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Doing business in Asia:

Finding the right footing in the world’s largest food and beverage market PLUS: At the iba in Munich | Women in Industry

| Food and Beverage Awards nominations

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WELCOME

Managing Director: John Murphy Publisher: Christine Clancy Managing Editor: Syed Shah Editor: Mike Wheeler

Handy hints on setting up shop or exporting to Asia

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sia is home to almost two-thirds of the world population and is ripe for investment for Australian companies in the food and beverage industry. Australia is lucky for its geographical place in the world. Not only is it close these lucrative eastern hemisphere markets, it has a reputation of creating quality goods produced under highly regulated standards. However, having a good reputation is one thing, doing business in the region is another. There could be many unforseen challenges that need to be taken into consideration. That being said, as long as it is done correctly, the positives far outweigh the negatives. Our main feature story gives same advice and hints from people who have worked in the region, about some of the ways food and beverage manufacturers can make life a little easier for themselves as they try and break into the market. It is not an easy task, but can be well worth it if done correctly.

We also talk to project delivery specialists Wiley, who have worked in the region for the

best part of just over two decades. According to those on the ground over there, you have to leave your preconceived ideas about the region behind if you want to make inroads. It is also important to treat each market differently – don’t fall into the trap of thinking that all countries and cultures are the same, or even similar for that matter.

Also, Food and Beverage Industry News was on the ground at the iba exhibition in Munich, Germany. Held every three years, the expo is huge, with more than 1,500 exhibitors and 77,000 visitors. We look at a couple of Australian companies that had stands and the event and what they had to offer.

Finally, I’m pleased to announce that the nominations for the next 2019 Food and Beverage Industry News awards are open. If you have an great new product, or manufacturing process, or piece of equipment that you think will turn heads in our diverse industry, get your nomination in now.

Mike Wheeler

INSIDE 34

38

47

6 NEWS

28 TRACEABILITY

41 SUPPLY CHAIN

12 BUSINESS IN ASIA

30 PACKAGING

42 WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

17 PLANT UPGRADE

33 SUSTAINABILITY

44 F&B AWARDS HIGHLIGHTS

18 IBA

34 CONVEYORS

46 GLOBAL DAIRY REPORT

22 ENERGY EFFICIENCY

36 AUTOMATION

47 AIP

24 AFGC

38 WASTEWATER

48 MARKETWATCH

26 HEALTH AND SAFETY

40 EFFICIENCY

49 NEW PRODUCTS

www.foodmag.com.au | December/January 2018 | Food&Beverage Industry News 5

NEWS

AUSPACK will showcase megatrends for food industry A USPACK is returning to Melbourne in 2019, with a new business and industry conference and other key focusses such as digital printing. Showcasing innovation and megatrends for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors, AUSPACK offers face-toface involvement with the latest in fast and flexible machinery, track and trace, smart packaging, digital printing, Industry 4.0 and robots.

It also covers accessibility and convenience, e-commerce, saving food from waste and sustainable solutions. The 2019 edition of AUSPACK’s Packaging and Processing week will also see a range of new initiatives that offer enhanced opportunities to learn, engage and network with industry

and peers. These initiatives will be announced throughout the lead up to AUSPACK, which takes place from March 26-29 next year.

Going digital is one of the focuses AUSPACK has highlighted as being of significance to industries including food and beverage. Digital allows converters to meet the demand for short-run and multipleversion packaging, and sectors such as digital labelling are seeing a rise worldwide.

Compared to the labelling industry as a whole, which experiences roughly four-to-five per cent growth each year, digital labels are expanding by about nine-to-ten per cent annually, AUSPACK indicates.

A new conference focussed

6 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

NEWS

AUSPACK is being held in Melbourne in March 2019.

on industry key challenges and opportunities around sustainability, innovations in technology and design, systems thinking and factories of the future, will also be a part of Packaging and Processing Week 2019.

With the theme smart, connected, sustainable, the conference is for decision makers, owners and key staff from the packaging and processing, food and beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, along with associated industries such as design and print, marketing and advertising industry associations.

The business and industry conference are all about exploring new ideas and business potential through case studies, interactive Q&A sessions and keynote plenary sessions – of which there will be seven, along with 18 breakouts across two streams, which are packaging and processing, and business growth.

Sub-themes include innovation and technology, sustainable solutions, smart packaging, e-commerce, future consumer, export and

"Going digital is one of the focusses AUSPACK has highlighted as being of significance to industries including food and beverage. Digital allows converters to meet the demand for short-run and multiple-version packaging, and sectors such as digital labelling are seeing a rise worldwide." distribution, blockchain, design trends and strength through diversity.

Several prominent speakers for the event include Michael Okoroafor, vice president global sustainability and packaging at McCormick USA. Responsible for the strategic direction, policies, development and execution of agricultural, ingredient, product and packaging sustainability, plus packaging innovation capabilities globally, Okoroafor was inducted into the Packaging and Processing Hall of Fame at PACK EXPO International. In addition, he has over 40 patents to his name.

Okoroafor will be the opening

keynote on day one.

Economist Stephen Koukoulas will kick off day two of the event.

He was the senior economic advisor to the prime minister and the chief economist of Citibank.

His presentation will break down complex economic analysis into easily understandable terms.

Katie Spearritt, CEO of Diversity Partners, will speak about “Innovation and Strength through Diversity”. Spearritt’s session aims to have participants talking about diversity and inclusion in ways they might not have previously considered.

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www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 7

NEWS

Australian-made products of key importance at Taste of Sydney food and drink expo C ompanies small and large focused on highlighting Australian ingredients in their products at the Taste of Sydney Collective food and beverage festival in November.

From chocolate, to kombucha, to salami, the importance of informing visitors that products were Australian made and used local ingredients was key.

The four-day festival, held at The Cutaway, Barangaroo, featured dozens of exhibitors, who make niche products in Australia and New Zealand.

Exhibitors showcasing their range of fine foods and drinks included Little Zebra Chocolates and Carob, Pic’s Peanut Butter, Snapper Rock Wines and Oakridge Wines.

Dylan Hayes from Goose on the Loose, which makes a variety

of salamis and other smallgoods, said he puts a strong focus on being Australian made.

“All of our meat is ethically sourced. We have 99 per cent Australian ingredients,” he said.

The only ingredient that doesn’t come from Australia is black truffle, said Hayes.

He always takes the chance to be part of the events organised by the Taste group as his business grows and the event does too, he said.

“We earned our stripes and stars in local food markets. We are now moving more into wholesale and retailers.”

By broadening its reach, the company is able to sell to restaurants and cafes as well, said Hayes.

Little Zebra Chocolates operations manager Bernie Walker took the event as an opportunity to showcase

The Daily Bar sells health food bars made in New South Wales.

8 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

Goose on the Loose makes a range of Australian made salamis. his company’s chocolates and carob treats, which have no added sugar and are vegan.

The ingredients are sourced as much as possible from Australia, said Walker.

He and his co-founder were both

pre-diabetic, which gave them the idea to create low-sugar and sugar-free products that still tasted delicious, he said.

“We are both chocoholics.

Chocolate like any other food is all about taste.” It took a good year of trialling different recipes to perfect the range, said Walker.

The food festival also featured 32 restaurants with chefs from Australia, and further abroad, who created new dishes for visitors each day.

Attendees had the chance to taste meals from chefs including Cory Campbell from Bea, who cooked ocean trout and munthari glazed kangaroo skewers, and Skye Gyngell from Spring, who made slow cooked lamb shoulder with fermented tomato and crème fraiche.

Other festivities included a Tanqueray Cocktail event in which attendees created a cocktail using Tanqueray gin.

The drinks were also flowing at the Johnnie Walker Highball Experience, where participants created their own bespoke highball.

For Diners Club VIP ticket holders there were opportunities to attend a caviar tasting session with Simon Johnson and a sausage masterclass with Chrissy Flanagan.

The event ran over four days from November 8-11.

NEWS

Rockwell Automation’s TechED offers collaborative environment H eld near the end of the August 2018 in Sydney, the Rockwell Automation TechED event is one of several events the company holds every year around the world.

It is an opportunity for both Rockwell Automation and its partners to get together and talk about the various projects and latest pieces of technology in the automation space.

“We have found that TechED is the best way for us to enable ourselves and our extended sales team – which are our distributors and system integrators – to learn more about the latest technology,” said Sally Lai, marketing manager, Rockwell Automation Asia Pacific.

“This event enables them to discuss the latest technology and to interact with the other partners whereby they 26.06.18 08:41 Seite 1 canProjekt1 collaborate on projects.”

One of the highlights was the

keynote address by technology expert Chris Riddell with a speech titled Beyond Tomorrow. “He shared some insights of what is to come in the future,” said Lai. “He spoke about the technology that we’ll be seeing in the near future. It is the first time we have an external speaker to present on a topic that is still related to what we do, so it was refreshing.”

Commercial marketing manager Laura Hernandez and Lai were very pleased with the event and had great feedback on how proceedings went.

“We had very positive feedback from our customers, partners and colleagues,” said Hernandez. “More than a couple of people mentioned it was the best TechED they had ever attended and that it was well organised and the content was outstanding.”

“This is the second TechED I have been to,” said Lai. “I have been

to the one in Singapore and the scale of the one is Sydney is the bigger one of the two in terms of the size of the attendants and content. I think overall it was well attended. We had about 260 attendees at the event and some very good leads and opportunities came out from event for all involved.”

There were plenty of sessions covered by Rockwell Automation staff and Platform 1, Platform 2, Knowledge, Technology and Discovery Stations were covered by a plethora of subjects including controller-based batching, designing a safe motor control system, smart safety systems and practical guidelines for drive installation to name a few.

Strategic Alliance Partner feedback was also strong. “I was impressed with the level of engagement that Rockwell Automation customers showed,” said

Keith Pereira from Cisco Systems Australia. “All sessions looked well attended, especially the labs. It was also good to see a lot of Cisco concepts positioned, too.”

TechED helps inform people about the latest technology in the market.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 9

NEWS

Nominations for Food and Beverage Industry Awards open Sunshine Meats won the Meat, Poultry and Smallgoods award.

N

ominations for the 16th Food and Beverage Industry Awards are open for 2019.

You can now submit your favourite food and beverage companies and services that bring the wow factor to the industry.

With 2018’s event showcasing some of Australia and New Zealand’s latest and greatest innovations, the number of applications in each category is expected to ramp up in 2019.

In 2018, finalists, winners and sponsors displayed their products and services on the big screen at an awards night at Sydney’s Darling Harbour, with some companies offering attendees a chance to taste their new

wares on the evening. More than 200 people came together for a night of great food, celebrations and music.

The 2019 awards evening is set to be another thriving event that will bring industry professionals together. All companies working in the food and beverage sector can enter a variety of categories celebrating the equipment, technology and innovative ideas behind new products and services. From automation and data management systems that help businesses create thousands of consistently great products, to companies that are taking centre stage at an international market – the categories aim to highlight all aspects

10 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

of the industry. Nominated companies should be able to show how they stand out against the rest with the best processing and manufacturing methods, food safety standards, and technology that has helped grow their products or services into a ‘must-have’ item in the food and beverage industry.

The categories for 2019 include: 1. Beverage of the Year 2. Paddock to Plate 3. Ingredient Innovation 4. Meat, Poultry and Smallgoods 5. Health Foods 6. Packaging Innovation 7. Best in Design

8. Innovative Technology of the Year 9 . Food Safety Equipment and

Materials Best of the Best is the top award of the night, which goes to the product that stands out in a crowd of products and services that make it as a finalist in one of the above categories It is free to submit a nomination, and a company can be nominated in up to three separate categories.

To nominate a company that you think should be recognised for their dedication to the industry, visit foodmagazineawards.com.au.

Next year’s awards evening will be held in July, in Sydney.

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BUSINESS IN ASIA

Why do business in Asia?

Starting a business in Asia can be boom or bust. However, there are certain actions companies can put in place in order to get into the biggest consumer market in the world. Mike Wheeler explains.

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sia is home to almost 58 per cent of the world’s population. It is a continent that has a rich culture and history of food and beverages – from the spices of the Indian sub-continent through to the fried delicacies of Vietnam, and the heavily seafood-based Japanese diet. It is also a region that has a growing middle class that has a distrust of locally produced food and beverages. In other words, it offers a lot of opportunities for Australian manufacturers willing to set up a processing plant in the arena.

For a company doing any type of business in Asia, getting it right is important. However, when it comes to food there are a multitude of inputs that have to be taken into consideration. And with good reason.

In 2008, two Chinese citizens were executed, another had a suspended death sentence imposed while others were given lengthy prison terms after infant formula adulterated with melamine was found to be responsible for the deaths of six babies. More than 54,000 infants were hospitalised and there was an overall victim count of about 300,000. The damage to the reputation of the manufacturer was incalculable.

The lure of Asia as a destination to export produce, or build a food or beverage processing factory, cannot be underestimated. China alone had its middle class grow from negligible in 2002 to almost 430 million people by 2018. It is set to be as much as 740 million by the mid-2020s. A recent McKinsey report stated that in the year 2000, up to four per cent of China’s urban population was middle class. By 2012, that figure had reached 68 per cent. Then, if you take the growing popularity of Vietnam as a tourist destination, Cambodia opening up, Indonesia’s huge population, Thailand – which considers itself the kitchen of the world – being intrinsic to the growth of the region, and then throw the Middle East and the Indian sub-continent into the mix – well,

KPMG’s Doug Ferguson believes research and planning are key ingredients to doing business in Asia.

who wouldn’t want to get their foot in the door?

But doing business in Asia could prove to be difficult for Australian businesses if approached carelessly.

There are business challenges, building standards vary, while bureaucracy-heavy local, state and national governments (depending on where you are) may have restrictive policies. Then there are the potential language barriers.

Regardless, it is lucrative. And, if approached correctly, there are ways food processors and manufacturers can have successful business dealings in the region. Speaking to people who work in the region, a couple of things stick out that need to be taken into consideration – planning and research. They may seem obvious, but too often companies are caught short because they fall into a variety of traps.

