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T
he phrase, “the real treasure was the friends we made along the way” is a cliché story trope where a character claims the true value was the personal growth and bonds formed during the journey, not the reason for the expedition. While it has become an internet meme used to mock anticlimactic events, it still holds true as a reflection of the basic human journey in life – what is the reward? Every business has a goal, a plan and ambition. Growth is often the destination, but the journey towards it can reveal something just as valuable. In this edition of Food & Beverage Industry News, we feature four Meet the Manufacturers who are all sharing their growth journeys to build their place in the Australian food and beverage market. As low and no alcohol consumption rises, Edenvale combines traditional winemaking techniques with modern extraction technology. Winemaker Aaron Milne said the technologies they invested in offer incremental gains that are enough to compete in the market. Proudi, a pet food manufacturer, has also taken a new step in its journey through its merger with Genesis Group, an algae producer. The merger creates an opportunity to combine Proudi’s pet nutrition and manufacturing capabilities with Genesis’ research expertise. In the food and beverage industry, manufacturing is often discussed through the lens of scale. Production volumes, investment, automation and output are easy measures of progress, but they only tell part of the story. Olive oil producer Aril Estate has taken an
equipment-first approach from the outset, automating as much of its process as possible. After winning 16 medals at the Sydney Royal Show, managing director Andrew Hadjichari said the awards are a testament to keeping people at the centre of the decisions that matter. Similarly, after returning from Fine Food Australia and taking out the inaugural Australian Gelato Cup, Oh My Gelato’s founders credited the people working in the business, as well as the friends and neighbours who have supported them in many ways. Its business model is not only focused on growth, but on “being experts while loving and showing kindness to people”, according to cofounder May Quah. These stories show that progress is not always measured by how much a business produces, how quickly it grows or how far it expands. Sometimes, it can be seen in the relationships built along the way. Manufacturing is an industry built by people. Behind every product is someone making a decision, solving a problem, developing an idea or simply showing up to do the work. The machinery, technology and processes may help businesses move forward, but people give those achievements meaning. There are tangible future goals, whether that is expanding into new markets, developing new products or improving manufacturing capabilities. But it is also important to realise that the reward can be found in the present, to your left or right, as well as right next to you. The growth, relationships and experiences along the way are already part of the reward. Happy reading! F
Copyright Food & Beverage Industry News is owned by Prime Creative Media and published by John Murphy. All material in Food & Beverage Industry News is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher. The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Prime Creative Media will not accept responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in Food & Beverage Industry News are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated. © Copyright Prime Creative Media, 2023
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Contents
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6 News 10 Meet the Manufacturer: Oh My Gelato From a homemade matcha gelato experiment, Oh My Gelato has grown into a manufacturing operation producing tonnes of gelato each month. 16 Meet the Manufacturer: Edenvale Wine maker Aaron Milne speaks on the technical challenge of producing quality low and no alcohol wine.
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22 Meet the Manufacturer: Aril Estate Aril Estate is a Mudgee-based food business producing olive oil, table olives and pomegranate products. 26 Meet the Manufacturer: Proudi Founder of Proudi started the pet food manufacturing business built around quality ingredients and scientific formulation. 31 Cooling Atlas Copco Rental’s temporary cooling solution ensures energy resilience. 32 Identification SICK has launched its SensingCam SEC200 to target simpler and accessible identification technology.
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36 Sensors Through its partnership with TecSense, AMS is helping reduce waste. 38 Inventory The Access Group’s latest quarterly Index highlights contrasting conditions across Australian food and beverage manufacturing. 42 Instrumentation VEGA’s radar technology is helping Cosucra maintain reliable level measurement. 44 Endeavour Manufacturing Awards Manufacturers across Australia can now nominate for the 2027 Endeavour Manufacturing Awards.
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46 MICE The issues facing the coffee sector extend beyond the cup itself. MICE 2027 will examine the forces shaping the industry. 48 AIP Food packaging innovation has been recognised at the 2026 Australasian PIDA Awards. 50 New Products
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News
Bubs Australia has secured permanent regulatory authorisation from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for three infant formula products, providing a pathway for the company to continue supplying the US market. The authorisation covers Bubs Goat, Bubs 365 Day Grass Fed and Bubs Essential. It confirms the products, manufacturing systems and supporting scientific evidence meet US regulatory requirements for safety, nutritional adequacy and quality. Bubs said the authorisation establishes the company among a limited group of international manufacturers able to supply the US infant formula market. The US infant formula market is subject to regulatory and manufacturing requirements covering product safety, nutritional
adequacy and quality. Bubs said the authorisation will support the continued expansion of its branded product portfolio, as well as future product development and potential participation in the US private label infant nutrition segment. “Permanent FDA authorisation is a transformational milestone for Bubs and validates the strength of our farm-to-formula value chain, manufacturing capability and product quality. This approval provides the platform to accelerate our US growth strategy, deepen retailer partnerships, strengthen consumer awareness of the Bubs brand and expand consumer reach across a market where we are already represented in more than 10,000 stores nationwide,” said Joe Coote, managing director and CEO of Bubs. “Importantly, it also creates additional opportunities to broaden
Image: Sasenki/stock.adobe.com
Bubs secures FDA authorisation for US infant formula market
Bubs Australia has secured permanent FDA authorisation for three infant formula products.
our product offering and evaluate participation in the US private label infant nutrition segment. While any private label expansion remains subject to further regulatory,
technical and commercial milestones, the FDA authorisation represents a significant strategic asset that we consider enhances Bubs’ long-term growth potential.” F
Plastic-free labelling system for fresh produce Visy has launched an automated labelling system designed to allow fresh produce to be packed in cardboard punnets without the use of plastic film or wrap. The company’s Enviropunnet overclose labelling system uses cardboard flaps and a paper label to secure produce inside the
Image: Visy
Visy’s labelling system allows fresh produce to be packed without the use of plastic film or wrap.
6 Food&Beverage Industry News
punnet. The system is designed for products including apples, pears, stone fruit and tomatoes. According to Visy, the Enviropunnet is produced through its Australian operations, with the cardboard made in Wodonga and the punnets assembled in Shepparton. Chris Van Der Merwe, group
general manager of corrugated packaging at Visy, said reducing single use plastic was a priority for the business and growers. “Thanks to our new labelling system, our Enviropunnets can now be plastic film and wrap free, while still protecting fresh fruit and veg. Even better, they’re kerbside
recyclable after use so that we can turn them into new cardboard packaging,” said Van Der Merw. “Growers and supermarkets can rely on our secure, local supply chain, with the Enviropunnet produced through our Australian network of operations, using board made in Wodonga and assembled in Shepparton.” The labelling system is designed to fit within existing packing lines, allowing operators to move from flow wrapping to labelling without installing additional conveyors. It uses food safe adhesives and can include adhesive free areas to prevent contact with exposed produce. Optional features include date coding and custom printing. The system can be used with a range of punnet sizes, including • 1kg Enviropunnet for apples, pears, stone fruit and tomatoes. • 750 grams Enviropunnet for pears, stone fruit and tomatoes. • 500 grams to 1kg tray packs for premium apples. F www.foodmag.com.au
News
Almondco and SunRice enter Export Awards Hall of Fame
Image: Bigc Studio/stock.adobe.com
Five Australian businesses will be inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame in 2026, recognising their sustained contribution to Australian exporting. The inductees are Almondco Australia, PWR Advanced Cooling Technology, Resmed, SunRice Group and UOW Global Enterprises. The businesses span agriculture, advanced manufacturing, health technology, food and education. Presented by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission, also known as Austrade, the Australian Export Awards recognise the achievements of Australian exporters and their contribution to the national economy and international markets.
The Hall of Fame was established in 2002 to recognise Australian exporters that have won the same or similar national category in three separate years or five times across all categories. Australian Trade and Investment Commission deputy CEO Daniel Boyer said the 2026 inductees demonstrated the capabilities of Australian exporters. “Austrade is proud to recognise Almondco Australia, PWR Advanced Cooling Technology, SunRice Group, UOW Global Enterprises and Resmed as the 2026 Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame inductees,” said Boyer. “These organisations represent the very best of Australian exporting – demonstrating sustained excellence,
Almondco Australia, SunRice Group and three other Australian businesses will be inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame in 2026.
innovation and global ambition over many years. Through their longstanding relationships with Austrade and our shared commitment to growing Australia’s presence in international markets, they have made an enduring contribution to Australia’s export community, economy and reputation on the world stage.” Grower-owned Almondco Australia is based in Renmark, South Australia, and represents more than 85 per cent of the nation’s almond growers. The company processes and markets almond products for domestic and international markets, with exports accounting for more than 69.5 per cent of sales in 2024. Almondco exports to markets including China, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India and Vietnam. Its hulling and shelling operations are in South Australia’s Riverland and the Riverina region of New South Wales. The company has been a finalist in the Australian Export Awards five times, in 1996, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2023. It has also won the Regional Exporter category three times, in 2011, 2016 and 2025. “Being inducted is a fantastic recognition for our grower owned business. It is a humbling acknowledgement for our members, key stakeholders and staff that have contributed to the success of the business for over 80 years. Thank you to Austrade and our international representatives for their continued
support and in-market trade advice,” said Brenton Woolston, managing director at Almondco. SunRice Group was established by Riverina rice growers who pooled their resources to establish a single mill. The company now sells more than 1,500 products under 45 brands in 50 countries, with more than half of the group’s revenue generated outside Australia. SunRice has also invested in research and development to support its international food products business. The company won its first Australian Export Award in 1969 and won again in 1974 and 1979. It later won the Regional Exporter Award in 2003 and 2012 and was a finalist for the Agribusiness Award in 2014. SunRice won the Agribusiness, Food and Beverages category in 2023 and was a finalist in 2025. “Being inducted into the Australian Export Awards Hall of Fame is a tremendous honour and recognition of how far SunRice Group has come over the past 75 years, from a single rice mill in the Riverina to the global rice food business we are today,” said Paul Serra, CEO and managing director, SunRice Group. “The Awards have helped us strengthen international connections and showcase Australian rice to customers around the world, helping build consumer demand for the high-quality food we produce here in Australia.” F
Good Drinks Australia has been named Beer Supplier of the Year at the 2026 Liquorland Supplier Showcase, held at The Timber Yard in Port Melbourne. The award was one of 12 presented to suppliers across different categories at the annual event, which recognises supplier performance and partnerships across the liquor industry. Mick McKeown, general manager sales and marketing at Good Drinks Australia, said the award reflected the company’s work with the drinks trade. “Our growing list of supplier awards recognises that Good Drinks is a www.foodmag.com.au
dynamic, innovative and supportive partner to the drinks trade nationally,” said McKeown. “We are big enough to deliver and nimble enough to lead innovation and that’s why we are being sought out as a partner and recognised for our success.” “Our portfolio of Australian craft beer, international premium and flavour-forward RTDs and ciders competes with anything on the market, but it’s the ‘built different’ mindset that we bring to all of our partnerships that sets us apart.” Liquorland general manager commercial and marketing, Sophie
Went, said the annual awards provide an opportunity to recognise supplier performance and collaboration. “The Liquorland Supplier Showcase is always a great opportunity to bring our supplier community together, celebrate everything we’ve achieved over the past year and set the scene on what we must focus on for the year ahead,” she said. “A huge congratulations to all our finalists and our 12 award winners. We’re incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved together and are looking forward to another great year working alongside all of our supplier partners.” F
Good Drinks Australia at the 2026 Liquorland Supplier Showcase.
