Newsfeed

02 Nov 2020

Linerless technology: packaging sustainability for fresh food

Source: Food Processing

Among the various functions performed, labels serve as the identity of a brand’s product. A standard pressure-sensitive label often features a facestock, adhesive and a release liner. Given the silicon layer, label liners cannot be recycled and are not biodegradable, which means all of that waste enters landfill. With pressure mounting to reduce waste across all industries and sectors, linerless technology offers an eco-friendly, efficient replacement for traditional self-adhesive labels.

We are also seeing more brand owners evaluate their packaging and labels, particularly in terms of eco-friendliness and cost reduction, as a reaction to growing interest from consumers concerned about environmental issues such as plastic pollution.

With five years on the clock to achieve the 2025 APCO sustainability targets, working together with an industry-wide goal has never been more important. Against this backdrop, Result Group has partnered with Ravenwood Packaging, innovators in the field of linerless technology, to assist brand owners meet their sustainability goals and deliver the type of eco-friendly packaging that consumers demand. Result Group supplies Ravenwood’s linerless technology via its Nobac 5000 applicators range, designed to provide ultimate convenience through operational ease and efficiency and enhanced product labelling aesthetics.

Sustainability challenge

As consumers become more environmentally conscious and hold brands and their packaging standards to account, Iceland, a leading UK frozen food retailer, has been incentivised to develop and package more responsibly. The retailer has committed to eliminate plastics from its brand foods by 2023 and become carbon neutral by 2042.

Challenges such as meeting customer expectations, automation complexities and, of course, the high cost of doing business abroad meant optimising processes was also a priority for Iceland. Its fresh conference pears were hand filled into plastic poly bags and plastic punnets. One simple way to improve the packing process of its conference pears and cut costs was by adopting Ravenwood’s linerless ‘Fruit Lid’ label concept.

Read the full article here: https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/packaging-labelling-coding/sponsored/linerless-technology-packaging-sustainability-for-fresh-food-152332502 

12 Oct 2020

Food,‌ ‌Consumer‌ ‌Brands‌ ‌Challenged‌ ‌to‌ ‌Make‌ ‌Paper‌ ‌Packaging‌ ‌Effective‌

Mike Hockett

Source: Food Manufacturing

Great‌ ‌innovations‌ ‌are‌ ‌consistently popping‌ ‌up‌‌ ‌from‌ ‌major‌ ‌food‌ ‌&‌ ‌beverage‌ ‌manufacturers‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌area‌ ‌of‌ ‌sustainability.‌ ‌They’ve‌ ‌come‌ ‌in‌ ‌the‌ ‌form‌ ‌of‌ ‌commitments‌ ‌to‌ ‌carbon‌ ‌neutrality‌ ‌goals‌ ‌and‌ ‌renewable‌ ‌energy‌ ‌use,‌ ‌improving‌ ‌sourcing‌ ‌methods‌ ‌and‌ ‌using‌ ‌more‌ ‌sustainable‌ ‌packaging‌ ‌materials.‌

On‌ ‌the‌ ‌latter,‌ ‌one‌ ‌of‌ ‌the‌ ‌ways‌ ‌companies‌ ‌like‌ ‌Nestlé‌ ‌and‌ ‌Unilever‌ ‌are‌ ‌trying‌ ‌to‌ ‌improve‌ ‌packaging‌ ‌is‌ ‌through‌ ‌swapping‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌for‌ ‌paper.‌ ‌It’s‌ ‌very‌ ‌renewable‌ ‌and‌ ‌easy‌ ‌for‌ ‌consumers‌ ‌to‌ ‌recycle.‌ ‌In‌ ‌recent‌ ‌years,‌ ‌more‌ ‌and‌ ‌more‌ ‌paper‌ ‌and‌ ‌cardboard‌ ‌are‌ ‌being‌ ‌used‌ ‌for‌ ‌beverages,‌ ‌fast‌ ‌food‌ ‌containers‌ ‌and‌ ‌fruit‌ ‌trays,‌ ‌besides‌ ‌replacing‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌straws.‌ ‌