A recent joint report from KPMG, the University of Melbourne, AustCham and the Australia China Business Council highlighted

12 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

"You will find that ideas that fly in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, The States and South Africa are not going to happen in Asia... Not only is Asia dramatically different from the West, but is also dramatically different within the continent, too." some of the concerns Australian enterprises had when doing business in China, which is still the fastest growing market in the region.

The survey pointed out that 16 per cent of the respondents were in the Food and Agribusiness industries. Interestingly, 94 per cent of respondents said their level of investment would either stay the same, moderately increase or significantly increase. Ninetyeight per cent said the increased activity was due to these companies preparing for future growth opportunities or planned operating expenditure.

One person involved in the

report was Doug Ferguson, KPMG Australia’s partner in charge of the Asian and international markets. He has some definite ideas on how those in the food and beverage industry should put their initial foot forward when doing business in Asia.

“The main pitfalls are that many companies don’t do enough planning or research to understand the consumer requirements, regulations and competitive landscape in the specific target region,” he said.

“Other common mistakes are picking the wrong local partner, or putting the wrong representative in charge of their operation on the ground.”

Another company that has had

BUSINESS IN ASIA

a lot to do with the Asian market, especially those countries outside of China, is project delivery specialist Wiley. The company’s chief future officer, Brett Wiskar, backs up Ferguson’s assertion, stating that sometimes people are too eager to bring with them their Western way of doing things. That just won’t do in Asia, he said.

“You will find that ideas that fly in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the States and South Africa are not going to happen in Asia,” he said.

“Not only is Asia dramatically different from the West, but it is also dramatically different within the continent, too.

“Something you learn about Japan is totally useless if you apply it to Thailand. As a result, there are many diverse markets, and many different approaches to the product.

For example, it is easy for westerners to make broad, sweeping statements about the amount of protein that might get used in an evening meal, but realistically that is going to change on a market-by-market basis within the continent.

“Your marketing has to be savvy, but you also have to understand, that the Asian-buying public has to believe that your product comes

through a supply chain that they can validate.

“If you’re manufacturing ‘cold’ produce in Australia and New Zealand, how do you get it through a cold-chain compliant supply chain to the retail environment in Asia where you don’t actually have control of the supply chain? Things like this – that we take for granted in a western context – cannot to be taken for granted when going into that market.

Companies going into Asia have to do a lot of research, planning, onsite visits and a lot more validation of their retailers and supply chain if they want to get their products to market.”

When it comes to food itself, especially meats, it is not so much that the diet is different, but the different cuts mean different things to different cultures. Wiskar gives chicken as a prime example.

“If you look at something like chicken breast, it can cost a small fortune in Australia, but chicken wings are a lot cheaper,” he said.

“However, if you go to China, chicken wings are twice the price than that of chicken breast because they value the flavour of the chicken meat that is on the bone, despite the fact it is a small amount of meat.

Wiley’s Brett Wiskar says that a transparent supply chain is key to doing business in Asia.

If you have a chicken and you are prepared to process it in Australia the price per kilo of chicken breast is high, but if you process it in China, it is the price of the chicken wings that drive the market – any meat off the bone does.”

Perhaps the best news for the food and beverage industry with regard to doing business in Asia comes from Ferguson, who said that not only is the market perceived as lucrative, it actually is. And those within the industry can only see the market

A shrimp-packing plant in Thailand.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 13

BUSINESS IN ASIA

A biscuit-making factory in the northern island of Hakkaido, Japan.

14 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

growing bigger, and quickly.

“It is growing fast, and is driven by several issues,” said Ferguson.

“First are food safety and quality.

Then there are consumer demands and the China Australia Free Trade Agreement (ChAFTA). This is still in the early days, but it may prove to be the largest consumerdriven boom in the history of mankind for the food, beverage and agriculture sectors.”

Safety and quality cannot be underestimated, as indicated by the massive queues of Chinese nationals or their proxies in Australian retail outlets for local powdered milk.

Wiskar said that while these issues are the drivers, it is the lack of trust in the Asian-produced products that has inflamed local demand.

“The milk powder situation goes back to a trust issue,” he said.

“The Chinese have milk powder factories, but consumers know they don’t have the capacity to produce enough milk locally. And if some Chinese manufacturers do have milk in raw form, Asian consumers know the milk didn’t come from cows grazing in the Victorian highlands of Australia with clean air and clean

BUSINESS IN ASIA "There are many positives when going into the Asian and Chinese markets...

Once the brand becomes recognised it can lead to an enormous multiplier effect on consumer demand not only in China, but throughout the whole region.

This may help those in the industry who are currently overly dependent on the Australian domestic retail cycle." grass and all those sorts of things.”

Which brings up another red flag for any Australian processor or manufacturer thinking of starting up a business on the continent – be careful how you market a product.

He said that some foreign enterprises that kowtow to local marketing strategies might shoot themselves in the foot, especially when it comes to food and beverage products.

The Asian diaspora means that their communities are in different countries and they keep in touch with friends and relatives in their homeland – something that needs considering when deciding on what to do.

“We’ve had stories from China about people seeing an Australian ‘brand’,” said. Wiskar “Now, this

brand might well have been set up by an Australian manufacturer because they did the research and determined the name of the brand was good, and the colouring and branding was good and all sorts of other things.

But the people in China might have relatives in Melbourne and they will ask them if they have heard of the brand. However, because the company manufacturing the product doesn’t use the brand in Australia, the relatives say, ‘No’. This leads to the people in China assuming it is a counterfeit product that is not from Australia and therefore won’t buy it.”

Another outcome from the KMPG survey was that 50 per cent of those in the agribusiness sector thought the business environment

in China was ‘somewhat difficult’.

There are many reasons for this, said Ferguson. As well as different rules, standards, the language barrier and behaviours, businesses need to take in to account a whole range of other considerations.

“Production costs and especially labour costs are rising fast, while consumer prices for commoditytype foods are under pressure,” he said. “The ability to compete with other foreign companies, let alone local Chinese companies, requires a culture of making sure you are up to date with the latest innovations.

Then you have to be quick to make decisions if a pilot scheme seems to be working. Finally, you might have to sustain losses for the first couple of years and then stay the course with constant improvement, while keeping costs lean and efficient.”

And what are both Wiskar and Ferguson’s last pieces of advice for those heading into the region?

“It is an expensive process to go into the Asian market,” said Wiskar.

“But it is a lucrative market because it is so large. You wouldn’t want to spend a small fortune going into the market and not spend the extra money to do the research properly

The right steps to take your business to Asia.

to make sure you are entering the market in the right way.”

“There are many positives when going into the Asian and Chinese markets,” said Ferguson. “You may find that trade leads to new capital investment interest in your company.

Once the brand becomes recognised it can lead to an enormous multiplier effect on consumer demand, not only in China, but throughout the whole region. This may help those in the industry who are currently overly dependent on the Australian domestic retail cycle.

“I would also advise people to visit China or any other country they are trying to do business in on a regular basis. Also welcome visitors from the region to see your operations in Australia to educate and build relations. Make sure your person on the ground is capable of building trust and credibility with local staff, regulators and consumers.

“Finally, I would suggest that you are seen to be helping the countries’ governments – especially in the case of China – build and strengthen their own domestic food and logistics industries through education and training, as it is most valued and considered very important.”

Establishing a manufacturing presence in Asia is a complex endeavour for the uninitiated.

With decades of specialist food experience and a network of Asian project partners, we can help you navigate the commercial and cultural landscape of the nuanced Asian market.

AUSTRALASIA • ASIA • PACIFIC www.wiley.com.au 1300 385 988 connect@wiley.com.au

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www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 15

BUSINESS IN ASIA

Designing and building a facility in Asia: What you need to know So, you want to build a food processing plant in Asia? There are a few things you should know first. Mike Wheeler talks to Wiley’s integrated project delivery experts on how to get started.

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ustralian food and beverage manufacturers open processing factories in Asia for many different reasons – cheap labour, being closer to markets, lower running costs.

Wiley is a company that has spent many years building up its portfolio of building projects in Asia – Thailand and Indonesia are just a few countries where they have built facilities for a variety of FMCG food specialists.

Wiley’s first Asia project was 1995 for Nestle Indonesia, who where going through an expansion phase on several sites in East Java – a condensed milk factory was built quickly followed by a Milo factory and then by others including factory upgrades and central distribution centre.

Wiley brought some innovations to their projects, which provided better hygiene controls, sped up construction and reduced ongoing maintenance. An example of innovation was concrete tilt-up walls to a warehouse which made construction faster and eliminated the maintenance of repairing plastered blockwork.

After its start in Indonesia, Wiley designed some ‘signature’ facilities in

the Philippines, particularly a large commissary for leading Filipino fast food company Jollibee.

There are many preconceived ideas – some true, some not so much – when starting up a factory in the most populous continent on the planet. For a start, there are still standards that have to be met. Maybe they’re not as stringent as those in Australia? Not necessarily so says the company’s advisory services director, Andrew Newby.

“We build to international standards or specific client requirements when building overseas,” said Newby. “A country like Thailand considers itself the kitchen of the world. They export to Japan, Europe and all over the planet so they have to meet high standards.

You look at the workmanship level when building in Asia – the finishes – as to being similar to Australia.

We look at how they might improve the way they do things, and, in some cases, we do have a lot of supervision when building as to how they carry out tasks. I find that supervision is a really strong factor in achieving great finishes.”

Wiley business development

Indonesia has a huge population that needs FMCGs.

16 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

manager, Michael Fung, backs up that assertion. “When starting a project, I would advise to have somebody up there who can manage the delivery.

Having an Australian supervisor is a good idea,” he said. “If you leave all the dealings with a local contractor you don’t know what you are going to end up with.”

Dealing with local government can vary from country to country.

While there might be an impression that a lot of these places have thirdworld infrastructure, they still have construction standards that have to be adhered to, licenses that have to be put in place, approvals and other bureaucratic necessities that must be met. A key factor for food and beverage processors have to take into consideration is risk. What are the local issues? Is the government reasonably stable? Is the workforce reliable? What are the local labour laws and how will they affect my business? Fung also says that sometimes companies get caught up with the setting up and forget about the commercial aspects.

“You have to look at how they operate,” he said. “Things like bank accounts, what you need to have

in place before you even go over there. Take Indonesia and Thailand for example. The differences doing business in those two countries is significant. There are differences in paid-up capital requirements to setup business. Then there are business set-up costs. It is that up front advice that they need to get from lawyers and accountants before they get their foot in the door of the country that needs sorting out and we often assist with.”

Is it easier doing business in one country compared to another? Yes and no, says Newby. It’s more to do with how the country sees itself with regard to food manufacturing than any clear set of rules designed to make things easier or harder for the companies involved.

“It is about making sure you are ready,” said Newby. “For example, Thailand has a very active board of investment. They will give you a lot of help to set up a new business.

Whereas you might not get that in Indonesia because they are not such an export-driven country. So, it’s important to look for incentives.”

Then there are the reasons a company is going there to Asia in the first place. Is it to export back to Australia? Export that country’s produce around the world?

Depending on what you are going to do relates to which is the best country to erect a factory.

“It’s all about supply chain,” said Newby. “It’s about what you are making. Is your raw material available in that country? Because every country is different. What are you producing?

Does it make sense to build in that location? If you’re not really sure then we can help a client decide the geographical location within Asia where it makes sense to be. You have to also look at where ports are located, airports – things like that.”

Wiley is a company that has many

BUSINESS IN ASIA

years’ experience building facilities on the continent. This experience can go a long way to helping companies just starting their journey in Asia, especially when it comes to scoping a new project.

“It is important to get a company, or someone, with experience building facilities there,” said Wiley communications manager, Rachael Hedges. “We can start right from the beginning through our business advisory unit – from identifying what

The whole of Asia is open for business, according to Wiley.

country you should go into. What is the business risk? What is the business position for going there? We make sure there is due diligence and that the company’s future planning is in the right spaces and places. Then our delivery team can partner with local suppliers and subcontractors and make sure they are getting the right advice to get the right outcome.”

And how are things looking there at the moment? Wiley is at pains to point out that the whole region – depending on wants and needs – is open for business. However, the big player in the arena – China – is never far from anyone’s thoughts. Still, opportunities abound everywhere said Newby.

“The areas that I’ve seen pretty good growth in are the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia,” he said.

“With Indonesia for example, it has got a population of 230 million. There is a really strong domestic need for food there. Whereas Thailand has 60 -70 million people but is a big exporter because the government has been very proactive in supporting the food industry. Some Asian countries are building strong connections to China.

“As the infrastructure gets better

When building in Asia it is important to get someone with experience erecting such facilities in the region on board.

in Asia, it is going to open up. You are then going to see more trade, which those governments are trying to do with the ASEAN (Association of South-east Asian Nations) agreement – trying to break down trade barriers in the region so labour and goods can cross borders easily.”

How does Newby feel about the near future with regard to growth, especially for Australian companies thinking of dipping their toes in the food and beverage processing market?

“Some economists say that at

the moment the Asian economies are sluggish, but this view only makes sense when compared to the double-digit growth that the region experienced in previous economic cycles,” he said.

Growth rates in the ASEAN area for example are still forecast to be somewhere between 5-9 per cent in 2019 and when combined with the big populations in Asia, it is unlikely that demand for high quality food and beverages will be declining anytime soon.

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www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 17

IBA

International baking expo highlights automation As the decline of the traditional white loaf keeps on accelerating, other types of breads are taking over. But producing these breads creates a different set of issues. Mike Wheeler explains.

E

very three years, anyone who is anyone in the baking industry converges on Munich for the iba, the international bakery exhibition/conference. This year there were more than 1700 exhibitors, 76,000 visitors and about $3.4 billion in trade completed at the event.

One person hitting the stands and looking over the event was Total Construction’s general manager for its food and beverage division, Tony Tate. It’s an industry he’s been involved with for more than 30 years and is deft at spotting upcoming trends and where the industry is heading. He thinks the next big thing to hit the baking industry will be

“Indulgence Individual Creation”.

The Universal Bread production is focusing on sourdough long fermentation and process Quality.

Walking around the show clearly is showing Automation of artisan breads, is happing now which will mean they take the step from being a specialty product to becoming a commodity.

