What’s New in Food Technology Nov/Dec 2013

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www.foodprocessing.com.au 3Nov/Dec 2013

November/December 2013

6 food for thought

40testing

44processing

44 Reducing bacterial biofilms on food factory floors

50 Skills training in the food processing industry

54 Is your fat brown, beige or white?

58 Extending the shelf life of food products containing fruit

processing

62 1 in 3 people at risk of colorectal cancer from processed meat

66 Savoury or sweet? Surprising growth in biscuit sector

70 Beware of the speed of E. coli replication

72 Real-time detection of pathogenic contaminants in food and on equipment

12 bulk handling, storage & logistics

12 Cool technology to power refrigerated trucks

18 From HACCP to HARPC - how the US Food Safety Modernization Act will affect exporters

27meat poultry seafood

29 Tracing the untraceable: Why contaminated jerky is still on the shelves

20 packaging

20 Beating the tamperers

contents

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Regards

Janette Woodhouse

Chief Editor

What’s New in Food Technology & Manufacturing

www.foodprocessing.com.au

Ready meals, horse meat and mangoes

Ready meals and semi-prepared foods are a boom area for the food processing industry. Time- and skills-poor consumers are choosing to purchase either com-plete meals or nearly complete meals in increasing numbers. But they are not into ‘frozen’ TV dinners - they expect a refrigerated, more gourmet experience.

In France, Nestlé has just shut down a frozen meal plant because of lagging sales. Sales of frozen meals had been declining for some time but the ‘horsegate’ scandal sounded the death knell.

New instances of horse substitution are now uncommon but with this scandal consumers have long memories. What is surprising about this is that even though no one was sickened by inadvertently eating horse, there is genuine consumer backlash. But when people actually died after eating contaminated fenugreek sprouts, there was not a consumer revolt against fenugreek.

Consumers and marketing are strange beasts. Back in the 1980s, I was a flavour chemist and one of the trendiest flavours was mango. Everyone wanted to make mango and something-flavoured whatever. We had a few really good, true-to-life mango flavours but they were not popular with our clients. Eventually we solved the mango flavour dilemma.

We relabelled our non-trendy but good apricot flavour as mango. We offered our clients a choice of several mango flavours and most preferred the relabelled apricot. They bought heaps of the flavour, so obviously their consumers liked the apricot flavour as well.

Everyone was happy - the consumers could select trendy mango-flavoured products to satisfy their social-herd behaviour and at the same time get a food they actually liked the flavour of. We were happy as we had lots of apricot flavour to get rid of.

The horse meat scandal is a bit deja vu, except that the premise behind relabel-ling the apricot flavour was simply to find a flavour that the client liked. There was no financial advantage, fraud and deception. We did not have workers stay back after hours to reprocess off meat from dubious sources for cash payment so that we could defraud our customers - which is what was happening in horsegate.

All of this leads me to my final point - labelling honesty. I really don’t see it as unreasonable to be able to tell from the label what I am purchasing. And I’d like to be able to actually read the information on the label. Why does everyone use white text, all in capitals, on a coloured background?

Really, if you want me to eat horse - put it on the label and make the food irresistible. If the product is good enough I will overcome my horse inhibitions. Perhaps you could serve it with a mango.

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While many of us try to curb the negative effects of a sweet tooth with artificial sweeteners, the brain knows the difference between these ‘energyless’ sweet flavours and ‘real’ sweeteners, a new study has shown. The research, which was conducted at the Yale University School of Medicine, has found that our pleasure in consuming sweet products is driven to a great extent by the amount of energy it provides: greater reward in the brain is attributed to sugars compared to artificial sweeteners.

“The consumption of high-calorie beverages is a major contributor to weight gain and obesity, even after the introduction of artificial sweeteners to the market,” said Professor Ivan de Araujo, who led the Yale study. “We believe that the discovery is important because it shows how physiological states may impact on our choices between sugars and sweeteners.

“Specifically, it implies that humans frequently ingesting low-calorie sweet products in a state of hunger or exhaustion may be more likely to ‘relapse’ and choose high-calorie alternatives in the future.

“The results suggest that a ‘happy medium’ could be a solution; combining sweeteners with minimal amounts of sugar so that energy metabolism doesn’t drop, while caloric intake is kept to a minimum.”

The study identified a specific physiological brain signal that is critical for determining choice between sugars and sweeteners. This

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signal regulates dopamine leve ls - a chemical necessary for reward signalling in the brain - and only arises when sugar is broken down into a form where it is usable as fuel for cells of the body to function.

Research was performed in mice, using a combination of behavioural testing involving sweeteners and sugars, while measuring chemical responses in brain circuits for reward. The researchers believe the findings are likely to reflect in humans.

“According to the data, when we apply substances that interfere with a critical step of the ‘sugar-to-energy pathway’, the interest of the animals in consuming artificial sweetener decreases significantly, along with important reductions in brain dopamine levels,” said Professor de Araujo.

“This is verified by the fact that when hungry mice - who thus have low sugar levels - are given a choice between artificial sweeteners and sugars, they are more likely to completely switch their preferences towards sugars even if the artificial sweetener is much sweeter than the sugar solution.”

The researchers say that now that they know that dopamine cells are critical in sugar/sweetener choice, they hope to identify the associate receptors and pathways in the brain.The research was published in The Journal of Physiology.

The brain knows the difference between ‘real’ and artificial sweeteners

The Anti-Dumping Commission has found that the Australian tomato processing industry has suffered following the import of Italian processed tomatoes that arrived in Australia at ‘dumped’ prices.

SPC Ardmona lodged an application with the Anti-Dumping Commission which claimed that its business had been injured through price suppression, reduced profitability and lower sales volumes as a result of the tomatoes being exported at margins which constitute dumping. The commission released the report in response to SPC Ardmona’s application.

“This report highlights the need for greater pre-emptive action to prevent dumping before it happens, rather than taking action after the industry has, as identified in this report, been damaged,” said AUSVEG spokesperson Hugh Gurney.

“The dumping of cheaply produced produce, largely from European countries where a number of governmental support mechanisms exist, is rampant in both the processed tomato and potato industries, and it is causing significant damage to Australian processors and growers.

Earlier in 2013, SPC Ardmona Managing Director Peter Kelly called for emergency safeguard actions to be put in place to

minimise the damage being caused to the local horticultural industry.

“The findings of this report vindicate Mr Kelly’s calls for safeguard actions as the horticulture industry is under incredible pressure from dumped foreign foods” Gurney said.

“Dumping laws must be proactive to prevent damage and injury to the Australian industry, as the report has found. If action is not taken, large Australian employers like SPC Ardmona may go the way of Rosella, the iconic Australian soup and sauce brand which closed its doors earlier this year.”

Anti-Dumping Commission validates SPC Ardmona’s call for action

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While many of us see coffee as the fuel that gets us going for the day, scientists are working on literally using coffee as fuel to power cars, furnaces and other energy sources.

University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers Yang Liu, Qingshi Tu and Mingming Lu used a three-pronged approach to converting waste coffee grounds into energy sources including biodiesel and activated carbon by:

•extracting oil from the waste;•drying the waste coffee grounds after oil removal to filter

impurities in biodiesel production; and•burning what was left as an alternative energy source for

electricity - similar to using biomass.The researchers collected waste coffee grounds from a

Starbucks store on the UC campus then removed the oil and converted triglycerides (oil) into biodiesel and glycerin, a by-product. The coffee grounds were then dried and used

to purify the biodiesel derived from the waste coffee grounds.

Preliminary results showed the coffee grounds’ oil content was 8.37 to 19.63%. The biodiesel made from coffee oil meets the ASTM International D6751 standard. Compared with petroleum diesel, the

cleaner-burning biodiesel reduces the emission of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons and particulate matters. The efficiency of using the waste coffee grounds as a purification material to remove the impurities in crude biodiesel, such as methanol and residual glycerin, was slightly lower compared with commercial purification products.

However, the researchers report that results still indicate a promising alternative, considering the cost of purification products. Future research will continue to focus on improving the purification efficiency of waste coffee grounds-derived activated carbon.

In the US alone, more than 1 million tonnes of waste coffee grounds are produced. The majority of this is dumped in landfill. The researchers say their method of producing biodiesel would not only open landfill space, but also creates biodiesel from a non-food source, unlike corn- and soybean-derived biofuels. Liu presented a summary of the research at the American Chemical Society’s (ACS’s) 246th National Meeting & Exposition.

Australian premium tea business T2 has been acquired by Unilever for an undisclosed amount. T2 operates 40 stores throughout the country, with 2012-13 financial year sales in the vicinity of $57 million.

“T2 is a fast-growing, premium tea business with great potential,” said Kevin Havelock, Unilever President for Refreshment.

“Unilever is the biggest tea company in the world with brands like Lipton - one of Unilever’s ‘billion-plus’ brands - available in more than 70 countries. This will allow us to bring the benefits of scale and access to new markets to the T2 business and for both businesses to share tea category expertise. This deal will also bring a premium tea business to complement our portfolio that we can leverage in a similar way to other recent Unilever acquisitions.”

“Our Lipton and Bushells brands are two of Australia’s oldest and best-loved tea brands and tea is a strategically

important category for Unilever Australia,” said Clive Stiff, Unilever Australasia Chairman.

“We know tea drinkers are increasingly looking for new and diverse tea flavours, so we are delighted to be bringing T2’s premium and exciting range into the fold. T2 is a great Australian success story - a story that we now intend to continue with Unilever.”

“Under the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, we have led the tea industry to adopt sustainable agriculture practices, initiating certification by the Rainforest Alliance (RA) in 2007, since when some 450,000 smallholder farmers in our tea supply chain have been trained to the RA standard in partnership with Unilever in preparation for certification,” added Havelock.

“T2 have been working with Fair Trade since 2009 on their English breakfast tea, so we see the basis of a common philosophy here too.”

Unilever adds to tea portfolio with T2 acquisition

Coffee could fuel cars, not just humans

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Three awards in one night for Wiley

Dairy farmers Consumers deserve to know about the tactics Coles deployed when it decided to

slash its own-brand milk to $1 per litre, the Queensland Dairyfarmers’ Organisation (QDO) has said.

According to reports in The Guardian and revealed by SBS TV, Coles said it had to deploy “every

PR tactic possible to neutralise the noise” around the $1/L milk pricing.

QDO President Brian Tessmann said he was not shocked by Coles’ admission but saw it as confirmation that the company had its own interests at heart and was ignoring the impact of the price wars on dairy farmers.

“As Coles profits have trebled in recent years to over $1.5 billion, the Coles-led discounting of fresh milk has seen major domestic fresh milk processors’ profitability pushed down; and with that, farm gate prices to dairy farmers have also been pushed down to where the majority can’t make ends meet.

“For Coles to describe dairy farmers raising concerns about the impacts to them and their families and the dairy industry as ‘noise’ is a massive and unconscionable

insult. That ‘noise’ is the sound of generations of dairy farming experience being forced off the land due to Coles’ marketing tactics,” Tessmann said.

“Here’s an idea for Coles: instead of mounting massive PR and advertising campaigns worth millions of dollars and talking about ‘noise’, Coles could price its milk sustainably and work positively toward seeing farmers receive a fair and sustainable price for their milk at farm gate.”

The Queensland dairy industry has lost more than 86 farmers since the price wars began, Tessmann says, and has lost 86 million litres of fresh milk production each year and more than $258 million in investment. Tessmann estimated that 258 jobs at the farm level have been lost, with more people losing their jobs along the value chain.This reinforces the need for a mandatory code of conduct and an ombudsman, Tessmann said, as well as changes to the Competition and Consumer Act to help protect farmers.

“We had positive support from Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce during the election campaign, and QDO and our federal industry partner ADF [Australian Dairy Farmers] will be working with the new federal government as a matter of priority to see them create action in this important policy area,” Tessmann said.

Food industry engineering firm Wiley had a busy Friday night, winning awards from two different industry bodies in two separate cities for its work.

In Melbourne, the company and its project director Graham Harvey were awarded an Australian Institute of Building (AIB) 2013 Professional Builder of the Year Award, as well as the AIB’s National Award in the Research, Development and Technology category. These awards are Wiley’s fifth and sixth industry awards in as many months. In Brisbane, Wiley was recognised with an Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) State Project Management Achievement Award (PMAA) for its management and delivery of Primo’s $130 million smallgoods-processing facility project. The company took out the Queensland Chapter Award in the Construction/Engineering Project over $100 million category.

“We had no expectation of winning such a prestigious award; this award is the pinnacle of the building profession in Australia for 2013,” Harvey said of the Professional Builder of the Year Award.

“This award is a landmark achievement for Wiley; it is a testament to the many years of diligent hard work by our entire team,” said Managing Director Tom Wiley. “Graham Harvey led our project team to deliver this outstanding facility for Primo. This award is well-deserved industry recognition to both our team and Graham as he adds this project to his long list of successful projects over his 40-year tenure at Wiley.” The Wiley project is automatically in the running for the National AIPM Project Management Achievement Award and is also competing at the national level of the Queensland Master Builders Association (QMBA) Housing & Construction Awards, which will be announced in October.

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Pacific could face food shortage by 2030

While most of us will jokingly admit to a chocolate biscuit addiction, researchers have found that Oreos are genuinely as addictive as cocaine and morphine - in lab rats, at least. And, what’s more, the rats tend to eat them in much the same way as humans: they go for the centre first.

Connecticut College researchers have found that rats form an equally strong association between the pleasurable effects associated with eating Oreos and a specific environment as they did between cocaine or morphine and a specific environment. They also found that eating cookies activated more neurons in the brain’s ‘pleasure centre’ than exposure to drugs of abuse. “Our research supports the theory that high-fat/high-sugar foods stimulate the brain in the same way that drugs do,” said Joseph Schroeder, Associate Professor of Psychology at Connecticut College. Schroeder is also director of the college’s behavioural neuroscience program. The study was sparked by Jamie Honohan, a student in the college’s Holleran Center for Community Action and Public Policy. Honohan was interested in how the prevalence of high-fat/high-sugar foods in low-income neighbourhoods contributes to the obesity epidemic.

“My research interests stemmed from a curiosity for studying human behaviour and our motivations when it comes to food,” said Honohan. “We chose Oreos not only because they are America’s favourite cookie, and highly palatable to rats, but also because products containing high amounts of fat and sugar are heavily marketed in communities with lower socioeconomic statuses.”

To test the addictiveness of Oreos, the researchers worked to measure the association between ‘drug’ and environment. On one side of a maze, they gave hungry rats Oreos and on the other, rice cakes. (It turns out rats like eating rice cakes as much as humans: not very much.) The rats were given the option of spending time on either side of the maze. The researchers measured how long the rats would spend on the side where they were typically fed Oreos.

They compared the results of the Oreo and rice cake test with results from rats who were given an injection of cocaine or morphine on one side of the maze and an injection of saline solution on the other.The rats conditioned with Oreos spent as much time on the ‘drug’ side of the maze as the rats conditioned with cocaine or morphine. The researchers used immunohistochemistry to measure the expression of a protein called c-Fos, a marker of neuronal activation, in the nucleus accumbens - the brain’s ‘pleasure centre’.

“It basically tells us how many cells were turned on in a specific region of the brain in response to the drugs or Oreos,”

said Schroeder. They found that Oreos activated significantly more neurons than cocaine or morphine. “This correlated well with our behavioural results and lends support to the hypothesis that high-fat/high-sugar foods are addictive,” said Schroeder. Honohan says this presents a problem for the general public.

“Even though we associate significant health hazards with taking drugs like cocaine and morphine, high-fat/high-sugar foods may present even more of a danger because of their accessibility and affordability,” Honahan said.

Among the many problems that will affect the world’s ability to feed its growing population, climate change is one that could have negative effects sooner rather than later.

Researchers from the University of Wollongong say that Pacific Island communities could face food shortages due to dwindling fish stocks by as early as 2030. Inshore fisheries are central to the rural economies and food supply of Pacific Island countries, supplying daily protein and serving as one of the few sources of cash for villagers and coastal people. These fisheries are crucial elements in filling the shortfall in fish supply predicted to confront many Pacific nations in the coming decades.

“Recent studies have indicated that 75% of Pacific Island coastal fisheries will not meet food security needs by 2030, and climate change is likely to exacerbate this problem,” said Dr Quentin Hanich, Fisheries Governance Program Leader at the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security (ANCORS).

“It is critical that coastal communities can effectively manage and sustainably develop their fisheries in a region where fish provide 40% to 90% of animal protein for coastal communities and are a key resource for food security, livelihoods, revenue and development.”

ANCORS is a key partner in an international project to improve coastal fisheries management in the Pacific region. The four-year, $3.8 million project brings together national agencies, international bodies and expertise from ANCORS to attack this major problem in the Pacific region. The project is funded by AusAID through the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR). Dr Hanich said that although it is improbable that inshore catches would increase significantly, their continued decline would have severe consequences for food security and social stability.

The project will focus on Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and will work with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community to scale out the research findings to other countries in the region. The project seeks to transform nearshore fisheries governance and builds on ANCORS’ multidisciplinary research and policy expertise.

Oreos as addictive as cocaine

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Researchers at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are over-seeing a test project in which four tractor trailers’ refrigeration units will be powered by fuel cells.

The trucks will still have a main diesel engine to power the truck while the fuel cells will drive the refrigeration units.

“This is a great application for a fuel cell,” said Kriston Brooks, the PNNL researcher leading the project. “A trailer refrigeration unit traditionally is powered by a small diesel engine or electric motor that drives compressors to provide cooling to the cargo. A fuel cell can potentially provide a clean, quiet and efficient alternative by powering the electric motor.”

