on what prices they had already implemented and what could be improved.

At the workshopping event, APCO chief executive officer, Brooke Donnelly, said Australia was undergoing a sustainable packaging review as there had not been one since 2011 and it needed to be updated.

“What we are trying to achieve is better material choices and better design,” said Donnelly.

Part of that achievement also included correct disposal of packaging

52 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

and no packaging in landfill, she said. At the awards evening, Detmold Packaging won the top award – Sustainable Packaging Excellence.

Detmold Packaging manufactures paper and board packaging products for the FMCG and industrial markets.

As part of the privately owned Detmold Group, founded in 1948, Detmold Packaging has access to a worldwide network comprising seven factories and more than 20 sales offices throughout Australia, Asia, South Africa, the Middle East, America and Europe.

The food and beverage industry

made its mark at the awards night, with Campbell Arnott’s Australia taking out a top award for Outstanding Achievement in Packaging Design.

The company also won the award for the Food and Beverage sector.

Campbell Arnott’s director of packaging, Liza Vernalls, said the award demonstrated the company’s commitment to packaging sustainability. “It has been a great achievement from our packaging team, with full support from our leadership and manufacturing teams, together with the strong partnerships with our suppliers giving us such great results in

PACKAGING AWARDS

a short period of time,” said Vernalls.

Other finalist organisations in the food sector included Nestlé Australia, Smith’s Snackfood and Sakata Rice Snacks Australia, Mountain Bread and Fonterra Brands.

Donnelly praised the Australian brands for their commitment to reducing the harmful impacts of packaging on the environment. “All the winners and finalists of the 2018 APCO Awards have demonstrated that no matter where their business sits within the packaging supply chain,

there is always opportunity for positive change,” said Donnelly.

These companies were fantastic examples of sustainable leadership in the food and beverage sector, she said.

“We look forward to continuing to work with them in close partnership, in order to share the innovation, learning and insights required to build a circular economy here in Australia.”

Campbell Arnott’s demonstrated a commitment to operating more sustainably. In 2017, it facilitated mandatory sustainability training

with its internal packaging team. The company also converted more than 1,400 tonnes of tertiary packaging from bleached white board to higher recycled content domestic brown board.

Through this, Campbell Arnott’s was able to close the loop on paper and corrugated board recycling.

Arnott’s is one of the largest food companies in the Asia Pacific region.

Its ongoing growth has been supported by the Campbell Soup Company’s investment in the business.

More than 50,000 Australians have

worked with Arnott’s during the past century. Today, Arnott’s employs about 2,400 Australians across the country.

It also employs thousands of people across the Asia Pacific region, in countries such as New Zealand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan. The other winners for outstanding achievements were CHEP Australia for Outstanding Achievement in Sustainable Packaging Operations, and Australian Postal Organisation for Outstanding Achievement in Industry Leadership.

OTHER WINNERS WERE:

Campbell Arnott’s team from left: Liza Vernalls, APCO’s Sam Anderson, Andrea Steen and Angela Yi.

ACCO Brands Australia – Homewares Sector Amgen Australia – Pharmaceutical Sector Detmold Packaging – Packaging Manufacturer Redback Boots – Clothing, Footwear and Fashion Kyocera Document Solutions – Electronics Sector LyondellBasel Australia – Chemicals and Agriculture Qantas Airways – Airline Sector SingTel Optus – Telecommunications Telstra Corporation – Telecommunications Super Retail Group – Large Retailer Sector Tasman Sinkware – Machinery and Hardware Integria Healthcare – Personal Care CHEP Australia – Logistics Sector

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CONVEYOR SYSTEMS

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CONVEYOR SYSTEMS MODU Systems’ conveyors can be configured to a customer’s needs.

Flexibility achieved with MODU System conveyors Customised conveyor systems are available from an Australian distributor, and there is a configuration available for most food and beverage processing plants. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

M

ODU System was established more than two decades ago in Singapore based on the concept of modular and flexible products to meet the everincreasing demand for conveyors and automation systems.