He believes that there will be an uptake in both national and multinational bread bakers opening up new premises, or converting current ones into those that will meet the demands of consumers who no longer go after traditional white and brown breads – in other words,

Tate believes the next big thing in baking will be indulgence individual creations.

18 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

traditional tin-baked breads.

“In the 60s bakers were trying to get the baking of white loaves automated because white bread was part of the staple diet of Australians,” said Tate. “You look at it now, it is in decline. It is only added value breads like grain breads or low GI breaks that is keeping the tin bread market open. You look at the large bread companies who are shutting down bakeries and consolidating manufacturing to survive the large supermarkets low price strategy.

With artisan and sourdough loaves now becoming popular, bakers have to shift gear and start producing facilities that will cope with

influx of demand.

“In the 1970s and 1980s they developed mechanisation and made white bread more competitive. The Chorleywood bread mixing process was invented and started bringing in 3000-loaves-an-hour lines, then 8000-loaves-an-hour lines. In the late 2000s they brought in 10,000-loavesan-hour lines. Now everybody is going for the sourdough. If you go around the show it is all about artisan, sourdough and French baguettes, Vienna’s etc.”

And the building of plants based around these breads has already begun. French-based artisan bread specialist, Laurent, has just invested huge amounts of money on building an Artisan plant in Victoria. Their first plant in 2009 they could bake 3000 baguettes an hour now over 8000 baguettes an hour.

Early demand of Sourdough bread sold for premium $8.49 per loaf now they selling them in the supermarkets at $4.99.” per loaf.

Tate believes that baking will go through an interesting transition over the next 10 years due to the expectations of not only consumers, but what bakers will be capable of doing – the hard part is to gauge is what that will entail.

“White bread rose and then declined, sourdough will follow because of the automation of mechanised plant cable of mass producing Artisan bread available now but couldn’t do artisan 10 years ago.

Tate see an opportunity for individualised, indulgent artisan creations made to order same day.

Order in morning pick up or get delivered the afternoon.

The process equipment automation will struggle to try and automate these kinds of products. But you have to start somewhere and start chipping away.

IBA One of the main drivers for attending the event was about building relationships, and taking those associations a step further.

There were plenty of new innovations on display at the iba in Munich.

When it comes to automation, Tate said there was a demonstration at the event that could be a precursor to what the future holds for some fast-food outlets and how their food is served.

“There was a booth with a robot in it,” said Tate. “It grabbed a bun.

The robot put a knife through it and sliced the bun. The robot turned the bun over, put butter on it, it then

changed its arm to pick up a piece of salami, then put on some lettuce and then some cheese. It then put the bun into a wrapper station, folded it over, then put a stamp on it that said ‘freshly made for you’ or something like that. But it took 15 minutes. So somebody who works at McDonalds has still got a job at the moment, but the technology will eventually come through.”

One of the main drivers for attending the event was about building relationships, and taking those associations a step further.

“It was more than just about building relationships, it was about understanding the relationship all the way through,” said Tate.

“It’s that relationship building and being consistent to the industry that means if anybody has a referral then people’s first port of call will be Total Construction. We have the knowledge. We know the industry.

We know about bakeries and we can build it.”

One more key take out from the iba for Tate, was some of the oven technology coming through whereby several types of products can be baked at once.

“Mecatherm has designed an oven to encompass flexibility. The oven itself can cost up into the thousands depending on specification and flexabliity” said Tate. “This allows the entrepreneur baker to have the flexibility to take several format such

Quality Dutch

as sourdough breads, tin breads, batch soft rolls or cakes. For this investment bakeries can get into the market and say, ‘by the way I have the flexibility to do my tin bread in the morning, I can do my artisan in the afternoon and do my cakes whenever.’”

With his final thoughts on the exhibition, Tate has some definitive ideas on where the baking industry is heading, but is a little unsure when it will get there.

“Is automation here? Yes, it is,” he said. “Artisan and sourdough are the main drivers going forward, and it is the level of automation as to whether it will become a commodity. The next phase I believe will be indulgent products that are being created whether it is chocolate, whether it is bread, whether it is a work of art and those processes will eventually become automated robots, but it’s a long time away.”

With another three years before the next iba comes around, it will be interesting to see if Tate’s predictions come true.

Dutch Quality

From silo to truck Silo

Mixing

Dough handling

Pizza

Final Decorating proofing

Baking

Pan handling

Cooling

Freezing

Crate Packaging handling

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www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 19

IBA

Iba Munich – a chance to show off the latest and greatest in the baking industry Food and Beverage Industry News attended the iba Munich bakery, confectionary and snack fair in Germany. Miri Schroeter caught up with Australian-based companies while at the event.

T

he 2018 iba baking, snack and confectionary fair in Munich, Germany was visited by more than 77,000 people from more than 160 countries. And with good reason – it showcased more than 1,300 exhibitors that ranged from equipment suppliers, flooring specialists, packaging manufacturers, tech gurus, ingredient suppliers and everything in between.

Apart from the delicious cakes and breads on offer, iba is the event to be at for finding the right piece of equipment to buy to help a business grow. Global companies with offices in Australia ensured they had their finger in the pie to not only showcase products, but also to engage with the latest European trends. This included finding out what matters most to manufacturers looking for products and services that will improve their businesses.

Nord Drivesystems exhibited at iba, with a two-stage bevel gear unit on display, which is available to the Australian market. The company’s Australian managing director, Martin Broglia, said smart packaging is a prominent trend that Nord is staying on top of. “Packaging which helps products stay fresher for longer, is more environmentally friendly and tamper proof, is on the rise.”

To keep up with sustainable packaging trends, companies must implement Industry 4.0 and embrace technology in order to keep up with supply demand, said Broglia.

“More than ever, food processing and packaging is receiving a huge amount of interest, not only in the manufacturing sector, but from governments and environmental groups as well,” he said.

“There is a big focus on food waste and what manufacturers and producers are doing to minimise this. I expect we will see more and more innovation in

the processing and packaging of food as the population surges, food becomes in shorter supply, and the topic of waste becomes more urgent.”

“With increasing hygiene standards, I think we will see a bigger uptake on automation in the future as customers embrace automation for the safety, hygiene and productivity it can bring to an organisation,” said Broglia.

Nord Drivesystems exhibited a model of its products at iba.

Automation helps create one-stop-shop

Kaak Group, a company that offers turn-key solutions for the industrial baking industry, had a large stand in the first hall of the exhibition. The equipment specialist knows iba is the place to introduce new products and services to existing customers, as well as showing its point of difference to potential clients.

The company offers a one-stopshop service – from silo to truck. The total service concept allows companies to deal with Kaak for all product and service needs.

Kaak Group ANZ managing director, Tyrone Crook, saw iba as an opportunity to connect with people in the baking industry that like him, come from the southern side of the world where thousands of companies

20 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

set up shop to create artisan and tin breads, snacks, and pizza products.

Kaak Group has solutions for small, medium and large businesses in the baking industry.

The company sells equipment for mixing, dividing, rounding, proofing, moulding, lidding, final proofing, baking, delidding, depanning, cooling and freezing, among other product requirements in the baking and snack industry.

One of the latest services introduced to Kaak Group’s inventory, released at iba, was the e-commerce platform. The service makes it easy for customers to buy spare parts, learn about their

The iba expo in Munich attracted more than 77,000 visitors.

equipment, and purchase additional equipment online. The webshop provides easy access to more than 20,000 products and a 24/7 helpdesk, which can be accessed through a multi- user account.

“Each piece of gear that is sold has an online manual. We are able to identify that particular piece of kit,” said Crook. Identifying equipment quickly makes it easier to source spare parts immediately, he said.

“If the customer requires something desperately, they could have it almost straight away.”

The multi-user access allows employees to use the webshop for their company, but controlled access ensures safety and security. Access to the account has varying permission levels to allow some users permission to order new products and view account activity.

Companies can also set a maximum spend level and they can allow some users to fill the shopping cart and share it with colleagues, while restricting purchases.

Kaak’s stand at iba also featured a newly created dough sensor for inline use. The sensor can test the dough on several parameters during production

IBA

and allows the operator to take corrective actions on time, instead of leaving it too late.

Baking pans and trays installed with an electronic barcode system have also been introduced to Kaak’s product line.

The pans help control product and equipment quality. Every time a pan/ tray passes an in-line laser on the manufacturing line, it records whether bread is left on the pan/tray and the frequency of use. “It tells you how the bakeware is performing, and it rejects the bakeware when it isn’t performing well,” said Crook.

Each pan/tray can be used about 3000 times before the user is informed that it should be recoated – a service also provided by Kaak Group Australia/New Zealand.

Step-by-step

While bread featured heavily at iba, Kaak’s equipment can also be used by other businesses such as pizza and snack manufacturers. The equipment can be slowly integrated into an existing factory, or Kaak can provide a system from scratch, said Crook. “We can help businesses from start-ups right up to industrial bakeries. The unit machines are manufactured to suit smaller or bigger

requirements, depending on the capacity of a manufacturer.” Kaak can help companies, traditionally creating hand-made products, transition to an automated process, said Crook.

Equipment can be bought as it is needed. For example, a company may buy a divider first and then buy a rounder or moulder, so employees don’t need to do everything by hand, he said.

“They can buy standalone pieces of equipment, or they can buy a fully automated system. It’s as manual or as automated as you want it.”

Automated systems have their benefit as they can let the user know if there is a failure or a potential risk, said Crook. “It prevents a breakdown.

For example, if a gear box that drives the oven has a fault, it will be picked up and it will send an alert to your HMI (Human-Machine Interface) screen.”

If a spare part is needed it can usually be sourced from Kaak Group in Brisbane, but Crook also works with clients to suggest spare parts that a customer may benefit from keeping on site as critical spare parts.

Try before you buy

Buying large manufacturing equipment is a huge investment so Kaak provides food manufacturers with the use of

Great food fare was on display at the iba exhibition in Munich. its technology centre for trials before deciding on which products to purchase to suit a factory’s needs, said Crook.

He has taken Australian customers to Kaak’s technology centre in Holland to test new products as a way to deliver proof of concept and the best solution for them prior to purchase.

Alternatively, customers can send their recipes, and preferred processing methods, to Kaak’s team who will test the products to find an ideal manufacturing solution.

Wrapping up iba 2018

Iba may be a baking and snacks fair, but products showcased there work for many food and beverage manufacturers. What made it a special

fair, was seeing companies such as Kaak Group and Nord Drivesystems using the event to introduce new and existing “must have” products and services that are available to not only the European market, but the companies’ Australian counterparts too. Iba celebrates success and innovation in the food industry – giving attendees the chance to be a part of creating movement in the sector.

The days, hours, minutes and even seconds are already being counted on the iba website for the next expo.

The triennial event is set to be held in Munich again in September 2021 and time will tell whether the next expo will trump this year’s figures and high calibre of exhibitors.

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www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 21

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Saving on energy costs by using the right equipment Food and Beverage Industry News caught up with MHE-Demag to talk about cutting energy costs in food storage despite increasing power prices.

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ustralians are likely to experience a 53.8 per cent increase in energy prices in Victoria from the fourth quarter of 2018 to the first quarter of 2019.

Other states are expected to see similar increases, according to predictions from the Australian Energy Regulator. For Victoria, this would mean the dollar per megawatt hour could jump from $84 to $129.

Despite a strong surge in prices, the four-year forecast estimates a decline in Victoria to $68.5 per megawatt hour by the fourth quarter

of 2019, but it could climb to $80.4 per megawatt hour in the first quarter of 2021. New South Wales is expected to see a lower first quarter in 2019 than Victoria, but prices remain slightly higher throughout the year. In the first quarter of next year, NSW is expected to reach $105 per megawatt hour and it should increase to $71 per megawatt hour in the final quarter of 2019.

With numbers fluctuating in the next five years, saving on energy where possible is becoming increasingly important to companies,

including food and beverage manufacturers. MHE-Demag helps businesses reduce their energy consumption and minimise costs by offering specialised equipment and services. The company provides loading bay solutions for food storage and cold chain operators, with products including dock levellers, dock shelters and doors.

MHE-Demag managing director Vince Di Costanzo said the company’s unique, customisable range of products and staff expertise helps create long-term savings.

“With energy costs being higher than any other country, it’s a real focal point for business survival,” he said.

In late-2018, the company completed a project with a large food supplier in Melbourne, which stocks a range of fresh and frozen foods as well as drygoods and paper products.

“They do everything from jarred and canned food to oils, pastas, rice and an array of seafood. It’s quite a covering,” said Di Costanzo.

MHE-Demag installed dock levellers, rapid rail doors, high-speed roller shutters and door seals at the factory.

“We have high-speed, insulated freezer doors that maintain temperatures from sub-zero to five degrees. By maintaining environmental integrity in the cold storage environment, it maximises energy efficiency.” Dock shelters and seals for incoming and outgoing products helped achieve that, he said.

A hands-on role throughout the project was required to ensure the client received the best service and made cost savings where possible.

By offering personalised project management, MHE-Demag was able to steer the company away from a more expensive door installation to an option that would lower their energy bill. “Where they were wanting two doors in one location, we were able to create a one door solution, meeting the same requirements.” The change in design means the company only needs to run power to a single door.

“In our product offering, we were able to provide the shelter and seals to the required measurements and we’ve created better insulation for this company. The energy loss has been dramatically reduced,” said Di Costanzo.

Service after Installation MHE-Demag also believes in preventative maintenance and 22 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

ongoing support that will ensure the products last. “We make sure there’s an inspection carried out on all of the seals. Where ever there’s a sign of wear and tear we can replace, or repair, or put other protocols in place,” said Di Costanzo.

However, there are already measures in place to minimise products breakage once it is installed.

The door curtains on MHE-Demag’s high speed doors, for example, are self-repairing. If the door curtain comes off of the track, for instance in the event of impact with a forklift, the system will guide the curtain back into the tracks on the next cycle.

They are made without any rigid pieces, making them safe for use by equipment and staff.

“To minimise energy consumption, a zipper style fixture of the curtain retention within the guides or tracks creates a more reliable seal for minimal temperature or air loses compared to many rapid roller doors with fabric curtains,” said Di Costanzo.

With many of the products, such as the dock leveller, manufactured in Australia, MHE-Demag is also able to provide items quickly. “We have better control of the manufacturing

High-speed roller shutters can save a lot of money when it comes to eneryg costs.

and we tend to have a higher quality, stronger product,” he said.

