Food & Beverage Asia February/March 2021

FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021 

www.foodbeverageasia.com 

How technology revolutionises the future of food and farming 

Modernising automation: Engineering plastics and polymers to 

achieve greater flexibility and scalability 

Choosing the optimal continuous coating system

2 

CONTENTS 

19 GNT 

4 

The now, next, and future of the 

global food and drink industry 

MARKET INSIGHTS 

4 The now, next, and future of the 

global food and drink industry 

16 Food and nutrition trends in 

Asia-Pacific 

26 

The benefits of 

wheat proteins 

BITING ISSUES 

19 GNT / SweeGen 

20 World Health Organization / 

Beyond Meat 

21 Tate & Lyle 

22 FrieslandCampina Ingredients 

23 AB Enzymes / DuPont Nutrition 

& Biosciences 

INGREDIENTS 

24 How technology revolutionises 

the future of food and farming 

26 The benefits of wheat proteins 

28 What’s for tomorrow? 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients 

shapes up tomorrow’s menu in 

a new normal 

31 More than meets the eye when 

comparing dairy and plant 

proteins 

34 Collagen sports drinks: Ideal for 

athletes and active people 

36 Curbing ASEAN’s obesity crisis: 

The time is now 

38 Indulgent chocolate sensations 

fill a gap in uncertain times 

ON THE TABLE 

39 Modernising automation: 

Engineering plastics and 

polymers to achieve greater 

flexibility and scalability 

PROCESSING AND 

PACKAGING 

43 Choosing the optimal 

continuous coating system 

44 Bottling plant relocation: 

Brewery Eder & Heylands relies 

on KHS 

46 Inex Belgium deploys Sidel’s 

aseptic solutions for the 

packaging of UHT milk in PET bottles 

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021

CONTENTS 

3 

39 

Modernising automation: Engineering 

plastics and polymers to achieve greater 

flexibility and scalability 

46 

Inex Belgium deploys 

Sidel’s aseptic solutions 

for the packaging of UHT 

milk in PET bottles 

43 

Choosing the optimal 


54 Syntegon 

Technology 

48 The benefits of automatic metal 

detector testing 

50 New-tech standing pouches cut 

fresh food waste 

51 Don’t stick with the old when it 

comes to food labelling 

52 Lack of collection infrastructure 

blights European plastic bottle 

recycling 

FIRST LOOKS 

54 Syntegon Technology 

55 3M / Bühler 

56 Parkside / SIG 

57 GEA 

58 Flexicon / Mondi 

59 Cortec / SACMI 

60 Key Technology 

SHOW PREVIEW 

61 FIC2021 

62 FOOMA Japan 2021 

REGULARS 

4 Editor’s Note 

6 News 

63 Events Calendar 

64 Advertisers’ Index 


4 

EDITOR’S NOTE 

When home meets entertainment 

PABLO SINGAPORE 

Publisher 

William Pang 

williampang@pabloasia.com 

Hometainment – which is basically the merged term of home 

and entertainment – is a trend that has emerged as an aftermath 

of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the vaccine, which is 

now (finally) available, the changes in consumer behaviour and 

the way we shop, entertain and dine are all expected continue. 

Particularly for dining, online grocery shopping, food delivery 

services and at-home cooking will contribute significantly to the 

growing stay-home economy. 

In page 14 of this issue, Mintel predicted that consumers will 

be looking for “approachable upscale meals” for hometainment 

occasions, as Daisy Li, associated director, Mintel Food & Drink, 

explained: “As market opens, the pace of life will get busier, and 

consumers will expect time-saving, hygiene, and adventurous 

convenience food, drink and foodservice. Brands will also be 

challenged to respond to new definitions of quality and ensure 

e-commerce is accessible to shoppers of all socioeconomic 

levels.” 

Proteins are also expected to gain a larger appetite into 

consumers’ diets with more variety of plant-based products. 

Christian Philippsen, managing director for Beneo Asia-Pacific, 

outlined the consumer trends driving the plant-based protein 

market, and elaborated how manufacturers can providing meat 

substitutes that challenge animal proteins in terms of both taste 

and texture. To find out more, flip to page 26. 

On modernising automation, we spoke with Carsten Haecker, 

head of Asia-Pacific for igus, who shared how smart plastics can 

support predictive maintenance, and 

enable automation in energy supply and 

plain bearing technology in the Industry 

4.0 era. To find out more, flip to page 39. 

Publications Director 

Senior Editor 

Editor 

Graphic Designer 

Circulation Manager 

PABLO BEIJING 

General Manager 

PABLO SHANGHAI 

Senior Editor 

COVER CREDIT 

Jamie Tan 

jamietan@pabloasia.com 

foodbeverageasia@gmail.com 

Pang Yanrong 

yanrong@pabloasia.com 

Josephine Tan 

josephine@pabloasia.com 

Liu Yu 

liuyu@pabloasia.com 

Shu Ai Ling 

circulation@pabloasia.com 

Ellen Gao 

pablobeijing@163.com 

Sharon Wu 

pabloshanghai@163.net 

HIMA / Unsplash.com 

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Food & Beverage Asia incorporates the Official Publications of the 

Singapore Institute of Food Science & Technology. 

And as the Lunar New Year is just around 

the corner, the Food & Beverage Asia 

team would like to wish all our readers 

Gong Xi Fa Cai and a progressive and 

prosperous 2021. 

LET’S CONNECT! 

@foodandbeverageasia 

Josephine Tan 

Editor 

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6 

NEWS 

Jungbunzlauer plans to build lactic acid plant in Canada 

Jungbunzlauer has planned to expand 

its lactic acid fermentation with a new 

production plant in Port Colborne, Canada, 

to meet the demands in lactic acid and 

lactates. 

Lactic acid is an organic acid used in many 

food and non-food applications globally. 

It is a biocidal active substance used in 

disinfectants, and also used for making the 

bioplastic polylactic acid (PLA), a polymer 

that has the potential to replace traditional 

plastics. 

According to Jungbunzlauer, the growth in 

the markets requiring lactic acid has been 

“very dynamic and is even accelerating”, 

and the company foresees a further 

growth of the lactic acid demand 

throughout all applications. The plan for 

expansion is therefore aimed at securing 

the future supply, and to enable the 

market potential to unfold to the full 

extent. 

Jungbunzlauer’s activities in lactic acid 

started in 2012, with a first fermentation 

facility in Marckolsheim, France. To 

better capture the Canadian and the US 

markets, the new factory is considered 

for the Canadian production site in 

Port Colborne, Ontario. Today, the Port 

Colborne site runs a citric acid facility 

paired with a corn wet milling plant as 

source for fermentation of raw materials. 

Since its inauguration in 2001, the site 

was expanded and upgraded with new 

technologies. 

A lactic acid project is likely to improve 

the competencies of the site further, 

and would lay the foundation for 

future growth of both, output as well 

as workforce. Focus will be laid on 

using modern technology that ensures 

a minimal level of greenhouse gas 

emissions, water consumption, and 

product side streams. ■ 

Aleph Farms and Mitsubishi bring cultivated meat to Japan 

Aleph Farms and Mitsubishi Corporation’s 

Food Industry Group have signed a 

Memorandum of Understanding to bring 

cultivated meat to the Japanese table. 

The former will provide its BioFarm 

manufacturing platform for cultivation 

of whole-muscle steaks; while the latter 

will provide its expertise in biotechnology 

processes, branded food manufacturing, 

and local distribution channels in Japan. 

This cooperation supports the fight against 

climate, especially when the Japanese 

government has stipulated a goal of 

achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions. 

In April last year, Aleph Farms committed 

to eliminating emissions associated with 

its meat production by 2025, and reach 

the same net-zero emissions across 

its entire supply chain by 2030. As the 

demand for meat continues to rise with 

evolving lifestyles, the cooperation will 

also provide solutions to overcome the 

societal challenges to the local population 

surrounding the domestic meat supply. 

This includes implementing stable food 

channels of quality nutrition. 

Gary Brenner, vice-president of market 

development at Aleph Farms, elaborated: 

“This is part of a network of BioFarm to Fork 

strategic partnerships being developed by 

Aleph Farms in Asia-Pacific, Latin America 

and Europe, following the successful 2019 

Round-A strategic investment by Cargill and 

the Migros Group in Switzerland.” 

Both companies are members of the Cellular 

Agriculture Study Group, a consortium 

implementing policy proposals under 

the Japanese Centre for Rule-Making 

Strategy. The consortium brings together 

a range of experts on the definition and 

construction of cellular agricultural foods. 

It also adds clarification of conditions for 

Japanese products and technologies to 

have international competitiveness and 

establishes mechanisms for coexistence 

and division of roles with existing 

industries. ■ 

The collaboration to bring cultivated meat to Japan will support the country meet climate change and 

food security goals 


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8 

NEWS 

Duravant combines packaging equipment brands into nVenia 

Duravant has introduced nVenia, a new 

operating company within Duravant’s 

packaging solutions segment formed by 

combining Arpac, Hamer-Fischbein and 

Ohlson into a single entity. 

Leveraging the strengths of Arpac, 

Hamer, Fischbein and Ohlson, nVenia is 

positioned to be an equipment designer, 

manufacturer and integrator for primary, 

secondary and end-of-line packaging 

solutions. Arpac equipment includes shrink 

wrappers, tunnels and bundlers, tray and 

case formers and packers, and robotic 

and conventional palletisers. Fischbein 

equipment is the brand for open-mouth 

bag sewing and sealing systems. Hamer 

is a provider of bagging automation 

solutions, with a portfolio of solutions 

including weighing, forming, filling, sewing, 

sealing and bag management. Ohlson 

equipment is known for rugged, accurate 

primary packaging lines to weigh, count 

and fill all types of packages, from flexible 

pouches to jars to rigid containers. All four 

of these names will continue to thrive as 

product brands within the nVenia product 

offering, and will be featured as such as 

nVenia equipment. 

nVenia will operate from a newly 

constructed 256,000 square-foot facility 

located in Wood Dale, Illinois, the US. 

The facility is planned to open this April 

with nVenia’s existing manufacturing 

sites transitioning into this single location 

throughout the remainder of the year. ■ 

nVenia brings together Arpac, Fischbein, Hamer and 

Ohlson equipment brands 

Tastes associated with travel and nostalgia to grow in popularity 

Kerry has released its 2021 Taste 

Charts which predicts the taste and 

flavours that will be popular in the new 

year. The company has anticipated that 

the COVID-19 pandemic will continue 

to impact consumers’ taste buds with 

traditional tastes undergoing a resurgence 

as people seek comfort in their food and 

beverages. Consumers are gravitating 

towards comforting and familiar tastes, 

with classics such as brownie, s’mores, 

apple pie, custard and cream soda 

expected to increase in popularity. 

The research pointed out that the 

popularity of international cuisines is 

expected to surge as consumers travel 

Kerry 2021 Taste Charts provides insights into 

the taste and flavours that are poised to gain 

popularity in this new year 

the world with their taste buds through 

exotic flavours. This is balanced by a 

desire of familiarity as consumers crave 

sweet treats incorporating comforting 

flavours and taking inspiration from 

traditional desserts. Health and well-being 

will continue to be a consumer priority 

with more people than ever expected to 

try fermented foods, superfood flavours 

and health-promoting botanicals such 

as turmeric and basil in their foods and 

beverages. 

Consumers gravitating towards familiarity 

is not uncommon during times of 

uncertainty. The craving for comfort 

food became more pronounced in 2020 

than in previous years, with one in three 

consumers eating and drinking habits 

reverting to more familiar tastes, and this 

is expected to continue in the upcoming 

year. American consumers are expected 

to opt for more savoury favourites such 

as Mac & Cheese, pizza and taco-based 

flavours whereas European consumers will 

crave the tastes of traditional desserts 

including banana split, apple pie and 

chocolate eclairs. 

2021 will also see consumers craving 

the taste of travel and adventure, with 

the popularity of international cuisines 

increasing in response to heightened travel 

restrictions. It is expected that the most 

popular cuisines in 2021 will be South 

Korean, Indian, Thai, Spanish and Greek with 

flavours such as cumin, Greek gyros, wasabi 

and balsamic identified as likely to become 

increasingly popular across savoury snacks 

and foods. Notably, European consumers 

are looking to the East as ingredients such 

as seaweed, kimchi and miso expected to be 

amongst the most popular new flavours of 

2021. 

As COVID-19 continues to impact on daily 

life, consumers will be increasingly health 

conscious, selecting ingredients and flavours 

that promise additional health benefits. 

Fermented foods, such as kombucha and 

sauerkraut and superfood ingredients 

including turmeric, cacao and basil will 

continue to grow in popularity. Consumers 

are also demonstrating increased concern 

about the sourcing of food and ingredients, 

opting increasingly for options that have 

been produced locally. ■ 


NEWS 9 

IFF to complete merger with DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences business 

and accelerate the company’s pursuit of 

new, creative and integrated solutions. He 

added that through an unprecedented last 

12 months, both the IFF and Nutrition & 

Biosciences teams have remained focus on 

executing their respective business plans 

and setting the foundation to bring this 

combination to life. 

The combination between IFF and DuPont’s Nutrition & Biosciences business will create global 

ingredients and solutions serving consumer-oriented food and beverage, home and personal care, 

and health and wellness end market 

IFF is set to complete the previously 

announced merger of IFF and DuPont’s 

Nutrition & Biosciences business. The 

combined company will continue to 

operate under the name IFF. 

Andreas Fibig, chairman and CEO for IFF, 

said that the combined platform will enable 

IFF position itself as an essential partner 

in addressing its customers’ evolving 

needs, unlocking long-term value creation 

Ed Breen, executive chairman and CEO of 

DuPont, will join the IFF board of directors, 

and helm the position as lead independent 

director effective at the 2021 annual 

meeting of shareholders. He concluded: 

“Andreas and the combined management 

team have planned and prepared for 

this integration, and are committed to 

delivering for all stakeholders. The new IFF 

is well-positioned to deliver growth and 

unlock long-term value for shareholders, 

customers and employees.” ■ 

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10 

NEWS 

Bühler expands service centre locations through acquisition of 

Design Corrugating 

Bühler North America has expanded and 

strengthened its service network and 

offerings with the acquisition of Design 

Corrugating Companies, a roller mill and 

other equipment service company based in 

Taylorville, Illinois, the US. With this move, 

Bühler now operates seven service centres 

in the US, serving grain, oilseed, feed, 

petfood, and chocolate processors, as well 

as brewers and distillers, inks and coatings 

and many others who utilise roller mills. 

experienced that, with our services, we 

can achieve step change for customers 

especially when connecting companies 

to Bühler Insights, our digital platform, 

they can achieve the highest process 

transparency based on data.” 

All Design Corrugating locations will 

become new service centre sites in the 

Bühler Customer Service network, and the 

entire Design Corrugating staff has joined 

the Bühler team. Furthermore, Bühler will 

continue to provide parts and services for 

all makes and models of roller mills. Future 

investments are planned for equipment 

that will allow new services to be delivered, 

and the full Bühler supply chain will be 

leveraged to improve competitiveness in 

terms of cost and efficiency. ■ 

“For us, this is only the starting point to 

develop the most comprehensive and value 

driving services in our industry,” Andy 

Sharpe, CEO of Bühler North America, said. 

“Today, the installed assets base of many 

companies is not running as optimally as 

it could be and consequently, they are 

wasting energy and raw material, and 

suffering quality and efficiency losses. We 

Bühler’s customers will be able to benefit from larger service centre network 

IMCD opens new UHT pilot facility in Indonesia 

IMCD has opened a UHT pasteurisation 

laboratory in Jakarta, Indonesia, to 

support complex ingredient formulations 

in the application of dairy, beverages and 

soups. Th new UHT laboratory is fitted with 

equipment that allows IMCD’s customers 

run trials and develop formulations 

together with the IMCD technical team. 

The facility can manage a wide range 

of viscosity from beverages to sauces 

IMCD’s UHT pasteurisation laboratory in Jakarta 

and soups, and has an external chiller 

allowing cold filling temperature down to 

20 o C. It has an enclosed homogenising 

system for both upstream and downstream 

processing, and is equipped with a multi 

sample preparation batch allowing for 

different formulations to be prepared 

simultaneously. 

Koh Wanlin, regional technical manager, 

IMCD Food & Nutrition Asia-Pacific, 

explained: “One of our key focus is the 

retention of nutrients in the product 

under high temperature processing. Our 

technical team has the expertise to help 

our partners overcome this challenge.” 

Besides customer trials, the technical 

team will also concentrate on concepts 

of shelf stable dairy and dairy alternative 

beverages. The concept application will be 

later extended to savoury products such as 

soups and sauces that can be kept at room 

temperature for an extended period. 

Emmanuel Colette, regional business 

director at IMCD Food & Nutrition Asia- 

Pacific, concluded: “With more than 

29% of consumers globally view health 

aspects as an important factor when 

purchasing food and beverage, dairy and 

beverages have become one of the key 

categories in the development of health 

and wellness related products in Asia- 

Pacific. With IMCD’s new UHT pilot facility, 

our customers have now access to support 

from our technical team to speed-up their 

innovative developments, and shorten 

their route-to-market with a collaborative 

agile approach.” ■ 


NEWS 11 

Singapore start-up launches whole-plant based meat brand 

Karana, a Singapore start-up, has 

introduced a whole-plant based meat 

brands with its first product – ‘pork’ 

made from young jackfruit. Dubbed to 

be delicious and sustainable, the wholeplant 

based ‘pork’ offers a guilt-free meat 

alternative that can be enjoyed without 

compromises. 

Staking its claim as the new food-tech 

start-up, Karana’s healthy sustainability 

food is made for discerning Asian palates. 

Its solutions are designed as a new 

third-generation meat alternative that is 

transparent, minimally processed, and 

made from whole-plants with natural 

meat-like qualities. 

The company’s first product is made of 

jackfruit that is sourced from smallholder 

farms in Sri Lanka, and transformed into 

a pork alternative that comes shredded or 

minced. Karana claimed no harsh chemical 

and heavy processing were added, just 

innovative mechanical techniques that 

enhance the texture of the naturally meatlike 

ingredient. 

Dan Riegler, co-founder of Karana, 

commented: “Sustainability has never 

been more important, especially when 

it comes to food, and our first base 

ingredient was carefully chosen with this 

in mind. Jackfruit is an extremely efficient 

crop with high yields and low water usage, 

making it friendly to smallholder farmers. 

It is typically intercropped, promoting 

biodiversity. 60% of jackfruit is currently 

being wasted, a contributor to global 

warming, so with Karana we’ll be reducing 

that wastage, while working with farmers 

to support the local economy.” ■ 

Made of jackfruit, Karana’s pork alternative is 

available shredded and minced 

SCGP completes Go-Pak acquisition deal 

SCG Packaging, a Thai packaging 

company, has expanded its foodservice 

packaging business with the acquisition 

of Go-Pak, a provider of foodservice 

packaging solutions. The deal will enable 

the former expand customer base in the 

foodservice sector, retail and wholesale 

businesses, restaurants and fast-food 

restaurants in the UK, Europe and North 

America, as well as support growth in its 

market base in ASEAN. 

Go-Pak is a distributor of more than 250 

foodservice packaging products, including 

plates, forks and spoons, and cups and 

glasses, made of polymer and various 

degradable materials. Its solutions are 

available across the UK, Europe and 

North America. The company also has a 

production base located in the south of 

Vietnam. 

Wichan Jitpukdee, CEO for SCG Packaging, 

revealed that SCGP has continued to 

expand its foodservice packaging business 

to cope with increasing demands. The 

packaging company currently has a 

production base in Thailand, and has been 

providing foodservice packaging products, 

including food packaging and paper 

straws, under the Fest brand in response 

to demands for safe and environmentallyfree 

food safety packaging. 

In 2018, SCGP has expanded its 

foodservice packaging production base in 

Malaysia by acquiring shares of Interpress 

Printers Sendirian Berhad (IPSB), a 

producer of food packaging made from 

paper and has a customer base consisting 

of networks of restaurants and fast-food 

companies in Asia. 

“Our investment will boost our potential 

and strengthen our food packaging 

production and marketing capacities to 

cope with our enlarged customer base 

from the UK, Europe and North America. 

It will also enable us to provide more 

diverse food packaging solutions for the 

expanding ASEAN market,” Jitpukdee 

concluded. ■ 


12 

NEWS 

Sodexo reinvents catering with Atlas AI platform 

Sodexo, a catering service provider, has 

worked with Huawei France to launch the 

Seefood intelligent settlement solution. 

The solution is built on the Huawei Atlas 

AI software and hardware platform, and 

combined artificial intelligence (AI) image 

recognition into the settlement phase to 

automatically recognise dishes, calculate 

prices, and complete settlement via cards 

and mobile terminals. 

This solution uses deep metric learning 

to recognise each dish. It is designed to 

recognise the distinguishing features of 

a dish after the canteen operator inputs 

a new dish image. The system provides 

an algorithm for updating the features of 

incorrectly identified samples to improve 

the recognition rate. In addition, after 

each recognition, the terminal system 

automatically adds object detection and 

classification labels and sends them to 

the training platform on the cloud. In this 

way, the number of training samples and 

the precise of the algorithm models are 

improved on the go. 

The Seefood solution provides nutrition 

and calorie information. Empowered by 

these innovations, the solution not only 

eliminates the need for manual cashier 

intervention to reduce queuing time, but 

delivers healthier, tech-driven, and more 

personalised services for diners. 

