The ConProSachet system has a uniquely designed co-extrusion head that produces a thin alginate casing around the product. Circulating dividing elements then compress the filled flow pack, separating it into a chain of individual pods for separation into individual portions. The seal is a few-tenths of a millimetre thick.

According to Rafal Rusiniak, sales manager, “This technology opens new doors and the creative uses for these no-leak edible sachets for snacks, treats and quick energy bursts when on the run holds great potential for innovative processors in search of a more environmentally friendly product line.”

The Handtmann Sachet System was developed in cooperation with Notpla, a U.K.-based material company.

Café William is achieving a milestone with this new factory. Of the initial $47 million investment, $19 million is allocated toward implementing energy-efficient technologies.

Rémi Tremblay, CEO of Café William, said, “This accomplishment underscores our dedication to innovation and industry excellence. Operating Canada’s first electric industrial roaster fills us with immense pride. Earlier this year, our successful demonstration of coffee transportation via cargo sailboat showcased our commitment to sustainability. Today, we mark yet another sustainable initiative in our supply chain aimed at reducing the ecological impact of our coffee.”

Partners who made this project possible include Investissement Québec, Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED), National Bank of Canada, Fondaction, Fonds de solidarité FTQ, Neuhaus Neotec, Gératek and the City of Sherbrooke. The Quebec government also granted a $9 million loan under the ESSOR program to support the plant’s implementation. This program is managed by Investissement Québec. On behalf of the Government of Canada, a repayable contribution of $2.5 million has also been granted by CED.

The electric industrial roaster, which was has been operational since January 2024, has an annual roasting capacity of up to 20 million lb of coffee. It was manufactured by Neuhaus Neotec.

As a result of the electric industrial roaster, Café William anticipates an annual reduction of approximately 800 tonnes of equivalent CO₂ emissions.

“We realize the challenges our customers have endured during the pandemic and deeply appreciate the loyalty and trust they have in Endress+Hauser Canada.  This is our opportunity to enable the predictability and stability that our customers and partners need and want at this time and supports our desire to provide an outstanding customer experience,” said Anthony Varga, general manager of Endress +Hauser Canada.

Additionally, Endress+Hauser Canada will reduce freight costs by 2.5 per cent to its list price-based customers.

The X2 Series offers both in-line and at end-of-line inspection. At the heart of the design is a new product inspection chamber and a modular mechanical design.

The X2 Series consists of two models – the X12 and X32. Both are available in multiple configurations of 800, 1300, 1800 and 2000 mm line lengths.

“We are hoping to change the mindsets of all food manufacturers with our new X2 Series that they can now install a high-end x-ray inspection solution at an affordable price point for all,” said Mike Pipe, head of global sales and product management, Mettler-Toledo Safeline X-ray. “By utilising global service hubs and reducing spare parts, we are confident we have created an innovative solution that is easy to install, environmentally more sustainable and suitable for any budget. With a current 14-day lead time, we can work with manufacturers to install one of our new X2 Series x-ray systems quickly and efficiently, helping them to increase product quality and protect their brand reputation”.

The latest features concern both sensor and transmitter technology.

The Heartbeat Technology build-up index allows users to monitor potentially disruptive build-up in the measuring tube so they can schedule preventive maintenance.

A new conductivity calibration option provides an additional measurement parameter to improve process efficiency.

When developing this oven, the research and development teams worked around three major concerns of ease of cleaning the inside and outside of the oven; baking precision; and energy efficiency and yield.

Made of all stainless-steel materials, M-DAN’s interior design and waterproof body allow for the drainage of wastewater. Operators have complete access to all areas of dirt buildup without having to disassemble elements. The oven is also equipped with automatic rotating brushes for cleaning belts and low drawers for recovery of solid residues after baking.

With  three combinations of heat transfer modes, the M-DAN Oven offers the flexibility required to meet the demand for a variety of products. The oven’s modular construction offers compact and independent heating zones so that the user can make adjustments to heat flows (by convection and/or radiation), heating intensity, and airspeed.

The M-DAN Oven offers a baking surface of up to 230m².

“Our new M-DAN Oven meets the challenges of flexibility and energy efficiency while being particularly easy to operate and clean. Its high level of cleanliness is undoubtedly a major asset, achieving compliance with the strictest sanitary standards without wasting time on tedious cleaning operations,” explains Xavier Gotti, oven product manager at Mecatherm.

Cyberworks Robotics received $227,946 in funding for their autonomous self-driving technology that allows existing manual tow tugs and forklifts to become fully automated without changing facility infrastructure. Tow tugs and forklifts are normally operated, steered, or pushed by a human. The self-driving technology serves as a solution to labour shortages, reduces operating costs, improves worker safety, and increases operational efficiency.

Self-driving robots currently in the market use features inside a facility to understand their location in the building. Unfortunately, if the camera’s line of sight to these key features is blocked, then the self-driving technology will not work.