MODU straight beams, support structures and bend sections are made of various re-assembled components enabling these conveyors to be easily installed, reconfigured and realigned.

They are flexible and can be extended or shortened within a small time-frame by using standard hand-held tools.

All MODU conveyor standard parts are made of lightweight materials, such as aluminium alloy and engineered plastics designed to precision tolerances for a good fit.

MODU Conveyors are available in both aluminium and stainlesssteel options.

MODU System provides a range of plastic chain conveyor systems with chain width sizes of 63mm, 83mm, 140mm and 220mm and belt width sizes of 315mm, 438mm and 585mm. Standard chain and belt material is PolyOxyMethylene (POM). Other available materials include Kevlar, Anti-static POM and Polypropylene (PP).

MODU’s spiral conveyors are manufactured and designed to be reliable, flexible and easy to operate.

The MODU Automatic Lubrication System (ALS) and Chain Tension Adjustment System makes the spiral conveyor easy to maintain.

MODU Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) is a modern and modular mobile robot that can automatically navigate and transport materials from one location to another. It is suitable for manufacturing, textile, automotive, food and beverage, warehousing, hospital and many more industries.

MODU, together with its robotic supplier, is able to design and roll out customised robotic and palletising system solutions across all industries in Australia.

Twin-track pallets assembly solutions are designed to convey pallets/slave board from one process or assembly station to another. Based on MODU’s modular system, the twin track design offers customers

plug-and-play solutions with flexible configure options.

The MODU Gripper system is flexible and lightweight, easy to install and compact, saving precious factory space. It comes in many gripping options suitable for all products. Quick change over time by incorporating adjustable crank system and digital adjustment readout.

Finally, the MODU elevator system features quick access maintenance touch panel, comprehensive guiding, universal mounts for any type of infeed and outfeed conveyor, continuous flow elevating with no reciprocating action, available in multiple heights, capacities and payload sizes as well as space saving.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 55

PLANNED MAINTENANCE

Cost-saving solutions for food manufacturers Downtime caused by maintenance to roller chain drives can be an issue on some factory floors.

But it does not have to be that way. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

T

here’s no doubt that the food manufacturing industry can present a number of challenges for food manufacturers.

From food contamination to belt stretch, manufacturers need to be constantly on the ball with regards to maintaining a clean, efficient and functioning system. And that starts with equipment.

Downtime can be costly. Then there’s the potential reputational damage you could also incur. A cause of downtime is maintenance and efficiency losses due to roller chain drives. Roller chain drives present a contamination risk. They require constant lubrication with oil or grease which can contaminate your products and, beyond that, carry an environmental risk and ongoing cost to your business through unnecessary maintenance downtime.

Food processing environments are subject to frequent washdowns to remove bacteria, germs and other contaminants, using aggressive cleaners and chemicals. These liquids can damage roller chains – meaning you need to fix them, or replace them over and over again. High moisture environments can also cause rust problems, which you definitely don’t need. The ravages of time also impact roller chains; in service, chain joints will wear, causing the drive to ‘loosen’, resulting in timing and synchronisation problems in food processing operations.

Finally, there’s the location of your drives to think about; drives in areas with difficult access are more time consuming to maintain. And, since metal and chain components wear quickly, they have to be replaced more frequently. One immediate change that could be implemented is a switch from roller chain drives to belts, which offer numerous benefits and solutions to many of the common problems facing food production operations – helping you to meet production goals and save money.

Gates belts fit nicely into the food processing environment.

Gates belt drive systems are virtually maintenance free – no lubrication, no messy and expensive oil baths. Being maintenance free, they are designed for difficult-toaccess spaces that would usually require disassembly, costly health and safety procedures, or the use of ladders or crawlspaces to get to for that maintenance ritual.

Gates can provide belt drive components that don’t need to be covered prior to washdown; that’s because the polymeric belts such as Gates Poly Chain and stainless components are resistant to water and caustic chemicals. Equipment can be washed down in place, again reducing the time needed to maintain your system. Polyurethane belts combined with stainless-steel or nickel-plated sprockets and bushings are unaffected by most common disinfectants, bactericides, and cleaners used for washdowns.