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Image: Good Drinks Australia
Good Drinks Australia named Beer Supplier of the Year
News
Baiada has opened a new poultry processing plant in Tamworth, with an initial capacity of 1.5 million chickens per week and provision to expand to three million. The facility combines automated processing, digital process control, traceability systems, quality assurance technology, secondary processing, automated packaging, cold storage and logistics operations. Baiada has operated in Tamworth since 1966, when founder Celestino (Charlie) Baiada established the company’s first operations in the region. The new facility continues a relationship with Tamworth that has spanned six decades. Simon Camilleri, managing director of Baiada Poultry, said the investment reinforces the company’s commitment to the region. “This is a long-term investment in Tamworth and the people who have supported Baiada for generations. Our history in this region stretches back to 1960s, when Charlie Baiada first established operations here, and this
Image: Baiada
Baiada opens new Tamworth poultry processing plant
Baiada Poultry has opened its new Tamworth processing plant.
facility reflects our confidence in the future of Tamworth,” Camilleri said. “We have grown alongside this community for six decades. This facility is about ensuring Tamworth remains at the heart of our operations for decades to come, creating opportunities for local families and supporting the broader regional economy.”
Tamworth was selected for the expansion due to the geographic location, our established poultry industry, infrastructure, and skilled workforce, providing a strong foundation for the long-term growth of the sector. The plant can currently process approximately 1.5 million chickens per
week. It has been designed to expand to an approved capacity of up to three million birds per week through the future operation of a second processing line. The facility features two highcapacity online processing lines, each designed to process up to 15,000 birds per hour. A three-stage chilling system incorporates immersion chilling, shock chilling and maturation air chilling technology. According to Baiada, the system is the first combination of immersion and air chilling at this scale to be deployed anywhere in the world. The company said the chilling system is intended to support product quality, consistency and processing efficiency. The facility also includes automated inline processing systems, digital process control and traceability capabilities, automated quality assurance systems, secondary processing operations and automated packaging technology. F
Innovative research is underway in Central Queensland to investigate how higher temperatures affect grain and pulse production and identify ways to manage production risks. Department of Primary Industries researchers at the Central Queensland Smart Cropping Centre in Emerald are using six purpose-built chambers to study the impacts of higher nighttime temperatures on sorghum, a grain used in stockfeed and food products including beer and gluten free flour. The research aims to examine the effects of heat stress on crops and identify practical strategies to maintain productivity in hotter conditions. Six infield heat chambers have been commissioned and designed for Queensland conditions in partnership with technology company Biora. The chambers are installed in the paddock and can raise temperatures by up to three degrees to simulate higher nighttime conditions. Remote 8 Food&Beverage Industry News
monitoring devices allow researchers to collect data to support climate productivity research across grains and pulses. The research forms part of more than 230 actions being delivered over five years under Primary Industries Prosper 2050, a plan developed with rural and regional communities and industry. The Queensland Government has set a target of increasing the value of primary production output to $30 billion by 2030, with research and development focused on productivity identified as one area of investment. Minister for primary industries Tony Perrett said the infrastructure would support research into the effects of a changing climate on agriculture. “By leveraging advanced technologies like in-field heat chambers, we are equipping Queensland farmers with the knowledge to better understand
Image: romaset/stock.adobe.com
Research examines heat impacts on grain production
The research aims to examine the effects of heat stress on crops.
and manage the impacts of an increasingly variable climate,” Perrett said. “We are proud to partner with
industry to invest in research that delivers practical management options growers can use now and into the future.” F www.foodmag.com.au
News
Coles opens first fully electric supermarket natural gas heating. The store also includes EV fast charging across four parking bays, with capacity of up to 200 kW direct current. The chargers, delivered through Coles’ partnership with Evie Networks, are integrated with the store’s battery system to help manage peak electricity demand. Coles head of energy Jane Mansfield said the store demonstrated how different energy technologies could be incorporated into supermarket operations. “Orana Village is an important step forward in how we design and power our stores. As our first fully electric supermarket in Australia, it represents the next generation of a Coles store and through our partnership with Origin, gives us a blueprint for what a lower emissions and more resilient store network could look like,” said Mansfield. Coles and Origin have extended their partnership for a further three years to 2029. Under the next phase, the companies expect to install an
additional 15 MW of rooftop solar across up to 75 stores and 15 MWh of battery storage across up to 20 stores. Since the partnership began in 2023, solar installations have been delivered across 73 Coles stores and distribution centres, providing 16.45 MW of capacity. Battery storage totalling 1.35 MWh has also been installed across five stores. Origin general manager, enterprise and strategic customers, Liam McWhirter, said the partnership had focused on developing energy
systems for Coles’ network. “Orana Village brings many of these technologies together to manage energy costs and reduce emissions and we’re excited to extend our partnership with Coles to continue scaling the solutions that are working.” Coles said it sources 100 per cent renewable electricity for its national operations and reported an 82.6 per cent reduction in combined Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by the end of FY26, compared with its FY20 baseline. F
The store has a 270 kW rooftop solar system comprising 487 panels.
Image: Coles
Coles has opened its first fully electric supermarket at Orana Village in Clyde, Victoria, as part of its renewable energy partnership with Origin. The supermarket uses rooftop solar, battery storage, electric heat pumps and electric vehicle (EV) charging, removing the need for fossil fuels in on site operations. The store has a 270 kW rooftop solar system comprising 487 panels and a 110 kW/225 kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The battery can provide backup power and, once fully commissioned, will help manage peak electricity demand. It provides an alternative to a gas or diesel generator, with capacity reserved for essential operations including lighting and payment systems. The supermarket’s electric heating system works with a natural CO₂ refrigeration system to recover waste heat from refrigeration equipment. The recovered heat is combined with electric heat pumps to provide 171 kW of heating across the store, replacing
Asahi moves to recycled plastic for soft drink bottles Every plastic soft drink bottle in Asahi Beverages’ Australian range, including Schweppes, Solo and Pepsi, is now made with 100 per cent recycled plastic, excluding caps and labels. The transition means around 350 million bottles each year are now
made in Australia using recycled plastic instead of virgin material. “This announcement gives Australian consumers and retailers certainty that when they purchase an Asahi-made soft drink, such as Schweppes, Solo or Pepsi Max,
Image: Asahi Beverages
The recycling plants have increased the volume of recycled plastic produced in Australia.
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the plastic bottle has been more sustainably sourced,” said Asahi Beverages Group CEO Amanda Sellers. “Around 350 million Asahi soft drink bottles each year are now made in Australia with 100 per cent recycled plastic, as are all our Cool Ridge and Frantelle water and Cottee’s cordial bottles. “Redesigning our supply chains this way helps secure our supply of plastic bottles into the future and makes financial sense. As Australia’s leading beverages company, we are committed to embedding sustainability into our strategy, systems and processes.” The transition was supported by investment in Container Deposit Schemes and the construction of two PET plastic bottle recycling plants in Albury, NSW and Altona in Melbourne’s west. The plants form part of the Circular Plastics Australia (PET) joint venture between Asahi Beverages, Cleanaway
Waste Management, Pact Group and Coca-Cola Europacific Partners. The recycling plants have increased the volume of recycled plastic produced in Australia and enabled Asahi to source more material for its bottles domestically. Australia’s Container Deposit Schemes have also increased the supply of used bottles that are processed as feedstock for the recycling plants. “Circular Plastics Australia (PET) and the establishment of Container Deposit Schemes by governments and the beverage industry in every state and territory are major initiatives that have helped ensure we have the raw material required to produce 100 per cent recycled soft drink bottles,” Sellers added. “By recycling old bottles so that they once again become new bottles and repeating the process, everyday Australians are helping create a more circular economy in Australia.” F Food&Beverage Industry News 9
Meet the Manufacturer
Founders of Oh My Gelato, Eugene and May Quah.
A cool and sweet gelato dream Images: Oh My Gelato
Oh My Gelato has grown from a homemade matcha gelato experiment into a Melbourne manufacturer producing tonnes of gelato each month.
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Meet the Manufacturer
The company describes its production as a traditional, recipe-driven and handcrafted batch process.
T
he making of gelato for founders of Oh My Gelato, Eugene and May Quah, has always been about more than producing a frozen dessert. “About ten to 12 years ago, I wanted a really good matcha gelato,” said Eugene. “At the time, we could not find a good product. So, I decided that I would try to make it myself.” What began as a search for a good matcha gelato has grown today into a manufacturing business producing around three to five tonnes of gelato each month from its Essendon facility. The business now supplies customers across Victoria, as well as interstate markets including New South Wales and Western Australia, with Adelaide also coming into the distribution network. Despite that growth, the founders have retained the principles that shaped the business from the beginning. “We use the right equipment, but we don’t take any shortcuts,” Eugene said. That philosophy has influenced everything from the recipes and
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ingredients used to the way the business trains its staff and manages production.
From a home machine to manufacturing
Eugene’s background is in engineering, aviation and IT rather than food manufacturing. After he became interested in making his own gelato, his approach was characteristically methodical. “I bought some books and started making it myself,” said Eugene. A birthday gift from his family eventually provided the opportunity to take the experiment further, with Eugene purchasing an ice cream machine. The operation initially ran from the couple’s townhouse, producing small quantities before they began looking for ways to increase capacity. One of the first commercial machines they acquired was a Carpigiani 4060, an older machine that Eugene describes as the “RollsRoyce” of gelato machines. It was a step up from the tabletop machine they had been using.
Technology and machinery have played an important role in allowing Oh My Gelato to grow, but Eugene emphasised another important aspect of the business. “People, people, people,” he said. “We really wanted to hone in how we can be experts while loving and showing kindness to people,” May added. “That is what got us to where we are without showing off about just the product, but our team because we’re so proud of them.” The business now has a growing team of 15 at its Essendon facility, with employees cross trained across the manufacturing operation.
Craftsmanship at scale
Oh My Gelato describes its production as a traditional, recipe-driven and handcrafted batch process. Each flavour has its own recipe and is made to order, with the aim of maintaining consistency, quality and the character of the ingredients. The approach is deliberately different from relying on premixes or prepared flavour bases. “Everything was handcrafted,
hand-made, hand-thought, recipedriven, and it still is,” Eugene said. That philosophy has remained in place as the business has moved into an industry style manufacturing environment. The company uses industrial equipment to support production, but the equipment is viewed as a tool rather than a substitute for the team’s knowledge. “All our team members are cross trained across all aspects of the manufacturing process, and our team are the most important component in our manufacturing process,” added Eugene. The business uses MRPeasy, a cloud-based manufacturing execution and resource planning system, to manage inventory and allocate the ingredients and components required for individual products. The system has enabled the business to introduce a just in time manufacturing approach, helping manage inventory, stocktaking and wastage while improving accuracy and efficiency. For a business making a broad range of flavours in batches, having a clearer view of ingredients and Food&Beverage Industry News 11
Meet the Manufacturer
production requirements is important. The software also supports the broader philosophy of using technology where it can improve the operation without compromising the product.
Building a market during the pandemic
Oh My Gelato produces around three to five tonnes of gelato each month.
The move from home production to commercial manufacturing was not a straight line. Before the pandemic, Oh My Gelato was selling 500 millilitre jars directly to consumers, with the idea of bringing the quality of a gelateria into people’s homes. Social media and community groups helped Oh My Gelato reach customers, while particular flavours began developing their own followings. Durian gelato proved especially popular, helping the business expand. According to Eugene, the business grew three to four times during the pandemic, supported by consumers redirecting money that might normally have been spent at restaurants
The company makes its products from scratch and focuses on quality ingredients.
12 Food&Beverage Industry News
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Meet the Manufacturer
The business has a growing team of 15 at its Essendon facility.
towards home delivered products. The experience also demonstrated the importance of community to the business. Rather than viewing other businesses and customers simply as commercial relationships, the business developed a network of people who helped distribute and promote the product. “A friend of ours would act as a central distributor because you could only travel 5 kilometres during Covid,” said Eugene.
