Food & Beverage Asia Jun/July 2021

JUNE / JULY 2021
www.foodbeverageasia.com
The lactose-free dairy boom: how can
enzymes help producers deliver
on-trend lactose-free varieties?
Moving on: igus presents new
designs amidst pandemic
The circular economy in packaging
technology: Sustainability needs
collaboration
Photo courtesy of Syntegon Technology

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2
CONTENTS
MARKET INSIGHTS
13
The rapid growth of plant based proteins in Asia
BITING ISSUES
16
Amano / Sweegen
17
Tate & Lyle
18
Olam Food Ingredients
19
Yakima Chief Hops / AAK
20
Conagen / FrieslandCampina
13
INGREDIENTS
22
The lactose-free dairy boom: How can enzymes help
producers deliver on-trend lactose-free varieties?
26
TomaTech files patents for ToBRFVresistant
DNA markers for tomato varieties
28
Unlocking the secrets of healthy ageing
28
22
ON THE TABLE
30
A fresh start: Sacco System revamps Agrofood
division
32
Moving on: igus presents new designs amidst
pandemic
34
The nutra meets pharma initiative
37
Having your cake and eating it: Swiftlet Natural
Sugar Replacement delivers an alternative
experience
32
37
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

CONTENTS 3
30
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
40
The circular economy in packaging technology:
Sustainability needs collaboration
44
A harmonised solution
47
V-Shapes: A unique story about sustainability,
safety and convenience in packaging
49
Five best practices for foreign body detection
47
40
FIRST LOOKS
52
Napasol / GEA
53
Krones
54
igus / Sidel
55
B A S F / S W E D B R A N D
SHOW PREVIEW
56
The Spirit of Creativity: KROHNE celebrates its
100th anniversary under the sign of creativity
57
igus 2021 Motion Plastics Show: 168 tribo
innovations on the trade show stand
49
REGULARS
4
Editor’s Note
6
News
59
Events Calendar
60
Advertisers’ Index
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

4
EDITOR’S NOTE
Growth in South
East Asia
According to AgFunder’s ASEAN Agrifoodtech Investment Report 2020,
one of the world’s most active foodtech and agtech venture capitals, a
total of US$423 million was invested into South East Asian agrifoodtech
startups in 2019, across 99 deals.
This means that the plant-based market in APAC (Asia Pacific) is expected
to surge by 200% by 2025 as more consumers become conscious of
their health and are looking for a diversity of products that prioritise taste,
texture and nutrition (p.13).
This can be seen in the growing lactose-free dairy market which reflects
a change in consumers’ tastes and preferences (p.22), according to Ben
Rutten, business manager Milky of DSM Food Specialties.
PABLO SINGAPORE
Publisher
Publications Director
Senior Editor
Assistant Editor
Graphic Designer
Circulation Manager
PABLO BEIJING
General Manager
PABLO SHANGHAI
Senior Editor
William Pang
williampang@pabloasia.com
Jamie Tan
jamietan@pabloasia.com
foodbeverageasia@gmail.com
Pang Yanrong
yanrong@pabloasia.com
Agatha Wong
agatha@pabloasia.com
Liu Yu
liuyu@pabloasia.com
Shu Ai Ling
circulation@pabloasia.com
Ellen Gao
pablobeijing@163.com
Sharon Wu
pabloshanghai@163.net
In fact, in the midst of the pandemic, Swiftlet Co. created its Natural Sugar
Replacement, a 100% natural, non-GMO concoction with added health
benefits. The mission of the company is to change the way people think
about ingredient replacements by showing that one does not have to
compromise flavour for health (p.37), shared Jake Jereza, co-founder of
Swiftlet Co.
In a move to tap into the pharmaceutical market with its leading branded
ingredients, we spoke with Julia Diaz, head of marketing at Pharmactive,
who talks about what this move means to Pharmactive Biotech, S.L. and
more about the company’s validated saffron extract, affron ® , which can be
used as a stand-alone or to enhance pharmaceutical products (p.34).
And there’s igus, where the company recently presented its Motion
Plastics Show (p.32). The press conference, which was carried out via a
livestream, saw developers and engineers showcasing their latest designs
and products across the large exhibition space. A key component of this
press conference was the emphasis on innovation.
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These new creations were achieved against the
backdrop of the larger pandemic crisis; to cope with
the current COVID-19 situation.
As the world continues to grapple with the
pandemic situation, we hope you’re staying safe
and look forward to bringing you more exciting
trends and developments from the industry.
LET’S CONNECT!
@foodandbeverageasia
Pang Yanrong
Senior Editor
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FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

6
NEWS
Vitafoods Asia will take place from 23-26 November 2021
Informa has decided to push back Vitafoods
Asia by seven weeks to the end of November
2021. The event will continue as a hybrid
event, with an in-person event – hosted at
the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention
Centre in Singapore from 24 to 25 November
2021 – and an accompanying virtual event,
running in parallel from 23-26 November
2021.
Informa believes that this will benefit the
industry and put them in the best possible
position to run an in-person event in Asia
in 2021. Vitafoods has understood how
important it is for the industry to stay
connected, and Informa has spent the last
12 months developing their virtual offering
to ensure their community has been able to
network, meet existing and new business
contacts, learn and share knowledge. These
new dates provide them with the best chance
to get back to what they do best, bringing
the nutraceutical community together, and
this year there will be more opportunities
than ever with their new hybrid format for
Vitafoods Asia.
The original dates meant that Vitafoods
Europe and Asia were running back-to-back
which proved to be challenging for both their
suppliers and exhibitors. By moving the event
to the fourth quarter of 2021, everyone will
be able to plan more effectively, and that
Singapore and the APAC region will be in a
more stable position in relation to COVID-19
and ready to open up to foreign visitors and
allow a return of larger exhibitions.
While it continues to be a challenging year for
all, Informa is looking forward to welcoming
their community at the event in 2021. ■
Mettler-Toledo and EVRYTHNG partner to further digitalisation of
global food safety
Mettler-Toledo Product Inspection recently
announced a new, industry-leading strategic
partnership with EVRYTHNG, the pioneer of
the Product Cloud. The partnership provides
food manufacturers, retailers and brand
owners with an end-to-end traceability and
food production reporting solution.
The two companies, working collaboratively,
are positioned to further the digitalisation
of the food safety landscape. The joint
proposition is achieved by Mettler-Toledo
ProdX device data management software
monitoring and collecting product inspection
information in real-time. The software records
all inspection activity from Mettler-Toledo
Product Inspection systems. This data can be
integrated and modelled in the EVRYTHNG
Product Cloud ® , applying a new level of
data intelligence to advance audit, reporting
and food traceability use cases for multi
stakeholder groups.
The Active Digital Identity (ADI) is a unique
digital identity assigned to products in
the EVRYTHNG Product Cloud ® , at an
individual product item, batch or SKU level.
The ADI ensures that data is captured and
managed by EVRYTHNG at every touch
point throughout a product’s lifecycle.
This information can be used by food
manufacturers, retailers and food safety
audit bodies to ensure compliance with food
safety regulations and contract requirements,
improve supply chain performance with
greater agility and integrity, and can
be surfaced to consumers to provide
transparency with authentic data.
Rob Rogers, senior advisor Food Safety
& Regulations of Mettler-Toledo Product
Inspection, said: “The partnership between
Mettler-Toledo and EVRYTHNG is about
developing and providing a robust and proven
infrastructure to handle that wealth of digital
data.”
Niall Murphy, CEO of EVRYTHNG, said:
“Food safety is a critical factor for all food
manufacturers. Our solution will enable them
to get ahead of the curve, by collecting and
managing data for every individual product
that comes out of their factory, in a way
that is locked into already globally-accepted
standards for digital track and trace.” ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

NEWS 7
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS develops MAXXDRIVE ® industrial gear units
with new SAFOMI-IEC adapter for improved mixing and agitation
processes
NORD DRIVESYSTEMS has developed a
powerful combination for use in mixing
and agitation processes: The MAXXDRIVE ®
industrial gear units with the new SAFOMI-IEC
adaptor is specifically developed for mixers to
improve operational reliability and reduce the
need for the replacement of wearing parts. In
combination with the NORDAC FLEX SK 200E
frequency inverter for the power range up to
22 kW, a flexible unit with low maintenance is
offered.
MAXXDRIVE ® industrial gear units, an integral
part of the NORD portfolio for ten years, offer
high output torques from 15 to 282kNm
and ensure smooth operation even under
demanding conditions. The FEM-optimised
and compact design enables operation
under ultimate external loads. For agitation
applications, a combination with the SAFOMI
IEC adapter (SAFOMI = Sealless Adapter For
Mixers) is recommended, in which an oil
expansion chamber is directly integrated.
SAFOMI is available for MAXXDRIVE ® parallel
gear units in the sizes seven to 11 covers
maximum output torques from 25 to 75kNm.
SAFOMI-IEC adapter for
MAXXDRIVE ® industrial
gear units from NORD
DRIVESYSTEMS
combined with a drive
motor: less components,
increased operational
reliability.
Photo credit: NORD
DRIVESYSTEMS
SAFOMI impresses with its compact and
simple design and integrated oil equalization
volume, which means that there is no need
for oil tanks and hoses or the shaft sealing
ring between the gear unit and the IEC
cylinder, which is prone to leakage and wear.
HIGHER OPERATIONAL RELIABILITY
WITH LESS EFFORT
For the further reduction of wearing parts and
attached components, NORD recommends
a combination of MAXXDRIVE ® industrial
gear unit, SAFOMI-IEC adapter, a drive motor
and NORDAC FLEX SK 200E. The frequency
inverter can be flexibly installed and features
a high output range as well as a wide choice
of optional functions and accessories. The SK
200E can be directly mounted on the motor
without control cabinet. ■
Swiftlet launches natural sweetener
South East Asian start-up Swiftlet has
developed a natural, zero-calorie sweetener
made from a blend of plant extracts.
The natural sugar replacement contains
zero calories and has a low glycemic index,
meaning it can be consumed by diabetics.
It is also free from artificial flavours and
contains prebiotic dietary fibres, which are
associated with good digestive health.
According to the company’s head of sales,
Dominic Plana, it has the same taste as
refined, white sugar.
“We wanted to get
rid of the mindset
that if a food is
healthy, it has to
taste bad,” he said.
Plana and Le said
one of the biggest
formulation challenges when developing
the ingredient was ensuring it could be used
in the same ratio as refined sugar in order
to make substitutions easier, particularly
in home cooking and baking. Swiftlet’s
replacement also has the same appearance
and texture of white, refined sugar and can
be used in a variety of applications including
baking, desserts, hot and cold beverages and
sauces.
Swiftlet has a young team spread across
South East Asia, and is based in the Filipino
capital of Manila, where its manufacturing
facilities are located; Hanoi, Vietnam where
the R&D division is based; and Singapore.
The sweetener was launched in the
Philippines in September last year as a
consumer-facing product, however in 2021
Swiftlet plans to develop a B2B business,
supplying manufacturers in the Philippines
and beyond. It currently has a production
capacity of several tons a day that it can
increase based on demand.
According to Minh Le, head of R&D, Swiftlet’s
natural sweetener fetches a price premium
but is competitively priced when compared to
other natural sugar alternatives.
Swiftlet’s exact formulation is patent pending
and the company is trying to keep details
under wrap until the patents are granted.
However, it says the sweetener is made
entirely from natural plant and agricultural
product extracts that are already sold on
the market as food ingredients, all of which
have been approved for the food market by
international regulatory authorities, including
the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA). ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

8
NEWS
Firmenich opens Culinary & SmartProteins ® Innovation Hub in
Singapore
Firmenich, the world's largest privately
owned fragrance and taste company,
has recently launched its Culinary and
SmartProteins ® Innovation Center in Tuas,
Singapore. The new centre will serve as a
regional R&D (research and development)
hub for Asia and a global centre of expertise
in alternative proteins for meat and dairy
analogues. The Innovation Center is key
to Firmenich's Savory vision — to deliver
breakthrough integrated solutions in meat
proteins and plant-based alternatives
bringing together technical expertise in
aroma, flavour, taste, umami and texture
solutions from Campus and Firmenich.
Emmanuel Butstraen, global president, Taste
& Beyond at Firmenich, said: "The centre will
allow us to partner closely with our customers
to serve a fast-growing number of Flexitarian
consumers with delicious food & beverage
options."
Butstraen added: "We are proud to have
Singapore's Economic Development Board
(EDB) as a partner in this investment. This
new facility will be home to some of the
best talent in the industry across several
disciplines to deliver truly innovative,
consumer-focused integrated solutions."
Asia Pacific is the fastest-growing region
for plant-based alternatives worldwide
and is estimated to grow 25% by 2025. The
new SmartProteins ® centre in Singapore
will enable Firmenich to meet this growing
demand by combining its global expertise
and Campus solutions.
Jun Saplad, Taste & Beyond's regional
president for Asia, said: "By harnessing
our deep regional and local understanding
and our expertise in taste and plant-based
proteins, the Innovation Center will allow us
to tailor solutions to the unique needs of the
Asian market and explore new angles for
meat-free dishes."
"Firmenich's decision to select Singapore as
its alternative proteins innovation hub for
Asia is testimony to Singapore's leading role
in creating and developing sustainable and
innovative solutions to meet the nutritional
needs of the region," said Mr. Ow Kai Onn,
vice-president and head, Chemicals and
Materials, Singapore EDB. "Firmenich's
presence in Singapore spans nearly 50 years.
EDB is proud to support this undertaking,
which would enable Firmenich to capture
new growth opportunities as well as
strengthen Singapore's Flavor and Fragrance
specialty chemicals sector." ■
EcoCortec ® announces compostable shrink wraps for industrial use
Recently, EcoCortec ® has announced the
official release of EcoShrink Compostable
Film, a commercially compostable alternative
to common plastic shrink wraps for use in
industrial packaging applications.
DESIGNED WITH THE CIRCULAR
ECONOMY IN MIND
EcoShrink takes both the beginning and
the end of the shrink wrap product life
cycle into account. EcoShrink is sourced
from certified commercially compostable
resins and contains 45% biopolymers. After
use, EcoShrink can be disposed of in a
commercial composting environment to
reduce the amount of plastic packaging that
normally ends up in a landfill. EcoShrink
is shelf and curb stable and will retain its
integrity until disposed of properly.
PUTTING ECOSHRINK TO GOOD USE
In addition to these green benefits,
EcoShrink has many practical
characteristics. It is designed for standard
heat-shrinking applications. Users of
EcoShrink can shrink wrap their small or
large components as normal to conform to the
shape of the object. EcoShrink is a great way
to keep dust, dirt, and moisture off warehouse
stock while keeping components bundled into
a streamlined package. Shrink wrapping can
be done with a wide variety of standard shrink
tools. Simply measure the size of the unit,
determine how much film is needed to wrap
around it with enough for overlap, then shrink
wrap as usual.
EcoShrink is available in 2 or 4mil (50 or
100µm) thicknesses and as single wound
or centerfold sheeting in widths of 45.72
cm (18in) or 91.44 cm (36in). Rolls come
individually boxed or in cradle packed pallets. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

NEWS 9
Chr. Hansen Natural Colors announces company name change
to Oterra
Chr. Hansen Natural Colors A/S, the leading
provider of natural colours with the widest
natural colour portfolio in the industry,
recently announced that the company will be
known as Oterra, effective immediately, and
will begin the process to operate under the
new name.
Cees de Jong, Oterra board chairman,
sustainable value proposition. We see great
commented: “The board is very excited growth ahead for Oterra and are confident
about Food the & relaunch Beverage as Oterra Asia,132 – a name x 205 and mm, ErgoBloc the company L, will CC-en31-AZ286 accelerate its development 05/21
identity that encapsulates our purpose and under its new brand.” ■
The new name, Oterra, is inspired by the
Latin word for earth. The rebranding reflects
the company’s commitment to provide the
world with colours from natural sources, and
contribute to food that is natural, authentic,
safe and sustainable. The company’s
ownership and staff have not changed.
CEO Odd Erik Hansen, stated: “We have been
producing natural colours for more than
145 years now – our new name and brand
identity are rooted in this proud heritage
and reflect our belief that nature provides
the best ingredients. We help our customers
meet the increasing global consumer demand
for natural products by utilising the power
of nature’s true colours and our unrivalled
expertise in colours for food, beverage and
pet food.”
The new name is the latest in a string of
announcements for the company which
was acquired by investment organisation
EQT in 2021. In April 2021, the company
announced its first strategic investment with
the acquisition of SECNA Natural Ingredients
Group S.L., a move which supports EQT’s
strong growth plans for the company.