The aggressive caustic solutions used in food processing plants have no effect on Poly Chain belts or stainless-steel sprockets and bushings. Gates belts rarely need re-tensioning and do not stretch over time. Gates offers a variety of belts and components suited to food manufacturing environments.

polyurethane belt drive alternative to roller chain.

• No slipping, 3X longer life than standard roller chain, virtually maintenance free.

• Ideal for low-speed, high-torque drive applications. Conveyor applications.

Poly chain GT carbon belts • Clean-running, high-powered

Round endless belts • Designed for 1/4 turn or twisted

56 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

Stainless-steel and nickel-plated metals • Sprockets, sheaves and bushings available in stainless steel.

• Nickel-plated sprockets also available.

• Non-corrosive, chemical resistant.

• Ideal for aggressive washdown environments.

Power curve belts • Engineered to handle transverse bending and twisting.

• Unique under cord construction for optimal flexibility.

• Gates patented Flex-Weave cover.

• Power turn conveyor beds.

PowerGrip GT2 twin power belts • Designed with teeth on both sides of the belt to provide synchronisation from each driving surface.

• Equal load capacity on both sides of the belt.

• Suitable for serpentine applications requiring rotation reversal in some driven shafts. Conveyor applications.

drives where more than an O-ring is required.

• Power turn and line shaft conveyors.

Specialty synchronous belts • Line includes long-length belting, Twin Power belts and spliced belts.

• Wide variety of belt materials, constructions, and backings available.

• For food conveying, washdown applications, and antibacterial conveyors.

• Micro-V profiles can be provided as backing for synchronous belts for applications that require synchronization on one shaft and have the ability to run an alternative shaft off the back of the belt as in flour mill applications.

• FDA construction option • Low durometer option with higher friction coefficient for applications that must convey packaged materials up inclines or transfer fragile food products (e.g. packaged potato chips).

Gates Mectrol food-grade belting • High strength, low stretch polyurethane belts designed specifically for the food processing industry.

• Clean-in-place convenience for washdown environments.

• Reductions in downtime, wastewater, and maintenance costs.

• Conveyor applications.

FACTORY HYGIENE

Factory floors that won’t crack When it comes to the food processing plant’s floors, Roxset offers a long-lasting surface that won’t fail.

Food and Beverage Industry News writes.

F

ood processing floors take a particular hammering on a daily, sometimes 24/7, basis.

These floors face frequent contact with heat, chemicals, and spills as well as heavy equipment and machinery.

Avoiding the need to regularly replace floors, saves money, time and unnecessary headaches. A concrete floor for example, will not last long in a factory setting without cracking under a heavy load and chemical exposure. They are almost impossible to maintain and they risk high exposure to failure of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) compliance.

Luckily, there are better options than opting for a concrete floor that may crack under pressure. Roxset SE’s industrial factory floor is specifically designed and tailored for food, beverage and meat processing facilities. It offers a seamless,

clean and safe floor that supports a productive environment while withstanding heavy use for many years. The Roxset SE solution for food factories is both HACCP and Slip Resistant (R13) to meet the high safety grade. Additionally, the aggregate can be varied to suit the various traffic areas of the factory whether it be foot, forklift or trolley.

Industrial grade coatings offer a seamless surface free of joints, cracks and crevices. Roxset uses epoxy – a thermosetting polymer, which is available in three formulations for a seamless floor. The available formulations are water based, solvent based and 100 per cent solid based.

They allow for varying thicknesses, from 3ml to 10ml, depending on a factory’s needs. Epoxy bonds well to concrete and is ideal for use as a resurfacing agent for old or worn concrete. The best epoxy formulation is 100 per cent solid for

an extremely hard, thick and impact resistant coating.

Cleanliness is a top priority that Roxset has captured in its floors.