Purpose beyond profit
For Eugene and May, growing the business was never solely about financial returns. Their broader question was whether gelato could become a vehicle for creating opportunities and contributing to the community. “Profit doesn’t become the goal, it just becomes a resource,” Eugene said. That philosophy has influenced the way they approach employment and development within the business. They have worked with women affected by domestic violence, providing training and development www.foodmag.com.au
Oh My Gelato has installed 70 solar panels, supported by solar generation and battery storage, as part of its approach to managing energy use across the facility. opportunities, while May has also focused on creating opportunities for neurodivergent young adults. For example, May’s earlier career and experience working with people as a cardiac sonographer helped shape values that have become embedded in the business. “People – people are the way forward,” she said. This also extended during competitions. Following their recent participation in a national gelato competition, the Quahs were struck by the relationships that developed between competitors. Six teams reached the final stage, with competitors ultimately helping one another during the People’s Choice component rather than treating the event purely as a contest. “We got to the point where we were selling each other’s flavours,” said Eugene. “We were comrades.” “The judges were really blown away
because they didn’t expect that to happen during a competition,” added May. “That was a real highlight.” That experience demonstrated that competition and collaboration can coexist. Preparing for the competition also required months of development, with the team spending four to five months refining its flavour. The final stage required the finalists to work in an unfamiliar kitchen and produce their gelato using equipment they had not previously used. For Oh My Gelato, that meant demonstrating that its recipe driven process could be transferred from its own facility into a new environment while the business continued its normal production commitments.
Technology with a practical purpose
Oh My Gelato has installed 70 solar panels, supported by solar generation
and battery storage, as part of its approach to managing energy use across the facility. “We run 15 freezers, four industrial blast freezers, and pasteurisers,” said Eugene. Its logistics operation has also evolved. The company has designed and acquired a fully electric delivery van with an independently battery powered custom built freezer body. The vehicle can transport interstate pallet orders to third party logistics partners, while also carrying a gelato cart and a crew of up to six people for events. For a growing frozen food manufacturer, maintaining the cold chain is critical, but the vehicle also reflects the company’s broader approach to solving practical problems as the business expands. Rather than simply adding capacity, they have looked for ways to make the entire operation more efficient. The result is a business that resembles an established food manufacturing operation, while retaining the small-batch thinking that shaped its beginnings. That balance is evident in the products themselves. Food&Beverage Industry News 13
Meet the Manufacturer
Oh My Gelato began with Asianinspired flavours and has continued to focus on individual ingredients and their origins. The company makes its products from scratch and seeks to allow individual ingredients to define the flavour. Australian pistachios, for example, are used in its pistachio gelato, which has performed strongly in competition. The team has continued to refine the recipe and process rather than treating an award as the end point.
The business was one of six finalists competing in the Australian Association of Pastry, Gelato and Chocolate Australian Gelato Cup.
The next batch
Eugene and May are now preparing for the next stage of development, including an upcoming trip to Italy following their recognition among the world’s top gelato artisan masters. However, May said the team needs to resist the temptation to believe it has reached the finish line. “We still say to each other don’t for once think we’ve done it and we got there,” she said. “Instead, keep improving, keep going.” That mindset has been present throughout the company’s journey, from a home machine and a single matcha recipe to a 15-person team and a manufacturing operation producing tonnes of gelato each month.
As the food and beverage manufacturing industry faces struggles, threats and challenges, remaining resilient and positive can be hard to do. Despite this, Eugene believes that businesses need to
understand their purpose and keep that purpose in view as they grow. “Do it again and do it better each time,” he said. When asked if they had the choice of starting the business again, the
answer was straightforward. “Two hundred per cent, we’d do it again,” said Eugene. “I would do things differently, but I would do things differently to accelerate our purpose. That’s what drives us.” F
Oh My Gelato does not rely on premixes or prepared flavour bases.
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OUR MACHINE VISION FOR YOUR TOP PERFORMANCE
Meet the Manufacturer
Wine without the alcohol
Images: Edenvale
Edenvale winemaker Aaron Milne has spent the past several years focused on the technical challenge of producing quality low- and no-alcohol wine.
Edenvale sources grapes from different regions and works with wineries to develop fruit that meets its specifications. 16 Food&Beverage Industry News
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Meet the Manufacturer
“W
inemaking has always been about experimentation,” said Aaron Milne, head winemaker at Edenvale, a premium alcoholremoved wine company. After almost 20 years in the industry, Milne is now in a position where he can spend less time on the day to day demands of winemaking and more time developing new products and ideas. “I get to sit there and think and imagine an idea, and I just go to the facility and have a go,” he said. It is an approach that has served Milne well throughout his career, particularly as he moved into the emerging low- and no-alcohol wine category. Milne began working in winemaking 18 years ago, initially developing his experience in conventional wine. His entry into alcohol-free wine came when he was working for Australian Vintage Limited and was asked to take over a new division following the
installation of a spinning cone system for de-alcoholisation. At the time, the spinning cone represented the peak of technology for removing alcohol from wine. Milne initially expected the role to be a short-term opportunity before moving on to another winemaking project. Instead, he found himself drawn into the technical challenges of the category as consumer interest began to grow. “I always like to try something new and thought that I’d do this for a couple of years, learn a bit about it and then move on to whatever other winemaking adventure that I wanted to do,” he said. The category proved more interesting than expected. After taking a break to help build a new winery in the region, Milne remained in contact with Edenvale and eventually returned to help establish a new manufacturing plant for the business. The facility has now been operating for about two years, giving
Edenvale greater control over the key processes involved in producing its wines. Previously, the company relied on a contract processor for the dealcoholisation process. Bringing that capability in-house has allowed Milne and the team to experiment more freely with production and product development.
Making wine without the alcohol
While low- and no-alcohol wine is a relatively young category compared with conventional wine, the manufacturing process still begins in familiar territory. Edenvale sources grapes from different regions and works with wineries to develop fruit that meets its specifications. From there, the wine is produced using conventional winemaking techniques, including harvesting, inoculation, fermentation, draining and pressing for red wines, and malolactic fermentation.
However, the requirements change once the alcohol needs to be removed. Alcohol contributes more to wine than simply its alcoholic strength. According to Milne, its removal can leave the wine tasting thin, dry and harsh. “Alcohol is very sweet,” he said. “You don’t notice it because it’s ‘hot’ and overpowers the actual sweetness. When you take alcohol out of a wine, you’re stripping a lot of sweetness out and it gets really dry and rough.” To compensate, Edenvale uses grape juice or concentrate to restore some of the sweetness lost during de-alcoholisation. Milne also adjusts the winemaking process to retain characteristics that can help build structure and flavour. Once the wine has been made to specification, it enters the dealcoholisation process. The first stage involves removing what is known as the essence. This is done under vacuum at a lower temperature,
Edenvale winemaker, Aaron Milne.
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The company uses traditional winemaking techniques combined with modern extraction technology.
allowing volatile flavour compounds to be collected before the alcohol is removed. The alcohol is then extracted at a higher temperature and slower flow rate, again under deep vacuum to minimise the impact of heat on the wine. The extracted alcohol is subsequently rectified, concentrating it to about 85 per cent. This process also allows the less volatile compounds, known as the tails, to be returned to the wine. Once the alcohol has been removed, the wine needs to be rebuilt. Removing the alcohol also reduces the volume of the wine by about 15 per cent and concentrates the remaining acid and tannins. Edenvale can then add juice, concentrate or water to restore balance before returning as much of the collected essence as possible to the wine. 18 Food&Beverage Industry News
“At Edenvale, we try to keep the wines grape-derived and try to make it as wine-like as possible,” said Milne.
The challenge of body
The biggest technical challenge in alcohol free wine is finding the balance between removing the alcohol and retaining the characteristics consumers expect from wine. Milne describes it as a narrow line between producing a drink that is too watery and one that becomes too sweet and juicy using grape juice or concentrate. “The biggest challenge is the line that we walk between not looking watery and not looking juicy,” he said. This is one reason sparkling wine can be easier to produce than still wine. The presence of bubbles creates additional mouthfeel and can
reduce the perception of wateriness. Still red wines present a more difficult challenge because the removal of alcohol can expose the wine’s acid and tannins while reducing its body and warmth. Milne said Edenvale has deliberately focused on some of the more challenging products, including a premium Coonawarra Cabernet. The company is now looking to apply what it has learned to a different end of the spectrum, with a new sparkling product in development.
Technology drives incremental gains
Technology has played an important role in the development of alcoholfree wine. The spinning cone was one of the bigger technological developments, providing a practical way to remove alcohol while retaining
more of the wine’s character. Edenvale now uses a newer, purposebuilt de-alcoholisation system known as a GoLo. Rather than representing a complete transformation, Milne described the newer technology as a more efficient evolution of the process. “The improvement on this is incremental. It’s not a big leap forward, it’s just slightly better, but way more efficient,” he said. For Milne, continued improvements are likely to come through a series of smaller advances in efficiency, quality and process control. The biggest breakthrough would be finding a way to replace the body, warmth and other functions provided by alcohol without compromising the product. Until then, winemakers will continue www.foodmag.com.au
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Technology has played an important role in the development of alcohol-free wine.
to refine the process and learn how to work with the characteristics of dealcoholised wine.
A category still finding its place
The technical complexity has not stopped consumer interest in lowand no-alcohol wine from growing. Milne said the category experienced a particularly strong period of growth between about 2018 and 2022, when sales increased rapidly and attracted a wave of new competitors. As more businesses entered the market, growth flattened and competition intensified. The category has since settled into a steadier growth pattern, with Milne seeing continued potential in Australia and overseas markets. Australia remains a relatively small market for alcoholfree wine compared with the broader www.foodmag.com.au
Removing the alcohol also reduces the volume of the wine by about 15 per cent.
Food&Beverage Industry News 19
Meet the Manufacturer
wine industry, but its growth is being supported by changing consumer preferences. For Australian producers, he also sees advantages in the structure and quality of the domestic wine industry. Australia has an established bulk wine market, making it easier for producers to source wine when demand grows or supply requirements change. “It’s also flexible to operate in the Australian wine industry,” said Milne. “One advantage that we have is that we have a higher quality floor because Australian winemaking quality from a technical standpoint is much higher.” He added that the quality of Australian wine at the lower end of the market can provide a stronger foundation for de-alcoholisation than some overseas alternatives. That creates an opportunity for Australian winemakers to use their existing production expertise while continuing to develop the technology and techniques required to make alcohol-free products.
Looking ahead
Edenvale is a premium, alcohol-removed wine company.
20 Food&Beverage Industry News
Edenvale is continuing to develop new products, with a focus on sparkling wine, building on the lessons learned from developing more challenging red wines. “We’re always looking at new products. We’ve focused on the more challenging side, trying to tackle the things that are hard to make,” said Milne. Milne said that an experimental approach is central to the appeal of winemaking. It is also why he remains optimistic about the broader food and beverage manufacturing sector despite the pressures facing Australian businesses. He believes food manufacturing has a role to play in the future of Australian manufacturing and sees opportunities for entrepreneurs to create new products and brands. “I love entrepreneurs getting out there and having a go,” Milne added. Milne believes established manufacturers can also benefit from working with new businesses, as fresh ideas can challenge assumptions and encourage experienced operators to look at problems differently. “My word of encouragement is to go out and have a crack, live life, and take a risk,” he said. “Even if you get stuck, at the very worst, you’re going to learn a lot and grow from it.” F www.foodmag.com.au
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Meet the Manufacturer
A search for better olives Winning 16 medals at the 2026 Sydney Royal Show, Aril Estate is a Mudgee-based food business producing olive oil, table olives and pomegranate products.
A
ril Estate has grown from a small family farming venture into a food manufacturing business producing olive oil, table olives and pomegranate products in Mudgee, NSW. Established after Andrew Hadjichari and his brother, the origins of the business can be traced back to a frustration shared by his family.
Hadjichari ‘s parents had emigrated from Cyprus, and whenever the family travelled or watched television programs featuring food from around Australia, they would compare what they saw with the products they remembered from home. The family eventually decided to do something about it. Their focus was olives, particularly table
olives produced through natural fermentation rather than chemical treatment. Hadjichari, a former teacher, and his brother, spent about five years looking for a suitable property before settling on Mudgee in New South Wales. Water availability, soil and the suitability of different locations had all been considered before they found the property that would become Aril Estate. Today, the family operation combines farming and food manufacturing, with equipment playing a central role in how it manages production.
Putting equipment first
Managing director at Aril Estate, Andrew Hadjichari.