10
NEWS
Cultivated meat likely to make up 40% of future meat intake
A research, published on 11 May 2021 by the
journal Foods, has affirmed that cultivated
meat is likely to make up a major part of
consumers’ future diets. The study showed
patterns of greater openness to trying such
products by younger generational groups.
Led by Keri Szejda, Ph.D., the researchers
surveyed a large, representative sample of
2,018 US and 2,034 UK consumers, assessing
indicators of adoption among the general
population, and by generational segments.
The majority of consumers surveyed
were unfamiliar with cultivated meat, yet
when presented with a description of the
innovation, the respondents imagined that
cultivated meat could make up about 40% of
their future meat intake.
The survey further found 40% of consumers
were “very” or “extremely likely” to try
cultivated meat in both the US and the UK.
This group of triers was categorised as the
“early majority” group, and 98-99% of them
said they would consider welcoming it as a
regular item.
“In order to turn this expected acceptance
into actual consumption patterns over time,
it is critical to develop the right products,
based on the right solutions,” said Didier
Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms,
which commissioned the research. “In the
long term, Aleph Farms' vision is to provide
a better alternative to industrial livestock
farming, which represents approximately 70%
of global meat production today.”
YOUNGER GENERATIONS – THE
EARLY ADOPTERS
“The results suggest that cultivated meat is
likely to be widely accepted by the general
public, especially the younger generations
and an eager group of early adopters,” noted
Szejda, Ph.D., founder and principal research
scientist of North Mountain Consulting Group.
“Additionally, we observed an increase in
support for the technology once consumers
had access to additional information,
underscoring the importance of effective
science communication for consumer
adoption.”
“In contrast to the younger eager adopters,
the older generations are more wary of
change,” explained Toubia. “Social proof
is important to them and they want to be
assured that a product is safe, functional, and
beneficial before they adopt it. This is why
transparency and trust are cornerstones of
our company.” ■
Roquette celebrates 20 th anniversary in China
Roquette, a global leader in plant-based
ingredients, a pioneer of plant proteins and a
leading provider of pharmaceutical excipients,
celebrates the 20th anniversary of its plant in
Lianyungang, China.
Roquette is investing significantly in
nutritional solutions to respond to health
demands from Chinese consumers which are
unique and intertwined with local food and
dining habits and culture. Over the past 20
years, the Roquette teams have developed an
innovative approach dedicated to the Chinese
market
The plant in
Lianyungang was
the first industrial
site of Roquette
in China. It has
transitioned from
being a product manufacturer to a highquality
solution provider, making Roquette in
China a reference in the food and nutrition
ingredients market.
In 2019, the plant was selected as the leading
pilot for upgrading traditional manufacturers
to “Intelligent and green enterprises” by both
the Ministry of Industry and Information
Technology of the People Republic of China
and the Ministry of Economics and Finance
of France. In 2020, the site was certified as
“Green Manufacturer” by the China Starch
Industry Association. Furthermore, Roquette
is committed to reducing carbon emissions
and has already achieved a 30% reduction
since 2019 for this plant.
Additionally, Roquette has two other
manufacturing plants in China, in Wuhan
and Nanning. In 2019, the opening of the
new Food Innovation Center including R&D
(research and development) and customer
technical service in Shanghai was also a key
milestone for Roquette.
The company is truly committed to working
with the communities around its sites.
In China, Roquette has made significant
investments to reduce its environmental
footprint and to strengthen relationships with
local communities. The company organises
regular “Open Day” activities to invite the
residents in neighbouring communities to
visit the plants and to address questions
about production safety and environmental
impacts.
The developments helped Roquette secure
the “Top Employer” certification in China for
the last three years. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

12
NEWS
SIG’s combismile carton pack enters French market with new
Volvic fruity flavoured ranges
SIG’s unique on-the-go combismile carton
pack enters the French market for the first
time this month, with the new fruity flavoured
ranges for adults and kids from renowned
natural mineral water brand Volvic.
SIG’s combismile packaging innovation is the
ideal lifestyle packaging option for flavoured
water.
Stylish combismile offers consumers a new
packaging experience as they stay refreshed
on-the-go during their busy daily schedules.
Easy to grip and use, combismile carton pack
from SIG also includes a single-action and
re-closable combiGo closure for convenient
opening, closing and secure bag storage,
to provide the ultimate on-the-go drinking
experience.
Nathalie Abrahamian-Deudon, vicepresidente
Marketing at Danone Waters
France, said: "This packaging is perfectly
adapted to the new consumption habits
of the French and the move towards more
mobile and active lifestyles. This innovation is
part of our approach to offer more responsible
and sustainable packaging, with the ambition
to eliminate the use of virgin plastic from our
packaging by 2025.”
With an output of 24,000 carton packs per
hour, SIG’s CFA 1824 filling machine provides
the optimum combination of flexibility and
speed, with the option to fill five different
volume sizes: 200ml; 250ml; 300ml; 330ml
and 350ml. Volvic’s new functional water
range will be available in combismile 250ml
and 330ml carton packs.
combismile from SIG is the perfect partner
for premium and added-value products and
offers responsible on-the-go consumption.
SIG is 100% FSC-certified which means
all paperboard comes from responsibly
managed forests and other controlled
sources. combismile is also fully recyclable.
José Matthijsse, president and general
Manager Europe at SIG, said: “Bringing true
innovation to the water sector, combismile
provides consumers with the perfect product
and packaging mix to fit in with their hectic
lifestyles, which rely on remaining fit and
healthy.”
combismile has already been successfully
launched in various regions of the world. The
commercial roll-out of combismile will be
extended to Germany, Great Britain, Italy and
Japan, and further ramped up in France, after
July 2021. ■
New Glanbia Nutritionals website offers enhanced user
experience
Glanbia Nutritionals has launched a
redesigned website to offer an enhanced
user experience that quickly connects visitors
with the people, ingredients, services and
expertise that can help create next-level
nutrition solutions across foods, beverages
and supplements.
Brian Phelan, CEO of Glanbia Nutritionals,
said: “Our new website demonstrates how
we can help support our customers to grow
their businesses with unique, high-quality,
innovative nutrition solutions, tailored to solve
their nutritional and functional challenges.”
The new homepage’s interactive features
provide an overview of how Glanbia
Nutritionals is “Built Around You” with a
commitment to finding the right solution for
each project. Throughout the page, users
can learn how partnering with Glanbia’s team
creates avenues toward successful consumer
products.
Visitors will find an open, explorable site
where they can quickly access information
on specific ingredients and services, as well
as the company’s full offering of innovative
solutions by market. The new, robust
NutriKnowledgeSM Center allows visitors to
scan through insights, nutrition resources,
previously recorded webinars and more to
gain deeper understanding on a number of
relevant topics.
The new site reflects all of Glanbia’s core
capabilities as well as Watson Inc. ingredients
including bakery ingredients, edible film
products and functionally optimised nutrients. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

MARKET INSIGHTS 13
The rapid growth of plantbased
proteins in Asia
According to AgFunder’s ASEAN
Agrifoodtech Investment Report 2020,
one of the world’s most active foodtech
and agtech venture capitals, a total of
US$423 million was invested into South
East Asian agrifoodtech startups in
2019, across 99 deals. This means that
the region’s ecosystem has yet to reach
the maturity of markets such as North
America, Europe, and China; the majority
of dealmaking activity took place at seed
stage.
ADM recently opened a plant-based innovation lab in
Singapore to showcase their commitment to localising
plant-based solutions to meet the nutritional
challenges of changing taste and preference in Asia
and around the world. Sarah Lim, marketing director
of South East Asia at ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)
Human Nutrition, shares how ADM continues to
provide more extensive solutions to the growing
appetite of plant-based proteins in Asia.
In fact, in 2019, there were 63
agrifoodtech seed fundings in the region,
raising a total of US$39 million.
Sarah Lim, marketing director of South
East Asia at ADM (Archer Daniels Midland)
Human Nutrition (a global leader in
human and animal nutrition and the
world's premier agricultural origination
and processing company), shared: “The
plant-based market in APAC is expected
to surge by 200% by 2025 1 , as more
consumers have a heightened awareness
of health and are looking for a diversity of
products that prioritise taste, texture and
nutrition. As such, people have become
more health conscious and are looking for
more options to better understand how
food impacts their overall health.
“This is exciting as not only is it growing,
but plant-based options have grown
“beyond the bun”, which includes
more alternatives including seafoods
like shellfish and shrimp, plant-based
cheeses, ready-to-eat protein snacks and
more, as consumer demand continues to
grow.”
Sarah Lim, marketing director of South East
Asia at ADM Human Nutrition
THE RISE IN FLEXITARIANISM
With the rise of flexitarianism, plantbased
alternatives have seen tremendous
growth. This is significantly apparent
when looking at the current market size
as well as at the variety of products
available in the supermarkets. Even largescale
global food service providers have
plant-based options on their menus now,
which a few years ago was unthinkable.
Darren Streiler, managing director of ADM
Ventures
“It is clear that taste, texture and overall
experience are, as always, very important,
but this is amplified when we are catering
to the flexitarian consumer. Recent
studies completed by ADM have shown
that flexitarians expect the same eating
experience from plant-based products
as they would get from their animal
protein equivalents. This raises the bar
for product developers who now not
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

14
MARKET INSIGHTS
Photo credit: ADM
The lunch spread
includes food such as
the spicy otah, which
was made with ADM’s
plant-based fish and
coconut custard
only have to create great tasting products
but are also expected to get as close as
possible to the animal protein equivalent
version,” explained Lim.
As these products continue to develop
and more investment money flow into the
industry, ADM continues to see new and
exciting products emerge. This will enable
more and more consumers to find the
products that match their expectations.
“I can see a future where there are so many
plant-based options on the market that
everyone can find something they like. In
the end, maybe everyone will be more of a
flexitarian,” remarked Lim.
Through ADM Ventures, an advisory firm
focused on digital and hi-tech companies,
the company seeks to create functional
and clean-label ingredient portfolios that
advance the growth strategy of ADM by
both investing in and collaborating with
start-ups that are focused on improving
human and animal health and nutrition.
“ADM Ventures invests in cutting-edge
start-ups with disruptive technologies
across five key areas: human nutrition,
health & wellness or microbiome, animal
nutrition, sustainability and biomaterials,
and agriculture technologies,” explained
Darren Streiler, managing director of ADM
Ventures.
ATTRACTING AND RETAINING
LOCAL CONSUMERS’ TASTE BUDS
The COVID-19 pandemic has also given
rise to the importance of health and
wellbeing as well as the increased
awareness to save the planet from the
climate crisis, which drives the desire to
eat less meat.
“Many markets in Asia are developing
rapidly and the current pandemic has
accelerated this. There are parts of Asia
that are already very developed, and
other countries, such as the Philippines
and Indonesia, have seen increased
purchases online over the past year,” said
Lim.
Additionally, according to AgFunder’s
ASEAN Agrifoodtech Investment
Report 2020, ASEAN (the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations) is one of the
fastest growing regions in the world, and
plays host to a rapidly expanding middle
class that demands more choices when it
comes to food.
In 2020 alone, there was an estimated
two billion Asians of the middle class
and that number is set to increase to 3.5
billion by 2030 2 .
As Asian consumers change their general
lifestyle values, the demand for food
that is nutritious, healthy, safe and more
sustainable continues to grow. In order to
attract and retain consumers’ taste buds
on plant-based ingredients, ADM believes
in delivering both taste and texture.
Lim said: “ADM has been pioneering
plant-based innovations for over 75 years,
so we are able to bring protein and flavour
to create some of the cleanest-tasting
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

MARKET INSIGHTS 15
Photo credit: ADM
A chef preparing
a plant-based,
Peranakan-themed
lunch spread at ADM
Innovation Center in
Singapore
plant-based proteins. Focusing on protein
and flavour in tandem, we jointly develop
on-trend, regional and culturally relevant
plant-based solutions in both the food and
beverage areas.
“We also continue to invest significant
resources into innovation of both
individual ingredients, systems, and design
techniques to bring the best possible
solutions and ingredients to our customers
by unlocking the power of nature to enrich
the quality of life of individuals.”
But localising plant-based dishes to suit the
locals' palates is equally important too.
In fact, ADM recently inaugurated a new
plant-based innovation lab, located in
ADM’s Biopolis research hub in Singapore.
The 8,900-square foot (825-square metre)
Singapore innovation centre will serve as
the gateway to consumers in South East
Asia and beyond, and enable ADM to work
closely with customers to create complete
flavour and specialty ingredient solutions
that meet consumer preferences for
taste, nutrition, function and texture.
It will be staffed by a team of food
scientists, flavourist and applications
experts, along with sales, marketing and
regulatory personnel.
“We continue to expand our offerings
of creative, innovative, and on-trend
solutions to keep up with changing
demands and preferences. We
understand that it is not a one-size-fitsall
solution, and place great care into
ensuring that our solutions fit the needs
of our customers and the target market,”
explained Lim.
The new innovation centre also features
a wide range of capabilities, including a
food and flavour analytic lab; a beverage
and dairy applications lab and pilot plant;
a bakery and confectionery lab; a meat
and savoury lab; a sweet and savoury
creation lab; sensory evaluation facilities;
and a customer innovation centre.
The opening of the new centre also
reflects the potential of the market as
ADM continues to invest and ensure
that the company is the go-to solution
providers for clean labels, sustainable
ingredients and great taste.
“Localisation is key to capture the
hearts of Asian consumers. Asia is an
amalgamation of cultures and this is
what makes taste creation exciting as
flavour creation experts and product
development teams create the right
product with the right texture to cater to
the ever-changing needs of consumers
backed by market and consumer insights,
while understanding the regulatory
space which varies country to country,”
remarked Lim. FBA
REFERENCES
1
https://vegconomist.com/market-and-trends/
plant-based-market-in-asia-pacific-to-surge-
200-by-2025/
2
https://www.statista.com/chart/8402/asianmiddle-class-on-the-rise/
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

16
BITING ISSUES
Amano
Amano introduces savoury enzyme for plant protein products
Umamizyme Pulse, a non-GMO enzyme
designed for use in a variety of plant protein
products to produce a pleasant, savoury
(umami) flavour, similar to that provided
by monosodium glutamate (MSG), as well
as a sensation of richness and complexity
(kokumi) has been introduced by Amano
Enzyme.
“Umamizyme Pulse is an animal-free
enzyme formulation optimised to produce
high glutamic acid and cysteine levels;
and less bitter flavour in proteins, including
pea, soy, almond and rice,” said Keita
Okuda, technical services team lead. “It
is comparable, or better than, traditional
ingredients for producing a rich, savoury
flavour in proteins, providing customers with
a vegan-friendly, clean label product.”
“Umamizyme Pulse also works well in an
acidic environment, allowing our customers
to prevent contamination with less salt,”
added Okuda.
The new enzyme can be used to produce
umami and kokumi in a variety of foods,
including soups, broths, snacks, and meat
substitutes.
Founded in 1899, Amano Enzyme is a
major supplier of specialty enzymes, with
subsidiaries in the USA, Europe, and Asia.
Amano Enzyme USA Co., Ltd. supplies highquality,
microbial enzymes for the Food,
Dietary Supplement, Industrial, Diagnostic,
and Regenerative Medicine Industries to the
Americas. With multi-ton manufacturing
capabilities, SQF Level 2 certification,
and technical expertise Amano provides
unparalleled service along with guaranteed
quality products. ■
Photo credit: Eiliv-Sonas Aceron/ Unsplash
SweeGen
SweeGen’s Bestevia ® zero-calorie stevia sweeteners accepted
for use in Malaysia
As pandemic conditions encouraged Asian
consumers to adopt healthier lifestyles and
diets, the Malaysia Ministry of Health has
officially accepted SweeGen’s zero-calorie
Bestevia sweeteners, Rebaudiosides D, E
and M for use as ingredients in food and
beverage products.
Brands in Asia are striving to deliver sweet
indulgence alongside new and exciting
flavors in snacks and beverages to satisfy
consumers’ cravings. The acceptance
of not just one, but three of SweeGen’s
Malaysia Ministry of Health has officially accepted
SweeGen’s zero-calorie Bestevia sweeteners,
Rebaudiosides D, E and M for use as ingredients in
food and beverage products
premium stevia ingredients, gives brands in
Malaysia the creative latitude to tackle sugar
challenges when innovating and renovating
products.
Luca Giannone, senior vice president of
Sales, said: “Our promise well into the future
is to ultimately move the needle in what
consumers eat and drink through better
sugar reduction solutions.”
Malaysia is one of the many APAC (Asia
Pacific) countries where SweeGen’s non-
GMO stevia sweeteners will change the
landscape for offering a low cost-in-use
sugar reduction solution.
SWEEGEN VENTURES INTO ASIA
SweeGen is also in the process of opening
a food and beverage application centre
in Singapore to collaborate with brands
on exploring and discovering product
innovations motivated by consumer trends
and regional tastes. Last year, Singapore’s
food safety authority approved SweeGen’s
Rebs D and E in 2020 and Reb M in 2019.
Next generation non-GMO stevia sweeteners
have led the way in replacing sugar in
foods and beverages, nutritional products,
and many other market products worldwide.
SweeGen’s proprietary zero-calorie
stevia sweeteners are produced through
a patented bioconversion process, which
begins with the stevia leaf to achieve highpurity
clean-tasting Rebs D, E and M.
SweeGen offers food and beverage
manufacturers rapid innovation sugar
reduction solutions for beverage, dairy,
savoury, bakery and confectionery. Bestevia
Rebs D, E and M were commercialised in
the past few years, and have already been
approved in many regions around the world.
Hadi Omrani, director of Regulatory Affairs,
said: “We’re looking forward to continuing our
goal throughout the region which will help
an industry that strives to be relevant with
consumers.” ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