Limiting the spread of diseases such as listeria is critical. The Roxset SE

industrial floor reduces the risk of contamination in areas around drains so they do not harbour bacteria.

This is done with an epoxy coating, which will dramatically limit these dangerous harbourage points.

Roxset’s solution for flooring is both HACCP and slip-resistant.

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www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 57

FOOD SAFETY OCT/NOV 2018

How to get a new product to market Tips on how to make a product launch successful PLUS: Women in Industry | Food Safety | Food & Beverage Industry Awards' Winners

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY IN ASIA PROMO FEATURE

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If you are in the market to sell plant and machinery, or wish to export to this lucrative market, the December/January issue of Food and Beverage Industry News will look at business ventures in Asia – from regulations through to case studies of companies already conducting business on the continent.

BOOKING DEADLINE: 12 NOV 2018 For advertising enquiries please contact Sonia Bonner on 0432 574 669 For editorial enquiries please contact Mike Wheeler on (02) 9439 7227

58 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

MATERIALS HANDLING

Large beverage manufacturer enlists MHE-Demag’s help with dock levellers When moving heavy equipment, safety is paramount. MHE-Demag offers safe, easy-to-use GATOR dock levellers that fit any company’s needs. Food & Beverage Industry News writes.

G

etting from point A to point B needs to be done quickly, but safely to ensure workers are not harmed and products are not damaged. One large international soft drink manufacturing company ensured its new distribution site near Brisbane had a safety focus with the help of loading bay solutions from MHE-Demag.

MHE-Demag’s loading bays provide a bridge to load trucks in logistic hubs, food and beverage manufacturing outlets, hotels, hospitals and many other outlets.

Using dock levellers promotes the safety of the goods and operators, facilitating loading and unloading operations efficiently.

Bridge to safety MHE-Demag’s managing director Vince DiCostanzo said the GATOR dock leveller range rises and lowers to the height requirement of the user for maximum safety and smooth transition during loading and unloading processes. “On top of the GATOR’s standard features and functions we offer a range of ancillary products to customise loading bay

GATOR dock levellers come with optional upgrades requirements,” said DiCostanzo.

Optional upgrades can include independent lip control, automatic return to dock feature and standard full-range telescopic toe guards ensure that feet and equipment are not accidentally jammed under the decks.

Fall-safe rupture valves also ensure the dock is maintained at level if a truck accidentally departs while the GATOR dock leveller is engaged.

The dock levellers also have available a remote control system,

MHE-Demag offers training to make sure the dock levellers are being used correctly. which is customised to all needs, said DiCostanzo. “There can be up to 100 dock workers working on one control.” Solutions range from standalone control boxes to interlocking systems of docking equipment. “Users then have more control over the dock,” said DiCostanzo.

The features help make it a more convenient and safe product than others on the market, he said.

MHE-Demag’s signals, signs and traffic lights can further help safe loading processes within the dock.

A solution for all

MHE-Demag dock levellers can be installed in pits or on ramps.

MHE-Demag GATOR dock levellers are installed in pits, on frame or on ramps, depending on the layout of a loading bay. Pit style dock levellers are mounted inside a purpose built concrete pit and flushed to the floor level of the loading bay when parked.

This allows smooth cross-traffic of forklifts.

Frame supported dock levellers work when a concrete pit is not possible. Supported with a sturdy steel frame, the dock levellers are projected out from the loading bay.

Dock levellers on concrete or steel ramps are an option when a facility does not have a loading bay or when there is insufficient space available in the loading bay.

“The GATOR dock leveller is making its way through Australia and while a number of installations are still happening at the moment, we are happy and proud to say that we have completed a major project with an international beverage manufacturer due to the distinct product features,” said DiCostanzo.

Along with options for dock levellers that suit any company’s needs, MHE-Demag also offers easy installation and maintenance services and training to ensure the equipment is used correctly.