Energy consumption grows As Australian energy consumption continues to grow, MHE-Demag aims to help companies steer clear of unnecessary power usage. An Australian government Department

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Industrial Water Analysers and Liquid Analytical Products (pH, Conductivity, ORP, Dissolved Oxygen, etc) www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 23

AFGC

Australia’s quiet workhorse Australia’s food contributes billions per year to the economy. The Australian Food and Grocery Council breaks down the regions making the most of the sector.

A

ustralia’s food and grocery manufacturing sector is in many respects the quiet workhorse of the national economy.

Australia’s largest manufacturing sector comprises companies that typically take produce from the farm and transform it into food and the consumer goods that

every Australian needs every day.

Fundamentally, the essentials of life.

While this industry has built a strong reputation for quality, safety and environmentally responsible production, its importance is further realised when you examine its contribution to the communities in which these companies operate.

24 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

For Northern Victorian regional economies, the food and grocery sector contributes $12 billion in annual output and makes the largest contribution. It employs 21,500 Victorians and pays $119 million per annum in tax - more than any other sector. The sector’s contribution to regional communities

is even greater when you take into account the supply chain linkages for example through local farming, engineering and transport jobs that the sector stimulates.

These are impressive numbers, with major global companies like Fonterra at Stanhope, Mars Pet Care at Wodonga and Nestle at Tongala

AFGC "This sector is incredibly resilient and is worth backing, because we have a globally competitive edge. Our ‘Clean and Green reputation’ is the envy of the world and it enables some companies to get premium prices for value-added food and beverage products in growing export markets." through to small, local companies like Beechworth Honey driving jobs and local economies across Northern Victoria.

The far more urban region of Western Sydney has also emerged as a food and grocery manufacturing powerhouse, generating $17 billion in output per year and $138 million in taxes.

The sector employs 24,400 workers whose wages and salaries pump $1.9 billion into the local economy annually. On average, workers can earn up to $80,000 a year.

Western Sydney’s current population of 2.1 million is expected to grow by a further 1 million people over the next 18 years, and it is critical to ensure jobs are available in the same areas in which people live.

While manufacturing has had a

bad rap of late, we still make things in this country, with the highest quality standards. There is no doubt Australia’s largest manufacturing sector is being challenged by input costs, which are rising on everything from commodities to labour to energy; and seven years of continuous retail deflation.

Looking ahead, as Australia’s food manufacturing sector relies so heavily on Australian farmers, shortages caused by the drought will have considerable flow-on effects for food processors through increased input costs. Given the challenge posed by ongoing retail price deflation, this places greater stress on jobs and investment in manufacturing.

Yet this sector is incredibly resilient and is worth backing, because we have a globally

competitive edge. Our “Clean and Green reputation” is the envy of the world and it enables some companies to get premium prices for valueadded food and beverage products in growing export markets.

Northern Victorian food and grocery manufacturers exported over $2.1 billion last year, and Western Sydney $2.5 billion (a growth of more than 10 per cent from the previous year) showing our trading advantages in ensuring our products are served up on Chinese, Japanese and Korean dinner plates.

The ability to fully capitalise on these advantages is not going to happen without an ongoing push for trade competitiveness, a stable regulatory environment and reform to drive down input costs. Importantly we also need to look at ways to encourage these companies to continue to invest in their manufacturing plants and people.

Australians have long been proud of making things and now is the time to get behind what we are making in our regions and cities alike.

The AFGC has recently launched a public affairs campaign to do just that - demonstrate the true value of

the $131 billion food and grocery industry to all levels of government and the Australian public.

Built around the central theme We’re from here, the campaign message is: Australian food and grocery manufacturers and processors play a key role in Australia’s communities and economies in which they operate.

This is being dissected further into the areas of quality, choice, jobs and engagement with the community – all of which are key drivers of our sector.

Australia has a $131 billion food industry.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 25

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Chemical storage tanks that keep produce and staff out of harm’s way Polymaster offers chemical and process tank solutions for the safe and convenient storage of liquids. Food and Beverage Industry News explains.

Polymaster tanks come in 1500 to 30,000 litre capacities.

W

hether a company is looking for a waste collection tank, a chemical storage tank, or a tank to hold a key ingredient used in the food and beverage industry, Polymaster offers solutions for storing liquids safely.

Polymaster’s primary focus within food and beverage is assisting in the design and supply of tanks, chemical dosing and installation services. The company’s industrial sales manager, Daniel Steele, said tanks can be used in most divisions within food and beverage, including breweries,

abattoirs and dairies. “We offer bulk chemical storage tanks, selfbunded tanks and cone bottom tanks.

Where IBC’s are used, Polymaster offers a unique IBC Mother Tank, which makes it easier and safer to decant liquids from IBCs.” “We offer the complete solution with our in-house engineering and project management teams. We can make handling chemicals a lot safer. We help companies reuse wastewater and we save on downtime in the plant.” All of Polymaster’s chemical tanks undergo rigorous

26 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

testing to ensure there is no chance of a leak – making it safer for staff to handle, said Steele. The internal bunded tank is fully encased with an outer, secondary containment, tank so nothing can leak out, he said. The chemical tanks also remove the need to install costly concrete bunding and are not subject to rainwater ingress.

They come in 1500-litre to 30,000litre bunded capacities.

“The self-bunded tank design detects if a tank is being overfilled and it will prevent that from happening. The customers will

also be notified if there is a leak,” he said. This works with a small power control panel, which relays information in real-time. “When they are filling the tank, it’s got a high volume alarm. It also stops the pump, making it virtually impossible to overfill the chemical tank.

“The tanks are made from a high anti-oxidant polyethylene, which means they are not subject to corrosion from most chemicals used in the food and beverage industry.

They are also fully UV resistant and come with a 25-year design life,” said

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Polymaster tanks can help treat waste water.

"We offer the complete solution with our in-house engineering and project management teams. We can make handling chemicals a lot safer. We help companies reuse wastewater and we save on downtime in the plant."

Steele. Manufactured to Australian standards, the tanks are made to last, he said. “They are very durable, they are very UV resistant, they last through Australia’s extreme weather and they don’t break down.”

The IBC Mother Tank – also commonly used in the food and beverage industry – is designed with all the needed features in mind to make it easy to fill and empty, said Steele. An IBC can be placed on top of the Mother Tank from any side and then gravity fills the 1500-litre Mother Tank below, through flexible hosing and a camlock connection, with no pumps required. “With the design of the IBC Mother Tank, it completely drains the IBC and transfer hose so there is no potentially harmful chemical

residue left to get in contact with the operators,” he said.

The tanks are not only designed with safety in mind, they also help businesses save on water consumption. “Food and beverage places produce a lot of wastewater.

We help manage that.” Instead of discarding wastewater, Polymaster’s tank systems can help treat the water, which saves businesses money, said Steele. “With water being so costly, and the drought conditions in Australia at the moment, everyone wants to do their bit on that front.”

To help maintain quality and longevity of the tanks, Polymaster offers end-to-end solutions of designing the tank system, manufacture of tanks and accessories, installation of tanks,

tank inspections and also offers maintenance solutions.

The cone-bottom tanks are open vessels that offer a self-draining functionality. These are capable of complete discharge of contents following a mixing process. For businesses wanting a tank that are out of sight, there are also underground liquid storage tanks available.

Other options also exist

within the Polymaster range for bins and hoppers that are used heavily throughout the food and beverage industry.

With a focus on occupational safety and health, and increasing productivity, there are many pallet bins, cone-bottom hoppers and food transfer tubs that come in different configurations for ease of use, said Steele.

For one hundred years and four generations Wiley have been delivering the facilities that famous brands in food manufacturing rely on to deliver our favourite products.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 27

TRACEABILITY

Food won’t waste away with CompuSoft’s software solutions The challenge of minimising food waste must be tackled by using technology in your company that ensures products make it to the consumer’s plate. Food and Beverage Industry News explains.

Foodstuff software can help suppliers quickly recall contaminated products.

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rom paddock to plate – getting food to consumers should be seamless, but unfortunately it is often spoiled by recalls, missed use-by dates and costly mistakes. To improve a product’s journey, CompuSoft Australia has come up with a solution that allows businesses to make the most of their produce and avoid being wasted, by using a software management system.

CompuSoft developed FoodSoft – an extension to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central – which is designed to give food suppliers, manufacturers and distributors the insight they need to operate efficiently. It can replace several existing systems, and give businesses an easy, centralised way to manage their processes.

FoodSoft tracks produce, ensuring the right goods are delivered to the right company, and alerting clients to food that is nearing its use-by date. The company’s head of sales, Stephen Tritton, said the system helps distributors buy bulk food that is then split up and sent to customers, including restaurateurs and supermarkets.

“What these businesses presently have, are systems that do not track increased stock arriving. They do not track use-by dates or batch numbers.

But batch numbers are becoming more important with HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points).”

Tritton uses an example of a baking facility that could have a scenario where a batch of dough becomes contaminated. If this happened, manufacturers of the biscuits, and stores stocking the products, need to be able to recall an item as fast as possible, he said. FoodSoft would help find the products affected by the contamination, while leaving uncontaminated biscuits on shelfs, rather than having to remove them all if no secure tracking systems were in place. “Most food distribution businesses don’t have the ability to track. Managers and owners can easily collate the information they need to meet regulatory requirements and ensure quality control and traceability – right across the business.”

Similarly, if the wrong product gets delivered, CompuSoft’s software will inform the recipient immediately, which minimises wastage and costs,

28 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

said Tritton. “Let’s say it’s frozen goods – quite often what happens is when you don’t have our system you take all the stuff off the truck. You then put it in your warehouse where you wait for the invoice to arrive. You then check the invoice and realise it’s the wrong product. Often at this stage, the supplier would not take products back as they do not know whether the frozen goods were stored correctly during the time it took to realise there was an error,” he said.

“Our system counts and receives items as they arrive – identifying immediately that the wrong items have been delivered.” FoodSoft enables customers to determine, at a glance, what’s happening across the business at any point in time. Suppliers can use “batch and lot” tracking to easily recall products. This is enhanced by features such as damaged stock controls.

FoodSoft can also help manage product distribution by tracking the use-by date to ensure the oldest goods get sent first. “There’s a lot of waste that happens from not doing this,” said Tritton. The system warns staff when things are getting close to getting to the use-by date.

Swapping manual orders for an online system

Many cafes and restaurants order goods from distributors manually, but the process would be easier, for all parties, if the distributor had a good online platform in place, he said. Often with manual orders, the distributor does not have a record of which flour or oil a company orders, which can slow down service when an employee must look through records to find the right product for that restaurant, said Tritton. Businesses can empower their staff by providing them with the right information to make the right decisions, at the right time. The system promotes smarter decision-making. “Our system will show the products that a client regularly buys. It also allows the client

to order electronically. That removes a lot of time wastage and errors.”

Error-prone data entry is eliminated by automating and simplifying key processes and enhancing control – for example, by offering pantry lists into which clients can simply input quantities. With connected, streamlined data, everyone can access the information they need, when they need it.

One system for all

The cost of implementing FoodSoft is usually absorbed in the first year, as businesses are switching to an automated system and can cut on staff costs, said Tritton. “Let’s say order entry people cost $50,000 per-year, per-person. If you can get 20 per cent of your orders in electronically, through apps and e-commerce, you can hire two less people. That’s a huge saving year-on-year. Our system will be paid for in the first year,” he said.

“The main reason it’s based on Microsoft is that it’s a worldwide mature platform. It integrates with Office 365. It’s easy to transition to because the average person is used to using Microsoft products. Being a Microsoft product, it works across all platforms, including Apple. It talks to other systems seamlessly.”

CompuSoft also trains staff so they get maximum use out of the software, said Tritton. This can be done outside of work hours to ensure minimal disruption to a business. CompuSoft staff work with companies to ensure they use the features that will most benefit their business.

The team at CompuSoft has over 30 years’ experience in helping businesses in the wholesale food, manufacturing and distribution sector in Australia and New Zealand.

The company is a Microsoft Gold Partner and staff specialise in creating innovative solutions based on Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central platform.

, D E E N U .

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PACKAGING

Combined effort helps pave the way to sustainable packaging The federal government and local businesses are banding together to significantly reduce packaging waste and improve recycling in Australia. Companies such as Jet Technologies are helping to achieve this. Food and Beverage Industry News explains. from 100 per cent vegetable origin.

“It’s also certified for contact with foodstuffs in compliance with all European and non‐European regulations. Migration tests on the polylaminate verify the absence of harmful or hazardous substances such as Bisphenol A, heavy metals and aromatic substances,” he said.

As the aluminium is suitable for use with foodstuffs, it has a definite size and guaranteed strength and it can be reused in other sectors, including production of window‐units or carpentry,” said D’Costa.

Improving shelf life

Jet Technologies gives a pop of colour to packaging.

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national packaging target will see 100 per cent of Australia’s packaging become reusable, recyclable or compostable by 2025. The goal also includes targeting plastic packaging by moving to 70 per cent recyclable or compostable plastic packaging by 2025. Problematic and unnecessary single-use plastic packaging will also be phased out through design, innovation or introduction of alternatives.

Global companies such as Nestlé, Unilever, Coca-Cola Amatil and Jet Technologies are making improvements to meet these standards. In late September, the federal government launched an official Australasian recycling label as an important tool for achieving the 2025 targets. The Australian Packaging Covenant Organisation (APCO) explained that the new evidence-based system is designed to combat confusion about recycling as there are currently more than 200 recycling labels.

Minister for the environment,

Melissa Price, said the label provides people with easy-to-understand recycling information when they need it most – in those few seconds when they are deciding what bin the package goes in. “The label removes confusion and reduces waste,” she said.

More than 50 Australian businesses have committed to the program, with the label now being used by brands including Woolworths, Officeworks, Nestlé, Unilever and Plantic. These APCO members, and others such as Jet Technologies, Blackmores and Australia Post, have committed to the design, manufacture and use of packaging that will ensure recyclable packaging.