BITING ISSUES 17
Tate & Lyle expands PROMITOR ® Soluble Fiber range
Tate & Lyle is expanding their awardwinning
PROMITOR ® Soluble Fiber range.
The expansion sees the launch of two new
liquid versions of PROMITOR ® : PROMITOR ®
Soluble Fiber W and PROMITOR ® Soluble Fiber
90L. These versions have been developed to
make adding fibre to applications including
confectionery, beverages and bars, easier
and more cost effective. This allows food
and beverage manufacturers to make their
products healthier, both reducing sugar
and calories and fortifying them with fibre,
while maintaining great taste, texture and
consumer experience.
“These additions to our PROMITOR ® Soluble
Fiber range bring all the existing benefits
of PROMITOR ® that have helped make the
product range so popular both for adding
fibre to products and for lowering sugar and
calories.” said Susanna Palatucci, global head
of Health and Wellness at Tate & Lyle.
Both of the new ingredients address
specific needs in certain types of products.
PROMITOR ® Soluble Fiber W, which contains
a minimum of 85% fibre and less than
2% sugars, has a lower viscosity than
comparable fibre ingredients and performs
particularly well in confectionery products
such as gummies. It can therefore be
used for sugar reduction in mainstream
confectionery or for fibre fortification in
nutritional confectionery products.
PROMITOR ® Soluble Fiber 90L is a liquid
version of Tate & Lyle’s existing 90% fibre
powder ingredient, which, depending on the
end-product and manufacturing set-up, can
provide production efficiencies by avoiding
the need to dissolve or handle powders. The
ingredient has lower viscosity and is easier to
handle and use than comparative products
on the market.
“By growing the PROMITOR ® family with these
two new offerings, it is now even easier to
incorporate the ingredient into a very broad
range of applications.”
This expansion of the PROMITOR ® fibre range
is another example of Tate & Lyle delivering
on its purpose of Improving Lives for
Generations.
The PROMITOR ® W launch is focused on
North America, and PROMITOR ® 90L on North
America and Japan. Their regulatory approval,
labelling and claims may vary by country. ■
Tate & Lyle
Creative Sweetness Solutions
Sweegen’s sugar reduction solutions are customized to meet consumer
preferences for local taste and sweetness profiles.
Using proprietary next generation stevia as a foundation, we incorporate
the right combination of proprietary flavors and best-in-class texturants
to create cost-effective solutions for your toughest sweetness challenge.
Non-GMO Nature Based Ease Of Use Cost Effective Label Friendly
Make your next sweet
innovation with Sweegen
www.sweegen.com | sales@sweegen.com

18
BITING ISSUES
Olam
Olam Food Ingredients accelerates growth strategy with an
acquisition
Olam Food Ingredients (OFI) 1 is acquiring
a leading US private label spices and
seasonings manufacturer, Olde Thompson,
at an EV of US$950 million through its wholly
owned subsidiary Olam Holdings Inc.
This acquisition reinforces OFI’s growth
strategy of being a global leader in providing
sustainable, natural, value-added food and
beverage ingredients and solutions so that
consumers can enjoy the healthy and tasty
products that they love.
This acquisition will be transformative
for OFI’s spices business, which is an
attractive and growing part of OFI’s overall
portfolio. It will also create a substantive
growth platform for OFI to provide similar
sustainable and innovative retail solutions
across OFI’s other products.
OFI CEO A. Shekhar, said: “This transaction
builds on our long 15-year partnership with
Olde Thompson and is a logical move to
combine our ‘back-end’ strengths in global
origination and sustainable supply chains,
with Olde Thompson’s ‘front-end’ capabilities
Olam Food Ingredients (“OFI”) 1 is acquiring a
leading US private label spices and seasonings
manufacturer, Olde Thompson
in providing retail spice solutions to many
major US retailers.
“Growing our offerings of private label
solutions is right at the heart of OFI’s
strategy – and within that spices is one of
the most attractive and growing categories,
especially in the US. This will enable us to
offer consumers a comprehensive range of
bold, authentic, natural taste and flavours
with end-to-end traceability.”
Established in 1944, Olde Thompson is a
leading manufacturer of private label spices,
seasonings, baking ingredients and spicerelated
housewares in the US. It has led and
benefited from the increased penetration of
private label in the spices and seasonings
space 2 , as well as the growing demand for
healthy, natural, organic, clean-label spices
and ethnic, savoury flavours. With two highly
automated bi-coastal facilities in Bayonne,
New Jersey and Oxnard, California, Olde
Thompson has built a significant formulation,
blending, packaging and distribution
capacity to serve customers across the US.
It has also built long-term relationships with
a diverse group of blue-chip retail customers
across the club, mass, grocery, discount and
dollar store channels.
CEO of Olde Thompson, David Sugarman,
said: “The acquisition of Olde Thompson
by OFI is a terrific outcome for all of our
key stakeholders. For our customers, this
partnership pushes Olde Thompson to
the forefront of sustainable innovation as
it provides access to OFI’s extraordinary
international sourcing capabilities and spice
expertise that will allow us to provide a new
level of traceability and transparency to the
marketplace. Our employees will benefit from
additional resources and opportunities that
will accelerate our growth and their careers
even further."
Greg Estep, CEO of OFI’s spices business,
said: “Our global origination and sustainable
spice supply chain along with Olde
Thompson’s expertise in private label is
going to be truly complementary and
transformative for our spices business.
We can now deliver greater value to our
customers by combining Olde Thompson’s
reach and capabilities in blending, product
formulation and packaging to our seed and
field management programmes, ingredient
processing capabilities and the differentiated
transparency and traceability that our
AtSource platform delivers.”
KEY FINANCIAL INFORMATION
RELATING TO THE ACQUISITION
Olam Holdings Inc. will acquire Olde
Thompson from Kainos Capital and Olde
Thompson’s management shareholders
at an EV of US$950m, subject to net
working capital adjustment at closing. The
consideration was arrived at on a willingbuyer,
willing-seller basis and implies an
EV/EBITDA multiple 3 of approximately 11.5
times, or approximately 8.5 times including
expected synergies.
The acquisition of Olde Thompson is
expected to be earnings and margin
accretive to OFI from the first year onwards
and generate potential EBITDA synergies of
US$25-30m.
Subject to customary closing conditions, the
transaction is expected to close in Q2 2021. ■
1
OFI is the new operating group, created after the
re-organisation of global food and agri-business
Olam International, with revenues of S$12.5 billion
and sales volume of 3.8 million metric tonnes in
2020.
2
Private label currently accounts for approximately
26% of the US spices and seasonings industry
and has been growing at an annual rate of
approximately 15% between 2015 and 2019
(Source: IRi industry data; OFI estimates).
3
EV/EBITDA multiple is Enterprise Value on
diligence adjusted 2020 Earnings Before Interest,
Tax, Depreciation and Amortisation.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

BITING ISSUES 19
Yakima Chief Hops releases new blend that retains raw
hop aroma
Yakima Chief Hops (YCH), a grower owned
global hop supplier, is yet again taking
aromatic beers to a new level with their
latest product launch – Cryo Pop Original
Blend. Celebrating four years since the
release of their advanced product line, Cryo
Hops ® , this hop blend uses groundbreaking
research to solve the common brewing
Photo credit: Yakima Chief Hops
Global hop supplier Yakima Chief Hops has officially
launched their newest product – Cryo Pop
Original Blend
problem of how to carry raw hop aroma into
finished beers.
In 2017, YCH launched a line of innovative
hop products known as Cryo Hops ® using a
cryogenic hop-processing technology that
separates whole cones into two components
— concentrated lupulin and bract. These
concentrated lupulin pellets provide brewers
with maximum aroma impact while reducing
the negative effects experienced with
brewing hoppy beers.
YCH has combined this novel process with
cutting-edge hop lab analysis techniques
to create Cryo Pop Original Blend, formerly
known as trial blend TRI 2304CR. The YCH
R&D facility houses one of the only labs in
the world with the capability to analyse hops
via GC-QTOF and GC-SCD technology and
study previously undetectable aromatic
components.
The data is utilised to engineer a hop
pellet that contains high concentrations
of the most beer-soluble compounds,
or compounds that survive the brewing
process. The result is a supercharged pellet
that provides brewers with a dynamic
solution for juicy, fruit-forward, highly
aromatic applications, showing massive
tropical, stone fruit, and citrus aromas.
"The research behind Cryo Pop is
revolutionary," said Spencer Tielkemeier,
YCH's East Division sales lead and a member
of the Brewing Innovations team. "It helps
brewers harness a practical understanding
of how beer-soluble compounds make an
impact in the finished product." ■
Yakima Chief Hops
AAK South East Asia announces exclusive distribution
agreement with Invita for plant-based food solutions in Australia
and New Zealand
AAK
AAK has announced a collaboration with
Invita through an exclusive distribution
of AAK’s plant-based food solutions for
Australia and New Zealand.
Australia and New Zealand are two of the
fastest-growing markets in the world when
it comes to plant-based foods, supported by
an advanced food technology as well as the
countries’ eating clean and green lifestyle.
Drawing on a diverse range of raw material
sources, AAK works together with its
customers to develop great-tasting plantbased
food products made with love for
people, plants and the planet, and the
company shares Invita’s fundamental core
mission to be in a long-term sustainable
business.
“We are excited about the partnership with
AAK as this aligns with our initiatives in
creating value-added and healthier options
in plant-based foods with a sustainable
supply chain for our customers," said
Yen Bird, director of Sales and Business
Development at Invita Australia.
Invita supplies high-quality life science
ingredients with a focus on food, beverage,
pharmaceutical and nutraceutical industries,
including onsite application support, local
warehousing, and distribution. Through
exclusive relationships with supply partners,
Invita has access to the latest global market
trends and new product launches across all
market segments.
“With this partnership, our innovative and
customised AkoPlanetTM by AAK solutions
for plant-based foods will be available
to food manufacturers via Invita’s wellestablished
technical facility and distribution
network in Australia and New Zealand,” said
Nikesh Hindocha, regional director of AAK
South East Asia. ■
AAK will collaborate with Invita through an
exclusive distribution of AAK’s plant-based food
solutions for Australia and New Zealand
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

20
BITING ISSUES
Conagen
Conagen employs novel solution to make natural capsaicin by
fermentation more accessible
Conagen has successfully scaled-up its
fermentation process for the production
of premium capsaicin and its related
capsaicinoid molecules.
Consumers globally are demanding more
clean, natural and exciting flavours,
especially hot and spicy flavours.
Yet, manufacturers face a challenge in
meeting this demand as capsaicin from
chili peppers is difficult to use because of
its hot properties. Capsaicin extraction is
limited by the availability of chili peppers,
Did anyone say red hot chilli
peppers? The re-engineering of
capsaicin
which is subject to
fluctuations in price
and quality.
The market for
capsaicin is
growing because
of its pungent characteristic. In industrial
applications, such as anti-fouling paint for
boats and ships, capsaicin has the potential
to replace heavy metals.
Two major capsaicinoids, capsaicin and
dihydrocapsaicin are responsible for roughly
up to 90% of the pungency in chili pepper.
Yet, another capsaicinoid, nonivamide, also
known as Pelargonic Acid Vanillylamide
(PAVA), is found in small, trace amounts in
hot peppers. It is an alternative to capsaicin
for its hot sensation and spicy flavouring.
Nonivamide is typically used in topical muscle
pain relievers and synthetic pepper spray,
respectfully.
Due to the extremely low content of
nonivamide in hot peppers, and the large
demand, current plant extraction methods are
not commercially viable. Thus, nonivamide
has exclusively been made by chemical
synthesis. Although chemically synthesized
nonivamide is readily available, consumers
are adopting clean and natural products.
Providing a solution to global capsaicin
shortages, Conagen has identified several
key genes in the capsaicin biosynthetic
pathway in hot peppers and has
demonstrated proof-of-concepts for the
production of capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin,
and nonivamide. Several patents have been
granted to Conagen for microbial production
of capsaicinoids.
Following demands for a natural, low costin-use
solution, Conagen has successfully
optimised and scaled-up its fermentation
process for the production of capsaicin,
dihydrocapsaicin, and nonivamide. ■
FrieslandCampina
FrieslandCampina’s Biotis TM GOS supported by research to
reduce anxiety
A first-of-its-kind clinical trial has shown
the ability of Biotis GOS, the galactooligosaccharide
prebiotic ingredient supplied
by FrieslandCampina Ingredients, to reduce
self-reported anxiety in young women. While
past animal studies have indicated such
benefits, the new study is the first human
trial to demonstrate a clear link between GOS
consumption, gut microbiota composition
and mental well-being.
During the four-week trial, 64 women aged
18–25, with self-reported anxiety*, received
a daily dose of Biotis GOS or a placebo
supplement. Participants completed baseline
and end of study surveys to assess their
general health, including their sleep quality,
mood and stress levels. Gut microbiome
sequencing analysis was also carried out.
After 28 days, the group receiving Biotis TM
GOS reported improved mental well-being
and reduced anxiety levels, while the
microbiome sequencing analysis showed
they had better gut health, characterised
by significantly increased Bifidobacteria
levels, compared to the control group. In
addition, brain imaging was employed on
a sub-sample of participants to measure
key emotion regulation regions, allowing
for further understanding of how changes
in the gut microbiome may relate to brain
functioning.
The results suggest that a daily Biotis TM GOS
supplement in a fortified food or drink may
be beneficial in instances of pre-clinical
anxiety.
Commenting on the study, Vicky
Davies, global marketing director at
FrieslandCampina Ingredients, said: “We
developed Biotis TM to usher in a new era of
ingredients science – one that responds
directly to the key concerns of today’s
consumers. Given the challenges of the last
year, mental well-being, including anxiety,
is one of the most pressing and widespread
global health issues right now. We’re very
proud to be playing our role in furthering
scientific understanding of how prebiotics
like galacto-oligosaccharides can target the
microbiome to bring about benefits in mental
wellbeing.” ■
*No clinical diagnosis
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

22
INGREDIENTS
Lactase enzymes can contribute to
the creation of quality dairy products
The lactose-free dairy boom: how
can enzymes help producers deliver
on-trend lactose-free varieties?
The growing lactose-free dairy market reflects a change in consumers’
tastes and preferences. More than ever, consumers are considering
authenticity, health, and taste in their dairy products. Ben Rutten,
business manager Milky, DSM Food Specialties, discusses how lactase
enzymes can contribute to these evolving demands.
The lactose-free dairy market continues
to grow and outpace the traditional dairy
market 1 . Estimates now suggest that the
CAGR of lactose-free dairy will be more
than double that of regular dairy between
2019 and 2024 at 6.5% and 2.4%
respectively, with the market expected
to exceed €9.7billion (bn) by 2024. 2
Representative of 80% of the lactosefree
market share, lactose-free milk is
expected to be the main growth driver. 3
Anticipated to reach €0.9bn by 2024 at
an impressive CAGR of 8.2% 4 , lactosefree
yogurt is further fuelling demand,
with people seeking diverse flavours and
textures in the products they purchase.
Meanwhile, the lactose-free cheese
category is also expected to grow (CAGR
6.7%) between 2019 and 2024. 5
The success of the lactose-free
dairy industry can be seen across
different regions worldwide, with Asia
demonstrating particularly impressive
and steady growth in the forecast
period (7.8% CAGR) 6 - opening up
exciting innovation opportunities for
dairy producers in Asia. To tap into them
effectively, however, manufacturers must
understand the consumer needs driving
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

INGREDIENTS 23
the market forward and find the right
solutions for delivering lactose-free dairy
products that meet diverse expectations.
THE TOP THREE MARKET DRIVERS
Consumer attitudes and purchasing
behaviors continue to evolve, making it
crucial for manufacturers to keep their
finger on the pulse of the market. So,
what are the factors driving lactose-free
industry growth in Asia?
1. Lactose intolerance
An impaired ability to digest lactose
- also known as lactose intolerance
- affects many individuals across the
globe and typically leads to digestive
discomfort following the consumption
of dairy products, such as milk, cheese
and yogurt. Incidence varies extensively
across the globe, however. In East
Asia, for example, 90-100% of adults
are reported to be living with lactose
intolerance, compared to just 4% in
Denmark 7 . Lactose intolerance therefore
remains a key factor in the popularity
of lactose-free dairy products in Asia,
with a 2020 DSM research showing that
51% and 69% of respondents in China
and Indonesia, respectively, agree that
lactose-free dairy is easier to digest than
regular dairy. 8
2. Health appeal
Lactose-free dairy products are also
increasingly popular with many healthconscious
consumers in Asia, thanks to
their perceived health benefits. DSM’s
survey, for example, found that 43%
and 67% of respondents in China and
Indonesia, respectively, believe that
lactose-free dairy is healthier than regular
dairy. 9 This has played a prominent role
in the strong growth potential of this
category in recent years.
Meanwhile, low-sugar and nutrientrich
dairy varieties are also gaining
popularity. For example, both Chinese
and Indonesian consumers reported
that they will lower their sugar intake
(CN 66%; ID 78%) and look for vitamin/
mineral-enriched products (CN 74%; ID
84%) in the next three to five years. 10
This presents an exciting opportunity for
lactose-free dairy brands to differentiate
their products and appeal to the rising
number of consumers looking for dairy
varieties with “no added sugar”, “reduced
sugar” or “rich in vitamins/minerals”
claims.
3. Authenticity and product
positionings
Growing numbers of consumers are also
looking for authenticity claims, such as
“organic”, from their dairy, and are often
willing to pay a premium price for such
products. For example, DSM’s research
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