Using AI image recognition, the Seefood solution 

is able to recognise each dish in 0.3 seconds 

For cafeteria operators, the Seefood 

solution implements automated 

settlement, and provides order and 

turnover statistics to visualise operation 

data, helping them improve service 

capability and enhance operational 

efficiency. For instance, a cafeteria that 

serves 2,000 people can accelerate its 

settlement speed from 20 seconds per 

person to just 3 seconds, increase the 

number of people served per hour from 

180 to 1,200 and implement 24/7, realtime 

operation data management and 

analysis. 

The Seefood solution is currently adopted 

by Sodexo in its cafeteria for Huawei’s 

Shenzhen headquarters, as well as 

other large enterprises, hospitals, and 

universities in cities including Guangzhou, 

Shenzhen, and Shanghai in China. ■ 

Twenty Degrees launch brings specialty cocoa to craft chocolate makers 

Backed by Olam Cocoa, Twenty Degrees is 

a new specialty cacao business sourcing 

premium quality cacao beans globally. 

The business is poised to unlock 

opportunities for farmers by bringing 

single origin cacao beans to market that 

are either too specialist or too remote to 

be sold to mainstream manufacturers. 

From cacao grown in the highland Simbu 

region to Papua New Guinea, to beans 

farmed by the Eperara community 

in Ecuador’s coastal rainforest, a 

community only accessible by boat. A 

team of agronomists will work with each 

community to ensure the quality and 

flavour of its cacao meets the highest 

standards. 

The Twenty Degrees busines model 

is built on partnerships with farmers 

and customers. It aims to help farmers 

adopt sustainable farming practices and 

investing in the growth and security of the 

communities it works with. This also allows 

the business to provide customers with 

new levels of transparency and traceability 

right back to the farm gate, so chocolate 

makers have the information on the cacao 

beans they buy, from the farmers who 

grew them to the carbon footprint of the 

crop. 

Twenty Degrees will be led by an 

entrepreneurial new team but draw on 

the expertise and operational strength of 

Olam Cocoa, a business under Olam Food 

Ingredients (OFI). The former will be able 

to benefit from the latter’s experience in 

cocoa sustainability and from the insight 

and expertise of its dedicated flavour lab 

in the Netherlands, which will test the 

specialty cacao beans and help to bring 

out their flavour, smell and texture. 

Gerard A. Manley, CEO of Olam Cocoa, 

commented: “With Twenty Degrees, we are 

combining our knowledge of cocoa farming 

and our capability to source from distant 

and often remote communities with a focus 

on flavour differentiation. It will leverage 

our existing presence to drive sustainable 

farming practices and support livelihoods as 

part of Cocoa Compass, our sustainability 

ambition for the future of the industry.” ■ 

Twenty Degrees will source quality cacao beans 

from 10 regions, each hand-picked for their 

distinctive and sensory profile 


NEWS 13 

Universal Robots reaches industry milestone with 50,000 cobots sold 

Collaborative robots, or cobots, remain 

the fastest growing segment of industrial 

automation, projected to grow during 

2021-2026 at a CAGR of 45.45% in Asia- 

Pacific, according to Universal Robots 

(UR). The cobot manufacturer has further 

recorded the sale of its 50,000th UR 

cobot, which was purchased by a German 

manufacturer to enable higher productivity 

and better employee safety. 

Jürgen von Hollen, president of Universal 

Robots, handed over the 50,000th cobot 

to VEMA technische Kunststoffteile and 

VEMA Werkzeug- und Formenbau at a 

ceremony held at VEMA. He said: “We 

have worked hard in the past 15 years to 

develop an entirely new market segment 

with a mission to enable especially smalland 

medium-sized companies to automate 

tasks they thought were too costly or 

complex. VEMA was looking for a costeffective, 

flexible, easy-to-use automation 

solution they could implement, programme 

and manage on their own. They found 

exactly that in the UR cobot.” 

VEMA’s new cobot will join a fleet of three 

other UR cobots already deployed in pickand-place 

tasks in end-of-line applications 

at the company. 

Christian Veser, managing director 

at VEMA, pointed out how the cobots 

enabled the company to add a third shift, 

now operating around the clock, and 

elaborated: “Our employees are freed 

from ergonomically straining work to 

focus on quality testing. In navigating 

COVID-19 challenges, it has also been 

a great advantage that the cobots don’t 

need to keep a safety distance or undergo 

quarantine. They can always work.” 

James McKew, regional director of Asia- 

Pacific at Universal Robots, concluded: 

“15 years ago, Universal Robots started 

with a vision of creating robots that are 

safe to work alongside human workers, 

and empowering people to get away from 

doing mundane, dirty, and dangerous jobs. 

“Today, with the COVID-19 pandemic, 

collaborative robots have been rapidly 

adopted by both small and medium 

enterprises and large corporation around 

the world. During times that require a 

high level of flexibility and adaptability, 

cobots have become a sensible solution 

to maintaining factory footprint and 

promoting value creation for organisations 

like VEMA.” ■ 

Universal Robots projects Asia-Pacific to become 

the largest cobot market from 2021-2026 

Ferrero partners Sourcemap to trace hazelnut value chain 

Ferrero, an Italian chocolate and 

confectionery products manufacturer, 

has established a partnership with 

Sourcemap, a provider of supply chain 

mapping, traceability and transparency 

solutions. The latter’s technology provides 

a platform to visualise supply chains and 

enhance traceability, further strengthening 

Ferrero will leverage on Sourcemap’s platform to 

enhance traceability and transparency within its 

hazelnut value chain 

the former’s efforts in working with its 

suppliers to achieve greater transparency. 

Through Sourcemap’s platform, Ferrero 

will have the ability to collect key data on 

social and agricultural practices, validate 

the value chain through data science, and 

ensure that performance is continuously 

improving. 

Most of the world’s food supply chains, 

including Ferrero’s global sourcing 

activities, are faced with the same 

commonality – complexity. Particularly, 

the hazelnut supply chain has specific 

challenges. For instance, in Turkey 

there are around 470,000 officiallyregistered 

hazelnut farmers. Using 

advanced technologies for traceability 

will strengthen governance and also 

mitigate the potential short-term impact 

on Ferrero’s progress as a consequence of 

COVID-19. 

Marco Gonçalves, chief procurement 

and hazelnut company officer at Ferrero, 

concluded: “The social and environmental 

quality of the raw materials we source 

is essential to Ferrero. Our recently 

published Hazelnut Charter outlines our 

commitments in this regard, founded on 

a continuous improvement approach. 

Our partnership with Sourcemap is 

an important building block towards 

achieving greater supplier transparency 

and enhancing quality.” ■ 


THE NOW, NEXT, AND FUTURE 

OF THE GLOBAL FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY 

The challenging 2020 has caused 

a fundamental reset in human 

behaviour. Recognising this 

transformation, Mintel identified three 

key trends for the global food, drink, and 

foodservice industries, including analysis, 

insights, and recommendations centred 

around the ‘now’ (next 12 months), 

the ‘next’ (18 months and over), and 

the ‘future’ (five years and beyond) of 

consumer behaviour. 

• Feed the Mind: Innovative food and 

drink formulations will offer solutions 

for mental and emotional well-being 

that will create a new foundation for 

healthy eating. 

• Quality Redefined: Brands will 

be challenged to respond to new 

definitions of trust, quality and 

“essential”. 

• United by Food: Food and drink 

brands can balance a person’s need 

to feel special with the desire to be 

part of communities of like-minded 

individuals. 

Looking ahead, Daisy Li, associate director, 

Mintel Food & Drink, discussed how shifts 

in consumer behaviour related to wellbeing, 

value, and identity will inspire 

formulation, packaging, marketing, and 

more in the years to come. 

FEED THE MIND 

In 2021 and beyond, expect to see food, 

drink, and foodservice brands offer 

moments of respite through product rituals 

and formulations that enhance stress 

relief activities. As the singular focus of 

avoiding COVID-19 fades, people will make 

more serious commitments to reduce the 

health risks associated with unhealthy 

eating, become more interested in mindful 

and intuitive eating, and seek proof and 

incentives through the use of technology. 

“The COVID-19 global pandemic has 

made consumers recognise that wellbeing 

is a vital concern. In the coming 

years, consumers will be looking for more 

products and services that offer mental 

and emotional health benefits,” Li said. 

“Functional formulation and emotionally 

engaging multi-sensory products will 

help food, drink, and foodservice brands 



15 

command a larger share among a myriad 

of mental and emotional health options. 

We predict that innovative food and drink 

formulations will help people learn how 

diet can impact mental and emotional 

health, which will lead to new interest 

in psychological-based approaches to 

healthy eating.” 

QUALITY REDEFINED 

Expect to see consumers look for 

approachable upscale meals for 

“hometainment” occasions. Expect 

to see brands and retailers launch 

appropriately priced products with ethical 

or environmental claims and consumer 

increase their expectations for contactless 

retail that will expand to include 

experiential services. Over the next five 

years and beyond, brands and operators 

that invest in seamless retail and equitable 

access to healthy food will come out on 

top. 

In the next few years, brands will also be 

challenged to respond to new definitions 

of quality and ensure e-commerce is 

accessible to shoppers of all socioeconomic 

levels. The focus on getting the best value 

for one’s money will motivate brands to 

be more transparent about product price 

by providing details about the ingredients, 

processes, and people that are reflected in 

a product’s price.” 

UNITED BY FOOD 

In the next 12 months, food, drink, and 

foodservice companies will encourage 

people to use their brands as a form of 

self-expression and a way to reconnect 

with their pre-pandemic identities. Expect 

to see social commerce develop as a new 

way for brands to capitalise on building 

communities that will, in turn, give brands 

actionable ways to give back and use their 

resources, reputation, and reach to help 

consumers take action on important causes. 

“Consumers’ understanding of the 

community has been strengthened by 

COVID-19. Recognising the importance 

of connection and support, consumers 

will organise in like-minded communities 

for socialisation and camaraderie,” Li 

concluded. “Food, drink, and foodservice 

brands can take advantage of their positions 

as common interests and passions to 

which consumers can tie their identities 

and actively bring individual fans together. 

Bound by the brands they have in common, 

communities will expand people’s social 

circles and introduce collective ways to 

make a difference.” FBA 

This article is provided by Mintel. 

She continued: “When it comes to value, 

pandemic-shocked consumers are seeking 

a return to what is essential. Consumers 

are now focused on minimal consumption 

and getting the best returns from their 

purchases. 

“As market opens, the pace of life will 

get busier, and consumers will expect 

time-saving, hygienic, and adventurous 

convenience food, drink, and foodservice. 

FOLLOW US 



16 


Food and nutrition trends 

in Asia-Pacific 

A balanced diet and an active lifestyle are keys to healthy living, and this holds 

true in current times more than ever. As with the rest of the world, there 

is a marked interest amongst Asia-Pacific consumers for better nutrition 

information and knowledge that is largely driven by the need for a strong 

immune system amongst other things. With nutrition constantly developing 

and evolving, Susan Bowerman, senior director, worldwide nutrition 

education and training, Herbalife Nutrition, gives her predictions on the food 

and nutrition trends that will continue to grow in popularity this year. 


1 SUPERFOODS 

One of the prominent trends in major 

Asia-Pacific countries has been the rise 

of the superfoods. These are considered 

to be foods that can promote vitality 

and overall health, and also play a role 

in boosting the human immune system. 

Superfoods generally contain one or more 

bioactive components such as polyunsaturated 

fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, 

probiotic micro-organisms, antioxidants, 

essential amino acid, polysaccharides and 

enzymes. They are often the sources of 

various important antioxidants such as 

vitamins A, C and E, flavonoids, selenium, 

B-carotene, zinc and lycopene. Various 

types of berries, tea, ginger, walnuts, 

almonds, broccoli, spinach, chia seeds, 

acai, coconuts, red beans and cocoa are 

some of the widely consumed superfoods. 

The Asia-Pacific region is home to some of 

the largest populations of senior citizens 

in the world. Therefore, such superfoods 

which may promote overall health and 

vitality have become extremely popular in 

the recent years. 

2 

PLANT-BASED DIETS 

There are indicators that the plantbased 

food trend will gain momentum 

in the new normal. A recent survey 

by Herbalife Nutrition among 8,000 

consumers in Asia-Pacific showed that in 

the past year, 49% of respondents who 

have made changes to their diet started 

eating more fruits and vegetables, 46% 

ate less meat, while 39% chose to eat 

more plant-based foods. The top reason 

cited for the changes was to improve their 

health. 

For those who want to eat more plantbased 

food but do not want to give up the 

taste of meat, there are plenty of meatless 

meat options. While bean and grain-based 

burgers have been around for some time, 

there are newer products made with plant 

protein powders that provide the taste 

and texture that meat-eaters crave. This 

is positive news for many of the survey 

respondents who did not want to eat less 

meat because of the taste factor. 

Lastly, the affordability of meat-free 

products was not seen as a significant 

barrier to its wider-spread adoption. In all 

the eight countries surveyed, key obstacles 

were overwhelming about taste and how 

other family members preferred meat. 

3 

GUT FOOD 

The enteric nervous system is 

made up of neurons that line the walls 

of the gastrointestinal tract, and is often 

referred to as the “second brain” or the 

“gut brain” because it has the ability to 

operate independently of the brain and the 

spinal cord, which constitute the central 

nervous system. These millions of neurons 

coordinate to control various functions 

of the digestive system, including the 

creation of muscle contractions which help 

to move waste through the last part of the 

digestive system. 

Today, the focus is on consuming foods 

that support digestive health and 

reduce the incidence of indigestion, gas, 

bloating of the stomach or other common 

gastrointestinal problems. Insoluble fibres, 

which are prominent in whole grains, nuts 

and beans, promote regularity; while foods 

rich in soluble fibre – such as oats, apples 

and barley – are prebiotics which help 

promote the growth of beneficial bacteria 

in gut microbiome. Fermented foods such 

as pickles, yoghurt and fermented soybean 

products are a source of these beneficial 

microorganisms. 

PROTEIN PRODUCTS 

4 Consumers are also starting to 

realise the importance of providing 

enough proteins to their bodies. Hence, 

protein products have witnessed a surge 

in demand. Due to the lower cost, easy 

availability and functionality, soy and dairy 

products will continue to dominate as the 

leading protein sources in the region. As 

per estimates, plant-protein consumption 

in the region is on the rise, and is expected 

to register about 12% year-on-year 

growth until 2025. 

Soy protein is the largest source of 

proteins in the region, and it is followed 

by wheat, pea, rice and whey proteins in 

terms of market size. In a lot of areas, 

protein shakes and supplements are 

rapidly replacing conventional aerated 

beverages. They can even be found on the 

menus of restaurants, hotels and beverage 

corners in many countries. 

5 

FOCUS ON INGREDIENTS 

A major emerging trend and one 

that will become a major practice in the 

years ahead is the focus on ingredients. An 

ever-increasing number of consumers is 


18 


asking questions about what constitutes 

the food they are being served or should 

be eating. There is a lot of attention 

given to nutrition value of the food items. 

Food products with herbs, low-fat items, 

and foods which provide micronutrient 

minerals and vitamins are making it to the 

daily consumption list. 

As a nutritional brand, Herbalife Nutrition 

has continuously focused on ingredients 

and their quality. We have invested heavily 

in setting up research and DNA tracking 

facilities for the botanicals that go into 

our products. We source ingredients from 

different parts of the world. For instance, 

our soy is produced in the US while the 

teas originate in Asia. Each botanical 

ingredient is grown either at our facilities 

across four continents, or sourced from 

vendors that are selected through a 

stringent multi-layered quality control 

process that can take as long as a year 

and a half to complete. 

6 

FUNCTIONAL SOUPS 

The fast-paced lifestyles and lack of 

time scenarios have pushed consumers to 

look for easy and quick-fix alternative to 

meals such as soups, which may include 

functional, health promoting ingredients 

such as ginger, ginseng or cordyceps. 

Consumers are seeking easy to prepare 

soup formulations which offer benefits 

such as superior stamina, better immunity, 

muscular revitalisation and improvement 

in brain and heart functions. 

Soups have been a key part of the food 

and traditional medicines practices in 

Asia-Pacific, and they can offer various 

health benefits and nutrients that go far 

beyond merely filling the stomach. 

7 

FLORAL BEVERAGES 

Floral ingredients have already 

gained a lot of popularity in the food 

and beverages segment since they offer 

distinct flavours and health benefits. 

Different flowers contain diverse 

antioxidants, minerals, vitamins and 

other nutrients. The aromatic flavours 

captivate consumers from all over the 

world and there are different applications 

for different floral extracts. For instance, 

hibiscus is a very popular flower and hibiscus 

tea may help reduce blood pressure, and 

support healthy cholesterol and triglycerides. 

In addition, there is a growing number 

of fitness-conscious consumers who 

increasingly prefer lower-calorie nutritious 

drinks that please the taste buds as well. 

8 

DIET FOR THE MIND 

The focus on mental health has 

increased tremendously in recent times. 

Most consumers are realising that mental 

health and stimulation are as important to 

a good life as physical fitness and balanced 

nutrition. Hence, they are increasingly 

looking for foods that not only fill the 

stomach, but also invigorate the mind. Food 

items that are rich in turmeric, ginseng, 

vitamin Bs and other such nutrients are 

becoming popular. Caffeine-rich coffee and 

green tea are now seen as more than just the 

morning drinks that get one out of the bed, 

but as beverages that can support mental 

function, and this trend will continue to grow 

this year. FBA 


BITING ISSUES 19 

EXBERRY range grows with oil-dispersible pink shade for 

fat-based applications 

GNT has extended its range of oildispersible 

colouring foods with the 

launch of a pink shade made from fruit and 

vegetables. 

EXBERRY Shade Pink – OD is designed for 

fat-based applications 

Developed for use in fat-based 

applications, EXBERRY Shade Pink – OD 

is the latest addition to a collection of oildispersible 

shades that also includes red, 

yellow, orange, blue and green options. 

When working with plant-based colours, 

different applications can require different 

formats to ensure the best results. 

EXBERRY OD products are liquid-based 

colours made by dispersing small particles 

– created through a multi-stage milling 

process – in sunflower oil. As a result, they 

can achieve a homogenous colour effect 

in fat-based applications including ice 

SweeGen adds Reb N to sweet taste solution toolbox 

SweeGen has announced the successful 

commercialisation of Bestevia 

Rebaudioside N (Reb N), a zero-calorie 

natural stevia sweetener. Reb N is a 

naturally occurring sweetener found 

in stevia leaves. The sensory profile 

of Bestevia Reb N makes it especially 

attractive for beverage applications, which 

is an application space that has already 

been licensed out. Its functionality also 

allows Reb N to work well in a variety of 

foods. 

Following SweeGen’s commercial 

announcements of Bestevia Rebs B and 

I, and with the addition of Reb N, the 

company’s portfolio of sugar reduction 

solutions is better positioned to address 

sugar reduction challenges. The sweet 

profile of Bestevia Reb N will also empower 

the creation of solutions that have a taste 

profile closer to both full-calorie and 

high intensity sweeteners, Shari Mahon, 

senior vice-president of global application 

technology at SweeGen, added. 

SweeGen’s portfolio of natural stevia 

sweeteners are classified as next generation 

non-GMO, high-purity, and clean tasting. 

The Bestevia portfolio includes Rebs B, 

D, E, I, M, and now Reb N. These Rebs 

translate to clean label, sustainable, natural 

sweeteners that consumers seek in finished 

products. 

Much like Bestevia Rebs M, E and I, Reb N is 

found in trace quantities in the stevia leaf, 

which was previously difficult and costly 

to isolate. SweeGen’s Bestevia Reb N is 

now accessible because it is produced by 

a bioconversion technology, which starts 

with a sustainably-sourced stevia leaf, and 

results in great tasting, pure molecules 

that are found in nature. This process was 

developed by Conagen, a biotech innovator 

of sustainable ingredients. 

cream coatings, fat fillings for biscuits and 

pralines, compound coatings for cereals 

and cookies, seasoning mixes for savoury 

snacks, and fat compounds for chocolate 

decorations. 

Jana Reckter, product manager at GNT 

Group, said: “Fat-based applications 

have historically proved challenging for 

plant-based colours, but our expanded 

EXBERRY OD range means manufacturers 

now have more options than ever to create 

spectacular products with clean and clear 

labels. Our new EXBERRY Shade Pink – OD 

is made from both fruit and vegetables, 

and offers a wonderful pink hue.” ■ 

Dr Casey Lippmeier, vice-president of 

innovation for Conagen, concluded: “The 

introduction of Reb N is another great 

example of how Conagen’s expertise in 

bioconversion technology enables the 

creation of stevia sweeteners. With such 

a wide range of next-generation stevia 

offerings now available, we will see a 

new level of innovation in better-for-you 

products that was previously considered 

impossible.” ■ 

The addition of Reb N will complement consumers 

demand for natural sweeteners in finished products 

GNT SweeGen 


20 BITING ISSUES 

WHO 

WHO’s new laboratory protocol measures trans-fat in foods 

The World Health Organization (WHO) 

has published a new laboratory protocol 

for the measurement of trans-fat in 

foods. The protocol is designed to allow 

countries assess the levels of TFA in their 

food supply to understand key sources of 

trans-fatty acids (TFA) in their diet as well 

as monitor the compliance or effectiveness 

of the policy implemented to ultimately 

eliminate industrially produced TFA. 

The organisation pointed out the 

importance for countries to be able to 

collect data on TFA levels in foods so 

that they can inform on policy decisions, 

monitor changes over time, and track 

compliance with national policies. Entitled 

“Global protocol for measuring fatty 

acid profiles of foods with emphasis on 

monitoring trans fats originated from 

partially hydrogenated oils”, the new 

protocol can be adapted for measuring 

TFA levels in national food supplies in a 

range of settings. 