Vivek Burhanpurkar, CEO of Cyberworks Robotics tells Food in Canada that reliability makes their technology unique.

“Cyber Robotics has developed a new kind of self-driving technology that prevails even when key features in the building are blocked or changed. The technology is still able to operate the vehicle. This is the level of reliability needed for self-driving technology to be useful in manufacturing industries or warehousing,” said Burhanpurkar.

Cyber Robotics will use the FoodTech Next funding to integrate their self-driving technology into a conventional manual tow tug system or forklift and pilot test in food and beverage facilities.

“We are going to use the funding to work with leaders in the food and beverage industry to optimize our self-driving tow, tug, and forklift technologies for their industries. We are going to run pilot projects with our technologies and their manufacturing facilities and warehouse distribution facilities to better understand the nuances of their industry and how they need self-driving technology to work to be useful to them,” explained Burhanpurkar.

Looking to the future, Cyber Robotics plans to apply their technology to all kinds of equipment that will be useful in the food and beverage industry.

Under the banner theme of “Boost Your Productivity”, the Mettler-Toledo booth, A60 in Hall 11 at the Messe Düsseldorf, Germany, will comprise several different themed “islands”. These will include areas dedicated to checkweighing, metal detection, x-ray inspection, vision inspection, track & trace and combination product inspection systems, in which more than one product inspection technology is integrated within a single frame.

The “Boost Your Productivity” theme will be truly brought to life by the integration of many of Mettler-Toledo’s newest technologies in an integrated loop that is connected to Mettler-Toledo ProdX data management software. Visitors will be able to see a practical demonstration of how connectivity delivers a range of digital productivity and security benefits.

Interpack will provide Mettler-Toledo with the opportunity to unveil the X2 x-ray inspection platform. The X2 platform is designed for the inspection of small and medium packages with a belt width of 300 mm and 400 mm. X-ray inspection solutions within the platform are positioned to consistently deliver high performance detection capabilities for ensuring the safety and quality of food products.

As part of the X2 platform, the X12 entry-level x-ray inspection solution will be showcased for the first time in Europe at Interpack. This x-ray solution is ideal for brand owners requiring cost-effective contaminant detection with added integrity checks. A key feature of the system is ContamPlus software which enhances detection capabilities to identify a wide range of contaminants, including glass, metal, mineral stone, calcified bone, dense plastic and rubber compounds.

Another new innovation to be shown for the first time is the X32 x-ray system. Part of the X2 Series, this x-ray inspection solution consists of an advanced detector and optimum power generator to achieve outstanding detection performance.

Also shown on the stand is the modular X32 x-ray system, which is part of the new X2 platform and provides users with a strong level of flexibility in how they configure their x-ray system.

On the metal detection side, Mettler-Toledo will show several machines, including the versatile M31R StandardLine, which is suitable for dry and wet applications and the M33R GC and M34R GC PlusLine metal detection systems which offer a step-change in performance and sensitivity for dry or deep frozen and wet or metalized film-packed products inspected via a conveyor. With the latest SENSETM software enhancements, all these metal detection solutions help to support sustainability initiatives with paperless record-keeping, boost productivity through simplifying essential tasks, and make compliance easier to achieve. Visit the stand to discover a new range of software upgrade packs that give the M31R StandardLine metal detectors PlusLine functionality and see ProdX automated record-keeping in action.

Also available on the Mettler-Toledo stand is the retailer-recommended Automatic Test System (ATS) for throat and gravity fall systems. Visitors will be able to discover how this award-winning innovation (Innovation Award for Quality Health, Safety and Environment, CFIA Show 2019) can significantly increase operator productivity.

A new vision inspection system – the V13 Flat Pack Label Inspection System – will be launched globally at Interpack. This system performs inspection from the bottom up with a unique line scan camera, to inspect labels on the underside of flat packs at speeds of up to 300 packs per minute. This system completes the portfolio of Label Inspection solutions from Mettler-Toledo that carry out 100 per cent label inspections from all directions, for all package shapes and for all label quality and data defects. The systems are modular and can be configured to match the customer application and are available as kits, stand-alone or combination systems.

Two new standardised combinations systems are also launched at Interpack, integrating 100 per cent label inspection with checkweighing and optionally also metal detection. These combination systems offer advanced quality control for all product shapes.

Also available on the Mettler-Toledo stand are the advanced checkweighers featuring the new FlashCell EMFR technology, enabling precision weighing at speeds of up to 800 packs per minute, as well as Washdown checkweighers, designed for harsh production environments that support intense and frequent cleaning whilst offering reliable accuracy.

“We are looking forward to bringing new product inspection technology and positive messages to our customers and prospects in the food sector at Interpack,” said Rainer Mundt, head of marketing at Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection, Germany. “Amid rising manufacturing costs and pressures from the supply chain, manufacturers need product inspection solutions that can make them more productive while making no compromise on food safety. We will be showing a range of systems and software that take them towards a digitalized and sustainable future; systems that will boost their productivity performance to dynamic levels.”