Packaging: small and large matters

Whether it’s a wrapper covering a bite-sized chocolate morsel, or box of refreshing beverages, the target is aimed at all food and beverage packaging. Jet Technologies gives its clients solutions for numerous

30 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

packaging challenges, including offering recyclable packaging for the beverage industry down to small items such as wine hoods that sit on large recyclable glass bottles. The company is working closely with APCO to meet the 2025 packaging goals.

Jet Technologies is a specialist importer and distributor of products to the packaging industry, the industrial manufacturing industry and the print and finishing industry. Within the beverage industry, it supplies sparkling wine hoods, wine and spirits closures, bag-in-box beverage holders and casks. The company’s business development manager packaging, Carl D’Costa, said these products help beverages and liquid foods stay fresher for longer, minimising waste, and they are made from recyclable materials.

The company’s sparkling wine hoods are made from biocompatible material, a patented polymer that is multi-layered and self-supporting.

The hoods are free from glues and adhesion promoter and are made

Jet Technologies’ bag-in-box products factor in sustainability by promoting better shelf life. The range includes sizes from 1-1500 litres, spout options and barrier and non-barrier options.

The barrier refers to the transmission rates of the laminate of which the bag is produced. The two main areas of interest are oxygen and water vapour transmission rates. The lower the reading, the better the barrier, which creates a better shelf life.

“Good integrity against oxygen ingress is the key,” said D’Costa. The bags and the Roll on Pilfer Proof (ROPP), also known as screw caps, help to keep the packaging intact, he said. “They must provide a good seal to the bottle – preventing leakage as well as oxidation.” There are also anti-refill options available for bottle closures, which prevents unwanted liquids entering the vessel and it keeps it safe from tampering. “The end user must have confidence that the product purchased is fresh and has all the qualities, tastes and smells as per the manufacturers’ intention.

Providing an air tight, tamper-proof seal, which eliminates oxygen, ensures the product remains as fresh as possible,” said D’Costa.

The anti-fill insert is a plastic moulded piece that is inserted into the

PACKAGING

ROPP. “Once the ROPP is screwed onto the bottle, it attaches itself to the bottle and is difficult to remove. The insert allows fluid to flow out of the bottle but nothing can be poured back in. This also provides security against contamination,” said D’Costa. ROPP closures are also a viable option that save manufacturers money and replaces corks or continuous thread caps made of metal or plastic, he said.

Looking the part

Jet Technologies puts strong value on providing sustainable and environmentally conscious products, but the company also knows that manufacturers need a product that will look good on the shelf. “The design of ROPP closures provides more room for logos, graphics and other design elements. This advantage is one of our favourite reasons behind helping manufacturers utilise this packaging option. With flat litho printing and

rotary offset printing of up to five colours, we can help you maximise your ROPP closure to fit your branding,” said D’Costa.

There are numerous amounts of colours that can be achieved as well as the opportunity to include up to five colours per cap. “The design is only restricted by the area and the designer’s imagination,” he said.

D’Costa said the closures have proven to be a reliable option for manufacturers of spirits, wine and alcoholic or non-alcoholic sparkling beverages, but they are not limited to the drinks sector. “ROPP closures can be applied beyond beverage containers. In fact, one common way you may see them is for use with vinegars and oils, too. With our experience and focus on innovation, you can get the best guidance in the industry as you explore your options,” he said.

Closures are not the only eco product that Jet Technologies has to

offer. The company also supplies a high barrier bio-laminate for use in the flexible packaging market. The laminate is based on PLA (Polylactic Acid) and is recyclable as well as compostable. The PLA will readily breakdown forming CO2 and water.

The laminate is particularly useful in the coffee industry where current foil laminates are required to give good barrier properties, but the actual packaging can only go to landfill.

Working together to achieve sustainability

Brooke Donnelly, CEO, APCO, said reaching the landmark target of sustainable packaging by 2025 cannot be done without the help of companies. “Businesses play a crucial role in making this target a reality.” The target was announced in April 2018 and it includes businesses beyond the food and beverage sector.

Pharmaceuticals, printing, toy and sporting goods companies are also

taking on the challenge to use more sustainable packaging. “From design to production, there is a wide range of opportunities for organisations to improve the sustainability across the life cycle of their packaging,” she said.

“Reaching the landmark goal set by the Environment Ministers will require a complete transformation of the way our society thinks about packaging. As a nation we will need to start recognising it as a valuable resource and not just waste that is destined for landfill. Here at APCO, we know we can do it, but we can’t do it alone.

“A collective, collaborative approach by organisations will always achieve a more powerful, effective result. It enables the cross pollination of ideas and innovation and drives the development of viable and scalable economic programs across sectors that share problematic material issues,” said Donnelly.

Even small items such as wine caps are being made more sustainable.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 31

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SUSTAINABILITY

Say cheese – keeping products fresh has been made easier Not all cheese is meant to be mouldy. Pulford Air and Gas helps food manufacturers such as dairy companies keep their products fresh. Food and Beverage Industry News explains.

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heese comes in all shapes, sizes and flavours. Whether it’s a creamy camembert, a blue cheese with extra bite, or a sharp parmesan, there’s a place for cheese in many dishes. One place cheese manufacturer Dairy Country doesn’t want its products to land is the in the trash. But, when cheese comes in packages as large as 20kg it can be a challenge creating an environment that keeps the product fresh. With help from Pulford Air and Gas, Dairy Country can keep cheese from being subjected to unwanted elements that cause it to go stale or mouldy.

Dairy Country’s products range from 100g retail and foodservice packs to 20kg bulk grated, shredded, shaved and block cheeses. It specialises in processing and supplying mozzarella, parmesan and tasty cheese. The company has a high-volume dairy processing facility that processes cheese products for the local and export markets. The company’s management team said maintaining the quality of the cheese while keeping operating costs low.

The Dairy Country team said they were able to successfully deliver products with the assistance of Pulford’s modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technologies, ensuring the stated product life is achieved and, most importantly, impeding mould growth. “The MAP technologies provide the initial product

security measures to consistently meet food safety standards and consumer expectations,” they said.

MAP can be used in a variety of applications and it covers a wide range of products such as meats, baked products, pre-cooked foods, cheese, powdered milks, coffee, wine, crisps, nuts and dried foods. The advantages of MAP include assisting in extending the preservation period of a product – allowing for better economies of scale, better inventory management and transport costs to be handled in the most profitable way. This helps maximise revenue and minimise losses.

MAP also aids in reducing the level of additives and preservatives that are required in a product.

Pulford’s nitrogen and air services are used directly and indirectly on most products manufactured at Dairy Country, the team said. “Dairy Country generates its own nitrogen, in bulk, which reduces the cost of manufacture.

In order to maintain this low operating cost, the machinery and equipment must be able to operate at the required capacity and capability all year round, they said.

“Dairy Country has a service contract agreement with Pulford to maintain its air compressors as well as the nitrogen generation plant.

All machinery and equipment is maintained and planned according to OEM (original equipment manufacturer) service requirements at the required frequency. In addition, certain services are adjusted according to machine age, as well as input from Pulford, based on industry experience and knowledge.

“By maintaining the machinery in an ongoing reliable state, it allows us to meet our weekly production plan and operating targets as well as allowing for increased demand during the peak season,” the team said.

Pulford provides a cost effective service and the service and management teams are both flexible and supportive to the operation’s needs,

which can quickly change and require an immediate response, they said.

“With this type of commitment and service support, Dairy Country can remain focused on the daily operational KPIs and ensure all goals are met on a weekly basis.”

Pulford Air and Gas managing director, Tom Fyfe, said Pulford offers 24/7 service as many food manufacturers operate day and night.

“We’ve got 25 technicians nationally that service the compressor air side and nitrogen generation technology side.”

They are able to help with all MAP and nitrogen generation technology needs, he said.

“MAP is where nitrogen is injected into the packaging to reduce the amount of oxygen in the bag.” If cheese is still sealed and there’s no oxygen in the bag, or the oxygen is limited to half-a-per-cent, the shelf life extends well into six months, he said.

“It depends on the way the product is prepared. As long as the packaging is sealed, it can be used for any type of food.” Depending on the product, the shelf life can be extended enormously, he said. Fyfe said he has seen products that are years old tested, and they were still useable at a good standard.

Fyfe reiterated that using nitrogen injections means products need less preservatives, which appeals to a lot

of manufacturers. Many food and beverage producers are wanting to steer clear of preservatives where necessary, he said. “It’s certainly important in the wine industry. That is why wineries use nitrogen injections for the bottling process.”

Pulford has been helping businesses with gas injections for about 10 years. The company produces gas on site, giving the customer more control over usage and costs, said Fyfe. With Pulford’s system, 100 per cent of the gas can be used, rather than risking liquid or gas escaping, he said. “Particularly within the food industry, if they are half way through the processing or packaging of fresh product, it’s a huge cost to have to stop to source more gas.” But if a company runs out of gas unexpectedly mid-way through a packing run, even on the weekend, Pulford can supply more. The modular design of Pulford’s products also allows companies to add to the system as business increases or gas requirements alter.

Furthermore, while savings can be made by reducing waste, savings can also be made by simply producing nitrogen gas on site rather than getting it delivered, said Fyfe. Pulford offers low cost nitrogen, no gas rental or delivery charges, and an end to high gas costs and lengthy legal contracts.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 33

CONVEYORS

Integrity and partnerships form basis of Modu System conveyor solutions Customer engagement at the very beginning is just one reason Modu System conveyors are popular with a range of well-known brands. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

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fter graduating from university with a degree in engineering, CS Tan was determined to put his extensive knowledge of modular belted conveyor systems to the test in a market where there was plenty of demand – Australia. In 2017 Modu System Australia was established as the sixth global office of MODU Group.

Modu System conveyors can now be found in factories that produce premium brands such as Nestle, Dole, Bosch, Dyson, Lipton, Specsavers and Campbells to name a few.

You can hear the passion in Tan’s

voice as he talks about a conveyor system that he says can be fitted into any factory, no matter the size. The word “impossible” is not part of his vocabulary when it comes to system customisation. He believes a key ingredient in the company’s success is working with the customer from the get-go.

“By being involved early, the customer and ourselves can come up with a solution that both parties agree to,” he said. “We then give them a quotation and drawings to review. We give them a solution with a price, and

Modu System can create conveyors in almost any size room.

34 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

"All our conveyors are custom made. We talk to the customer. We listen to them, see what they desire and come up with a concept. The customer has knowledge, too. They are usually the first person to tell you if there is a problem with an idea because they know how a belt system should work." in most cases, they are very happy with what we can offer.

“All our conveyors are custom made. We have a team of designers, while my sales engineer and myself – we are both engineers by profession – talk to the customer. We listen to them, see what they desire and come up with a concept. The customer has knowledge, too. They are usually the first person to tell you if there is a problem with an idea because they know how a belt system should work.”

Tan says that the main differentiator between Modu System and some of its competitors is the fact the company builds its own conveyors. There is no third party involved.

“The thing about Modu, for the modular belt systems, most competitors would buy the belts and chains from overseas suppliers,” he said. “And they would then make the conveyor up. We manufacture everything ourselves.

We make the chain, the belts and the structures on our own. It is basically our own design.”

Tan believes that there is no point in a short-term gain, when it is longterm partnerships that Modu is after.

Integrity is a big part of the way that the company does business and he points out that the end result is only as good as how happy the customer is at the end of the transaction.

“If I give a solution and they have

doubts about it, I explain to them why I have configured the conveyor a certain way,” he said. “I will explain to them the wisdom of the reason why I have done it a particular way. They might want the system set up a certain way, but I can see it might be only a shortterm plan. However, if their end goal is to expand long term they might want to adopt this certain strategy and we will help them reach their goal. We are very open. If a design or build is not correct we will not sell it. We treat customers as long-term business partners. We have repeat business because of the way we do things.”

Tan is aware that one of the biggest outlays, and concerns for customers, is the capital expenditure, especially for SMEs, a sector of the market Modu targets deliberately – for two main reasons. The first is that he wants SMEs to realise that the capital outlay is probably not as expensive as they think it going to be. The second reason, which makes a lot of business sense according to Tan, is that a lot of SMEs grow and he believes if his company helps lead the way at the beginning, Modu will be the first port of call when the company decides to expand.

“Every time we talk to people, capital expenditure is one of the first things that they talk about,” he said.

“They think that they do not have the

CONVEYORS

financial ability to build a conveyor system but that is where we come in.

We want to help them grow. We have seen them grow. It excites them, but it excites me even more. I want people to know that with Modu System, automation is possible. SMEs love to automate, but they are concerned about investment. However, when we approach them and give them a solution that is cost-effective, in almost all cases, they never realised it was possible, and come on board.”

One of the reasons Tan set up MODU System in Australia, is that he knows it is a good base of operations.

This is because of Australia’s reputation in the wider world – and includes the products that populate the conveyor belts the company installs.

“Australian products are highly regarded overseas as well. Australian beer and fruits are highly favoured, too. Australian meat is considered top quality,” he said. This is another reason why he knows that a lot of these companies will grow. Their products are in demand in Asia.

Quality is something that Tan takes seriously with his own gear, too, especially with the third-party

suppliers to Modu System conveyors.

“Any of the parts that we don’t manufacture – the parts we get from other suppliers and distributors – are very good quality,” he said. “We use top brands, such as Schneider, SMC, Omron and SEW Eurodrive.

Anything we incorporate into our complete automation system – barcode readers and any other equipment for food automation – we use only quality items.”

And Tan is bullish about the long-term prospects of the food and beverage itself in Australia.

“The food industry is doing well,” he said. “We are getting a lot of orders from companies that are processing raw fruits, and vegetables like mushrooms. We are seeing a lot of interest from people making desserts, noodles, dumplings and things like that.

“We do provide food-grade belts, that is what we would call a PU (polyurethane) belt. However, the most common belts of ours that are used in the food sector are those that are designed for use after the food has been packaged and placed in the punnet or box – the distribution side.

Quality is something that CS Tan, director of Modu System Australia takes very seriously with the products the company supplies.

We can supply belts for the initial part of food production, but that is not our specialty.”

Finally, there is the back-up service that is an integral part of any supplier. Tan reemphasises that this is where the words integrity and partnership kick in.