But‌ ‌there’s‌ ‌a‌ ‌major‌ ‌issue:‌ ‌When‌ ‌used‌ ‌for‌ ‌food‌ ‌or‌ ‌liquid‌ ‌consumer‌ ‌product‌ ‌packaging,‌ ‌paper-based‌ ‌packaging‌ ‌tends‌ ‌to‌ ‌become‌ ‌soggy,‌ ‌leaving‌ ‌its‌ ‌contents‌ ‌to‌ ‌become‌ ‌stale‌ ‌much‌ ‌faster‌ ‌than‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌otherwise‌ ‌would.‌

So,‌ ‌what‌ ‌are‌ ‌sustainably-minded‌ ‌manufacturers‌ ‌to‌ ‌do?‌ ‌One‌ ‌option‌ ‌is‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌paper‌ ‌behave‌ ‌more‌ ‌like‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌by‌ ‌coating‌ ‌it‌ ‌to‌ ‌make‌ ‌it‌ ‌waterproof‌ ‌and‌ ‌more‌ ‌air-tight.‌ ‌But‌ ‌as‌ ‌an‌ ‌Oct.‌ ‌6‌ ‌Wall‌ ‌Street‌ ‌Journal‌ ‌article‌ ‌notes,‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌complicated‌ ‌due‌ ‌to‌ ‌certain‌ ‌coatings‌ ‌resulting‌ ‌in‌ ‌that‌ ‌packaging‌ ‌being‌ ‌considered‌ ‌as‌ ‌single-use‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌by‌ ‌regulators,‌ ‌even‌ ‌if‌ ‌it’s‌ ‌primarily‌ ‌made‌ ‌of‌ ‌paper.‌ ‌

The‌ ‌Journal‌ ‌reported‌‌ ‌that‌ ‌Nestle‌ ‌has‌ ‌recently‌ ‌begun‌ ‌using‌ ‌coated‌ ‌paper‌ ‌packets‌ ‌for‌ ‌its‌ ‌Sure!‌ ‌Snack‌ ‌bars‌ ‌and‌ ‌Nesquik‌ ‌cocoa‌ ‌powder,‌ ‌instead‌ ‌of‌ ‌traditional‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌and‌ ‌aluminum‌ ‌packaging.‌ ‌The‌ ‌new‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌coating‌ ‌used‌ ‌dissolves‌ ‌within‌ ‌the‌ ‌paper-recycling,‌ ‌setting‌ ‌them‌ ‌apart‌ ‌from‌ ‌common‌ ‌paper‌ ‌cubs‌ ‌and‌ ‌fast‌ ‌food‌ ‌boxes‌ ‌that‌ ‌use‌ ‌tightly-bonded‌ ‌plastic‌ ‌liners‌ ‌—‌ ‌often‌ ‌rendering‌ ‌them‌ ‌unrecyclable.

Similarly,‌ ‌Unilever‌ ‌has‌ ‌started‌ ‌packaging‌ ‌one‌ ‌brand‌ ‌of‌ ‌ice‌ ‌cream‌ ‌in‌ ‌a‌ ‌paper‌ ‌carton‌ ‌coated‌ ‌with‌ ‌cornstarch,‌ ‌which‌ ‌helps‌ ‌protect‌ ‌the‌ ‌contents‌ ‌during‌ ‌freezing‌ ‌and‌ ‌moist‌ ‌circumstances.‌ ‌The‌ ‌company‌ ‌said‌ ‌it‌ ‌can‌ ‌be‌ ‌recycled‌ ‌at‌ ‌paper‌ ‌mills‌ ‌or‌ ‌industrially‌ ‌composed.‌ ‌