Visitors to the exhibition booth will be able to meet with Mettler-Toledo experts, discuss a comprehensive range of service options, and relax a little over light refreshments. Mettler-Toledo is also offering free Interpack show tickets for guests who register their interest in advance.

For more information, visit www.mt.com/interpack-pr.

“The completion of this milestone is the first major step in Bartek delivering on our malic and fumaric acid capacity expansion project on time,” said Bartek CEO John Burrows. “It reaffirms our global leadership and commitment to deliver these critical food ingredients reliably, consistently, and at the highest quality for years to come. This new facility not only gives us capacity to grow our global acid business, but also additional capabilities to produce our new products like Pecmate sodium malate and other specialty products made with malic and fumaric acid.”

“This investment in our facilities will greatly impact our customers and lead times, and larger orders will be easily fulfilled with the completion of the dryer, expected early fourth quarter. This is a very exciting achievement for our company as we look to accelerate our growth with this new technology and product innovation as this dryer will also give us agglomeration capabilities to expand our product offerings. We cannot wait for our customers to see such a great improvement to our facility,” said Brad Gorassi, president of Flavorcan.

With the completion of this dryer Flavorcan will have Canada’s largest in-house drying capabilities with five in-house machines dedicated to flavour drying. 

Contact flavorcan at info@flavorcan.ca to see how they can help you succeed in the market.

When cleaning plants, bottles and kegs, Teqwave H also monitors different concentrations and it supports precise dosing of cleaning agents. If the cleaning agent needs to be changed, this can be done without recalibration.

Teqwave H has been especially developed for such hygienic applications. A particularly noteworthy feature, in addition to the stainless-steel measuring tube, is its full-bore design. With no protruding parts, there are no places inside the measuring tube where material can accumulate. Another benefit is that there is no pressure loss, making it possible to save on energy costs.

Teqwave H can measure different concentrations at the same time using only one sensor, another potential cost saver for operators.

Users can get the most out of Optyma Cooler with the Coolselector2 app that allows for easy optimization with other Danfoss walk-in products, such as Optyma outdoor and indoor condensing units and electronic room controllers.

“The Optyma Cooler is manufactured to the highest worldwide quality standard, based on decades of design and development experience,” said Douglas Custodio, Optyma Cooler product manager. “Its compact and powerful design provides maximum performance to ensure efficient and reliable operation.”

The All-in-One series combines multiple inspection controls into single machines to meet different quality requirements, such as regulatory compliance; container integrity; detecting micro leaks and contaminants; weight control; and verifying labelling and other information (e.g. expiration date, lot code). It balances the need for multiple in-line controls with space optimization and production organization.

“All-in-One is a revolutionary approach to in-line quality control in food,” said Matteo Bandini, food and packaging director, Antares Vision Group Food. “Now, a single machine contains all the quality controls necessary to satisfy the safety and quality demands of all supply chain stakeholders, from production and distribution to the end-user. From now on, our customers will only have to think about which inspections they need to ensure quality and safety for the consumer — not how many machines they have to buy. Antares Vision Group’s All-in-One series does everything”.

The X34C x-ray inspection system is based on three key design principles of compactness, high-speed and precision. The system has a footprint of just 700 mm in length, which includes an integrated reject. The X34C can operate at 120 metres per minute. The optimized focal distance of the 0.4 mm diode detector and 100W Optimum Power Generator maximizes the probability of detecting small contaminants and helps to reduce the false reject rate.

“We are expecting that manufacturers of small confectionery products and snacks will love the high-speed inspection that the compact X34C gives them, as improved detection sensitivity allows the technology to inspect and reject single bars at fast speeds straight after they exit the flow-wrapper. This not only reduces waste, but also enables the manufacturer to maintain high levels of productivity at this critical point of the production line,” said Mike Pipe, head of global sales and product management, Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection.

Beyond identifying contaminants, smarter technology is being used within or alongside inspection systems to improve efficiency, compliance and, ultimately, profitability. Traceability is, and will continue to be, a key priority for the industry.

Digital testing

The speed at which a food company can publicly pinpoint the source of a contaminant is imperative, as it can minimize the damage caused by a recall. While inspection systems, such as metal detectors and x-rays, are an integral first step in quality control, proper management with regular testing is vital to ensure optimum protection.

Automatic digital testing software is starting to gain industry acceptance. This technology is designed to complement manual processes, allowing for tests and records to be activated automatically and even remotely, if required.

Leveraging digital concepts for this critical step in food safety compliance provides manufacturers with a true measure of how each inspection machine is performing. Testing interoperability not only removes the risk of human error, but also reduces labour costs and safety hazards associated with manual checks, in addition to providing an audit trail for traceability purposes.