“If a customer has any problem with our product, if they give us a call,

they can be assured we will respond almost immediately,” he said. “We will tell them when we are going to be there. We will go and have a look and try and sort out the solution for them.

We never try and leave any problem unsolved. We have local electricians and technicians and they are on standby to go and help clients fix problems as soon as possible.”

Modu System conveyors can be customised to a client’s specifications. www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 35

AUTOMATION

Why partnerships are important to finding solutions Selling your product or service to a customer and hoping for the best is not enough anymore, according to Weidmuller managing director Rafael Koenig. He tells Food & Beverage Industry News why.

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uilding the innards to the cabinets that control automation processes are the lifeblood of Weidmuller, a company that was founded in Germany in 1850.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 are starting to become mainstream manufacturing technology trends that are being implemented within the food processing industry – something that Weidmuller is well placed to take advantage of due to its expertise in the arena. The company has three divisions. There is the aforementioned cabinet products, then there is device and field connectivity, as well as automation products and solutions. All three have relevance in the food sector, especially the latter where automation has had impacts on productivity and other efficiencies.

Rafael Koenig is the managing director of Weidmuller Australia and has extensive knowledge of automation, connectivity and electronics within a variety of industrial applications including food and beverage. He said having knowledge is one thing, but building partnerships is just as important.

“In today’s technical world it is not just enough to sell components,” said Koenig. “We try more to partner up with customers. We want to give them the value-add component of our business. They want the product, but it has to be fit for purpose. We have many areas that we are looking to build. One is comprehensiveness of the connectivity program, which spans the portfolio by starting with the different types of DIN terminal blocks. You’ve got the spring cage, you’ve got the traditional screw cage, and now the push-in blocks series.

“Then we have the components and stainless-steel cabinets that are designed for the food industry,” he said. “The beauty of automation is that it has broad applications that you can adapt products and solutions into any type of factory setting. Most of

our components are not specifically designed for food. They are designed for automation, but can be used in many industries including food.”

Most manufacturing and processing enterprises are coming onboard with the digitalisation that is taking place in the industrial sector. Weidmuller is one company that sees itself as part of the equation, not just in terms of hardware, but also the important, peripheral non-tangible aspects of the technology, which helps companies with the maintenance aspect of their business.

“We have this automation and digitalisation side of the business – and then there is management of data and data analytics,” said Koenig. “For example, we have a highly regarded department for analytics that we use to optimise manufacturing processes. We manage to collect data, then analyse and interpret that data with some complex formula and algorithms to make sure we go towards predictive maintenance rather than preventative or scheduled maintenance.

“Then there is product development, or solution development, which is a lot more about self than it is about the products,” said Koenig. “You will find that a lot of products from different vendors are very similar. So, I think, ‘who can you partner up with who has the specific knowledge of that industry to develop your solution and really fit in that industry?’ This is why I think partnerships are an important part of doing business.

“We currently have a joint venture with a WA company that is probably one of the market leaders globally in the power substation communications.

We like what they are doing and the way I want them to use my product is to make sure that the right software is being used. I see this as an offering to the market that is beyond the product.

If you want to be in the market and exist in five years’ time you must have something that others don’t.

The differentiator these days is the

36 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

intelligence offering and the way you solve the customer’s problems – not, ‘how good is your component or product compared to the others’.

“One of the things that we are trying to develop is a cloud solution specific to what the customer wants.

Some use different clouds. You have the common cloud, Microsoft cloud, Amazon cloud and others. Really,

the trick is to have the connectivity you need.”

Along with that connectivity comes communication, according to Koenig, which is also an important component of digitisation. However, along with these aspects of automation, comes security risk. Something that Koenig knows needs addressing.

“Security is one of the big issues at

AUTOMATION

the moment. You have to look at it from both sides,” he said. “One of the keys to being successful in the utilisation of digitialisation in Industry 4.0 is standardising the communication.

What that also means is that you should use common communication tools so that your office will only have a residual security risk. The question is how you deal with the issue of security.

There is no one-type-fits-all solution.”

There are not a lot of companies that have an individual solution for every company, or can come up with a complete security solution. When it comes to a security solution, Koenig believes it is necessary to have multi layers of protection – and that includes physical protection as well as firewalls.

With that in mind, Weidmuller knows there is strength in numbers and doesn’t only believe in partnering with its clients, but with the bigger players in

"Most manufacturing and processing enterprises are coming onboard with the digitalisation that is taking place in the industrial sector." the market, too.

“We are constantly developing problem-solving competency which I am really proud of,” he said. “I mean, in the big scheme of things we are a relatively small player. However, if you see the German market, where one company has about 85 per cent of the share in control systems, the strength of the industry at large comes from collaborating with German “Mittelstand”, small to mediumsized companies that are technology leaders in their field. Our desire as a company is to be independent. So, we offer solutions that work in tune with those of the big players. The openness

of our systems is what is really important to us.”

With automation ramping up in the manufacturing sector, connectivity is going to be an important part of the equation over the next decade.

Koenig believes that Weidmuller is one company that can not only provide the products to help run plant and machinery, but has the expertise to give the best advice possible.

Apart from the connectivity solutions, Weidmuller has in recent years vastly expanded its Automation Technology portfolio and has identified digitalisation as a critical strategic area.

“The future direction of companies

like Weidmuller will see a significant build up in expertise for digitalisation, communication technologies as well as software capabilities,” said Koenig.

“Our activities in industrial analytics is one example that demonstrates the progress of our business towards becoming a technology partner not just for connectivity.

“Our strong relationship and proximity to our customers is key to our success in Australia and we take particular pride in the quality of the distribution partner network we are part of. This network allows us to work shoulder to shoulder with other leading global brands.

“We see our role in supporting our channel partners through our Weidmuller experts and together with them make our customer more competitive in a world that sees massive changes in our industry.”

Partnerships are a key ingredient when it comes to moving your business forward in the digitialisation space. www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 37

WASTEWATER

Dairy processing plants, fat balls and blocked sewers Blocked sewers caused by giant balls of fat is just one problem that can occur if dairy food manufacturers don’t treat their waste properly. Food and Beverage Industry News explains.

Aerofloat helps companies such as dairy processors treat their waste.

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f you head over to the National Farmers’ Federation website, it gives you a run down: there are 8,594 dairy farms in Australia, a national dairy herd of 1.6 million cows, and more than 9 billion litres of whole milk being produced per year with the farm gate value of about $4 billion.

While farmers, dairy food processing factories and exporters see dollar signs, others like Aerofloat’s Ray Anderson, are aware that the process wastewater generated at these factories needs to be treated before being released into the environment.

Anything not used in the primary product that is sold on the shelf, is waste – including all the washdown water and storage tank cleaning water. And this is where food processing managers need to do research on the best solution to

minimising and getting rid of waste.

You would think within the modern food processing environment that this would be a relatively easy fix.

But Anderson, who is Aerofloat’s managing director, said it’s not that simple as the wastewater quantities and quality from different dairy processing plants can vary significantly. As such, there are different approaches and methods of treating the wastewater that is produced by different industries.

“I wouldn’t call any of these waste streams challenging. I’d call them all treatable as long as you know what you are doing,” he said. “If there is a lot of fat and suspended proteins, as is the case if you’re treating wastewater from a milk bottling plant, you can remove the fats, proteins and lactose but you need to understand how to do that. You need to be able to understand the chemistry. The fats

38 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

and suspended protein (casein protein) can be removed by physical means, whereas the dissolved protein (whey protein) and lactose are soluble and need to be removed by biological processes. First, you need to be able to add the right chemicals to be able to bring the fats and casein protein together so they can be separated from the clean water. This separation can be done with a technique called dissolved air flotation (DAF).”

If a local sewerage authority has the capacity, they may be prepared to accept the discharge from the process, providing the suspended fats and proteins are removed to low concentrations. If there is no local sewerage authority, then the remaining soluble contaminants need to be removed by a biological process before the water is discharged to land or the river system. There are different

types of biological processes available but the use of Moving Bed Bio-film Reactors (MBBR) processes are common. This is a process where the wastewater is aerated in the presence of micro-organisms, which are attached to millions of small pieces of plastic bio-media.

It is also important that the company producing the waste knows the local regulations when it comes to treatment. Every council, state and municipality has different standards and ignorance is no excuse if a company is found in breach of these regulations.

“A company needs to understand the regulatory requirements for the local sewage authority if you have a sewer available,” said Anderson. “If you don’t have a sewer available, you then need to have an understanding of what the regulatory requirements

WASTEWATER

are of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) in terms of treating and releasing back into the environment, or onto the land for irrigation purposes.”

The majority of food processing facilities are connected to the sewer; however, trade waste charges can become excessive depending on the volume and quality of the wastewater being discharged. So, this becomes another factor in considering the wastewater treatment processes employed. If a processing factory is in an area where they cannot put these by-products down the sewer, the company needs to be able to treat the wastewater to a high standard that allows them to discharge it into the rivers, or to irrigate the land.

“The industry needs to be able to engage a reputable design and construct contractor who can provide an economic analysis and advise on the most efficient and cost-effective process for treating the wastewater – whether that is DAF-only or DAF and biological, as well as the issues of disposal of the residues from the processes. That involves having a sound understanding of biological process engineering, being able to choose the most cost effective process to treat that wastewater given the availability of land or space and finish up with a water quality suitable to be able to be discharged to sewer, the environment or land,” said Anderson.

Although there are different ways of treating dairy waste, as a general rule, most dairies will require a DAF

treatment for removal of any residual fats and proteins, even in cheese and yoghurt manufacturing where most of this suspended material is removed for making the product. If a company does not comply with the stringent discharge standards, they may be charged a penalty.

Aerofloat’s wastewater treatment systems can help with both the solids removal and the soluble contaminant removal of milk processing wastewater. Firstly, the wastewater is chemically treated to coagulate and flocculate (pull together), the solid particles and the chemical treated stream is then transferred to Aerofloat’s proprietory AeroDAF to float and separate the particles – this removes the fats and the suspended protein. The second phase uses a biological process to treat the dissolved lactose or sugar. Again, Aerofloat typically uses the MBBR biological treatment technique– the AeroMBBR. In some instances, if sufficient land is available a hybrid version of the Activated Sludge / Sequence Batch Reactor (SBR) technology can be more economically employed.

The final consideration is understanding what to do with the by-product once separated.

“You can send the waste left over to a composting plant, or plough it into the land as a carbon supplement,” said Anderson. “Some people use it for making compost material. Wherever possible, food processors should try and use that separated waste and concentrated waste for some form of

Fat from cheese-making facilities can end up blocking pipes. beneficial reuse.”

“Sometimes the water can be used for irrigating the land and making it more lush for the cows to feed on the grass again,” he said. “Sometimes with the whey component they separate that out into tanks and send it off to pig farmers as pig food.”

So why is it important to treat dairy wastewater by these means? The most common problem is the amount of fat constituent in the wastewater. In the past, small boutique cheese makers have started up and as part of their manufacturing process they would put in grease traps. “These traps act like a gravity separation piece of equipment for the flotation of fats, but they don’t work properly as the flows increase and due to the temperature of the wastewater,” said Anderson.

Those small cheese factories grow and put more water down the sewer, and Treating dairy waste is essential in order to comply with resolutions.

nearly all of them have problems with high levels of fats being discharged to the sewer. The fat going into the system can have major implications on causing the formation of fat balls, which block the sewers and can cause sewer overflows.

“We were advised of an instance recently where a cheese maker had been discharging, on a regular basis, a high level of fat and it caused a blockage in the sewer that flooded one of the neighbour’s factories,” he said.

“The discharge of fats into a sewer is a major problem internationally for sewage authorities. It’s not just from dairy waste, it is from other places, such as abattoirs, food processors and large commercial kitchens. Anything that has wastewater containing fats, oil or grease in them can contribute to this problem.

“Over time, the fats accumulate in the sewers, and you might not know it causes an issue until there is a complete blockage. There are some pretty horrific stories of fat balls blocking sewers. Places like London where you have these spherical fat balls a couple of metres in diameter that have blocked the sewerage pipes.”

According to Anderson, it is however, not all bad news, especially if those responsible for the waste take charge in a responsible manner. He even sees some good outcomes. “By installing a wastewater treatment system, companies can significantly reduce their trade waste costs.”

What is important is that dairy food and beverage processors are responsible for the discharge they put into the sewage system or on surrounding land. This is why it is critical that correct equipment is used when disposing of dairy waste.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 39

EFFICIENCY

Keeping water temperature high and costs low with the Q-ton heat pump Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) has a solution that allows food and beverage manufacturers to make hot water efficiently. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

MHIAA helps distilleries save on water heating costs.

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he Q-ton water heat pump was introduced to the Australian and New Zealand markets to create sanitary hot water for commercial applications at outlet temperatures from 60°C to 90°C. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Thermal Systems’ design team in Japan launched the innovative air source heat pump to allow for maximum efficiency with a minimal carbon footprint. Q-ton can be used in varying applications, including in food processing plants, dairy operations, bottling lines and breweries.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) Air to Water manager Trent Miller said it represents the next generation of hot water production. “The Q-ton utilises CO2, a safe, natural and environmentally responsible refrigerant. The combination of CO2’s highly efficient, naturally accruing properties, enable the Q-ton to be far superior compared to conventional refrigerant heat pumps,” said Miller.

“Q-ton delivers outstanding performance as a solution based product. Q-ton supplies hot water from 60°C to 90°C at 100 per cent capacity at an outdoor temperature down to -7°C.” With high efficiency rates and low carbon emission, Q-ton recovers heat energy from the air and can perform in extremely cold temperatures right

down to -25°C. At temperatures that cold, it can continue to supply water at temperatures between 60°C and 90°C. It is engineered to meet a range of demands including the need for medium to large sanitary hot water generation, low electricity consumption and high environmental responsibility. Q-ton represents the efficient solution to the old boiler type systems found in most commercial settings. A 30kW Q-ton produces in excess of 600 litres per hour.

The overall quantity of hot water production varies, as is dependent on the feed water temperature, the outdoor temperature condition and the water outlet setting temperature.

Less impact on the environment MHIAA explains that the Q-ton is five times more efficient than an electric heater and six times more efficient than a gas boiler. It produces 48 per cent less CO2 emissions than an electric heater and 74 per cent less CO2 emissions than a gas boiler.