Two leading fuel cell manufacturers, Nuvera and Plug Power Inc, will each receive $650,000 from the DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. The companies will provide matching funds and labour of their own. A PNNL team led by Brooks will oversee and evaluate the two-year program.

Industry officials estimate that approximately 300,000 re-frigerated trucks with auxiliary power units are on the road in the United States. By replacing the small diesel engines with the more efficient fuel cell, users will see fuel savings of approximately 38 L/day/unit, in addition to reduced emission of pollutants and significantly quieter operation.

“Accelerated fuel cell use in this application is also ex-pected to create jobs in the energy sector, increase fuel cell manufacturing volume, decrease costs and catalyse a stronger domestic supplier base,” said Jamie Holladay, PNNL’s sector manager for fuel cell technologies.

Fuel cells are becoming more common as energy sources in buildings and in vehicles such as buses. While the devices are generally more expensive than traditional forms of energy generation, many scientists and product developers expect

that as they become more widely adopted and production levels increase, their cost will come down, similar to what has happened to products like mobile phones.

“One of the goals is to accelerate fuel cell use in industry,” said Brooks. “In spite of their higher costs now, the higher efficiency and zero emissions from fuel cells are enough to convince many companies not to wait to implement this technology. Fuel cell products are already used widely in warehouses, and this project broadens their reach.”

In one project, Nuvera will work with Thermo King, a manufacturer of transport temperature control systems for a variety of mobile applications, to develop the refrigera-tion unit to keep the truck cool using Nuvera’s Orion fuel cell stack. That truck will make deliveries for a Sysco food distribution facility in Riverside, California, and for a Texan food distribution centre for the H-E-B grocery store chain.

In the other project, Plug Power will work with Carrier Transicold and Air Products to equip trucks making deliv-eries for a Sysco food distribution facility on Long Island. The trucks will be equipped with Plug Power’s GenDrive fuel cell product.

Both the Sysco and the H-E-B facilities already use fork-lifts powered by hydrogen fuel cells, part of a trend fostered by DOE to increase the use of the technology in industry. At both companies, the infrastructure to provide hydrogen for the fuel cells is already in place; the hydrogen is generated on site from natural gas and water using Nuvera’s PowerTap hydrogen generator and refuelling system. For the site using the Plug Power technology, the hydrogen will be supplied by Air Products using an outdoor hydrogen dispenser.

Each fuel-cell powered refrigerated trailer will run for at least 400 hours at each demonstration site, delivering goods from the distribution centres to stores or other outlets.

Most refrigerated trucks and delivery vans rely on small diesel engines to keep their cargoes at the desired

temperature. This power source is not environmentally friendly, but now, some test trucks are being fitted with

clean technology fuel that creates electricity by driving chemical reactions using hydrogen and air. The only

by-products of this technology are heat and water, the fuel cells are even silent.

Cool technology to power refrigerated trucks

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Collision warning system for warehousesToyota Material Handling Australia (TMHA) has

launched a system to help improve forklift safety

in busy warehouses.

The SpotMe safety system was designed to

guard against collisions at ‘blind’ intersections within

a warehouse. It can guard against both forklift-to-forklift

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SpotMe’s infrared (IR) direction-sensitive sensors detect

the movement of approaching forklifts and pedestrians

at crossroads. If a collision danger is sensed, a SpotMe

warning unit is activated to alert the forklift operator/s

or operator and pedestrian and avert an accident.

According to the company, the system’s alternating flashing lights (LEDs) more efficiently prevent accidents than

flashing beacons or other types of warning lights. The system may also reduce panic braking stops, reducing wear

and tear on forklifts, energy consumption and damage to goods.

The SpotMe system can be used at crossings, blind corners, doors and exits. The warning unit can be connected

to a standalone battery or plugged into the mains, and the sensor battery lasts up to three years. The sensor and

warning devices are simply fixed to the walls; no set-up is required on the mobile fleet.

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Experts in product movement

Floor scale with platformThe Mettler Toledo PFA569lift Floor Scale is a stainless steel floor

scale with an easy-to-lift platform for simplified washdown in hygienic

applications. The platform allows quick access to the scale’s interior

for thorough cleaning and is built so one person can safely lift the

platform manually.

The scale’s built-in gas springs control lifting and lowering speed

so that the platform opens with minimal effort and closes gently. The

springs are sealed for safe, failure-proof operation, while spring-loaded

plungers automatically lock the platform in place when it is lowered

to the weighing position.

Made entirely of stainless steel, the scale is durable enough to

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allows installation in a pit or on top of the floor, and its adjustable

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Vibratory conveyorKey Technology has introduced additional

Iso-Flo conveyor and hygienic options for

all other Iso-Flo vibratory conveyors.

According to the company, these en-

hancements will help processors reduce the

risk of product contamination, improve sanitation, meet rising

government guidelines for food safety, decrease exposure to

product liability claims and reduce the cost of maintenance.

Key’s Standard Utility Shakers are suitable for processing

fruits, vegetables, potato strips and potato chips. The new

hygienic features are standard on the Utility Shakers and are

optional on other Iso-Flo conveyors.

The energy unit is an oil-free electric vibrating motor that

eliminates the gearbox, drive belts and motor oil. This out-

of-balance motor improves equipment hygiene by eliminating

the oil that can inadvertently contaminate product.

The vector lock screen clamp’s hybrid design enables it to

perform multiple functions simultaneously. This mechanism,

used to secure an Iso-Flo conveyor’s screen in place, is

easier to open and close, allowing operators to quickly and

easily lock and unlock a screen with one hand and no tools.

Other features eliminate laminations and enclosed hollow

bodies that can harbour bacteria. Scalloped flat bars are

continuously welded, replacing skip welding. The new plate

frame replaces traditional tube frames, and elastomer isolators

replace coil spring isolators that can trap product and rust.

The Standard Utility Shakers are available in two sizes: 61

and 91 cm wide, both 1.8 m long and with or without screens.

The Model 2472 offers 0.93 m2 of screen area; Model 3672

offers 1.4 m2 of screen area. These standard shakers feature

geometry that enables multiple shakers to be nested in a line

maximising the versatility of the two standard shakers for

various applications. The shakers with screens include drip

pans to capture water or fines.

Keycorp Limited

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/U534

http://www.rfoot.com.au


Germ-free packaging and conveyors with Fast and

Effective UV disinfection. Less waste, improved quality,

reduced risk of re-contamination.

www.heraeus-noblelight.com/au

Clean Cover UV tunnel - Steribelt - Bluelight UV module

Phone: 03 9874 7455Email: [email protected]

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Twin-belt turning device for palletisingBEUMER Group has added to its product range the twin-

belt turning device, which allows for gentle palletising

of bags filled with bulk material.

An alternative to existing clamp-type turning devices,

the device works with two separately driven belt con-

veyors which, by applying a differential speed between

both belts, turn the bag 90° or 180°. This gives a dimen-

sionally stable bag, which helps achieve stable bag stacks for products with particular flow behaviour and for soft bags.

The device is used with the BEUMER paletpac high-capacity palletiser. With a stack height of up to 2400 mm, the paletpac

palletises bags filled with bulk material on any commonly used pallet size and in all technically feasible packing patterns.

The variable bag and pallet sizes are adapted by rapid parametric setting with multiprogramming. This system puts the

bags into the desired packing pattern in a quick and gentle way.

Once the desired packing pattern is set, the twin-belt turning device turns the bags with two separately driven belts arranged

parallel to one another. The rotation of the bag is initiated by the net weight of the bag and by the different belt speeds.

The speeds and bag rotation are adapted to the different bag sizes by a self-optimising dynamic active control loop.

Each belt conveyor is provided with a synchronous servo drive, which is responsible for accelerating and decelerating

during the turning process.

According to the company, this system handles bags more gently than with the clamp-type turning device. The efficient

drive technology and elimination of compressed air reduce energy use, and the module operates with little noise. Existing

palletisers can easily be retrofitted.

BEUMER Group Australia Pty Ltd


http://www.heraeus-noblelight.com/au

http://www.vibrationsystems.com.au


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Crate dryerCHEP Australia has launched a crate dryer that it claims delivers

an 80% drier crate.

The centrifugal dryer technology has been installed at CHEP’s

Scoresby service centre in Victoria. The centrifugal dryer comple-

ments CHEP’s HACCP crate wash system.

With the dryer, the company says it can supply crates with less

than 3 g of water. This makes the crates suitable for fruit and

vegetables requiring low moisture environments, such as onions.

Clean water spun from the crates is collected in a water collec-

tion tank before being pumped back into the washer for re-use.

According to the company, this saves around 180,000 L of water

each year. The dryer also uses up to 80% less energy compared

to the existing blow dryer technology.

CHEP Australia


Food-safe modular conveyorThe HydraCon modular conveyor is a food-safe alternative to

traditional fixed length conveyor systems. It is a completely

modular design and can be configured to meet any chang-

ing plant layout or future design.

The system comprises a series of interconnecting straight

and angled modules with a range of standard widths of 150,

300, 450 and 600 mm. Angled modules in 15, 30, 45, 60 or

75° can be added or subtracted quickly and easily to change

the conveyor configuration as plant requirements change.

The HydraCon can be custom built to any specification.

To reduce transport costs, it can be shipped flat-packed

and assembled on-site.

The conveyor is designed for all food applications from

packaging through to demanding raw protein requirements.

Easy-clean features include: no catch or welling points within

the food zone; stand-off bearings, leg supports and fasten-

ers; CIP cleaning system and belt lifters.

Easy access to all components allows cleaning to be car-

ried out easily and efficiently. All modules are fabricated in

316 stainless steel and can be used with any sealed PUR

or modular plastic link food-grade belting systems.

HydraCon Conveyors

http://www.hydraconconveyors.com.au/

Igloo helps keep Polar FreshThe Brisbane suburb of Parkinson is home to the busy Polar Fresh distribution centre, a 48,390 m2 facility providing logistics services for chiller, freezer and confectionary. The facility services 205 stores in Queensland and Northern NSW, averaging 900 deliveries per week by road and rail, delivering more than 500,000 cartons each week.

When Australand Holdings wanted to develop the new loading dock area, Albany Doors provided a solution.

Albany supplied 31 Envico Igloo model doors to provide an interlocked docking system that provides the client with a high-performance door solution capable of high cycles. Albany also incorporated an insulated door curtain to reduce energy loss and increase the efficiency of refrigeration services. The Igloo high-performance door is equipped to cope with the demands of a busy distribution centre. Features such as a flexible bottom edge and knock-out function eliminate repair costs after accidental collisions.

Food industry design and construction company Wiley will construct the 40,000 m2 facility, which is expected to cost more than $131 million. Due to be completed in September 2013, the facility will create 600 new jobs.

Assa Abloy Asia Pacific



BU

LKPop-up flight for conveyorsThe Ammeraal Beltech Pop-up flight is a simple modular solution to

the problem of food losses on conveyor systems. Products which

have failed to discharge remain on the belt on its return journey and

often then fall on the packaging hall floor, losing food processors

money through wasted product.

The pop-up flight pops up at the foot of the conveyor incline to

support the food as it moves up the elevator, holding it steady. Once the product has been successfully discharged,

the flight pops down again so an automatic scraper can clean up the belt.

The flight is of modular design and is easily retrofitted to existing conveyor belt solutions. It is suitable for fresh/frozen

meat and fish processing, salads and green leaf vegetables, confectionery packaging, and pasta and rice processing.

Rydell Industrial


http://www.dmf.com.au


From HACCP to HARPC

The proposed rule on preventive controls for human food is aimed at reducing the public health burden of foodborne illness. FDA estimates that 1 million cases of foodborne illnesses are attributable each

year to the pathogens this rule is designed to eliminate or reduce. The economic cost of illnesses avoided is estimated to be $2 billion a year.

FSMA will apply to around 97,000 US firms and 109,000 foreign firms that manufacture, process, pack or hold human food. Facilities that are required to register include manufactur-ers, processors, warehouses, storage tanks and grain elevators. Many Australian and New Zealand companies will be affected.

Section 103 of FSMA, Hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls, requires all of these firms will have to have written plans that identify hazards, specify the steps that will be put in place to minimise or prevent those hazards, identify monitoring procedures and record monitoring results and specify what actions will be taken to correct problems that arise.

FDA will evaluate the plans and continue to inspect facili-ties to make sure the plans are being implemented properly.

The proposed rule on preventive controls for human food has two major features. First, it contains new provisions requiring hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls. Second, it would revise the existing Current Good Manufactur-ing Practice (CGMP) requirements found in 21 CFR part 110. The new preventive control requirements and the modified CGMPs would be placed in a new Part 117, ‘Current Good Manufacturing Practice and Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food’.

Hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controlsHazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls are sci-ence and risk based in that the rule would require controls only where necessary to prevent hazards to public health and exempt certain facilities from requirements or modify requirements for certain low-risk activities. Second, they are flexible in that firms could develop preventive controls that fit their products and operations, as long as they are adequate to significantly minimise or prevent all food safety hazards that are reasonably likely to occur.

The proposed hazard analysis and risk-based preventive control requirements are similar to Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems, which were pioneered by the food industry and are required by FDA for juice and seafood. Operators of a facility would be required to understand the hazards that are reasonably likely to occur in their operation and to put in place preventive controls to minimise or prevent the hazards. Although this proposed rule aligns well with HACCP, it differs in part in that preventive controls may be required at points other than at critical control points and critical limits would not be required for all preventive controls.

Each covered facility would be required to prepare and implement a written food safety plan, which would include the following:

•A hazard analysis that identifies and evaluates known or reasonably foreseeable hazards for each type of food manufactured, processed, packed or held at the facility.

• Preventive controls, which would be required to be identi-fied and implemented to provide assurances that hazards that are reasonably likely to occur will be significantly

- how the US Food Safety Modernization Act will affect exportersUp to 109,000 companies exporting food to the US will be affected by the FDA’s Food Safety

Modernization Act (FSMA). The intention behind the act is to prevent problems that can cause

foodborne illness from happening rather than trying to fix a problem once it has occurred.

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minimised or prevented. Preventive controls would be required to include, as appropriate: (1) process controls, (2) food allergen controls, (3) sanitation controls and (4) a recall plan. However, the preventive controls required would depend on which, if any, hazards are reasonably likely to occur. It is unlikely that all possible prevention measures and verification procedures would be applied to all foods at all facilities. FDA believes a supplier approval and verification program is a risk-based and appropriate control to significantly mini-mise or prevent hazards from raw materials and ingredients that is consistent with current scientific understanding of food safety practices and is seeking comment on such a program.

• Monitoring procedures to provide assurance that preven-tive controls are consistently performed and records to document the monitoring.

• Corrective actions that would be used if preventive con-trols are not properly implemented. Facilities would be required to correct problems and minimise the likelihood of reoccurrence, evaluate the food for safety and prevent affected food from entering commerce when necessary. If specific corrective action procedures were not identified for the problem, or if a preventive control were found to be ineffective, the facility would also be required to re-evaluate the food safety plan to determine if modifica-tions are needed.

• Verification activities to ensure that preventive controls are consistently implemented and are effective. Verifica-tion activities might include validation that the preventive controls are adequate for their purpose and are effective in controlling the hazard, activities to verify that controls are operating as intended and review of monitoring records. In addition, the proposed rule would require reassessment of the food safety plan at least every three years and at

other times as appropriate. FDA recognises that product and environmental testing programs are science-based verification activities that are commonly accepted in many sectors of the food industry and is seeking comment on these programs. FDA also is asking for com-ments regarding review of

customer and other complaints as part of verification.•Recordkeeping. Facilities would be required to keep a

written food safety plan, including the hazard analysis. They also would be required to keep records of preventive controls, monitoring, corrective actions and verification.

A qualified individual would be required to prepare the food safety plan, develop the hazard analysis, validate the preventive controls, review records and conduct a reanalysis of the food safety plan (or oversee these activities). To be qualified, an individual would be required to successfully complete training in accordance with a standardised cur-riculum or be otherwise qualified through job experience to develop and apply a food safety system.

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AC driveThe Allen-Bradley PowerFlex 525 AC drive is designed to help machine builders and end

users simplify equipment design and operation, and speed installation and configuration. It

features a modular design in power ranges from 0.4 to 22 kW at 100-600 V input. It’s em-

bedded EtherNet/IP, safety, USB programming, energy savings and a variety of motor-control

options are suited for machine-level and stand-alone applications or simple system integration.

Suitable for a wide range of applications, including conveyors, material handling, compres-

sors, fans and pumps, the AC drive provides a variety of motor control options to accom-

modate open- and closed-loop applications.

To help simplify and streamline set-up, users can configure the AC drive through its HMI,

Rockwell Automation Connected Components Workbench software or Rockwell Software Studio

5000 Logix Designer. Machine builders can easily download the completed configurations

and share with multiple drives, which greatly speeds up commissioning time.

A SIL2/PLd-certified, embedded safe torque-off feature helps prevent drive restarts after

a safety circuit is tripped, while the drive’s economiser mode helps optimise motor energy

consumption by monitoring an application’s current demand and automatically refining operating

parameters accordingly.

The AC drive requires 50 mm of clearance on the top and bottom when installing into a cabinet

and can be mounted zero stacked both horizontally and vertically. It is rated for operation up to 50°C,

and with an optional fan kit the drive can withstand temperatures up to 70°C with current derating.

Rockwell Automation Australia

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/T773

Operators of a facility would be required to understand

the hazards that are reasonably likely to occur in their

operation and to put in place preventive controls to

minimise or prevent the hazards.


Counterfeit and tampered with foods are

on the rise and they can harm you, your

business and your community.

Counterfeiters don’t pay tax so they don’t contribute to your community; they don’t pay fair wages so they exploit those making the goods and, at the same time, they deprive your employees of work.