From paper fail to digital trail

The next step in food safety involves the elevation of systems running on paper. Paper-based record-keeping hinders traceability required to better understand and respond to the increasingly complex supply chain in the event of unprecedented circumstances. Digital tools are helping to address these issues, allowing manufacturers and retailers to remove potentially unsafe products from the market more quickly and review the root cause for preventative measures.

Advanced new systems with data collection and paperless test routines will become more prevalent. For example, manufacturers might opt for a combination metal detector and checkweigher capable of pre-configuring every test by retailer code of practice and product being inspected. Integrated sensors can confirm when a check has been conducted, generating a dated digital due diligence report that is signed by the operative on the screen for full transparency.

Built-in data capture with remote access means quality assurance managers can troubleshoot and generate reports from their phone, laptop, or tablet, with the test parameters and machinery functionality all in one place.

Digital test technology can be fitted to bulk, gravity, pipeline, and conveyor style metal detectors.

The future of metal detection tech

As much as food manufacturers must adopt inspection equipment with improved sensitivity levels, an equally important criterion is to eliminate false rejects.

Identifying metal within conductive products can involve changing the frequency to minimize the effect. However, this can have a devastating impact on the accuracy of a detector, as operators might lower the sensitivity to the point where contaminants pass through.

To overcome this issue, some food firms are turning to systems offering multi-orientation, multi-scan detection. Compared to the traditional single or dual frequency food metal detectors, this new methodology uses multiple coil sets to drive the electromagnetic fields in different directions. Rather than missing a metal contaminant because it hasn’t aligned with a specific field, it looks for signals over a broad spectrum, from various angles. The stronger disturbance from one field compensates for a weaker signal from another. In essence, it’s like running numerous systems all at once.

This newest approach to metal detection addresses previous limitations. Notably, orientation effect and identifying flat metal contaminants in product with a low side profile. Alongside eliminating the risk of false rejects and ensuring high sensitivity, in-built automatic product tracking and data capture software will further increase transparency and traceability.

X-ray or metal detection

When it comes to adopting smart technologies, it is unwise to compare metal detection and x-rays. Metal detectors can identify all types of metals, while x-ray machines are worth investing in if there is a contamination risk of other foreign materials.

Factory layouts and the placement of inspection machinery is another important consideration. When working together, an x-ray system will favour an in-line position, whereas metal detectors are better located toward the end of the processing line, often after packaging.

X-rays and metal detectors are complementary technologies. The same can be said for advanced inspection systems. Smart technology must be implemented alongside more effective and modern approaches to preventative measures and safety strategies.

Eric Garr is regional sales manager, Fortress Technology.

As products are cooled while they are conveyed, the processing timers are expected to be shorter than usual. Further, treated and untreated municipal water sources, or water from elsewhere within the plant, can be used as the cooling fluid.

The ThermoLuxme can convey and cool up to 1,100 cf of hot food products per hour, such as high-fat content organic powders and mixes, roasted nuts and snacks, pet food kibble and pre-cooked potato cubes/foods.

Navam Jagan, president of Luxme International, said, “With a cooling differential of 390 F while conveying product, the ThermoLuxme is designed to save food producers money and floorspace by eliminating the need for an additional cooler or chiller station. It also keeps the work area, and therefore the workforce, safe and free from dust.”

Mounted on casters for in-plant mobility, the Bulk-Out BFF Series discharger frame features four adjustable extension posts to accommodate bulk bags, 36 to 84 in. tall. The removable bag-lifting frame with z-clip strap holders allows bulk bags to be attached at ground level, then forklifted into receiving cups atop the discharger frame.

The bulk bag/hopper interface comprises a manual Spout-Lock clamp ring for high-integrity bag spout connections, and a pneumatically-actuated Tele-Tube, a telescoping tube that exerts continuous downward tension on the clamp ring and bag spout as the bag empties and elongates, promoting flow and evacuation.

Additional flow is afforded by Flow-Flexer bag activators that raise and lower opposite bottom sides of the bag at timed intervals into a steep “V” shape, promoting total discharge with no manual intervention.

The system is also offered in all-stainless construction to food, dairy, pharmaceutical and industrial standards, and in carbon steel with durable industrial coatings.

Developed to streamline powder processing, the Universal Feeder Controller automatically controls weighing, dosing and feeding from up to four different feeders simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate controllers for each feeder.

The new feeder control system operates in gravimetric and volumetric feeding applications in both batch and continuous processes and may be setup to manage these different applications at the same time from a single HMI. Access, monitoring and adjustments may be performed onsite or via remote operation.

This specific line will be free of gluten, peanut, tree nut, dairy, egg, soy, corn, sesame, mustard, coconut, fish and shellfish. In addition to being free of allergens, the new line will be kosher/parve.