Q-ton heat pumps can be configured as stand-alone units or run with up to 16 units in tandem, providing anything from 3,000 to 100,000 litres of safe hot water daily.

Whether single or multiple units are used, the Q-ton system is controlled from a single, simple control panel that can be remotely installed for ease of access and operation. It can

40 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

be installed as a replacement, addition or a whole new system.

Q-ton meets the requirements of a globally recognised environmental assessment method and rating system – Breeam. Refrigerant such as carbon dioxide preserves the ozone layer and has a low global warming potential rating. The system fits well with the latest building regulations, reaching a mark of excellence from Breeam. Q-ton absorbs free heat from outdoor air and amplifies it to generate hot water swiftly and efficiently. It generates hot water up to 90°C without the requirement for an additional electric immersion heater.

The system seeks to provide energy, cost and carbon savings. It is most efficient when cold water is used to supply the heat pump. For that reason, the cold feed water is provided to the heat pump, via the base of the storage stratified vessel.

Each storage vessel has five pockets into which temperature sensors can be fitted to detect the volume of hot water held in the vessel at any particular time. The programming of the control system, to hold specific volumes of hot water at different times of the day, is based on a balance of hot water demand and electricity tariffs, to ensure security of supply at minimum cost.

"The Q-ton utilises CO2, a safe, natural and environmentally responsible refrigerant... far superior compared to conventional refrigerant heat pumps." their running costs by 40 per cent compared to their existing boiler system. They have seen a 45 per cent saving on carbon emissions.

MHIAA helped the Shene Estate and Distillery in Tasmania save money with the Q-ton. The distillery produces gin and whiskey. Each day, it uses 6,000 litres of hot water for processes such as heating the barley mash. By working with MHIAA the company is able to produce hot water while reducing energy costs when compared to the distillery’s previous system.

Saving businesses money Globally, Q-ton is making its mark on commercial spaces. Located in London’s Lancaster Gate and Bayswater, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air Conditioning Europe connected two Q-ton units to Lancaster Hall Hotel, which has saved the business daily running costs.

The system produces 12,000 litres of water to cater up to 250 people on site. Lancaster Hall Hotel has reduced

Q-ton water heat pumps are engineered to meet a range of demands.

SUPPLY CHAIN

Eliminating waste within the value stream Multiple industries make up the food and beverage industry and sometimes the supply chain can become cumbersome. It does not have to be that way. Food & Beverage Industry News explains.

Being able to capture material movements from paddock to plate provides data integrity and timeliness from receipt to delivery.

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ehind every food and beverage product on the shelf is a supply chain journey that starts with ingredients. The Australian food manufacturing industry is an intricate maze of ingredient and packaging suppliers, most with different supply chain management solutions.

To manage ingredient safety and increase the visibility of food ingredients and raw materials in these complex supply chains, a new project, titled the Supply Chain Improvement Project, is being implemented with the objective of strengthening integration between upstream supply chains in the Australian food manufacturing industry.

An industry working group has

been set up to drive the project using GS1 standards. The group will work to achieve consensus across the industry to improve food safety, deliver efficiencies and reduce costs. Representatives from Nestlé, Ingham’s, SPC, Lion Dairy and Drinks, Sanitarium, CHR Hansen, Newly Weds Foods, FPC Food Plastics, Labelmakers and Visy Industries are some who currently make up the group.

The ability to capture material movements from “paddock to plate” provides data integrity and timeliness from receipt to delivery, with traceability back to the source. Through automation, many of the manual processes are eliminated and companies can be proactive with inventory

management and handling systems.

The capability to support information and production flow within existing systems for integrated supply chains is critical to businesses. The project has the capacity to eliminate waste within an organisation’s value stream, reduce non-value-added tasks and ensure cost-effective solutions for customers, leading to a “right-firsttime” approach for all deliveries.

Sourcing ingredients without a traceability and food safety protocol today invites counterfeit products onto the food chain and increases risk of contamination.

The adoption of GS1 standards as the common language for the identification, data capture and data sharing will enable automation

of key ingredient sourcing, and traceability between ingredient suppliers and food manufacturers.

Using GS1 standards for upstream integration allows companies to translate their internal processes and approaches into a common language that all trading partners can use and understand without having to translate data formats across different supply chain management systems.

The Supply Chain Improvement Project has the potential to confer many benefits to industry, including increased visibility of food ingredients and raw materials, unique identification and traceability to improve food safety, and reduced costs with automated business transactions.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 41

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

Changing daily tasks associated with diabetes A team at the University of Sydney, headed by Professor Xiaoke Yi, is creating a device that could save lives and help millions of people with diabetes. Miri Schroeter writes.

A

n estimated 1.7 million Australians have diabetes and 280 Australians develop diabetes every day, according to Diabetes Australia. It is the fastest growing chronic condition in Australia, with type 1 diabetes accounting for 10 per cent, type 2 diabetes accounting for 85 per cent, and gestational diabetes in pregnancy adding to the increasing number.

Many people with diabetes have to watch what they eat, and measure glucose levels and ketone levels daily. But despite efforts to fight the condition, every six seconds a person dies from diabetes worldwide, a 2015 International Diabetes Federation (IDF) study indicates.

On a global scale, an estimated 415 million adults had diabetes in 2015, the IDF study suggests. That’s one in 11 adults, with almost half remaining undiagnosed. By 2040, IDF estimates that one adult in 10 will have diabetes. Complications associated with this condition include blindness, amputation and death.

With the number of people with diabetes on the rise, University of Sydney professor, Xiaoke Yi, hopes a new device will alleviate some of the strain on millions of peoples’ lives.

Yi and a team at Sydney University are developing a hand-held breath testing device that detects deadly ketones known as ketoacidosis. They expect the device will be available to people with diabetes around the world within two years.

Diabetes Australia explains that ketoacidosis is a serious condition associated with illness or very high blood glucose levels. Most cases of ketoacidosis occur in people with type 1 diabetes. It develops gradually over hours or days and it is a sign of insufficient insulin. Without enough insulin, the body’s cells cannot use glucose for energy. To make up for this, the body begins to burn fat for energy instead. This leads to

accumulation of dangerous chemical substances in the blood called ketones, which also appear in the urine, Diabetes Australia reports.

The device measures ketones, which at elevated levels can be fatal.

Yi hopes the device will help all people with diabetes that currently need to undertake finger prick blood tests, which can be a painful daily chore, according to her.

“A team member got pregnancyinduced diabetes. She said the constant testing was painful. When I talked to other people with diabetes about it the common saying was, ‘we are used to it’,” she said. There should be a better option than accepting the discomfort, said Yi. “We are trying to find a non-invasive way to do it, which is through the human breath.”

The device would make the daily task of managing diabetes easier and it could help prevent deaths, she said.

Yi’s grandmother died from diabetes and she’s heard cases from doctors of children with diabetes who had undetected ketoacidosis.

The device could also be used for therapies using ketogenic diets which could help people dealing with ADHD, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, some cancers, such as brain cancer, and other diseases, said Yi. “When we’re 90 years old, sitting on rocking chairs with our grandchildren on our laps, we want to be able to say, ‘I am proud that I have helped to make the world a better place for us all to live in’.”

An idea born in Sydney The idea started from an undergraduate thesis project, in 2015.

“At the beginning, we wanted to monitor air pollution, but when we started we thought this could help on the medical side,” said Yi. From there, the collaboration between the engineering department and the medical department started.

It’s led by Yi, professor Stephen

42 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

Yi is proud that her team’s research will help create jobs as well as help those suffering from diabetes.

"Yi and a team at Sydney University are developing a hand-held breath testing device that detects deadly ketones known as ketoacidosis. They expect the device will be available to people with diabetes around the world within two years."

Twigg, from the Sydney Medical School, and associate professor Paul Williams, from the University of Sydney and Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.

The device started as a prototype that was one-square-metre large and it continues to transform into something more usable. “We shrank it to half the size, then we shrank it to the size of two lunch boxes, and then we created a hand-held one,” said Yi. They have tested it as an airbag, but the goal is to have a smaller, more environmentallyfriendly product that people can carry

in a handbag or pocket. It may even be created into an attachment, which will relay information to a phone or watch, said Yi. Yi also mentioned that affordability, convenience, mobility and sustainability are key factors in finalising the product. Some users need to measure their ketone levels three times a day, so it needs to be easy to carry, she said. “If we do prepare it commercially and make it low cost, then everybody can afford it.” Once the prototype is finished, it will be tested on diabetes patients

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY

at two hospitals in Sydney. This is expected to happen at the end of 2018 or early next year.

A multi-purpose tool Yi explains that when the liver breaks down the fat it generates ketones.

There are two parts to it – ketosis, which is good for the body, and ketoacidosis, which causes problems.

“We target both, but the aim is to help the diabetes patients to prevent ketoacidosis because that can be life threatening.” People who want to lose weight, can benefit from a ketogenic diet, she said. “They can push their ketone level higher so they break down more fat.” It was recently discovered that a ketogenic diet can also help treat brain cancer, said Yi. Yi aims to create technologies for other biomarker measurements such as measuring glucose levels. “We would like to develop a non-invasive sensing technique for glucose monitoring in people with diabetes that is highly accurate, informs in real-time, low-cost, pain-free and risk-free. This

will represent a major breakthrough in the development of non-invasive blood glucose measurement devices that can provide stable and reliable results, conveniently and economically,” she said.

Diabetes Australia spokesperson Renza Scibilia said if there was a less invasive way to test glucose and ketone levels, it would be a welcome change by many people with diabetes. While some people use urine analysis, which can be inaccurate, most measurements are taken with by pricking a finger to draw blood.

Scibilia, who lives with type 1 diabetes, checks her glucose every day. “It’s not pleasant to have to pierce your skin. It’s not my favourite task.

If there’s something that’s far simpler it’s always going to be welcomed by people with diabetes.”

Often people need to administer insulin injections and do finger pick checks in public. While Diabetes Australia encourages people to do so freely in public, some people felt uncomfortable doing it or

worried that they made others feel uncomfortable, said Scibilia.

“Having something that’s not a needle might make them feel more comfortable. Diabetes Australia is always really supportive of evidencebased technology that is going to make it easier for people with diabetes day-to-day,” said Scibilia.

Opportunity for job growth Beyond health benefits, Yi is proud that she can contribute to a project that will create jobs in Australia. The technology is licensed by a HongKong based company, Ausmed Global, which will be starting a subsidiary in Sydney in 2019. The prospect that people, such as university graduates, will get jobs out of this, tops it off,

said Yi. “We have a team of young, intelligent students and research assistants. They are not afraid to jump out of their comfort zones.” With projects as challenging as this, they need to believe in themselves, she said.

One of the students is Mitchell Austin, who is in the first year of his PhD, sponsored by Ausmed Global. Austin said it would help so many people, which made it a great project to be a part of. “Diabetes is getting worse as more people are getting it, so, the need for help is greater. I think of the number of individuals we will help with this project,” said Austin.

Yi was the winner of the Excellence in Engineering award at the Women in Industry Awards 2018, held in Sydney in June.

"We have a team of young, intelligent students and research assistants. They are not afraid to jump out of their comfort zones... With projects as challenging as this, they need to believe in themselves."

Yi aims to create technologies for other biomarker measurements such as measuring glucose levels. www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 43

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY AWARDS 2018 HIGHLIGHTS DEC/JAN 2019

Doing Business In Asia:

The largest boom in the history of mankind for the food and beverage sector PLUS: At the iba in Munich | Women in Industry

| Food and Beverage Awards nominations

FOOD & BEVERAGE INDUSTRY NEWS AT AUSPACK 2019 PROMO FEATURE

FEB/MAR

OUR BRAND PROMISES We offer you the best exposure to decision makers

AUSPACK 2019 will showcase all the megatrends that are happening in the packaging and processing industries.

Food and Beverage Industry News will be out in force at the event and will be producing a preview issue to go along with the exhibition. In it we will cover some of the key issues in the industry, as well as some of the latest products and services that will on display.

We provide the best platform to showcase your product

If you are looking to exhibit a product or service at the event then Food and Beverage Industry News provides an excellent platform to showcase the latest innovations that you have developed for the industry.

We will be the best external marketing partner you’ll ever have

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: 11 JAN 2019 For advertising enquiries please contact Sonia Bonner on 0432 574 669 For editorial enquiries please contact Mike Wheeler on (02) 9439 7227

44 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY AWARDS 2018 HIGHLIGHTS

Winning in style at the F&B Awards 2018 The Food and Beverage Industry Awards 2018 showcased the best technology, equipment and services provided by Australian and New Zealand companies.

These photos show a few of the highlights at the awards evening.

won the ovations ard. n In l a ic Botan tion aw t Innova Ingredien

Utonic co-founder Mi chael Brinkley (left) recieves the Best of the Best award from Rowan Barnes from Fla vour Makers, who sponsored the award .

HMPS won the Innovative Tec hnology of the Year award, sponsored by NHP .

Left and right th e team from Australian Prim ary Hemp with Manark’s Kristin a Peric (centre) .

r its s award fo ealth food h by e d th re o n s o n s – spo COYO w e h c u o p rt ghu coconut yo ns. lutio o S e rv u JC

Sunshine Meats won the Meat, Poultry and Smallgoods award.

Cog Advertising ’s Janine Clemen presents CCP Te ts (right) chnologies’ exec utive director Anthony Rowley with the Food Sa fety, Equipment and Materials aw ard.

Oji Fibre Solutions won Best In Design, sponsored by Wiley.

Utonic won the Beverage of the Year award.

Celina Pereira, left, and Nalita Ferraz hold the Me at, Poultry and Smallgoods aw ard.

Result Group took out the Packaing Innovation award, sponsored by Jet Technologies. www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 45

GLOBAL DAIRY COMMODITY UPDATE

Global dairy report G lobal milk supply growth is steadily declining as weather continues to be the major supply-side wildcard affecting the outlook for global dairy markets into first quarter of 2019. The full effect of any European feed shortages on milk output and product mix choices won’t be fully understood until early 2019.

These prolonged dry conditions with lower milk solids will impact product availability and we may see a lift in dairy commodity prices.