24
INGREDIENTS
found that Chinese and Indonesian
consumers expect to purchase more
locally produced (CN 61%; ID 74%) and
non-GMO/organic (CN 70%; ID 69%)
products in the coming three to five
LACTASE ENZYMES: DRIVING
INNOVATION IN LACTOSE-FREE
DAIRY
The latest lactase enzymes on the
market - such as DSM’s Maxilact ®
Delvo ® Pro L26 Lactobacillus casei
probiotic strains, to their formulations.
This can help create nutrient-rich,
lactose-free dairy products that support
health and wellbeing.
The Asian market is
one of the growing
consumers of
lactose-free dairy
products
years. 11
Beyond these three top market
drivers, taste remains a key influencer
of the consumer purchasing
decision. Producers are also facing
growing pressure to speed up the
production process and improve
their manufacturing capacity to stay
competitive. The question now is, how
can producers meet evolving consumer
demands to stay at the forefront of the
industry, while working efficiently and
remaining profitable?
Super solution, part of its Maxilact ®
portfolio - can support the production
of clean-tasting, high-quality lactosefree
dairy products like milk, cheese and
yogurt varieties that meet discerning
consumers’ expectations across Asia.
Highly efficient and pure, these
enzymes are free from invertase and
arylsulfatase that can produce offflavours
and reduce stability during
shelf life, guaranteeing a clean taste
and consistent high quality across a
product’s life cycle. These benefits,
combined with the suitability of
lactase enzymes for all dairy product
positionings - from traditional to organic
- allow lactose-free dairy producers
to appeal to increasingly health- and
label-conscious consumers, without
adding complexity to the production
process. These solutions also enable
manufacturers to cut hydrolysis time
by as much as 33%, and thereby help to
achieve optimal production efficiency
and boost capacity without capex
investment. Maxilact ® Super lactase
enzymes further unlock the natural
sweetness of dairy by breaking down
lactose into sweeter monosaccharides
(glucose and galactose). These
components have a higher relative
sweetness than lactose, which achieves
sweetness similar to sucrose and
effectively lowers the sugar levels in
lactose-free dairy products by up to
20%, helping manufacturers meet the
requirements for ‘reduced sugar’ or ‘no
added sugar’ front-of-pack label claims.
LOOKING AHEAD
The strong growth potential of the
lactose-free dairy market in Asia
means that producers have an exciting
opportunity to expand their portfolios
and market share. To drive innovation in
the industry, however, manufacturers
need to act quickly and bring highquality
lactose-free and sugar-reduced
varieties with a clean taste and an
appealing nutritional value to market.
Lactase enzymes and micronutrient
solutions can help them align their
products with the latest consumer
trends, while also allowing them to work
more economically and sustainably.
To speed up the route to market,
producers can also collaborate with an
industry expert. With more than 50 years
of experience in lactase development
and manufacturing, DSM is the world’s
leading lactase specialist committed to
being a true “one-stop-shop” partner
to customers. With a broad portfolio
of lactase enzymes, dairy cultures,
probiotics, bio-protection and sugarreduction
solutions, vitamins, minerals
and hydrocolloids, and end-to-end
technical support, DSM is ideally
positioned to help manufacturers create
appealing lactose-free products. FBA
REFERENCES:
1
Mintel Global New Product Database –
claim low/no/reduced lactose category
dairy (excluding dairy alternatives, creamers,
shortening & lard, spreads).
2
Euromonitor, Market value based on 2019
Manufacturers looking to further
retail values. CAGR 2019-2024, 2019.
enhance the health appeal of their
3 – 6, 9 - 11
Ibid.
products can also add vitamins,
7
De Vrese M, et al. Am J Clin Nutr.2001;73
minerals and probiotics, such as DSM’s
(suppl):421s–9s.
Quali ® vitamins, Premix Solutions and
8
DSM. ‘Future Food Trends’, 2020.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

26
INGREDIENTS
TomaTech files patents
for ToBRFV-resistant
DNA markers for
tomato varieties
In a fight against the Tomato Brown Rugose
Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), TomaTech files a
provisional patent for identifying the DNA
markers correlated to its resistant traits.
will accelerate the breeding and
commercialization of high resistance
non-GMO tomato varieties.
“Following years of intensive R&D
(research & development) efforts,
TomaTech has succeeded in identifying
DNA markers that elicit resistance to
ToBRFV,” said Ofer Ben Zvi, CEO of
TomaTech. “This discovery will allow us
to rapidly develop a complete portfolio
of resistant tomatoe varieties for global
introduction and will benefit the growers
and the entire value chain, providing a
consistent supply chain while lowering
production costs.”
TomaTech, Ltd. recently announced
a major advancement in the fight
against the Tomato Brown Rugose
Fruit Virus (ToBRFV), which has caused
significant economic damage estimated
as much as billions of USD in the last
few years globally. Lead by Assaf
Eybishitz PhD, the company furthered
the fight against this pandemic of the
tomato world by filing for a provisional
patent for identifying the DNA markers
correlated to its resistant traits which
TOBRFV VIRUS
The ToBRFV virus has been inflicting
havoc on in-door tomato plantations
globally since 2014, affecting a broad
spectrum of tomatoes — from sweet
cherry lines to full-sized beefsteak
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

INGREDIENTS 27
tomatoes. Outbreaks have overwhelmed
greenhouses across the North America,
Europe and the Middle East, and is spreading
to other regions.
The appearance of ToBRFV on commercial
tomato cultivations presented a substantial
threat to tomato growers and the entire
value chain around the world, causing severe
damage to commercial varieties. It already
has led to colossal losses in yields, ranging
from 30% in losses to devastating entire
crops.
Due to the virus’ ability to rapidly spread via
mechanic transmission, especially under
intense production practices, hygiene
protocols have been imposed that require
farmers to wear full protective gear and fully
isolate virus-infected greenhouses.
Development of a portfolio of resistant
varieties requires exceptional phenotyping
and genotyping capabilities. TomaTech
targeted virus resistance as one of its top
R&D goals and has been working intensively
since 2017 to develop new sources of
resistance and the new cultivars.
“The ability to find strong resistance as well
as identify DNA markers, protecting our IP
through submission of provisional patent
application, demonstrates TomaTech’s
capabilities to position itself at the front line
in the research and breeding of the tomatoes
varieties for the global market,” explained Favi
Vidavski, PhD, president and head of R&D of
TomaTech.
IDENTIFYING DNA MARKERS
“We developed an advanced highly efficient
screening system based on controlled
inoculation and molecular technology where
we continually tested tens of thousands
of tomato plants under the most severe
conditions,” explained Vidavski. “We reached
a breakthrough a year ago with the discovery
of specific DNA markers that proved
instrumental in helping us isolate, identify
and introduce ToBRFV-resistant genes, which
we bred into our principal commercial tomato
varieties."
INTERMEDIATE RESISTANCE VS HIGH
RESISTANCE
TomaTech has already introduced
intermediate resistance (IR) capabilities
across its entire breeding programme while
concurrently broadening efforts to attain the
next stage of high resistance (HR), projected
to be completed in the near future.
“We have successfully identified and
produced an impressive portfolio of
commercial ToBRFV-resistant (IR) tomatoes
that already are available for our customers,”
enthused Vidavski.
TomaTech’s innovation can be applied to a
comprehensive range of tomato varieties
across all segments and can be adapted to
both heated and non-heated greenhouses.
TomaTech will continue to invest efforts and
agronomical inputs to bring real solutions to
growers.
“Since its first appearance in 2014, the
ToBRFV virus has presented a heavy burden
for growers around the globe and for many
dealt a heavy blow to their crops,” added
Ben Zvi. “Our unique breeding methodology
not only boosts resilience but also
positively enhances flavour and fruit quality
characteristics, ensuring that the needs of
retailers are met and that consumers will
have continuous access to healthy, attractive,
and flavourful tomato varieties.” FBA
ToBRFV susceptible vs
ToBRFV resistant
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

28
INGREDIENTS
Unlocking the
secrets of
healthy ageing
By Dr Adam Carey
Ageing is a complex process characterised
by a progressive loss of physiological
integrity, leading to impaired function and
increased likelihood of dying. These changes
drive the primary risk factors for major human
pathologies, including cancer, diabetes,
cardiovascular disorders, osteoarthritis and
neurodegenerative diseases. Ageing research
has exploded in recent years, particularly
with the discovery that the rate of ageing
is controlled by genetic pathways and
biochemical processes that are evolutionarily
conserved. There have been nine tentative
hallmarks that have been identified, which
represent common denominators of ageing;
four have a genetic basis, three a cellular
basis and two occur within tissues. Work
continues to better understand these
processes and what might be done to impact
them.
Today, the loss of physiological function
results in a loss of quality of life and a gradual
increase in fragility. This loss in function,
mobility and quality of life is mirrored in the
body by a loss of lean body mass. While some
of this loss in lean mass is due to a loss in
bone mass, the major driver for the change
that is seen is due to a reduction in muscle
mass. The question being asked is, “Is this all
inevitable?”
THE THREE PHASES
When we consider the ageing process,
we can divide life into three phases. First
there is childhood, which can extend until
approximately 30 years of age. It is about
this time we start developing our careers
and taking on major responsibilities such
as paying mortgages, getting married and
raising children.
The second phase of life is adulthood and
lasts from about 30 years to 60 years.
During this time, we look to discharge
these responsibilities. We hope to pay off
the mortgage, see our children grow, leave
home and become independent and we have
hopefully saved enough to retire comfortably.
The final phase of life is over the age of 60
and has been called old age. During this
time the impacts of the ageing process are
experienced with a gradual loss of function,
mobility and quality of life. The good news is
that this loss of function is not inevitable.
We are now seeing data that suggests that
those who are able to look after themselves
during a traditional adulthood are better able
to manage this third phase of life. They are
stronger, active and have a better quality of
life. The ideal must be that this final phase
of life should be as active and fulfilling as
the previous two, but potentially without
the same responsibilities. Perhaps the three
phases should be renamed: Happy, Happier,
and Happiest?
DELAY FUNCTIONAL AGEING
How do we ensure that we continue to live
an active life? It is important to prevent the
loss of muscle mass and therefore, delay
functional ageing. Functional ageing is
directly associated with a loss in muscle
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

INGREDIENTS 29
mass. This may occur because of a lack
of drivers involved in the maintenance of
muscle mass, or because of joint injury or
disease that inhibits normal physical activities
important for the maintenance of muscle
mass.
Developing and supporting lean body mass
requires four things to be in place:
• Weight bearing exercise, which is the
primary driver to develop and maintain
muscle mass;
• Sufficient building blocks for muscle
mass that come from amino acids
derived from the protein containing
foods we eat;
• An appropriate energy intake to support
maintenance and growth; and
• Enough sleep and recovery to allow the
repair and building to occur.
As people get older, they commonly stop
taking part in regular exercise. This removes a
primary driver for maintaining and developing
lean body mass. Weight-bearing exercise
is critical to staying strong and vital as we
age. Instigating a weight training activity
in your 80s is still beneficial. An adequate
protein intake is essential as you get older
and this requirement is now thought to be
higher than in a younger population. The
current recommended daily intake for protein
is 0.8g/kg of body weight, and it has been
proposed that those over 50 years should
consider consuming 1g/kg body weight.
While a lack of calories in the western world
is rarely the reason for a failure to maintain
muscle mass, poor quality and duration
of sleep is increasingly common in older
individuals [citation]. All these areas need to
be addressed to maintain lean body mass
with age. When put in place, it is possible
to be more fit and active as individuals age
than previously perceived, which may help
individuals maintain physiological function
and quality of life as they age.
Injury or joint degeneration leading to
inactivity is another major reason for a loss
of lean body mass. Joint pain and discomfort
increase with age, which may be the primary
reason for not exercising. While exercising,
36% of younger individuals experience some
muscular skeletal conditions, this rises to 68%
of those over 65 years old. Joint pain and
discomfort are the most common ailments
for those under 65 and the second most
common in those over 65 years, with 25% of
adults experiencing knee discomfort. 1
ALTERNATIVE TO NSAIDS
Historically, people have tried addressing
joint pain using anti-inflammatory drugs
like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) or nutritional products such as
curcumin, boswellia, omega-3 essential
fatty acids, antioxidants including vitamin
C, and building blocks of the joints, such as
glucosamine and chondroitin. While NSAIDs
do have a place in managing joint pain,
these drugs have significant side effects and
are the most common cause of a GI bleed.
What is often forgotten in daily routine is the
considerable hypertensive effect of NSAIDs in
everyday life.
More recently, UC-II ® undenatured type II
collagen has been identified as a possible
contender for the management of joint
discomfort. It is a food supplement sourced
from chicken sternum using a special
patented low-temperature, non-enzymatic
manufacturing process to preserve the
efficacy of the collagen’s critical undenatured
form and is marketed in a number of oral
forms.
Its mechanism of action is interesting and
different from other joint health supplements
on the market. Other supplement ingredients
require large amounts of a joint building
block. UC-II ® undenatured type II collagen is
thought to work through oral tolerance due to
an interaction between UC-II ® undenatured
type II collagen and the immune cells in
Peyer’s patches in the small intestine.
The regulator T cells formed during this
interaction produce anti-inflammatory
cytokines in the joints, which in turn have a
symptom-modulating and repair effect on the
joints.
Several clinical trials have demonstrated that
UC-II ® undenatured type II collagen offers
joint health benefits not only for people with
osteoarthritis (OA), but also for healthy adults.
In 2002, Bagchi et al successfully showed
that women with joint-health problems were
able to achieve clinically meaningful jointhealth
benefits. Subsequently, two clinical
trials confirmed similar benefits in people
with knee OA. 2,3,4 In these controlled trials,
UC-II ® undenatured type II collagen was
statistically significantly more effective than
glucosamine and chondroitin as measured by
WOMAC score. In a randomised, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial (Lugo et al), UC-II ®
undenatured type II collagen was found to
significantly improve post-exercise recovery,
when compared to baseline, in healthy adults
who experience joint pain after climbing
steps. 3
UC-II ® small, once-a-day efficacious dose
makes it easier for older consumers to
swallow and to remember to take. Capsules
are a preferred dosage form for the UC-II ®
ingredient, due to some key advantages,
particularly around consumer compliance.
They enable the safe and secure containment
and preservation of the undenatured type II
collagen.
Ageing remains a complex and evolving
area. While science will undoubtedly, in time,
unlock some new secrets, it is important
to recognise that there is a lot we can
currently manage. Maintaining an active
lifestyle, eating a healthy diet with the
proper balance of macronutrients, getting an
adequate amount of sleep, and taking dietary
supplements such as UC-II ® undenatured
type II collagen, may allow us to age
gracefully. FBA
REFERENCES:
1
Bunt CW, Jonas EE, Chang JG. Am Fam Physician.
2018;98:576-585.
2
Bagchi D, et al. Int J Clin Pharm Res.
2002;22:101-110.
3
Crowley, et al. Int J Med Sci. 2009;6:312-321.
4
Lugo JP, et al. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2013;10:48.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

30
ON THE TABLE
Dr Rossi has had extensive experience in the development of sales networks
and business start-ups worldwide
A fresh start: Sacco
System revamps Agrofood
division
Sacco System has reorganised its Agro-food division
– expanding product lines, fresh qualified personnel,
and a new leader in its Business Unit. Dr Luigi Rossi,
executive director of Agro-food, shares about the
division’s new plans and strategies.
Dr Rossi, you have worked for decades
in the dairy business. What prompted
you to accept the challenge to
change the sector and shift focus on
the Agro-food world? What exactly is
meant by Agro-food?
Dr Luigi Rossi: My dairy team and I have
experienced exciting years, during which
we have built a worldwide network by
selecting the best distribution channels
and sharing with them a partnership path
that has allowed business developments
in more than 110 countries around the
world.
The new role of commercial director of
the Agro-food Business Unit (BU) has
a particularly important significance
to me. By leveraging my accumulated
experience, I will give my contribution
to positioning Sacco System in new
emerging sectors that foresees very
important growth trends in the upcoming
years.
The new Agro-food BU is made up of
several market segments, all of which
are nonetheless characterised by one
important element they share, namely
the innovation and enhancement of our
microorganisms as an added value to our
customers’ production processes.
The probiotics we offer for the plants
and livestock sector allow, in addition
to improving the health of plants and
animals, to increase yields by reducing,
or in many cases even eliminating, the
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

ON THE TABLE 31
enzymes and probiotics: from meat to
fish, bread, vegetables and fermented
drinks. What prompted you to expand
the product portfolio?
Dr Rossi: All our customers have as
primary interest to produce with a
high quality and safety standard, our
process and protection crops allow to
obtain a controlled fermentation while
the protection ones act as a natural
antagonist towards the unwanted flora
that can give rise to deterioration of the
product.
The cultures can also be used as an
alternative to yeast for consumers who
wish to switch to a diet without added
yeasts; a real revolution for yeastintolerant
people, and even more so
for gourmets, continuously in search of
particular products reminiscing of the
ancestral tastes of leavened bread and
cakes.
The use of our crops has therefore
become "transversal" to multiple sectors,
ranging from the dairy sector to many
other markets in the food and agri-food
sector.
use of antibiotics, pesticides, chemical
fertilisers; we are fully aware of the
relevance this element carries in the
choice made by the final consumer.
The meat sector will also enjoy the benefit
of improving the production and shelf
life of its products through the use of our
protective cultures.
The company is also extending its
interest to other sectors such as
fermented food vegetables, non-alcoholic
beverages where we are experimenting
with the culture that improve the aroma,
especially in fruit-based ones. Another
rapidly evolving segment concerns the
bakery and the beer sector, where we
will shortly experiment with mixtures
composed of yeasts and bacteria that
allow us to enhance the organoleptic
properties
Research and development have always
been a fundamental pillar for Sacco,
also in light of our growth-oriented
mentality. For what concerns the plant
sector, the company has recently
signed a collaboration agreement with
a technological platform, Landlab, to
cooperate in the testing of innovative
microorganisms, both in vitro
(greenhouse) and directly in the field.
You mention an impressively wide
range of applications for the use of
Which markets are you targeting?
Dr Rossi: We will address our offer to
the B2B sector by designing with it, not
only a commercial development, but also
a development network consisting of
qualified personnel who will accompany
the product offer with technical
application consultancy in the various
industrial sectors. Our goal will be to
complete the production chain starting
from agriculture to get to the table for this
reason we have joined the "from farm to
fork" program.
What about the future?
Dr Rossi: I would say that there are
already many applications we are working
on right now, but we also know that it is
essential to never stop and always try to
innovate. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