“We pride ourselves on being focused on the better-for-you space, which centres on products with no added sugar and/or sugar-free and consists of high protein and fibre-enriched chocolate, chocolate coatings and fillings. With the launch of our new production line, our team is providing capacity for allergen-free options that don’t sacrifice taste while utilizing the benefits of dark chocolate and no artificial sweeteners,” said Larry Toscano, president and CEO of Barchemy.

The newest addition to the Barchemy facility is open and the production line focused on allergen-free products will be available on January 2, 2022. This latest development features equipment manufactured by Aasted specifically built for this facility.

Mounted on a mobile frame with locking casters and a fold-down step, the Bag Dump Station is secured to the floor hopper with quick-release clamps, and features a gasketed bag disposal chute through the side wall of the hopper hood, allowing the operator to pass empty bags directly into the bag compactor.

Dust generated from both dumping and compaction is drawn onto the system’s two cartridge filters. An automatic reverse-pulse filter cleaning system releases short blasts of compressed air inside the filters at timed intervals. This causes any dust built up on the outer surfaces to fall into the hopper, conserving useable product. Filters are readily accessed by removing the interior baffle, and replaced using quick-disconnect fittings.

The compactor employs a pneumatic air cylinder to compress 50 to 80 empty bags into a removable bin lined with a plastic waste bag for dust-free tie-off and disposal. The main door, and a flapper door within the bag infeed chute, are equipped with safety interlocks that prevent operation of the compactor unless both doors are closed.

The hopper discharges into an enclosed, 15-ft flexible screw conveyor that handles a broad range of materials including free- and non-free-flowing bulk solids ranging from large pellets to sub-micron powders, including products that pack, cake, seize, smear, fluidize or crumble, with no separation of blended products. The flexible screw is the only moving part contacting material, and is driven by an electric motor beyond the point at which material is discharged, preventing material contact with seals.

The Bag Dump Station, support boom and conveyor assembly can be tilted down to manoeuver through standard doorways and aisles, and around corners for use anywhere in the plant.

The entire unit can be rolled to a cleaning station where a lower clean-out cap on the conveyor tube can be removed to flush the smooth interior surfaces with steam, water or cleaning solutions, or to fully remove the flexible screw for cleaning and inspection.

The system is available in carbon steel with durable industrial coating, with stainless steel material contact surfaces, or in all-stainless steel finished to industrial, food, dairy or pharmaceutical standards.

“Since its introduction six years ago, VeryX has earned a reputation as the most advanced sorting technology for the food processing industry and has achieved tremendous market success. Over that time, our focus on continuous improvement has led the VeryX family to evolve. Now, VeryX 2.0 presents the next step up in sort performance and process value,” said Carson Brennan, president of Key Technology. “Driven by consumers that demand products of consistently high quality, the food processing industry is working to satisfy more stringent standards while improving profitability. VeryX 2.0 addresses these competing challenges.”

The modular system includes braced frames which can be bolted to the floor, 48 si. (1220 mm²) deck sections and stairways with elevations up to 96 in. (2.4 m).

Upper grab rails and mid-height rails bolted to stairway stringers and deck perimeters, together with auto-closing hinged safety gates and anti-slip grating on treads and decks, maximize personnel security.

Modularity allows stacking of frames to attain high elevations, and joining of decks in 48-si. (1220-mm²) increments to create elevated walkways and extended mezzanine areas in shapes conforming to equipment configurations and plant layouts.

Control panels can be mounted to the braced frame, allowing operation of equipment at various elevations.

The Raptor checkweighing series has been engineered to counteract wasteful and costly product giveaway. It also targets operational inefficiencies, including upstream product giveaway and packaging waste.

At Pack Expo Las Vegas, Fortress is unveiling two Raptor systems – a single frame standalone checkweigher and an XL caseweighing system for ingredient and bulk applications up to 25 kg. A heavy-duty 50-kg version is also available. Operating as a standalone product feed and packing weighing unit, the Raptor Checkweigher’s modular electronics suite allows for full integration with a Fortress metal detector.

Company founder and president Steve Gidman said, “Using Raptor’s digital data capture feature, manufacturers can pinpoint upstream operational deficiencies, including overfilling of packs, processing and packaging waste.”

The standard Raptor Checkweigher can weigh anything from 200 lightweight packs and chilled convenience meals in motion, up to a maximum of 8 kg.

A large touchscreen enables food safety operatives to customize statistical information bringing the most relevant parameters to their operation to the foreground. Ranging from net weight and average weight to product giveaway, operators simply pick their preference for the home screen. Graphs and visual prompts help to flag and respond to critical trends.

Some engineers are purchasing mixers, blenders and other equipment with optional extras to guard against current and future unknowns, according to Rene Meira Medina, executive vice-president of Gericke USA, Somerset, N.J. Medina offers the following considerations for assessing whether investing in an extra level of safety or contamination prevention makes sense or is over-specifying.

