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Search 31.309 producers and exporters of Foods, beverages and agriculture productsImprovingHygiene: a practical approach
By Sian Thomas, Regional Manager, Hygiene GroupBrand reputation, high customer expectation and legislation all combine to make tt more important than ever to maintain the highest possible levels of cleanliness and hygiene in food and beverage production. Different areas and applications within the plant all require a carefully planned and specialised approach.
Sanitising and deep cleaning processes for plant and equipment at end-of-run represent a particular challenge, especially where raw food materials such as meat are involved. The imperatives here are to remove debris and contamination, ensure micro integrity and prevent pest infestation - while at the same time minimising downtime. A structured procedure is therefore required at the end of every production run, typically involving the removal of gross debris followed by pressurised washdown with alkaline detergents, then sanitisation using foam spray. Kitchens and ovens similarily require deep cleaning with detergents and caustica. Here, as elsewhere, efficient processes and specialised equipment will ensure high levels of hygiene combinad with minimal disruption to production.
An introduction to auditing
By Gill Palmer
"Compared with a major recall or production failure, a wellconducted audit is merely a temporary imposition on a busy working day"
For some in the food industry, the idea of an audit may already come with negative feelings attached. It can sometimes seem like the purpose of an audit is to find fault, to discover secrets you’d prefer to keep hidden, or otherwise to find problems where none actually exist. Indeed, where an auditor is untrained, poorly skilled, or unable to define properly the terms and scope of the audit, or where the factory is ill-prepared, badly managed or failing to set and follow appropriate standards, these negative feelings may well be justified and borne out by the audit process.
However, when an audit is conducted well by a skilled auditor, it is more likely to become an opportunity to improve existing processes and systems, and a way to prevent the kind of problem that could seriously damage a business.
After all, compared with a major recall or production failure, a wellconducted audit is merely a temporary imposition on a busy working day.
Sourcing Ethical & Organic Ingredients
By Lynda Searby
Developing ethical products might seem like a fail-safe growth strategy, but sourcing certified ingredients is easier said than done.
Only a decade ago, ethical food and drink products were viewed as the domain of a left-wing, sandalwearing minority. Today, jokes about kaftans and tree-hugging are as dated as big shoulder pads and real fur coats. Everybody wants to be seen to be an ethical shopper. This sea-change in attitudes towards ethical products is borne out by market data for the two categories that have emerged as the most prominent: organic and fairtrade products. According to the Fairtrade Foundation, global sales of fairtrade certified products topped the €1.1 billion mark in 2005 – an increase of 37% from 2004. The USA and the UK are leading the fairtrade crusade, with markets worth € 344 million and € 277 million respectively, but other countries are experiencing exponential year on year growth, notably Australia/New Zealand (178%), Canada (99%), Finland (73%), Sweden (69%) and Austria (62%).
Cutting edge technology
By Claire Rowan Managing Editor
The Food Factory of the Future conference provided the forum for Europe’s leading research institutes to highlight some of the hottest technologies currently under development or just being commercialised for the food and drink industry. Research and development in the food industry amounts to about 0.3% of gross profit, so we rely on the transfer of knowledge from research centres and from other industries to fuel our innovation and improvements in the industry,” said Thomas Ohlsson, vice president of SIK at the opening of the Food Factory of the Future conference, held at the SIK (Swedish Institute for Food & Biotechnology) in Gothenburg, Sweden in the Summer. “Many developments are taking place and we need to facilitate this transfer of knowledge.”
Organised by SIK in conjunction with the Laval Mayenne Technopole (LMT) research centre in France and EFFoST (The European Federation of Food Science & Technology), the conference provided an insight into some of the solutions being developed to support the industry in the key areas of: novel technology, flexible automation, lean production, sustainability, process control & optimisation, and safety & hygiene.