32
ON THE TABLE
The exhibition,
which saw 168
new designs, was
transmitted via
livestream
Moving on:
igus presents new
designs amidst
pandemic
igus recently presented its Motion
Plastics Show. The press conference,
which was carried out via a livestream,
saw developers and engineers
showcasing their latest designs and
products across the large exhibition
space. The conference also marked the
second consecutive year in which the
exhibition was held virtually as a result
of the pandemic.
INNOVATION IN THE FACE OF
ADVERSITY
A key component of this press
conference was the emphasis on
innovation. The 168 new designs boast
stronger product life, greater wear
resistance, and higher efficiencies.
These new creations were achieved
against the backdrop of the larger
pandemic crisis; to cope with the
current COVID-19 situation, many of
igus’ engineers are working from home
with few visits to the testing labs, often
using creative ways to create and test
their new designs in their backyards
with materials found at home.
“Home office is a great challenge,
especially for the design and testing
department,” said Michael Blass,
chief executive officer of igus e-chain
systems. “We have succeeded
in combining the concentrated
development of ideas in the home office
with haptic testing and implementation
here in the laboratory. We often build
small test stands ourselves in the home
office and confirmed the results here in
the test lab. Hybrid is key.”
The current situation has also
demanded an alternative in terms
of customer service: igus offers
virtual visits, which include assembly
support and drawings, as well as
a demonstration of the machine’s
application, and interactive presentation
for designers and other stakeholders.
This works in tandem with the IF Design
Award-winning igus trade show booth.
Furthermore, the online shop has also
provided customers with necessary
information on price, service life, and
delivery period, facilitating a smooth
ordering and delivery process.
LAUNCH OF NEW PRODUCTS
The highlight of the press conference
was the demonstration of igus’ new
products and designs from their
2020/21 line-up. Notable introductions
include the AX500 plain bearings, and
the A180, both of which are safe for food
contact and are suited for use in the
food and beverage industry.
The new iglidur AX500 plain bearings,
with its ESD and EU 10/2011
sustainability, was developed precisely
for its use in the food and beverage
industry. It boasts a water-resistant and
high temperature material, being able
to withstand up to 250C. The highperformance
bearing is also strongly
wear-resistant, particularly for use with
chemicals and water-cleaning.
Of the AX500’s attributes, Tobias
Vogel, chief executive officer of
Bearings & Linear Technology, said
that the combination of the EU 10/2011
compliancy, alongside similar rates
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

ON THE TABLE 33
of wear resistance and coefficient of
friction with past iglidur X materials,
was a big step for very high technical
application in the food industry. This is
further emphasised through the AX500’s
greaseless, plastic design, making it
optimal for machines that undergo an
automatic cleaning process every few
hours with strong chemicals.
Another key product of the conference
was the iglidur A180 plain bearing, which
is made from 100% FDA-compliant
material and is thus ideal for contact with
food. The large grooves of the A180 allow
it to be washed easily, making it suitable
not only for the food and beverage
industry but also for the medical industry.
Of the groove design, Gerhard Baus, VP
and head of Business Bearings at igus,
remarked that the bearing’s thick grooves
can be cleaned easier than small edges –
a hygienic design that is vital to the food
industry process.
A STRONGER DEDICATION TO
SUSTAINABILITY
Wrapping up the press conference,
igus CEO Frank Blase reiterated igus’
commitment to sustainable practices.
Through the chainge Recycling Program,
all e-chains are recycled at the end of
their lifetime. Furthermore, the company
has invested in Mura Technologies,
which enable plastic waste to be
recycled back into oils – contributing to
the circular economy that allows plastic
to become a reusable resource.
Blase also highlighted how the young
apprentices in Germany have been
applying themselves to the recycling
and refurbishing of electronic waste
produced by igus, and in return selling
them back to igus’ associates and
their families for under 100 euros as
functional devices. This initiative was
also partially motivated by the need
for electronics and laptops during the
pandemic.
“The young people, below twenty,
below thirty years-old, they insist, they
demand, they force us to act, and this
is a good thing. Together, I think we will
get on the right track,” said Blase, when
asked about the company’s challenges
in transitioning to a sustainable model
during the pandemic.
igus also has plans to create a “green
tree lung” to achieve CO2 neutrality,
which would see the planting of trees
and plants together in their new parking
space. This is part of igus’ efforts to
contribute to the reduction of CO2
emissions on their facilities, and will be
located in the middle of their campus.
Furthermore, igus is currently in the
process of determining their CO2
footprint.
The new factory building currently under
construction is also set to be climateneutral
in its inception, and by 2025
all other igus factories will follow suit.
Within its production process, igus has
also implemented new state-of-the-art
injection moulding machines that save
up to 40% energy, reducing emissions.
Altogether, the press conference marks
igus’ commitment to greater innovation
in the face of a global pandemic. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

34
ON THE TABLE
The nutra meets
pharma initiative
In a move to tap into the pharmaceutical market with its leading branded
ingredients, Julia Diaz, head of marketing at Pharmactive shares what this move
means to Pharmactive Biotech, S.L. and more about the company’s validated
saffron extract, affron®, which can be used as a stand-alone or to enhance
pharmaceutical products.
By Pang Yanrong
Pharmactive’s affron ® saffron is grown in the
company’s private fields in Spain
and medical practitioners, and will help
the pharmaceutical business provide
greater value to their patrons,” said Jean-
Marie Raymond, CEO of Pharmactive, in a
press release.
“This means a better and increased
approach to the pharma business;
being able to offer a natural solution
with demonstrated effects and of
high-tolerance in combination with
antidepressants,” explained Julia Diaz,
head of marketing at Pharmactive.
WHAT IS AFFRON ® ?
Saffron bears a deep-rooted history as
traditional natural agents that can relieve
occasional anxiety and promote rest. For
Pharmactive, its affron ® saffron is grown
in the company’s private fields in Spain.
Pharmactive Biotech, S.L. is tapping
into the pharmaceutical market with
its leading branded ingredients, such
as affron ® saffron extract, to support
mental health. The company has
appointed Paul Clayton, PhD as chair of
its scientific advisory board. Together with
Pharmactive’s medical advisor, Carlos
Galmarini, MD, PhD, they will lead this
strategic move for Pharmactive.
“Including high-level medical and natural
science experts on the advisory board
enables the company to combine and
reconciliate the two worlds of pharma and
nutraceuticals, to benefit both consumers
“Our extractions are 100% natural and the
ingredient is standardised by HPLC (high
performance liquid chromatography)
technology to ensure the highest purity
and endorsed by strong clinical science,”
said Diaz. “Our company oversees the
entire supply channel. We work closely
with our farmers and set in place a robust
quality control system. We have acquired
a number of quality seals including
organic certification to ensure that it is in
line with our customers’ values for quality
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

ON THE TABLE 35
and traceability of naturally sourced
ingredients.”
In addition, Pharmactive’s affron ® is a
highly-awarded ingredient (six times)
and is recognised as the best saffron
ingredient by The Frost & Sullivan entity.
HOW DOES AFFRON ® HELP
MENTAL HEALTH?
In stress situations, the body will activate
the sympathetic nervous system into
a fight or flight mode as a means of
defense. Oxidative stress is implicated in
this response, especially when it becomes
chronic and is characterised by lowered
antioxidant defenses and increased
oxidative damage to proteins, lipids, and
more where excess free radicals damage
brain structures and cells.
Diaz explained: “Our affron ® branded
saffron extract is backed by six human
clinical studies demonstrating its ability
to improve mood, relieve stress, support
relaxation, and enhance sleep (1-6). It
is also the first saffron extract clinically
studied on adolescents, and has shown
to be well tolerated when administrated
with antidepressant drugs, effectively
reducing depression in adults with
persistent depressive symptoms.
“Affron ® possesses a potent antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory impact, which
not only could help to balance key
neurotransmitters levels, such as
serotonin and dopamine, but also fights
the oxidative stress produced by anxiety
and stress in the brain.”
Pharmactive’s affron ® saffron is
manufactured using a unique proprietary
AFF ® ON Cool-Tech actives-saver
extraction procedure. This optimises
the preservation and concentration of
the key active ingredients with minimal
industrial processing, no chemicals,
and low energy use; with long-lasting
actives’ stability of at least 36 months.
The extract is also standardised to
contain more than 3.5 lepticrosalides;
the unique combination and synergic
effect of crocins, crocetins, safranal and
picocrocins, are the bioactive compounds
responsible for its cognitive effects.
This is on top of exhibiting the lowest
dosage threshold for saffron extracts on
the market — just 28mg per day — with
proven bioavailability, rapid one-hour
absorption and can be taken alongside
pharmaceutical SSRI’s (selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors).
“There is a current gap in the
management of stress and anxiety
Saffron bears a deep-rooted
history as traditional natural
agents that can relieve
occasional anxiety and
promote rest
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

36
ON THE TABLE
Pharmactive’s affron ® saffron is
manufactured using a unique proprietary
AFF ® ON Cool-Tech actives-saver
extraction procedure to optimise the
preservation and concentration of the key
active ingredients
from a medical point of view, where
pharmaceuticals targeting anxiety can
cause a range of side effects in almost
40% of consumers 1 . This can cause a loss
in adherence,” said Diaz. “Here, affron ®
could help as a support for cases where
the person needs an extra support to cope
with daily problems and, in combination
with antidepressants, to boost the mood
and sleep improvement benefits with no
added side effects, improving adherence to
complete treatment.”
PHARMACTIVE’S NEXT MOVE
Along with the affron ® , Pharmactive offers
a wide range of innovative and patented
biomolecules from natural origin and is
backed by their scientific studies with a
characterised mechanism of action.
The company plans to conduct more
clinical trials and explore various new
health categories that can be addressed
with their ingredients as well as the
possibilities for integrating it into novel
new finished products applications to
offer it to their customers.
“We are working in several clinical studies
including new population groups to
favour personalised medicine driven by
scientific evidence,” shared Diaz.
In addition, with an increase in mental
health wellbeing awareness since the
COVID-19 pandemic, more are seeking
help across the different age groups,
and Pharmactive aims to support this
increased awareness.
“We have indeed noted an increase in
awareness amongst consumers on
mental health who are active seeking
natural agents including for their teens
whose mental health has been greatly
affected by the pandemic. We are
offering webinars and expert information
to the Industry, using social media to
communicate the science we generate,”
said Diaz. FBA
REFERENCE
1
Warden, D., et al. 2007. The STAR*D Project
results: a comprehensive review of findings.
Curr. Psychiatry Rep. 9, 449–459; Ferguson,
J. SSRI Antidepressant Medications: Adverse
Effects and Tolerability. Prim Care Companion J
Clin Psychiatry. 2001 Feb; 3(1): 22–27.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

ON THE TABLE 37
Having your cake and eating it:
Swiftlet Natural Sugar Replacement
delivers an alternative experience
As the world adjusts to a new normal – from
remote working to livestream broadcasts –
consumers are looking for food alternatives
that can deliver robust flavour, texture, and
added benefits. In the midst of the pandemic,
Swiftlet Co. has created its Natural Sugar
Replacement, a 100% natural, non-GMO
concoction with added health benefits. Its
mission: to change the way people think about
ingredient replacements by showing that one
does not have to compromise flavour for health.
By Agatha Wong
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed
the ways in which people negotiate
their relationship with food. More than
ever, consumers are considering how
their food and diet choices can affect
their health. Moreover, remote working
measures have also encouraged many
to cook at home, further spurring them
to consider their culinary habits, and
what goes into their food.
These changes in consumer patterns
have allowed for the growth of
alternative ingredients in the market:
plant-based meats are rising in
popularity as consumers seek
environmentally-friendly options.
Yet, tastebuds are as critical as ever
– alternative food products tout near
replications of flavour, fragrance, and
texture. There is thus a stronger call not
only for healthier options, but similar, if
not better, tasting ones as well.
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
In Asia, Swiftlet Co., a start-up company,
has created a natural sugar
replacement which accomplishes
both taste and health. The product,
derived from several plant-based
ingredients, has made ripples in the
alternative ingredient market for its
unique properties: zero calories, zero
glycaemic index and zero sugars.
The replacement, which contains
prebiotics that promote gut health
and digestion, is also easy to measure
and incorporate into cooking, with
one cup of Swiftlet Natural Sugar
Replacement equivalent to one cup
of refined white sugar. The ingredients
that make up its blend have also
been granted food safety status by
international food safety agencies, like
USFDA and EFSA.
The product was launched in the
Philippines last year to resounding
success, selling over 1,700 units in its
first month. 1
Sugar alternatives have been around
Swiftlet Natural Sugar Replacement contains a blend
that is plant-based, 100% natural and non-GMO
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

38
ON THE TABLE
The Swiftlet team is a diverse effort spanning different disciplines and cultures
for quite some time; stevia sugar and
agave syrup are just some of the most
popular options around with which most
consumers are acquainted. However,
these sugar replacements have garnered
a poor reputation amongst consumers
for its poor aftertaste, high cost in
comparison to sugar, and possible
laxative effects. Thus, most consumers
still prefer to use refined or brown sugar
in their diets and cooking.
To that end, Swiftlet Natural Sugar
Replacement stands out among its
competitors as a well-rounded product
that can serve health-conscious
consumers looking for quality sugar
alternatives. Its one-to-one ratio with
refined sugar also makes it easy for
home-bakers to implement into recipes,
be it sweet or savoury.
“The combination of all of these benefits
is really what makes our blend unique. On
top of that, our blend performs really well
in diverse applications. We’ve conducted
qualitative tests that suggest that it can
be used for a wide array of cooking and
baking processes ranging from ovenbaked
pastries, frozen desserts, hot and
cold beverages, and even pan-fried or
oven-baked savoury dishes,” remarked
Jake Jereza, co-founder of Swiftlet Co.
“The whole premise of our company is
that we’re here to say, ‘No, you don’t have
to give something up. You can enjoy what
you used to enjoy and not suffer from
it later on.’ We envision a world where
‘healthy’ becomes synonymous with
‘tasty.’”
A CROSS-CULTURAL EFFORT
The product was developed by the
Swiftlet R&D team. Inspired by the rise
of home-baking and the concerns for
healthy habits amidst the pandemic and
beyond, the founding members of the
Swiftlet team (who were close family
friends) wanted to create a product that
could make a difference in culinary habits
in Asia.
The team also had an advisor with more
than 40 years of experience, as well as a
manufacturing partner, who collaborated
with the company to formulate the
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

ON THE TABLE 39
product. By formulating with different
ingredients and varied proportions in
the blend, the team was able to create a
sugar alternative that achieved the health
benefits which they initially sought to
accomplish. Furthermore, the team kept
in close contact with the experts from the
food industry both in US and Asia to gain
consumer insights and knowledge of the
manufacturing and testing process.
With a team based in Singapore, Manila,
and Hanoi, its members were able
to capture not only the demands of
customers from specific countries, but
across South East Asia – a cogent factor,
as sugar plays a significant role in South
East Asian cuisine.
The diversity of the team members,
whose individual majors span across food
science, applied chemistry, business, IT,
alongside a creative professional, also
allowed them a unique position in the
creation of the product and its business
model.
“Since we come from different cultural
backgrounds, however, it was a bit hard at
first to adjust to each other’s perspectives
and priorities when it came to the work
we wanted to do. But in the end, we
realised that these differences gave us a
chance to think more laterally and attack
problems from different angles until we
found the best solutions,” added Jereza.
The result: a dedicated product that
resonated with a consumer base across
various dimensions.
COMMITMENT TO
SUSTAINABILITY
Current sugar alternatives, such as agave
syrup and honey, have been criticised
in the past for being environmentally
unfriendly. The commercial production of
honey, for instance, has contributed to a
sharp decline in bee populations in the
United States. 2
With the use of ethically-sourced, 100%
natural and non-GMO products to create
its blend, Swiftlet is committed to its
sustainability cause. They are currently
looking at different technological
developments to further strengthen their
mission toward sustainability. Moreover,
they have plans for marketing partnerships
with institutions that are making
sustainability accessible and actionable.
LOOKING AHEAD
Though Swiftlet is currently tight-lipped
regarding any specific future products,
they are optimistic about the company’s
plans for expansions ahead.
“Our R&D team is working really hard
to get these to market as efficiently as
possible. We’re looking at releasing them
by the end of this year after the proper
tests have been done, and we’re very
much excited to get them out so we can
all celebrate a life of health and wellness!”
Jereza enthused.
The company also has plans to develop
a B2B business, having spent the last
year as a consumer-facing product. They
currently have a production capacity
of several tons a day, which is able to
increase based on demand. FBA
REFERENCES
1
https://foodsci.rutgers.edu/NewsAndEvents/
StudentParts.php?n=MinhLe; https://www.
foodnavigator-asia.com/Article/2020/11/17/
Cross-country-Asia-team-develops-worldfirst-zero-GI-zero-calorie-and-prebioticenriched-sugar-replacement
2
https://foodprint.org/blog/sugar-substitutes/
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