Many counterfeit foods are plain dangerous. They are made from cheap, substandard ingredients in non-food-regulated environments or products that have passed their use-by dates miraculously reappear with new use-by dates. The potential to cause illness is high and the potential to damage your brand is high.

Resale of spoiled goods (eg, dairy and food products) or lost inventory and contaminated products is becoming com-mon practice even in sizable markets in the world, thus threatening public health and tarnishing consumer confidence and brand value.

Package information such as manufacturing and/or expiry dates, lot numbers and manufacturing locations is frequently inkjet-printed onto food and beverage packaging. It not only provides information to the consumers, it also allows produc-ers to track products from the production line to the retailers along the supply chain.

However, if these product markings can be altered easily, the potential for fraud and product tampering is high. One effective and economical way to minimise this risk is through the use of irremovable (indelible) markings.

Now a solution is at hand - Anti-Erasing (ATE) Ink has been developed by researchers at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s Department of Applied Biology and Chemi-cal Technology. The ink is suitable for fast-moving consumer goods such as food, drink and drug packaging where it will assist in determining product authenticity and traceability.

Professor Pei Li and her research team have been com-missioned by Hallyuen Holding Limited since 2011 to de-velop a breakthrough solution to this urgent problem. After nearly three years of research and development, a series of anticounterfeiting products has been developed, including irremovable coatings and ATE Inks. Printing with ATE Ink can leave irremovable trace marks, thus allowing consumers to detect tampered goods. This technology is pivotal in solv-ing the problem of tracing product information, preventing counterfeiting and in protecting consumers against counterfeit or expired goods.

The anticounterfeit technology adopts a fast-drying formula-tion which is compatible with various continuous inkjet print-ers. It is not only applicable to rapid packaging production lines, but can also be printed on different packaging materials. The printed information can withstand physical tampering and leave irremovable trace marks. Users may also choose their preferred trace marks from a selection of ink colours.

“With the adoption of ATE Ink, product manufacturers now have an effective tool to combat counterfeit and tam-pered products that could result in disastrous impact on its operations and goodwill. More importantly for the society, consumers can rest assured that their purchased food and beverage products are safe as the expiry dates on them are genuine," Professor Li said.

Three patent applications have been filed for the devel-opment of ATE Inks. The production of ATE Ink has been scaled up for commercialisation in the Chinese mainland through the partnering company, Hallyuen Holding. Already, the China Mengniu Dairy Company has started using the ATE Ink in its production lines.

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the food tamperers

©iStockphoto.com

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ytro

http://www.belray.com


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Horizontal flow wrapping machineThe FP015EVO Horizontal Flow Wrapping Machine

from Perfect Packaging is robust and suitable for

industrial use.

The FP015EVO is a 3-axis fully electronic servo-driven

machine suitable for fruits and vegetables. It is simple

to clean and has easy operational features for quick

product changeovers. According to the company, the

easy-to-use machine eliminates film wastage.

Perfect Packaging


Compostable packaging for organic teaFounded in 1994, Les Jardins de Gaïa produces Fair Trade, organic tea from near Strasbourg in France. As part of its philosophy of selling natural, organic products, the company wanted to wrap its tea in natural packaging.

Les Jardins de Gaïa chose Innovia Films’ compostable cellulose-based material, NatureFlex NVR, to pack its teas in individual sachets. The converter in this application is leading German-based tea packer TPS from Soltau.

The NatureFlex product was a suitable choice for this application. NatureFlex begins life as a natural product - wood - and breaks down at the end of its life cycle in a home compost bin or industrial compost environment within a matter of weeks. It is also confirmed as suitable for emerging ‘waste to energy’ techniques such as anaerobic digestion.

“We wanted to keep our product safe and in premium condition and do something that would stand out from the crowd,” said Jean Baptiste Dubois, who takes care of Les Jardins de Gaïa’s marketing. “NatureFlex films ensure we are proud of our packaging.”

Innovia Films Pty Ltd


Thermoforming packaging machinesMultipac has developed several solutions for reducing the consumption of film

material, energy and water in the packaging procedure and has integrated these

into several of its thermoforming packaging machines.

The use of innovative die technology and optimised die geometry means the film

side trim and the seal flanges of the packs can be designed to be narrower, and

the partitions between the individual packs can be reduced.

An appropriate pack design can also contribute to giving packs the same stability,

with a thinner film, as is achieved with thicker materials. Despite the use of thinner

films, the same degree of product protection can be achieved.

In order to reduce the energy consumption of thermoforming packaging machines,

the company has replaced the most important compressed-air-operated components

with servomotor drive units.

In the case of the R 535 e-concept model, this involves the lifting units in the

area of the forming and sealing stations, as well as the STS 10-strip punch for film

cutting. The MVP 600 vacuum pump from Multivac also requires less energy than

comparable units. The fresh water consumption of the R 535 e-concept is also

reduced by the use of a cooling water flow regulator.

An integrated sensor constantly measures the temperature of the cooling water.

Fresh cooling water is only fed into the system when the water has reached a

certain temperature.

In the case of the compact R 095 e-concept and R 105 e-concept thermoforming

packaging machines, the lifting units and cutting units are electrically driven. Due

to the use of a closed cooling water circuit, there is no requirement for an exter-

nal cooling water supply. This means that the compact thermoforming packaging

machines only require a power supply.

Multivac Australia Pty Ltd



Fuller’s London Pride slims down with ArdaghLondon brewer Fuller, Smith & Turner, commonly known as Fuller’s, engaged Ardagh Group to develop a new-look bottle for its Premium Bottled Ales portfolio.

For the year-long project, Fuller’s worked with Ardagh and London design and branding agency Jkr to create the new bottle design, which features 360° embossing and significant weight reduction from 380 to 300 g.

“The very first new-look bottles of London Pride, which are already in the trade, look fantastic,” said Ian Bray, managing director of The Fuller’s Beer Company.

“We have altered the shape to a sleeker, taller-looking design, although it is actually only 1 mm taller than the old bottle. The label has been placed higher up to ensure that the brand stands head and shoulders above our competitors. “The bottle also includes an embossed outline of the River Thames, the majestic heartbeat of London, on the banks of which our beers are crafted. We took some of our cues from the world of wine, so we think the new bottle is equally at home on the dining table as it is on the bar. “We have also taken the opportunity to refresh the London Pride label with a more modern look which will eventually translate into other pack formats, as well as on draught. The London Pride badge is instantly recognisable to beer drinkers around the world so this new evolution retains all of the most important elements, including the shape of the shield.”

Ardagh Group (Australia)


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Hybrid ovenable tray rangeDFC Packaging has announced the arrival of its

range of hybrid ovenable cardboard/plastic rimmed

trays. DeLight is a type of hybrid package in which

renewable paperboard is enhanced with polymers.

According to the company, the fibre-based product

offers an alternative to other materials in terms of

sustainability.

The injection-moulded rim ensures that a gas-tight

seal can be achieved, meaning that it is suitable for

MAP applications. The product’s components have

been chosen to withstand the rigours of ready-meal

manufacture, transport and cooking procedures.

The trays are ovenable to 200°C and can be frozen

to -40°C. Due to the trays’ construction, the trays are

cool to touch when removed from the oven. According

to the company, as the trays are made from cardboard,

they will not collapse during cooking.

Eighteen trays are available in the range.

DFC Packaging Group


http://www.dfc.com.au


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Grew up amongst crime & violence

House went under during the floods Became

homeless after her husband

died

13 SALVOS (13 72 58) salvationarmy.org.au

Thermal inkjet coderMatthews Australasia has launched the Linx TJ725 Thermal Inkjet Coder (TIJ), a

high-resolution, digital solution for coding text and graphics onto outer cases, boxes,

shelf-ready trays and packaging.

The TJ725 is supplied ready to install out of the box, making it simple to fit without

the need for a service engineer or specialist installation tools.

The nozzles are covered and protected when not in use and uncovered automati-

cally when the first product is sensed, so the coder is ready to produce prints as

soon as required. This means operators do not need to remove cartridges overnight

or at weekends.

The TJ725 can also sense how much ink is left and forecast the number of prints

remaining so operators can plan to keep lines running without interruption. Operators

can easily reposition the printhead without using any tools, so the printer can be set

up quickly in the correct printing position during product changeovers or when it is

moved between lines.

The built-in speed sensor automatically detects both the line speed and direction,

which means no separate coder is needed. The colour screen clearly shows the

message selected as it will be printed, reducing the risk of coding errors.

The Linx TJ725 can print messages up to 12.5 mm high with a range of fonts and

resolutions to 300 dpi on line speeds of up to 60 m/min. It can code onto porous,

semi-porous and non-porous substrates.

Matthews Intelligent Identification Pty Ltd


Personalised overcaps for champagne and sparkling wineAmcor Flexibles has launched MyCoiffe personal-

ised champagne and sparkling wine overcaps. The

company offers a short lead time, with overcaps

claimed to be available in less than two weeks.

The MyCoiffe product configurator is presented

electronically on an iPad or tablet. Customers

can use the configurator to create their overcaps,

choosing from a range of different models and

options including personalised text, typeface,

overcap colour and refining with ink embossing.

Artwork is approved immediately online and

Amcor customer service contacts the customer

within 24 hours, the company says. Amcor ac-

cepts small order sizes for the service.

Amcor Australasia


http://www.salvationarmy.org.au


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Starting out as a retailing and wholesaling business over 40 years ago, the Edgemill Group is now one of the few independent organisations that produces, blends and bottles wines, spirits and liqueurs.

The company is a 100% family-owned business, operating within multiple beverage markets both domestically and internationally. The group is made up of Edgemill, which oversees the domestic wine and spirit sales; AWP, which wholesales dry goods and bulk wine; and AGDA, which looks after the blending, testing, warehousing and contract packaging arm of the business.

Due to the growth of the business, Edgemill Group moved into a state-of-the-art facility in Laverton North in 2011, incorporating two bottling lines, a research and development laboratory, warehousing and offices.

The Edgemill Group has a strong working history with FB*PROPAK, first purchasing a 24-head hand apply rinser, 3x6 head hand fillers and single-head ROPP screw capper in 2003. In 2007, a FB*PROPAK single-head hand feed labeller was added. However, as the business grew, it became clear that a less manual solution was needed.

After 12 months of conversation and of collaboration with FB*PROPAK, Edgemill signed off on a solution - the Monoblock station - that catered to Edgemill’s range of bottling and labelling needs. Once the machine was near completion, the two companies travelled to Italy together for training and sign-off before the equipment was shipped to Australia.

The Monoblock station includes a 12-head automatic rinsing station, a 10-head gravity feed filler, a single-head ROPP screw capper with capabilities to cap three different sizes, one labeller to automatically apply U-shaped labels or tax labels, a hybrid labeller - a single-head rotary labeller that is purpose built to cater to any format, and a semi-auto packer.

Edgemill is planning further expansions in 2014 so it was important that the new line would fit into one end of the company’s current purpose-built bottling hall. This was achieved.

Prior to this new installation, Edgemill was a fully manual operation from rinse through to pack. This format achieved a run efficiency of 9.5 bottles/min and requires six staff members on the line. The new FB*PROPAK line can achieve 25 bottles/min and only requires two staff members, and the line can run anything from 50 mL bottles to 1.5 L bottles. This works out to 47½ cases/h (285 cases/shift x 6 staff) v 125 cases/h (750 cases/shift x 2 staff) - an impressive improvement in efficiency.

FB*PROPAK Technical Engineer Jamey Algie oversaw the project. Algie specialises in bottling line design and full project management including installation and ongoing backup maintenance, entailing both breakdown and preventive maintenance of the bottling line units. Being contract packers, Edgemill needs to have flexibility and versatility with its bottling and labelling options and has found that FB*PROPAK has delivered this. At the same time, FB*PROPAK has understood that Edgemill Group is a medium-sized business which needs to grow organically and sustainably.

The Beverage Food Group Pty Ltd


Efficiency improvements at Edgemill Group with its new bottling and labelling line


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Eco-friendly vodka uses industry-first PET swing-top bottleAs part of its sustainability focus, McCormick Distilling Co Inc decided to change the 1.75 L bottle for its eco-friendly 360 Vodka from glass to lightweight polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

The bottle, developed by Amcor Rigid Plastics, is the industry’s first PET container with a swing-top closure. Designed to impart the look and feel of glass, the lightweight PET container delivers sustainability advantages, reduced shipping and transportation costs, and a reduced carbon footprint.

“Amcor did a great job by delivering a crisp, clean bottle and from the feedback we’ve received, consumers have been impressed with its performance and look,” said Vic Morrison, vice president of marketing for McCormick Distilling.

“Lightweight PET not only provided a major savings in terms of freight cost and other supply chain efficiencies but also gave us the glass-like appearance and the shelf appeal to maintain our original unique design and brand image.”

Adapting the swing-top closure to PET was a major design challenge for the bottle manufacturer, says Myles Graybill, Amcor project engineer. Amcor’s Advanced Engineering team performed finite element analysis (FEA) modelling to predict the container’s performance behaviour and adapted the metal-based closure to the 23 mm finish diameter, creating a bottle that would be fully functional.

“The neck design was critical as we undertook many iterations and hours of trial and error to adapt the existing closure to PET,” said Graybill.

Amcor also reduced the bottle’s height from 36.5 to 33 cm, enabling the container to be better displayed on retail shelves. Previously, the height meant that retailers either didn’t stock the product or were forced to place it on a top shelf or lay it flat to display it.

The container is 10% of the weight of a glass bottle, unbreakable and recyclable.

The bottle also features re-usable closures and recycled paper printed with water-based eco-friendly inks. McCormick found that organic grain leaves a larger footprint, so instead chose to source grain grown less than 95 miles from its distillery for the vodka.

The distillery in which the vodka is quadruple distilled and five-times filtered is the US’s most energy-efficient distillery. McCormick offers free postage paid envelopes for consumers to return the swing-top closure for re-use once the bottle is empty. The company donates US$1 for each returned swing-top closure to Global Green USA.

Amcor Australasia


Carton bottle wins German Packaging AwardSIG Combibloc’s combidome - a bottle made of cardboard - has been awarded the German Packaging Award (Deutscher Verpackungspreis) in the ‘Best Sales Packaging: Beverages’ category.

The judges praised the carton pack’s good pouring behaviour and optimised handling in terms of emptying out the product, compared to other beverage packaging solutions.

“We’re thrilled that, after the Beverage Innovation Award, combidome has now also picked up the German Packaging Award,” said Axel Meier, head of marketing cluster Europe North, and Olivier Peterges, development engineer at SIG Combibloc, on accepting the award.

“This demonstrates that our packaging innovation is a winner nationally and internationally. combidome is a genuinely innovative product that has huge potential to gain a real foothold in the beverage sector. That makes us very proud.”

The German Packaging Award has been awarded since 1996 by the Deutsche Verpackungsinstitut (dvi, the German Packaging Institute). Under the auspices of Germany’s Federal Ministry of Economics, an independent jury of experts from business, research, teaching and the specialist press chooses prize-winners in six categories: sales packaging; labels, seals and other packaging aids; display and promotional packaging; transport and logistics packaging; packaging machines (engineering and technology); and young talent.

The products are judged on specified criteria, including innovation, sustainability, functionality, design, cost-effectiveness, safety, process optimisation and merchandising ability.

A full list of the 2013 German Packaging Award winners is available here.

©iStockphoto.com

/Enmanuel A

lvarez Sanchez

http://www.wiley.com.au

From concept to completion Wiley offers a unique in-housediversity of skills all via one contact and one contract.

A complex equation in project management becomes an integrated team operation.

A disparate mix of services and interests becomes a shared focus on the ultimate outcome.

Stress and uncertainty are replaced by control, transparency and accountability.

You achieve the best facility and the best value all in the best possible time frame.

That’s why so many of the world’s most renowned food brands are manufactured in Wiley facilities.

WHAT SETS THE WILEY DELIVERY MODEL

APART FROM THE HERD?

INTEGRATED FACILITY ENGINEERING - CREATE A BETTER FUTURE

www.wiley.com.au

Talk to us about creating your better future. 1300 385 988 or [email protected]

http://www.wiley.com.au


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Tracing the untraceableWhy contaminated jerky is still on the shelves Alice Richard

When a food product sickens - or worse, kills - consumers, authorities don’t rest until the cause of the contamination is found and action taken to prevent it happening again. Pet owners would like to think that these same standards would apply if food produced for their furry friends made them sick. But a product that is suspected to have sickened thousands of pets in the US alone is still on the shelves.

The reason this product - chicken jerky, sold as treats for dogs and cats - hasn’t been withdrawn from sale is that the authorities have no idea what the contaminant is.

Thus far, 3600 dogs and 10 cats in the US have been affected by the jerky, with 580 deaths attributed to the product, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says. And these are just the reported cases. While the FDA has identified jerky products generally as the common factor in these cases, it is stumped as to exactly what it is that’s in the jerky that’s causing these pets to perish.

Detecting the undetectable“This is one of the most elusive and mysterious outbreaks we’ve encountered,” said Bernadette Dunham, director of the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM).

Since the first reported cases in 2007, the CVM has reportedly conducted more than 1200 tests for microbiological contaminants, heavy metals and elements, pesticides, rodenticides, moulds, antibiotics and other compounds. It has gone as far as visiting jerky treat manufacturers in China in an attempt to track down the cause.

Unfortunately, because no one particular contaminant has been identified, a recall of the suspect products has not been issued in the US. While several US companies have voluntarily recalled their products after they were found to contain traces of unapproved antibiotics, the manufacturers said such minute quantities of antibiotics were unlikely to have caused such widespread issues.