The World Top 100 Food & Beverage Companies: Innovation and rejuvenation
By Maureen Byrne
Top players have had to ‘re-invent’ themselves and to look afresh at the crucial role of innovation in an increasingly competitive market, which is expanding to include emerging economies such as Brazil and China. Although nothing very drastic has happened at the very top of the Top 100 list, with the same companies appearing in the Top 10 (albeit in a slightly different order) a lot has changed within many of the top companies themselves. Most food and drink businesses in Europe have continued to grow, despite squeezed margins and intense competition; and this seems to be largely because of the increasing re-focusing on core activities in key areas. For many, the past year has also been a period of self-examination, in some cases long overdue, and leaders have had to re-evaluate their role both within their own companies and the wider world.
...morePartners in projects
By Mike Spear
Equipment manufacturers are reaping the rewards
of working collaboratively with end users and ingredients
companies to develop new products and processes
When Baker Perkins first started working with ingredients companies some five or six years ago to improve its range of confectionery process equipment, it was as APV Baker, part of the large Invensys group. Now with new owners since earlier this year — and rejoicing in its old, but never really forgotten name — the company sees no reason to change a way of working that has brought benefits to all concerned.
“We feel it’s important to be able to demonstrate to our customers the kind of product that can be made with our equipment,” says marketing manager Keith Graham. “A lot of companies we work with, especially the smaller ones, are looking for help with product development.
Safety Show case
Food and Beverage International
Hand-held thermometers forQC
Ebro Electronic, the measuring instrument specialist located in Ingolstadt, Germany, has introduced two newly developed hand-held thermometers, TTX 100 and TTX 110, with a measuring range from -50°C to +350°C. The only difference between the two instruments is that the associated thermocouple sensing probé of the TTX 100 has a non-detachable probe.
Accuracy is said to be +/- 0.8°C. In the range from -50°C to +199.9°C, the resolution is 0.1 °C; and 1°C in the rest of the range. The response time (90%) is only five seconds. The rugged ABS housing, sealed to IP55 for harsh environments, is particularly shockproof and has a large, easy to read LCD display.
Top 1OO Food Groups
By Leathertlead Food International
Rank Company Currency Year End Total Sales Food Sales
(US$m) ($m)
1. Nestlé....................SwF........Dec-05..........73,150...........68,365
2. PepsiCo. Inc….......…$.......Dec-05..........36,562............36,562
3.Archer Daniels
Midland Company.......$........Jun-05...........5,944.............35,944
4.Altria Group Inc.
Kraft Foods...................$........Dec-05.........68,920.............34,113
Bioplastics a golden future?
By Dr. Harald Kaeb, Chairman, European Bioplastics
Rising crude oil prices and a growing demand for environmentally friendly packaging coupled with greater innovation and more competitive pricing are all factors that are boosting the potential of bioplastics
In the past 15 to 24 months, bioplastics products, (ie plastics made from biodegradeable polymers from renewable sources) have been reported on extensively in the press. This increased attention is an indication of the positive development of the market on the one hand, and the changes in crude oil and plastics pnces on the other. Just a few years ago, bioplastics were expensive products with a limited performance spectrum, at best suitable for niche markets. Today, virtually everyone believes in the opportunities for bioplastics, which are finalty offering a feasible alternative to plastics made of polymers derived from crude oil.
Technology on show
By Claire Rowan, Managing Editor & Maureen Byrne,A wealth of new development and innovations were unveiled at the ANUGA FoodTec exhibition, which was held in Cologne in April
As with past shows, Tetra Pak had a huge presence at Anuga FoodTec, Land had plenty of innovations on offer. "This is the greatest number of products ever launched at Anuga FoodTec," said Jórgen Haglind, senior VR corporate Communications.
Causing quite a stir of interest was the 'world's first aseptic carton bottle', the Tetra Aptiva Aseptic. This combines a carton-based sleeve with a plastic top and screw cap. The Tetra Aptiva Aseptic is manufactured on the Tetra Pak A5, a newly designed filling machine, which will be available in two versions, one for portion packs and the other for family packs.