While‌ ‌these‌ ‌are‌ ‌interesting‌ ‌innovations,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Journal‌ ‌noted‌ ‌that‌ ‌similar‌ ‌examples‌ ‌are‌ ‌few-and-far-between,‌ ‌as‌ ‌challenges‌ ‌of‌ ‌shelf‌ ‌life‌ ‌and‌ ‌local‌ ‌weather‌ ‌present‌ ‌major‌ ‌obstacles‌ ‌to‌ ‌widespread‌ ‌sustainable‌ ‌packaging.‌ ‌

Read the full article here:

https://www.foodmanufacturing.com/packaging/news/21197540/food-consumer-brands-challenged-to-make-paper-packaging-effective

12 Nov 2020

McDonald's unveils the future of its business, from minimalist packaging to high-tech, triple-drive thru stores

Mary Meisenzahl

Source: Business Insider

• McDonald's announced new packaging, drive-thru technology, and an app in an investor call.
• The restaurant is working to increase drive-thru efficiency and streamline designs.
• During the pandemic, up to 70% of orders have come through drive-thrus in some markets. 

McDonald's is testing new drive-thru concepts and streamlining designs, the fast-food giant said on a recent investor call.

McDonald's will test different drive-thru concepts that let customers order through the new MyMcDonald's app, skip lines, park in special pickup spaces, and some restaurants will be delivery and takeout only. The company says that the concepts could be tested in as many as 10,000 stores in the coming year. 

Drive-thru orders have grown across the fast-food industry since the pandemic closed many dining rooms, and McDonald's has been quietly working to shorten wait times since March. During COVID, McDonald's says that 70% of sales in top markets are drive-thru orders. By October, wait times had dropped 20 seconds over the quarter. McDonald's is already a drive-thru heavy hitter, with 25,000 worldwide, with plans for "increasing the speed of service … making it more personal… making it more convenient" McDonald's head of digital customer engagement Lucy Brady said on the call.

Read the full article here:

https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-drive-thru-improvements-and-new-packaging-2020-11

 

29 Oct 2020

NEW UNPACKING MACHINE FOR BISCUITS FROM FLOW-PACKS

Source: Food Business Gulf Clean separation of product and packaging material from incorrect packaging

Many well-known producers in the food and confectionery industry are committed to “sustainable production” with all associated processes, which ultimately also includes the environmentally friendly recycling of re-work. Instead of the disposal or destruction of “good” products on the garbage or biogas plant, an international confectionery group has acquired a “tailor-made” PACK-SAVER from the leading manufacturer of product recovery machines Leu-Tronic GmbH, 76307 Karlsbad.

The requirements and tasks were discussed at the customer’s site with the Leu-Tronic experts. This included also the partial integration of the PACK-SAVER into a previously installed, but unsatisfactorily working recycling system.

The amount of re-work or reject packs that are produced by several flow-pack machines are collected and sent to the central recycling department in special containers. By means of a hydraulic lifting and tilting device the individual flow packs are loaded into an elevator for controlled transfer to the PACK-SAVER separation system.

The scope of delivery from Leu-Tronic included the feed elevator with storage hopper as a buffer.

The complete synchronization of the work processes is monitored by the ALLEN BRADLEY-ROCKWELL PLC control supplied by Leu-Tronic (was a customer request).

Another special feature is that a dust extractor in ATEX execution was also supplied.

The PACK-SAVER separates product and packaging material. While the emptied film is collected on a conveyor belt in a large container, the unpacked product is transported to the milling station installed on the 2nd floor via an existing transport system. The delivered system achieves an output of approx. 200 kg of biscuits per hour. The entire system is monitored by only 1 operator.

Read the full article here: https://foodbusinessgulf.com/2020/10/new-unpacking-machine-for-biscuits-from-flow-packs/ 

12 Oct 2020

Sensors to spot the sweetest summer fruit

Source: Food Processing

Researchers trial sensor technology with local fruit growers to reveal how ripe and sweet the fruit is without even taking a bite.