In Australia, dried pigs’ ear and vegetable chews have also been implicated in cases but, to make things even more baffling, some of the sick dogs have no history of eating commercial treats of any kind, Dr Linda Fleeman, author of a paper on the topic that was published in the Australian Veterinary Journal, told

VIN News. “I am aware of several cases in Europe that were not associated with treats but responded to diet change,” Dr Flee-man said. “It might be preferable to change the focus from ‘pet treat’ to ‘food associated acquired proximal renal tubulopathy’.”

The FDA has narrowed down the list of suspected culprits to treats sold as jerky tenders or strips made of chicken, duck, sweet potatoes or dried fruit. Within hours of eating these treats, affected pets exhibit symptoms such as decreased appetite, vomiting, diar-rhoea, increased water consumption and/or increased urination.

Severe cases have involved kidney failure, gastrointestinal bleeding and a rare kidney disorder.

“Most of the jerky treats implicated have been made in China,” the FDA said in a statement. “Manufacturers of pet foods are not required by US law to state the country of origin for each ingredient in their products.”

Collaborative researchThe FDA has issued a call to veterinarians and the public to report any suspected cases of pet illness or death due to jerky in an effort to gather as much information about the situation as possible. Vets across the US have been requested to contact the CVM with details of any animals they suspect have been sickened or died after eating jerky.

An FDA-developed fact sheet has been made available at vet-erinary clinics, pet supply stores and other locations frequented by pet owners that similarly urges consumers to get in touch with the CVM if they suspect their pet has been affected. It also outlines the symptoms to watch for and what to do with uneaten jerky treats if a pet appears to have become sick after eating them.

“We hope that these tools will help prevent more pets from becoming sick and will provide us with the clues we need to crack the case,” vet Linda Tollefson, associate commissioner for FDA’s Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine, wrote on


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OD the FDA blog. In particular, one piece of information that the

FDA is lacking is lot numbers of the suspected products. “If we have the lot numbers, we can identify whether particular lots triggered more complaints, trigger products back to specific manufacturing facilities and identify lots for testing,” the agency said in a statement.

The mystery continues Down UnderThe mystery of what’s in the jerky isn’t limited only to the US: cases have also been reported in Australia.

According to Dr Fleeman, cases of renal illness in dogs started appearing after chicken jerky treats became available in Australian stores.

Dr Fleeman and fellow researchers reviewed cases of 108 dogs in Australia who developed kidney disease after consum-ing Chinese-made chicken jerky treats, VIN News has reported. One in three of the affected dogs recovered without medical treatment once their owners stopped feeding them the jerky, the researchers found.

“We unfortunately did not have follow-up information for all 108 cases and so do not know for certain whether or not they all recovered after the treats were discontinued,” Dr Fleeman told VIN News.

“However, anecdotal information is that almost all 108 cases recovered with discontinuation of treat feeding. I feel certain that we would have received feedback if the dogs had not recovered as expected.”

In Australia, the cases seem to be linked to a range of KraMar chicken jerky dog treats, which were recalled in 2008 and 2009. However, Dr Fleeman told VIN News, several other products have

been implicated, including dried pigs’ ears from Australian-raised pigs. “Unless a complete diet history is obtained each time a case is diagnosed, there will be a risk of attributing blame or causation to a variety of individual treats and missing data that will help establish true associations,” Dr Fleeman told VIN News. “It is also important to clearly demonstrate resolution of the problem following diet change.” Despite her research, Dr Fleeman admits that she knows no more than the US authorities.

“After the AVA (Australian Veterinary Association) issued an alert to members, the media picked up the story and the treats were recalled from the market, but we haven’t ever been able to discover a definite cause for the problem,” Dr Fleeman said in an AVA statement.

“We don’t really know what’s currently happening in these cases. Some seem to be associated with other dog treats, while a number seem to be linked to pigs’ ears.”

While the Great Mystery of the Chicken Jerky continues, vets are recommending pet owners avoid jerky products altogether - or feed with caution - until more is known about what’s causing the problem. Even though pet owners are taking responsibility for their pets’ wellbeing by avoiding the suspect products, some are calling for action to ensure that incidents like this don’t occur again.

“The Obama Administration needs to release the proposed rule on preventive controls for animal feed, including pet food, under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act,” said Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch.

“This proposed rule has been held up by the Office of Man-agement and Budget for nearly two years.”

While the Great Mystery of the Chicken Jerky continues,

vets are recommending pet owners avoid jerky

products altogether - or feed with caution

Meat and poultry flattenerAs part of its Meat and Poultry Processing range, Marel has available the Platino Flattener.

The flattener improves water-holding capacity and is claimed to give meat products with qual-

ity bite, texture and taste. To be flattened, meat products pass through the top and bottom

belt of the flattener, putting less pressure on the meat by massaging it over a shorter period

of time than other flattening equipment. The flattener’s massaging technology slightly breaks

down collagen, changes the fibre and opens up the membrane of the meat, allowing extended

access to functional myosin proteins. This makes the product more pliable, which results

in increased and faster brine or marinade absorption during tumbling, the company says.

There is no ripping of the meat fibres during the process and less product bounce-back

after flattening. According to Marel, the product will form and hold together better after protein

coagulation during cooking. Using the flattener leads to reduced fines, fewer transfer point

losses and more pieces within specifications, the company claims.

The Platino can be integrated with other Marel equipment, such as the OptiCut, the Strip-

Cutter, the SmartSplitter and the PortionCutter I-Cut 22 and 55.

Marel New Zealand Ltd


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Assay for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli detectionThe DuPont BAX System has been certified by the AOAC

Research Institute as a Performance Tested Method (PTM) for

detecting Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in beef trim

and ground beef.

With the certification, DuPont’s whole portfolio of BAX System

assays has been validated by the AOAC. This means food

companies can use one molecular-based platform for patho-

gen testing. The range comprises assays for three foodborne

pathogens: E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

The AOAC Research Institute validated the BAX System method as equivalent to the reference culture method

for detecting STEC, but with faster time to results. BAX System assays for detecting E. coli O157:H7, Listeria spp. and other

pathogens are already PTM certified.

The BAX System suite of STEC assays, based on real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, was developed in

collaboration with the Agricultural Research Services of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA ARS).

The company says the automated system uses leading-edge technology, including PCR assays, tableted reagents and

optimised media to detect Salmonella, Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7 and STEC, Campylobacter,

Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio, yeast and mould.

DuPont (Aust) Limited


http://www.proali.com.au


Forget selling iron ore to China - Australian and NZ red meat is in demand

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MPI targets sulfite use in raw meatThe New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has targeted

sulfite use in raw meat, with MPI Food Act Officers visiting Auckland

butchers and supermarkets to collect raw meat samples for analysis.

Testing of the products is underway, although the MPI says it is too

early to tell what the levels of compliance were.

Incorrect use of additives breaches the Food Standards Code and

the Food Act 1981. Under the Act, failure to comply with the Food

Standards Code can result in a fine of up to $5000 for an individual

or $20,000 for a body corporate.

“MPI takes food safety very seriously and our Food Act Officers put

in a great deal of effort to ensure the public can be confident that

food available for purchase in New Zealand is safe to eat,” said MPI

Manager of Operational Coordination Gary Orr.

Sulfites such as sulfur dioxide are used as preservatives in foods,

including sausages, luncheon meat and manufactured ham. Foods

containing sulfites can cause serious reactions in consumers who are

intolerant to them. The MPI is concerned about the potential increase

in the use of sulfur dioxide and other sulfites in raw meat.

Due to their potential negative health effects, the use of sulfites

is strictly controlled by the Australia New Zealand Food Standards

Code. The additives are only permitted in specified meat products,

with maximum permitted levels specified.

Australia’s share of China’s imported red meat (beef and sheepmeat)

has increased from 37% in September 2012 to 46% in September 2013.

According to information on Meat and Livestock Australia’s website,

China’s beef imports during September were the highest volume on

record, at 29,113 tonnes swt - up from 5275 tonnes swt in September

last year. China is importing significantly more beef in particular with

volumes exceeding 20,000 tonnes swt for the last seven consecutive

months. Total imports during the year to September have increased

794% year on year and Australia is currently enjoying 55% of the beef

market share. Uruguay was still the second-largest beef supplier to

China during September but its monthly volume was down. Over the

past year, Uruguay’s market share has dropped from 26 to 23%.

With a huge market share increase, Canada has just edged out

New Zealand to be the third-largest supplier into China. New Zealand

does continue to dominate China’s imported sheepmeat market where

it supplies 61%. Imports of Australian sheepmeat were up 126% year

on year but are still well short of NZ’s levels. Interestingly, mutton ship-

ments to Greater China in 2013 (January to September) have registered

a five-fold increase year on year, to 43,608 tonnes swt - surpassing the

Middle East and accounting for 37% of total Australian mutton exports.

Source

©iStockphoto.com/Lauri Patterson

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Mercury analyser rangeThe Mercury analyser range from

Milestone gives accurate results in

less than five minutes with no sample

preparation time required.

The DMA-80 Direct Mercury Ana-

lyser analyses liquid, gas and solid

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cally process 40 samples in less than

4 h, from start to finish, according

to the company.

An intuit ive control ler uploads

sample weights, controls the analy-

sis and processes data with built-in

report generation and networking

capabilities.

The DMA-1 Direct Mercury Analyser

analyses all kinds of sample matri-

ces without sample preparation. The

DMA-1 does not require any sample preparation or other wet chemistry

prior to the analysis. It offers ease of use, low running cost and no

need for hazardous chemicals to purchase, handle and dispose of.

In Vitro Technologies Pty Ltd


Marel opens Copenhagen demo facilityMarel will open the doors of Progress Point, the newest and

most extensive Marel training and demonstration facility, on 7

November. Specially built for Marel, Progress Point features

2700 m2 of demonstration halls, meeting rooms, a large

auditorium, professional kitchen and dining and entertaining

areas. The demonstration facilities are designed to simulate

real food processing plant conditions, with 900 m2 of dem-

onstration space that includes wet and cooling areas. “At

Progress Point we will help customers to increase efficiency,

reduce costs and create more value in their industries,” said

Theo Hoen, CEO of Marel.

“At Progress Point we can simulate real food processing

plant conditions, making it easier for us to find the best

solution for our customers each time. Progress Point will

also help our customers to make purchasing decisions as

our equipment and solutions will now be on display in one

place.” The facility is located five minutes from Copenhagen’s

Kastrup airport.

http://www.milmeq.com


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Vaccinate cattle to reduce human E. coli cases

Scottish research suggests that vaccinating cattle against E. coli O157

could reduce the number of humans affected by the bacterium by

85%. Vaccines that are available for cattle are rarely used, but the

study shows the public health benefits could be significant.

A University of Glasgow research team led a team of researchers from

the University of Edinburgh, the Royal Veterinary College, Scotland’s

Rural College, Health Protection Scotland and the Scottish E. coli O157/

VTEC Reference Laboratory in a study of E. coli O157 vaccination.

The study, published in the online journal PNAS, used veterinary, human

and molecular data to examine the risks of E. coli O157 transmission

from cattle to humans, and to estimate the impact of vaccinating cattle.

The risk of E. coli O157 infection is particularly significant when cat-

tle are ‘super-shedding’ - excreting high numbers of bacteria in their

faeces for a limited period of time. Vaccines against the bacteria can

reduce super-shedding.

As a consequence, the researchers predict that vaccinating cattle

could reduce human cases by nearly 85% - far higher than the 50%

predicted by studies simply looking at the efficacy of current vaccines

in cattle. The figures provide strong support for the adoption of vaccines

by the livestock industry, and work is now underway to establish

the economic basis for such a program of vaccination. In addition,

research is continuing in Scotland by the same collaborative group

to develop even more effective vaccines that would further reduce

the impact on human disease.

“E. coli O157 is a serious gastrointestinal illness,” said lead author

Dr Louise Matthews, Senior Research Fellow in the Institute of Bio-

diversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine. “The economic

impact is also serious - for instance, studies in the US suggest that

healthcare, lost productivity and food product recalls due to E. coli

O157 can cost hundreds of millions of dollars each year.

“Treating cattle in order to reduce the number of human cases

certainly makes sense from a human health perspective and, while

more work is needed to calculate the cost of a vaccination program,

the public health justification must be taken seriously.”

The study was funded by the Wellcome Trust International Part-

nership Award in Veterinary Epidemiology, BBSRC Institute Strategic

Programmes at The Roslin Institute and The Pirbright Institute and

the Foods Standards Agency Scotland.

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Milmeq wins $18m contract for NT beef processing plantMilmeq has been awarded an AU$18 million contract to supply its food processing technology to a major new beef processing facility in the Northern Territory.

The NZ company will supply a full line of processing technology to the Australian Agricultural Company’s (AACo’s) state-of-the-art $90 million Livingstone Valley facility. The technology has been developed in New Zealand.

Milmeq CEO Mike Lightfoot said the technology will place the new facility among the world’s leaders in moving to highly technological processes.

“We are really proud of winning this contract,” Lightfoot said. “It confirms Milmeq’s leadership in top-end technology. We also see it as a win for the New Zealand technology and manufacturing sector in a competitive global market.”

Milmeq will supply the facility with all its processing equipment, including boning and slaughtering process equipment, refrigeration, air conditioning, chilling and freezing system, along with operations for materials handling and palletising.

According to Stu Cruden, general manager of the AACo project, Milmeq was selected from a highly competitive field because of its ability to provide an advanced total turnkey solution to all refrigeration and processing needs.

“A major greenfield development like this attracts a lot of attention,” Cruden said. “We chose Milmeq for its ability to provide a full range of specialist systems.

“Milmeq has an outstanding record of taking food products through the whole processing chain. Having engaged Milmeq in the design phase of this facility, we have been delighted by the expertise and experience they bring to delivering results.”

The Livingstone Valley facility will be capable of processing 220,000 cattle per year, ending the current need to truck stock long distances to eastern and southern plants for processing. The facility is scheduled for completion in mid- to late-2014.

MPI compliance officers make fishy findingMinistry for Primary Industries (MPI) compliance officers had a nasty surprise while conducting a routine inspection recently. While inspecting a recreational fishing vessel in New Zealand’s Kawakawa Bay to ensure the owners were in their daily recreational catch limits, the officers came across more than 200 rotting snapper.

The fish presented by the boat owners were all of legal size, but upon further inspection, a compliance officer uncovered a fish wrapped in a tarpaulin and disguised under the boat’s floor boards. A closer inspection revealed a further 40 snapper - including three undersized fish - hidden under the floor of the boat.

The boat was seized by the officers and stored at MPI’s secure exhibits shed for the weekend. Arriving at work the following Monday, the officers smelt something fishy - literally. Noting that the smell was coming from the seized boat, they used a drill to remove a panel at the front of the boat. In a compartment under the seat, the officers found 208 rotting snapper.

“This kind of blatant disregard for the rules has the potential to ruin New Zealand fisheries for everyone,” said Michael Greenstreet, MPI district compliance manager, Manakau.

“If convicted of this offence the perpetrators could face a fine of up to $250,000, a community-based sentence and forfeit any item used in the commission of the offence - in this case the vessel.

“If it wasn’t for the great work of the officers involved, this offence would have gone undetected.”

Greenstreet urged the public to report any suspicious fishing activity by calling 0800 4 POACHER (0800 476 224).

“Despite the great work of our officers, we also rely on the public to let us know if they see any unlawful activity,” Greenstreet said. “We all have a part to play to protect our fisheries.”

Further information about fishing rules and limits is available at www.fish.govt.nz

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ay

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http://www.roxset.com.au


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DFish may not be brain food after allFish has long been touted as ‘brain food’, but new research from the

US suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may not benefit cognitive func-

tion at all. “There has been a lot of interest in omega-3s as a way to

prevent or delay cognitive decline, but unfortunately our study did not

find a protective effect in older women,” said study author Eric Ammann

from the University of Iowa. “In addition, most randomised trials of omega-3

supplements have not found an effect. However, we do not recommend that

people change their diet based on these results.

“Researchers continue to study the relationship between omega-3s and the health

of the heart, blood vessels and brain. We know that fish and nuts can be healthy

alternatives to red meat and full-fat dairy products, which are high in saturated fats.” The

study involved 2157 women aged 65 to 80 who were enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative clinical trials

of hormone therapy. The women were given annual tests of thinking and memory skills for an average of

six years. Blood tests were taken to measure the amount of omega-3s in the participants’ blood before

the start of each study. The researchers found no difference between the women with high and low levels

of omega-3s in the blood at the time of the first memory tests. There was also no difference between

the two groups in terms of how quickly their cognitive skills declined over time. The study is published in

the 25 September online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

©iStockphoto.com

/ vejeren

The Scottish salmon and whisky

industries are teaming up to boost

sustainability. The partnership will

convert co-products from whisky

production into feed for salmon

and fish farming. More than 500

million litres of whisky are pro-

duced in the UK each year, but for

each litre of whisky produced, up

to 15 litres of co-products are also

generated. Chemical engineers

from Heriot-Watt University in Edin-

burgh are looking to convert some

of the co-products into protein-rich

feed, which could have the added

benefit of providing a sustainable

and economic supply of feedstock

for the growing Scottish fish farm-

ing industry. A pilot plant trial of

the Horizons Proteins project is

scheduled for August 2014 in

a whisky distillery to assess the

economic, nutritional, environ-

mental and chemical engineering

processes involved in large-scale

production of the proteins.

“Distillery effluent can be dam-

aging, but also contains potentially

valuable nutrients and micronu-

trients,” said David Brown, chief

executive of the Institution of

Chemical Engineers (IChemE).