MHE-Demag solely supplied docks to the large beverage manufacturer, but it also offers full loading bay solutions. The company has supplied overhead cranes and material handling equipment to many Australian companies. With the dock leveller extending MHE-Demag’s product portfolio, customers can expect the same quality and level of service as with the cranes.

www.foodmag.com.au October/November 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 59

MARKET WATCH

Deal activity maintains momentum C orporate activity in the food and beverage industry remained high in July and August 2018 with eight transactions announced. Four of the transactions announced involved companies listed on the ASX.

Acquisitions announced Date

Target Name

Acquirer

Sector

12 Jul 18

Life Savers lolly brand

Darrell Lea

Confectionery

18 Jul 18

Koroit dairy plant

Bega Cheese

Dairy

23 Jul 18

Fine Food Holdings

CHAMP Private Equity

Packaged food

25 Jul 18

Moira Mac’s

Hellers

Poultry

13 Aug 18

Capilano Honey

Wattle Hill & ROC Partners

Honey

13 Aug 18

Crankt Protein

Freedom Foods Group

Sports nutrition

13 Aug 18

Guzman y Gomez (minority)

TDM Growth Partners

Hospitality

16 Aug 18

New World Foods

Quinn Foods

Meat snacking

28 Aug 18

Impromy

Blackmores

Vitamins & supplements

The largest transaction announced was the takeover offer for ASX-listed Capilano Honey. Private equity funds, Wattle Hill and ROC Partners announced a $20.06 offer for the listed company, with an option to receive the consideration in either cash or script. Capilano shareholders will vote in November 2018 to decide whether to approve the offer.

Darrell Lea purchased the iconic Life Savers lolly brand from Nestle. Darrell Lea also acquired the Black Knight, Heards, Fabulicious, Odd Fellows and Mackintosh’s brands through its subsidiary RJ’s Licorice in New Zealand.

Bega Cheese acquired the Koroit dairy processing plant from Murray Goulburn.

The Koroit plant is one of Murray Goulburn’s top three processing assets, capable of processing between 800 million and 1 billion litres of milk.

CHAMP Private Equity acquired the businesses of Max Foods and Fine Food Holdings. The acquisition includes the OB Finest Specialty Crackers and Olina’s

Bakehouse cracker brands, as well as the Ocean Blue packaged seafood brand.

CHAMP is expected to grow the portfolio of brands with a focus on premium entertaining food categories.

New Zealand-based smallgoods manufacturer, Hellers, acquired Moira Mac’s, an Australian manufacturer of chilled, ready-to-eat poultry. Hellers considers the Moira Mac’s acquisition a key step in a strategy to establish a presence in Australia.

Freedom Foods Group acquired sports nutrition brand owner, Crankt Protein for $3.5 million.

Fast food company, Guzman y Gomez raised $44 million from TDM Growth Partners for a minority stake in the business. The capital raised will be used to fund the future expansion of Guzman y Gomez.

Blackmores acquired Impromy, a pharmacy-only weight management program that was developed by Probiotec and the CSIRO. Listings on the ASX Keytone Dairy, a New Zealand-based manufacturer, packer and exporter of dairy and nutrition blended products listed on the ASX on 18 July 2018. Marley Spoon listed on the ASX on 2 July 2018.

Deal activity notably remained high in the third quarter of 2018 and we expect activity to remain at this high level for the remainder of the year.

Ben van der Westhuizen and David Baveystock are directors of Comet Line Consulting, an advisory business that specialises in acquisitions and divestments within the Australian food & beverage industry.

For more information visit www.cometlineconsulting.com.au.

Commodity Outlook WHEAT – World wheat prices to recover slightly, from low levels due to lower tradeablesupplies.

BEEF AND VEAL – Australian cattle prices to fall due to higher production and strongcompetition in export markets

COARSE GRAINS – World barley prices to rise due to low stocks and strong demand for feed and industrial-use coarse grains.

SHEEP MEAT – Strong competition from processors and restockers to drive lamb prices higher.

OILSEEDS – World canola prices to fall due to abundant oilseed supplies.

SUGAR – World sugar prices to fall due to world sugar supply growing faster than demand.