40
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
The circular economy in
packaging technology:
Sustainability needs collaboration
The requirements placed on food packaging are immense.
It needs to provide protection while simultaneously
conveying the brand image, be tightly sealed yet easy
to open, and create a reliable barrier while also being
breathable when required. During the production process,
it must also enable high-speed food packaging while, of
course, remaining cost efficient. Decades of research and
development have gone into tackling these diverse tasks.
In recent years, the demand for sustainability has become
huge. New packaging solutions need to be developed as
soon as possible. They need to meet the same requirements
as conventional packaging without burdening the
environment or the purse. Syntegon Technology has
set itself this Herculean task, which it is addressing in
cooperation with all supply chain participants.
By TORSTEN SAUER
On the road to sustainable packaging
solutions, the “circular economy” is pointing
the way. This approach seeks to close energy
and material cycles through the efficient
use of resources, recycling and waste
reduction. The aim is to achieve a sustainable
improvement in environmental and climate
protection.
With this goal in mind, the European Union
(EU) passed the Circular Economy Act in
2012 1 . The core of this legislation is a fivelevel
hierarchy of waste, which helps to
consistently orient the circular economy
towards waste avoidance and recycling. It
defined a sequence of waste avoidance,
reuse, recycling and waste recovery –
including energy recovery – and finally
waste disposal. In each case, the most
environmentally friendly option has priority.
Syntegon Technology has set itself the goal
of making a contribution to sustainability
through its packaging solutions. This calls
for collaboration with customers as well
as packaging material manufacturers and
suppliers, which Syntegon Technology sees
as part of the solution. In concrete terms,
the aim is to make both the packaging itself
and the packaging process more sustainable.
This includes, in particular, the development
of machines that can process new, more
environmentally friendly packaging materials.
Syntegon Technology has developed a
number of solutions with customers that
target the first three stages of the waste
hierarchy – waste avoidance, preparation for
recovery, and recycling.
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 41
The new blank feeding motion of the Elematic
2001 case packer can accommodate blanks
that have been bent by moisture and changing
temperatures. As a result, fewer blanks need
to be thrown away, which contributes to more
sustainable production processes
STAGE 1 – AVOIDANCE: NO
PRODUCT AND MATERIAL WASTE
Packaging requirements are not
necessarily at odds with sustainability.
Primary and transport packaging offer
product protection, and therefore
contribute to sustainability by
preventing food spoilage or waste during
transport. An optimised packaging
process also helps to prevent product
waste. During necessary downtime for
cleaning or format changes, batches
can spoil and have to be disposed of.
Minimising downtimes thanks to easier
cleaning and faster format changeovers
helps to reduce waste. In addition, more
efficient production processes also
mean resources, such as energy and
water, are used more efficiently.
Optimising machines can also help
to reduce the amount of packaging
material. The continuous development
of sealing technologies is already
doing its bit. Thanks to technological
advances, thinner films can now be used
while packs can be sealed more tightly
around the product. This helps to reduce
the amount of material used.
Syntegon Technology has also developed
cartoners and case packers that are
more material-efficient thanks to higher
tolerances. These include systems that
can process slightly bent cardboard
blanks or those made from recycled
material. This wider tolerance range
means that blanks, that would previously
have been discarded as rejects, are now
being processed by the machine.
Efficiently designed secondary packaging
and outer packaging also helps to
minimise transport costs. According
to Olivier Cottard, head of industries
business units at DS Smith Packaging,
shrinking standard secondary packaging
by 5mm reduces shipping requirements
by 20 truckloads per year. This results
in carbon emissions savings of 100
metric tonnes as well as significant
cost savings. Put differently, the carbon
emissions savings are equivalent to the
amount of carbon absorbed by 2,500
conifer seedlings in 10 years 2 .
Waste prevention also involves replacing
environmentally harmful packaging
materials with more environmentally
friendly options such as using paper
instead of plastic. Paper or cardboard
already account for around 65% of
all packaging 3 , but the application
possibilities for paper in primary
packaging are far from exhausted.
Syntegon Technology is currently
working on making conventional plastic
packaging solutions usable with paper
In collaboration with the paper manufacturer BillerudKorsnäs,
Syntegon Technology has developed a process for securely
packaging and sealing dry foods such as sugar, pasta, or
cereals in mono-material paper using vertical flow wrappers
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

42
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
as well. Up to now, using mono-material
paper for packaging has only been
possible with glued, prefabricated bags
or glued paper packaging produced
using pinwheel technology.
In collaboration with the paper
manufacturer, BillerudKorsnäs Syntegon
Technology, formerly Bosch Packaging
Technology, has developed a solution
to securely package and seal food in
mono-material paper using vertical
baggers. This pioneering sealed paper
packaging is suitable for dry foods such
as sugar, pasta, cereals and powders
without compromising on product
protection and dust tightness. Thanks
to the use of Forest Stewardship
Council (FSC)- or the Programme for
the Endorsement of Forest Certification
(PEFC)-certified paper, the sustainable
characteristics are maintained from the
raw material through to recycling – fully
in keeping with the principles of the
circular economy.
Syntegon Technology has
also developed cartoners and
case packers that are more
material-efficient thanks to
higher tolerances
Even specially shaped and optimally
dimensioned small paper pods can
contribute to a more sustainable
future by replacing plastic sleeves.
Recently, the new Pearl packaging
concept was developed together with
BillerudKorsnäs. The 3D-formable
paper can be processed into creative
The new Pearl packaging concept
and sustainable packaging solutions
on Syntegon Technology machines.
This further reduces the amount of
plastic used. The demand for this type
of packaging solution is already high,
meaning that more of it will soon be
appearing on supermarket shelves.
STAGE 2 – PREPARATION FOR
RECYCLING: LONG-LASTING
QUALITY AND GOOD SERVICE
For packaging machine manufacturers,
recycling also means preventing
machinery already in circulation from
becoming obsolete prematurely. In this
regard, a comprehensive retrofitting
programme and appropriate service
support are the decisive factors.
Syntegon Technology offers its
customers the option of upgrading
existing machines so they can handle
more sustainable packaging materials.
This includes comprehensive customerspecific
tests for new packaging
materials as well as the necessary
upgrade kits. Furthermore, Syntegon
Technology offers to overhaul their
customers’ equipment and thus
considerably extend their lifecycle.
STAGE 3 – DESIGN FOR
RECYCLING
In the field of plastic packaging, the
trend is increasingly moving towards
using mono-materials wherever
possible; in other words, preparing the
packaging material for recycling within
an available recycling stream. This poses
challenges for the composition and
processing of the packaging material.
Multi-layer films assign different tasks,
such as barrier protection, sealing or
printing to individual layers made from
different materials. These multi-layer
films are not homogenous and cannot
be separated in the recycling process
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 43
because they consist of several plastics.
In many cases, the option is thermal
recovery.
Mono-material packaging – even if it
consists of several layers of the same
material – will have to do all the work on
its own. This may mean that previous
assumptions, for example regarding
shelf life, need to be reconsidered or
that new, optimised processes in the
supply chain will need to compensate
for shorter shelf lives. When it comes
to recycling, however, things are much
simpler – the mono-material can be
directly fed into the recycling stream
and be fully recycled.
Another challenge is that consumers
cannot immediately tell the difference
between recyclable mono-material and
multi-layer film. Food manufacturers
would do well to take this into account
when designing their packaging
and, if necessary, to print additional
information on the pack or make
it available via QR code. Syntegon
Technology already offers track and
trace solutions, whereby a QR code
is linked to additional consumer
information.
Many research projects are devoted
to the development of bio-based
and biodegradable plastics that meet
the requirements of food packaging.
Compared to conventional plastics,
so-called drop-in bioplastics, such
as bio-polyethylene (bio-PE) and
PET), have a better carbon footprint
as they are made from renewable raw
materials. Because they have the same
chemical structure as conventional
plastics, they can be processed into end
products using the same machines and
processes. Biodegradable plastics offer
advantages if they can be decomposed
easily by microorganisms. The use
of these compostable materials is
especially beneficial when product
remains and packaging are disposed of
together. This, for instance, applies to
coffee capsules or tea bags.
Sustainable packaging is certainly a
sales argument, as it can increase both
revenue and customer loyalty. Today’s
consumers want to avoid material
waste as much as possible and prefer
biodegradable or recyclable packaging
materials. According to a global retail
survey conducted by Nielsen, 55% of
online consumers in 60 countries are
willing to pay more for products if the
companies involved are committed
to positive social and environmental
change 4 .
CIRCULAR ECONOMY BY UNITING
EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THE
SUPPLY CHAIN
Machine manufacturers can only
develop solutions that close the material
bio-polyethylene terephthalate (bio-
cycle, avoid waste and yet still fulfil
the extensive requirements placed on
packaging if the relevant stakeholders
are involved at an early stage. This
includes material manufacturers,
brand owners and their customers,
right through to packaging material
recycling facilities. The successful use of
sustainable packaging can only succeed
if all parties along the supply chain
pool their respective areas of expertise.
The objective is to test the machine
capability of new types of packaging
materials, and to provide support in the
development of packaging designs.
Food manufacturers can here
benefit from Syntegon Technology’s
international network of material
suppliers. By working together, they
are able to find pragmatic, innovative
solutions that meet complex market,
consumer and legal requirements and
thus open up new, more sustainable
avenues. FBA
Torsten Sauer is project manager
Sustainability at Syntegon Technology.
REFERENCES
1
https://www.bmu.de/en/law/
circular-economy-and-safeguard-theenvironmentally-compatible-managementof-waste/
2
The benefits of packaging in an increasingly
waste-conscious world, DS Smith,
https://www.dssmith.com/company/
newsroom/2018/2/the-benefits-ofpackaging-in-an-increasingly-wasteconscious-world
3
The current state of the paper packaging
market, Smithers Pira, https://www.
smitherspira.com/resources/2014/june/
current-state-of-the-paper-packagingmarket
4
Global consumers are willing to put their
money where their heart is when it comes
to goods and services from companies
committed to social responsibility, Nielsen
2014, http://www.nielsen.com/content/
corporate/us/en/press-room/2014/globalconsumers-are-willing-to-put-their-moneywhere-their-heart-is.html
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