Agriculture Victoria will lead the $1.1 million Sensors for Summerfruit project launched this week by the Food Agility Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) in collaboration with RMIT University, Summerfruit Australia and local technology firms Green Atlas and Rubens Technologies.

The three types of sensor technologies being developed and tested as part of the project will measure the sweetness of summer fruits from peaches to nectarines, plums or apricots, and monitor their ripeness, size and signs of disease or pests.

Food Agility CRC Chief Scientist Professor David Lamb said the ultimate goal of the 2.5-year project is to help growers get the right piece of fruit to the right consumer at the right time.

“From orchard to export, data-driven decisions are key. Two of the sensors, RMIT’s Bistatic LiDAR and Green Atlas’s Cartographer, will operate in the orchard, helping to assess health status and predict fruit size, yield and maturity,” Lamb said.

“A third sensor, Rubens’ Fluorescence Spectrometer, will be put to work in the packing sheds to detect sweetness, firmness and robustness for transport. It’s the closest thing to tasting the fruit, without actually taking a bite.”

The sensors will be used on Agriculture Victoria’s Tatura SmartFarm in Goulburn Valley and then road-tested in commercial orchards and packhouses across the state.

Opening doors for export

The Chair of the RMIT’s Cyber-Physical and Autonomous Systems Group, Professor Roberto Sabatini, said the project presented an exciting opportunity to demonstrate that the remote sensing and early diagnosis technologies they’d developed were cost-effective, impactful and scalable both within and beyond the agriculture industry.

“Cyber-physical systems, sensor networks and data fusion technologies are increasingly relying on artificial intelligence to maximise business performance, profitability and sustainability in all sectors driving the digital transformation here in Australia and globally,” Sabatini said.

Research Leader Crop Physiology at Agriculture Victoria Dr Ian Goodwin said the project aimed to grow export markets and improve their operations.

“Fruit is downgraded or redirected at the harvesting and packing stages because it doesn’t meet consumer preferences for that market or, if fruit is harvested too early or too late, the quality can deteriorate in transit,” Goodwin said.

“Using these sensors, we could help growers tailor their practices to grow the fruit consumers want, triaging fruit in the packing sheds and only exporting those robust enough to make the journey.”

Summerfruit Australia Chief Executive Trevor Ranford said the project would focus on the Chinese market but would ultimately be relevant to any export market for Australian stone fruit.

Read the full article here:

https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/processing/article/sensors-to-spot-the-sweetest-summer-fruit-41332620

16 Oct 2020

Tetra Pak receives EHEDG Food Safety Certification in Food Processing with Tubular Heat Exchangers

Source: Food Business Gulf

The Tetra Pak® Tubular Heat Exchanger equipment has become the first tubular heat exchanger to receive the EHEDG certification meeting the leading food safety standards in Europe, in accordance with new standards.

Tubular Heat Exchangers are used for the heating and cooling of liquid food, so they are safe for consumption. The Heat Exchanger is the most critical component in a processing line as it is the hottest part during heat treatment and where fouling is most likely to occur. Therefore, innovation advances in hygienic engineering and design are key to consistently meet increasing food safety demands.

EHEDG promotes safe food by improving hygienic engineering and design in all aspects of food manufacturing. In 2018, Tetra Pak initiated component testing with EHEDG. Following the initial tests, the company made modifications to develop a new seal with a super-hygienic design and shape, which uses material approved according to US FDA and EU harmonised rules. Subsequent tests were completed in 2019, and in 2020 the Tetra Pak Tubular Heat Exchanger became the first in the industry to receive the EHEDG certification.

Jimmy Moons, Global Commercial Product Manager, Tetra Pak said “At Tetra Pak hygienic standards are essential, and during a time when our industry faces rapid changes, hygienic design is becoming critical for our customers. This work is an example of how we continually invest in research to ensure the most efficient and reliable heat treatment possible, which is especially key with Heat Exchangers which are important to maintain and clean. The Tetra Pak® Tubular Heat Exchanger is the first to receive the certification from EHEDG for the tube modules, which is also in accordance with the new EHEDG standards.”