60 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

DAIRY – Milk prices to rise due to a falling Australian dollar and increased competition for milk.

Source: Department of Agriculture and Water Resources (ABARES), Agricultural commodities March quarter, 2018.

NEW PRODUCTS

Rittal hygienic design enclosures and accessories from APS Industrial All areas of the food industry require different hygiene standards.

Particularly in open processes, where the resistance of the seal to detergents and disinfectants is crucial, it is vital for production plant to be equipped with optimised enclosures, terminal boxes and command panels.

Rittal, from APS Industrial, offers a range of hygienic design solutions suited to food and beverage manufacturing environments - from the housing and the power distribution to the climate control and the IT infrastructure.

Rittal’s new Hygienic Design enclosures provide the ultimate solution where cleanliness and sanitation are paramount. Crafted of stainless steel, they feature a smooth surface grain, internal hinges, washable gaskets and latches, and no crevices to trap debris or contaminates. In addition, compatible accessories such as wall spacer brackets and cable glands, complete the range.

Precisely engineered for your applications The new hygienic design enclosures are available with screw covers for smaller, integrated applications or hinged doors for larger installations. Both are created from 304 stainless steel with a 400-grain brushed surface. Wall and door surfaces are angled to prevent objects from adhering, so water runs off easily.

larger hygienic design enclosures can be mounted on hygienic design levelling feet and fitted with a wire shelf to assist with cable routing. Other features include: lA ll mounting threads are concealed to keep them free of debris and contaminants. lO ptional stainless-steel cable glands have smooth, solid exterior surfaces and are self-sealing to enable high-pressure washing.

Tight seals every time Continuous silicone seal door gaskets can be easily replaced as necessary, without the need for special tools. The blue gaskets align with a specifically-engineered fitted channel for a tight seal without any adhesive. The colour makes any particulate splashed on the seal stand out for easier recognition and removal.

If optimised cleaning results, higher productivity and minimal risk are important factors to a manufacturing operation is for you.

APS Industrial 1300 309 303 www.apsindustrial.com.au

Ready to adapt to on-site demands Hygienic design enclosures can be mounted with rounded stand-off brackets on the back to improve the flow of water around the unit during wash-down procedures. Further, using optional hardware,

Feedback for process valves – MVQ101 Position feedback for process valves has always been a difficult issue.

The initial way was to have only a visual indication of valve position which was problematic as there was no electrical connection to the process and no way to control it. Then the practice of mounting a mechanical box on the actuator that would give two positions, opened and closed, which is still in use today but also fiddly to mount with the usual mechanical problems. Then a better solution was to offer the same feedback but with solid state proximity sensors that would basically, never break down, which are still in use extensively. Now there is the evolution of the actuator valve with feedback at a full 360-degree with 0.1-degree increments.

This gives plant continuous position feedback and diagnostics, ranging from end-position monitoring to continuous position feedback in combination with IO-Link and the corresponding possibilities of flexible parameter setting and data acquisition.

Key features of the device are: lV alve condition monitoring and support during error diagnostics lP reventative maintenance planning lF ull digitisation of the valve movement and higher plant up-time lC ontinuous position feedback l I ndividual switching windows can be set lH ighly visible status LEDs for increased effect from a distance lT he valve position can also be detected when disconnected from power lD iagnostic functions via IO-Link lT emperature and time monitoring lC ycle counter

different wear conditions. On the one hand, the sensor features seal monitoring indicating a change of the closed position, which can point to deposits or wear of the seal, for example. On the other hand, the different positions can be counted and the time taken can be measured.