“The co-products can also be used

to produce a microbial biomass

which has the potential to be a

cheap and sustainable source of

protein-rich feed. “The academic

team at Heriot-Watt University

have already been recognised for

their excellent work by IChemE’s

Food and Drink Special Interest

Group. Their work and others

looking at the microbial treatment

of by-products is very exciting

and has many potential applica-

tions including crude oil recovery,

healthcare and in environmental

protection like bioremediation of

sites affected by heavy metals

and other contaminants.”

Salmon food from whisky

© stock.xchng/profile/dream

jay

http://www.globalms.com.au


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Gear up to reduce downtime and running costs in the boning roomThe Alliance Group, a major New Zealand meat processor, needed to upgrade its carton conveyors located at its Dannevirke, Hawkes Bay, processing plant. In the boning room there were three carton conveyors that needed to be upgraded from older powered roller technology to a modular belt design driven by a highly efficient drive package. Two of the conveyors were straight while the third had a large radius.

Power transmission supply company Russet Engineering Supplies recommended the geared motor drive package for the upgrade. Further to the old technology already in place was the issue of the existing worm geared motors overheating. Even in the cold ambient temperature of 7°C inside the boning room, the inefficient worm geared motors were too hot to touch and were failing within a very short service life of up to six months.

Importantly, Alliance engineer Dennis Rodgers wanted the new geared motor package to offer increased reliability and an extended service life. The other major criteria was that the new drive package must be suitable for the aggressive washdown environment of a meat plant.

NORD Drivesystems advised Russet Engineering Supplies that its new NORD 2-stage helical bevel gearbox, complete with the new NORD HM series smooth exterior electric motor, would meet all of Alliance’s requirements.

“We viewed NORD’s new 2-stage helical bevel gearbox and the new smooth series electric motor prototypes when we visited NORD Drivesystems in Melbourne recently,” said Power Transmission Specialist for Russet Engineering Supplies Mark Bond. The NORD 2-stage helical bevel gearbox includes oversized bearings which extend the reliability and ultimate service life of the geared motor. This technology also offers

the highest overhung output shaft load capacity available. The 2-stage helical gear set is 97% efficient, which further enhances the drive package’s efficient capacity to transmit maximum torque with minimum demand to the electric motor power. The high material specification, the high tolerance manufacture and the heat treatments employed by NORD in Germany ensure that the NORD 2-stage helical bevel gearbox offers long life expectancy.

The NORD HM series electric motors feature a smooth exterior surface, with no cooling fins at all. All exterior surfaces are sloped to facilitate flow of water and washdown off the surface. The NORD HM series electric motors are MEPS2 compliant (AS/NZS1359.5) and are rated for S1 continuous duty.

The complete NORD geared motor assembly was coated with NORD’s Severe Duty Extreme Stainless Steel coating system (NSD), which is suitable for hygienic and food applications including washdown with aggressive chemicals. The NSD coating is extremely hard and will not chip or crack. The NSD coating has particular resistance to aggressive cleaning chemicals such as sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and caustic soda, making it appropriate for the meat processing industry. The NSD coating encapsulates the entire geared motor assembly, prohibiting the ingress of water and chemicals under the exterior surface.

NORD Drivesystems (Aust) Pty Ltd


Meat processor convicted of food safety and hygiene breachesSunrise Meats, a meat processor based in Marrickville in Sydney’s inner west, has been fined $41,250 for a number of food and hygiene breaches. The company was convicted and sentenced for various breaches of the Food Act 2003 and ordered to pay professional costs of $10,000.

The company, which is licensed under the NSW Food Authority to operate a meat processing business, pleaded guilty to 11 charges following a series of breaches of the hygiene regulations investigated by the NSW Food Authority that lead to the issuing of a prohibition order.

The charges were:• Hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness breaches (three charges).• Contravene the provisions of the Food Safety Scheme (three charges).• Fail to comply with the conditions of licence (three charges).• Fail to comply with requirement imposed by a food safety scheme in relation to the preparation,

implementation, maintenance, monitoring, certification or auditing of a food safety program (one charge).

• Contravene a Prohibition Order (one charge). The breaches included: failure to maintain fixtures, fittings and equipment to a required standard;

handling food in a manner that failed to properly address the risk of contamination, namely meat being stored on the floor near a drain, on unclean benches and in contact with unclean wall tiles; and failure to have effective and continuous pest control in place.

“The NSW Food Authority is dedicated to protecting the health of NSW consumers and ensuring the food produced and sold in this state is safe and suitable for human consumption,” said NSW Food Authority CEO Polly Bennett. “The important work that our officers do in regularly inspecting and auditing food businesses helps to improve food safety standards and reduce the incidence of foodborne illness.”

©iStockphoto.com

/David G

omez

© stock.xchng/profile/fritz018


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Vegetarianism on the riseMeat processors, block your ears: you may not want to hear this.

More Australians are identifying as vegetarian - or at least embracing

a meat-minimal lifestyle.

New research from Roy Morgan shows that the number of Austral-

ians aged 14+ who agree with the statement “The food I eat is all, or

almost all, vegetarian” has grown from 1,608,000 in 2009 to 1,935,000

in June 2013. That’s 10% of the population.

To choose a vegetarian or meat-minimal lifestyle requires considerable

thought and effort, and this is reflected in Australian vegetarians’ com-

mitment to their health. According to the Roy Morgan figures, they are

50% more likely to agree with the statement “I favour natural medicines

and health products” than the average Australian and 47% more likely

to agree that “a low-fat diet is a way of life for me”.

Those who eat little or no meat are also more likely to enjoy healthy

food, engage in formal exercise and avoid dairy foods. Vegetarians are

also less likely to enjoy a tipple: 37% less likely than non-vegetarians,

according to Roy Morgan. Surprisingly, all this healthy living doesn’t

always pay off: vegetarians are 59% more likely than the average

Australian to be or have been anaemic in the past year and are 24%

more likely to have experienced an anxiety disorder. “Along with ethical

reasons, health is one of the main motivations behind the decision to

follow a primarily or totally vegetarian diet,” said Nick Williams, healthcare

consultant with Roy Morgan Research.

“We’ve all heard about how reducing our red meat intake can

improve our wellbeing, and our data does indicate that vegetarians

are less likely to suffer from cardiovascular problems as well as being

far less likely to be overweight or obese.

“However, it’s important to note that vegetarians are 27% more likely

to be under 35 than the average Australian; an age when they’re less

vulnerable to many illnesses and medical conditions anyway.

“Our data also shows that many people who eat little or no meat

tend to practise other good health habits as well: they’re less likely

to drink excessively or eat food high in fat or containing dairy, and

more likely to exercise than the average Australian.

“But this doesn’t make them exempt from health issues: anaemia

is a common problem, as a plant-based diet can be low in iron; and

they’re significantly more likely to experience mood and behavioural

disorders such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, anorexia or

bulimia.”

Vegetarians are most likely to fall in the Metrotechs category of Roy

Morgan’s Helix Personas profiling tool. Metrotechs are “well educated,

high income young singles” who are professionals and typically rent

in the inner city, according to the Helix Personas website.

“As well as being environmentally aware and health conscious, these

individuals are often from ethnic backgrounds where vegetarianism is

widespread,” Williams said.

www.lab45.com.au


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Automatic titration systemWith powerful customisation and accurate analysis, the

Hanna Instruments HI 902C Automatic Titration System

brings simplicity in analysis to food quality labs.

The systems are supplied with methods customised to us-

ers’ needs, such as total acidity, vitamin C, salt (chloride),

oil values (FFA, iodine and peroxide values) and

SO2, reducing sugar, alkalinity, saponification,

formol number, sulfites, water hardness,

% sodium and many more.

In addition, users can easily

create their own method. With

a minimum dosage of 0.05 mL

(40,000 steps), the accuracy and

the repeatability of analysis using

the HI 902C is dependable.

Clip-Lock makes it a mat-

ter of few seconds to

exchange the reagent

burettes to perform a

different titration, saving

chemical costs.

A USB port allows for the easy

transfer of methods, reports and software

upgrades via USB flash drive. Users can print reports of

analyses directly from the titrator using a standard parallel

printer. An external monitor and keyboard can be attached

for added versatility. Data can also be transferred to a

PC using the Hanna HI 900PC application. Investment in

a HI 902C, which responds to users’ needs, saves time,

money and effort.

Hanna Instruments Pty Ltd


Allergen test kitsThe AgraQuant FAST allergen test kits, supplied by Arrow Scientific,

provide food laboratories with allergen results within 31 minutes of set-

ting up the sample. The kits are based on the sandwich enzyme linked

immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique coupled with a new unique

capsule extraction method. This capsule extraction technique can be

used across the entire product range (with the exception of egg), and

cuts traditional extraction times to just 1 min.

The test kits may benefit food laboratories, as the availability of rapid

results allows for corrective action to be implemented faster, preventing

expensive product recalls and ultimately protecting the brand name.

The AgraQuant FAST Kits currently available include: Almond, Casein,

Egg, Hazelnut, Macadamia Nut and Peanut.

Each kit is supplied with standards, antibody-coated microwells,

extraction capsules, wash buffer, conjugate, substrate and stop solution.

The kits have a shelf life of 12 months from the date of manufacture.

A tutorial YouTube video is available at http://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=xjx4W9dzUMo.

Arrow Scientific


Closure torque tester rangeThe complete range of Mecmesin Closure Torque Testers is available in Australia and New Zealand

through SI Instruments. Closure torque testing is a measure of the torque force required to either apply

or remove a cap or lid on a container. This is frequently a two-stage measurement. For a tamper-evident

cap, slip torque and bridge torque are measured. For a child-resistant closure, a concurrent measure of

downward load applied must also be made. Mecmesin’s Vortex-I Computer-controlled

torque testing system is controlled via advanced software which allows users

to create sophisticated test programs, the company says. Users can perform

in-depth evaluation of results using the system. With a range of capacities up to

10 Nm, the system is suitable for R&D or quality control laboratories. The Vortex-xt

Touch-Screen controlled system allows fast and efficient testing on the production

floor. An easy-to-use touch-screen interface with quick test selection allows tests

to be launched with one button. The standalone system does not require a PC and

allows users to program, store and evaluate tests on one system.

The Vortex-d Motorised test stands are suitable for straightforward torque tests.

Simple to operate, the stands combine with data acquisition software for additional test evaluation options.

They also combine with Mecmesin’s digital torque display, AFTI.

For testing small rotary components and manual closure torque testing, Mecmesin also has available a

range of digital torque testers, including the Tornado Digital Torque Tester and the Orbis Digital Torque Tester.

SI Instruments


http://www.amsl.com.au


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Molecular detection assay for Listeria monocytogenes3M Food Safety has announced the

launch of its 3M Molecular Detection

Assay Listeria monocytogenes. The

system provides pure and simple

testing for dangerous pathogens in

a variety of food matrices. Listeria

monocytogenes remains a serious

concern in the food processing

industry.

The molecular detection assays

use isothermal amplification of nucleic

acid sequences, plus biolumines-

cence to detect the amplification.

Presumptive positive results are

delivered in real time while negative

results are displayed after the assay

is completed. The product is fast

and easy to use, without sacrificing

sensitivity or specificity. It is applied

to enriched food as well as food

process samples.

3M Food Safety


Microbial reference materialsThe Regency Exclusive brand of microbial

materials is available from Australasian

Medical & Scientific Ltd. Microbial reference

materials are important for quality control of

media, method validation, positive controls

and accreditation compliance.

Regency Exclusive is manufactured by

IFM Quality Services, which is an accredited

manufacturer of Certified Reference Materials.

Three formats are available: multi-organism

powder, multi-organism vials and single-organism vials.

Multi-organism powder varieties include TPC, Coliform, E. coli,

YM, Salmonella and Listeria. Multi-organism vials include Legionella, Campylobacter, Bacillus

and Pseudomonas. Pure cultures include a wide range of ATCC and NTCC equivalent and wild

type species, all with confirmed purity and viability.

According to the company, the multi-organism varieties are cost-effective and convenient

formats that save the need to buy different varieties of microorganisms as well as the cost and

time associated with maintaining culture collections.

The Regency Exclusive Reference powders are ready to use and the vials can be simply

reconstituted with minimal handling required.

Australasian Medical & Scientific Ltd


http://www.merckmillipore.com


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Yeast and mould testNeogen Corporation has received approval from the AOAC Research Institute for

its rapid test to directly detect yeast and mould in a variety of food matrices such

as dressings, sauces, pet food, dairy products, fruit and vegetable-based products

and nutraceuticals. Neogen’s Soleris Direct Yeast and Mould (DYM) test produces

accurate results in only 48 hours; conventional yeast and mould methods can take

up to five days. This test is designed for use in the Soleris rapid microbiology sys-

tem, which accelerates and monitors microbial growth for faster time to results, the

company says.

Rapid microbiology can help eliminate costly and time-consuming microbial testing

bottlenecks. The system lets users screen raw materials or environments

for early detection of contamination or positive release of product.

Cell Biosciences Pty Ltd


Listeria assay systemNeogen Corporation has received a matrix extension

for its Performance Tested Method Certification (PTM

#101202) from the AOAC Research Institute for its

ANSR for Listeria assay. In addition to the original

claims, the following matrices are now included in the

approval: pasteurised milk, Mexican-style cheese, ice-cream, smoked

salmon, lettuce, rockmelon, guacamole and pasteurised liquid egg. The

original AOAC-RI approval covered the use of the ANSR system to detect

Listeria in environmental matrices that included sponge or swab samples

from stainless steel, plastic, ceramic tile, sealed concrete and rubber environmental surfaces. The ANSR

system, available to detect Salmonella or Listeria, uses an isothermal DNA amplification process to

amplify DNA to detectable levels and fluorescent molecular beacon technology for detection of the

pathogen target. Combined with ANSR’s single enrichment step, Neogen’s pathogen detection method

can provide DNA-definitive results for Listeria in as few as 16 h from the time the sample is taken, the

company says. Unlike PCR-based methods, ANSR requires only a single reaction temperature, which

eliminates the time-consuming heating and cooling cycles of older methods. The ANSR system’s small

benchtop footprint and simple test procedure make it an easy fit in laboratory workflows. Incorporating

an internal control for each assay, ANSR results are DNA definitive as well as rapid.

Cell Biosciences Pty Ltd


Benchtop chillersVWR International Benchtop Chillers are environmentally friendly,

economical alternatives to tap-water cooling.

Designed to maximise bench space without compromising

cooling and pumping power, the chillers offer up to 1290 W

of cooling at 20°C, making them suitable for use with rotary

evaporators, jacketed incubators, small reaction vessels,

spectrophotometers, chromatography columns, condensers

and other devices that require robust heat removal.

The LS-Series has a working temperature range of -20 to

+40°C with 475 W of cooling at -10°C and is available with either

a centrifugal or turbine pump. The LM-Series offers a working temperature

range of -10 to +30°C and a 230 W cooling capacity at -10°C. The MM-

Series has a working temperature range of -5 to +50°C and provides 129 W

of cooling at -5°C. The chillers have user-settable high and low temperatures and

low flow rate alarms. Installation, operation and maintenance of the chillers is simple.

Other features include a top-mounted fill port with built-in fluid filter, a lighted fluid-level indicator and a

washable rigid-frame air filter. The chillers have a temperature stability of ±0.1°C.

VWR International Pty Ltd


http://www.mep.net.au


• 0 footprint

• 0.5 inch thick

• 250 grams

• 5.5 inch display

• 8 hour battery life

Tel: 03 9769 0666Fax: 03 9769 0699Email: [email protected]: www.hannainst.com.au

• pH • EC • DO

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Food acidity guideAcidity of food items is an important topic within

the food industry. There are personal and cultural

differences in taste and considerations about

storability that make close monitoring of acidity

in food products necessary.

With regards to filling temperature and the

risk of infestations with Clostridium botulinum,

acidity also becomes an economic factor.

To assist those working with food, Mettler

Toledo has created a guide for acid content

and acidity determination in food. This

guidebook provides a detailed overview of

all relevant topics regarding acidity in food.

After a short introduction to the history and

importance of acidity in food items, such as the preserving quali-

ties of certain acids, the guide provides a list of methods and the corresponding

optimal measurement solution. Different methods of acidity determination via titration

are described (such as ascorbic acid and citrate content), along with tips and tricks

for improved measurement technique and to save time. Another chapter deals with

pH measurement and electrodes in order to determine the acidity of food items;

important topics like calibration and temperature compensation, as well as tips and

tricks are provided for. The guide also contains a number of TI notes, describing

specific methods and results.

The guide can be downloaded for free at: www.mt.com/acidity-lab.

Mettler Toledo


Spoilage organisms detection system for brewing and beverageLife Technologies Corporation has announced the

expansion of its food safety portfolio by partnering

with PIKA Weihenstephan to provide molecular testing

solutions for the detection of spoilage organisms in the

brewing and beverage market.

Life Technologies claims it is the only supplier to

provide both enrichment media and PCR kits designed

to suit the changing needs and challenges in beverage

quality and safety.

Combined with PIKA Weihenstephan’s Fast Orange

Nutrient Broth, brewers will be able to conduct testing

in one streamlined workflow solution. This will enable

‘at-line’ testing during processing, helping to prevent

spoilage and identify potential sources of contamination.

Fast Orange Nutrient Broth contains an indicator that

changes colour if growth of the target organisms occurs.

It can be a stand-alone method, but in combination

with PCR-based tests also from PIKA Weihenstephan

that run on Life Technologies’ real-time PCR instru-

mentation, brewers have the flexibility to shorten the

time to result by several days and increase the level

of information obtained from the brewing process, the

companies claim.

Life Technologies Australia Pty Ltd



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Reducing bacterial biofilms on food factory floors

Bacteria that persist within the food and drink manufacturing centres are those which survive and grow under the prevailing environmental conditions (temperature, product residues and

moisture levels, etc) and remain viable and attached to surfaces following cleaning and disinfection. Careful consideration should be given to the selection of surface materials and the choice of cleaning regimes if you wish to minimise the presence of biofilms on surfaces within food factory environments.