Increased TFA intake (>1% of total energy 

intake) is associated with coronary heart 

disease events and mortality. Industrially 

produced TFA is used in baked and fried 

foods, pre-packaged snacks, and certain 

cooking oils and fats that are used at 

home, in restaurants or in street food. 

WHO’s new protocol allows countries to access trans-fatty acids (TFA) levels in their food supply (Photo 

credit: WHO/EURO Kremlin Wickramasinghe) 

Elimination of industrially produced TFA 

from the global food supply by 2023 is 

a key target of the WHO’s 13th General 

Programme of Work. Since the launch 

of the REPLACE action framework in 

May 2018, the organisation has been 

supporting countries to take actions to 

eliminate industrially produced TFA from 

their national food supply. ■ 

Beyond Meat 

Beyond Meat has announced its plans 

to enter a 12-year lease in a new, nearly 

300,000 sqm foot space in El Segundo, 

California, the US. Serving as Beyond 

Meat’s new global headquarters, the new 

site is slated to open in fall this year, and 

is a substantial increase in the company’s 

footprint that will reportedly support 

innovation, advanced research labs, 

and the incubation of ideas that further 

accelerate the plant-based market of the 

future. 

Ethan Brown, founder and CEO for Beyond 

Meat, said: “The new campus and facilities 

will house fundamental and applied 

research, alongside globalised product 

Beyond Meat unveils new global headquarters 

development teams, all in service to a research incubators that will enable the 

single goal – creating meat from plants development of new technologies and 

that is indistinguishable from its animal innovative products utilising artificial 

protein equivalent. It is on this campus intelligence and machine learning. ■ 

that we expect to advance ever more 

rapidly against our taste, nutrition, and 

cost metrics, inviting and empowering 

more consumers around the world to Go 

Beyond.” 

The construction of the new Beyond Meat 

global headquarters will take place in 

three phases, and will include increased 

pilot space to support multiple product 

lines while enabling for 3-4 times growth 

research personnel over current levels. 

Additionally, the campus will feature 

Beyond Beef lettuce wraps 



Tate & Lyle updates portfolio with new starches and newly-earned Non- 

GMO Project Verification for crystalline DOLCIA PRIMA Allulose 

Tate & Lyle has announced the expansion 

of its DOLCIA PRIMA Allulose portfolio 

with its crystalline form certified as 

Non-GMO Project Verified. This provides 

manufacturers with the opportunity to 

increase the number of retail products 

bearing the Non-GMO Project Verified label 

and certification. 

Allulose is a naturally-occurring, lowcalorie 

sugar that exists in nature in small 

quantities. It is said to deliver “clean, 

sweet taste and functionality similar to 

sugar” but without the calories. Now, 

this crystalline form – together with the 

DOLCIA PRIMA Allulose syrup – enables 

manufacturers to broaden the use of 

allulose to create healthier and tastier 

options across a diverse set of food and 

beverage applications. 

Abigail Storms, vice-president of 

sweetener innovation at Tate & Lyle, 

said: “By expanding the DOLCIA PRIMA 

Allulose line of Non-GMO Project Verified 

ingredients, Tate & Lyle is adding another 

tool to its extensive portfolio, ensuring that 

our customers can respond to growing 

consumer demand for healthier, tastier and 

clean label products.” 

The company has also expanded its line 

of tapioca-based starches, which includes 

the launch of new REZISTA MAX thickening 

starches and BRIOGEL gelling starches. 

These tapioca starches are designed 

to allow food manufacturers deliver 

products with improved process tolerance, 

mouthfeel, fluidity and texture; and can 

be used across dairy, soups, sauces and 

dressings, confectionery and more. 

Dr Mariana Perez-Herrera, research 

scientist at Tate & Lyle, added: “Tapioca 

starch provides some formulation benefits 

such as a translucent colour and a soft 

gel-like texture that is especially appealing 

in certain applications such as dairy 

desserts, certain sauces, confectionery 

and processed cheese.” 

In addition to providing the desirable 

neutral colour and flavour of tapioca 

starch, the REZISTA MAX thickening 

starches were developed to provide 

utmost texture and stability, even under 

extreme processing conditions, properties 

important to applications in dairy, 

puddings, fillings, soups, sauces and 

dressings. 

The new BRIOGEL gelling starches create 

a soft gel and come in a range of strengths 

that are compatible with applications 

such as processed cheese. The fluidity 

of BRIOGEL starches also triggers 

gelling after cooling, which makes them 

optimal for use in confections such as 

gummy candies, jams, jellies, and other 

applications. 

This expansion of Tate & Lyle’s tapiocabased 

texturant range follows its 

agreement to acquire Chaodee Modified 

Starch, a tapioca business based in 

Thailand, announced last October. This 

investment extends the former’s presence 

in specialty tapioca-based texturants, and 

establishes a dedicated production facility 

in the main tapioca region of eastern 

Thailand. ■ 

Tate & Lyle 

Tate & Lyle’s new starches can be used across dairy, soups, sauces and 

dressings, confectionery and more 

DOLCIA PRIMA Allulose is available in crystalline form as Non-GMO 

Project Verified 


22 BITING ISSUES 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients’ Biotis Immune Health solutions 

unlocks new innovation opportunities 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients has 

announced the launch of its Biotis Immune 

Health solutions for natural immunity 

support. The latest of three health benefit 

solution platforms under the Biotis brand, 

Biotis Immune Health is said to unlock 

the benefits of dairy ingredients to bring 

immune-supporting products to the 

nutritional solutions market. 

The emergence of the global COVID-19 

pandemic has accelerated consumer 

interest in immunity. In 2020, the number 

of consumers that actively wanted to 

improve their immunity rose from 50% to 

70%, and 60% said they have become 

more conscious about their immune health 

as a direct result of COVID-19, according 

to a FMCG Gurus study. At the same time, 

consumers are more interested in, and are 

educating themselves about, ingredients 

that support immune health, including 

those derived from dairy. 

To empower brand owners tap into 

this growing market opportunity by 

inspiring the next product innovation, 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients has 

developed two new consumer application 

suggestions as part of the Biotis Immune 

Health solutions range, based on its 

Biotis lactoferrin: Immunity Up! chewable 

gummies and its Immune-Plus powder 

drink. 

Guus Aerts, managing director for 

performance, active and medical nutrition 

at FrieslandCampina Ingredients, said: 

“Supporting immune health has been 

a growing top priority for consumers 

for some time, and of course the global 

COVID-19 pandemic has continued 

to ensure that immunity stays in the 

spotlight. Through our Biotis brand, 

we bring together renowned scientific 

Biotis Immune Health is the latest of three health benefit solution platforms under the Biotis brand 

understanding, extensive application milk and including the heat treatment 

expertise and global market insights process that preserves nativity and 

to unlock new opportunities for our 

bioactivity. 

customers in the health and wellness field. 

With dairy and immunity going hand in “Though the pandemic may have boosted 

hand, we’re very excited to be expanding innovation in the immunity space, we see 

our Biotis portfolio with concepts that immune-targeted solutions playing an 

will support immune health using natural, important role in consumers’ lives now and 

science-backed ingredients.” 

in the years to come as individuals look 

to futureproof themselves against further 

Lactoferrin is a protein naturally present potential health threats. With this in 

in cow and human milk. The company mind, we’re looking forward to continued 

claimed to maintain total control of each collaboration with our customers to bring 

part of the lactoferrin supply chain, 

these much-needed solutions to life,” Aerts 

starting from the production of the raw concluded. ■ 



AB Enzymes introduces new Veron Ryeo to optimise dough rheology 

AB Enzymes has launched a new 

product in its range of enzymes for rye 

According to the company, customer 

feedback showed that the most challenging 

the bread improver manufacturers’ needs 

to innovate, develop and broaden their 

applications. Veron Ryeo is designed to factors for processing dough with a high rye 

product range. This new generation 

help bread improver manufacturers to content are their sticky dough surface and 

of improvers will give bakers a clearly 

create enhanced rye-based products with 

the lack of viscoelastic properties. 

advanced performance in processes with 

optimised rheological properties. 

Dr Alexander Henrich, application 

development director bake at AB 

Enzymes, explained: “Veron Ryeo is a 

next-generation product tailored to the 

technological demands of rye dough 

processing in artisanal and industrial 

environments. It enables producers of 

functional baking ingredients to formulate 

novel rye bread improvers for easier dough 

handling compared to previously available 

enzyme technology.” 

Oscar Diez, business director bake at AB 

Enzymes, concluded: “Veron Ryeo covers 

doughs containing high amounts of rye 

flour.” ■ 

DuPont introduces new probiotic to reduce perceived stress 

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences has 

launched Howaru Calm, a probiotic 

aimed at helping dietary supplement 

manufacturers decrease the cycle of 

Prior to the launch, a clinical study 

on Howaru Calm’s featured strain, 

L. paracasei Lpc-37, was conducted 

to ensure its quality, efficacy and 

Stephanie Udell, global marketing leader, 

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, added: “In 

the last five years, the industry has been 

a 34% global increase of new probiotic 

consumer stress. As the latest addition to performance. DuPont Nutrition & 

supplements that help stabilise mood and 

DuPont’s Howaru portfolio, Howaru Calm Biosciences found that those participants 

combat stress, as consumers have begun 

is shown to manage the psychological taking Lpc-37 reported a “significant 

response to perceived stress, the company 

claimed. 

reduction” in perceived stress following 

five-weeks of intervention. 

to recognise the critical impact the gut 

has on the brain. By launching Howaru 

Calm, we’re allowing dietary supplement 

manufacturers to develop an efficacious 

end-product that satisfies market demand 

for probiotic supplements aimed at 

reducing stress and promoting mental 

well-being.” 

AB Enzymes DuPont 

Howaru Calm can be added to existing 

dietary supplements products, or used to 

create new ones. In addition, Howaru Calm 

can be formulated into food and beverage 

Howaru Calm is said to help adults manage the psychological response to perceived stress, promoting 

mental well-being and a relaxed state of mind 

products to meet the increasing consumer 

demand for alternative probiotic formats. ■ 


24 

INGREDIENTS 

Drones and driverless tractors can be deployed in farms to work on 

behalf of human workers with greater precision 

How technology revolutionises 

the future of food and farming 

Photo credit: Unsplash.com 

The global pandemic brought about by COVID-19 has heightened a deep 

sense of food insecurity in many countries. The future of food became 

key political and economic hotspots almost overnight. Friedhelm Best, 

vice-president of the Asia-Pacific region at HIMA, provides his perspective 

into what the future of farming and food production might look like. 

According to a United Nations 

report, the world population is 

expected to reach 9.8 billion by 

2050. With more than 9 billion people to 

feed, farmers are anticipating challenges in 

terms of supply and demand. Additionally, 

urbanisation is increasing, which may 

stimulate improvements in infrastructure 

and climate change at the expense of 

agricultural throughput. The COVID-19 

pandemic has also shown the world how a 

global pandemic can rapidly disrupt food 

supplies leading to adverse reactions from 

communities. 

A concerted effort by governments, 

regulatory bodies, equipment manufacturers 

and smart technology vendors are required 

to address these challenges. 

The International Organisation for 

Standardisation’s (ISO) smart farming 

standards, span the entire supply chain 

from farm to plate. This includes tools 

and technology standards, standards on 

soil quality, irrigation, and food safety 

management. Equipment manufacturers 

and researchers congregate in industry 

events such as the VDI Conference 

for Smart Farming or Agritechnica to 

showcase smart farming solutions that 

meet sustainability goals and help farmers 

comply with changing regulations. 

But what exactly are these new 

innovations? 

PRECISION FARMING IN FARM & 

FOOD 4.0 

The next phase of food production and 

processing inevitably involves smart 

innovations and digitisation. Farms and 

food processing companies turning to 

smarter and more powerful systems to 

optimise harvesting, processing, and 

packaging of food are steadily on the 

rise. Similar to many other industries, 

the competitiveness of farms and food 

processing companies will increasingly 

hinge on their ability to incorporate 

advance technologies such as artificial 

intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), 

robotics and automation to drive greater 

business efficiencies, improve yield 

and profitability, as well as ensuring a 

safer, more reliable and sustainable food 

production supply chain. 

Today, modern farms are operating 

differently, primarily due to technological 

advances such as sensors and devices that 

increase the efficiency and productivity 

in farming. The adoption of advanced 

technologies has precipitated the term 

“Precision Agriculture” revolution. 


INGREDIENTS 

25 

Indoor vertical farming 

Unlike traditional techniques where farm 

operators consider a field as a world, 

inputs can be utilised in precise amounts, 

accounting for growth activity in specific 

areas of the field. Adopted by John Deere, 

precision farming entered the frame back 

in the early 1990s, with the introduction of 

Global Positioning System (GPS) installed 

in tractors. 

Now, precision farming is the key to 

managing land. This includes onboard 

equipment such as speed and motion 

sensors, General Packet Radio Services 

(GPRS), a Controller Area Network (CAN) 

bus electrical system and lasers. In fact, 

driverless tractors are introduced, safely 

performing the work on behalf of human 

workers with greater precision. 

The agricultural industry and farm 

operators have embraced another 

phenomenal innovation – drones. 

Drone technology has been introduced to 

the field, achieving and improving what is 

known as precision farming. Via a wireless 

connection and controlled by a pilot, 

drones can be used to get a bird’s eye 

view of the field. This can speed up crop 

inventories and provides a more efficient 

way of monitoring crops for infestation 

or disease, analysing the field, checking 

irrigation, and taking action based on 

livestock data. The need for efficient and 

precise agriculture has driven the rise of 

drones, presenting huge cost savings. By 

using image recognition, drones can be 

even trained to detect weeds. With further 

advancements in drones for agriculture, 

drones could one day detect a weed and 

actually remove it autonomously. 

For land-scare countries or high human 

density urban environments, indoor 

vertical farming is becoming a viable 

option and attracting more interest today. 

One of the major benefits of vertical 

farming is having greater output from 

a small cultivation footprint. This 

efficient use of land may eventually play 

a significant role in preparing for food 

challenges in the future. Already, countries 

such as Singapore, Norway and the United 

Arab Emirates (UAE) have embraced 

advanced indoor farming. 

However, indoor farming techniques 

use controlled environment agriculture 

technology, which are heavily reliant on 

artificially controlling temperature, light, 

humidity and gases to grow and produce 

food indoors. Losing power for a single day 

can be devasting for such a set up. This 

means having the right safety controllers 

in place are critical to ensure low or no 

downtime. 

SAFETY AND SECURITY 

IMPLICATIONS IN DIGITAL FARMING 

Precise agriculture and rapid advances of 

technologies in the industry have not only 

changed the way food is produced but also 

opens up to new cyber and safety risks as 

well as security failures. 

How can companies mitigate risks while 

maximising outputs and optimising 

operations? Prioritising safety is a 

fundamental aspect of agriculture as well 

as the factory production of food and 

drink. The most common safety function 

found in these industries are emergency 

shutdown systems, door interlocking, and 

turbomachinery control. Companies can 

leverage Industry 4.0 technologies such 

as big data analysis and sensors to detect 

inconsistencies in automation systems, 

and make necessary adjustments. 

Alleviating safety risks at the stage of 

planning is a consideration that may 

determine whether a company remains in 

optimal production or collapses during a 

crisis. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a 

rapid increase in cybercrime has been 

documented and affected the food and 

agriculture sectors. As production plants 

become more complex and networked, 

safety-related automation systems could 

protect against cyberthreats against 

hardware, operating systems, networking, 

and engineering. This could be the 

difference between thriving or failing in 

Food and Farm 4.0. 

THE FUTURE OF THE AGRICULTURAL 

INDUSTRY 

Technological innovations and 

breakthroughs will continue to change 

the game in food and farming, driving 

agricultures towards higher efficiency, 

productivity, and performance. 

Modernisation of communication 

infrastructure in rural networks and the 

progress towards 5G networks enables 

owners and operators to tap into data 

to manage, monitor and scale farms and 

plants, even remotely. 

With the increase in complex, networked 

and automated processes, there are 

more safety risks such as impending 

fire hazards from faulty equipment, 

disruption in supplies due to damaged 

delivery channels, unplanned changes 

in temperature that may cause food 

deterioration, cyber attacks that can 

cause electrical blackouts and many more. 

Protecting staff, consumers and costly 

facilities have risen to be a top concern 

in food and farming. Beyond traditional 

agricultural considerations, safety 

controllers and solutions for monitoring 

and flagging anomalies, are set to be part 

and parcel of most farms and food plants 

in the foreseeable future. FBA 


26 

INGREDIENTS 

 

 

Photo credit: Gaus Alex/shutterstock 

protein – one of Beneo’s most recent 

ingredient development. 

WHAT IS DRIVING PLANT PROTEIN 

POPULARITY? 

The uptake of meat alternatives is being 

driven by a range of factors, including 

consumer concerns about health, animal 

welfare, the environment and cost 4 . 

The result has been a shift in allegiance 

from meat-based protein to plant-based 

protein, with meat substitutes beginning 

to show up in menus of food chains 

across Asia. Globally, vegetarian claims 

on total food and drink products have 

been increasing, and the prepared meals 

segment is now also joining the trend 5 . 

Many consumers perceive plant proteins 

as natural, healthy ingredients, with 

specific benefits of being rich in vitamins 

and low in cholesterol and saturated 

fats. Due to this, the market for meat 

substitutes continues to grow in all 

regions. 

With consumer demand continuing to drive new plantbased 

product development in Asia, the opportunities for 

manufacturers prepared to embrace this trend are vast. But 

how exactly can food manufacturers make the most of this 

trend, while offering improved taste and texture profiles 

in their recipes? Christian Philippsen, managing director 

of Beneo Asia-Pacific, attempts to address the question by 

highlighting the consumer trends driving the plant-based 

protein market, and depicts how manufacturers can provide 

promising meat substitutes that challenge animal proteins in 

terms of both taste and texture. 

Health-conscious consumers have 

been encouraging the development 

of healthier eating options across 

the globe for a number of years, and 

this has been accelerated by growing 

environmental and ethical concerns. In 

Asia, there has been a surge in demand 

for plant-based proteins 1 . More and more 

consumers choose to follow a meatreduced 

or meat-free diet, which they 

believe is a way to improve their health. As 

a result, new meat substitute launches are 

predicted to have a CAGR of 12% over the 

next five years 2 . 

With savoury dishes among the top 

five product categories for vegan and 

vegetarian claims 3 , it presents an 

opportunity for food manufacturers to 

make the most of this trend by offering 

improved taste and texture profiles in 

vegetarian recipes with textured wheat 

One in three respondents to a consumer 

survey by FMCG Gurus on behalf of Beneo 

said that they now see themselves as 

flexitarian, and are trying to reduce their 

meat intake 6 . The survey also confirmed 

earlier trends data that has shown that the 

consumption of meat appears to decrease 

with age; with 37% of over 55’s globally 

saying that they are now flexitarian and 

with younger consumers increasingly 

favouring vegetarian or vegan diets 7 . 

Importantly, a quarter of consumers 

are also willing to pay a premium for 

plant-based products 8 . As a result, plant 

proteins are well placed to make the most 

of this growing consumer demand for 

meat-free alternatives. 

THE RISE OF WHEAT PROTEIN 

Although plant proteins such as pea, rice 

and canola are making their presence 

felt, in 2019, wheat protein has grown to 

become the most used plant-based protein 

in new meat alternative product launches 9 . 

The popularity of wheat proteins is, in 


INGREDIENTS 

27 

part, due to the fact that it is particularly 

suited to creating new nutritious and tasty 

plant-based food concepts. 

Wheat proteins not only help meet 

protein needs but are also low in fat. It 

is also recognised to be lower in taste 

than other plant-based protein sources. 

As such, wheat-based protein is one of 

the most promising meat substitutes 

for meat-free burgers, nuggets, and 

vegetarian sausages. Following consumer 

research, Beneo found that wheat protein 

is also very positively received in terms 

of its perception, with 53% of survey 

respondents saying that wheat protein 

“sounds (very) natural”, and another 50% 

saying “it sounds (very) healthy” 10 . 

THE TASTE TEST 

Despite the various benefits of plantbased 

proteins, such as health and 

sustainability, there are still certain 

barriers to the mass take-up of meat 

substitutes. These include consumer 

perceptions surrounding taste and the 

growing cost of meat alternatives. Texture 

and, in particular, flavour remain a major 

issue for consumers. In fact, many 

consumers believe that vegetarian meals 

taste bland, while 42% do not like the 

taste of meat substitute 11 . 

Until recently, the taste of plant proteins 

has had a limiting effect on their appeal. 

However, increasing efforts in new product 

development from companies such as 

Beneo have now developed plant protein 

ingredients with a neutral taste and other 

technical benefits that challenge animal 

proteins in terms of both taste and texture. 

BENEOPRO W-TEX TEXTURED WHEAT 

PROTEIN 

The neutral taste of BeneoPro W-Tex, 

in combination with its other technical 

benefits, enables the creation of meat-free 

products with a stable texture and fibrous 

structure. It can be easily flavoured with a 

variety of tastes, herbs and spices, making 

it a flexible meat substitute. 