Read the full article here: https://foodbusinessgulf.com/2020/10/tetra-pak-receives-ehedg-food-safety-certification-in-food-processing-with-tubular-heat-exchangers/

14 Oct 2020

A peeling waste solution for fruit processor

Source: Food Processing

A New Zealand food processing company will implement a sludge dewatering technology engineered to cost-efficiently reduce the sustainability footprint of food, beverage and wastewater treatment.

The NZ producer — which cannot be named because of contractual confidentiality provisions — is installing a KDS multidisc Roller system from CST Wastewater Solutions to dewater wet sloppy screened waste from the peeling process.

This transforms fruit waste from a wet and sticky heavy mass to a much drier product that is less messy and easier to handle and transport for stockfeed or landfill.

The technology is designed to reduce fruit waste volume by up to 90%, thus reducing transport costs and helping prevent any potential spillages during transport.

CST Wastewater Solutions Managing Director Michael Bambridge said the processing company has committed to environmental excellence and has become the country’s first adopter of a sludge dewatering technology.

“Heavy cakes of by-product from growers and food processors can cost upwards of $150 a ton to dispose of, including the specialised transport from the places where trade wastes are generated to centres where compacting, drying, recycling and disposal can take place in controlled environments,” Bambridge said.

The NZ producer is adopting its KDS technology to handle a highly variable quality and volume of up to 5 m3/h.

“This first NZ adopter of the KDS technology had previously tried alternative technologies, but none handled the variable volume involved or dewatered the fruit waste enough to prevent excess water and product from creating an unhygienic site and causing leakage,” Bambridge said.

The NZ producer selected a model SS611 KDS with a longer press zone, to achieve dewatering of the sloppy and wet mix of peelings, leaves and pulpy fruit material.

Read the full article here: https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/processing/case-study/a-peeling-waste-solution-for-fruit-processor-311498758

11 Oct 2020

A peeling waste solution for fruit processor

Waheed Abbas

Source: Khaleej Times

 

Crisis a stress test for various economic sectors and businesses: Danube chairman.

 

The UAE has proved its resilience against all challenges in the past as it has a history of recovering faster from the global financial and health crises, says an industry veteran.

"If you look back, the UAE and Dubai recovered faster than any other economies from all the previous crises it faced in the last three decades, be it the Gulf War, Sars, the global financial crisis, bird flu, etc. It recovered fast, breaking all predictions. Whatever the depth of the crisis might be, Dubai has emerged stronger. So, there is a pattern and history of fasterrecovery from crises," said Rizwan Sajan, chairman of Danube Group.

Dubai's ability to quickly adapt and promptly respond to crisis led by the leadership as well as its status as an open economy helps the emirate to quickly overcome any challenge.
Sajan said coronavirus will not affect the long-term competitive advantage of the UAE.

"In all likelihood, it is a stress test for various economic sectors and businesses. Those who have attained economic sustainability will come back strongly. This is a wake-up call for businesses that did not attain sustainability," he said.

"The UAE, especially Dubai, will see a massive growth in business activities and the country's economy is poised for a sharp V-shaped recovery in the fourth quarter of the year. Looking back, the Covid-19 pandemic will be remembered as a short-lived nightmare," the chairman said.

Danube Properties is one of the few private Dubai developers who successfully launched a new project earlier this year at a time when new launches had slowed down due to oversupply in the market. The developer has been one of the first players to launch affordable homes as well as an industry-setting one per cent monthly payment scheme and rent-to-own schemes.

Read the full article here: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/business/economy/covid-19-wont-affect-uaes-long-term-competitiveness-

02 Nov 2020

A small solution to a large problem: how to mitigate tanker drive off damages

Source: Food Processing

It’s the little things that make a big difference. Overlooking these minute details can prove to be disastrous as well as expensive.