Food factory floors are exposed to forklifts and machinery as well as food and liquid contaminants so the demands on the flooring performance are much higher than is required in most commercial settings.

A particular favourite within food factory companies is non-slip epoxy or polyurethane resin systems. While these systems are quick and easy to install, the material emits high levels of odours and has a low life expectancy, adding to a company’s maintenance costs and inconveniences. However, it’s the breakdown effect of resin flooring that increases the risk of bacterial growth, as dirt and grease can easily hide in cracks or grooves.

Ceramic tiles provide an alternate hygienic flooring system. Agrob Buchtal, a German manufacturer of ceramic tiles, has introduced HT tiles, a hard-wearing tile with antibacterial properties, which is claimed to provide hygienic performance for more than 25 years.

Containing a titanium coating applied during the manu-facturing process, the tiles (and grout) create a photocatalytic

reaction that kills bacteria, fungi and germs. What’s more, HT tiles neutralise unpleasant odours so that the room climate is permanently improved - an important aspect in food processing. Scientific studies from the German institute Fraunhofer for Biological Process Engineering discovered that 99% of bacteria sample (eg, organic materials, pathogenic germs, bacteria, mould, etc) died within 30 minutes after contact with the HT tile surface.

Keeping your surfaces cleanTo achieve perfect hygiene, careful consideration must be made with regard to the type of cleaning process and cleaning agents. HT tiled surfaces are hydrophilic, causing water to spread over the flooring surface as a thin film that infiltrates dirt and makes cleaning easier.

In order to avoid destruction of the flooring surface and underlying materials, it is necessary to have a good knowledge of the materials to be cleaned, the nature of the contamination to be removed and the chemical character-istics of the cleaning agent. Some cleaners are highly toxic and can strip the surface of your floor (whether its tiles or epoxy), damaging its longevity.

Cold water washes in conjunction with cleaning agents will lead to a reduction in safety. The chart shows that cold water wash will not remove floor contamination, such as oils or fats, resulting in a reduction of slip resistance to create unsafe floor-ing; and an increased risk of harbouring bacteria.

Ceramic Solutions


©iStockphoto.com

/lorenzo rossi

http://www.swagelok.com/hose


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Heat recovery system

With four tortilla chip ovens operating for three shifts, five days a week, USA snack manufacturer Wyandot Inc saw an opportunity to harness a considerable source of energy that had been going out the exhaust stacks. Using a partial funding grant from its state energy conservation program, Wyandot purchased from Heat and Control an Energy Recovery Heat Exchanger for each pair of ovens.

Exhaust energy now pre-heats cooking oil before it enters the heat exchangers serving Wyandot’s chip fryers. This reduces natural gas usage by about 20% - almost 20,000 MMBTUs per year - and Heat and Control estimates it will provide a return on investment in two years.

“The system has made a significant impact on our sustainability program,” said plant manager Jim Augur.

In addition to fuel savings, CO2 emissions have been reduced by more than 2.2 million pounds per year, Wyandot says.

Heat and Control Pty Ltd


UPS systemSchneider Electric has released the MGE Galaxy 5500 UPS. Its online technology fully isolates and protects against

all power-quality disturbances, even in demanding environments. The efficient double conversion or ECO mode is

said to provide savings in energy costs.

The output electrical performances are fully aligned with load requirements and include upstream harmonics man-

agement for a generator-friendly installation and flexible configurations, due to the range of integrated options and

auxiliary equipment available.

The UPS’s full front access gives a smaller footprint. Standard features include a user-friendly graphical display

with multiple language options and an SNMP network-based power management card. An optional transformer with

a compact footprint is also available.

The UPS offers improvement over its predecessor, the MGE Galaxy 5000, with increased efficiency, lower noise and

0.9 power factor. The UPS includes the APC Network Management Card 2, giving coherence and features such as

IPv6, SNMPv3, allowing more complete integration with StruxureWare Central.

Schneider Electric (Aust) Pty Ltd


Optical absorbance sensorEndress+Hauser’s OUSAF11 optical absorbance

sensor emits radiation in both the visible and near-

infrared wavelengths and uses it to measure optical

absorbance by a process fluid. It is suitable for

product loss detection, interface detection and

suspended solids and turbidity measurements

in a range of industries including food and

beverage, mining and similar processes.

The sensor is available in an immersion

model for use in open tanks and basins or in an insertion

model with Tri-Clamp or Varivent connections that meet 3A

Sanitary Standards.

The body of the rugged OUSAF11 is constructed of 316L

stainless steel while the fouling-resistant measurement head,

which contains the light source and optical sensor, is con-

structed of FEP fluorocarbon film (no glass). This means it

is non-reactive, highly transparent, resistant to sunlight and

has a high temperature rating.

Additionally, FEP is accepted by 3A for sanitary applica-

tions. The sensor can be operated continuously up to 90°C

and up to 130°C for up to two hours, allowing it to be used

in hot CIP processes.

The OUSAF11 is easy to install and commission. The sen-

sor can be installed in a pipe, with the appropriate fitting,

or suspended in an open channel or basin. The integrated

cable is easily wired to the transmitter.

The menu-guided interface on the CVM40 allows the

sensor to be set up quickly. Interface to the transmitter can

also be accomplished using a keyboard and the USB port

on the transmitter.

The sensor operates with the Endress+Hauser Memograph

CVM40 graphic transmitter and recorder to form a complete

measurement system.

Endress+Hauser Australia Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S153

http://www.xylemwatersolutions.com/au


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Spreading Wild Oats with on-site nitrogen generation

Despite modern advances, winemaking is still, at its core, a simple art: grape juice is fermented with the help of some yeast. However, supplying wine in the quantities and qualities demanded by the modern consumer has moulded the culture of winemaking across the globe.

To meet increased demand, winemakers must maximise output while still producing wines that are vintage quality and true to traditional methods. Stainless steel processing vats are increasingly replacing oak barrels and precision-controlled crushing technologies are taking the place of human feet. Winemakers are taking their craft into the era of automation.

One wine producer who has successfully blended traditional winemaking values with the precise management of processing technologies is Robert Oatley Vineyards. Bob Oatley is a fifth-generation Australian who established Rosemount Estate in the 1960s, producing his first commercial vintages in the early 1970s.

After a brief hiatus from winemaking, Oatley bought a Mudgee property in 2006, establishing Robert Oatley Vineyards. The region’s largest winery, the property serves as the family’s winemaking headquarters. The family’s award-winning Wild Oats brand has been a great success, becoming one of the country’s top-selling wines within two years of being released.

With a production capability of thousands of bottles per day, the Robert Oatley Wines bottling facility uses compressed nitrogen at almost every step of the bottling process.

The facility’s compressors are supplied by Compressed Air and Power Solutions (CAPS) Australia. On a support visit to the winery, Matthew Broadbent, senior sales engineer for NSW, noticed that the winery was using bottled nitrogen for some processes.

“I quickly realised that the winery was spending more than necessary on its nitrogen requirements,” Broadbent said. “So I put together a proposal that I was sure could save them money.”

Broadbent proposed an installation of the Inmatec IMT-PN 1650, which provides an output of 37 m3 per hour. The winery’s bottled nitrogen restricted it to 150 m3 per day.

The resulting cost savings of the full nitrogen package exceeded the company’s expectations. “The new equipment at Robert Oatley Vineyards has cut the price per cubic metre of nitrogen per day by more than 75%,” said Broadbent.

Nitrogen can now be used throughout the winery, not just on the bottling line. Nitrogen is used on the bottling line to purge the lines after sterile water has been pumped through them. In order to minimise oxidation, nitrogen is also used while transferring the wine to bottles.

“To achieve this, the filler bowl has a head of nitrogen and gas is forced into the liquid and the sealing capsule,” said Philip Griffin, production manager at the winery. A vineyard’s success is dependent on the health of the earth, so it stands to

reason that the company believes in protecting and nurturing the environment. The compressors and nitrogen generators use environmentally friendly compressor lubricant and noise pollution is kept to a minimum.

“The compressors are installed in areas where a number of our staff are permanently located,” said Griffin. “The compressors supplied by CAPS are relatively quiet, which protects our workers and maintains a tranquil atmosphere.”

CAPS continues its relationship with the winemaker, with a regular service schedule carried out by the compressor company’s qualified technicians to ensure the smooth operation of all the compressed gas systems.

According to Griffin, the upgraded compressed air system and nitrogen generators allow the winery to get on with its primary job: to continue producing Robert Oatley’s wines.

CAPS Australia Pty Ltd


http://www.urschel.com


Skills training in the food processing industry

It differs in its demands from historical attempts at train-ing in the industry which have included “go ask Nellie” or “come and meet our new consultants”. Rather than the sometimes inspiring, one-off efforts that have characterised

in-house industry training, the program is now systematic, ongoing, measurable and realistic. It focuses on outcomes not inputs, not on “how many hours of training have you done?” but on “what do you know?” and “have you optimised per-formance of self, machine and process?”

At the heart of the so-called FDF10 training package (www.training.gov.au/Training/Details/FDF10) is a fabulous list of key competencies and skills describing the progress of an operator from inductee, to skilled operator, to leader/tradesperson and

on to project manager and shift coordinator. It is a thoughtful outline, heavily influenced and shaped by the industry and edu-cators. The 3000 or so pages that make up the FDF10 package are essentially simple but, understandably, more than a trifle forbidding to new entrants. At its centre is the notion of an assessment-driven list of competencies … more comfortably, a list of key knowledge and key abilities required to undertake any component of any food manufacturing plant’s operations.

In effect the training, known as competency based training or CBT, is similar to the way most of us think about a driver’s licence. Basically, you have to know the road rules and be able to control the vehicle. How you learned the skill is not important, applying these skills in a life-like circumstance is

For more than 20 years Australia has had one of the world’s best food processing training frameworks. It has

cost many millions of dollars to create and is a credit to the many organisations, businesses and unions that

have contributed. It has been a work of some complexity but it now focuses on key issues of compliance,

technical skill, productivity improvement (including lean management) and formal accreditation.

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The model exists but are we using it well enough? Les Cameron*

©iStockphoto.com

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our crucial measure. The information in each unit of compe-tency therefore effectively describes the goals and capacities that any professional food processing plant would desire from its employees. The framework is useful for setting SOPs; for developing job descriptions and for establishing Quality, Food Safety and OHS compliance documents. In effect it is a treasure trove of proven statements for the field to use.

Government funding can helpSystematically implementing the program is not quite as simple as one would wish. However, there is government funding! And there are TAFE colleges and some very strong registered training organisations that can help. Fundamentally, a good training agreement is possible when:

•the company provides equipment, policies and procedures, a training champion and well-briefed leadership team,

• the government provides supportive funding,• the training organisation provides support materials, skilled

and experienced on-job trainers and assessors, and• workers are recognised as reaching national standards

through certificates and awards.Over the past 10 years the food processing program has been

trialled by most of the large food companies. The National Food Institute has worked with Streets, Nestlé, Kraft, SPC Ardmona, Simplot and McCain and a raft of other smaller companies as they battle to stay competitive. Results have been patchy for several key reasons:1. The industrial climate: Unions have been very keen to see

that their members achieve recognition for the changing skills demanded by a modern plant. Companies have natu-rally been concerned that they will be paying extra, not for genuine skill improvement, but for a paper accreditation. Workers who may have suffered from school phobia are concerned that they will be forced to return to a schooling environment to prove their abilities.

2. Costs of training: While the government and taxpayers have been generous in supporting improved skill development in a crucial arm of our threatened manufacturing sector, time off the job for training is a very expensive cost in both labour and loss of production terms.

3. Integrity and ethical issues: Not surprisingly, many of the larger companies are concerned that they may be seen as using the public purse to improve training for their own ends alone.

4. Competitive advantage: Most major companies see that training that they control or contract is most likely to bring them rewards in the marketplace. A general program like FDF is seen to be offering all their competitors the same advantage.Our experience suggests that there are now great oppor-

tunities to develop a systematic program which is good for the company, meaningful for the workforce and great for the country. To be successful the program must:5. Be built on a coaching model: We firmly believe that

traditional training models will fail. At SPCA, Kraft, Community Chef, Vitasoy and at a number of our smaller client companies we have built an ‘imbedded’ model. Our trainers effectively become an extra resource for the company. We are regulars at the plant, attend meetings, visit employees online, help with current issues, chat at

lunchtimes, embellish the environment with educational stimuli and help develop SOPs, work on waste targets and the like. Off-job training is done at down times (planned and sometimes unplanned) and most training is through an on-job coaching function that complements and sup-ports the work of supervisors and senior staff. IT resources are also very well developed and we have included food guru Peter Russell-Clarke as our staff cartoonist to ensure learner-friendly materials.

6. Deliver qualifications that are rigorous and meaningful: To ensure genuine engagement from employees, the company needs to accept that qualifications in the current eco-nomic environment are crucial to the worker’s status. All company-specific data is protected by confidentiality and each workplace culture is different, leading to different performance outcomes. At the centre of any training pro-gram we conduct is the effective use of company systems, equipment and personnel. Accredited training encourages skilled and trained workers. Company organisation deter-mines the outcomes.

7. Systematic workplace improvement orientation: In all places we have worked, we ensure that all workers recognise that their future is dependent on efficient work practices. We understand that skills built up over many years are a worker’s leverage but we also try to ensure that best practices are acknowledged. The exchange between good practices and workplace recognition is often difficult. It is, however, central in the Australian industrial landscape if we are to have a genuine commitment to lean manufactur-ing programs.

8. Capped career paths: The unions have generally recognised now that Certificate 1 should apply to the manual worker; Certificate 2 to the experienced technical worker operating sophisticated packaging, production or distribution equip-ment; and the tradesperson level at Certificate 3 should apply to a skilled technical person leading a robust 4- to 8-person team to optimise production. It is also seen that people may qualify at the higher level but only take up these positions on vacancy or as part of succession plan-ning. (Clearly in dispute between industrial parties is the number of such positions that should be available.)In summary, I argue that the scaffolding necessary to pro-

duce world-class efficiencies in the Australian food processing industry is now well established. The next step is for good companies (of all sizes) to work closely with the agencies available to formalise performance measures for their busi-ness. The outcomes can be continually improving efficien-cies, dedicated and skilled workers and an Australia ready to transport its achievements across the globe.

*Les Cameron is the Executive Director of the National Food Institute and also of Film, Books, Anything - a supplier of learning materials and resources to the food industry. He has worked for over 25 years to improve the quality and status of food industry training.

National Food Institutewww.nationalfoodinstitute.com.au


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Upgrade gives increased shelf life for Abenhardt carrotsProcessing 70,000 tons of carrots per year, including 20,000 tons in a specialised organic processing plant, Abenhardt is one of the largest carrot pack-houses in Germany. The family business dates back to the 16th century, but has specialised in cultivating and processing carrots since 1950.

In the Datteln region, carrots are harvested between June and December, with storage carrots processed between January and May. Contractors Europe-wide also supply carrots to Abenhardt to meet quantity requirements and ensure year-round supply.

For Carsten Abenhardt and for his food retail customers, quality of carrot supply is mandatory. Gentle handling and effective processing equipment are crucial to meeting that quality expectation. The company invested in a Wyma Vege-Polisher five years ago and experienced first-hand its smart engineering and reliable operation. When a major upgrade of the plant was planned to increase capacity to 30 t/h, Wyma was contacted.

“We had an intensive, constructive and innovative collaboration with Wyma from initial consultation to installation,” Abenhardt said. “It is a pleasure to work so well with a supplier, and it provides a basis for a continuous partnership.”

Two Wyma lines run parallel to each other. To begin, Hedgehogs remove carrot tops, leaves and soil. Carrots are gently flumed to the two Barrel Washers for an immersed wash in a rotary perforated drum. The two Mega-Polishers follow, and polish the carrots to the highest quality. The carrots then move on to the grading area of the pack-house, where two Lift Roller Sizers accurately separate them into consistent sizes.

“Our customers praise the appearance of the carrots with the Mega-Polisher, as well as the consistent sizing results. There is no damage to produce and we believe we have also increased shelf life since the line upgrade,” said Abenhardt.

The line is also equipped with a Wyma Rotary Filter Screen which removes organic matter from the water used in the Mega-Polisher. Abenhardt says that this recycling system contributes to the reliable operations of the Mega-Polishers.

“With the Wyma design and equipment solution, we have achieved gentle handling, absence of drop transitions in the line, optimal polishing result and reduced water consumption. Furthermore, we obtain the most accurate sizing we have experienced,” Abenhardt said.

Abenhardt’s carrots are now used as a benchmark for other growers and suppliers to the retail market. With such a competitive edge achieved, Abenhardt is confident the family business can continue to live up to its proud history.

Previously published on www.wymasolutions.com.

Wyma Engineering (NZ) Ltd


HAPPY MACHINES FOR SAFER FOOD

Improving Efficiency, Performance and Quality – Safer Food with CASSIDA food grade lubricantsThe CASSIDA portfolio covers a full range of food grade lubricants including speciality oils and greases. Our products fulfil the highest safety and quality standards and are registered by NSF International and certified according to ISO, Halal and Kosher standards.

The performance of CASSIDA lubricants, coupled with FUCHS‘ expert knowledge and service support, allows plant efficiency to be increased, maintenance costs to be reduced and the level of food safety to be improved.

Get to know the CASSIDA food grade lubricants for Happy Machines at fuchs.com.au or Free Call Australia 1800 1800 13.

http://www.fuchs.com.au


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Is your fat brown, beige or white?