Rene Meira Medina

ATEX certification

ATEX is becoming widely recognized in North America as a useful symbol representing explosion prevention and protection. A requirement in the EU, ATEX covers equipment and protective systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres. Anyone mixing powders works in a potentially explosive atmosphere. This assurance of enhanced safety is tempting processors who are not operating in hazardous environments to purchase ATEX-certified mixers. For these situations, investing in ATEX-certified mixers is over-specifying.

FDA/USDA approval

Mixers for sanitary processing typically include stainless steel, continuously welded seems and polished internals to prevent bacterial growth, plus design consideration to minimize fasteners and allow easy access for cleaning and inspection. But are companies working with cement, fly ash, glass and other materials not typically associated with sanitary processing right to investigate FDA- and/or USDA-approved mixing equipment? Yes! Advantages such as fast cleaning and changeovers and easier maintenance often make the extra investment in sanitary mixers worthwhile.

Future growth

Purchasing extra mixing capacity today to accommodate spikes in demand, projected future growth or recipe changes is a risky endeavour. Growth, once realized, may demand an even larger capacity mixer than purchased, and then, equipment upstream and downstream will also likely need increased capacity. Since it often costs less to purchase an entirely new processing line than to upgrade an existing one, and given the unpredictable nature of processing today, consider buying extra mixing capacity as over-specifying.

Over-specifying a mixer purchase is a costly approach to safeguarding against the risks of operating in today’s business environment. It’s typically far more useful to purchase exactly the right mixer required for the product in production today than to over-spend on extras that may or may never be needed.

Stew Cardiff, Cardiff CEO, formerly owned Shepherd Gourmet Dairy, a cheese and yogurt maker in Canada, co-manufacturing under many major North American brands. After selling their dairy business in 2018, the Cardiff family brought their operational expertise to the plant-based market.

Now, multi-generational, Cardiff Products strives to become best in class in the aseptic co-manufacturing industry.

It has fully equipped its facility with Tetra Pak processing and packaging equipment.

“At Cardiff, we have a passion for quality and innovation that sets us apart in the industry,” says Cardiff. “After careful consideration, we chose to work with Tetra Pak because of their strong history of innovation, and technical expertise proven throughout the world. Their quality and growth goals ultimately aligned with ours.”

“We are thrilled to welcome Cardiff to our co-manufacturing network,” says Boris Munster, vice-president of contract manufacturing at Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada. “Consumers today are looking for convenient packages that are also environmentally sound. With the added capacity Cardiff brings to the market, we look forward to serving more brands and continuing to sustain the food supply chain in North America.”

Offered as an option, the mobile Batch-Weigh system was developed to enable powder processors to safely and easily roll the screw conveying system from one tank, vessel, mixer, hopper, or other location to another, or from one processing line to another, without investing in multiple powder conveying systems. The clever conveyor may be used to automatically transfer, weigh and dispense precise amounts of powders, pellets, flakes and other bulk materials, and then quickly cleaned and rolled to the next location.

Suitable for movement and operation in any sanitary, hazardous and non-hazardous production environment, the mobile Batch-Weigh system sets the company’s fully automated weighing and batching system on a rugged, steel frame atop non-marking casters. The self-contained powder conveyor integrates the company’s screw conveyor with companion in-feed hopper, weigh hopper, load cells, pneumatic slide gate, proprietary drive, and PLC-based controls.

Mounted on locking casters, the Bulk-Out BFF Series discharger has four adjustable extension posts to accommodate bulk bags of 36 to 84-in. tall. The removable bag-lifting frame with z-clip strap holders allows bulk bags to be attached at ground level, then forklifted into receiving cups on the discharger frame.

A spout-lock clamp ring atop a pneumatically-actuated telescoping tube secures the clean side of bag spout to the clean side of the equipment, and exerts continuous downward tension on the bag as it empties and elongates, promoting flow and evacuation. A vent port with filter sock contains dust.

The entire unit can be rolled to a cleaning station. The system is available in carbon steel with industrial coating and stainless steel material contact surfaces, or in all-stainless steel finished to industrial, food, dairy or pharmaceutical standards.

Since such processing (and further processing for fully prepared meals) is routine, it can be overlooked as a source of business process improvement. However, implementing best practice standards for food processing, along with best-in-class equipment can improve safety, production and cleanliness.

So, here are four practical, tried and true tips that will help food processors get the most out of their conveyors.

1) Increase production uptime with durable belting
When high speed food processing is required, any downtime to replace wire conveyor belting can reduce production. However, in an effort to boost production, conveyor belting may inadvisably be run up to 160 ft/min in the field.

In such cases, the challenge is assuring belting durability when some portion of the wire could break due to insufficient strength and weight capacity as well as inability to withstand hard use.