Beneo’s textured wheat protein is made 

from wheat gluten and flour. Its protein 

content amounts to a minimum of 65% on 

a dry matter basis. As a source of protein, 

BeneoPro W-Tex has an alveolar structure 

that allows the development of meat-like 

juicy texture. It also takes only 15 minutes 

to obtain maximum hydration capacity, 

eradicating the need for long soaking and 

making it convenient for production. In 

combination with its good compaction 

ability, BeneoPro W-Tex can achieve 

shaping in products, with the need for 

additional gums or artificial binders, key 

for the formulation of clean label recipes. 

With consumer demand continuing to drive 

new plant-based product development in 

Asia, the opportunities for manufacturers 

prepared to embrace this trend are vast. 

Long gone are the days of sawdust tasting, 

bland meat-alternatives and thanks 

to the work of functional ingredients 

manufacturers such as Beneo, textured 

wheat protein offers today’s food producers 

a wide range of exciting, meat-alternative 

recipe development opportunities. FBA 

REFERENCES 

1. Plant-based market sees Asian surge (2020) 

https://www.newfoodmagazine.com/ 

news/108993/plant-based-market-seesasian-surge/ 

2. The meat substitutes market is estimated 

to be valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2019 and 

is projected to grow at a CAGR of 12.0%, 

recording a value of USD 3.5 billion by 2026 

(2020) https://www.globenewswire.com/ 

news-release/2020/02/06/1980915/0/en/ 

The-meat-substitutes-market-is-estimated- 

to-be-valued-at-USD-1-6-billion-in-2019- 

and-is-projected-to-grow-at-a-CAGR-of- 

12-0-recording-a-value-of-USD-3-5-billionby-2026.html 

3. Mintel Vegan/Vegetarian/Flexitarian June 

(2016) 

4. Mintel CDC (2019) 

5. Mintel (2019) 

6. Beneo Nutrition and Health Survey 2019 

(2019) 

7. Beneo Nutrition and Health Survey 2019 

(2019) 

8. HealthFocus International Global Plant 

Report 2019 (2019) 

9. Mintel GNPD 2014 vs Jan-Oct 2019 (2019) 

10. Beneo Clean Label Consumer Research 2018 

(2018) 

11. Leathams (2013) Consumers demand meat 

free foods. http://www.leathams.com/news/ 

consumers-demand-meat-free-foods 


28 

INGREDIENTS 

What’s for tomorrow? 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients shapes up tomorrow’s menu in a new normal 

Every aspect of life worldwide was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Some parts of the food and 

beverage industry were hard hit by the temporary shut-down of the hospitality sector. But ultimately, people 

need to eat and drink so the industry arguably fared better than some. Speaking with Food & Beverage Asia, 

Suzanne van den Eshof, global marketing director food & beverages at FrieslandCampina, provides insights into 

the company’s new 2020-2021 Trend Report to enable food and beverage companies understand consumers’ 

needs in turbulent times and prepare for a new normal.

INGREDIENTS 

29 

Can you share with us the key takeaways 

from the 2020-2021 Trend Report, and 

which are the trends you foresee having 

a sustained impact in the industry this 

2021, particularly in Asia-Pacific? 

Suzanne van den Eshof: We see the key 

trends we have identified through our 

research persisting, albeit in different 

manifestations. The three major trends 

are Conscious Indulgence, Experiences 

Beyond the Imagined, and Shaping a 

Better World. 

Conscious Indulgence 

Conscious Indulgence was already on 

the rise pre-COVID-19 with healthier 

propositions already growing in 

importance, but with the outbreak we saw 

this trend naturally rising. The ‘indulgence’ 

aspect means that consumers are not 

only willing to forsake flavour, mouthfeel, 

texture, colour, smell – all the attributes 

of what they consume that make food and 

drinks appealing. But at the same time, we 

are witnessing an increasing awareness 

of what’s in those products and their 

potential health-related benefits. This is 

the ‘conscious’ aspect. 

Experiences Beyond the Imagined 

Another continuing trend is that 

consumers are looking for foods and 

drinks that engage all their senses – 

taste, looks, smell, feel and even sound 

are all important. At the beginning of the 

outbreak, we saw a more consecutive 

attitude to indulgence but at the same 

time the uncertain times prompted some 

consumers to indulge to the max. 

Shaping a Better World 

Sustainability has been high on 

consumers’ agenda for some time, but 

awareness has been heightened during 

the COVID-19 global pandemic. In a world 

over which people have little control, 

and where government restrictions of 

the like most have never seen before, are 

enforced, we see people keen to make 

positive changes for the food wherever 

they can. One area over which consumers 

can take some control is minimising 

waste. However, the topic is also proving 

a boost for local suppliers – buying from 

close to home is high on the conscientious 

customer’s mind as they see all local 

businesses as sustainable. 

In Asia-Pacific, we believe new experiences 

will dominate as consumers seek exciting 

adventures in food and drink. 

Conscious Indulgence was first 

highlighted in last year’s Trend Report, 

and is once again identified as one of the 

trends that will continue to take place this 

year. Why is this particularly so, and with 

the emerging stay-home economy, how 

do this trend fit into the at-home dining 

experience? 

Van den Eshof: With dining out off the 

agenda, in-home treats with a more 

luxury taste, texture, mouthfeel and 

smell have become even more important 

during the pandemic. At the same time, 

interest in health has naturally heightened. 

Consumers increasingly welcome foods 

and drinks that promise incidental 

FrieslandCampina’s tasting slider menu for milk tea with five 

small shots all with different tastes and textures from Asia 


30 

INGREDIENTS 

Cappuccino in waffle cone 

goodness. ‘Low sugar’, ‘plant-based’ and 

‘low fat’ all emerged as hot topics in 2021. 

In terms of the at-home experience, 

those suppliers that have been able to 

reimagine their services are surviving 

the challenges well. Foodservice home 

deliveries are booming. Food boxes with 

all the ingredients and recipes for a ‘night 

out’ at home, online chefs to follow, and 

delicious specialty coffees and teas are 

allowing consumers to replicate the coffee 

shop experience in their own homes. Of 

course, healthiness doesn’t come at the 

cost of indulgence – and a tempting piece 

of accompaniment. Because now more 

than ever, life’s little treats are crucial. 

Among the other trends, which trend do 

you see having the most significant in 

Asia-Pacific? 

Van den Eshof: Asia-Pacific often leads 

the way in new experiences in food and 

beverages – think Taiwanese bubble tea 

which grew from a single imaginative stallholder 

to a mainstream product. 

We expect the Experiences Beyond the 

Imagined trend to dominate in Asia-Pacific. 

Consumers are becoming increasingly 

inventive with more time to experiment at 

home. The hospitality industry will have to 

work hard to lure consumers back to cafes 

and restaurants, so we can expect to see 

experiences becoming better and more 

extreme. 

The Asian food and beverage companies 

that will thrive are finding novel ways 

to entice consumers with unexpected 

combinations of texture, mouthfeel, 

flavours, and more, as well as thinking 

about novel ways to turn food and 

beverages into an unforgettable 

experience. Food boxes comprises recipe 

sets and all the ingredients needed for a 

themed night have proved popular during 

periods of lockdown as consumers seek 

an immersive experience that evokes 

destinations they are currently unable to 

travel to. 

In our recent Trend Report, we presented 

a tasting slider menu for milk tea with 

five small shots all with different tastes 

and textures from Asia. All the recipes 

we develop reflect the trends we have 

identified, and the data behind this 

research. Our relationship with our 

customers is based on further developing 

recipes together to mee the specific needs of 

their consumers. 

What other growth opportunities does 

FrieslandCampina Ingredients see in Asia- 

Pacific, and how is the company moving 

forward in response? 

Van den Eshof: The COVID-19 pandemic 

has seen an upsurge in smaller, independent 

businesses, many of them catering to the 

growing demand for consumption closer to 

home. There has of course also been a boom 

in online commerce, where Asia-Pacific leads 

the way. 

FrieslandCampina is responding to these 

changing needs, for example, by offering 

our most popular products in smaller, more 

manageable pack sizes. Additionally, we are 

working with our distributors to make our 

products available online, including through 

e-commerce marketplaces such as Lazada 

and Shopee. 

Our overriding aim is to understanding the 

needs of our local markets, and support 

our customers with accessible solutions 

that work for them. This way we can create 

moments of indulgence for everyone across 

the globe. FBA 


Cappuccino in waffle cone 

INGREDIENTS 

31 

More than meets the eye when 

comparing dairy and plant proteins 

Through a landscape study on how various protein ingredients are processed, Dr Rohit Kapoor, 

vice-president, product research, Dairy Management Inc., sheds light on why dairy proteins are a 

clean label and planet-friendly option for food and beverage formulators. 


32 

INGREDIENTS 

Global demand for protein-rich 

food and beverages is on the 

rise as consumers seek to boost 

intake of this important nutrient to meet 

health and wellness goals from fitness to 

weight management to healthy aging. To 

capture this demand, food manufacturers 

have been launching new products or 

reformulating existing items to be high 

in protein. This has been seen not just in 

sports nutrition bars and beverages but in 

everyday food items like yoghurt, snacks, 

baked goods, sauces, ice cream and more. 

Dairy protein ingredients have been at the 

forefront of this trend due to extensive 

published science on its nutritional 

benefits. Its multi-functional usage 

potential, clean taste and versality is 

another advantage that works in its 

favour. The rise in consumer demand for 

protein has also brought new plant and 

insect-based entrants into an increasingly 

crowded protein marketplace. 

There is significant scientific literature 

about differences in protein nutritional 

quality between dairy and plant protein 

ingredients. However, the manufacturing 

perspective for how these different 

sources of proteins are isolated, 

concentrated and dried into powders 

during commercial processing had 

not previously been systematically 

benchmarked and compared. Without 

practical understanding and study, 

confusion can occur, impacting consumers’ 

and manufacturers’ purchase and usage 

decision-making for protein ingredient 

selection. 

It was with this in mind that a landscape 

study on comparative processing of 

protein ingredients was commissioned 

by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI) and 

conducted by RTI International, an 

independent non-profit research institute 

in the US. Benchmarking and enhancing 

science-based knowledge of protein 

processing is especially critical at a 

time when increasing sustainable food 

production is paramount to addressing the 

challenge of providing valuable nutrition to 

the growing global and South East Asian 

population. 

The study compared the current 

commercial processing methods for four 

dairy proteins – namely whey protein 

concentrate and isolate, and milk protein 

concentrate and isolate – and 13 plant and 

other alternative protein ingredients such 

as soy protein concentrate and isolate, 

rice, pea, wheat, almond, chickpea, lupine, 

potato, chia, algae, canola, and cricket. 

The study delved into the degree of 

processing and impact on environmental 

resources for each protein, starting from 

post-harvest through to processing of the 

finished dry protein powder. 

The study examined and compiled insights 

from scientific journals, equipment 

manufacturers, protein processing 

company websites, patents, trade journals, 

and consumer research studies. Multiple 

metrics associated with protein processing 

and sustainability were evaluated including 

raw material inputs, resource utilisation, 

number of processing steps, yield, valueadded 

by-products, water and energy 

usage. 

The results of the study, completed in 

2020, yielded two key findings. Firstly, 

dairy proteins are clean or clear label 

friendly as they are produced using 

physical separation and generally – unlike 

some plants – do not require processing 

aids to extract the protein. Secondly, 

proteins derived from dairy ingredients 

can play a strong role in sustainable food 

formulations due to multiple value-added 

usage opportunities for co-products. 

NUMBER OF PROCESSING STEPS 

The first observation from the study was 

that directly comparing the number of 

processing steps required from start to 

finish amongst dairy and plant proteins 

was difficult. This is due to differences 

in the starting material from which the 

proteins had to be processed, which 

also influenced the number of steps 

required during processing. Some protein 

ingredients start from whole food sources 

such as milk protein concentrates from 

milk or pea proteins that come directly 

from peas. 

Other protein ingredients start from a coproduct 

or are the result of a sidestream 

in a different process. An example of 

this is whey protein that is derived from 

whey, which is a co-product of cheese 

manufacture. For potato proteins, it is 


INGREDIENTS 

33 

extracted from a sidestream of potato 

starch manufacture. Another complication 

is that the same protein ingredient can be 

produced with different starting materials. 

Almond protein can be made from either 

almond meal or almond cake and that 

will again, influence the process and the 

number of steps needed. 

The final protein content of the ingredient 

produced influences the number of 

processing steps it takes. In general, 

protein flours like cricket flour, which tend 

to be around 20-40% protein, require 

fewer processing steps. This is due to 

the protein content of flours being closer 

to that of the protein content of the 

starting raw material. Therefore, protein 

flour ingredients typically don’t utilise 

purification and concentration steps. On 

the other hand, isolates generally require 

more processing steps because they are 

made up of over 90% protein. As a result, 

isolates require purification and isolation 

steps, which will add to the number of 

steps to process protein. 

PROCESSING AIDS AND IMPACTS 

At a time when many consumers are 

seeking out foods that are clean or clear 

label friendly, some may perceive that 

plant-based proteins compare favourably 

to animal-based sources. But does 

perception match reality? The study 

reveals that there is more than meets 

the eye when comparing plant and dairy 

proteins. 

protein concentrates and isolates such 

as soy, potato, canola, pea and almond 

required the use of processing aids during 

processing in order to extract and purify 

the protein. 

Dairy’s non-use of processing aids is a 

key, often overlooked differentiating point, 

reaffirming they are clean or clear label 

friendly, an important factor when it comes 

to consumer appeal for food products. 

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 

During protein isolation or purification, 

non-protein co-products are produced 

and must be utilised or disposed. The 

study found that co-products from dairy 

protein processing tend to find more 

value-added uses in food applications than 

those of plant protein processing. These 

include versatile and functional dairy 

ingredients such as permeate, lactose and 

whey cream, which can be used in a wide 

variety of food applications. This accords 

dairy protein a role in sustainable food 

formulations and the reduction of food 

waste. In fact, whey protein itself is the 

valuable co-product of cheese production, 

a prime example of extracting value from 

every drop of milk. 

In contrast, the co-products of soy protein 

tend to be used in low value, animal feed 

ingredients. Moreover, co-products of plant 

proteins such as lupine, canola, chia and 

potato have limited or no identified uses 

for co-products. 

process 1kg of milk protein concentrates 

from skim milk. However, more studies 

need to be done in this area to further 

substantiate process water usage of all 

commercially available protein ingredients. 

IMPLICATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES 

FOR SOUTH EAST ASIA 

With South East Asia’s growing population 

that is increasingly health conscious and 

is starting to age, protein intake will be 

an important part of nutritional diets in 

the region. This represents an opportunity 

for food manufacturers to increase high 

protein food offerings or reformulate 

existing food products to contain higher 

protein levels to meet consumer needs. 

Harvesting dairy proteins from milk utilises 

gentle physical separation with water via 

filtration methods. Generally, this does 

not require the use of processing aids. 

The same cannot be said for many plant 

proteins, which may require the usage 

of processing aids beyond just water. 

These processing aids could be in the 

form of solvents like ethanol or alcohol, 

salts, acids, caustic agents and bases. For 

example, depending on the starting raw 

material, processing of some plant-based 

Beyond additional value created through 

dairy protein co-products, the study 

also found that water usage for dairy 

protein processing may be less than plant 

proteins. Two papers referenced in the 

study highlighted the difference in amount 

of processed water that is used to process 

milk protein concentrates versus a pea 

protein concentrate. The study found 

that to process 1kg of pea protein from 

yellow pea flour, it requires almost twice 

the amount of water that is required to 

With high protein food launches on the 

rise, the findings from the study reaffirm 

the benefits of selecting the right protein 

ingredient. Dairy protein ingredients 

can provide the nutrition, taste and 

functionality needed to deliver a great 

consumer experience while also being 

a sustainable option. As a producer of 

dairy proteins with a long-term presence 

in South East Asia, the US is favourably 

positioned to meet the region’s nutrition 

and innovation needs. FBA 


Collagen sports drinks: 

Ideal for athletes and 

active people 

Collagen peptides have become a 

popular ingredient for health-conscious 

consumers, with demand set to continue 

to soar as its numerous physiological 

benefits become better understood. 

Collagen has long been a buzzword 

in the beauty industry due to its 

beneficial effect on skin, hair and 

nails. Yet this protein – abundant in blood 

vessels, bones, joints, spinal discs, the 

eyes and fascial tissue – plays a vital role 

in health and fitness too, particularly for 

athletes. Thus, many sportspeople face 

the challenge of redressing the balance 

of this natural protein, which makes up 

approximately 30% of the overall protein 

content in the human body. The solution 

lies in collagen peptides. 

PROVEN EFFECTIVE 

A growing number of scientific studies 

have confirmed that collagen peptides 

can stimulate collagen production, and 

therefore help maintain the health of the 

body’s connective tissues. Gelita Bioactive 

Collagen Peptides (BCP) have been proven 

effective, and can be easily incorporated in 

many different applications, from bars to 

fortified gummies or capsules. 

Drinks are another great option. This 

market has high consumer appeal and 

is therefore booming right now, with 

innovative beverage concepts bang on 

trend. Such collagen sports drinks provide 

an optimal solution for athletes because 

they can easily integrate them in their 

usual training routine, and enjoy them on 

the way to the gym or during exercise. 

SOLUTIONS FOR DIFFERENT 

DEMANDS 

Traditionally, sports nutrition drinks 

provide athletes with an energy boost 

while also replacing water and electrolytes 

lost through sweating. Collagen drinks 

offer an additional advantage due to 

their positive effects on performance and 

exercise capacity – particularly important 

for those athletes who are prone to 

certain injuries. Nowadays, consumers 

have varying needs and demands when it 

comes to these kinds of drinks. While some 

are looking for performance or musclebuilding 

options, others are looking for 

a supply of nutrients or a product that 

quickly counteracts wear and tear injuries 

as well as reducing the risk of injuries. This 

drove Gelita to offer various types of BCP, 

all with different health benefits. 

PROMOTING STRENGTH AND 

FLEXIBILITY 

During intense sporting activity, the 

human musculoskeletal system is 

susceptible to injury – this is true for both 

amateur and professional sportspeople. 

As collagen provides the firm, shaping 

structure of the tendons and ligaments, 

it is obviously vital in helping to protect 

their functionality. Specifically designed 

for the sports nutrition market and the 

prevention of overuse-induced problems 

is TENDOFORTE, which stimulates the 

structure-forming cells of tendons 

and ligaments to form more collagen 

molecules, thus helping to preserve their 

strength and flexibility. Studies showed 


INGREDIENTS 

35 

that TENDOFORTE also aids a swifter 

return to sport and previous performance 

levels more quickly after injury 1, 2 and highintense 

training sessions. 

The BCP in FORTIBONE, meanwhile, are 

designed to stimulate activity of the 

osteoblasts, which helps to increase the 

extracellular bone matrix and thus the 

maintenance of stable bones. Additionally, 

FORTIBONE slows down the collagen 

degradation process in the bone, and thus 

support the described anabolic effect. 

Finally, this leads to a reduced incidence 

fractures caused by heavy stress during 

heavy training or competition. 

LESS PAIN, MORE MOBILITY 

Naturally, athletes also have to contend 

with wear and tear of their joints but, 

again, BCP from Gelita are a proven 

intervention strategy. 

Gelita’s FORTIGEL has been the subject 

of 20 studies, involving approximately 

2,800 participants, all of which confirm 

its stimulating effect on the biosynthesis 

of the extracellular cartilage matrix. This 

means FORTIGEL tackles the cause of the 

joint problem – and not just the symptoms. 

The studies also confirmed that the 

administration of these specific collagen 

peptides leads to a significant reduction of 

pain and improved mobility. 

IMPROVING LEAN BODY MASS 

For those athletes looking to optimise 

body composition, BODYBALANCE provides 

results. The effect of these BCP was 

investigated in a scientific study, with 114 

men between 30 and 60 years of age. 

All participants underwent a resistance 

training routine of 3x2 hours per week 

during the entire study duration, in order 

to stimulate muscle growth. One group 

received 15g of BODYBALANCE daily, 

the other a placebo over a period of 12 

weeks. At the end of the study, the muscle 

mass within the collage peptide group 

increased significantly compared to the 

placebo group. These results correlated 

with a significant decrease in fat mass. 

This means BODYBALANCE significantly 

improves the effect of resistance training 

on body composition. 

TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECTS FOR A 

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE 

As beverages are an established part 

of most people’s daily routine, they are 

a convenient way to ingest healthy and 

functional nutrients. Such sports drinks 

clearly need to have beneficial health 

effects and must therefore contain 

proven functional ingredients – giving 

manufacturers a competitive edge. But 

the most decisive factor for success or 

failure is still taste. For drink developers, 

this means they must pay maximum 

attention to technological aspects of the 

formulation, such as solubility, texture and 

mouthfeel. 

When it comes to their technical aspects, 

Gelita’s BCP addresses manufacturers’ 

issues and wants to incorporate them 

into their products. All Gelita collagen 

peptides produce clear solutions, are 

virtually neutral in taste, and can easily 

be used in combination with vitamins, 

minerals and other nutrients. Additionally, 

they have high heat and acid stability, low 

viscosity, and no precipitation or clumping. 

They also offer fast absorption and good 

bioavailability, and are free from fat and 

cholesterol. This allows for the development 

of drinks with specific properties that can 

be customised to individual needs and 

population groups. 

TAILORED BEVERAGE CONCEPTS 

As specific BCP are proven to have positive 

effects on respective collagen-containing 

parts of the human body, they offer 

beverage developers the capacity to create 

tailored sports drinks concepts for different 

consumer needs – from juices that help to 

optimise body composition, to sports shots 

that support the maintenance of joints and 

bones or drinks strengthening ligaments and 

tendons. With notable technical properties, 

Gelita’s BCP are easy to include in various 

types of beverages without detracting from 

the end product’s sensory appeal. 