For a long time the only fat we ever heard about was white. It was the repository of excess energy and

was displayed as the lumpy bits when our BMI was high. But now some new colours of fat are coming

forward and, like in Animal Farm, it seems that not all fats are created equal.

Professor Jan Nedergaard from the University of Stockholm addressed the International Union of Nutritional Sciences (IUNS) 20th International Congress of Nutrition yesterday and the topic of his

plenary session was the potential of brown fat - New powers of brown fat: Fighting the metabolic syndrome.

Until recently, brown fat was only of passing interest, but new research has shown it to be a major promoter of energy expenditure, with a consequent role in the metabolism of triglycerides and glucose.

Brown fat is used by young children to maintain a good body temperature in the cold. However, an increasing num-ber of studies suggest that adults have small amounts of this brown fat, which could help improve their metabolism and thus prevent obesity.

Half fat, half muscle, brown fat looks more like muscle. “Indeed, it has been shown that young cells can differenti-ate into both muscle and brown fat but not into normal fat,” explained Professor Jan Nedergaard of the Department of Molecular Biosciences at The Wenner-Gren Institute, Stockholm (Sweden). As children get older their brown fat becomes muscle.

To produce thermogenesis, brown fat uses triglycerides and glucose in the bloodstream. “All published studies show the major capacity of brown fat to take up and assimilate blood

glucose, making it a weapon for use against diabetes. It has also been shown that brown fat can burn extra energy if ingested with food. What is not known yet is how important it is and how it can be regulated,” pointed out Professor Nedergaard.

Although there are many ongoing studies, the main obsta-cle to find out the whole potential of brown fat is that “we still have no way of modifying the amount of this type of fat in humans, by using a drug, for example”, he indicated.

What appears to have been shown is that obese people have less of this brown fat than people with normal weight. “We don’t know, however, whether this low amount of brown fat (partly) explains why (some) people become obese. But in experimental animals, a lower activity of brown fat is sufficient to cause obesity,” explained Professor Nedergaard.

And the last part of the fat puzzle is a recent discovery, ‘brite’ or ‘beige’ fat. “These are normal fat cells that acquire properties of brown fat cells, including the capacity to burn excess energy, although to a smaller extent than brown fat.” The importance of this ‘new arrival’ is still under ‘investiga-tion and discussion’.

The 20th International Congress of Nutrition, currently underway in Granada, is promoted by the IUNS and organ-ised by the Spanish Nutrition Society in conjunction with the Iberoamerican Nutrition Foundation and the University of Granada.

©iStockphoto.com

/airet

http://www.burkert.com.au


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Wireless data loggersThe HD35 series of wireless data loggers from Delta Ohm are

available for a variety of parameters including: temperature;

relative humidity; atmospheric and differential pressure; wind

speed and direction; illuminance and UV radiance; solar

radiation; CO; CO2; rain; and acceleration.

A version is also available for standard process sensors

including PT100 and thermocouple temperature sensors,

4-20 mA and voltage signals.

All remote units have an internal memory of up to 74,000

readings and a secure robust wireless system with RF in-

terference checking and automatic channel selection within

the wireless operating band to ensure error-free transmission.

Optional repeaters are available to extend the wireless range. Data

stored in the loggers is retained until the memory is full, even after it has

been sent to the base unit. The logger can then be programmed to stop logging or overwrite

the older data.

IP67-rated outdoor versions of all data logger transmitters are also available. Base units can

handle up to 254 data loggers and versions are available with a USB PC interface and an

integral GSM module (for SMS and email messaging), RS485 and Modbus outputs.

Additionally, a wireless alarm module is available controlled by the base station with two

relay outputs for controlling alarm systems, etc.

Other features include an LCD option on all logger units, a lockable flange mount, user-

friendly graphical software with many features including information of battery level, signal level

and connection status of each logger.

W&B Instruments Pty Ltd


Combined tap and hand dryerThe Dyson Airblade Tap hand dryer washes and dries hands with no need to

leave the sink. It is approved by HACCP International under the non-food product

certification scheme, meaning it is safe for use in the food and beverage industry.

Infrared sensors pinpoint hand positions and release water from the tap stem.

Once hands are wet and drying is requested, integrated circuitry computes the

information and activates the Dyson digital motor, creating two high-velocity

sheets of air on the tap’s branches.

Using Airblade technology, the hand dryer sends sheets of 430 mph unheated,

filtered air towards hands. According to the company, hands are dry in 12 sec-

onds and there is no need to touch anything. The air passes through a HEPA

filter to remove 99.9% of bacteria before it is blown onto hands.

The hand dryer is powered by the company’s digital motor V4 - a power-

dense brushless DC motor, using a bonded magnet encased in a carbon-fibre

sleeve. It is claimed to be one of the world’s smallest and fully integrated 1600

W motors. Using digital pulse technology, it accelerates from 0 to 90,000 rpm

in less than 0.7 s.

Independent infrared sensors allow the user to have as much water and air

as they require. An aerator mixes the water and dispenses water across hands

to reduce the volume of water used. The flow rate of water is controlled by

motion detection.

The hand dryer is made from 304 stainless steel. It has been constructed

using laser-welding technology which welds tough steel to an accuracy of 0.08

mm, using temperatures as high as 1400°C. According to the company, this

technique ensures there are almost no joining lines.

Dyson Appliances (Aust) Pty Ltd


http://www.endress.com.au


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Extending the shelf life of food products containing fruitGrant Taylor, Sales Manager - Asia Pacific, Taura Natural Ingredients

©iStockphoto.com

/ barol16


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Products featuring real fruit appeal strongly to today’s health-conscious consumers, but significant technical

obstacles have previously limited the use of fruit-based ingredients in many products with a long shelf life.

Dry product applications such as biscuits, baked goods, cereals and snacks have been especially problematic.

Fruit taps into global trend for health and wellness

Health and wellness has been the biggest megatrend in the food industry in recent years and consumer appetite for healthy eating shows no sign of di-minishing. Fruit ingredients provide a colourful,

tasty and attractive way to tap into this trend and create a ‘health halo’ around products.

However, in products such as cereals, baked goods and snacks, incorporating fruit has previously presented a significant technical challenge, since introducing any additional moisture poses a threat to the texture and shelf life of the finished product. Fruit solutions that mitigate moisture transfer in a range of long-shelf-life dry foods enable companies to develop products that include a variety of fruit pieces, flakes and pastes. In other words, they enable manufacturers to include fruit in products where it would otherwise be impossible without seriously compromising shelf life.

Taura Natural Ingredients uses its Ultra Rapid Concentra-tion (URC) technology to concentrate fruit purees and blends to below 10% moisture in less than 60 seconds. However, it is not the absolute moisture content that decides whether in-gredients can be used successfully in tricky applications. The crucial parameter is water activity (Aw), which is a measure of the ability of water to migrate from a given ingredient into the surrounding food matrix.

What is water activity and why does it matter?Water is typically bound inside a material by a combination of hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, dipole-dipole interactions and Van de Waals forces. With such complex forces at work, the absolute amount of water in the system may not relate to the ability of water within a food to escape. As a result, manufacturers require another means to measure the tendency of water to migrate into the surrounding food matrix.

Water activity provides this means. It measures the energy status of the water in a given system. High-energy water is more able to escape than low-energy water.

Aw=p/po

How do we define water activity?At room temperature, water molecules move from the surface of a food to the atmosphere and back again until they reach equilibrium. The definition of water activity effectively com-pares the pressure generated by the vapour escaping from the surface of the food (p) with the vapour pressure of pure water under the same conditions (po):

The reason why water activity is such a critical parameter for food manufacturers varies depending on the application.

In cereals, for example, fruit pieces need to exhibit the same water activity as the other components in order to prevent the cereal flakes from going soggy and the fruit pieces turn-ing hard. In baked fruit-filled bars, cakes or cookies, the fruit paste must have the same water activity as the surrounding product to prevent moisture and colour leaching into the rest of the bar.

More generally, ensuring that fruit ingredients have the correct water activity can prevent shelf-life problems that might otherwise arise in one or more of the following areas:

Microbial growthMicroorganisms need access to water to grow. Bacteria will not grow if the water activity is below 0.70. Moulds will not grow if the water activity is below 0.60.

Physical propertiesWater activity can have a major impact on colour, taste, texture and aroma.

Controlling moisture migrationWater activity is an important tool for controlling water mi-gration in multicomponent foods. In other words, achieving the correct level of water activity can prevent soggy biscuits and cereals.

Chemical/biochemical reactivityWater activity can play a significant role in determining the activity of enzymes and vitamin stability in foods. Water may influence chemical reactivity in different ways. It may act as a solvent or reactant, for instance, or it may change the mobility of a reactant by affecting the viscosity of the system. Water activity therefore influences a range of common chemical processes in foods, including non-enzymatic browning, lipid oxidation, degradation of vitamins and enzymatic reactions, which can all impact on shelf life.

Creating market opportunitiesThe ability to include meaningful amounts of real fruit cre-ates excellent opportunities for new product development. It enables manufacturers to respond quickly to emerging trends in healthy eating.

This article was originally published as a white paper on the Taura Natural Ingredients website: www.tauraurc.com.

Taura Natural Ingredients Ltd



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Meat mincing machineryBizerba has added the FW-N 22/82 and FW-N 32/98

T/S models to the Carneoline family of meat processing

machinery. The machinery minces virtually any type

of meat in its raw, cooked or smoked form. Even

marbled meat (hot or cold), bacon, offal, rind and

vegetables can be minced.

The FW-N 22/82 FW minces up to 350 kg of meat/h.

It is suitable for butchers and food retailers. Larger

butcher’s shops and subsidiary retailers, gastronomy

companies and catering enterprises use the FW-N

32/98 variation, which can mince up to about 1100 kg/h.

A range of cutting blades is available. They mince

either finely or coarsely and enable the best possible

mix of fatty and lean parts of the meat.

According to the company, the cutting blades

mince the meat instead of squashing it, meaning

the mince does not stick together and has a looser

volume. Through the increased oxygen enrichment,

it retains the natural red colouring for a longer time.

The special geometry of the worm makes it possible

to work without a stamper. The worm transports the

meat automatically from the funnel-shaped vent into

the device, whereby larger quantities can be minced

in a short period of time. Troughs are available in

various sizes, from 13.5 to 50 L.

The mincers can be disassembled for cleaning. The

mincer part can be removed with minimal effort, and

the one-piece collection trough is seamlessly welded

to the worm housing. This makes it possible to clean

without leaving a residue, preventing mould growth.

Bizerba Australia Pty Ltd


Washdown solutionReel Tech-Hannay Stainless Steel

Reels offer protection against con-

tamination and corrosion for washdown

hose reel stations in food, beverage or

pharmaceutical applications. The stainless steel

reels ensure no paint transfer or rusting, making

them suitable for harsh or sanitary conditions.

Coupled with the Strahman Automatic Water Saver series

of spray nozzles, SprayNozzle Engineering has developed a washdown

solution that includes a stainless steel seat designed to prevent nozzle

leakage, which automatically shuts off the nozzle when the trigger is

released, further reducing wastewater.

All nozzles are constructed of stainless steel and bronze and fitted

with a replaceable cover in black, red or white. A 100% stainless steel

model is available, as is a special assembly for food-grade applications.

The Stainless Steel Safe-R-Reel, included in the solution, is constructed

to make winding and rewinding of the heavy-duty water hose quick and

efficient. The Safe-R-Reel also provides tidy hose storage and protection.

The Safe-R-Reel Rewind Speed Control reduces the risk of injury,

equipment damage, downtime and hose wear associated with exces-

sive rewind speed.

Spray Nozzle Engineering


http://www.symetec.com


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Automatic belt coaterManufacturers can quickly and uniformly ap-

ply chocolate, yoghurt and sugar solutions to

nuts, fruits, candy cores, cereals and other

products with the Spray Dynamics automatic

Belt Coater.

The coater eliminates the labour, inconsist-

ency and long batch times of conventional

pan coating. The fully automated belt coater

does the work of multiple pan systems in a

fraction of the time. An optional chocolate

spray system significantly increases coating

speed and production output.

Large access doors, removable drip pans

and easy access design minimise the time

and cost of sanitation.

The coater is constructed of 304 stain-

less steel and has food-grade plastic

side wheels and interior lighting. It has a

914 mm diameter, with 1219, 1524 or

1828 mm widths available.

Other features include a stainless steel

hot water jacketed drip bar, conditioned air

blower and a NEMA 4 stainless steel control

console. All controls in the coater are prewired.

A range of accessories and options are

available, including: PLC controls, recipe man-

agement, load cells with readout, chocolate

spray system, air refrigeration system and

exhaust fan (polisher).

Heat and Control Pty Ltd


Air nozzleThe Exair PEEK Atto Super Air Nozzle has been engineered to deliver precise

blowoff with an efficient, high-volume, high-velocity airflow. It is suitable for blowoff,

cooling and drying applications in general industrial or corrosive environments.

The nozzle measures 12.7 x 4 mm, permitting installation in tight spaces. Its

PEEK plastic construction provides non-marring protection to production items

as well as resistance to damage from harsh chemicals.

The Model 1108-PEEK Atto Super Air Nozzle provides a narrowly focused

air pattern. Good amplification of airflow and a blowing force of 56.7 g are

achieved with air consumption of 2.5 SCFM at 80 PSIG.

According to the company, safe operation is ensured since the airflow of the

air nozzle cannot be blocked, which meets the OSHA standard for dead-end

pressure 29 CFR 1910.242(b). Sound level is low at 58 dBA and meets OSHA

noise requirement 29 CFR 1910.95(a), as well as being CE compliant.

The nozzle is designed to easily replace existing wasteful nozzles or open

pipes. The compressed air inlet is male M4 x 0.5. The nozzle is also available

in type 316 stainless steel and with NPT or BSP threading.

Compressed Air Australia Pty Ltd


www.symetec.com


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One in three people carry a gene that increases the risk of colorectal cancer from the consumption of red meat and processed meat, according to a new study that was presented at the American Society

of Human Genetics’ 2013 meeting.The study, which is the first to identify the gene-diet inter-

action on a genome-wide scale, also reveals another specific genetic variation that appears to modify whether eating more vegetables, fruits and fibre lowers colorectal cancer risk.

“Diet is a modifiable risk factor for colorectal cancer,” said lead author Jane Figueiredo, PhD, Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC).

“Our study is the first to understand whether some individu-als are at higher or lower risk based on their genomic profile. This information can help us better understand the biology and maybe in the future lead to targeted prevention strategies.

“But we are not saying that if you don’t have the genetic variant that you should eat all the red meat you’d like.

“People with the genetic variant allele have an even higher increased risk of colorectal cancer if they consume high levels of processed meat, but the baseline risk associated with meat is already pretty bad.”

The researchers systematically searched the more than 2.7 million genetic sequences for interactions with consumption of red and processed meat. The study looked at 9287 patients with colorectal cancer and a control group of 9117 people without cancer.

The study found that the risk of colorectal cancer associated with processed meat was significantly higher among people

with the genetic variant rs4143094. This variant is located on the same chromosome 10 region that includes GATA3, a transcription factor gene previously linked to several forms of cancer. The transcription factor encoded by this gene normally plays a role in the immune system, but carries this genetic variant in about 36% of the population.

The researchers speculate that the digestion of processed meat may promote an immunological or inflammatory response that may trigger tumour development. The GATA3 transcrip-tion factor normally would help suppress the immunological or inflammatory response. However, if the GATA3 gene region contains a genetic variant, it may encode a dysregulated tran-scription factor that impacts its ability to suppress the response.

The study is part of an ongoing collaboration among multiple institutions worldwide, including the Genetics and Epidemiol-ogy of Colorectal Cancer Consortium (GECCO).

“GECCO aims to continue to discover additional colorectal cancer-related variants by investigating how genetic variants are modified by other environmental and lifestyle risk factors, including biomarkers, as well as how they influence patient treatment response and survival,” said senior author Ulrike Peters, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Public Health Sciences Division.

“Colorectal cancer is a disease that is strongly influenced by certain types of diets,” Figueiredo said. “We’re showing the biological underpinnings of these correlations and trying to understand whether genetic variation may make some people more or less susceptible to certain carcinogens in food, which may have future important implications for prevention and population health.”

1 in 3 people at risk of colorectal cancer from processed meat

© stock.xchng/profile/catchke2ro

http://www.sick.com.au


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More bagged salad wasted than eatenTesco, the first major UK retailer to publish its own total food

waste figures, claims that 68% of bagged salad is wasted and

35% of this waste occurs in the home.

As a first step in reducing this waste, Tesco has announced

that it will end multi-buys on large bags of salad and will de-

velop mix-and-match promotions for smaller bags in a bid to

help customers reduce the amount they are wasting at home.

Bagged salad is just one

of the 25 bestselling grocery

products that Tesco has tracked

from farm to fork to gain a de-

tailed understanding of where

food waste occurs.

Tesco’s figures also reveal:

40% of apples are wasted,

with just over a quarter of that

waste occurring in the home.

Tesco is involved in trials with

growers to reduce pests and

disease, as well as giving

customers simple tips on how

to store apples to help them

last longer.

Just under half of bakery items are wasted. Tesco has changed

how bakeries are run in over 600 stores to minimise waste and

is sharing tips with customers about how to use leftover bread.

A quarter of grapes are wasted between the vine and the fruit

bowl, with the majority of that waste happening in the home.

Tesco is working with producers to trial new varieties of grapes

that have a longer life. It is also working directly with suppliers to

shorten the time it takes food to get from the field to the store.

A fifth of all bananas are wasted and one in ten bananas

bought by customers end up in the bin. Tesco has introduced

a new temperature control system to ensure bananas last longer

in transportation and ‘Love Banana’ training for colleagues in

store to show customers how to make them last longer.