The types of industries that will need all this functionality of valve positioning are food and beverage manufacturing, dairies, breweries, soft drinks, as well as water and waste water, not only for water authorities but local waste water for factories to know the valve position and the valve health. It can also be used with pneumatic bulk material conveying and the manufacture of paper products. Example applications include annually maintenance activities at a breweries replace more 2,000 seals, waste water with blockage due to cellulose deposits, adhesion, corrosion and seal damage. ifm efector 1300 365 088 www.ifm.com

Diagnostic functions The IO-Link communication interface allows the identification of www.foodmag.com.au | October/November2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 61

NEW PRODUCTS

Filling machine seen as futureproofing technology The Ilpra Fill Seal R12/4 Tronic delivers food manufacturers a fast and efficient way of getting their dairy, dips, desserts, soups, condiment sauces and yoghurt products ready for market.

"Supermarkets are demanding new products each and every year, and food manufacturers now need to find ways to innovate. However, with a fixed production profile this can be difficult," said Daniel Malki, general manager, Jet Technologies.

"The Ilpra R12 filling machine is the next step towards achieving a flexible futureproofed technology with the speed to produce efficiently."

The Ilpra Fill Seal R12 is a high-speed rotary filler and sealer with up to 12 stations, which offers food manufacturers the flexibility to use each station for different purposes. The machine is designed to precisely fill denestable cups.

"The 12 station filler, with the speed and flexibility of 9,000 cups per hour, allows food manufacturers to create their product their own way with a modular design," said Malki.

"It is customisable to each food manufacturer's requirements, such as dosing location(s) in the filler and type of doser, filling volumes and speeds."

The machine is designed for a practical and easy operation with a touch screen panel. Its structure and the high-quality, servo-driven components provides a filling accuracy of +/- 1 per cent, combined with industry-leading fill speeds.

The R12 machine is a sealed unit to prevent any dust penetrating in the cups, filling and sealing small cups, as well as buckets up to 160mm in diameter.

Jet Technologies 02 8399 4999 www.jet-ap.com

Introducing EcoStruxure augmented operator advisor Schneider Electric has announced the launch of EcoStruxure Augmented Operator Advisor, an innovative augmented reality software that superimposes real-time data and virtual objects onto electrical cabinets, machines, or other items of plant. It provides operators and technicians immediate access to relevant information.

The benefits of leveraging this state-of-the-art AR technology in the field or the plant include: l Reduced downtime: operators can open the electrical cabinet doors virtually. l Speed up operation and maintenance: technicians can find information faster, with access in the field to user manuals, instructions, diagrams, etc. l Reduce human errors: locate the right equipment and guide operators step-by-step to complete maintenance procedures.

"When employing traditional approaches, maintenance personnel spend 50 per cent of their time during a maintenance call researching information required to fix the issue. Consequently, they devote only 50 per cent of their time actually working on the equipment," says Neil Smith - vice president, Industry Pacific.

"EcoStruxure Augmented Operator Advisor, an augmented reality system, gives engineers access to the information they seek."

The software uses image recognition and tracking technology in a variety of environments including: l In front of a machine: it offers immediate access to relevant information in the field in real time. l In front of an electrical cabinet: it can 'open' electrical cabinet doors virtual. l Inside and outside an industrial site: it delivers simultaneous

62 Food&Beverage Industry News | October/November 2018 | www.foodmag.com.au

views of reality and data to mobile devices Once engineered and deployed, the app can be downloaded on tablets and provide access to information like labels, process variables, SQL database, open documents, open electrical diagrams, open web pages, instructions, notes and play videos.

Schneider Electric 137 328 www.schneider-electric.com.au

Dust and buildup on the antenna? No problem!

The future is 80 GHz: a new generation of radar level sensors

VEGAPULSÂ 69 is designed specifically for level measurement of bulk solids.

Even in dusty conditions, it always provides precise readings. Dust in the silo or buildup on the antenna have no effect.

This radar sensor also features unrivalled focusing at a frequency of 80Â GHz. Simply world-class! www.vega.com/radar

www.foodmag.com.au | October/November2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 63

EARLY CONTRACTOR INVOLVEMENT With a specialist builder such as Total Construction you can avoid potential cost blow outs in your project before design and location is determined.

Contact us today to find out how we can help with construction planning for your next Food & Beverage project. |

Call: (02) 9746 9555

|

Visit: totalconstruction.com.au