Sudden breakage could happen if any of the wire is out of specification, either too soft or too brittle. The demand for quality becomes even higher when you consider that even the smallest diameter wire used in the conveyor belting must be sufficiently strong and durable. Yet, weakness can occur at any point throughout the wire manufacturing process (i.e. heating the wire, drawing it out) and wire belting construction process.

So, all of the wire utilized in the conveyor belting’s construction must not only be designed for destructive bending strength, but also tested for superior durability before shipping.

“For quality control, it is important to pre-test the wire with a destructive bending test,” says Glenn Farrell, CEO of Lumsden Belting, a Lancaster, P.A.-based manufacturer of industrial metal conveyor belts. “This ensures the wire is tough, yet ductile, without being brittle, to meet food processing specifications. The wire itself needs to be of unfailingly, consistent quality to assure long-lasting, conveyor belt life.”

2) Enhance safety with rounded, “snag-free” edges
Traditional wire conveyor belting can have rough, sharp, or even somewhat jagged edges that can inadvertently cut or injure operators, who may brush up against rapidly moving conveyor lines. These edges or exposed wires could also snag clothing, pulling operators along with the conveyor.

For this reason, various best practice safety options have been developed to minimize or eliminate the potential cutting and snagging risk of conventional wire conveyor belting.

3) Ensure clean, tight product transfer
Most food processing facilities are packed with production equipment, and any free space may already be designated for storage, staging, inspection, forklift/operator traffic or future expansion. So, conveyors and conveyor belting that are designed to closely accommodate other material handling equipment are important for efficient use of the production floor.

To fit into space-restricted food processing lines and ensure cleanliness, it is also essential for conveyors and wire belting to integrate as closely as possible with adjacent conveyors, so there is no gap where food could otherwise inadvertently fall or become lodged.

“On the production floor, where space is at a premium, conveyor belting that tightly transfers product [to another conveyor] with a minimal gap improves reliability and plant hygiene,” says Farrell. “Wire belting made without seams further enhances conveyor consistency and sanitary conditions.”

Consistent tracking of the conveyor belting is also important to maintain long-term reliability. For this aspect, belting that is sprocket driven can provide positive drive and consistent tracking. When the belting is designed to articulate around small diameter drive and tail rolls for tight transfers, this ensures gentle handling and constant positioning of the product.

4) Safeguard food safety, cleanliness and easy maintenance
Since food processors must protect food safety along with necessary production, conveyor wire belting must be designed to achieve this.

In this regard, wire belting that utilizes a flow through design can allow for unrestricted wash down and inspection. This minimizes potential blockage between the holes, so the conveyor belting does not plug with debris or residue. Also, to further promote cleanliness, it can be a good idea to utilize stainless-steel belting that can resist corrosion while being easy to clean with foam cleanser.

Finally, to minimize labour and downtime as well as facilitate easy maintenance when repairs are required, it is helpful to utilize conveyor wire belting in which any necessary patches can be spliced directly into it, as needed.

Although food processors use a wide range of material handling equipment, carefully selecting conveyor wire belting that enhances safe, reliable production while cleaning easily and minimizing maintenance will pay off in the bottom line.

Del Williams is a technical writer based in Torrance, California.

The Festo CRD cylinder has a stainless-steel outer body, and is shaped like a bell. These cylinders are lubricated with biodegradable NSF-H1 food-safe grease that meets FDA 21 CFT 172.878 regulations.

The CRD is available in four bore sizes, with forces ranging from 3,016 N to 18,850 N at 6 bar.

To further enhance control, Festo offers the VTEM piezo operated directional valves to synchronize large banks of cylinders in automated systems.

For environments experiencing intensive cleaning, Festo also offers CRD with a dry-running seal option for optimum operation even when harsh washdowns have dissolved cylinder lubricant.

The conveying system transports the fragile, dry rice grains at low velocities to protect the size and shape, consistently meeting a 0.5 per cent or better broken grain rate, yet also delivering high throughput capacities from 6 t/h to 15 t/h.

Tested in the Gericke testing laboratory to verify performance under simulated operating conditions, the PTAD conveying system continuously transfers the rice as a pulsed plug through stainless steel conveyor piping. Twin pressure vessels introduce the rice into the process without requiring an external air injection system and without any moving parts to eliminate the potential for metal particle contamination. Additionally, the pressure vessels were custom-configured to fit into a limited space underneath an overhead hopper without compromising the efficiency or requiring additional conveying air.

As with any new market, there are several startup companies without a food manufacturing background. However, while some of the hype around the market and the products is reducing, there is no doubt about the potential for profit.

Those companies which want to have long-term success will need to efficiently scale-up production while maintaining the physical and chemical characteristics which make their products unique and desirable. Learning from existing beverage manufacturers about the best processing options for pasteurization, cooling or filling will be essential to achieving prolonged success.

What is CBD?

CBD is a chemical extracted from hemp and marijuana plants (Cannabis sativa L.). While CBD is an active ingredient in cannabis, it does not cause the “high” or psychoactive effects associated with the chemical THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is also found in the plants.