44
PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
A harmonised
solution
In mid-2019, Vitaqua GmbH put its seventh
PET line into operation at its plant in Breuna,
Germany – and like all of its predecessors, it’s a
turnkey line from Krones. It’s the first to be used
as a multipurpose line as all of the others run just
one product in one PET bottle shape and size.
Besides the installation of Line 7, the company
also needed to restructure all of the plant’s
peripherals since everything was configured for
the existing six lines. That, too, was handled by
Krones.
Plant Manager
Stefan Thöne
The family-owned enterprise
Altmühltaler Mineralbrunnen originally
emerged from a mid-tier brewery by the
name of Schäffbräu in Treuchtlingen,
Germany. In recent years, however, it
has specialised entirely in producing and
bottling mineral water and soft drinks in
single-use PET bottles for discounters
and store brands. The company is now
one of Germany’s largest beverage
producers, with four production sites,
in the country’s south (Altmühltaler
Mineralbrunnen GmbH, Treuchtlingen),
center (Vitaqua GmbH, Breuna, and
Heil- und Mineralquellen Germete GmbH,
Warburg), and east (Brandenburger
Urstromquelle GmbH, Baruth).
When the Vitaqua plant in Breuna was
completed in 2007, it was considered
one of Europe’s most state-of-theart
beverage production and logistics
facilities. Krones served as general
contractor, and planned, built, and
installed everything (except the building
itself) in just under a year’s time. The
project included
• the turnkey delivery of the entire
process technology,
• a high-bay warehouse with 51,000
pallet slots,
• internal logistics,
• the digital connectivity of the entire
plant,
• and four PET bottling lines, each
rated at 43,200 containers per
hour.
That enabled the newly established
plant, which takes its water from the hills
around Kassel, Germany, to fill around
four million containers per day. But that
wasn’t the end of it.
As planned from the outset, Vitaqua
continued to expand its capacities in
the years that followed, adding two
further Krones PET bottling lines that
would be used exclusively for water.
In 2014 and 2018, respectively, Krones
updated Lines 1 and 2, increasing their
individual capacities from 43,200 to
63,000 0.5L/h. And yet, even that was
not enough to keep up with demand.
So, Vitaqua decided to add another PET
line – now its seventh and again from
Krones. Designed to handle four different
bottle formats ranging from 0.75 to 1.5L
at a speed of 40,000 bottles per hour,
this new line is the first to be used as a
multipurpose line.
“Strictly speaking, if we include the two
upgrades, Krones has now installed
nine turnkey lines in our plant,” said
Plant Manager Stefan Thöne, who has
helped “build” the Breuna facility since
its beginnings. “In addition, in 2020, we
also retrofitted all of the lines with new
Contiroll labelers, so they now all use the
same gluing system.”
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 45
But even so, the contract award wasn’t
a done deal: “We’re almost an entirely
Krones-built operation, but Krones still
has to prove itself with each bid.”
FLEXIBLE, TROUBLE-FREE
PRODUCTION
PET line number 7:
• Contiform 3 Speed stretch blowmolder
with PET-View inspection
system
• AirCo air conveyor
• Contiflow mixer
• Modulfill VFS filler in a cleanroom
• The latest-generation Accutable
dynamic buffer system
• Linadry container dryer
• Contiroll labeler
• Variopac Pro FS-7 packer
• Modulpal Pro 1AD palletizer with
a Robobox T-GS grouping system
with high-level infeed
The new turnkey line bottles both
still and carbonated water as well as
carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and went
into operation in mid-2019. A number of
unique points are worth noting.
At Vitaqua, the blow-molder on each line
is linked to the filler via an air conveyor.
“It’s our ‘house philosophy’ and it has
worked well for us so far,” explained
Thöne.
Besides trouble-free operation, flexibility
is a priority: “Since we run four different
containers on this line, it was important
that the Contiform blow-molder be
equipped with quick-change capability.
We can now change over from the
smallest bottle size to the largest in just
75 minutes.”
The new, third-generation Accutable buffer system was installed in this line for the first time
In addition, the cleanroom that houses
the filler also has three integrated cap
supply systems that feed into the screw
capper. Switching between normal
screw caps, flat caps, and sports caps is
done automatically.
“This is the first line on which we’ve
been able to handle sports caps at all,”
said Thöne.
The company buys the sports caps,
while the normal screw caps and flat
caps are produced on site in Breuna
and even supplied to the group’s other
plants.
In addition, Altmühltaler Mineralbrunnen
has been producing its own PET
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
preforms for all four plants at the Baruth
location since 2004. The company has a
dedicated container design and development
team. All in all, the group is pretty selfsufficient.
“Basically, we are a plastics processing
operation,” explained Thöne.
MAJOR MODIFICATIONS WERE
NEEDED
Although the plant offered enough space not
only for the seventh but even an eighth line
from the start, the entire periphery was laid
out for six lines.
“As a result, this project was not simply about
installing another filling line. Rather, the new
line had to be embedded, and our plant’s
entire structure had to be adjusted,” said
Thöne.
In other words, the installation of Line 7
required some major modifications to the
plant:
• An existing carbonator was moved to
make room for the Contiflow mixer in the
centralised syrup room.
• In addition, a new CIP (clean-in-place)
system and a high-capacity compressor
were needed.
• A new pallet inspection unit for
Düsseldorfer pallets was installed.
• The material flow technology was
adjusted, with eight new electric
overhead conveyor vehicles and fitted
into the existing structure. The electric
overhead conveyor serves the entire
Vitaqua plant.
• The production planning and control
(PPC) system for the entire plant was
also upgraded to the latest version.
“Krones had to do all of this in a timeframe
that kept production stoppage to a minimum.
In the end, we only had to shut down for three
weeks. It was really a great accomplishment
on the part of everyone involved. Krones
sent 70 welders alone, who laid new piping
and every one of them deserves a great
deal of praise,” remarked Thöne about the
cooperation.
HIGHLY DIGITALISED
The new line is, like all of the other lines,
highly digitalised and therefore equipped with
a variety of solutions from the SitePilot suite:
the Line Management order management
system, Line Diagnostics for production
data acquisition and analysis, and the Asset
Management maintenance tool. A bar code is
affixed to each machine that helps coordinate
the raw materials and supplies needed for
each respective order. Suppliers of, say, raw
materials, labels, or films affix bar codes that
are defined by Vitaqua to their products.
These bar codes contain information such
as batch numbers and “best before” dates.
Based on experience from past orders,
the SitePilot Planning module creates a
production plan for each line and machine,
using a specific algorithm to take into
account the needs and thus generating a list
of planned orders. This complete production
plan then goes into the Line Management
System.
So, when the operator starts production, the
system already knows exactly which raw
materials and supplies are needed and makes
them available, fully automatically, by way
of the electric overhead conveyor. When the
operator scans the bar code on the machines,
another validation takes place. Likewise, it is
also possible to precisely trace which product
was produced and packaged when and with
which raw materials and supplies.
“It practically eliminates the risk of production
errors,” shared Thöne.
This high level of digitalisation is also
necessary for smooth operation: “Our
production is configured for round-the-clock
operation on seven days a week. Depending
on the season, though, we sometimes only
work five days a week. But here’s the rub: We
always have to be able to deliver, because
we’ve only got two days from receipt of an
order until the product leaves the plant. That’s
a logistical challenge, especially with regard
to getting the needed raw materials and
supplies ordered in time,” explained Thöne.
The plant manager sums up the project
positively: “Initially, the commissioning
was delayed by a couple of weeks, but in
the end, we have been extremely satisfied
with the new line. We were able to run the
final acceptance at 98.5%. All guaranteed
performance criteria were either met or
exceeded: For the 1.5L bottle, we had agreed
on a rated capacity of 38,000 containers per
hour and we are actually able to run the line
at between 40,000 and 41,000 containers per
hour for all container sizes.”
At Vitaqua, all lines use AirCo air conveyors to link the Contiform blow-molder to the filler
Adding this summary of his experience
from nearly one and a half decades, he said:
“Krones always brings its orders to a good
conclusion.” FBA
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 47
V-Shapes: A unique story
about sustainability, safety and
convenience in packaging
As the climate crisis continues to evolve and
governments around the world are paying
more attention to sustainability initiatives
and regulations, packaging will come under
increased scrutiny for its role in adding to
CO2 emissions, landfills and plastics pollution.
Addressing this requires new thinking and a
mindset of sustainability. Those are two of
the founding principles of V-Shapes as the
company continues to improve its singledose
sachet packaging machines.
But in this new, more environmentally
conscious world, it can be tricky to balance
the needs of consumers, converters/fillers,
brand owners, and the planet. Clearly, brand
owners want their packaging to convey a
desired brand image, including through
high-quality colour, images and text.
Converters/fillers are always developing new
ways to serve their brand owner customers.
Consumers look to packaging to identify the
product they are purchasing or considering,
and often seek to understand the
sustainability profile of the brand owner. This
can play a big role in purchasing decisions,
especially with younger consumers.
Consumers are also mindful of convenience
and safety, with safety being an increased
concern in light of what the pandemic has
taught. And with respect to the environment,
plastics are not going away anytime soonhence,
V-Shapes is using materials that can
operate within a circular economy.
Taking all factors into consideration,
V-Shapes added a twist of uniqueness to
bring cachet to their sachets. The brand
owners V-Shapes spoke to love their unique
approach to single-dose packaging that
can be opened in a single move using only
one hand. In addition, they love to be able
to use high-quality printing on the sachets
to promote their brand image and consumer
messaging as well as the fact that there is
less product wastage, precise dosing and less
space consumption in the shipping process
compared to more conventional single-dose
units. Conventional packaging of single doses
often requires air headspace that takes up
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
room and can have a deleterious effect
on the packaged product shelf life.
Consumers love using leading-edge
products that are different. They also
like convenience. As V-Shapes gets
back to some semblance of normality
as the pandemic ebbs, the brand will
likely remain reluctant to use things like
large condiment containers in event
venues. Instead, they will be seeking a
convenient way to continue to carry hand
sanitizer and will be more conscious of
other safety issues, in addition to overall
sustainability.
V-Shapes has given a lot of thought to
the sustainability aspects of single-dose
packaging. Most recently, the company
has achieved two important goals. First,
TOMRA has verified that the company’s
sachets are detectable in industrial waste
stream sorting as 100% polypropylene.
This is important and means that used
sachets can be sorted out of the waste
stream for recycling.
All samples were easily identified by
near infrared detection using a TOMRA
AUTOSORT 4 detection unit. In addition
to these samples being detectable
as 100% polypropylene in the waste
stream, TOMRA was also able to detect
polypropylene below a thin high-barrier
OPP layer used to prevent migration in
some V-Shapes substrates.
In addition to the TOMRA verification, the
prestigious auditing agency Interseroh
tested two different V-Shapes proprietary
substrates, reNEW-100 and reNEW X-500,
for recyclability and issued certifications
following successful tests.
V-Shapes also partnered with
NatureWorks to offer their innovative
Ingeo substrate as an option, which the
company is marketing under the brand
V-Green. INGEO polymers are certified
as compostable according to EN13432.
TÜV Austria has certified that “bio-based
V-Green” features between 60% and 80%
bio-based carbon content, a three-star
rating. This enables V-Shapes to use the
“OK BIOBASED” conformity mark with
their V-Green biobased substrates.
Experts said that there is a difference
between recyclability and compostability,
and V-Shapes wants to be able to offer both.
The polypropylene the brand uses can be
directed to a variety of applications after it
is sorted out of industrial waste streams,
including being chopped up for use in other
products such as carpets. For a material
to be classified as compostable, it needs
to be 90% biodegradable and compostable
within 90 days, and elements that come
from the breakdown of the material should
be nontoxic and natural so the final compost
does not contain any toxic material.
Hence, V-Shapes has made a variety of
substrates available so that the concerns
of converters/fillers, their brand owner
customers, the consumers of the final
product and government regulatory
agencies can all be satisfied.
In addition, for printing on their chets,
V-Shapes uses water-based inks that
can be removed in the washing processtypically
in recycling polypropylene – or
composted without leaving behind toxic
materials in the case of V-Green. The
company has been able to address two
other concerns as well: efficient sealing
and prevention of ink or other material
migration into packaged product. Even
when put under pressure in applications
like magazine tip-ins with samples, placed
in a purse or a pocket, the sachets do not
leak. Furthermore, the brand uses a very
thin high-barrier OPP layer as appropriate
to prevent migration – a layer that does not
affect detection, as shown in the TOMRA
results, or recyclability.
V-Shapes has also spent a great deal of
time ensuring they are serving each and
every one of the various stakeholders in the
packaging life cycle in the best possible way.
On 17 March, V-Shapes received two certificates from Interseroh with high scores for their newly
developed materials, reNEW X-100 and reNEW X-500
Whether a brand owner is looking for unique
packaging, or a converter/filler is looking for
a solution to make their customers stand
out, V-Shapes is here to help – either by
providing equipment or by connecting with
one of their partners close by. FBA
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 49
If food contaminated with foreign
bodies reaches the retailers or even the
end consumer, the associated direct and
indirect costs for food manufacturers
are immense — high recall costs,
permanently damaged brand images
and customer cancellations of supply
contracts.
This is why the installation of inline
product inspection systems which
can detect foreign bodies on the
production line are so important. But
simply installing the machines will not
be the silver bullet. To be truly effective,
they must be backed up with robust
testing practices and staff must adhere
to a number of process steps over the
entire lifecycle of the inspection system.
Only regular testing can confirm that
system performance is within the set
detection sensitivity specification, and
that product standards, whether those
recognised through the GFSI initiative
or by retailers and consumers, are being
met.
There are five key steps to increased
product safety, but within these steps,
the issues of validation, verification and
routine performance monitoring are all
intertwined. Let’s quickly look at those
issues before we go through the five
steps:
• Validation – to ensure the device
meets the requirements for the
detection of likely contamination
risks with the specific product, and
does so without exceeding the
permissible false reject rate.
• Verification - regular
assessments that ensure the
system works as expected, with
test results documented. The
expertise and qualifications of
line personnel to carry out local
tests and monitoring can also be
included.
• Routine Performance
Monitoring - a series of
performance tests that are
performed at short, regular
intervals, confirming that the
inspection system is operating
according to expectations and
within the defined limit values. If
a critical limit value is exceeded,
corrective measures are required
to ensure non-compliant products
are efficiently and cost-effectively
removed from the production
process.
With those issues in mind, here are the
five steps to robust testing practice:
STEP 1: USE OF CORRECT TEST
SAMPLES
The use of certified test samples and
weights helps to ensure compliance
with food safety standards, guidelines
and legal regulations, and guarantees
that the inspection systems operate
according to the correct specifications.
Test samples are available in many
An operator using XR System-colour-toned
from Mettler Toledo
Five best practices for
foreign body detection
Five steps to increased product safety: Rainer Mundt,
marketing manager of Mettler-Toledo Product
Inspection, explains how robust testing practice in
foreign body detection requires validation, verification
and routine performance monitoring.
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING
different formats, with test cards being
the most common format for dry
applications, test balls or tablets suitable
for applications with powdery materials,
test rods recommended for free-fall metal
detectors without a reject mechanism,
test balls or rods for pipeline applications
and tablet-shaped test samples available
specifically for x-ray inspection. For
vertical metal detection applications,
an Automatic Test System (ATS) is also
suitable to detect metal contaminants
such as ferrous, non-ferrous and
stainless steel metals.
STEP 2: USE OF SUITABLE TEST
PRODUCTS
The specification of suitable test products
as well as the following requirements
should be defined and integrated into the
test procedures:
- the process of ensuring that a
product is free of foreign bodies
before test samples are inserted or
attached;
- the manner in which test products
are prepared, including the
positioning of the test sample inside
or outside the test product;
- the frequency with which the
test products should be created,
taking into account properties such
as durability and shelf life of the
product;
- the procedure for marking
test products to prevent them
from entering the supply chain
inadvertently in the event of a failed
attempt.
Test products outside of the food item
can be used to test the fail-safe system.
However, they should be similar in size,
shape, and weight to the food products
that are transported on the line.
There are a number of particular
recommendations here that are specific
to different applications. For instance,
with packaged products, test samples
should be placed at those points of the
product that are most difficult to inspect.
With metal detectors, they should be
placed in the front, middle, and rear
section of the test products, while with
x-ray inspection systems, the samples
should be positioned both on and under
the product.
Test tablets or test rods are usually
used for bulk or loose products, while in
free-fall applications with unpackaged
products, the test samples should be
introduced directly into the product flow.
For pipeline applications, the test samples
should be introduced into the production
flow via a filler opening, and the product
with the foreign body is then passed
through.
STEP 3: COMPLIANCE
WITH RECOMMENDED TEST
PROCEDURES
Different test procedures may be required
to comply with specific food safety
codes of conduct. When testing for
different types of foreign bodies, these
tests should at least meet the following
requirements:
- relevant standard recognised by the
GFSI
An inspection taking place
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PROCESSING AND PACKAGING 51
- possible external customer
specifications
- rules and regulations of the retail
industry
- company-specific guidelines/test
requirements
There are differences in test procedures
when using either conveyorised metal
detectors or conveyorised x-ray inspection
systems. For metal detectors, the basic
test and the preferred method is to
test consecutive products, with (as a
minimum) one test sample in the front,
one in the middle, and one in the rear
section of the test product. The metallic
test sample should pass through the
geometric center of the metal detector,
as this is the least sensitive area. As an
alternative, companies can choose to test
isolated products, but this method has the
drawback of not checking the reliability of
the metal detection system with regard
to the detection of several consecutive
contaminated products.
For conveyorised x-ray systems, the tests
should be carried out in the most difficult
area of the product in order to push the
x-ray inspection system to the limits of
its detection performance. Test samples
should be placed randomly to ensure that
the system is able to detect contaminated
products regardless of their position in the
production line.
In addition to testing consecutive
products, retailers may require additional
performance monitoring tests to be
performed. These might include the
memory test and the ‘Large Metal Test’.
With the memory test, three contaminated
products (which should be rejected) and
two non-contaminated products (which
should be accepted) should pass through
the metal detector. This is to confirm that
the metal detection system is capable
of distinguishing between ‘good’ (no
metal contaminants) and ‘bad’ (metal
contaminants present) product when
working at high speeds, with packs placed
closely together on the line.
The Large Metal Test serves to confirm
that the photogating system on the metal
detector is working properly, and it is
recommended that the test is undertaken
at least once a day, and ideally once a
shift. In the test, a large metal test piece
(20mm ferrous) is introduced to the metal
detection system, either on its own, or
among other packs, though the latter
will likely result in multiple packs being
rejected. The test is successful if the
product contaminated with a large metal
foreign body is detected, the test product
is rejected, and the production line is not
blocked.
STEP 4: COMPLIANCE WITH TEST
INTERVALS
GFSI-recognised standards, customer
and retail requirements and company
guidelines regarding shelf life and
product blocking times must all be
considered when setting the frequency
of tests. As a general rule, the test
intervals must always be situated within
the quarantine period time (i.e. the time
between when a product is produced
and when it leaves the production site).
The performance tests at the beginning
and end of daily production should be
emphasised, as these serve to confirm
that the detection and rejection takes
place in accordance with the specified
standards and that any additional
warning systems are functioning properly.
It is also advisable to carry out
performance tests at regular intervals
during the production run and at the
beginning of a new product run. The aim
is that every product that has passed
the inspection system, since the last
successful performance test, can be
retrieved while still on site if the system
does not pass the test. In addition, a
performance test should be carried out
with every batch change — especially if
there are changes to the product type or
changes have been made to the product
and/or system settings. A performance
test is also required after repair-related
downtimes to ensure that the product
inspection system and the reject
mechanism are still operating according
to the established standards.
STEP 5: ELECTRONIC DATA
MANAGEMENT
The trends towards automating
data collection processes are rapidly
accelerating. There are clearly many
benefits in respect of time saved in the
documentation and recording process:
as well as a reduction in human error
endemic to any manual data capture
process. A secure and up-to-date data
solution actively supports food safety
regulation compliance and helps prove
due diligence. In addition, in event of
a product recall all the product quality
data can be easily retrieved. Real-time
documentation of all inspection test
results and machine parameter changes
also allow production issues to be quickly
identified and resolved. The most proven
method for automating data collection
processes is data management software
connected directly to the inspection
device. This communicates to multiple
product inspection technologies plus also
connects to a manufacturer’s ERP or MES
systems.
IN CONCLUSION
There are many considerations to make,
and many procedures that must be
followed, if food manufacturers are to
detect foreign bodies on the production
line and reduce the risks of product recall.
The keys are to establish good testing
guidelines at the start; to ensure that
staff understand what is required and
are able to perform suitable tests; and
to maintain accurate, easily accessible
records of testing activity. Product
inspection technology of course plays
a critical role, but it must be backed up
by good operational practice which is
demonstrated through robust and regular
testing. FBA
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FIRST LOOKS
Napasol
Napasol AG of Switzerland adds a new South Africa Nut
pasteurisation plant with Ivory Macadamias
Swiss company Napasol AG has established
a leading position in nut pasteurisation
technology with over 30 plants operating
worldwide. The pasteurisation process
developed by Napasol allows treating nuts
with dry steam to retain the flavour, texture,
and colour of the raw nut.
All Napasol pasteurization plants are
validated for above 5log reduction in
salmonella. By pasteurising in a partial
vacuum at low temperatures, the dry
saturated steam pasteurisation process
prevents moisture pickup and no drying step
is needed. In the
Napasol Statisol
line, products
move through the
process loaded
in stainless-steel
bins protected
from mechanical
damage.
Ivory Macadamias can boast a guaranteed
performance in macadamia safety and
quality with the Napasol pasteurisation
technology.
Giovanna Secco, managing director of
Ivory Macadamias, said: “This investment
underscores the company’s stake in
continuing improvement in food safety,
a requirement to meet the increasingly
stringent demands of the global market.”
The Napasol Statisol pasteurisation lines
were specifically developed for the bulk
pasteurisation of nuts. Napasol pasteurisers
for macadamias are operational in Australia,
South Africa, the USA and Europe. Napasol
tree nut pasteurisation units are also
validated for almonds, walnuts, pistachios,
hazelnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, and pine nuts.
Napasol AG, Zug, Switzerland, sells
pasteurisation equipment worldwide for
many other low moisture food applications.
While Napasol Statisol pasteurisation lines
find applications for nuts and seeds, the
Napasol Rotosol pasteurisation lines were
specifically developed for bulk pasteurisation
of herbs, spices, seeds, and powders. The
Rotosol pasteurisation lines uses the same
saturated steam process in a blending
autoclave that insures maintaining the
products free flowing. Napasol pasteurisers
are available for capacities starting at
200kg/h and up to 6000kg/h matching
the requirements of a diversity of customer
needs.
Ivory Macadamias, Mpumalanga South Africa
is part of Global Macadamia Pty Ltd, South
Africa, and the Marquis Marketing Group Ltd,
Australia, the world’s largest processor and
marketer of macadamias. Marquis Marketing
Group can supply Napasol pasteurised
macadamias to manufacturing, wholesale,
and retail customers around the world. ■
GEA
GEA launches high-capacity SKIN thermoforming technology for
food items up to 100mm high
GEA launches the latest version of its SKIN
thermoforming packaging technology:
PowerPak SKIN.50. This provides processors
of sliced products and high-end products
with high-capacity packing of products of
up to 100mm high that protrude up to 50mm
above the level of the packing tray. The
PowerPak SKIN.50 can also perform vacuum
and MAP packaging on the same machine.
This thermoforming packaging machine
brings together the highest production
capacity currently available and excellent
packing quality with minimum wrinkles in
the finished package. GEA achieved the high
capacity through innovative engineering
that gives an index length up to 600mm,
eight tracks and four rows of product. A new
top film guiding and pre-heating station
avoids tapering of the film, making the top
film easier to form. It prevents wrinkles and
improves the overall appearance of the
package, and ensures the correct alignment
during the sealing process.
The modular design of the GEA PowerPak.50
SKIN thermoforming packaging system
Photo credit: GEA
The GEA PowerPak SKIN.50 high-performance SKIN
thermoforming packaging system
allows a choice of feeding, labelling and end
of line equipment to match perfectly any
food producer’s demands. The system can
also be adapted to provide vacuum and MAP
(Modified Atmosphere Packaging).
WHY SKIN THERMOFORMING
SKIN packaging is a versatile process that
wraps all products perfectly on a second
skin, even those with sharp edges and
irregular shapes. It eliminates air, preventing
oxidation and maintaining the product’s
original colour and flavour; gives excellent
shelf life; keeps juices and marinades within
the package; provides a clear view of the
entire product; minimizes packaging waste
and provides an excellent price/performance
ratio. ■
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FIRST LOOKS 53
Rapid Parts on Demand: Spare parts from the 3D printer
Krones has developed a solution for
beverage producers to produce a brand new
emergency part on demand in just a few
hours. It can be used to bridge the time until
the spare part proper is delivered, hence, not
a need to keep stock.
as the cleaning filament or backing material.
Krones supplies the requisite hardware too.
When the Ultimaker S5 printer is delivered, it
is ready for use by connecting to the Krones.
shop. All information exchanged between
printer and platform is at all times encrypted.
different lines but is equally useful for
relatively small line owners too as the client
only pays for the part that is printed. The 3D
printer is currently available in a compact
dimension, is easy to handle and can be
started up quickly on the plug-and-play
principle; hence it can be used be used at
The solution is based on 3D printing
technology, which Krones offers in an allinclusive
package comprising of consultancy
on the client-specific possibilities, the data
needed for printing the spare in question
as well as the matching 3D printer and the
requisite expendables. Print templates are
also available for many different parts in just
after six months — and more are added on a
continuous basis.
SPARE PART AVAILABLE IN A SHORT
TIME
The advantages for the beverage producer
are obvious: 3D printing cuts the time of a line
standstill by producing an emergency part.
Instead of keeping different spares in stock,
the user just requires the printer supplied by
Krones and a computer with access to the
Krones.shop. Depending on the component
concerned, it takes between 20 minutes to
different production facilities — all that is
needed is a stable internet connection.
Beverage producers can print their parts
directly in their own plant but Krones also
offers an option to use the 3D printer in their
local subsidiary. This is ideal for beverage
producers who would like to start by testing
the 3D technology, without having to invest
in their own kit upfront, or whose plant is
located in the subsidiary’s vicinity, so it’s
When a beverage producer opts for this
solution, Krones will check all existing
machines and recommends suitable print
files for spares that are already available.
On request, Krones will also check other
client-specific parts that are suitable for 3D
printing. All print templates are then made
available in the Krones.shop where the
printing order starts at the touch of a button,
and its progress monitored. The entire
printing process is transparent for the client
whose customised data are securely stored
in the Krones Cloud.
a few hours from the time the printing order
starts until the part is completely printed and
ready for immediate use.
Rapid Parts on Demand is particularly
worthwhile for clients who operate many
easy for them to keep their 3D printing
options open for emergency parts.
Krones expects the concept to become an
integral part of Krones’ service portfolio from
mid-2021. ■
Krones
CREADDITIVE MATERIALS
In order to be able to print spare parts
for an ultra-varied range of applications,
Krones, together with KIC Krones, has
created a material portfolio with different
characteristics and colours, available
under the name, creadditive. Parts with
disparate mechanical, chemical and thermal
characteristics can be printed, using
materials ranging from resilient and fibrereinforced
plastics to tribologically optimised
filaments. Each of the materials is chosen to
suit specific application for the component in
question. In addition, the creadditive series
also comprises of supporting materials such
Krones has developed a solution for beverage producers to produce a brand new emergency part on
demand in just a few hours
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FIRST LOOKS
igus
igus develops food-compatible tribo-filament for cost-effective
3D printing of special parts
iglidur I151 is blue, prints easily, and has
an optimal coefficient of friction and wear.
The new tribo-filament is a refinement
of the easy-to-machine igus iglidur I150
all-rounder filament. As it is blue, it can be
used to manufacture special parts that are
optically detectable in the food industry.
Food compatibility, according to the FDA and
to EU Regulation 10/2011, also qualifies the
high-performance polymer for use in the
food and cosmetics industries.
"Many customers, primarily from the food
industry, have requested a blue, FDAcompliant
filament with properties similar
to those of iglidur I150. That is why we have
now developed iglidur I151," said Tom Krause,
head of igus GmbH Additive Manufacturing
Business Unit.
The new tribo-filament is suitable for printing
components with great wear resistance.
Because the material is enriched with
solid lubricants, no additional lubrication is
necessary. This rules out any contamination
hazard. iglidur I151 can be used with any
3D printer that can be set to a nozzle
temperature of 250°C.
USERS CAN PRINT FOOD-
COMPLIANT SPECIAL PARTS OR
ORDER THEM ONLINE
iglidur I151 was also impressive in weartesting
in igus' in-house test laboratory with
a service life that is 100 times that of such
standard plastics as ABS and nylon. The new
filament can be ordered from igus online as
roll material. Users can also commission the
igus 3D printing service to manufacture their
wear-resistant special parts. Just upload the
STEP data, choose the material, calculate
prices, and order the customised wearresistant
part directly.
The new tribo-filament for the food industry
was introduced from 20-23 April 2021 at the
Ultimaker Transformation Summit. ■
Photo credit: igus GmbH
The new iglidur I151 tribo-filament is FDA-compliant
and especially well-suited to food contact
Sidel
Sidel StarLITE HPC: Increases stability of flat PET and rPET
containers
Sidel has introduced the StarLITETM HPC
base. The new, oval bottle base alternative for
flat PET containers helps achieve optimum
performance and can also comply with
recycled PET (rPET). The new bottle base
not only increases container stability by up
to 25%, but also optimises bottle weight and
energy consumption, reducing production
costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
IMPROVED STABILITY BY UP TO 25%
The base of the StarLITE HPC is cleverly
structured. Its new anti-rocking design
is based on a
360-degree
continuous
contact surface
which improves
tilt angle and may
be combined with
structural ribs and
oval push-up.
“The doubled sitting surface and the
balanced stretching ratios between small
and large sides enable better material
distribution, while avoiding base sagging,”
explained Laurent Naveau, packaging expert
at Sidel.
This oval shape achieves an optimum
performance level, drastically improving
stability by up to 25%. This increases
production uptime with better container
stability on conveyors while improving
consumer experience.
A MORE SUSTAINABLE AND COST-
EFFECTIVE FLAT CONTAINER
Applicable for both opaque and transparent
PET resins, the StarLITE HPC base offers
wide containers opportunities and is
perfectly compliant with rPET. The smart,
asymmetric, structured base design
improves material distribution, prevents
unexpected base roll-out and contributes
to lightweighting opportunities, i.e., a 0.5g
PET reduction for a 500ml container base.
The enhanced base cooling engineering for
mould and tooling design improves base
cooling during blow moulding and may
prevent post-mould base cooling according
to bottle shape, format and weight.
Thanks to its design, the StarLITE HPC base
is easy to blow and reduces blow moulding
pressure by 10% - a 3 bar decrease for a
420ml container. It can increase production
output up to 15% higher than the market
average. With the investment in a new set
of moulds equipped with the StarLITE HPC
base, fast payback in less than one year can
be achieved.
The StarLITE HPC is compatible with
all generations of Sidel blow moulding
machines. ■
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