Dr Stephen Hausmanns, vice-president, 

health and nutrition, Gelita, concluded: 

“Whether used as the sole functional 

ingredient in a powder drink, as a 

concentrated solution in a drinking ampoule 

or with other active ingredients in sports 

drinks or near-water products, there are 

no limits to the creative possibilities when 

developing beverage concepts.” FBA 

This article is provided by Gelita. 

REFERENCES 

1. Oesser et al. 2018 

2. Praet et al. 2017 


36 

INGREDIENTS 

Curbing ASEAN’s obesity crisis: 

The time is now 

By SIMON GILMOUR 

Obesity is growing among the 

countries in the Association 

of Southeast Asian Nations 

(ASEAN). Despite being a region where 

the prevalence of obesity has historically 

been lower than its Western counterparts, 

incidence rates experienced one of the 

biggest jumps between 2010 and 2014 

across the ASEAN-6 nations with a 28% 1 

increase, and now due to the COVID-19 

pandemic, it is expected to accelerate 

again. Here in Singapore, if nothing is done 

to turn the tide on this growing epidemic, 

it is predicted to reach a new high of 

15% by 2024, resulting in the nation 

losing significant ground against curbing 

preventable deaths. 

The ramifications of obesity are farreaching. 

Beyond immediate health 

concerns, it also imposes high costs to 

the economy. In Singapore alone, the 

estimated cost of obesity reached S$2.77 

billion (US$2.09 billion) in 2016, as a 

result of increased healthcare spending 

and lost productivity. If the prevalence of 

obesity continues to grow, its impact on 

the nation’s economy will be even more 

significant. 

Today, with COVID-19 thrown into the 

mix, the fight against obesity has become 

even more urgent. According to the World 

Health Organization, people with preexisting 

non-communicable diseases such 

as cardiovascular conditions and diabetes 

– many of which are linked to obesity – are 

more vulnerable to become severely ill with 

the coronavirus 2 . 

Globally, diagnosed COVID-19 patients 

suffering from obesity were twice to 

be hospitalised, 74% more likely to be 

admitted to intensive care 3 , and 38% 

more likely to require respiratory support 4 . 

Findings also suggest a greater likelihood 

of fatality, as mortality rates in hospitalised 

patients defined “obese” (BMI > 25) were 

found to be 21%, and those defined as 

“morbidly obese” (BMI > 30) at 39% 3 . 

Noting of course that in Asian populations 

health risks associated with BMI are often 

apparent at the lower end than that of 

western populations. 

PERPETUATING A VICIOUS CYCLE OF 

VULNERABILITY 

Lockdown measures implemented to curb 

the spread of the virus have aggravated 

this situation as people are no longer 

able to engage in their normal exercises 

and physical activities, increasing their 

susceptibility to weight gain. 

An analysis conducted by Fitbit found that 

step counts globally took a dip in March 

last year, when the outbreak reached its 

first peak in many parts of the world. 

Between January and April, the level of 

physical activity in Singapore declined 

following the implementation of circuit 

breaker measures, with step counts falling 

by 2,240 per day and active minutes by 

3.66. 

In some ways, this has played a part in 

exacerbating the imbalance in diet and 

physical activity that Singaporeans were 

already experiencing pre-pandemic, 

especially with global studies also showing 

a surge in the consumption of unhealthy 

and highly processed foods during 

lockdown periods 5 . 

In addition, the reciprocal relationship 

between physical and mental health has 


INGREDIENTS 

37 

also strained significantly since the onset 

of COVID-19. Lockdowns not only reduce 

one’s ability to exercise, but the imposed 

isolation and physical distancing also 

result in increased feelings of loneliness, 

which can create a cycle of stress and 

anxiety, and worsen tendencies to overeat 6, 7 . 

THE ROLE OF FOOD COMPANIES IN 

ADDRESSING OBESITY 

It is clear that more can be done in the 

fight against obesity, however, given the 

pressing and more immediate issues 

arising from the pandemic such as the 

development of vaccination, increased 

malnutrition, and food shortages, it is 

not surprising that countries across the 

region are focusing less on the issue. 

That said, with the link between obesity 

and COVID-19, it is crucial that they 

bring renewed attention to this issue and 

drive further progress in mitigating the 

epidemic. 

All stakeholders have a role to play in 

this fight. Consumers, for instance, are 

encourage to actively read nutritional 

labels to properly educate themselves 

and monitor their food intake in line with 

recommended serving sizes. 

Food companies also have a significant 

influence on the value chain and therefore, 

have a moral responsibility to produce 

nutritious and health-promoting options 

for consumption. However, in order to stay 

competitive and profitable, they are also 

at the mercy of consumers’ preferences, 

ability to pay and the time it takes to 

prepare. This interplay often results in the 

production of energy dense and highly 

processed foods that are affordable and 

readily accessible for consumers. 

Nonetheless, as more consumers pay 

greater attention to their health and the 

foods they eat, the industry has responded 

and made significant progress in delivering 

healthier alternatives through product 

innovation and reformulation. 

As a dairy company working with a product 

that offers opportunities to create highperforming 

food ingredients, Fonterra 

recognises its role in enabling responsible 

nutrition choices through the work with 

food companies globally. To achieve this, 

the company has a team of dieticians 

and nutritionists dedicated to supporting 

customers in developing healthier options 

tailored to evolving needs. This has 

Fonterra has a team of dieticians and nutritionists dedicated to supporting customers in developing 

healthier options tailored to evolving needs 

been demonstrated by Fonterra using a 

systematic review of scientific literature 

to have a health claim related to protein 

and feelings of fullness approved by New 

Zealand regulatory authorities 8 . 

As the world navigates through COVID-19, 

discussions around the need to address 

the growing prevalence of obesity needs to 

continue gaining ground. This will enable 

a conducive environment for industry 

players like Fonterra and its customers 

to come together to take action and 

drive collaborations to create a future 

characterised by healthy eating habits and 

active lifestyles. FBA 

Simon Gilmour is nutritionist and research 

scientist at Fonterra. 

REFERENCES 

1. Economist Intelligence Unit (2017). 

Tackling obesity in ASEAN. Retrieved 

December 2, 2020 from https:// 

foodindustry.asia/documentdownload. 

axd?documentresourceid=30157 

2. Information note on COVID-19 and NCDs. 

(2020, March 23). Retrieved October 

20, 2020, from https://www.who.int/ 

publications/m/item/covid-19-and-ncds. 

3. Popkin, B. M., et al. (2020). Individuals with 

obesity and COVID‐19: A global perspective 

on the epidemiology and biological 

relationships. Obesity Reviews. 

4. Hussain, A. et al. (2020). Obesity and 

mortality of COVID-19. Meta-analysis. 

Obesity Research and Clinical Practice. 

5. Ammar, A., et al. (2020) Effects of COVID-19 

Home Confinement on Eating Behaviour 

and Physical Activity: Results of the ECLB- 

COVID19 International Online Survey. 

Nutrients. 

6. Zhang, Y. et al. (2020). Mental health 

problems during COVID-19 Pandemics 

and the mitigation effects of exercise: A 

longitudinal study of college students in 

China. International Journal of Environmental 

Research and Public Health. 

7. Clemmensen, C., Petersen, M. B., & 

Sørensen, T. I. A. (2020). Will the COVID-19 

pandemic worsen the obesity epidemic? 

Nature Reviews Endocrinology. 

8. FSANZ (2018). Notified food-health 

relationships to make a health claim. 

Retrieved December 11, 2020 from https:// 

www.foodstandards.govt.nz/industry/ 

labelling/fhr/Pages/default.aspx?k=Fonterra 


38 

INGREDIENTS 

Indulgent chocolate sensations fill 

a gap in uncertain times 

Super compound delivers all the appeal of chocolate, and unleashes opportunities 

for product improvement. 

Exactly how the global economy will 

fare over the next year or so is hard 

to predict. The same goes for the 

chocolate market. But, as consumers adapt 

to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there 

are some things we do know. One is that 

chocolate and snack products are still in 

demand – another is the growing trend 

towards reduced cost solutions. 

Add to that is the rise in online shopping 

during the course of 2020, and there 

are several challenges the chocolate 

industry is currently facing. In brief, they 

include the need to deliver indulgence 

at affordable price points, and ensure 

product quality remains stable during 

transportation to consumers. 

The answers to all these demands point 

in the direction of super compound – the 

high-end chocolate alternative that can 

closely mimic the sensory properties and 

quality of chocolate. 

Super compound is the ideal choice when 

filling the gap between chocolate and 

standard compound. It simply overcomes 

the limitations of both. 

CHOCOLATE VERSUS COMPOUND 

Smooth and delicious chocolate is known 

for its expensive raw materials. As the 

chocolate recipe is entirely based on cocoa 

butter, manufacturers are also limited 

in what they can do to improve stability 

during shelf life and innovate around 

texture and hardness. 

Although the conventional low-cost 

alternative to chocolate – compound – can 

overcome most bloom issues and reduce the 

cost of raw materials, there are drawbacks 

here, too. 

The noticeable difference is the sensory 

quality and a potential compromise in 

nutritional profile. Depending on the 

blend of vegetable fats in the compound, 

manufacturers may need to consider the 

content of saturated and trans-fat. 

THE PREMIUM SOLUTION – FOR 

OUTSTANDING INNOVATION 

That brings forth the use of super 

compound. Although super compound falls 

short of the legal definition of chocolate in 

the European Union (EU) and elsewhere, the 

health profile, taste, texture and meltdown 

match the properties of chocolate – and 

sometimes even exceed them. In other 

words, consumers may still perceive a 

strong brand as chocolate, even though it is 

not stated on the product label. 

Finding ways to stand out from the 

competition is essential in a large food and 

drink universe where snacks are increasingly 

popular. Super compound empowers 

manufacturers with the possibilities to 

customise meltdown, texture and snap 

as well as add new ingredients and 

functionalities. 

STABLE QUALITY FOR WEB SHOPS 

The growth of online shopping has 

highlighted the need for manufacturers 

to ensure product quality remains stable 

during transportation to consumers. When 

storage temperatures are not controlled or 

fluctuate during distribution, products are 

prone to turn grey, dull, and unappealing. 

For manufacturers that rely on online 

sales, this poses a threat to brand 

reputation which they are unable to risk. 

Consumers are likely to send it back with 

the next post, perhaps never to purchase 

that particular brand again. 

This is where the high bloom resistance 

of super compound comes into its own – 

making it ideal to web shop sales. 

THE SUSTAINABLE CHOICE 

Over the next decade, consumers will 

increasingly expect companies to display 

good corporate citizenship. Shea, for 

example, is one of the key raw materials 

used in cocoa butter equivalents and 

comes from a reliably sustainable source. 

Growing wild in western Africa, the shea 

tree is an important source of income 

for the local women who gather the shea 

kernels. 

At AAK, our standard super compound, 

ILLEXAO SC, is often a blend of shea butter 

and palm oil. Alternative exotic fats may 

also be used, if preferred by chocolate 

manufacturers. 

Based on AAK’s Customer Co-Development 

approach, super compounds can be 

developed for all needs. That is a major 

plus at a time of uncertainty on global 

markets. And it’s ideal for budgetaware 

consumers who demand premium 

solutions and increasingly prefer to shop 

online. 

This article is provided by AAK’s chocolate 

& confectionery segment.” FBA 


ON THE TABLE 39 

Modernising automation: 

Engineering plastics and polymers to achieve 

greater flexibility and scalability 

Bearings form the mechanical joint of every machinery. Besides connecting one or more mechanical parts to 

another, bearings are crucial in enabling movements of these parts with lesser friction. Food & Beverage Asia, 

speaks with Carsten Haecker, head of Asia-Pacific for igus, who elaborates how smart plastics support 

predictive maintenance, and enable automation in energy supply and plain bearing technology in the 

Industry 4.0 era. 

TECH UP, COST DOWN 

In your opinion, what are the reasons 

behind the rise of automated machineries 

and facilities, and what are the drivers 

for food and beverage processors and 

manufacturers to have their facility fully 

automated? More crucially, what role do 

plastic bearings play in such automated 

facility? 

Carsten Haecker: Food production 

companies across all industry segments 

have been facing increasing demands 

for years now – albeit some levelling was 

and is visible in the current COVID-19 

pandemic. Customers increasingly want 

greater manufacturing flexibility, from 

batch sizes of one item to large-volume 

production, while a variety of materials 

and sizes is steadily increasing. 

In a modern food and beverage production 

and processing facility, machines, plants, 

goods, and load carriers are connected 

via the Internet of Things (IoT), and 

can communicate with each other. 

Intelligent sensor systems provide upto-date 

status information in real time. 

All process-relevant data is recorded 

and analysed, enabling users to optimise 

their entire value chain in a decentralised, 

autonomous and demand-oriented 

manner. The route from storage of material 

to the finished product becomes shorter, 

more flexible, resource-saving and costefficient. 

Companies are increasingly 

relying on fully automated manufacturing 

solutions for their goods processing, faster 

access times, and maximum transparency. 

Engineering plastics from igus plays a 

crucial part in this industry development, 

and find widespread adoption in the 

automation drive – from monitoring the 

performance of our products through 

the isense product family, to energy 

supply through our e-chain systems and 

cables specifically designed for moving 

applications. Furthermore, igus automation 

solutions and robolink robotics arms with 

integrated software have gained extensive 

acceptance as the lubrication-free feature 

minimises maintenance and downtime at 

our customers’ end. 

Our ambition and focus remain unchanged 

– tech up, cost down solutions for our 

customers, and that’s our job. 

How will you rate the adoption of 

plastic bearings in food and beverage 

applications in Asia-Pacific? And as the 

food and beverage sector, like many other 

industries, is on the ongoing transition 

to Industry 4.0, how is igus helping its 

customers to overcome the challenges 

they face in the midst of this transition? 

Haecker: The market is still dominated 

by traditional metal bearings but we 

recognise an acceleration of adoption of 

change. We see more and more interest 

in polymer engineering bearings and its 

applications in various industries due 

to its outstanding features. To name a 

few amongst many, the key advantages 

of polymer bearings compared to 

traditional metal bearings are light 

weight, temperature resistance, and the 

elimination of lubrication. Particularly, the 

avoidance of oil and grease in the food and 

beverage sector is a thought-after feature 

to ensure a clean and safe environment in 

the manufacturing and processing plants. 

igus products comply to these 

requirements to avoid any risk of product 

contamination. Also, the improved 

resistance to chemicals, acids, alkaline or 

alcoholic agents are recognised as a musthave 

in this industry segment. Lastly, igus 

polymer bearings are FDA compliant, and 

certified according to the European Union 

(EU) regulations 10/2011. 


40 

ON THE TABLE 

The industry, amongst many others, 

is going through a transition. From 

traditional batch to batch processing to 

a fully automated process controlled and 

supported by automation. At the same 

time, quality standards are rising, and 

there is continuous pressure to cut costs. 

One solution is the digitalisation and 

networking of production and logistics 

processes – the basic technologies 

surrounding Industry 4.0. 

igus has been developing solutions to 

support the digitalisation of the processes 

since some years now, also in the food 

and beverage segment. Some solutions 

include integrated sensors that track and 

flag maintenance and issue warning before 

critical wear occurs. The engineers in the 

igus 3D printing team have now achieved 

a further step – sensors are printed into 

the tribo component via multi-material 

printing. Long before the failure, it signals 

that a replacement is imminent. 

Furthermore, it is possible to detect an 

overload so as to initiate an immediate 

machine stop and thus prevent further 

damage to the bearing point and the 

entire machine. This enables predictive 

maintenance for special parts as well, with 

the result that machine downtime and 

maintenance work can be reduced. For 

additive manufacturing, such intelligent 

3D isense components can now be 

delivered in a cost-effective way from five 

business days. 3D isense is suitable for the 

manufacture of intelligent plain bearings, 

sliding elements, lead screw nuts, and all 

other special parts that are susceptible to 

friction and wear. 

What other food production machinery 

trends you see taking place in other 

regions that will have a significant impact 

in Asia-Pacific in the coming years? 

Haecker: Traditionally, Asia has been 

considered a region with lower labour 

costs, and for some countries this may 

still be the case today. However, salaries 

and remuneration packages have been 

on the rise for years, and the need for 

automation, acceleration of productivity 

and consistency in manufacturing quality 

has become an important and integral part 

of any manufacturing company – even in 

countries with low labour costs. 

As such, we continue to see the drive for 

automation solutions – from small-scale 

machines to large and fully integrated 

plants. Companies are focused on 

minimising downtimes by ensuring quality 

products and machinery installed which, 

in turn, poses another opportunity for 

the use of polymer bearings with their 

corrosion-free, no lubrication advantages 

against traditional metal bearings. 

“MORE DIGITAL THAN EVER BEFORE” 

Following one year since the outbreak 

of COVID-19, what are some of the key 

takeaways igus has picked up from the 

pandemic, and how do you see the food 

processing and packaging industry 

recover from the pandemic? Moving 

forward, can you also share with us some 

of the strategies you have developed for 

igus to continue on its growth in a new 

year? 

Haecker: The pandemic and its resulting 

impact on various industries has also left 

its traces within the igus group. However, I 

would dare to say we scored fairly well as 

we quickly adopted to the new normal, and 

implemented required changes in record 

time. 

We are more digital than ever before. 

We exchange information quicker as 

we use software tools and chatrooms, 

which allows an instant reaction to a 

requirement. We engage our clients in 

various digital forms, besides physical 

contacts as and where possible. We 

introduced our new product developments 

– traditionally displayed at the Hannover 

exhibition – via a completely digitalised 

booth which our customers can either 

experience by themselves or interact with 

an igus colleague on site. This is a truly 

fantastic feature which has been visited by 

thousands of visitors. 

We also intensified our need for local 

stocking and production to avoid any 

supply chain risk. Particularly in the Asia- 

Pacific region which is our focus point for 

further investment and growth. The food 

and beverage industry and its related 

manufacturing processes are in a strong 

upwards recovering cycle. More advanced 

and new automated machines will replace 

traditional manual systems. The pandemic 

surely accelerated the need for change 

which is happening now – not only in igus 

but as well in many industries. 

igus’ isense intelligent plain bearings 

We are cautiously positive of 2021, and 

hope the upwards trend which started 

some months ago will continue and 

accelerate. FBA 


ON THE TABLE 41 

Polymer bearings at the “dry end” of 

beverage technology 

They should operate dry and be maintenance-free, corrosion-free and cost effective – polymer bearings 

from the igus modular kit are designed to address these requirements. For this reason, German 

engineering company Beyer Maschinenbau uses these bearings in its systems for conveying, sorting and 

palletising bottles, crates and multi-packs. 

In the past, not everything was 

better but some things were easier. 

Consumers who bought beer in a 

supermarket or beverage speciality store 

had the choice between single bottles 

or a crate of 20 half-litre bottles. Today, 

there are various types of bottles, crates 

and other types of containers. For mineral 

water, the variety is even greater. 

While this offers consumers greater 

freedom of choice, it poses a challenge 

for mineral springs and breweries. They 

depend on the coordination with plant 

manufacturers who have expertise 

in managing this diversity and who, 

accordingly, develop and build flexible 

systems for handling and sorting different 

bottles, crates, six-packs and more. 

FLEXIBLE MACHINES 

Under these circumstances, Beyer 

Maschinenbau, an engineering company 

based in Roßwein, Germany, supported 

the beverage industry, and developed a 

range of machines and systems for the 

Peter Nowotny (left), design engineer 

at Beyer Maschinenbau, with Thomas 

Sommerweiß, sales consultant for igus 

(Photo credit: igus) 


42 

ON THE TABLE 

“dry end” of beverage production that can 

The igubal spherical bearings are used as 

is drylin trapezoidal lead screw and nuts 

be adapted flexibly to different bottles, 

pillow block bearings of the ESTM series 

made of polymer iglidur J. 

containers and packing pattens. 

for shaft diameters of 12, 16 and 20mm. 

They compensate for displacement errors 

Nowotny explained: “With these lead screw 

Beyer’s machines are deployed by small 

and sagging, and prevent jamming or 

drives, we save installation space, achieve 

and large mineral springs, breweries and 

premature wear of the moving gripping 

high accuracy and significantly reduce the 

juice producers, as well as by several 

elements. Until recently, Beyer still 

costs of linear drives.” 

logistics companies that manages empty 

used drylin liners for this purpose. The 

returnable bottles. They stack, palletise 

and transport beverage crates, and 

sort and pack bottles automatically into 

the respective containers. Additionally, 

the engineering company designs and 

manufacturers complete systems with 

changeover to complete housing bearings 

offers the advantage of shorter assembly 

times, and housings no longer have to be 

manufactured. Two such bearings are used 

for each gripping element. 

The same applies to the drylin pillow 

blocks in the conveyor modules. As pillow 

block bearings with iglidur liner, they can 

be easily installed and provide guidance to 

shafts without maintenance requirements 

or risk of corrosion. 

automated feed and removal technology, 

including the associated identification 

technology and connection to the 

appropriate IT systems. 

CUSTOMISED PLANT 

Each plant leaving the manufacturing 

facility in Roßwein is individually designed. 

Peter Nowotny, design engineer for Beyer 

Maschinenbau, explained: “We do not 

In the gripping axes, the blue FDAcompliant 

iglidur liner is also discernible, 

which is available as tribo-tape and is 

accordingly easy to attach. “The liner 

prevents squeaking, which some users find 

unpleasant. A detail that is not essential 

in terms of durability and resilience. But it 

signals the quality of our systems audibly 

to the customer,” he added. 