CBD used for food and drink products is usually taken from hemp oil due to the lower levels of THC. Although medical studies are inconclusive, some of the claimed benefits of CBD include reducing inflammation, improving relaxation and better focus. With so much potential, it is easy to see why many are hailing hemp as the next superfood.

In general, the term hemp refers to low-THC forms of cannabis, which are still capable of producing CBD and other cannabinoid compounds, as opposed to high-THC forms, commonly known as marijuana. As well as referring to the botanical name of the plant, the term cannabis describes a drug which contains numerous compounds including CBD and THC. For product manufacturers and developers, the challenge is to provide the positive benefits of CBD without the other negative effects of cannabis.

Drinks based on plant extracts are one of the fastest growing segments in the beverage category. Photo © Creative-Family/ iStock/ Getty Images Plus

Market opportunities

Around the world projected valuations for the recreational CBD products (as opposed to medical markets) have recently been revised downward as investors begin to workout which startups are feasible long-term businesses and which have no experience and no revenue. However, the demand is clear. For example, in U.S. states where cannabis is legal for recreational use, drinks make up 15 per cent of purchased cannabis products, and around the world one-in-four consumers say they would be willing to try cannabis-infused drinks.

However, even with such healthy scepticism, the global cannabis drinks market is predicted to treble in value by 2024, reaching US$1.82 billion by the end of 2020, and US$5.8 billion within four years. This growth is seen across every segment of the drinks industry, from alcoholic drinks to wellness beverages and everyday drinks like tea and coffee. Large global brands including AB InBev and Molson Coors have announced plans to produce CBD-containing products, and while the global impacts of COVID-19 have slowed some aspects of product development and marketing, there is no doubt that a huge market remains untapped.

Entering this market is not for the faint-hearted. Different stages of market development, recognition, and approval around the world present challenges to the development of a large market with common standards. The limitations and prohibitions on different products in different countries (and even states) prevent the export of even successful products from one region to another without meeting a whole new range of tests and approvals, but despite the difficulties, legislation and licensing requirements around the world things are becoming clearer all the time and several consultancies operate in different countries to provide help and advice.

Technical challenges

Not all marketing focuses on the cannabis and CBD associations, with some manufacturers simply referring to their products as containing “hemp seed extracts,” possibly in a bid to emphasize the natural associations of their product. However, CBD extraction and isolation are usually industrial processes and many of the functional ingredients which are produced are not soluble.

To overcome this, it is necessary to produce an emulsion, which requires careful handing during processing. Traditional high-pressure homogenization is suitable for products where clarity is not an issue, but for infused waters and similar drinks, a number of proprietary “nano technologies” have been developed to create stable products.

The technical challenges do not just revolve around the issues of product formulation. The exact nature of the compounds found in the plant, and which can be extracted, can vary according to the growing environment of the plants and how they are processed. In some countries, such as Canada, product approval is dependent on being able to prove product consistency, something which is often easier said than done. Product stability is another area where care needs to be taken. Other regions, such as Europe, classify products a novel food and so stability of the product from manufacturer to consumption must be proven.

Scaling-up production

Heat exchangers play a key role in the manufacture of many beverage products, and cannabis infused drinks have the same requirements for pasteurization, sterilization, cooking or cooling as any other beverages which contain specific ingredients.

High-Temperature, Short-Time (HTST) pasteurization techniques help to preserve the flavour and texture (including the crucial emulsion) of many drinks, while cooling can involve chilled water or specific materials such as glycol.

Evaporation using heat exchangers is also an efficient method of concentrating products to achieve the required formulation.

Recapturing and reusing heat from other sources (such as surplus heat from cooling operations or spare boiler capacity) can be an effective way of increasing capacity or adding a new production process without the need for major new heating or energy infrastructure. Depending on the application, heat exchanger equipment can recover as much as 50 per cent of previously wasted heat, which can then be used for water, space or process heating, waste treatment or other thermal applications.

The type and model of heat exchanger will depend on many different factors, such as the nature of the process to be carried out (pasteurization, sterilization, dehydration, etc.) and the viscosity of the drink being processed.

It is best practice to seek out professional help from companies and conducte a thorough review of the complete range of available products, from simple tube-in-tube designs to reciprocating scraped-surface designs, all of which combine efficient heat transfer with delicate product handling. This ensures that the products remain in emulsion and also that the processing process does not foul the equipment.

Matt Hale is the international sales and marketing director for HRS Heat Exchangers.

Designed to control combustible dust and support worker safety, the ergonomic sanitary sack tipping station enables powders and other bulk solids in bags, sacks, totes and bins to be safely emptied and transferred into storage or into the process without allowing fine particles into the work environment.

The sanitary sack tipping station integrates with pneumatic conveying systems, sifters, mixers, lump breakers and other equipment.