22 Food&Beverage Industry News
From the outset, the business has taken an equipment-first approach to manufacturing. Hadjichari said the aim has been to automate as much of the process as possible, while keeping people involved where their skills are most valuable. The approach has helped the business manage production without building a large labour-intensive operation. “When we started, we always said equipment first, with automation as much as possible, and then people feeding and receiving the products,” said Hadjichari. That philosophy has influenced how Aril Estate has developed its processing operation, from the initial olive press through to equipment used for handling and packing products. The family initially built its first structure in Sydney before transporting it to Mudgee. As the operation expanded, the need for dedicated manufacturing space became increasingly apparent. The factory eventually became the centre of the business, bringing processing activities together and allowing the family to have greater control over production. The shift also became more important during the pandemic, when the family accelerated its move into the manufacturing facility.
Learning from table olives
Table olives have also highlighted the importance of finding the right balance between people and machinery. Aril Estate initially hired workers to pick olives destined for table olive production. However, the family found that damage to the fruit was not always apparent until later in the process. “Once the olives had fermented, problems with the fruit became more obvious,” Hadjichari said. The experience led the business to change its approach and return to handpicking the olives itself. The fruit is sorted according to maturity and variety before being placed into barrels for natural fermentation. The olives can remain in fermentation for at least a year before being packed into jars. While the process remains labour intensive, the family sees opportunities to increase capacity through further investment in equipment. Hadjichari said vacuum pouch equipment could potentially increase production five to eight times, with the possibility of reaching 10 times current output. “That means we can reduce costs because jars and transportation is getting expensive,” he said. For a small manufacturer, the ability to increase production without increasing labour requirements at the same rate can make a substantial difference. Rather than replacing the role of people altogether, Hadjichari added that the approach is about using machinery to remove repetitive work and allow the family to focus on areas where human judgement is needed.
From fruit to oil
Olive oil production is another area where machinery has transformed the operation. During harvesting, equipment is used to shake the olives from the trees and collect the fruit. The olives are then transported into the processing system, where they are washed, milled and prepared for extraction. www.foodmag.com.au
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Images: Aril Estate
The business produces olive oil, table olives and pomegranate products in Mudgee, NSW.
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Food&Beverage Industry News 23
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The business was established by Andrew and his brother, Dimitris.
The olives can remain in fermentation for at least a year before being packed into jars.
24 Food&Beverage Industry News
The process includes a malaxer, decanter and separator before the oil is collected. Hadjichari said temperature management is important during processing, particularly given the cooler conditions around Mudgee. The objective is to maintain the quality of the oil while ensuring the equipment operates effectively. “The air temperature has to be above 15°C,” he said. “In Mudgee, it gets freezing. We have to heat the paste as if it gets too cold, it comes out as waste.” The manufacturing process also produces a considerable amount of material that does not become oil. Hadjichari estimates that, when everything goes to plan, around 20 per cent of the fruit ultimately becomes oil, with the remaining material becoming waste. Rather than treating this material simply as something to dispose of, Aril Estate directs it towards an evaporating pond. The water is allowed to evaporate from waste before it is spread over under the olive trees or vacant land as fertiliser. “There’s a big swimming pool and it is about two metres deep which fits about 150 tonnes of waste. Waste is 80 per cent of the production,” said Hadjichari. www.foodmag.com.au
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Expanding beyond olives
Pomegranates have provided another avenue for the business to develop products beyond its core olive operation. Aril Estate initially planted around 200 pomegranate trees before expanding its plantings. The fruit is processed into juice, which is stored frozen, and is then be used in different products. The business has also worked with other food businesses to develop products using its pomegranate juice. One example is pomegranate chocolate, where the juice becomes an ingredient in a product developed through collaboration. For Hadjichari, collaboration provides a way for a smaller manufacturer to explore new opportunities without having to develop every product or process independently. “We’re creating new flavours that keep the consumer more interested and more engaged,” he said. It also gives agricultural products a greater range of potential applications. That thinking extends to future product development, with the business considering ideas such as a chilli-infused syrup aimed at Asian markets. “That’s my next venture of doing something different,” said Hadjichari. “Going to these places inspires you and you see what other people have done.”
to make and how to develop them remain human driven. It is an approach that allows the business to operate with the advantages of modern manufacturing without losing the character of a family operation.
Growing without losing control
Recognition at events such as the Sydney Royal Show has provided
useful validation for Aril Estate, receiving 16 medals, including three golds, for its olive and pomegranate products. However, Hadjichari said medals are not the primary driver of its sales strategy. “We don’t rely on the medals. The medals and the show for us just reaffirms to us and our customers that what they’ve been buying for the last
15 years is a great product,” he said. Aril Estate’s approach has been to invest in equipment, automate where practical and work with other businesses when opportunities arise. However, its underlying philosophy remains straightforward: use technology to make manufacturing more efficient while keeping people at the centre of the decisions that matter. F
Aril Estate planted around 200 pomegranate trees before expanding its plantings.
Keeping people in the process
While automation is central to the business, Hadjichari does not see technology as replacing human creativity. The family uses technology, including artificial intelligence, to assist with administrative work, but he believes there remains an important role for people in developing ideas and making decisions. That balance is also reflected in the way Aril Estate approaches product development. “I have all the faith that human creativity will outdo anything that a super genius machine will ever do, because it always draws on the past while humans always look to the future to do things differently,” he said. “That’s what gives us hope.” Hadjichari added that the business can use machinery to increase throughput and improve consistency, but decisions around what products www.foodmag.com.au
Aril Estate sees opportunities to increase capacity through further investment in equipment.
Food&Beverage Industry News 25
Meet the Manufacturer
Pets before profit The founder of Proudi has spent more than a decade developing an Australian pet food manufacturer built around quality ingredients and scientific formulation.
Proudi uses finely ground, freeze dried bone as part of its formulations to prevent hazards.
26 Food&Beverage Industry News
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P
roudi began with a question that was close to home: “What is the best food I could give my pets?” said founder Dennis King. After years working in the pet food industry as a distributor, King had developed an understanding of the market and its products. When he and his family moved to Australia and welcomed pets into their lives, he began looking more closely at the food available to them. Australia’s access to meat and other raw ingredients presented an opportunity. “I started to do some market research, and then I realised that at that time there were some good options, but pet food standards were still quite unclear. It’s not as strict as human food standards,” said King. He set out to create a pet food business that combined Australian ingredients with professional nutritional formulation. Proudi was established in 2015 as an Australian owned and operated business, with manufacturing established near the Sunshine Coast. From the beginning, the company sourced its meat and organs in Australia and operated its own manufacturing facility. The site was made to human food standards and accredited by Safe Food Queensland. More than a decade later, Proudi continues to manufacture in Australia, while machinery, automation, production capacity and packaging have evolved with the business.
and ground. The resulting mixture is then processed through a forming machine at around minus 3°C, producing individual patties. These are placed into thermoformed trays, with four patties connected together, before being sealed and packed. The product is then palletised and placed into a blast freezer to be frozen down to -18°C. The finished products pass through a metal detector and checkweigher as part of the company’s safety and quality controls. Products that contain metal or fall outside the required weight range are rejected before packing. Once packed into boxes and palletised, the product returns to frozen storage until it is dispatched to interstate warehouses, and products remain frozen during shipping and storage in stores.
Manufacturing with consistency
As the business has grown, its manufacturing equipment has evolved alongside it. King said there has not been a fundamental change to the company’s production philosophy, but machinery has been upgraded, automation has improved and capacity has increased.
Although the finished product is pet food, the raw ingredients supplied are fit for human consumption.
Genesis Group’s algae pond for its chlorella.
Starting with the raw ingredients
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Images: Proudi
Proudi’s manufacturing process begins with sourcing rather than processing. The company sources meat, organs and bone powder from the human food supply chain. King says the raw ingredients supplied are fit for human consumption, although the finished product is a pet food. Most of the meat and organs arrive as frozen blocks and are held in onsite cold storage until they are required for production. Each day, ingredients are batched according to Proudi’s scientifically formulated recipes. Rather than relying on seasonal variation, King said the recipes are designed to provide precision and consistency between batches. The human-grade ingredients are prepared in batches of around 100 kilograms before being mixed Food&Beverage Industry News 27
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The merger creates an opportunity to combine Proudi’s pet nutrition with Genesis’s research expertise.
“We technically can make supermarket sausages and patties for human consumption,” he said. The comparison is useful in illustrating the standards under which the facility operates, but the company’s focus remains firmly on pet nutrition. “Food safety, consistency and temperature control are utterly important,” King added. Food safety and temperature control are particularly important for a frozen raw product. Proudi follows rigorous cleaning and sanitation procedures, including full cleaning between recipe changes, supported by temperature, foreign-material and weight-control checks throughout production. According to King, maintaining consistency while managing these requirements is one of the ongoing challenges of manufacturing. Cold storage is another constraint. As the business grows, additional
production capacity also requires sufficient space to hold frozen ingredients and finished products. Proudi has chosen to retain the frozen format because King believes it allows the business to minimise processing while avoiding the need for chemical or artificial preservatives. “It’s the least processed, which means that the nutrition of the product is intact,” he said.
Formulating around nutrition
Behind the production line is a product development process involving animal nutrition and food science. Over the years, Proudi has worked with staff who have animal nutrition backgrounds and closely with food scientists and other specialists in pet food formulation. The recipes are professionally formulated and continually refined,
Proudi was established in 2015 as an Australian owned and operated business.
28 Food&Beverage Industry News
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giving the production team precise specifications to work from. That consistency is important because the company wants each batch to meet the same formulation requirements, regardless of when it is produced. Proudi also takes a particular approach to bone ingredients. Rather than using meat containing bone chips, the company uses finely ground, freeze dried bone as part of its formulations. The distinction is important because larger bone fragments can present hazards, particularly if the product is cooked. “We don’t use meat with bones,” said King. “Sometimes you can hear people say it’s meat with crushed bones or something, but we only use finely ground, freeze-dried bone, which doesn’t bring any hazard for pets.” The company recommends feeding its products raw, but King says consumers can also cook the food if
they are not ready to transition their pets directly to a raw diet.
philosophy as its frozen products. US. He believes Australia’s reputation The format involves some nutritional for meat quality gives local pet food compromise compared with frozen manufacturers an advantage in food, but offers practical benefits for international markets. Expanding storage, transport and use. “Australia is known for its super beyond Australia premium quality meat products While Proudi remains Australian which we can benefit from. The image owned and manufactured, its Merger with Genesis Group of Australian products is very well ambitions extend beyond the Proudi’s future is also linked to its recognised in the global market,” he domestic market. The company merger with Genesis Group. King added. already exports to markets including was an early shareholder in Genesis, Proudi has also introduced Air Hong Kong and Singapore, and King while Proudi had operated as his own Food & Beverage Industry News, 150 x 195 mm, Image, CC-en46-AZ521 05/26 Proudi, a shelf-stable air-dried sees further opportunities across the business since its establishment range that follows the same broad Asia Pacific region and eventually the in 2015. Bringing the businesses
Shaping the future together It’s important to look beyond the short term, which is why Krones is working on “Solutions beyond tomorrow”. Be it beverage and food production lines, digital services or plastics recycling: Krones’ innovative solutions combine superior performance with sustainability.
Krones Pacific Pty Ltd, Tel: +61 2 9647 0200, E-mail: info@krones.net.au
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together created an opportunity to combine Proudi’s pet nutrition and manufacturing capabilities with Genesis’s research and functional ingredients expertise. King said the relationship had already developed through a sub brand, YumGuard, focused on treats and supplements with functional health benefits that uses Genesis’ chlorella – a freshwater algae grown in Australia. “I also believe that the future will have high-quality pet food with functional benefits,” said King. The merger combines Genesis’ research and manufacturing capabilities with Proudi’s consumer brands and retail presence. The arrangement would support product development and expansion across agriculture, animal nutrition and human health. According to Genesis, the acquisition is expected to double the Group’s revenue, supported by Proudi’s distribution agreement with Coles and growth in international sales. King has now stepped back from the day-to-day management of Proudi, taking a director and founder role while trusting the senior management team to lead the next stage of development. The longerterm vision is to connect expertise across human health, pet nutrition, agriculture and environmental innovation.