MAINTENANCE-FREE, DRY 

OPERATION 

These two specifications are as important 

to Beyer as the aforementioned 

requirement for quiet operation. The 

objective is to ensure that the systems run 

reliably with a minimum of service work, 

under the unfavourable environmental 

conditions of the beverage industry, where 

manufacture standard series machinery, 

but always adapt the basic design of the 

various plant types to the individual task 

and the structural conditions.” In doing so, 

Beyer works with a high degree of vertical 

integration, and has the same quality 

standards in mind for which the company’s 

systems are known for in the beverage 

industry. 

CLIP BEARING REPLACES BRASS 

BUSHING 

The igus bearings are also used in the 

palletisers of the MultiPac series – for 

example, on the gripping tools which pull 

the crates onto a conveyor in rows during 

de-palletising. Originally, Beyer used nonlubricated 

brass bushings. 

moisture and tough cleaning with highpressure 

cleaners and the like, are the 

order of the day. 

Dry operation also plays a major role in the 

selection of drive and bearing components 

– and lastly, the costs and quick availability 

of the components. The iglidur igubal 

and drylin bearings from the igus product 

QUIET OPERATION 

One aspect of quality that is of importance 

to both Beyer and its customers is noise 

emission, as Nowotny elaborated: “The 

noise is a decisive factor for the user to 

evaluate the mechanics of a system to be 

of high quality.” This drove Beyer’s choice 

of polymer bearings from the igus modular 

kit, which have already been adopted in 

diverse components and bearing points. 

An example is the gripper heads of the 

MultiPac bottle packers. 

Installed here are the igubal ball and 

Although this method worked, Nowotny 

stressed in improving the design. The team 

then installed the EGFM-T clip bearings 

from the igus igubal range without having 

to change the adjacent structure, thus 

saving Beyer costs and assembly time, 

as each of the flexible, spring-mounted 

gripping tappers is guided by two 

bearings. 

MODULAR BEARING SYSTEM 

The engineers at Beyer also employs 

bearing technology from the igus 

modular construction kit in their system 

range fulfil this requirement profile. 

This article is provided by igus. 

FBA 

(Photo credit: Beyer) 

socket joints as well as flanged bushings 

and thrust washers from the iglidur range. 

modules for bottle and crate transport. 

The standard drive for liner movements 

drylin pillow blocks are installed in the conveyor 

modules of Beyer systems 


PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 

43 

Choosing the optimal 


By TIM NANNEY 

Soft Flight Coating Drum 

A 

coated product’s success often 

depends on the quality and the 

consistency of its finished product. 

Working directly with customers to identify 

the correct process and equipment usually 

leads to success, and the ability to choose 

from a diverse offering of equipment 

increases the likelihood of finding a 

coating system solution that works for a 

variety of applications, in both food and 

non-food markets. 

Coating product can be completed in 

single or multiple stages. The two-stage 

coating system is an example of a coating 

process that applies a liquid ingredient, 

such as oil, as a tack agent and follows 

with a dry seasoning application. Corn 

and tortilla chips, seasoned crackers, and 

extruded snacks are examples of products 

that utilise a two-stage coating system. 

Other coating system offerings utilise a 

slurry spray system to apply a mixture 

of oil or water and dry seasonings. An 

example of this type is a corn curl type 

product or a breakfast cereal. Another 

seasoning application, referred to as 

dry seasoning only, requires no liquid 

application at all. Products processed 

using this method of coating typically have 

sufficient residual surface moisture that 

an application of dry seasoning only is 

required. Oil roasted nuts and potato chips 

are an example of this type of product. 

COATING DRUM 

A key component of a successful coating 

system is a properly engineered coating 

drum. Product throughput, bulk density, 

shape, and other characteristics all factor 

into the drum’s length, diameter, and 

design. Also, attention to application and 

design requirements are key. The function 

of the coating drum is to gently lift and 

fold the product repeatedly to allow each 

product piece exposure to gradually buildup 

liquid and dry coatings. 

LIQUID COATING APPLICATION 

Coating system design principles remain 

the same regardless of the spray system 

utilised. By utilising an effective spray 

design with multi-nozzle manifolds, this 

maximises the coating zone within the 

drum. This combined with proper nozzle 

placement target sprays the product 

travelling beneath the spray nozzles within 

the drum and allows for a gradual buildup 

of applied liquid to the base product, 

resulting in a more evenly coated product. 

A variety of spray system options from 

“airless” pulsing oil spray applicators to 

air-assist or high-volume oil spray systems 

are available, as well as slurry spray 

systems for applying emulsions, sugar 

solutions, liquid-solid slurries, or other 

high-viscosity liquids. 

DRY INGREDIENT APPLICATION 

Applying dry seasoning to products 

either over a conveyor belt or more 

commonly within a coating drum as part 

of a continuous coating system requires 

both an auger-based powder feeder and 

a scarf plate distributor. An example of 

this is a powder feeder which meters and 

dispenses the dry seasoning or salt at a 

consistent and accurate rate onto the scarf 

plate distributor. 

A scarf plate distributor is a fixed speed, 

vibratory conveyor featuring a narrow, 

mirrored finished, bias cut tray. Easy to 

operate and clean, and compatible with 

most dry seasonings, salts, and other 

granular products to create a consistent 

curtain of the applied dry product. The 

scarf plate distributor is positioned within 

the coating drum, so a gradual coating 

of seasoning is applied to the product as 

it travels through the coating drum. The 

seasoning curtain expands the coating 

zone for a consistent evenly-coated 

finished product. 

Spray Dynamics offers a variety of 

products with options to maximise 

its footprint, and has been providing 

continuous coating system solutions for 

more than 50 years. Visit Heat and Control 

to find out more. FBA 

Tim Nanney is technical sales manager for 

Spray Dynamics. 

Spray Dynamics offers a comprehensive range of 

coating systems for numerous applications 


44 


Bottling plant relocation: 

Brewery Eder & Heylands relies on KHS 

From historic town centre to fields of green, 

Bavarian brewery Eder & Heylands has moved 

its bottling shop from the centre of Großostheim 

near Aschaffenburg to the outskirts of the little 

market town. When it came to procuring new 

machines, Eder & Heylands relied on KHS, and 

invested in two bottling lines that include the 

Innofill Glass DPG and DRS-ZMS glass bottle 

fillers. In the future, the family business will also 

rely on the Dortmund manufacturer’s bottle 

washing technology in the form of an Innoclean 

SE, with the systems supplier rising to the task 

of catering for the brewery’s Schlappeseppel 

swing-top beer bottles. 

The KHS Innoclean SE bottle 

washer masters the task of 

filling Schlappeseppel beer 

into swing-top bottles 

Eder & Heylands has invested in two bottling lines from KHS that include the 

resource-saving Innofill Glass DPG glass bottle filler 



45 

German alcoholic beverage 

manufacturer Eder & Heylands has 

been bottling its beer and many 

other products on a KHS system at its old 

brewery in the centre of town for the last 

25 years. When planning for expansion, 

Eder & Heylands decided to relocate as the 

possibilities for expansion at the site in the 

town centre was limited, and the machine 

park was also up for modernisation. 

When choosing the new equipment, among 

other criteria a high degree of automation 

was a priority, such as for programme or 

recipe selection, automatic overnight heatup 

of the bottle washers, and adequate 

head section disinfection. The Dortmund 

engineering company’s technological 

values and low media consumption on all 

units met Eder & Heylands’ demand. 

EFFICIENT, RESOURCE-SAVING 

SWING-TOP BOTTLE WASHING 

The Bavarian brewery ultimately opted 

for two Innoclean SE bottle washing 

machines and two modern glass fillers. 

With the Innofill Glass DRS-ZMS, Eder 

& Heylands is able to wash and fill up to 

36,000 standardised pool bottles per hour, 

what are known as longneck and Nord- 

Rhein Westfalen (NRW) bottles, and on the 

Innofill Glass DPG up to 15,000 swing-top 

bottles every 60 minutes. 

Washing swing-top bottles often 

poses a challenge to breweries. Stefan 

Knappmann, area sales manager at KHS, 

who was responsible for the project, 

explained: “After washing bottles with 

caustic, the swing top mustn’t fall onto the 

bottle neck as otherwise any caustic that 

might still be in the bottle can’t be emptied 

and rinsed out. If this were the case, the 

downstream inspection unit would then 

channel out any bottles containing residual 

caustic. 

“If this happens too frequently, these 

bottles are no longer available for further 

production. If the detection unit doesn’t 

Maximilian Weber (left), filling centre project manager 

at Eder & Heylands; and Stefan Knappmann, area 

sales manager for KHS who was also responsible for 

the project 

work properly, in the worst case, bottles 

containing caustic residue may be filled. 

This must be avoided at all costs so as 

to avoid any possible health risks to the 

consumer.” 

KHS thus installed a bottle base spray for 

Eder & Heylands to circumvent this issue. 

Here, a jet of water pushes the bottle 

deeper into the individual bottle washer 

pocket so that the swing top cannot slip in 

front of the neck. Furthermore, the bottle 

washer on the swing-top line can also 

process bottles without a swing top. 

One of the features that enables Eder & 

Heylands to save on media involves warm 

water being taken from the bottle washers 

for use by other operators such as crate 

washers. In addition, KHS installed a fresh 

water control unit and electricity-saving 

function for the sprays. 

EMPTIES INFEED CUSTOMISED 

BY KHS 

KHS also met the brewery’s requirements 

regarding the infeed of empties. “The 

challenge here was to match the number of 

empties fed into the system to the amount 

of beer to be filled so that at the end of 

production there were neither too many 

nor too few bottles and crates on the line,” 

Knappmann stated. This is because the 

filling logistics at the new building was 

Eder & Heylands’ portfolio of 

Schlappeseppel beer 

sophisticated. Moreover, the brewhouse 

was still at the old production site in the 

middle of town; following brewing and 

storage of the beer is transported in tank 

trucks by a logistics company specialised 

in food to the new bottling shop where it is 

either filled into bright beer tanks or filled 

directly. 

LOW CONSUMPTION CONVINCING 

The systems’ low consumption values, 

including a minimal use of water for bottle 

washing and of CO2 during filling, also 

had the Bavarian brewers convinced. With 

the filling method developed by KHS, 

depending on the processing programme, 

the filling equipment uses 240g of CO2 per 

hectolitre of beer. 

Maximilian Weber, filling centre project 

manager for Eder & Heylands, concluded: 

“KHS’ machinery is perfectly adapted 

to our requirements as a medium-sized 

brewery. We benefit from this proven 

technology. Our production processes have 

also been greatly simplified, and are now 

much more efficient.” FBA 


46 


Inex Belgium deploys Sidel’s aseptic solutions 

for the packaging of UHT milk in PET bottles 

Belgian milk producer Inex has selected Sidel’s aseptic polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging line 

to help meet a growing demand for locally produced milk, prompted by the COVID-19 restrictions last 

March. With Sidel’s new and sustainable packaging line, Inex plans to improve production capacity by 

supplying ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk products in PET bottles. 

Passionately about sustainability and 

the delivery of high-quality milk, Inex 

is a privately owned company in the 

heart of Belgium. The milk producer exports 

50% of its production to neighbouring 

countries, and produces a variety of dairy 

products including fresh and long-life ultrahigh-temperature 

(UHT) milk, dairy drinks, 

cream, and other milk derivatives. The milk 

is collected from local Belgian farmers, and 

Inex has established a long-term relationship 

with its suppliers. Additionally, Inex 

manufacturers private labels for retailers as 

well as products under its own name. 

To increase production capacity and 

simultaneously reduce its environmental 

footprint, Inex has worked closely with 

Sidel to design and install the new aseptic 

packaging line that will package its UHT 

milk in a safe, sustainable, and userfriendly 

polyethylene terephthalate (PET) 

bottle. 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS 

DRIVE PET PACKAGING DECISION 

To help Inex better understand the 

advantages of moving from carton to white 

PET, Sidel supported the milk producer in 

verifying experiences, and also by visiting 

a similar installation. Steven Dierickx, CEO 

at Inex, explained: “Sidel was an excellent 

cooperation partner. All viewpoints they 

offered made it clear to us how beneficial 

the new line would be.” Some of the most 

important considerations focused on 

the fact that PET is not only suitable for 

safe and shelf-stable low acid products, 

but that it is also a 100% closed-loop 

recyclable material. In addition, Sidel 

claimed production with its Aseptic Combi 

Predis, a blow-fill-seal solution with dry 

preform and cap sterilisation, is more 

Inex’s UHT milk products are packed in Sidel’s PET bottles 



47 

environmentally friendly as no water is 

consumed, and few chemicals are used to 

sterilise the bottle during production. 

The new PET packaging is used Inex’s 

UHT milk in 0.5-litre and 1-litre formats. 

The white PET bottle ensures stable light 

barrier properties for long-life and product 

integrity without any aluminium foil. 

Sidel worked with the preform supplier to 

ensure the preform injection quality and 

validate the bottle neck and cap tightness 

with its B180 test, ensuring no leakage 

from the bottle when horizontally stored in 

the fridge. 

“The new PET bottle contains a minimum 

of 25% recycled PET, is 20% lighter than 

other plastic bottles and therefore has a 

20% lower CO2 footprint,” Dierickx added. 

PACKAGING LINE POTENTIAL 

BOOSTS ASEPTIC PRODUCTION 

Sébastien Sergues, business development 

manager for food category at Sidel, 

pointed out the Inex initially favoured 

a line design with some room for 

optimisation in the production set-up due 

to space constraints at the plant. The 

Sidel team then suggested to divide the 

production between two buildings. As a 

result, production flow on the new PET line 

was distributed between a plant dedicated 

to bottling and labelling and a warehouse 

designed for palletising, pallet wrapping 

and shipment management, with packs 

conveyed between the two locations. The 

complete PET packaging line is entirely 

manufactured by Sidel with an optimised 

end-of-line solution. 

PRODUCTION STARTS AHEAD OF 

SCHEDULE TO MEET DEMAND 

Commercial production on the aseptic line 

was originally scheduled to commence 

mid-March last year. However, due to the 

outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 

demand for milk from the local market 

increased rapidly, and the company 

needed to produce the extra volume. 

The collaboration between the Inex 

and Sidel teams enabled production to 

commence three weeks in advance, as 

Sidel’s Dierickx recalled: “Fast line rampup 

ahead of schedule meant we could 

manage an increase in production. This 

was only possible because of the support 

we received from Sidel either on-site or 

remotely. We also jointly found a solution 

to increase the number of shifts from two 

to three.” 

Sidel claimed the new aseptic PET 

packaging line is “highly efficient”, and Inex 

has received operational training to manage 

it. The line also opens future opportunities 

for high production flexibility to handle 

various formats and an alternative 

packaging method for other products, such 

as cream, to be packed in PET bottles. 

“Last October, Queen Mathilde of Belgium 

visited the Inex plant to learn more about 

local sustainable food production. She 

showed a lot of interest in the subject 

and expressed her appreciation for our 

employees. We are proud of her interest 

and feedback,” Dierickx concluded. FBA 

Sidel’s Aseptic Combi Predis installed at Inex’s production facility 


48 


The benefits of automatic metal 

detector testing 

Traditional methods of testing gravity fed metal detectors and those installed on Vertical Form Fill and Sealing 

(VFFS) packaging lines typically involve frequent and time-consuming stoppages, potential risks to operator 

safety and often generate inconsistent results. In many cases, the test methods used do not confirm that the 

operational specification of the metal detector is being achieved. Mike Bradley, global head of sales (metal 

detection) at Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection, elaborates how automatic metal detector testing systems can 

overcome these issues, and improve food manufacturing quality, efficiency and productivity. 

The “Drop-Through”, “Fishing Line” 

and “Test Rod” methods are all 

routine performance monitoring 

test processes for vertical metal detection 

systems. Manual testing often requires 

teams of operators to put their safety at 

risk by climbing ladders and reaching over 

machinery so that they can drop or insert 

test samples into a throat or gravity-fall 

metal detector. These test processes are 

unable to accurately verify the operational 

specification of the metal detector. This 

is because they do not confirm centreline 

testing – the least sensitive part of the 

metal detector – as the placement of test 

samples passing through is generally 

random. In addition, manual testing 

processes can carry cross-contamination 

risks, and can potentially compromise food 

product quality, as the test samples come 

into direct contact with the product. 

Mettler-Toledo has developed a solution to 

address these issues, while also helping to 

improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness 

(OEE) and productivity – the Automatic 

Test System (ATS) on Safeline metal 

detection systems. 

ATS is designed for use in vertical food 

inspection applications such as snacks, 

crisps, confectionery, infant formula, 

bulk flour and nutraceutical powders, 

plus granulates such as sugar and food 

additives. Test samples are transported, 

by pneumatic control, up discreet nonmetallic 

tubes inside the metal detector’s 

aperture to a defined position within the 

sensing coils. The test samples are then 

released, simulating the presence of a 

contaminant in free-fall under gravity. A 

software algorithm correlates centreline 

sensitivity with edge of aperture sensitivity, 

eliminating the random nature of vertical 

metal detector testing. 

Reduced Test (RT) Mode is an additional 

feature available on some throat and 

gravity-fall metal detection systems. When 

RT mode is active, the metal detector 

monitors its online sensitivity performance, 

and provides an alarm should the sensitivity 

drop below the specified level allowing 

companies to reduce the frequency of 

testing by up to 80%, without increasing 

their risk. This directly, and in some cases 

dramatically, improves productivity as 

production is now stopped less frequently 

for testing allowing productivity gains to be 

realised. 

Italian savoury snack producer PATA has 

30 throat-style metal detectors on its 

production line, of which five have ATS 

installed. RT Mode is included as standard 

on the Mettler-Toledo Profile metal 

detectors that it uses. ATS and RT Mode 

have provided several advantages for PATA 

and for other food manufacturers that use 

them. 

Cutaway image of the ATS in-situ at the edge of the metal detector aperture 

ENSURE COMPLIANCE 

1 ATS is the method of testing that 

confirms centreline sensitivity performance. 

As such, it delivers test results of ongoing 

working performance that can be trusted. 



49 

When connected to centralised data 

collection and management systems, 

such as Mettler-Toledo’s ProdX software, 

ATS provides electronic records that are 

easily stored for future references, for 

audit compliance or proof of due diligence. 

Having electronically stored data reduces 

the risk of errors or loss associated with 

paper records. This also supports rigorous 

quality control regimes, production 

optimisation, and simplified production 

line operation. 

2 

INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY 

ATS tests are much faster than 

traditional testing methods. An end-to-end 

three-metal test – ferrous, non-ferrous 

and stainless steel – can be completed 

by a single operator under 40 seconds, 

compared to an average 3-4 minutes and 

two operators using traditional, manual 

methods. 

By using RT Mode to reduce testing 

frequency from every two hours to 

every 12 hours, a typical snack food 

manufacturer with 24 weigher-bagger lines 

running at an average of 100 bags per 

minute could save more than 4,000 manhours 

and produce 25 million more packs 

per year. 

Mettler-Toledo also offers online calculators 

to enable food manufacturers work out how 

much they could benefit from using ATS 

and RT Mode. 

3 

ENHANCE OPERATOR SAFETY 

Not only will operators work safer 

with ATS, but fewer of them will be needed 

to conduct testing. For example, instead of 

one operator having to climb high to drop 

a sample through the aperture, and one to 

record the result and remove the sample 

from the production line, ATS testing can be 

completed by a single operator. It virtually 

eliminates the need to work at height to 

conduct routine testing and removes the 

need for operators to reach across installed 

equipment to insert a test sample. 

IMPROVE PRODUCT QUALITY 

4 AND FOOD SAFETY 

ATS is a non-invasive method of testing, 

so test samples do not come into contact 

with food, removing the danger of crosscontamination. 

The higher sensitivity 

levels of RT Mode mean that small, 

irregularly shaped metal contaminants can 

be detected. RT Mode also continuously 

checks the performance of the metal 

detector to ensure it is always working to 

a level as good as, or better than, the food 

manufacturer’s specifications. 

5 

FACILITATING SOCIAL 

DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS 

Additional to ATS and RT Mode is an 

Emulation feature which allows operators 

to remotely control the metal detectors 

by mirroring their interfaces on remote 

networked devices. This is designed for 

testing of systems installed in inaccessible 

locations, while also supporting COVID-19 

social distancing requirements and 

enhances operator safety. FBA 

Mettler-Toledo Safeline Profile ST Series metal detectors with ATS installed at PATA 


50 


New-tech standing pouches 

cut fresh food waste 

Divine Flavour adopts StePac’s modified 

atmosphere standing pouches for extending 

produce shelf life in the retail sector. 

StePac, a supplier of packaging 

for fresh produce, has gained 

growing interest in the retail sector 

for their functional standing pouches. 

The resealable bags are developed with 

the company’s Xgo advanced modified 

atmosphere/modified humidity (MA/MH) 

technology. They are designed to lengthen 

the shelf life of fresh produce, and reduce 

waste in the supply chain as well as in the 

consumer’s homes. The pouch enhances 

consumer experience and concurrently 

helps raise the fresh food packaging 

sector to greater ethical standards by 

contributing its part to the global waste 

reduction effort. 

Divine Flavour, a California-based 

distributor of fruits and vegetables and 

part of Grupo Alta, has employed StePac’s 

Xgo standing pouches. The Xgo standing 

pouch is engineered to combine shelf-life 

extension capabilities by actively slowly 

the aging and ripening process, with the 

convenience in an attractive “grab-n-go” 

retail packaging format. 