Tesco’s data reveals that in the first six months of this year

28,500 tonnes of food waste were generated in stores and dis-

tribution centres. (The last figures published by WRAP in 2011

estimated that 15 million tonnes of food waste is generated

per year in the UK).

Tesco is using the data to make changes to its own processes

and to cut food waste. ‘Display until’ dates are being removed

from fresh fruit and vegetables, smaller cases are being used in

store and 600 bakeries in larger stores have been rearranged to

reduce the amount of bread on display, leading to better stock

control and less waste.

Spraying solutions and serviceSpray Nozzle Engineering’s extensive range of nozzle products

and engineered solutions covers any cleaning applications involv-

ing the use of water or air. The company has been supplying

innovative spraying solutions to the Australian and New Zealand

food and beverage industries for over 25 years.

Being Australia’s only manufacturer and exporter of indus-

trial nozzle technology for the food Industry, the company has

engineered systems for coating, spraying, cooling, coating,

blow-drying, clean in place, washdown, tank cleaning, sanitis-

ing and much more.

Specialising in water conservation and compressed air use

reduction, the company also provides dry nozzle safety systems

for dairy plants and compressed air knife designs for efficiency

on bottling and packaging lines.

Food plant hygiene is a major focus of the company. Cleaning

chemical and sanitising application equipment such as safety

steam, water mixers, stainless steel reel and hose stations

means that the company can supply a total cleaning solution

for every part of the process.

A full range of metal detectable products for production areas,

including metal detectable PPE, stationary, scrapers, cleaning

wear and much more, means that now food processors can

have every part of their HACCP and hygiene program covered.

With offices throughout Australia and New Zealand, Spray

Nozzle Engineering can assist with service and advice.

Spray Nozzle Engineering


©iStockphoto.com

/Sean Locke

http://www.veederline.com.au


7 Sara Grove, Tottenham 3012 Victoria • Ph: (03) 8378 4100 • Fax: (03) 9315 3223 • [email protected] • www.spray.com.au

Spraying Systems Co.PTYLTD

AIR POWERFITS THE BILL

WindJet Air Knife packages from Spraying Systems Co deliverclean, heated air using a unique and leading-edge design,

that directs airflow from the knife in a straight stream. Thismaintains the integrity of the air stream downstream, withuniform, high-volume and constant air.

Get up to 60% reduction in perceived noise level and eliminatethe spotting and blotching problems associated with otherblowers. A visual positioning guide allows easy positioning of theknife to ensure maximum target coverage. The targeted air streamimproves the effectiveness and efficiency of drying and blow-offand delivers a more complete drying, even in cracks and crevices.

WindJet Air Knife packages offer:� Low operating noise – no sound enclosures

� Easy installation and operation

� Cover large application areas

� Significant reduction in compressed air

� Improved safety

Talk to the experts in spray technology if youhave to clean, dry or cool in your operation.

Reduce operating costs and save

195wx135 Airpower 29/10/13

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Automation concept for the beverage industryThe Krones Academy’s automation concept is an enabling gateway for electronics

and automation specialists in the beverage industry. It has been created to ensure

fit-for-purpose diagnostics and optimisation that cover the spectrum of automation

technology. Three elements form the basis of the automation concept: Automation

Engineer, Automation Notebook and Automation Rack.

Automation Engineer consists of modularised basic courses and workshops on

IT systems engineering, the line documentation system and the automation and

networking concept. The training courses can be tailored to the requirements of a

bottling plant, providing the knowledge that is required in actual operation, which

can minimise downtimes and cost-intensive interventions in the production sequence.

With the pre-installed Automation Notebook, the entire software is immediately

available for diagnostics, troubleshooting and data backup. The extended malfunction

diagnostics, backup tools and boot functions are quickly put in place with simple

plug-and-play efficiency, with all parameters being read in after a component has

been replaced.

The Automation Rack is the test track for internal training, advanced skilling or modifications to programming. With the

S7 Rack, the Touchscreen Rack or the AS-i-Safety Rack, electronics engineers can develop and test their own programs,

practise replacing components, or conduct simulation-based machinery familiarisation and operator training events.

Each of the three elements can be used by itself, as an individual module in the automation system or as intermesh-

ing components. Suitable for training staff, troubleshooting or function upgrades in the control system, the automation

concept is useful for production plants in both online operation of the machines concerned and in simulation runs.

JL Lennard Pty Ltd

Contact info and more items like this at wf.net.au/S215

©iStockphoto.com

/Egemen Toker

http://www.spray.com.au


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For most of us, no biscuit could ever trump a Tim Tam. But while Australia continues its obsession with sweet

biscuits, the savoury biscuit market has been quietly gaining ground in many countries.

While the savoury biscuit market is much smaller than that for sweet biscuits and cookies - and levels of new product activity are generally much lower - the savoury sector has been showing a

stronger growth rate in many countries, according to Innova Market Insights.

This growth has been driven by increasingly sophisticated and complex flavours, more interesting shapes, improved tex-tures and an increasing focus on health credentials, Innova says.

Savoury biscuits accounted for just 10% of global new product activity in bakery products in the 12 months to July 2013; however, this is equivalent to just over a quarter of total biscuit and cookie launches over that period.

“The sector is also moving away from relatively plain bis-cuits used as an accompaniment for products such as cheese, savoury spreads and wine, and into products positioned as snacks in their own right, suitable for consumption straight from the box or with dips,” said Lu Ann Williams, director of innovation at Innova Market Insights.

More than 40% of all launches in the period were positioned on a health platform of some kind, Innova has found. These include passive claims, such as low-fat, organic, natural and gluten-free, and active claims, such as added calcium and added protein or featuring specific benefits such as heart or digestive health.

This figure rises to more than 80% for US launches and nearly 60% in Europe, but falls to just 20% in Asia.

Innova has noted a continued interest in all-natural and clean-label options, with more than 20% of savoury biscuit and cracker launches globally featuring natural, additive-/preservative-free or organic claims.

Other key health claims featuring strongly in crackers and savoury biscuits include the use of wholegrains (10% of global launches) and high-fibre and gluten-free (both 8%).

Some new products are blurring the lines between crack-ers and other types of biscuits and snacks, Innova says. Kraft introduced Milka Tuc biscuits in 2012: a combination of Milka chocolate and Tuc salted biscuits. A Tuc biscuit is set into a Milka chocolate, offering a contrast between the sweetness of the chocolate and the saltiness of the biscuit.

“It is clear that new product activity is helping to drive the savoury biscuits market forward, with innovation designed to increase the product’s appeal as a versatile, nutritious and tasty snack, offering planned and impulse, on-the-go and at-home options for a variety of social and domestic occasions,” Williams concluded.

Innova Market Insights (Australasia) Pty Ltd

Savoury or sweet?Surprising growth in biscuit sector

© stock.xchng/profile/A

le_Paiva

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simplicity performance flexibilityImproved modular design that is

fully enclosed for a more hygienic

and quick to clean system. Pivoting

drum that improves accessibility for

hard to reach areas to simplify day

to day operation.

Tighter standard deviations on

seasoning performance through scarf

position. Loss-In-Weight powder

feeder technology improves accuracy

of seasoning application. Vacuum

fill provides cleaner operation.

The ultimate in OMS seasoning

that is fully integrated with both

oil spray and flavour injection in

one system for total control of

adhesion. Capable of quick

flavour changes.

this changesEVERYTHING. AGAIN!

the ultimate on-machine seasoning (OMS) system that delivers consistent coverage and flavour for both wet and dry applications.

introducing the new

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E X M 0 0 6 1 _ 1 3 5 x 1 8 0 WN F T - 1 2 0 1 3 - 0 4 - 2 9 T 1 2 : 0 6 : 3 2 + 1 0 : 0 0

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Lightweight industrial videoscopeRemote Visual Inspection (RVI) of materials, components and structures using industrial

videoscopes allows technicians to detect cracks, bubbles and other flaws that might lead

to failure or other problems with equipment in the future.

The palm-sized IPLEX Ultralite industrial videoscope weighs 700 g and the compact,

durable body delivers high-quality images from inspections in tough and confined areas.

The IPLEX UltraLite is designed to be one of the toughest available and is built to

withstand inspection-site drops and falls. The unit passes a 1.2 m drop test and the LCD

monitor is equipped with toughened glass, passing a steel ball drop test compliant with

the international standard, IEC-61010.

The unit also resists rain, sand and dust entering the casing and is compliant with

IP55 requirements.

Olympus Australia Pty Ltd


http://www.mobilindustrial.com


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Atlas Copco cuts the noiseChoosing Atlas Copco’s screw blower technology for its water treatment facility has paid off for PepsiCo Foods Turkey, with the company achieving an average of 30% energy efficiency and lower noise levels.

Having invested in water conservation, wastewater recycling, energy saving, energy generation and alternative energy resources, PepsiCo Foods Turkey’s two factories operate with water and energy consumption values below the European average.

At PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay facility in Turkey, the instrument and process air needs are met by the Atlas Copco ZS oil-free screw compressor groups.

The ZS screw blower was installed in 2010. Since this time, the company says, no unexpected shutdown due to failure has occurred. In addition, the facility has lowered the wastewater treatment facility’s operating costs and achieved an average of 30% energy efficiency.

The blowers operate for a minimum of 18 hours per day, seven days a week, depending on the facility’s needs. The blower room at the facility used to be noisy, requiring staff to wear protective earmuffs. Since installing the ZS series screw blower, noise has been reduced to as low as 70 dB(A) and staff no longer need to wear hearing protection.

After recognising that the traditional lobe blower technology would not meet the requirements of a low-carbon economy, Atlas Copco launched the ZS screw blower. The company claims it provides an average of 30% higher energy efficiency compared to the traditional lobe technology.

Industries and applications include: wastewater treatment, pneumatic conveying, energy generation, food and beverages, pharmaceutical, chemistry, cellulose and paper, textile and general manufacturing.

Atlas Copco Compressors Australia



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Beware of the speed of E. coli replication

Anne Trafton

Highly ordered cells and organisms generate heat as they grow and this heat increases the universe’s overall entropy. This heat generation enables the organisms to obey the second law of thermody-

namics - entropy must always increase.How much heat must a living cell generate to fulfil its

thermodynamic constraints? And how closely do cells ap-proach that limit?

Massachusetts Institute of Technology physicist Jeremy England has mathematically modelled the replication of E. coli bacteria and found that the process is nearly as ef-ficient as possible: E. coli produce at most only about six times more heat than they need to meet the constraints of the second law of thermodynamics.

“Given what the bacterium is made of, and given how rapidly it grows, what would be the minimum amount of heat that it would have to exhaust into its surroundings? When you compare that with the amount of heat it’s actu-ally exhausting, they’re roughly on the same scale,” says England, an assistant professor of physics. “It’s relatively close to the maximum efficiency.”

England’s approach to modelling biological systems in-volves statistical mechanics, which calculates the probabilities of different arrangements of atoms or molecules. He focused on the biological process of cell division, through which one cell becomes two. During the 20-minute replication process, a bacterium consumes a great deal of food, rearranges many of its molecules - including DNA and proteins - and then splits into two cells.

To calculate the minimum amount of heat a bacterium needs to generate during this process, England decided to investigate the thermodynamics of the reverse process - that is, two cells becoming one. This is so unlikely that it will probably never happen. However, the likelihood of it hap-pening can be estimated by aggregating the probabilities of reversing all of the smaller reactions that take place during replication. One of the common reactions that occur during

replication is formation of new peptide bonds, which form the backbone of proteins. Spontaneously reversing that type of reaction would take about 600 years, England says. The number of peptide bonds in a typical bacterium is about 1.6 billion, and the heat wattage needed to break all of those bonds is about 100 billion natural units.

“I would have to wait a really long time to see all of those bonds fall apart,” England says.

By estimating the waiting time needed to observe a spon-taneous reversal of replication, England calculated that the minimum amount of heat a bacterium needs to generate as it divides is a little more than one-sixth of the amount an E. coli cell actually produces during replication.

The finding suggests that bacteria could grow dramatically faster than they do now and still obey the second law of thermodynamics. England says that because cell replication is just one of the many tasks E. coli need to perform, it’s unlikely they would evolve to their most efficient possible growth rate. However, for synthetic biology applications, it is theoretically possible to create bacteria that can divide faster.

England’s work may also offer some evidence for why DNA, and not RNA, evolved as the main form of genetic material, England says: DNA is more durable and doesn’t spontaneously break its bonds as readily as RNA does. This means that RNA may have an advantage over DNA because it can grow faster and use up available resources. This supports a previously suggested hypothesis that RNA may have evolved first, before life arose on Earth, and DNA showed up later on.

“I think it’s a helpful way of trying to get a little bit more of a handle on the different kinds of selection forces that may have been acting on [early] nucleic acids,” England says.

He is now using the same theoretical approach to model how self-replicating cells evolve by working out new ways of adapting to environmental fluctuations.

England’s latest paper has recently appeared in the Journal of Chemical Physics.

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/ grebcha

http://www.bekina.be


Jasol appoints new managing directorMatthew Rowland has been appointed as the

new managing director of Jasol, a market leader

in the manufacture and supply of cleaning and

hygiene solutions for the food and beverage,

manufacturing, dairy processing, hospitality and

water treatment sectors. Jasol is a division of

George Weston Foods (GWF).

Rowland joins Jasol with more than 20 years’

industry experience, having spent the majority of

his career as a senior executive at Orica Watercare

and Orica Chemnet in Australia and New Zealand. A qualified engineer, Rowland

has also held engineering and business development roles with ICI Explosives in

Australia and Vietnam. “I am delighted to be joining Jasol and have great plans for

the business, which operates in an industry that I have a long history in, proven

experience and equally important, a passion for,” Rowland said.

“My first task will be to introduce myself to our top customers, listen to their

needs and talk them through my ideas for Jasol.

“The decision to accept the role as managing director was an easy one as

I’m not just joining a talented team at Jasol, but also collaborating with great

business leaders at George Weston Foods.”

“Matthew has proven performance in business strategy development and ex-

ecution in both mature businesses and green field opportunities,” said Andrew

Reeves, GWF chief executive.

“He comes to Jasol with in-depth industry knowledge in both Australia and New

Zealand, so we are looking forward to his contribution to a business that is about

to initiate its next iteration as it enters its 80th year of operation in Australia.”

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GDSS Silkeborg acquired by Tetra PakTetra Pak has acquired Danish membrane filtration

company DSS Silkeborg A/S, expanding its range of

dairy processing solutions. Established in 2000, DSS

develops, designs, sells, builds and commissions

membrane filtration systems for dairy applications

using reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration and

microfiltration technologies. DSS’s in-depth understand-

ing of fractionation processes, water treatment and

dairy production enables the use of milk and whey

to be maximised.

“The acquisition of DSS adds to Tetra Pak’s exper-

tise in membrane filtration technology, enabling us to

provide our customers with an even wider range of

processing solutions for dairy, cheese and whey as

well as other beverages and prepared foods,” said Tim

High, Executive Vice President Processing Systems,

Tetra Pak. “The integration of DSS’s expertise with Tetra

Pak’s energy, waste and water reduction technologies

will provide our customers with processing solutions

designed to reduce their carbon and water footprint

as well as their operational costs.” DSS will remain in

Silkeborg, Denmark, with its current management team

as part of Tetra Pak’s Cheese and Powder business

unit. Existing sales channels will be supplemented

through Tetra Pak’s global market operations.

http://www.norgren.com/au/


March 2013 total CAB audited circulation (Aust + NZ): 6501 readers (81% personally requested)

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Real-time detection of pathogenic contaminants in food and on equipment

Real-time detection of foodborne pathogens will play a critical role in

minimising the occurrence and spread of disease and give food processors

confidence in their sanitation systems and quality assurance.

Traditional methods of Salmonella detection tend to be slow, while disease spread can be frighteningly fast. Foodborne illnesses spread easily and can be a difficult-to-control problem. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that 48 million people experience ‘food poisoning’

each year, with 128,000 being hospitalised and 3000 dying. If foodborne disease patho-gens are detected quickly the spread of contamination can be minimised and contained.

Recognising the need for a real-time biosensing system to detect pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella, a team of Auburn University researchers came up with a novel design, which they describe in the American Institute of Physics’ Journal of Applied Physics. What sets this biosensing system apart from traditional detection methods is a design that involves using a magnetoelastic biosensor - a low-cost, wireless acoustic wave sensor platform - combined with a surface-scanning coil detector. The biosensors are coated with a bacteria-specific recognition layer containing particles of ‘phage’, a virus that naturally recognises bacteria, so that it’s capable of detecting specific types of pathogenic bacteria.

Traditional technologies required the sensor to be inside a coil to measure the sensor’s signals, said Yating Chai, a doctoral student in Auburn University’s materials engineering program.

“The key to our discovery is that measurement of biosensors can now be made ‘outside the coil’ by using a specially designed microfabricated reading device,” he explained.

“In the past, if we were trying to detect whether or not a watermelon was con-taminated with Salmonella on the outside of its surface, the sensors would be placed on the watermelon, and then passed through a large coil surrounding it to read the sensors,” Chai says.

By stark contrast, the new biosensing system is a handheld device that can be passed over food to determine if its surface is contaminated.

“Now, tests can be carried out in agricultural fields or processing plants in real time - enabling both the food and processing plant equipment and all surfaces to be tested for contamination.”

The researchers have filed a patent for their magnetoelastic biosensing system.The paper, Design of a surface-scanning coil detector for direct bacteria detection on

food surfaces using a magnetoelastic biosensor, authored by Yating Chai et al, appears in the American Institute of Physics' Journal of Applied Physics.

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What’s New in Food Technology Nov/Dec 2013