Choosing quality over profit
Although Proudi has grown considerably since 2015, King said the principle behind the business has remained unchanged. His initial interest in pet food came from wanting better food for his own animals, but he also recognised that many pet owners consider their animals part of the family and want them to live healthy and active lives. That perspective has influenced the decisions made throughout the company’s development. King acknowledged that choosing quality can make running a food business more difficult, particularly in an environment of rising costs and competitive pressure. “What I’ve done with Proudi is choosing quality over profit,” he said. As Proudi looks to expand its exports, develop new formats and explore functional nutrition, the company is carrying the same philosophy that shaped its beginnings. Quality, rather than profit alone, remains the measure against which King believes the business should be judged. “Food and drink are essential and is the foundation of the human race,” he added. “It’s a hard but great career to be a part of. We should be proud of what we’re doing and be excited about it.” F
The human-grade ingredients are prepared in batches of around 100 kilograms before being mixed and ground.
King’s initial interest in pet food came from wanting better food for his own animals.
30 Food&Beverage Industry News
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Cooling
Image: Atlas
Atlas Copco Rental implemented a dynamic, temporary cooling ecosystem using multiple rental chillers.
Keeping compressors cool Atlas Copco Rental’s temporary cooling solution ensures energy resilience during critical maintenance.
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lanned maintenance is part of responsible energy production. But even scheduled work can create unexpected vulnerabilities. At a large power provider, a cooling tower shutdown was necessary to safeguard long-term system reliability. However, the tower also played a critical role in maintaining the operating temperature of two oilfree compressors. Without sufficient cooling water, these compressors would have had to shut down, putting production continuity at risk. To prevent this scenario, Atlas Copco Rental implemented a temporary yet efficient cooling alternative.
Customer challenge
Cooling tower maintenance temporarily removed the plant’s primary heat rejection system. Without a thermal alternative, two mission-critical compressors would have exceeded safe operating temperatures and been forced offline, putting production continuity at risk.
The solution
Atlas Copco Rental implemented a dynamic, temporary cooling ecosystem using multiple rental chillers, strategically integrated to bypass the cooling tower and stabilise the circuit’s thermal load. www.foodmag.com.au
The result
Compressor operations continued with zero downtime. By eliminating the need for costly diesel-driven backup compressors, the company helped the facility reduce operational costs and significantly lower its CO₂ footprint during the maintenance period.
Why cooling is missioncritical for compressors
Industrial compressors convert energy and, in doing so, generate heat. If that heat is not effectively removed, efficiency drops and the risk of automatic shutdown increases. In this case, calculations showed that without the cooling tower, return water temperatures could rise to 44°C. For oil-free compressors operating in a critical production environment, this temperature exceeds safe operating limits.
What are the risks when temperatures climb?
• Efficiency decreases. • Component wear accelerates. • System reliability is compromised.
Why not work with dieseldriven compressors?
A conventional short-term solution would have been to rent diesel-driven compressors to temporarily replace the installed units. While this is a proven approach and an easy fix, it comes
with trade-offs: high fuel consumption, additional logistics, increased emissions, and higher operating costs. For a company committed to efficiency and sustainability, an alternative solution was required, one that protected both operations and environmental objectives. This is where Atlas Copco Rental’s technical consultancy made the difference: transforming a logistical risk into an efficiency opportunity through cutting-edge temporary cooling.
A different approach: stabilising the system instead of replacing it
Rather than replacing the existing system, the focus turned to keeping operations running. A temporary solution was deployed, delivering the capacity needed to support the site through a critical period. The chillers were integrated into the existing cooling circuit via heat exchangers and a temporary hydraulic configuration, effectively bypassing the cooling tower while maintaining stable system conditions. The target was to keep the water circuit at 30°C. The achieved result was even better, reaching temperatures as low as 20°C. This additional thermal margin provided operational certainty throughout the maintenance period, even under fluctuating ambient conditions.
The outcome: continuity without compromise
During the entire cooling tower shutdown: • Compressor operations continued uninterrupted. • No diesel replacement units were required. • Additional fuel consumption was avoided. • CO₂ emissions were reduced. The solution therefore delivered more than temporary cooling: it ensured business continuity while aligning with the client’s sustainability commitments.
Built on collaboration and operational trust
This project builds on a long-standing collaboration. The customer has relied on Atlas Copco Specialty Rental for dozens of rental contracts across multiple product ranges. This established partnership enabled rapid mobilisation, precise system integration, and seamless coordination with on-site teams. In energy-intensive industries, resilience is not about avoiding maintenance. It is about planning it intelligently and executing it with confidence. By combining technical expertise with a focus on sustainability, Atlas Copco Rental’s solutions can provide not only performance, but peace of mind. F Food&Beverage Industry News 31
Identification
Images: SICK
SICK has launched the new SensingCam SEC200, a compact image-based code reader.
Simplifying identification SICK is targeting simpler and more accessible identification technology for food and beverage manufacturers.
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dentification technology plays a growing role across food and beverage manufacturing, from tracking products through production to supporting packaging, warehousing and logistics. Elon Solomona, APAC market product manager at SICK, said the shift towards more accessible sensing technology is helping manufacturers simplify these processes while also opening the door to greater traceability. Spending almost 10 years with SICK, he has worked across technical services, application engineering and local product management before moving into his current Asia Pacific role in July last year. His work covers markets from New Zealand and Australia through Southeast Asia, Korea, Taiwan and India, giving him a broad view of how identification technologies are being used across manufacturing. “In the food and beverage sector, SICK works across applications involving packaging, processing and logistics,” said Solomona. One of the company’s newer 32 Food&Beverage Industry News
products, the SensingCam SEC200, is aimed at applications where manufacturers need straightforward barcode identification without the complexity traditionally associated with industrial scanning systems.
SensingCam SEC200
“Historically, barcode reading has been seen as a very complex process or application,” said Solomona. Barcode reading could require a combination of technical knowledge and application expertise to successfully implement an identification solution. The SEC200 is designed as an entry level sensor that can be used for operator workstations, manual handling and product sortation, as well as basic automation applications. For food and beverage manufacturers, this can mean removing manual steps from processes where products or cartons need to be identified before moving further through a facility. Rather than requiring an operator to pick up a handheld scanner, scan
a barcode, return the scanner to its cradle and then move the product along, the SEC200 can use its hand presentation function to identify a barcode as it is presented to the sensor. “The hand presentation in the SEC200 now enables them to just show the barcode in the general vicinity of the camera and pass it straight through,” said Solomona. The change may appear simple, but removing individual steps from a repetitive manual process can improve both efficiency and ergonomics for operators. The physical design of the sensor is also intended to suit environments where space is limited. Solomona said the footprint was an important consideration as manufacturers look to fit identification technology into increasingly compact workstations and equipment. Environmental protection is another consideration, with the SEC200 rated IP65, allowing it to operate in environments where exposure to water can be a concern.
Increasing traceability
The technology is also being introduced at a time when the role of the barcode itself is changing. While traditional 1D barcodes continue to be widely used, the food and beverage sector is shifting to 2D codes that can carry considerably more information. A traditional 1D barcode can identify a product through information such as a serial or GTIN number. A 2D code can potentially contain additional information relating to when and where a product was manufactured, its batch and its best before date. That additional data can provide manufacturers and consumers with greater visibility across the product’s journey. “What that does from a consumer point of view is it increases the traceability of the product,” said Solomona. For food and beverage manufacturers, traceability is important when products move through complex supply chains involving multiple production, www.foodmag.com.au
Identification
packaging, warehousing and distribution stages. Identification technology provides a foundation for connecting information to products as they move through those stages. It can also give consumers greater visibility into how products are made and where they come from. “Consumers are now concerned with how their product is made. From raw materials to finished goods, they want greater visibility into the entire production process,” Solomona said.
CLV82x and Lector82x
While the SEC200 is positioned as a lower cost option for straightforward applications, SICK also offers higher performance identification systems for manufacturers with more demanding requirements. The CLV82x is an image based 1D code reader designed for high-
speed applications. Unlike the SEC200, which is aimed at simpler applications, the CLV82x is intended to integrate directly with industrial control systems through Ethernet and other industrial communications. Its image-based technology can also help decode damaged barcodes more effectively than previous laser based 1D scanners. For food and beverage manufacturers, this capability can be useful in highspeed production and logistics environments where products are moving quickly, and damaged or poorly printed codes can disrupt identification. The Lector82x takes the technology further by supporting both 1D and 2D codes. Its ability to read traditional 1D barcodes alongside commonly used 2D formats means manufacturers can work with existing identification systems while also
“There is also an industrial shift between 1D to 2D barcodes, which if you compare the data capacity of a 1D code and a 2D code, you are actually able to fit a lot more than just the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) number.”
adopting newer coding technologies. Like the CLV82x, the Lector82x is image-based and designed to decode poor quality or damaged codes, while also integrating with industrial control systems. The different systems reflect the range of identification requirements across manufacturing. A small manual workstation may need a compact, cost-effective sensor, while a highspeed automated production line may require a more sophisticated system capable of handling large volumes of
data and communicating directly with plant control systems. Solomona said the distinction is important because the most advanced solution is not necessarily the right one for every application. “There is also an industrial shift between 1D to 2D barcodes, which if you compare the data capacity of a 1D code and a 2D code, you are actually able to fit a lot more than just the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) number,” he said. Cost can also be a consideration for
The SEC200 is designed as an entry level sensor that can be used for operator workstations, manual handling and product sortation.
The SEC200 represents a lower cost alternative to more sophisticated identification systems.
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Food&Beverage Industry News 33
Identification
The physical design of the sensor is also intended to suit environments where space is limited.
manufacturers looking to introduce identification technology into additional areas of their operations. According to Solomona, the SEC200 represents a lower cost alternative to more sophisticated identification systems. The intention is to provide manufacturers with an option for applications where advanced functionality is not required. That approach could make identification technology more accessible in areas where manual processes remain in place simply because automation has traditionally been too complex or expensive.
Drawing from expertise
For SICK, however, technology is only part of the proposition. Solomona highlighted that collaboration across the company is important to supporting customers, particularly when applications require knowledge from different areas of the business. SICK’s global structure means local customers can draw on support from teams in Australia and the broader Asia Pacific region, while also having access to expertise from its global operations in Germany. 34 Food&Beverage Industry News
“The global collaboration that is encouraged within SICK means that you not only get support locally from the people on the ground, but you also have the back-end experience of a global company which is headquartered in Germany,” said Solomona. As food and beverage manufacturers continue to face pressure around efficiency, traceability, labour and supply chain performance, he believes technology adoption will remain an important part of the industry’s development. For manufacturers, this does not necessarily mean immediately replacing existing systems or undertaking large scale automation projects. Smaller identification applications like the SEC2000 can provide a starting point, where removing a manual task can improve an operator’s workflow. “Be open to new technologies and the opportunities they bring,” added Solomona. “We’re living in a world where technology moves so fast. Adopting innovative solutions is key to building a stronger, smarter, and more sustainable food and beverage industry.” F
Traceability is important when products move through complex supply chains.
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Sensors
Smarter sensing targeting food waste Through its partnership with TecSense, AMS is helping food and beverage manufacturers detect packaging faults earlier and reduce waste.
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ackaging plays an important role in protecting food and beverage products throughout the supply chain. A packaging fault that goes undetected, however, can lead to product spoilage, waste and unnecessary costs further down the line. This is where sensing and instrumentation technologies can The HSA Head Space Analyser is designed for use around filling lines.
provide manufacturers with greater visibility into what is happening inside sealed products. AMS product manager Dave Grey has seen the value of instrumentation through more than two decades working across industrial environments, predominantly in the oil and gas sector. While the scale of the oil and gas industry differs from food manufacturing, Grey said the
underlying principles of measurement are similar. “Everything’s on a bigger scale when you go to oil and gas, but the theory around it is the same,” he said. At AMS, Grey works with specialised technologies sourced from international manufacturers. One of the more recent additions to the company’s portfolio is TecSense, an Austrian company developing and manufacturing optical sensor systems for laboratory and industrial applications. AMS has been working with TecSense for about 12 months, with applications including food and beverage packaging and laboratory analysis.