Meanwhile, closer to home, excellent New Zealand conditions have weakened, with risks of further drying due to the arrival of an El Niño event later in the season.

This could curb milk production in the Oceania region with milk intake already significantly impacted by drought and feed shortages in Australia as well.

The worsening US-China trade dispute is of course a hot topic in the dairy world and is affecting confidence and purchasing power across the Asian region. These trade wars threaten to undermine slow growth in commodity trade with weaker demand likely for China and

Southeast Asia into 2019.

Whole milk powder

Whole milk powder values are trending weaker with New Zealand availability expected to grow 3-5 per cent in New Zealand peak milk supply.

Competition from Latam suppliers, taking advantages of weaker currencies, may weaken prices further.

However, an expected El Niño event could dampen post-peak milk growth in New Zealand, which may impact whole milk powder values.

Skim milk powder Skim milk powder values are set to improve in the EU as skim milk powder/butter valorisation is competitive against cheese. Skim milk powder has continued its incline as EU intervention stocks are starting to sell through, which means prices might start to firm.

Butter The butter market is starting to free up in Oceania – in particular, New Zealand origin product, which is based on good Spring milk volumes.

Australia is well down on milk flow,

and hence fat is still tight. Continued growth in Chinese demand for fat related dairy products may see a floor come into this market and stabilise prices at these levels.

Cheese In Oceania, low fat values are expected to affect cheese prices.

Furthermore, drought conditions in Victoria will hamper milk flow and could consequently put pressure on the supply of Australian-specific cheddar.

Across the globe, the improving

turnover in US cheese stocks – a result of improved food service and retail demand – could see prices firm.

Whey Whey prices have started to level off after a few months of solid pricing.

Due to the loss of Chinese demand and higher cheese output, US whey prices have drastically weakened, bringing the market back into balance.

By Dustin Boughton, Procurement, Maxum Foods – Your partner in dairy.

The butter market is starting to free up, especially in New Zealand origin product.

46 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

AIP OPINION

Why every gram counts Pro Technical Plastic Manufacturing Solutions director, Stephen Barter, explains why removing one gram of HDPE from a bottle can help the environment.

I

n my 30 years of HDPE plastic bottle manufacturing, I have become an expert in every aspect of this business. And this is not by chance, but a lot of hard work.

As I focus my efforts on the finite resource that is HDPE, I want to make the world aware of an important point: full-loop recycling is hard, and it is capital intensive.

This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t recycle – in fact, we absolutely must.

It is a priority in my world.

I believe one of the easiest and simplest ways to lessen waste is to reduce the weight of HDPE bottles by one gram. In many cases, a brand owner and a manufacturer can

just agree to reduce the weight of HDPE plastic bottles by changing the specification with no resulting impact on the integrity of the bottle.

It is just a change in documentation.

If that is a little concerning, or for some reason makes you nervous, then go with half a gram – every bit will count in the end.

Success in weight reduction comes in the form of predictable results from known process inputs, and more importantly, having those known inputs in control.

The products that go inside the bottles are made using strict recipes and quality controls. For the HDPE bottle manufacturing

process – extrusion blow moulding – it is the same.

Plastic bottles are made from a range of materials, and are an engineered part of the bottle – they must be seen as this until the day they are consumed and tossed into the recycling bin. Bottles that are produced with a high degree of repeatability and are proven on the filling line build confidence in the people who fill them. This confidence will be the trigger to a successful weight reduction project. And this may also build the confidence in brand owners to reduce the weight by even more than one gram.

Without the confidence of the team filling the bottles, anything that can potentially change the bottles performance characteristics will be fought against hard, and the end goal of reducing the weight by one gram won’t work.

Considering the billions of HDPE bottles that are made each year of just one gram of HDPE plastic is removed from even half of them, then we will have saved an extraordinary amount of energy to produce this plastic in the first place.

And let us not forget the extraordinary amount of product that will be saved from landfill, or the effort having to recycle it afterwards.

Taking one gram of plastic out of each bottle will not only be good for the environment, it will save energy when producing the container.

www.foodmag.com.au December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 47

MARKET WATCH

Deal activity remains high C orporate activity in the food and beverage industry remained high in September 2018 with thirteen transactions announced since our last article.

Acquisitions announced

The largest transaction announced was the sale of Manuka Health to Hong Leong Group. Manuka Health is New Zealand’s largest producer of manuka honey. Although transaction details were not made public it is understood that the deal size was in excess of $300 million. The sale is subject to approval by the Overseas Investment Office in New Zealand.

Private equity investors announced two substantial acquisitions in the period. Adamantem Capital announced the acquisition of New Zealandbased smallgoods manufacturer, Hellers, in a deal reported to be worth $200 million.

The Growth Fund acquired a majority shareholding in M&J Chickens from the Souris family. M&J Chickens is a national poultry supplier, with both fresh poultry and “ready to eat” value added products distributed in the foodservice channel.

The Coca Cola Company also announced two beverage transactions in the period. Coca Cola acquired MOJO Kombucha, a brand of organic, naturally fermented kombucha, from the founders of the business. Coca Cola also acquired a 45 per cent shareholding in Made Group. Made Group owns several popular beverage brands including Cocobella (coconut water), Rokeby Farms, Impressed and NutrientWater.

The outlook for the remainder of 2018 remains positive with strong investor interest in the food and beverage industry and a pipeline of exciting investment opportunities.

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.

Date

Target Name

Acquirer

Sector

28 Aug 18

Flahey’s Nutritionals

Australian Dairy Farms

Dairy

30 Aug 18

Top Cut Foods

Management team

Meat processing

2 Sept 18

M&J Chicken

The Growth Fund

Poultry processing

11 Sept 18

AVS Nutrition (70%)

Verita Healthcare Group

Sports nutrition

12 Sept 18

MOJO Kombucha

The Coca Cola Company

Beverages

14 Sept 18

Herbsmart Pharmaceutical (50%)

AuMake International

Health & Natural

17 Sept 18

Yumi’s Quality Foods

George Weston Foods

Packaged food

19 Sept 18

Roza’s Gourmet

Riviana Foods

Packaged food

11 Sept 18

AVS Nutrition (70%)

Verita Healthcare Group

Sports nutrition

24 Sept 18

Hellers

Adamantem Capital

Smallgoods

24 Sept 18

IXL and Taylor’s brands

Kyabram Conserves Company

Packaged food

27 Sept 18

Manuka Health

Hong Leong Group

Health & Natural

4 Oct 18

Made Group (45%)

The Coca Cola Company

Beverages

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

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.

48 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | 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

MHE Gator — The ultimate gateway for logistics The MHE Gator is a tough and safe dock leveller that caters to many industries, including the food sector. A dock leveller is a piece of equipment used for servicing a wide range of trucks at the loading dock. Using the dock leveller promotes the safety of goods and the operators. It also facilitates loading and unloading operations efficiently. In warehouse operations, dock levellers are considered a must-have item for any busy warehouse.

MHE-Demag’s heavy duty 9mm diamond deck with I-beam underdeck support and auto-tilt technology ensures stability. Safety features such as full-range telescopic toe guards on the flanks of the dock leveller ensure that feet, equipment and materials are not accidentally jammed under decks.

Fall-safe rupture valves of the hydraulic systems also ensure the dock is maintained at level if a truck departs while the dock leveller is engaged or in the unlikely event that a hydraulic hose bursts. Cold rolled profile beams provide the strongest underdeck support, and are the sturdiest structural members. Additionally, vulnerable points at the sides and corners of the deck are further reinforced.

Optional truck restraints prevent unintentional departure of trucks from the loading bay, as they hold on to the ICC bar of any type of trailer to the loading dock.

The MHE Gator also takes into consideration one-person jobs, where a single servicing staff is in charge of maintenance operations.

In such cases, a remote control allows them to operate and raise the deck from the front of the dock leveller and safely engage the maintenance strut.

The standard range design has a rated capacity of 22.7 t (ANSI),

with a vertical working range of +/- 305 mm. Standard power supply is 3ph / 400V / 50-60Hz. Custom variations are available upon request.

MHE-Demag 1300 336 241 www.mhe-demag.com

SMC launches its first smart actuation sensor SMC has introduced its first smart actuation sensor that can detect the stroke position of air cylinders at all times – with continuous feedback. The D-MP is available in three types of outputs – analogue signal, IO-Link process data and flexible switching point.

As the latest addition to its comprehensive range, the D-MP highlights SMC’s commitment to seeking new ways to make customer’s lives easier and to optimising operating efficiencies. The D-MP offers the reassurance of consistent and continuous accuracy and control. The analogue output of the actuator position has a voltage output range of 0 to 10 V and a current output of 4 to 20 mA. Here, all three outputs benefit from four measurement modes within a range of 0mm to 200mm.

The functionality of the D-MP means that multiple auto-switches can be replaced by one actuator position sensor, reducing the number of components needed. Being IO-Link compatible, D-MP gives operators access to detailed data and flags up any issues with an internal error warning. Its plug and play design delivers further cost and labour efficiencies with less hardware required and a reduced risk of

programming errors.

The switching point offers normal and reversed outputs and four measurement modes – single point, auto switch, window and 2-point.

It has an on/off position function, so that it is possible to define multiple switching points in the smallest of spaces. Offering this level of functionality and control, the D-MP is suitable for a wide range of applications such as measuring various parameters including length and width discrimination or screw-in depth of machined holes.

This component is IP67 certified and can withstand hazardous environments.

SMC operates in 83 countries, with a research and development engineering team of 1,450 and an 8,200-strong sales force. To deliver automation solutions for its diverse customer base, SMC offers more than 12,000 basic products with more than 700,000 variations.

SMC Australia (02) 9354 8222 www.smcanz.com

www.foodmag.com.au | December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 49

NEW PRODUCTS

Preventing spillage in food and chemical environments Highly effective protection plug to minimize external spillage & internal contamination in all areas requiring FDA approved materials for industrial and commercial usage.

STAUF's FOODLINE “White” Service plug is suitable for the prevention of spillage when handling food & chemicals.

The working principle is based on the STAUFF Industrial “Yellow” Service plug which provides protection in industrial environments. The FOODLINE is made from a rubber compound intended for repeated use for the production of consumer articles in contact with food meets in its composition of active substances approved by the FDA - Food and Drug Administration, USA. The FOODLINE “White” Service plug is a solid shaped plug made of high quality durable rubber, resistant to alcohol or other washing liquids, temperature rated between -25°C to +90°C for non-pressurised systems and suitable for reuse. Available in sizes from 1-130 mm diameter, the range of each plug allows it to be inserted between a minimum to a maximum pipe size. The conical lightweight design enables a fast flexible “grab and seal” installation which means – no tools required - to plug. This ensures a clean work-space in safetycritical areas.

Five individual plug sizes are available, MICRO: 1-10 mm, STD: 5-22 mm, XL: 13-42 mm, INDUSTRIAL: 35-80 mm, INDUSTRIAL: 60-130 mm, with a MIX-BOX blister pack version available combining the MICRO, STD & XL sizes.

Typical commercial industry applications include food processing e.g.

Liquids in pharmaceuticals and food production e.g.

• Dairy and meat • Beverage plants (beer, wine and carbonated drinks) • Bakery • Pet

• Distillation • Oils (edible) Production plant equipment examples include; pipework (pipes and coupling fittings), storage tanks and vessels, dispensing and spraying equipment. In addition they are suitable for use in both during service and storage preventing contaminants from entering system tanks, pipework or hose lines during repair or disconnection.

Typical retail industry applications include beverage dispensers, storage tanks, drums, storage vessels and kitchen equipment e.g.

• Boutique breweries and bars • Hotels and cafes • Restaurants • Cruise ships In addition, they are suitable also for use for both handling and processing food products preventing contaminants from entering and excess spillage after dispensing.

STAUFF (02) 8787 8000 www.stauff.com.au

Product inspection systems help prevent food tampering Thermo Fisher Scientific is in the business of keeping food and beverage products safe, which includes helping manufacturers prevent product tampering. With recent reports of deliberate food tampering and contamination in Australia, technologies such as X-ray machines, metal detectors and scanners can help keep producers and consumers safe.

These technologies have been adopted for tampering prevention as well as for brand protection such as checking final fill in prepackaged foods and avoiding accidental contaminates including glass, rocks and plastics.

Businesses can reduce product effect and costly waste caused by false rejects with the Thermo Scientific Sentinel 5000 Multiscan Metal Detector. Metal detection systems provide reliable, costeffective protection from even the smallest metal contaminants found anywhere in a food production process. The 5-frequency Sentinel metal detector provides unmatched sensitivity and the highest probability of detection. Thermo Scientific metal detectors are reliable and can also help improve operational efficiency and eliminate expensive downtime, service costs and repair bills. Businesses can feel confident that Thermo Scientific metal detectors are meeting the food industry’s toughest requirements.

X-ray inspection systems are also helpful in providing protection from metal, glass, stone, bone and other dense foreign objects for almost any type of packaged, bulk, or piped product. Entry-level Thermo Scientific NextGuard X-ray Detection Systems are ideal for customers stepping up from metal detection to X-ray inspection.

Designed for a wide variety of food applications, NextGuard systems offer enhanced capabilities to inspect packaged products

50 Food&Beverage Industry News | December/January 2018/19 | www.foodmag.com.au

for missing pieces or components, under and over-fills, and other quality problems with customisable vision software. Both the C330 and C500 models are easy-to-use, and cost effective.

The Thermo Scientific Xpert Bulk X-ray Inspection System finds contaminants such as metal, rock, plastic and glass and removes them prior to further processing – providing instant cost savings.

The Thermo Scientific Xpert Sideshoot X-ray Inspection System is a high speed, high performance horizontal X-ray beam system that provides single beam X-ray inspection for tall, upright packages.

It includes software specifically tailored to detect objects in all regions of cans and bottles.

The Thermo Scientific Xpert C X-ray Inspection System optimises detection probability and sensitivity. Xpert C systems offer high performance conveyor and sideshoot inspection for large, dense products, or high speed production and patented dual beam, dual detector systems for food and pharma glass in glass detection.

ThermoFisher 1300 735 292 www.thermofisher.com.au

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www.foodmag.com.au | December/January 2018/19 | Food&Beverage Industry News 51

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