Since 2010, Divine Flavour has been a user 

of StePac’s Xtend line of bulk packaging 

for transporting its squash, cucumbers 

and bell peppers from growing regions 

in Mexico to the US. The company began 

testing the new Xgo standing pouches two 

years ago in a move to expand their line of 

products and bring differentiation of their 

brand by offering supermarkets a means of 

bringing the packaging benefits all the way 

from the farm to the consumer. 

Xgo standing pouches have enabled 

the company to shift to packing fresh 

produce in the final retail format at source. 

The Divine Flavour technical team fully 

adopted the protocol last year for direct 

field-to-home refrigerator packaging of 

its Persian cucumbers for the US market. 

It has garnered interest of fresh produce 

distributors around the globe. 

Michael DuPuis, quality assurance and 

public relations coordinator for Divine 

Flavour, commented: “The Xgo standing 

pouch is a high performing product, 

with an ability to retain freshness and 

meaningfully extend product shelf life. 

The feedback from our customers has 

been excellent; they’re happy with the 

quality and attractive appearance, and the 

fact that it has that sustainability edge 

consumers are seeking.” 

The Xgo standing pouch shelf life 

extension capabilities are due to 

properties inbuilt into the packaging 

matrix that functions to lower oxygen 

and increase carbon dioxide. This 

creates optimal conditions for slowing 

respiration and senescence in plant 

tissues, inhibiting the growth of mould and 

other microorganisms, thereby preserving 

freshness and valuable nutrients. The 

StePac technology features the ability 

to limit dehydration and product weight 

loss during storage, shipment, and home 

use, and has inbuilt condensation control, 

that ensures high visibility of the packed 

products even under challenging supply 

chain conditions. 

StePac’s pouches are resealable and are 

also available in fully recyclable formats, 

contributing to a circular economy. 

They can be decoratively printed for 

personal brands to evoke instant product 

recognition while on the shelves and come 

with a convenient grab handle. 

Gary Ward, business development 

manager for StePac, concluded: “Our 

packaging designs have traditionally 

focused on the wholesale sector, offering a 

lean functional solution to bulk packaging 

of fresh produce that can support long 

haul shipments as well as storage. It 

already demonstrated abilities to extend 

shelf life by 50-100%, bringing promising 

support to food waste reduction. 

“In the midst of current COVID-19 climate, 

concerns for food safety are driving 

demand for more retail packaging. We 

have purpose designed our packaging to 

preserve quality and reduce waste in the 

most sustainable way possible, and are 

venturing into the retail sector to bring this 

sustainable resource saving solution into 

consumers’ homes.” FBA 



51 

Don’t stick with the old when it comes 

to food labelling 

Rock Wei, R&D director, Asia-Pacific, industrial adhesives, Bostik, assess pressure sensitive 

and holt-melt applications for food contact labels. 

Worldwide, there has been a 

sharp rise in consumer demand 

in many commodity-driven 

industries due to the availability of a wider 

range of products online and in stores. 

One sector that has seen an upward 

trend in demand is fresh food produce. 

Consumers are increasingly focused on 

the quality, value and production history 

of the food they consume. As a result, 

food and packaging manufacturers now, 

need to meet this increase in demand, 

and find new and safe ways to improve 

shortening process cycles, while adhering 

to regulatory standards. 

A segment of the food produce market 

that has an exceptionally high turnover 

of goods is fruit and vegetables. This 

is due to many products having a short 

shelf life, with items often required to be 

replaced weekly or even daily. To keep up 

with consumer demand, it is important 

for manufacturers to use high-quality 

packaging and labelling solutions that 

are easy to use, enable fast delivery, and 

comply with national and international 

health and safety standards. 

Adhesive used in fruit and vegetable label 

is classified into either direct or indirect 

food additives, and these labels need to 

meet specific food-grade regulations and 

requirements. 

Labels are an essential and unavoidable 

means of conveying valuable information 

to consumers about their product. They 

must be designed to appear on even the 

smallest of surfaces. For many fresh fruits 

and vegetables, labelling and packaging 

must be in direct contact with the 

products. For example, in many countries, 

a label can often be found on each 

individual banana sold in the market. 

Food safety, along with a wide range of 

other specifications, has to be taken into 

consideration when manufacturers are 

packaging and using high-performance 

adhesives for different product ranges. 

Label manufacturers need to ensure that 

the labels they use do not fall off, have a 

well-balanced initial tack and peel, and 

most importantly, are compliant with 

regulations. 

FINDING THE RIGHT ADHESIVE 

To ensure that products meet safety 

requirements, packaging and food 

manufacturers have to consider applying 

label adhesives that will maintain a high 

degree of efficiency during the lifecycle of 

each individual item. 

Some important elements associated with 

conventional food labelling adhesives 

include: 

• The temperature range of each food 

label will vary depending on how 

the product needs to be stored and 

transported. For instance, the label 

may be exposed to low or semifreezing 

temperatures. 

• Ensuring the label adhesive will not 

alter the food in any way including 

taste, smell, quality or safety of the 

product. 

• Ensuring labels remain on products 

during transportation, do not curl or 

cause haloing. 

• Ensuring labels provide the correct 

information, and that labels and 

adhesives meet local regulatory food 

grade requirements. 

When selecting an adhesive, it is also crucial 

to consider the most appropriate material 

to save time and cost during short process 

cycles. 

FOOD SAFETY IS OF TOP PRIORITY 

Bostik develops, manufactures and 

distributes adhesives and sealants for 

construction, industrial and consumer 

markets. The recently launched Bostik Food 

Touch H18, which is a new series of hot 

melt pressure sensitive adhesives (HMPSAs) 

to be used in direct food contact labelling 

features several key performance properties 

including: 

• A wide application temperature range 

that will perform in semi-freezing 

temperatures to room temperature. 

• Resistance to fruit essence. 

• No residue when removed from the 

product. 

• Secure label placement even during 

long distance transport and no curling. 

• Improved converting and die-cut 

performance using linerless labels that 

result in lighter labels. 

• Minimal to no haloing on the product, 

or curling. 

We live in a world where demand for fresh 

food products is high and growing. This 

means that it is increasingly important 

for brands to constantly evolve their 

processes and materials to meet labelling 

and packaging requirements. At Bostik, we 

remain dedicated to using high-performance 

adhesives labelling and applying our 

knowledge and expertise to provide the best 

quality adhesives for our customers. FBA 


Europe has been falling behind on its 

race to meet the European Union 

(EU) target of 90% collection of 

plastic bottles by 2030, according to 

a new research by ICIS. Results of the 

ICIS survey of the European recycled 

polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) 

industry in 2019 showed that progress 

has been made, but this progress is being 

loomed by inadequate collection and high 

contamination levels with it comes to 

polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. 

Overall, the region saw a recycling rate of 

46%, a rise of 2% on the rate in 2018. 

Helen McGeough, senior analyst of plastic 

recycling at ICIS, said: “Given that PET is 

one of the most recyclable polymers in the 

market and the recycling infrastructure 

is more mature than other polymers, the 

question remains as to why this is not 

advancing to higher recycling rates. 

“This reflects the wider issues facing the 

sector in terms of a collection and sorting 

infrastructure managed principally by 

national governments that have not invested 

in systems to manage the proliferation 

in waste composition and consequently 

can produce poor quality recyclables. The 

recycling sector inherits materials with 

reducing yields while end-users demand 

even higher quality rPET output.” 



53 

ISSUES OF THE COLLECTION 

STRATEGY 

Collection volumes of post-consumer PET 

bottles reached 2.2 million tonnes in 2019, 

an increase of 5% on 2018, which marked 

the highest growth rate in several years. 

However, the overall collection rate across 

the region increased just 1% to 64% in 

2019, so over a third of post-consumer 

bottles remain uncollected. 

The PET recycling industry responded 

to the boom in demand for rPET supply 

during 2018 by increasing its capacity 

by 11%. However, not only did collection 

rates not match this growth in capacity 

but nor did the availability of the highest 

quality colourless bales. Deposit return 

scheme (DRS) bales represented 31.6% 

of the total supply compared to 33% in 

2017. 

Although the feedstock supply may 

have increased in volume, so too did 

contamination levels. The average yield 

across the region was 69.5% in 2019, 

down from 71% in 2018. Although to 

McGeough this was “unsurprising given 

the reduction of PET waste exports to 

China, due to the waste import ban, and 

pushback from other Asian markets unable 

and, or, unwilling to accept shipments and 

become a dumping ground for the rest of 

the world. These typically lower-quality 

materials have science been absorbed into 

the domestic waste stream and contribute 

to the overall reduction in yield.” 

CHALLENGES MARKET PLAYERS FACE 

TO MEET RECYCLING TARGETS 

The key drivers to the rPET market are 

brand pledges and legislation, mainly the 

SUP Directive which mandates the use of 

recycled content in bottles, pushing the 

supply increasingly towards the bottle 

market. 

Under the SUP Directive, the bottle 

industry must achieve 25% recycled 

content in PET bottles by 2025, and 

the study showed growth in the rPET 

penetration of the food contact bottle 

market at 14.5%, rising from 10.7% in 

2018. However, this is still over 10% 

below the mandated target and way below 

the ambitious of influential brands going 

way beyond these levels, up to 100% for 

segments of their portfolio. 

The ICIS report showed that in 2019 the 

share of rPET supply absorbed by the 

food contact bottle market rose to 32% 

compared with 25% in 2018, reflecting 

this trend and pull through the supply 

chain from significant beverage brands 

ambition to offer more sustainable 

packaging for their product as consumer 

pressure continued to build after the high 

profile of plastic pollution in the natural 

environment – often cited as the Blue 

Planet effect. 

“The 2019 survey shows improvement in 

many aspects of the rPET supply into the 

market,” McGeough concluded. “However, 

there are still challenges to overcome, 

mainly at the front end of the chain. These 

include the improved collection in terms 

of quality as well as quantity, improved 

design for recycling and sorting to reduce 

waste rates, and growth in the supply of 

highest quality rPET to meet the demand 

of bottlers.” FBA 


54 FIRST LOOKS 

Syntegon 

Syntegon adds new Sigpack TTMD cartoner with integrated Delta 

robots to its portfolio 

Syntegon has expanded its secondary 

packaging portfolio with the Sigpack TTMD 

machine, which combines core technologies 

of the TTM platform with one or more 

seamlessly integrated Delta robot cells. 

The Delta robots pick single or multiple 

products arriving in random order and 

place them in cartons, trays or other 

containers according to specifications. 

To enable additional packaging flexibility, 

the new top-load cartoner can also 

simultaneously pack different products 

from several infeed processes. The Sigpack 

TTMD uses the tool-less format changeover 

concept from the TTM platform, enabling a 

vertical restart after each format change. 

Michael Haas, product manager for 

secondary packaging at Syntegon, 

explained: “Since its launch 10 years 

ago, the TTM platform for integrated 

top-load cartoners has proven its worth 

at manufacturing companies all over the 

world and has been continuously developed 

further. Our customers are especially 

impressed by its high reliability and 

flexibility. Thanks to the integrated Delta 

robots, even more product and pack style 

variations are now possible.” 

INTEGRATION OF DELTA 

ROBOT CELLS 

The highlight of the Sigpack TTMD is its 

carton loading by integrated Delta robots. 

Each cartoning machine can be equipped 

with one or more Delta robot cells. A 

camera-based vision system detects the 

position of the individual products on the 

infeed belt. Depending on the product, the 

pick rate of the Delta robots is typically 

between 60 and 90 products per minutes, 

and can go up to as many as 120 products 

per minute. 

Following the single- or multi-pick process, 

the robotic arms pick the products from 

the belt and place them in the cartons 

either in a flat or on-edge position. The 

process is organised according to the 

counterflow principle – the cartons move 

in the opposition direction to the product. 

This reduces the reject rate, and ensures 

that each carton is filled correctly. The Delta 

robots can track on the infeed conveyor 

and the carton transport, which allows the 

products to be continuously loaded into the 

cartons. 

The core of the Sigpack TTMD consists 

of a TTM1 or TTM2 top-load cartoner for 

forming and closing. The Sigpack TTMD has 

a maximum output rate of 150 cartons per 

minute. 

FLEXIBLE PRESENTATION AT THE 

POINT OF SALE 

Consumers ask for a wide selection of 

products, which is mirrored by a broad 

retail offering. The Sigpack TTMD cartoner 

increases presentation options at the point 

of sale as it offers the possibility of inserting 

the products either flat or on-edge into 

the carton. Since products from several 

process sources can be fed into the TTMD, 

a selection of different products, such as 

small bags containing different snacks, can 

be packed into one carton. 

Syntegon’s Sigpack TTMD 

END-TO-END CARTON CONTROL 

Another core technology of the TTM 

platform is its full carton control, which 

is also used in the Sigpack TTMD. Haas 

explained: “Each carton is placed on a 

separate carton carrier and is actively 

controlled. From forming to loading to 

closing, the cartons are transported safely 

through the entire packaging process.” 

FAST FORMAT CHANGES AND LESS 

REJECTS 

The Sigpack TTMD is easily accessible, 

easy to clean, and uses Syntegon’s toolless 

format changeover concept. With 

pre-set format rods, the settings are clear 

and sources of error can be minimised. A 

single operator is able to perform format 

changes independently, and restart the 

machine within a short time without having 

to readjust the format parts. 

“The Sigpack TTMD expands our portfolio 

by a cartoning machine that uses the core 

technologies of the TTM platform, while 

the integrated Delta robots increase the 

range of products and pack styles. We are 

pleased that we have already been able 

to sell the first Sigpack TTMD, and further 

inquiries are already being processed,” he 

concluded. ■ 


FIRST LOOKS 55 

3M Food Safety’s automation technology gives lab professionals 

productivity edge 

3M Food Safety has introduced the 3M 

Petrifilm Plate Reader Advanced, a new 

automation technology that gives food 

safety professionals new options to image, 

count and document microbiological 

colonies on 3M Petrifilm Plates indicator 

tests. By automating the colony-counting 

step of 3M Petrifilm Plates, the 3M Petrifilm 

Plate Reader Advanced saves food safety 

labs time and increases productivity. 

The new 3M Petrifilm Plate Reader 

Advanced is a small, peripheral device 

containing a five-megapixel camera 

and barcode reader. The device utilises 

fixed artificial intelligence networks to 

enumerate 3M Petrifilm Plates. 3M Petrifilm 

Plates are inserted into the device, with 

imaging and information automatically 

displaying on a USB-connected computer 

in less than six seconds, processing up 

to 900 plates per hour. The device can 

enumerate ten 3M Petrifilm Plates and the 

Staph Express Disk, and includes software 

that allows technicians to edit results and 

add other relevant sample information. 

Elliott Zell, global new product market 

manager, 3M Food Safety, explained: “Food 

safety is always a top concern globally, but 

challenges related to COVID-19 have put 

additional pressure on organisations to 

maximise resources. 

“3M is in a position to help the food and 

beverage industry maximise the efficiency 

The 3M Petrifilm Plate Reader Advanced 

of the critical tests it manages each 

day, and we have invested in advanced 

hardware and software to help labs 

reduce tedious tasks in favour of strategic 

activities. The 3M Petrifilm Plate Reader 

Advanced – the latest innovation in our 

3M Petrifilm solution – uses automation to 

help increase throughput in testing labs.” 

This introduction of the 3M Petrifilm Plate 

Reader Advanced is 3M Food Safety’s 

second automation offering within the 

last two years for food and beverage 

manufacturers looking to streamline 

their operations and modernise their 

laboratories. In 2019, the company 

partnered with Hamilton Company to offer 

food testing laboratories interoperability 

between the Hamilton foodInspect 

NIMBUS automated multi-channel 

pipetting technology and the 3M Molecular 

Detection System. ■ 

Bühler drives market for plant-based meat with PolyCool 1000 

Bühler has introduced PolyCool 1000, a 

cooling die that, together with an extruder, 

provides a flexible solution for food 

producers creating sustainable plantbased 

meat or fish alternatives. 

Extrusion is a process that can be 

applied to a wide range of plant-based 

raw materials to create tasty meat or 

fish alternatives. An integral part of the 

process is the cooling die. With PolyCool 

1000, Bühler adds a new cooling die to its 

range. 

Cooling dies work with extrusion 

technology to enable the creation of meat 

or fish substitutes with structures and 

textures that closely resemble animalbased 

meat products such as chicken, fish, 

or beef. With the PolyCool 1000 cooling 

die in combination with an extruder, 

it is possible to produce wet-textured 

proteins based on a wide range of raw 

materials including soy, pulses, oilseeds, 

upcycled side streams like brewer spent 

grains, as well as newer ingredients such 

as microalgae, at throughputs of up to 

1,000kg per hour. 

The PolyCool 1000 enables production 

of products of different shapes and 

structures. The individual cooling circuits 

can each be controlled independently to 

determine the product’s final texture. The 

high-capacity cooling die can withstand 

pressures of up to 50 bar as it cools down 

the melt from some 150 o C to below boiling 

point. With its electropolished surface, 

the extruder and the PolyCool 1000 are 

easy to clean and meet hygiene design 

standards to maximise food safety. 

The PolyCool 1000 completes the product 

portfolio of high-moisture cooling dies 

by Bühler, including the PolyCool 500 for 

mid-scale industrial production, and the 

PolyCool 50 for product development 

purposes. ■ 

Bühler’s PolyCool 1000 cooling die in 

combination with an extruder 

3M Food Safety Bühler 



Parkside 

Parkside enables organic food producer to achieve its compostable 

packaging mission 

Riverford, an organic producer and online 

grocer, has made a step forward in its 

target of changing its fruit and vegetable 

packaging to home compostable by the 

end of 2020, through a collaboration with 

Parkside. 

Park2Nature, the solution chosen by 

Riverford, is a sustainable, TUV-accredited 

compostable range of flexible packaging 

laminates, made from renewable resources 

such as ethically sourced plant fibres. 

The design enables brands, producers, 

and retailers to lessen their reliance on 

petrochemicals. Park2Nature enables 

product protection through the food 

supply chain, while also providing 

enhanced shelf-life capabilities alongside 

meeting food hygiene standards. 

For over three decades, Riverford has been 

growing organic produce across England 

and France, providing consumers with 

ethically responsible food that supports the 

environment, farmers, and local wildlife. The 

company claimed using 82% less plastic 

in its food packaging when compared to 

mainstream supermarkets, and has an 

aim of ensuring all its packaging meets its 

environmental agenda. 

Riverford utilises Parkside’s Park2Nature for the 

packaging of its fruits and vegetables 

Staci Bye, new business development 

manager for Parkside, said: “We are 

thrilled with the continued success of 

Park2Nature; its development has nearly 

been a decade in the making. Through 

extensive independent trials, the laminates 

have been TUV-accredited to demonstrate 

breakdown in home composting conditions 

with zero impact on the environment and 

eco-toxicity.” ■ 

SIG 

SIG’s drinksplus technology drives innovation for DPO in Thailand 

Dairy Farming Promotion Organisation 

of Thailand (DPO) has launched its first 

ambient yoghurt drinks with chewable 

pieces in Thailand, made possible by 

drinksplus technology from SIG. 

Packed in combiblocMini 200ml carton 

packs, the new range of Chew-D yoghurt 

drinks offer consumers a healthy and new 

taste experience. The fat-free and low 

sugar passion fruit-flavoured yoghurt drink 

contains chewable pearls form the konjac 

plant, which grows in the tropics. 

The nutritious chewable pearls in Chew-D 

ambient yoghurt drinks are valuable not 

just as components of a balanced diet, but 

also as a perceived and rated added value. 

Their consistency provides great taste 

and a fun drinking experience. SIG’s new 

drinksplus technology makes it possible to 

aseptically fill carton packs with beverages 

containing up to 10% pieces – from fruit 

and vegetables to nuts and grains. 

Suchart Chariyalertsak, acting deputy 

director of DPO, said: “With the launch of 

Chew-D using SIG’s drinksplus technology, 

DPO has been able to enter a new market 

segment and bring true innovation to the 

Thai beverage market. This new product 

development also brings added value 

for our company, as we’ve been able to 

easily produce drinksplus products on our 

existing filling technology from SIG.” 

SIG uses an advantageous sleeve 

system, where each carton is individually 

shaped, filled and ultrasonically sealed 

above the filling line. This ensures the 

aseptic safety of the product, and is why 

drinksplus products with perceptible 

pieces can be filled on SIG filling machines 

for beverages, once equipped with a 

drinksplus upgrade kit. The particulates 

can be up to 6mm in length and width. 

Drinking straws are up to 8mm in diameter, 

which makes drinking the product easy. ■ 

DPO launches ambient yoghurt drinks with chewable 

pieces packed in SIG’s combiblocMini 



GEA adds sustainable packaging alternative to 

PowerPak Plus technology 

GEA 

GEA has added a new dimension to the 

GEA PowerPak Plus by making it possible 

to use a more sustainable paper-based 

packaging alternative. The GEA PowerPak 

Plus is a thermoforming packaging 

machine which offers different packaging 

solutions, including handling protection, 

vacuum, modified atmosphere packaging 

(MAP) and shrink packaging. 

The new packaging option is made from 

a mouldable paper composite consisting 

of more than 80% paper and a residual 

amount of plastic for features that deliver 

barrier properties. 

Volker Sassmannshausen, senior product 

manager thermoforming packaging 

systems at GEA, explained: “The packaging 

market is currently in a state of flux. 

While consumers and food retailers are 

demanding reductions in plastic usage, the 

food industry must ensure safe packaging 

from beginning to end of the supply chain. 