TecSense
Images: AMS
TecSense’s product range includes systems for measuring gases such as oxygen and carbon dioxide in gases and liquids. These include the TecMicro range for process applications, portable TecPen devices and the OXY 100 for non-invasive measurement of oxygen inside sealed packaging. For modified atmosphere packaging, the OXY 100 is designed to measure oxygen levels without opening or puncturing the package. A small optical sensor dot is incorporated into the packaging, allowing light to be passed through the dot and the returning signal to be used to determine the oxygen level inside. The system can be used for inline measurement and leak detection, with TecSense describing the OXY 100 as capable of 100 per cent testing of modified atmosphere packages. It can also interface with PLC control systems, allowing measurements to be incorporated into production processes. The approach provides manufacturers with a way to check the atmosphere inside individual packages while leaving the product intact. Other applications use a needle to take measurements, allowing manufacturers to perform spot 36 Food&Beverage Industry News
AMS product manager, Dave Grey.
checks across production. Portable TecPen systems can also provide non-invasive oxygen measurement along the distribution chain. The technology is relevant to products where oxygen levels can influence shelf life. Once a package has been sealed, ensuring the intended atmosphere has been achieved can help manufacturers identify problems before products move further through the supply chain. “If you haven’t got the oxygen out, it’s going to spoil the food quicker,” said Grey. For beverages, TecSense also offers its HSA Head Space Analyser, designed for use around filling lines. The system measures oxygen and carbon dioxide in the headspace of bottles and cans, while also measuring filling level in real time. The ability to perform these checks at the point of production provides an additional layer of quality control. Rather than discovering a packaging problem after a large volume of product has already been manufactured, operators can identify an issue closer to when it occurs. Grey said this is one of the key ways instrumentation can contribute to supply chain efficiency. “It can be tested on the spot as the package is sealed,” he said. “If there’s a fault in the supply chain or www.foodmag.com.au
Sensors
The TecPen is a portable, pen-style optical oxygen and gas analyser.
in the manufacturing of the package, you can pick it up early rather than producing 100 to 1,000 units before you pick it up.” Early detection can be important where a fault could otherwise go unnoticed for an extended period. A manufacturer relying on periodic spot checks may produce many units before identifying an issue. Real-time or more frequent measurement can reduce the lag between an issue occurring and the manufacturer responding to it. If a problem is detected during production, the process can be stopped and investigated before additional product is made. This approach can help manufacturers look at waste prevention from a different perspective. Food waste is often associated with what happens to a product after it leaves the factory, but packaging and manufacturing issues can create waste much earlier in the supply chain. Instrumentation can therefore provide manufacturers with information that allows them to address problems closer to their source. The OXY 100 is designed to measure oxygen levels without opening or puncturing the package.
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Optical sensing
The potential of optical sensing is particularly interesting because it can allow manufacturers to obtain information without necessarily interfering with the product or packaging. Unlike approaches that require a package to be opened or punctured, optical measurement can provide information about the atmosphere inside a sealed package. “It’s basically sending a light through that little packaging dock and then the reflection of the light coming back will determine what oxygen’s in there,” said Grey. As manufacturers continue to examine where waste and inefficiencies occur across production and distribution, technologies that provide information earlier in the process could become more valuable. More accurate monitoring can also help manufacturers understand how effectively they are using gases during packaging. For processes involving carbon dioxide, improved control could help reduce the amount of gas required while maintaining the desired conditions inside the package. “The less gas you need to use means that you can be more efficient
in the use of that gas,” said Grey.
Raising awareness
Grey believes awareness remains one of the challenges, particularly for smaller food and beverage businesses. While larger manufacturers may have dedicated technical teams and established quality control systems, smaller operators may not have the same familiarity with specialised sensing technologies. He pointed to smaller producers, including craft breweries and businesses working with smaller packaging runs, as examples where awareness and cost can influence the adoption of instrumentation. “When you’re a small business, there’s also the cost side of things,” he said. “There’s always the initial upfront out of pocket, but long term, there would be a savings.” The initial investment in equipment is one consideration, but manufacturers also need to consider the cost of failing to identify problems early. Product that is spoiled, rejected or otherwise unable to reach the market represents a loss that can extend beyond the cost of the raw materials.
International network
For AMS, its role is to make specialised technologies from international manufacturers available to Australian industry. The company operates as a distributor rather than providing servicing directly, but supports customers when issues arise and can work with manufacturers such as TecSense to resolve problems. The international nature of AMS’s supplier network also gives Australian manufacturers access to technologies developed for specialised applications overseas. “Most of what we distribute from around the world is more specialised. It’s not your generic sort of stuff,” he said. For Australian food and beverage manufacturers, access to these technologies can become increasingly important as businesses look for ways to improve efficiency while reducing waste. The broader opportunity is to move from simply detecting problems to preventing them from becoming larger production and supply chain issues. As packaging moves through complex supply chains, a product can spend considerable time in storage and transit before reaching its destination. Identifying a problem while the product is still on the production line gives manufacturers a better opportunity to act before that issue translates into waste, rejected product or a downstream quality problem. For Grey, the future of instrumentation is therefore closely tied to better information. By measuring what is happening inside packaging and responding to problems earlier, manufacturers can gain greater control over their processes while making more efficient use of materials and resources. F Food&Beverage Industry News 37
Inventory
Balance in inventory New data highlights contrasting conditions across Australian food and beverage manufacturing, with revenue, margins and inventory moving in different directions. Josh Wright, APAC sales manager at Unleashed – a provider of inventory management software, said economic conditions and market confidence are influencing how businesses approach inventory. “There is a little bit of a drop in confidence in the market,” he said. “People are looking to be more streamlined with their processes and not have as much stock on hand in their business.”
Food manufacturers sell more with less stock
The YoY increase in revenue among Australian food manufacturers sits alongside a decline in stock levels. This suggests manufacturers are moving more product while maintaining lower inventory levels than they did a year earlier. While lower stock can reduce the amount of
cash tied up in inventory, it can also raise exposure to supply disruptions and unexpected demand. This is relevant for food manufacturers, where seasonal demand can create changes in order volumes and where ingredients and finished products may have limited shelf lives. Wright said the challenge is finding a balance between having enough stock available to meet demand and avoiding unnecessary inventory. “If we see an increased demand within a very short period, it might mean that people are caught off guard and might have risks of stock outs,” he said. The MHI data also shows that food manufacturers are experiencing a decline in margins of 3.16 per cent despite the increase in revenue. This creates another pressure
Josh Wright, APAC sales manager at Unleashed.
point for businesses. Higher sales do not necessarily translate into stronger profitability if the cost of raw materials, energy, logistics and other inputs rises faster than manufacturers can pass those costs through to customers. For food manufacturers, the combination of higher revenue, lower stock levels and reduced margins makes inventory decisions more complex. Businesses need to avoid holding unnecessary stock while maintaining enough supply to fulfil orders without resorting to costly last-minute purchasing or logistics.
Images: Unleashed
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ustralian food manufacturers are selling more while holding less stock, highlighting the challenge of balancing growth, cash flow and supply resilience amid ongoing cost and demand pressures. Unleashed’s latest quarterly Manufacturing Health Index (MHI) shows Australian food manufacturing revenue increased 31.6 per cent year on year (YoY), while stock levels fell 63.16 per cent over the same period. The figures point to a sector generating stronger sales while taking a much leaner approach to inventory. Reducing the amount of capital tied up in stock can provide more flexibility when operating costs are under pressure. However, a sharp reduction in inventory can also leave businesses with less room to respond to unexpected changes in demand or supply.
Australian food manufacturing revenue increased 31.6 per cent YoY, while stock levels fell 63.16 per cent.
38 Food&Beverage Industry News
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Inventory
Beverage manufacturing revenue fell 26.51 per cent YoY, while margins increased 6.55 per cent.
A different picture for beverages
Australian beverage manufacturers are experiencing a different set of conditions. According to the MHI, beverage manufacturing revenue fell 26.51 per cent YoY, while margins increased 6.55 per cent. Stock levels also declined, falling 23.77 per cent over the same period, while restocking activity remained relatively subdued. The figures point to a sector where businesses are selling less but retaining more margin from those sales. With softer demand, manufacturers may have more scope to be selective about what they produce and sell. Lower inventory can also reduce the amount of capital sitting in stock, while stronger margins provide some protection against weaker revenue. However, the reduced inventory www.foodmag.com.au
position could become a challenge if demand changes quickly. The MHI data from New Zealand provides an indication of how different market conditions can produce a contrasting result. New Zealand beverage manufacturing revenue increased 53.83 per cent YoY, according to the index. For Australian producers, the contrast highlights the importance of being able to respond when demand changes. A manufacturer operating with lean inventory may be well positioned while demand remains subdued but could face pressure if orders increase faster than stock can be replenished.
Finding the middle ground The different results across food and beverage manufacturing demonstrate why inventory management cannot be treated as a
one size fits all exercise. Some businesses may prioritise lean inventory and accept the possibility of back orders, while others may need to maintain more stock to ensure products can be dispatched immediately. Wright said the starting point for determining inventory levels should be a combination of historical data, expected demand and supplier lead times. “We would always recommend setting a bit of a buffer on what they’ve seen in the past,” he said. The buffer provides manufacturers with some protection against unexpected events, such as delayed shipping or an increase in orders. The objective is to establish an inventory position that reflects the risks and requirements of an individual business. For manufacturers, this can mean
looking at previous sales patterns and lead times to determine when stock needs to be ordered and how much should be available.
Turning inventory data into decisions
Access to reliable data can help manufacturers understand where they sit between excess inventory and stock shortages. “It’s all about good data in and good data out,” said Wright. “Relying on bad data means decisions are based on what’s inaccurate.” The data can also support traceability. Manufacturers can assign unique identifiers to incoming batches and track finished goods as they move through the operation. “When you go into the system and enter the batches that have arrived, we give them a unique identifier and an expiry date. Then, when it comes Food&Beverage Industry News 39
Inventory
to dispatching, you allocate a batch number to the finished goods going out as well,” said Wright. If an issue occurs, manufacturers can use this information to identify where a particular batch came from and where it was distributed.
Moving beyond spreadsheets
Despite the availability of inventory management technology, Wright said some businesses continue to rely on accounting software and spreadsheets to manage their operations. “There is a bit of a leap to go to an inventory management system. A lot of people will start with spreadsheets,” he said. The transition to a dedicated inventory system can require
businesses to rethink established processes. However, greater visibility can provide manufacturers with more information to support purchasing, production and sales decisions. Support and onboarding can also assist businesses through the transition, with Unleashed providing support and onboarding services across its different markets. “We have our support based in New Zealand, Australia and Malaysia for
the APAC region,” added Wright. “We also have our team in the UK office to support the northern hemisphere.”
Finding the balance
The contrasting MHI results across food and beverage manufacturing demonstrate that businesses can arrive at very different positions even when operating within the same broader industry. For the food and beverage sector, the underlying issue
“When you go into the system and enter the batches that have arrived, we give them a unique identifier and an expiry date. Then, when it comes to dispatching, you allocate a batch number to the finished goods going out as well.”
is the ability to make decisions using reliable information rather than simply reacting to orders, supplier costs or changes in demand. Wright said accurate forecasting should be a priority for manufacturers looking to strengthen their processes. “Make sure that you’re forecasting correctly,” he said. “If you can forecast correctly and make sure that you’re holding the right amount of stock, it just means that you’ve got the correct amount of cash to then free up and spend on different areas to make sure your business continues to grow.” The challenge is not simply deciding whether to hold more or less inventory. It is knowing what level is appropriate for the business and having the data to adjust when conditions change. F
Image: SHEKHOR9966/stock.adobe.com
Lower stock can reduce the amount of cash tied up in inventory, but it can also raise exposure to unexpected demand.