Dixon’s sanitary breakaway coupling is your best bet for minimising spillage. Its design reduces damage related to tanker pull away and drive away incidents. This is highly beneficial in the food and beverage industry. These couplings can save you many a dollar in repairs and equipment damage.

Their make

The breakaway couplings can be easily installed between a fixed point and a hose. Made of 316 stainless steel, these couplings come in a choice of ends. Owing to its usage in the food and beverage sector, maintaining hygiene standards is key. These couplings are specifically polished to 0.8um RA 3A standards. This ensures their inclusion in equipment containing edibles.

As the name suggests, these couplings offer a provision for a convenient breakaway, which can be due to excessive loads, accidental pull away or forgetfulness on part of the drivers. These unvalved breakaways use Shear Bolt technology. Their standard configuration includes 13 kN break load bolts and EPDM seals. You can customise the clamp gasket, break load bolts and end connection. The sanitary breakaway couplings have a working pressure of 350 psi at 21°C.

Easy assembling

Breakaway couplings are often a saving grace. Assembling them requires little effort. First, thread in breakaway bolts and hand tighten in the body. Next, place the gasket on the body. Once that’s done, you have to place the second body over the bolts. Start nuts on bolts and using tools, compress the bodies together. This is to evenly reduce the gap to 0.032. You can use a feeler gauge to check the accuracy. Finally, apply thread-locker to the bolts and tighten the nuts manually.

Application & significance

Dixon’s breakaway couplings are custom-made to suit the food and beverage industry. The company takes extra care to ensure the couplings meet this sector’s hygiene standards to a tee.

Let’s have a look at how these tiny couplings play a key role in bringing home your food and beverages.

Milk continues to remain a staple food in many Australian households. Processing, storing, selling and transporting milk involves many steps. Almost every dairy processing unit comprises tanker bays. Larger dairies have up to 6 to 8 tanker bays while the smaller ones have one or two. Tanks have to pick up raw milk from farms and transport it to the processing facility daily.

These tanker bays consist of many pumps and pipework. The pipes run from one side to another through the ceiling of the bay. They connect the processing facility, where raw milk gets converted into dairy products. The hoses in the tanker bays are usually quite long. Their length differs from 3 to 4 metres to 7–8 metres with diameters ranging from 2 to 4 inch. These hoses must be long enough to connect with the milk tanker.

When the driver brings in raw milk, it’s transferred to the facility using these hoses. Once the unloading gets completed, the driver disconnects the hose and leaves. However, drivers fail to disconnect on many occasions. They drive away with the hose still connected to the tanker bay. This causes significant damage to many components. Many parts of the equipment have to undergo repair or replacement. Instant rectification is essential as dairy products get consumed every day.

Dixon’s sanitary breakaway couplings are the perfect solution for these mishaps. They have used Shear Bolt technology to mitigate damage inside the tanker bays. What these shear bolts do is they break off at a certain amount of force when applied to it. Even if the driver forgets to disconnect the hose, these bolts let go under pressure and break away. One part of the breakaway stays on the equipment while the other part falls off with the hose. This only causes damage to the hose, keeping the equipment intact.

All the expensive components inside the tanker bay are free of any damage. Repairing the hose is relatively inexpensive and not dangerous. You can easily retrieve the breakaway couplings and fix them, install new shear bolts into the breakaway and then resume service almost instantly.

Sanitary swivels

Dixon’s range of sanitary swivels is also designed for the food and beverage industry. They have a wide variety of multiple combination swivel joints. It prevents hoses from kinking. These swivel joints assist hoses to move through process lines. They keep hoses away from machinery and forklifts.

Read the full article here: https://www.foodprocessing.com.au/content/materials-handling-storage-and-supply-chain/sponsored/a-small-solution-to-a-large-problem-how-to-mitigate-tanker-drive-off-damages-106214982