Not only must all hygiene and quality 

stands be met, but also legal requirements 

Illustration of a paper-based MAP package 

that can be produced with the new 

PowerPak Plus packaging machine 

Production line with GEA PowerPak Plus 

which call for a significant reduction in the allows minimal force to be applied to the 

amount of plastic used in packaging.” paper solution and the top film, which 

are unwound in a controlled and uniform 

PROBLEM-FREE PAPER FORMING manner. In addition, the membrane sealing 

The GEA thermoformer ensures 

system ensures tight and even seals. 

packaging quality, efficiency and 

consumer convenience. With its technical MATERIAL SEPARATION MADE EASY 

modifications, the packaging machine can For consumers to be able to properly 

now also mould coated paper. A series dispose the packaging, it is essential 

of functions – including those dedicated that the diverse materials – in this case 

to unwinding and feeding the delicate paper and plastic – are easy to separate. 

materials as well as the newly developed To achieve this, GEA has integrated a 

multi-zone heating system, which is paired device for punching peel corners into the 

with sealing – ensure that fresh foods thermoformer’s moulding tool. The user 

are safely and hygienically packaged. In simply bends the top corner to separate 

turn, solutions to simplify pack opening the thin plastic film from the paper backing 

and material separation make it easy for before dispose both materials into their 

consumers to separate the paper from respective recycling stream. 

the plastic for disposal in their relevant 

recycling streams. 

SPOTLIGHT ON SUSTAINABILITY 

The demands on packaging are many. 

In the forming station, the multi-zone Consumers expect packaging to be 

heating system warms the coated paper to recycled and more sustainable. Packaging 

the temperature required, making it ready systems must also meet requirements 

for moulding via vacuum and compressed in terms of effectiveness, safety and 

air. This produces thermoformed packs flexibility, in addition to meeting demands 

of around 20mm in height, into which the for the efficient use of energy and 

pre-cut slices are inserted in the next step. resources. 

Before the packs are separated, a thin top 

film – measuring 30-50μm thick – is used “It’s great to see that we can mould paperbased 

materials without any difficulty,” 

to close and seal each pack. 

Sassmannshausen concluded. “Our papercomposite 

packaging solution is already 

One advantage of GEA’s PowerPak Plus 

thermoforming packaging machine lies successfully used and these products 

in its motor-driven unwinding systems are now on supermarket shelves there. 

for the top and bottom films. Both 

We’re proud that we’re able to make an 

unwinding systems are synchronised important contribution to producing more 

with the machine’s advancing cycle. This sustainable food packaging.” ■ 



Flexicon 

Flexicon offers low profile filler for bulk bags and drums 

Flexicon has developed a new low-profile 

combination bulk bag that allows filling 

of bulk bags and drums in low headroom 

areas. 

When filling bulk bags, full-length 

forklifting tubes integral to the rearpost 

fill head allow incremental height 

adjustments secured with hitch pins to 

accommodate bags of sizes from 1,000- 

1,500mm tall, and widths to 1,150mm. 

The filler is equipped with an inflatable 

A new low-profile, combination bulk bag and drum 

filler from Flexicon 

bag spout seal, a feed chute dust vent, and 

a low-profile densification deck that deaerates 

materials in bags weighing up to 2 

tonnes as they are being filled. 

A remote console or wall-mounted panel 

houses controls to automatically inflate 

the bag to remove creases, open a flow 

control valve or start a feed drive, and 

stop the flow of material once a pre-set 

fill weight has been gained. The vibratory 

deck de-aerates and densifies material 

in the bag at pre-set set points to create 

a solid, stable bag, ready for shipment. 

Once bags are filled, the controller deflates 

the spout connection collar and releases 

the loop latches, enabling the operator to 

remove the palletised bag using a pallet 

jack or fork truck. 

The unit can be switched to drum-filling 

mode in several seconds by positioning 

the swing-arm-mounted drum-filling 

chute under the fill head discharge port. 

The attachment has an adaptable seal to 

manage drums measuring up to 570mm 

in diameter and 900mm in height. When 

filling one drum, initiating a filling cycle 

delivers a programmed weight of material 

to the drum. When filling two, three or 

four drums, the feed chute automatically 

indexes after each drum is filled, reducing 

operator involvement to initiating the cycle 

and removing the palletised drums using a 

pallet jack or fork truck. 

The filler is constructed of carbon steel 

with stainless steel material contact 

surfaces, and is available in all-stainless 

steel finished to industrial, food, dairy 

or pharmaceutical standards, and with 

material delivery systems integrated with 

upstream process equipment or storage 

vessels. ■ 

Mondi 

Orkla packs new Frankful range in Mondi’s sustainable 

packaging solutions 

Mondi has created three sustainable 

packaging products for a new range of 

vegan products from food manufacturer 

Orkla. Both companies collaborated to 

create sustainable, high-performance 

packaging for the Swedish launch of its 

Frankful plant-based Tex Mex range – soft 

tortilla wraps, tortilla crisps, and taco 

spices. 

Each packaging solution has been designed 

to provide product freshness for consumers, 

and ensure an attractive appearance on 

the shelf for retailers. For instance, original 

soft tortillas will be packaged in Mondi’s 

BarrierPack Recyclable, which uses a highbarrier, 

lightweight mono-material and a 

reclose tape to keep the food fresh in its 

original packaging and prevent waste. 

Taco spice mix is packaged in a paperbased 

laminate, created from FSC-certified 

paper and a film made from renewable 

resources. The high paper content ensures 

suitability for Swedish recycling paper 

streams. Tortilla crisps are kept crunchy 

and fresh, due to Mondi’s metal-free 

high-barrier laminate, which makes the 

new solution recyclable. It eradicated the 

need to include a metallised layer while 

retaining crispness and avoiding grease 

leakage. 

Thomas Kahl, EcoSolutions project manager 

at Mondi, commented: “Our aim is to work 

closely with our partners through our 

customer-centric approach, EcoSolutions, 

to create sustainable packaging that works 

for the products, the customer and the 

environment. The challenge with Frankful 

was to find a solution that would ensure 

recyclable packaging materials while offering 

the required functionalities such as barrier 

protection, and still run on the existing 

machines at full speed.” ■ 

Orkla’s new Frankful 

range of vegan, climatesmart 

taco products 



EcoCortec plant offers EcoShield biobased recyclable barrier paper 

and linerboard 

EcoShield recyclable paper and linerboard 

is now available from Cortec’s European 

subsidiary, EcoCortec plant. EcoShield 

barrier paper is designed as an alternative 

to polyethylene and was papers with 

water vapour properties, allowing it to 

be employed in a variety of applications 

such as packaging oily and greasy parts 

or protecting other moisture sensitive 

components. 

EcoShield barrier paper is the latest 

addition to Cortec’s portfolio of USDAcertified 

biobased products. Containing 

65% biobased content, EcoShield has 

received the USDA-certified biobased 

product label. It is coated with a waterbased 

barrier coating that resists moisture, 

grease and oil. Polyethylene and wax 

All SACMI’s closure, preform, container, 

computer vision system and postprocessing 

operation will come together 

in a newly established Rigid Packaging 

Technologies business unit. 

The new business unit aims to take a sector 

and technological trend-based approach by 

setting up new internal synergies. Moreover, 

it aims to merge core businesses – such 

as cap, preform and container-making 

technologies – with new ones in postprocessing, 

an area strengthened last year 

following the acquisition of Velomat, a 

designer and builder of assembly machines 

for cap closures, micro-pumps and medical 

devices. 

coatings have been used for years to seal 

porous paper to provide a moisture barrier. 

When coated this way, the resulting paper 

product is an environmental issue, and 

is able to be recycled through normal 

channels. 

Ming Shen, director of new technologies 

and innovations at Cortec Laboratories, 

EcoShield resists oil and grease, and is available 

as a linerboard 

has been “fast and effective, allowing SACMI 

to expand its range towards multi-line and 

multi-material solutions”. Post-processing 

includes all technologies downstream from 

the manufacture of the individual product, 

such as cap slitting and folding which, while 

primarily intended for compression, can also 

be extended to the injection sector through 

integration with Velomat-supplied solutions. 

Lightweight, tethered caps; integrated 

capsule-preform design; and in-line 

computer vision systems that utilises 

artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms – these 

commented that the new label “assures 

a consumer that the product contains 

a USDA-verified amount of renewable 

biological ingredients. It offers our 

customers a solution to their particular 

technical problems while enabling them to 

practice environment stewardship.” 

She noted that EcoShield barrier paper is 

made from paper when contains recycled 

fibres and carries FSC, PEFC, and SFI 

certificates for sustainable forestry 

management. In addition to its sustainable 

sourcing, EcoShield barrier paper offers 

sustainability at the end of its product 

lifecycle, as it is able to fully re-pulpable 

into other types of paper products such as 

boxes, cardboard, and other corrugated 

materials. ■ 

SACMI sets up new business unit 

are some of the areas the business unit 

will be focusing on this year as it seeks 

to strengthen its technologies for each 

business area-sector. This will begin in 

areas like the latest generation of single 

and multi-layer CCM compression presses 

and technologies for the production of PET 

preforms and PET, PP, and HDPE containers. 

It will also involve, together with plastics, 

the metal packaging production and quality 

control sector, the search for alternative 

materials to plastic, and other future 

developments the packaging industry will 

need to face in the coming years. ■ 

Cortec SACMI 

This latest addition to the group, according 

to Vezio Bernardi, general manager of the 

Rigid Packaging Technologies business unit, 



Key Technology 

Key Technology introduces new automated grading system for 

fresh green beans 

Key Technology has introduced a new 

automated grading system for fresh green 

beans. This turnkey solution automatically 

removes defective green beans and foreign 

materials (FM), while also separating 

green beans in clusters or with attached 

stems and then directing them for further 

processing. 

This integrated grading solution, consisting 

of Key’s Iso-Flo vibratory and rotary 

separation equipment combined with 

a VERYX digital sorter, reduces labour 

requirements, increases throughput and 

achieves consistent product quality, even 

during times of high incoming defect rates. 

Jeff Nielsen, area sales manager at Key, 

explained: “With our new automated 

grading system, customers are able to 

reduce the number of manual graders by 

up to 70%. Additionally, the system’s high 

throughput achieves faster grading and 

packing, handling the same number of 

loads in a shorter period of time to create a 

shorter workday or work week for the entire 

packing house. This enables the grower 

to harvest and pack ahead of incoming 

adverse weather conditions that can destroy 

his crops and lower his pack-out rates.” 

This integrated solution includes Iso-Flo 

vibratory and rotary equipment combined 

with a VERYX digital sorter 

The automated grading system is able to 

remove product with defects such as tip 

rot, wind scars and wormhole damage 

as well as a wide range of FM including 

rocks, insects and animal parts, glass, 

metal, cardboard, corn cobs and roots, 

cotton stalks, peanuts and more. The Iso- 

Flo vibratory feed shakers ensure good 

product spread while the rotary separator 

remove small particles and small FM. 

The VERYX digital sorter separates 

incoming product into three streams. 

The ‘accept’ stream sends good green 

beans with no clusters or stems on to 

final inspection and packaging. A second 

sort stream is dedicated to green beans in 

clusters or with attached stems, which are 

directed for further processing to recover 

more green beans. A third sort stream 

collects green beans with defects and FM, 

which go to waste. 

VERYX is equipped with Key’s information 

analytics software, which collects data 

about every object flowing through the 

sorter. The segmented data can be used 

to profile incoming field loads in terms 

of its quality and defect rates. These 

quality profiles can be used to manage 

payment plans for growers. Insight into 

the product condition of individual loads is 

also valuable for understanding the impact 

of various field locations and growing 

practices on the quality of the green beans 

that come into the line for packing. 

Key’s new grading system separates green beans in clusters or with attached stems, while removing FM 

and defects 

VERYX features next-generation cameras 

and laser scanners that offer twice the 

resolution of previous sensor technology 

to find smaller FM and defects. Key’s Pixel 

Fusion technology combines pixel-level 

input from multiple cameras and laser 

sensors, producing higher contrasts to 

find difficult-to-detect product conditions 

and FM. Intelligent air ejectors target 

each object at the optimal location to 

cleanly separate it from the product 

stream without inadvertently removing 

surrounding objects, maximising both 

product quality and yield. ■ 


SHOW PREVIEW 

61 

FIC2021: Spotlighting on food additives and more 

FIC2019 attracted more than 50,000 visitors and 1,500 exhibitors globally 

FIC2019 OVERVIEW 

Organised by China Food Additives and 

Ingredients Association (CFAA), CCPIT 

Sub-Council of Light Industry, China Food 

Additives Journal, and CFAA Convention and 

Exhibition Centre, the 23rd Food Ingredients 

China (FIC2019) concluded on 20 Mar 2019 

at the National Exhibition and Convention 

Centre in Shanghai, China. 

FIC2019 was an industry-cohesive exhibition 

with 1,568 domestic and foreign enterprises 

from 33 countries and regions in the world. 

Across the 140,000 sqm exhibition space, 

an increase of 20.69% compared to the 

last edition, were the international and 

domestic pavilions comprising 500 and 

1,068 exhibitors respectively. Furthermore, 

three industry forums and 51 technical 

seminars were held, demonstrating the 

latest developments and trends in the 

food additives and ingredients industry. 

The three-day exhibition attracted 50,072 

visitors from 67 countries and regions 

globally, an increase of 9% over the previous 

year, including 3,224 overseas visitors. 

FIC2021 PREVIEW 

The 24th China International Food 

Additives and Ingredients Exhibition 

(FIC2021) will be held in Shanghai 

National Exhibition and Convention Centre 

from 8-10 Jun 2021. FIC2021 will cover 

20 food additives, 33 compound food 

additives, 15 food processing aides, as 

well as new food raw materials, food 

processing machinery, equipment and 

material, production and application 

technology, and media. 

The exhibition will take place across five 

halls – Hall 4.1, 5.1, 6.1, 5.2 and 6.2. 

Hall 4.1 will feature for natural products 

and extracts, functional ingredients 

and health food machinery and testing 

equipment zones. Halls 5.1 and 6.1 are 

catered to international pavilions, with 

hall 5.2 as China domestic pavilion of 

general products. Lastly, hall 6.2 will cover 

flavours, fragrance and condiments. 

To support the international 

communication and purchasing platform, 

FIC2021 will welcome international 

companies and groups such as BASF, 

Danisco, Novozymes, Cargill, Roquette 

Management, CJ Group, and many more. 

Meanwhile, the US, Japan, UK, India, 

South Korea and China Taiwan pavilion will 

showcase their advancement in science 

and technology. 

Summit Forums of Series of Academicians 

in Food Industry will be held as following: 

Academician Summit on Mechanical 

Equipment Promoting Food Industry 

Development, Academician Summit on 

Science and Technology Leading the 

Future, and Academician Summit on 

Regulations and Standards to Ensure 

Healthy Development of Food Industry. 

Speakers at the three summit forums will 

share their expertise, and provide visitors 

the opportunity to grasp the trend of 

industry development. 

FIC2021 welcomes all buyers in the 

food industry to the show, so mark your 

calendar! FBA 


62 

SHOW PREVIEW 

Aishi Sky Expo 

A line-up of Japanese food manufacturing 

and processing machineries. 

FOOMA Japan is an exhibition 

focusing on food technology, 

and is attended by more than 

100,000 visitors annually. This year’s 

edition of FOOMA Japan will showcase 

the machinery, equipment, technologies 

and services that are involved in all the 

processes of a food product factory – from 

machinery that manages raw materials 

to machinery that manufacturers and 

processes food, refrigerators and freezers, 

filling and packaging equipment, detection 

and measurement equipment that uses 

sensors and infrared rays, along with 

sanitary equipment and materials that 

comply with the HACCP international 

standard for food. 

The selection of exhibits will allow 

attendees observe all processing stages 

in a food product factory, which is a key 

highlight that makes this trade show 

popular among visitors. 

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIES 

UNLEASHING THE FUTURE OF FOOD 

In order to address the new way of life 

that the world has carved out in response 

to the spread of COVID-19, FOOMA Japan 

2021, is its 44 th edition, will be held under 

the theme “Changing the future of food 

with creativity”. Over 650 representative 

enterprises of Japan will display the latest 

food solutions that are required in a world 

living with COVID-19, and will demonstrate 

the creativity and new technologies that 

will unlock the future of food. 

The latest models of food robots, which 

are Japan’s specialty, along with the 

various forms of automation devices, 

and advanced Internet of Things (IoT) 

technologies, will be the highlights of this 

exhibition, and the food production line 

that combines these technologies will 

also be worth viewing for its performance. 

In addition, there will be other exhibits 

that will display the machines used for 

processing agricultural, marine, and 

livestock products, which have received 

inquiries from countries across Asia. In 

these exhibits, demonstrations will be 

performed to allow attendees experience 

the processes involved in making of a 

product. 

NEW VENUE 

Taking place from 1-4 Jun 2021, FOOMA 

Japan will be held at the Aichi Sky 

Expo, which is the newest international 

exhibition hall that is directly connected to 

the Chubu Centrair International Airport. 

There are also accommodation facilities 

such as hotels around the venue and 

airport, which has direct flights connecting 

36 major cities in eight countries in Asia, 

thus making the venue a convenient 

location for overseas visitors. 

FOOMA Japan 2021 will be the platform 

where more than 650 exhibitors devote the 

energy to showcase Japan’s advancement 

in food technology. It will be a show where 

visitors will be able to build relationships 

with manufacturers, and collect 

information on adopting various types of 

food machinery, equipment and services. 

This comprehensive trade show on food 

technology will be an opportunity to open 

up new areas of business. FBA 

• Thorough measures against 

COVID-19 will be implemented in 

the venue to ensure the safety of 

all parties involved. 

The exhibition will be held according 

to the guidelines of the Japanese 

government and municipalities to 

ensure the safety of visitors and 

exhibitors. 

FOOMA Japan 2021 will showcase cutting-edge machinery, equipment and solutions 

• Register for the FOOMA Japan 

e-mail newsletter! 

Participants who register for the 

newsletter will receive an e-mail 

from FOOMA Japan, which contains 

information on exhibitors and their 

products, as well as the latest 

information on entering Japan. 


EVENTS CALENDAR 

63 

2021 

FEBRUARY 

2 – 4 Vitafoods Asia (Virtual Event) 

www.vitafoodsasia.com 

25 – 3 interpack 

(Cancelled) Messe Düsseldorf, Germany 

www.interpack.com 

MARCH 

4 – 6 Sino-Pack 

Area A, China Import and Export Fair Complex 

Guangzhou, China 

www.chinasinopack.com/GPAC21/idx/eng 

APRIL 

6 – 9 Food Pack Asia 

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre 

(BITEC) 

Bangkok, Thailand 

www.foodpackthailand.com 

22 – 24 FoodTech Krasnodar 

Expograd Yug, Krasnodar, Russia 

www.foodtech-krasnodar.ru/en-gb 

MAY 

18 – 20 SIAL China 

Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC) 

Shanghai, China 

en.sialchina.com 

JUNE 

1 – 4 FOOMA Japan 

Aichi Sky Expo 

Aichi Prefecture, Japan 

www.foomajapan.jp/english 

8 – 10 Food Ingredients China 

(New Date) National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC) 


en.fic.cfaa.cn 

16 – 19 ProPak Asia 

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) 


www.propakasia.com 

23 – 25 Hi & Fi-Asia China 

National Exhibition Convention Centre (NECC) 


www.figlobal.com/china/en/home.html 

JULY 

28 – 30 ProPak Vietnam 

Saigon Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) 

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

www.propakvietnam.com 

SEPTEMBER 

15 – 17 Fi Asia 

Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC) 


www.figlobal.com/asia-thailand 

15 – 17 PackEx India 

(New Date) Bombay Exhibition Centre 

Mumbai, India 

www.packexindia.com 

15 – 17 Sep Anutec Ingredients India 

(New Date) Bombay Exhibition Centre 

Mumbai, India 

www.anutecingredientsindia.com 

22 – 23 Vitafoods Asia 

Sands Expo and Convention Centre 

Singapore 

www.vitafoodsasia.com 

28 – 30 Asia Fruit Logistica 

AsiaWorld Expo, Hong Kong 

www.asiafruitlogistica.com 

30 – 2 Oct ProPak India 

Bombay Exhibition Centre (BEC) 

Mumbai, India 

propakindia.com 

OCTOBER 

13 – 15 FoodTech Japan 

Makuhari Messe 

Chiba, Japan 

www.foodtechjapan.jp/en-gb.html 

21 – 23 Food Japan 2021 

Suntec Singapore 

Singapore 

oishii-world.com/en 

27 – 30 AllPack Indonesia 

Jakarta International Expo (JI Expo) 

Jakarta, Indonesia 

allpack-indonesia.com 

NOVEMBER 

9 – 11 Food & Hotel China 



www.fhcchina.com/en/ 

16 – 18 China International Beverage Industry Exhibition on 

Science & Technology (CBST) 



www.cbst.com.cn/en 

23 – 25 swop 



www.swop-online.com/en 


64 

ADVERTISERS' INDEX 

COMPANY 

PAGE 

COMPANY 

PAGE 

CBST2021 

IBC 

igus 9 

FOOMA Japan 2021 

IFC 

Solar Turbines 5 

Heat and Control 1 

Yamato Scale 

OBC 

Why wait? 

Get your 

brand out 

there now! 


For information, visit us www.foodbeverageasia.com or contact us at sales@pabloasia.com

Food & Beverage Asia February/March 2021

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