FIRST LOOKS 55
Zoom T uses BASF’s Ultrason ® P for its baby bottles
The Japanese baby products manufacturer
Zoom T, Tokyo, is now using BASF’s Ultrason ®
P to produce baby bottles under its Dr.
Bétta brand. The polyphenylsulfone (PPSU)
meets Zoom T’s strict requirements for its
curved baby bottles that are safe and easy
to handle. Ultrason ® P 3010 nat is approved
for food contact and features excellent
strength, chemical resistance and resistance
to superheated steam up to 180C (356F).
These properties ensure that the baby
bottles are safe to use, while being
lightweight and shatter-proof, and can
be used over a long period of time. It also
easily withstands sterilization in microwave
ovens or in very hot water. The BASF PPSU
allows for designing complex shapes like
the Bétta baby bottles as it is also suitable
for extrusion blow moulding. Ultrason ® P
3010 outperforms commercially available
PPSU materials used to manufacture baby
bottles because of its excellent melt stability
necessary for the extrusion blow moulding
process.
Tomoko Kawai, president and CEO of Zoom
T, said: “With Ultrason ® P we can perfectly
produce the curved geometry of our Bétta
bottles by extrusion blow moulding. This is
important as the curved design stops babies
from swallowing air while being nursed,
preventing ear infections or colic.”
Georg Graessel from Global Business
Development Ultrason ® at BASF, added:
“Due to the numerous design possibilities
for colour and shape as well as the option
for producing the bottles either by injection
moulding or extrusion, it can also be
employed to make water bottles for sports or
multi-use bottles for green tea which can be
found everywhere in Asian countries.”
Ultrason ® is the trade name for BASF’s
product range of polyethersulfone
(Ultrason® E), polysulfone (Ultrason ® S) and
polyphenylsulfone (Ultrason ® P). Because
of their extraordinary property profile, the
Ultrason ® brands can substitute thermosets,
metals and ceramics in many applications. ■
New SWEDBRAND factory in Poland offers supply chain
alternatives for European brands
SWEDBRAND Group, the packaging partner
to some of the world’s most iconic brands,
recently reported that the establishment
of its brand-new, state-of-the-art Gdansk
factory for the production of premium rigid
boxes offers many advantages to European
brands in addressing global supply chain
difficulties exacerbated by the pandemic.
Manufacturing in Europe for European
distribution significantly reduces both time
and costs associated with the delivery of
finished premium rigid boxes.
Europe due to shortages of empty shipping
containers, and then five to seven weeks for
the products to arrive.
“Intra-Europe shipping has huge advantages
by comparison,” she said. “We are talking
three to five days to ship finished products
by truck to most European destinations.
That’s a time saving of as much as two
to three months, providing brands with
significantly more on-the-shelf time for their
products to actually generate revenue.”
the recent blockage of the Suez Canal.”
The new plant in Gdansk is a highly
automated state-of-the-art converting
operation for premium rigid boxes and is
managed by Bogdan Putko, a well-respected
packaging expert with 35 years of industry
experience. ■
BASF SWEDBRAND
Cornelia Oswald, head of Sales Worldwide
at SWEDBRAND, noted that while
manufacturing lead times are similar
between Asia and the new European plant,
time delays associated with shipping are
often excessive and only seem to be getting
worse. She reports that it can take as much
as four to five weeks to secure a 40-foot
container for shipping finished products to
The other advantage of intra-European
shipping, according to Oswald, is cost. “Our
shipping costs per truckload from Poland to
Germany, for example, are between €850
to €1,300. This is a huge cost saving, easily
offsetting any possible labor cost increase
we might experience in Poland compared
to Asia. Plus, we are not dealing with any
unexpected delays such as those caused by
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

56
SHOW REVIEW
KROHNE is celebrating its
100th anniversary under the
main message "THE SPIRIT OF
CREATIVITY"
THE SPIRIT OF
CREATIVITY:
KROHNE celebrates
its 100th anniversary
under the sign of
creativity
KROHNE is celebrating its 100th
anniversary under the main message
"THE SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY". The start
of the digital fair "KROHNE Insights" on
7 June marks the anniversary kick-off.
At a press conference on April 28, 2021,
Michael Rademacher-Dubbick, chairman
of the Advisory Board and spokesman
for the owner family, and Dr Attila
Michael Bilgic, CEO and spokesman of
the Executive Board of the KROHNE
Group, explained the core values that
have accompanied the company's
success story from its foundation in 1921
to today, and how it will remain true to
them in the future.
With the main message "THE SPIRIT OF
CREATIVITY", the anniversary highlights
the sides of the company that go
beyond measuring technology.
"KROHNE is a multi-layered combination
of values. Our goal is to offer added
value with our products, solutions and
services. We can achieve this only
by knowing or even anticipating the
wishes of our customers from various
industries and their applications,"
explained Dr Bilgic. "Meeting them
requires creative ideas that equally drive
technical innovation and organisational
development, and continue to help
KROHNE to accomplish pioneering
achievements."
"The foundation for this is our familyoriented
and appreciative corporate
culture and KROHNE's special
connection to art," added Rademacher-
Dubbick.
"THE SPIRIT OF CREATIVITY" stands for
an open approach to unconventional
ideas and shows that 100 years of
KROHNE have been all about creativity
and the company's innovative strength.
The anniversary kicks off with the
start of "KROHNE Insights": the digital
fair offers an overview of trends and
industry topics in the form of industryspecific
exhibition rooms with video
messages as well as live presentations.
At the same time, visitors have the
opportunity to learn more about
the "spirit" of the company and the
anniversary in a 100 year KROHNE
showroom. "KROHNE Insights" will
be accessible worldwide and in 12
languages from 7 June at insights.
krohne.com.
Parallel to the opening of "KROHNE
Insights," KROHNE is also going live
with the anniversary website krohne.
com/100years. It bundles all information
on the anniversary that will include
many different activities to which
KROHNE will to invite and involve
customers, partners and employees
alike. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

SHOW REVIEW 57
igus 2021 Motion Plastics
Show: 168 tribo innovations on
the trade show stand
The real-life/virtual trade show invites
visitors to use high-performance
polymers to improve their moving
applications
More new products, product extensions
and digital offerings than ever before:
the 2021 "igus Motion Plastics Show"
went virtual. Visitors were treated to
168 innovations from all departments —
from telescopic robot tube packages to
dry-running ball bearings with 21 times
the standard service life to large scale
3D printing.
Source: igus GmbH
Since the beginning of May 2020, the
stand has been located in an exhibition
hall in Cologne Porz-Lind, Germany,
where it was recognised with the iF
Design Award.
"We are in our second year without trade
shows," said igus CEO Frank Blase. "This
time we can start the presentation of
our new products at full digital speed."
The new trade show stand was
optimised based on experience gained
in virtual customer consultation and
tours last year. Solutions for various
industries can be seen in a separate
area: the space-saving and telescopic
triflex TRX system for 3D energy supply
on robots as well as the wound highload
bearing iglidur TX2 for construction
machinery. The issue of plastics
sustainability is now even more visible
and is given a central position at the
trade show.
igus introduced 168 motion plastics innovations this year at its trade show, which has been
recognised with the iF Design Award.
PHYSICAL/VIRTUAL TRADE
SHOW STAND WITH 168 MOTION
PLASTICS INNOVATIONS
In total, 168 product innovations from
igus departments were presented at
the trade show, which took up 400sqm,
including the lightweight drygear cobot
gear set for cost-effective automation
and iglidur I151 tribo-filament for FDAcompliant,
detectable wear-resistant
parts for food technology.
The orange trade show stand hosted
55,000 visitors from all over the world
as its virtual twin is freely accessible.
In addition, another 16,000 visitors also
took advantage of the offering of a
digital visit with igus specialists.
"We would normally have been
represented at 222 trade shows and
conventions last year, but we only made
a total of 26," said Blase. "So we are
very happy that the IMPS has become a
fixed part of daily communication with
customers."
The real/virtual trade show stand is an
important component of a digital igus
concept that allows users to quickly find
the right lubrication-free, maintenancefree
motion plastics for their specific
requirements. For instance, machine
design and tutorials can be completed
virtually with igus consultants; online
seminars from the online seminar studio
provide additional assistance while the
interactive digital catalogue variant also
provides additional information with
access to white papers, blog articles and
explanatory videos.
Explore the igus Motion Plastics Show at
the igus website. FBA
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

2021
JUNE
1 – 4 FOOMA Japan
Aichi Sky Expo
Aichi Prefecture, Japan
www.foomajapan.jp/english
EVENTS CALENDAR
8 – 10 Food Ingredients China
National Exhibition and Convention Centre (NECC)
Shanghai, China
en.fic.cfaa.cn
9 - 23 ProPak Asia
Virtual
www.propakasia.com/VE
15-18 ProPak Asia
Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre
(BITEC)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.propakasia.com
30 Sep – 02 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
59
23 – 25 Hi & Fi-Asia China
National Exhibition Convention Centre (NECC)
Shanghai, China
www.figlobal.com
JULY
08 – 09 ProPak India
Virtual
propakindia.com/virtual-expo
28 – 30 ProPak Vietnam
Saigon Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC)
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
www.propakvietnam.com
AUGUST
01 Aug – 28 Oct
Food Japan 2021
Virtual
oishii-world.com/en/
17 Aug – 25 Sep
Fi Asia
Virtual
www.figlobal.com/asia-thailand
SEPTEMBER
15 – 17 Fi Asia
Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre (BITEC)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.figlobal.com/asia-thailand
15 – 17 PackEx India
Bombay Exhibition Centre
Mumbai, India
www.packexindia.com
15 – 17 Anutec Ingredients India
Bombay Exhibition Centre
Mumbai, India
www.anutecingredientsindia.com
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
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC)
Shanghai, China
www.fhcchina.com/en/
16 – 18 China International Beverage Industry Exhibition on
Science & Technology (CBST)
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC)
Shanghai, China
www.cbst.com.cn/en
23 – 25 swop
Shanghai New International Expo Centre (SNIEC)
Shanghai, China
www.swop-online.com/en
23 – 26 (Virtual)
24 – 25 Vitafoods Asia
Sands Expo and Convention Centre
Singapore
www.vitafoodsasia.com
2022
FEBRUARY
9 – 12 Food Pack Asia
Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre
(BITEC)
Bangkok, Thailand
www.foodpackthailand.com
FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA JUNE / JULY 2021

60
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
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