40 Food&Beverage Industry News
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INSTRUMENTATION & CALIBRATION PTY LTD
Instrumentation and calibration equipment from world leading manufacturers
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Instrumentation
When the heat gets hot in the process Radar technology is helping Cosucra maintain reliable level measurement across demanding food production processes.
The compact radar sensors from VEGA measure the levels of liquids and bulk solids reliably.
T
he operators of Belgian company Cosucra cannot complain of boredom. Its production processes are diverse, beginning in the field and ending in the clean room. This means they must deal with everything from sand contaminated raw materials to the strict hygiene guidelines of EC 1935/2004. Throughout this, VEGAPULS C 21 keeps its cool. The radar sensor adapts easily to a wide variety of requirements and delivers reliable measuring results unaffected by ambient conditions. Cosucra was founded in 1852 in Warcoing, in the Walloon region of Picardy, and was originally involved in sugar production. Over the last 20 years, the group has undergone a transformation to become a producer and manufacturer of plant-based natural ingredients. Derived from chicory and peas, its products supply food and nutritional health markets worldwide. The production process starts in the fields where chicory and peas are grown. These two crops go through multiple stages of processing before they are sold as finished products around the world. The raw materials, to which a lot of sand and dirt initially adhere, are processed in compliance with hygiene regulations. Under these conditions, 42 Food&Beverage Industry News
VEGAPULS C 21 ensures the proper functioning of a key element in the process, the rotary filter. The radar sensor adapts to different requirements and operates trouble free, delivering a steady flow of reliable measuring results. Cosucra’s process for producing inulin, the fibre of the chicory root, fulfils the requirements of EC 1935/2004 and EHEDG.
root and the products made from it (root chicory). The root consists mainly of water, pulp and insoluble sugars and contains about 16 per cent inulin. Inulin is a natural dietary fibre used in food production to improve texture and taste while offering nutritional benefits. For example, inulin is used as a starch substitute in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.
All the good things
From the field to the clean room
Ever since its founding, Cosucra has been committed to handling raw materials with care and improving its energy efficiency. For example, the harvested peas and chicory grow practically on the company’s own doorstep. The new pea protein production line was also designed with the environment in mind, as were many other components of the plant, from the wastewater treatment facility and high-performance filters to the use of locally produced biogas.
Valuable ingredients
Peas contain up to 25 per cent protein and many amino acids, while their cell wall fibre is a natural, functional component of dietary fibre. Chicory, also called coffeeweed, comes in two varieties. One is used for its leaves, as in salads (leaf chicory), while the other is used for its
The first few steps in the extraction of inulin are very similar to the processing of sugar beets. Inulin is similarly extracted via a gentle process using hot water. This liquid, concentrated solution from the chicory root is then further processed into dietary fibre in liquid or powder form. “Our production site actually has every kind of challenging environment you can think of,” said Vincent Vercamst, maintenance manager in the electrical and instrumentation department at Cosucra. “The processes are either outdoors or in the clean room, dusty or aggressive. We have processes that operate under positive pressure or negative pressure. In some processes we have to deal with strong vibration or an ATEX environment. “Consequently, all measuring
instruments must comply with the ATEX directive, but also with the specifications of EC1935/2004 or EHEDG.”
Hot processes require robust sensors
With measuring instruments such as VEGASON, VEGACAP, VEGADIF, VEGABAR and VEGATOR, VEGA has been helping to ensure reliable production at the Warcoing plant for more than 25 years. Vercamst summarised the reasons that tipped the scales in favour of VEGA sensors. “Unbeatable price/performance ratio, low maintenance, high longterm reliability and incredible robustness,” he said. The compact VEGAPULS C 21 radar level transmitter is a new member of this range of measuring instruments. It is used in the production of inulin. This process is divided into the following processing steps: washing, grinding, filtering, evaporation, bagging and storage. Process temperatures of up to 90°C are normal.
Deployment in the rotary filter
The non-contact radar level sensor is ideal for simple applications where a high protection class is nevertheless required. The filtration process www.foodmag.com.au
Images: VEGA
Instrumentation
To keep a constant eye on the sand thickness, the distance between the sensor and the rotating filter must be exactly right.
The VEGAPULS C 21 radar sensor continuously monitors the thickness of the sand layer on the outside of the rotating filter.
is one of the typical applications that require the sensor to be highly sensitive and accurate, yet robust at the same time. Here, a rotary filter rotates in a trough filled with water and sand, which is sucked up at the circumference of the filter with the help of a vacuum pump. The vacuum pump runs during the entire sand collection process. The trough is emptied and then filled again with product ready to be filtered. “In this way, the impurities in our products are filtered out by the sand,” said Vercamst. The VEGA sensor first measures the distance between the sensor and the empty filter. This is essentially the zero point. During the filtration process, VEGAPULS C 21 continuously measures the thickness of the sand layer on the outer side of www.foodmag.com.au
the rotating filter. “We analyse the distance between the sensor and the rotary filter,” he added. “With this data we can constantly check the sand thickness in the critical area. This is important, because the thickness of the sand layer influences the quality of the filtered product. “In the past, we always had problems with sand stability, which resulted in high costs of around 8000 euros each time. Now with the VEGA sensor, the filtration process can be controlled very precisely.”
Radar replaces visual monitoring
The advantage of VEGAPULS C 21 is that it delivers accurate measuring results without being affected by the medium or process and ambient conditions. Besides its 80 GHz
radar technology, optimised signal processing enables the sensor to deliver reliable, measured values virtually around the clock. Due to the strong focusing enabled by the 80 GHz operating frequency, the radar beam can be aimed at the liquid surface with pinpoint accuracy. Interfering signals caused by buildup on the antenna system are blocked out. The sensor is also small enough to be installed in most places. This is advantageous at older production sites that are not designed to accommodate level sensor technology. Until recently, the filtration process in the chicory plant was usually monitored visually by operators. “We had also tried laser and ultrasonics, but these technologies left a lot to be desired in terms of reliability,” said Vercamst.
“Instruments from other manufacturers were also unable to cope with the demands of the process.” According to him, the compact VEGAPULS C 21 was finally able to solve the problem, bringing accuracy, reliability and repeatability to the process. The new sensor was installed quickly using Bluetooth and its intuitive adjustment structure. All relevant information about the VEGA instrument can be retrieved by entering its serial number. This facilitates later maintenance work. It is a concept that Vercamst has found convincing and applicable to other measuring points. “In the meantime, we’ve been gradually replacing any unreliable sensors with VEGA instruments wherever possible,” he said. F Food&Beverage Industry News 43
Endeavour Manufacturing Awards
The awards provide a platform for businesses to recognise the teams behind manufacturing systems.
Endeavour Manufacturing Awards return for 2027 Manufacturers across Australia can now nominate for the 2027 Endeavour Manufacturing Awards, including the Innovation in Food and Beverage Manufacturing category.
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ustralia’s manufacturing industry is being called on to nominate its leading businesses, innovators and professionals as the Endeavour Manufacturing Awards return for 2027. Nominations are now open for the 2027 Endeavour Manufacturing Awards, with manufacturers across Australia invited to recognise the businesses, individuals and innovations contributing to the future of the sector. Presented annually by Manufacturers’ Monthly and held during Australian Manufacturing Week, the awards celebrate achievements across Australian manufacturing, recognising organisations and individuals working across a range of industries and disciplines. For the food and beverage sector, the awards include the Innovation in 44 Food&Beverage Industry News
Food and Beverage Manufacturing category. This category provides an opportunity to highlight manufacturers developing new approaches to production, processing, technology, sustainability and supply chain operations. The 2027 program will also introduce three new award categories, expanding the opportunities for manufacturers to have their work recognised. The Apprentice of the Year Award will recognise an apprentice who has demonstrated commitment, technical ability, initiative and contribution to the manufacturing industry. The SME of the Year Award will recognise an Australian small or medium sized manufacturing enterprise that has demonstrated business performance, innovation, resilience and commitment to the industry.
The Excellence in Sovereign Capability Award will focus on manufacturers strengthening Australia’s sovereign manufacturing capability through the development, production or delivery of critical products, technologies, systems or capabilities. The three new categories join an existing program covering areas including sustainability, startups, food and beverage manufacturing, health technology, aerospace and transport, leadership and advanced manufacturing. Prime Creative Media’s head of awards and conferences Caitlyn Douglas said the expanded program reflects the changing nature of Australian manufacturing. “Introducing these additional categories is an important step in the growth of the 2027 program and reflects the evolving nature of Australia’s manufacturing industry,”
said Douglas. “They provide more opportunities to recognise the diverse businesses, individuals and achievements contributing to the sector, ensuring that more of the industry’s success stories have a platform to be celebrated.” For food and beverage manufacturers, the awards provide an opportunity to showcase developments taking place across production environments, from new processing technologies and automation through to sustainability initiatives and approaches to improving manufacturing efficiency. The Innovation in Food and Beverage Manufacturing category is particularly relevant to food and beverage manufacturers using technology and new processes to respond to changing market requirements. www.foodmag.com.au
Endeavour Manufacturing Awards
It also provides a platform for businesses to recognise the teams behind new products, processes and manufacturing systems. The broader awards program includes the Excellence in
Sustainability category, which recognises manufacturers incorporating sustainability into their operations as well as the Outstanding Start Up Award and Advanced Manufacturer of the Year.
Other categories recognise developments in health technology, aerospace and transport, while the Leader of the Year Award focuses on individuals contributing to the manufacturing sector. The awards also include categories designed to recognise emerging talent and the next generation of manufacturing professionals with the new Apprentice of the Year Award adding another avenue for manufacturers to acknowledge developing skills within their workforce. The 2027 awards are supported by returning platinum partners BDO Australia, RSM Australia, Weld Australia and Manufacturing Industry Skills Alliance. With nominations now open, manufacturers are being encouraged to put forward individuals, businesses and initiatives that have contributed to their organisation or the wider industry. For food and beverage manufacturers, this could include projects focused on improving production efficiency. This includes businesses that are introducing new processing or automation technology, reducing waste, developing new products
or even strengthening overall manufacturing capability. The awards are also an opportunity for businesses to recognise the people behind these developments. Manufacturing innovation is often driven by teams working across engineering, production, quality, maintenance, research and development and operations, making industry recognition a way to highlight contributions that may otherwise remain behind the factory floor. Following the nomination process, the 2027 awards will culminate in a gala dinner in Melbourne in May during Australian Manufacturing Week. The event will bring manufacturers, industry leaders, technology providers and emerging professionals together for an evening of networking and recognition, while providing an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the Australian manufacturing sector. Manufacturers interested in entering the 2027 Endeavour Manufacturing Awards can now submit their nominations through the awards website. F
Images: Prime Creative Media
The 2027 Awards is presented annually by Manufacturers’ Monthly held during AMW.
The 2027 awards will culminate in a gala dinner in Melbourne during Australian Manufacturing Week.
www.foodmag.com.au
Food&Beverage Industry News 45
MICE
Addressing what’s beyond the coffee cup From the café floor to the coffee farm, MICE 2027 will examine the forces shaping the industry from every angle. The annual event will build on its 2026 edition, which attracted 14,159 unique visitors over three days. Café owners represented 35.1 per cent of trade attendees, highlighting the role of the expo as a place for operators to investigate products, meet suppliers and make purchasing decisions. MICE 2027 will continue to bring together the businesses involved in coffee production, preparation and service, with the exhibition floor supported by education programs and dedicated areas focused on roasting and coffee origins. Among the returning features will be the Café Owners Education
Series, Roasters Playground and Trip to Origin. MICE at Night will also return for its second edition, giving café owners and operators another opportunity to attend the event outside regular trade hours.
What’s on: Café Education
At MICE 2026, the Café Owners Education Series featured 23 session topics presented by 78 panellists. The 2027 schedule will also address a broad range of issues, with sessions covering the financial, operational and commercial challenges facing café businesses. Thursday’s program will begin with
a practical look at the cost of opening a café, covering leases, fit outs, staffing and working capital, before turning to the challenges of surviving the first year of operation. The program will also look beyond the café itself, with a session on international and Australian coffee producers exploring life on the farm and the role of provenance stories. Other sessions will examine emerging beverage trends, including cold foam, pistachio milk and coffee mocktails, as well as ways to make new drinks commercially viable. Sustainability will round out the day, with a focus on packaging,
Images: Prime Creative Media
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he issues facing the coffee sector extend beyond the cup itself. Costs, technology, sustainability, staffing, menus, sourcing and consumer behaviour are connected, creating a complex operating environment for businesses across the industry. Understanding this, the Melbourne International Coffee Expo (MICE) will return to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 4 to 6 March 2027 for its 14th edition, bringing together coffee businesses, suppliers, manufacturers and industry professionals from across the supply chain.
MICE 2026 attracted 14,159 unique visitors over three days.
46 Food&Beverage Industry News
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MICE
The 2027 schedule will cover the financial, operational and commercial challenges facing café businesses.
waste, energy and sourcing and how these practices can support both environmental goals and business performance. Friday’s program will turn to customers, people and operations. The day will open with a discussion about Gen Z consumers, their menu preferences and spending habits, alongside questions about whether cafés should be focusing their attention on different customer groups. The program will then address the realities of café ownership, including workload, people management, visas, wages, overtime and compliance. Menu design will also come under the spotlight, with operators able to explore how menu size affects speed, margins and staffing requirements. Technology will feature in the afternoon through a session on AI and automation and their impact on productivity, staffing and café operations, while the final session will focus on practical ways to generate additional revenue. Ideas including extended trading hours, run clubs and after-hours live music will be explored as ways for cafés to attract new customers and build stronger connections with their local communities.
Connecting the coffee supply chain
MICE also provides a meeting point for the different businesses that make up the coffee and hospitality supply chain. www.foodmag.com.au
Restaurant & Catering Australia (R&CA) has renewed its partnership with MICE for a third consecutive year, maintaining its connection with the expo and the café and restaurant operators attending the event. The Australian Restaurant and Café Association (ARCA) has also joined MICE as an association partner, providing another connection between the expo and Australia’s café and restaurant sector. The Australian Coffee Traders Association (ACTA) has also renewed its partnership with MICE, continuing its involvement with the event and strengthening the connection between the expo and coffee traders.
On the floor
The exhibition floor will remain at the centre of MICE 2027. The 2026 event featured 157 exhibitors across areas including coffee equipment, packaging, roasting, inspection systems, dairy alternatives, point of sale software and coffee preparation. The Roasters Playground will return, providing roasters with dedicated sessions to showcase their coffees to café owners, buyers and other industry professionals. The area gives visitors an opportunity to discover different roasting businesses and coffees while providing roasters with a direct connection to potential customers. La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh have both signed on as sponsors of the Roasters Playground for the third consecutive year. La Marzocco will
La Marzocco and Riverina Fresh have both signed on as sponsors of the Roasters Playground.
provide machinery for the area, while Riverina Fresh will supply dairy milk for participating roasters and their sessions. Trip to Origin will also return in 2027, with producing countries and green bean suppliers placed in greater focus. Following its 2026 edition, the expanded stage program will bring together origin stories, cupping experiences and supply chain information. The program is designed to provide insight into where coffee comes from and the factors influencing sourcing and sustainability.
Looking towards 2027
For café owners, the expo provides an opportunity to investigate new products, equipment and services while accessing education relevant
to running a business. Roasters and producers can connect with buyers and operators, while manufacturers and service providers can demonstrate solutions directly to potential customers. With its 14th edition approaching, MICE will once again provide a forum for the coffee industry to meet, share information and explore the developments shaping the sector. MICE 2027 will be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from 4 to 6 March 2027. Exhibition, sponsorship and speaking opportunities are available ahead of the event. F For exhibitor enquiries, contact Caitlyn Schroder at caitlyn. schroder@primecreative.com.au or 0422 616 054. Food&Beverage Industry News 47
All company winners from the 2026 PIDA Awards are eligible to enter the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards.
Packaging innovation at 2026 PIDA Awards Packaging innovations across food, beverage, sustainability and waste reduction have been recognised at the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design Awards in Melbourne. Author Nerida Kelton FAIP, Executive Director AIP – vice president Sustainability & Save Food – WPO
P
ackaging innovation across the food and beverage industry has been recognised at the 2026 Australasian Packaging Innovation & Design (PIDA) Awards, with winners announced at a gala event in Melbourne on 28 July. Coordinated by the Australasian Institute of Packaging (AIP), the awards were held at The Aviary on the rooftop of the Crown Complex and coincided with foodpro 2026. The PIDA Awards recognise packaging innovation and design across Australia and New Zealand, with categories spanning food and beverage packaging, sustainability, labelling, accessibility and save food packaging, as well as individual packaging professionals. The awards also serve as the exclusive feeder program for Australia and New Zealand for the WorldStar Packaging Awards, run by the World Packaging Organisation. All company
48 Food&Beverage Industry News
winners from the 2026 PIDA Awards are eligible to enter the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards.
Food packaging
Primo Foods and Amcor Flexibles took out Gold in the Food Packaging Design of the Year category for the Primo Sliced Meats Peel & Reseal Pack. The category’s Silver award was shared by Opal ANZ for its Arctic Shield EPS Replacement and Bonson Packaging for RePlay Returnables. Caps & Closures received Bronze for its Honey Squeeze Pack. In the Beverage Packaging Design of the Year category, Graphic Packaging International and Asahi Beverages received Gold for the Asahi Carlton Dry 6x330ml Bottle Shrink Replacement Wrap. Woolworths received Silver for its 600ml Spring Water packaging, while Interpack received Bronze for capR.
Packaging for waste reduction
The Save Food Packaging Design category recognised packaging designed to help prevent food waste through product protection, preservation and shelf-life extension. Simplot received Gold for its Birds Eye Frozen Single Vegetables 825g Range, while IPE Pack and Technology received Silver for its AUSTLON SG Self Sealing Shrink Bag. Kraft Heinz Australia received Bronze for the Heinz Taste Tap Dispenser, with Pinnacle Packaging receiving a High Commendation for its Paper Food Tub and Lid System. Sustainability was also a focus of the awards, with the Sustainable Packaging Design category divided into five areas: Resource Reduction, Reuse, Recycled Content, Design for Recovery, and Innovations in Resource Recovery.
Costa Group, Result Group and The Packaging Hippie received Gold in Resource Reduction for Ecomark Natural Branding, while Woolworths received Silver for its 600ml Spring Water packaging and TrendPac and Coles received Bronze for Coles Antibacterial Handwash 250ml. Bonson Packaging received Gold in Reuse for RePlay Returnables, its third Gold award of the 2026 PIDA Awards. Viscount received Silver for its Nally Folding MegaBin. In Recycled Content, thinkpac received Gold for its ReCree8 PCR Pallet Wrap Range. Caps & Closures received Gold in Design for Recovery for its Honey Squeeze Pack, while Impact International received Silver for its Mono material HDPE tube and cap range. The Gold award for Innovations in Resource Recovery went to Australia Post, iQRenew, RollsPack and Signet for the Smart Circular Satchel. Popit www.foodmag.com.au
Recycling, Martogg and Procal Dairies received Silver for the Milk Bottle Recycling System.
Recognising packaging professionals
The awards also recognised individuals working across the packaging industry. Pooja Ganesh Nayak, packaging engineer at Coles, was named Young Packaging Professional of the Year. David Kilpatrick MAIP, R&D, quality and innovation director at Zipform Packaging, received the Industry Packaging Professional of the Year award, while Christopher Cester Dip. Pkg.Tech. MAIP, senior packaging technologist at Flavour Makers, was named Packaging Technologist of the Year. The Australasian Bioplastics Association (ABA), in partnership with the AIP, also awarded two scholarships. Andrew Rennie AAIP, sales representative at Oji Fibre Solutions New Zealand, received the ABA Scholarship for a Certificate in Packaging, while Ola Wicik AAIP, packaging engineer at Opal Fibre Packaging Australia, received the scholarship for the Diploma in Packaging Technology.
Wilsen Kannan AAIP, CPP, assistant packaging manager at Vinda Malaysia, received the AIP President Scholarship for a Diploma in Packaging Technology. The AIP also recognised two individuals through its special awards. Ralph Moyle, FAIP (LIFE),
CPP, became the AIP’s eighth Life Member, while Richard Fine FAIP, cofounder and sustainability director at BioPak, was named an AIP Fellow. The 2026 PIDA Awards highlighted the range of packaging developments being pursued across food and beverage, from resealable
and reusable formats to resource reduction, recycled content, food waste prevention and recovery. All company winners are now eligible to enter the 2027 WorldStar Packaging Awards and represent Australia and New Zealand internationally. F
The 2026 PIDA Awards highlighted the range of packaging developments being pursued across food and beverage.
Images: AIP
The awards were held at The Aviary on the rooftop of the Crown Complex.
www.foodmag.com.au
Food&Beverage Industry News 49
New Products
Portable oxygen analyser designed for purity verification The GPR 3500 also includes measurement data logging, allowing technicians to record oxygen purity checks without relying on fixed instrumentation. An internal pressure regulator allows the analyser to accept sample inlet pressures of up to 3600 psig. This enables the instrument to be used in a range of process and gas generation applications where oxygen concentration needs to be verified in food and beverage industries. The battery powered design allows the analyser to be used away from fixed monitoring equipment, providing a portable option for oxygen purity checks in plant and field environments.
Image: AMS
Analytical Industries Inc (AII) has introduced the GPR 3500 Portable Purity Oxygen Analyser, a battery powered instrument designed to verify enriched oxygen gas concentrations in field and plant environments. The GPR 3500 measures oxygen concentrations from 0 to 100 per cent, with available ranges of 90 to 100 per cent for purity verification applications. The analyser is designed for use across multiple measurement points and incorporates an internal pressure regulator, flow control and a sample bypass valve. These features allow operators to adjust sampling conditions when moving between measurement points. The instrument uses an electrochemical oxygen sensor, with an expected sensor life of five years. Temperature compensation is included to account for changes in operating conditions during measurement.
For further information contact AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd on 03-9017 8225, or Freecall (NZ) 0800 442 743, alternatively on e-mail: sales@ams-ic.com.au or visit our web site at www.ams-ic.com.au
Transmitter for hazardous process environments
50 Food&Beverage Industry News
applications and supports nonintrusive calibration, allowing technicians to calibrate the unit without opening the enclosure or declassifying the area. The transmitter has a graphic LCD display and menu structure designed for straightforward operation. Communication and control options include 4 to 20 mA output, MODBUS RTU, alarm relays and HART communication. Pipe and wall mounting options provide flexibility for installation across different process environments. The X80 also has ATEX, IECEx and FM approvals for hazardous location applications. The transmitter is intended for process measurement applications where equipment needs to operate in hazardous environments while providing continuous monitoring of parameters including pH,
conductivity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. The combination of sensor communication, stored sensor data and nonintrusive calibration is designed to reduce some of the manual tasks associated with commissioning and maintaining analytical measurement equipment. For further information contact AMS Instrumentation & Calibration Pty Ltd on 03-9017 8225, or Freecall (NZ) 0800 442 743, alternatively on e-mail: sales@ams-ic.com.au or visit our web site at www.ams-ic.com.au
Image: AMS
Electro Chemical Devices’ (ECD) Model X80 Series Hazardous Location Transmitter is designed for continuous analytical measurement in explosion proof and Exd hazardous environments. Based on ECD’s T80 Universal Transmitter platform, the X80 supports single or dual channel measurement of pH, ORP, pION, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, conductivity and resistivity. The transmitter communicates digitally with ECD S88 and S80 Intelligent Sensors and can automatically configure menus and display screens according to the measured parameter. Factory calibrated intelligent sensors store sensor data, which can simplify commissioning, maintenance and sensor replacement. The X80 features a stainlesssteel enclosure for use in hazardous
www.foodmag.com.au
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